PAIRING: Sunggyu/Woohyun

PROMPT: Sunggyu broke up with his girlfriend and his friends took him to a bar. But whe did not know was, that bar was a gay bar. There, he met another two mysterious male that changed his life within a second and he not regretting it.

RATING: R

WORDS:9,927 words

An Empty Vessel

He got it again for millionth time in his life, it is the feeling that spreading inside him. The empty feeling that boring a hole through his chest, numbing his every limbs. He closed his eyes, tightly. The urges to just stared at the sky and doing absolutely nothing became more unbearable.  

"Yeah, keep ignoring me. You see, that's exactly your problem. You keep giving me that stupid look! You make me feel like I mean nothing to you. I can't do this anymore, Sunggyu."

Yes, yes. He knew it. It just about time for her to say it. They have been arguing for a week. Everything he had done was just another mistake to her. But because he loved her, he kept on fighting for their relation. And that was until this emptiness resurface. Now he just knew that he had lost. He can never hide this emptiness every time he felt it.

"Between us, it's over. Don’t ever come and look for me again. We'll never ever getting back together this time... and forever!"  

She said before she left him there, probably went to hire a cab. He makes no effort on stopping her. Instead, he sat back on the bench. Irony, he would say –if not because of the numb feeling that blocked away all the other feeling. Irony, because that park where he broke up with his girlfriend just now, was also the place where he met her three months ago.  

He looked at his left side, where a pair of couples were dating while holding hands. Envy, yes. That should he felt for them. While everyone was happy in their relation, he was there alone, having yet another break up. He felt really out of place, there. Everything around him seems to be moving in slow motion. He can resist it no more. His vision became blurry so he quickly tilted his head to stare above him.

The sky.  

He stared the moving clouds for a long time. The golden evening sky was such a scenery to be admire. But he was stupefied.

"Where are you?" Softly, he whispered at the blowing evening wind.

His heart was in pain that was so intense which could brought tears to his eyes. He been wondering forever, why gazing to the sky always brought that pain. And why he asked that question? Who was he asking to? He never knew. What he just knew, he was longing for something that make him felt so lost. So unfilled. Like he was not him. He felt not enough. He felt like...

AN EMPTY VESSEL

He threw himself on the couch. He took off his suit and vest then put it on the recliner. It has been two days since she left him. And yet, his feeling still did not resurface. Something was not right. Never in his life he went numb like that for more than 24 hours. He should be panic but instead of doing that, he grabbed the remote.

He held it high to turn on the television. But before he can press that button, all of a sudden he got a flash of image. Like a projector was set up in front of his face. No longer can he saw the television and the wall behind it. All been  blocked by that image.

The sky.

He saw the sky but it was like he saw it from airplane, or something that flew above the sky because the clouds were below him. And he can see the city too. The buildings, the ocean and the mountains. Everything was so beautiful, so breathtaking. And then slowly, the picture moved like he was really there, seeing that by his own eyes.

"Hyung?" He looked to his left and saw his fellow was an inch away from his face.

He looked around him. He was in the lounge room again with the remote on his hand. No longer can he saw that flash of moving image. He also did not turn on the television yet. Looking at his action -eyes darted around the room, that male knew he been spaced out again.

"Are you alright, hyung? You've been spaced out a lot, lately." The other asked in concern.

"I'm okay. Don't worry." He said, turning on the television.

"Since you break up, you've been daydreaming all the time. I think you should hang out for a while. You know, have a drink. Get laid. Forget about her, hyung. It's her lost for leaving you." That male said while sat next to Sunggyu.

"So, how about you get loose for tonight? Sounds good?" That male asked again when he did not say anything.

He stared at the other, unimpressed. Even in his normal self, he did not drink. So how can he drank now when he was not in a good mood -well not in any mood actually. But he found himself nodded his head at the other's suggestion. That male then smiled oh-so-widely at him, utterly happy for succeed on convincing that socially inept manager to spend time to get social.

And so as the other had promised, that night after they finished their work, they went out for alcohol. That male brought another male with him, well as he proclaim; the more, the merrier. The another male's name is Dongwoo. He knew the other since the other and Howon –the guy that planned all this, were his co-workers. Even they did not talked with each other frequently, they knew they had each other back in the office.

They did not bother to change their working attire so in their suits, they went to the bar together. That place was pretty crowded as usual when they got there and they went straight to the table, ready to get drunk and wasted for the night. Sunggyu drank and drank while having a little chat with them. None of them talked about his ex, only complaining about piled of works and the company's .

They were laughing here and there, having good bonding time together when Sunggyu suddenly felt cold shiver down to his spine. He stopped laughing and looked around him, searching for the source of that weird feeling he got. Then he saw a man, not far away from his seat. That male was about his age, around twenties. He has perfectly sculpted face that made every guy who looked at him felt the world was being unfair with them.  

That raven black haired guy with asian look, was sitting alone and enjoying his drink. That guy, like he knew he was being watched by him stopped moving. And all of a sudden, that male looked at him. The moment they locked their eyes together, Sunggyu got another flash of image. It was the sea with the bluest water he had ever seen. He then felt the wetness around him as he got pushed softly by the waves. And slowly, he dive into the water and swam to the deepest part of the sea.

"Sunggyu?" Howon asked when he saw Sunggyu grabbed his own chest tightly.

Sunggyu looked at Howon while breathing hard. He still catching his breath while held tightly on his chest. He did not realized that he was holding his breath for real. Thankfully he had snapped out from his hallucination and everything was back to normal again. He did not dare to look back at that guy again. Dongwoo and Howon were concerned with his weird behavior but they might thought that he finally has gone crazy if he told them. So he just kept it inside him.

"Excuse me." He heard a male's voice behind him.

That voice was pure gold. It sounds soothing, relaxing his every nerves but yet so dangerous at the same time. Like the sound of waves in the midnight, when the seawater smashed the sand on the beach. Dongwoo and Howon looked at the newcomer, but that male just stood there, unwilling to continue until Sunggyu decided to turn and faced him.

"I'm waiting for a friend of mine but he probably won't come. So do you mind if I join three of you here?" that male said once Sunggyu paid attention on him.

Dongwoo and Howon seem alerted, they looked at each other doing communicate-with-eyes thingy. But, even though they seem relented, they did not reject the offer right away. Instead, they looked at Sunggyu, waited for the older to answer. Maybe because they thought that night was all about Sunggyu since he was in supposed-to-be-depressed state after his broke up. But strangely, that mysterious male also waiting for him to answer without spare a single glance at the other two beside him.

"Sure you can. My name is Sunggyu. What's yours?"  

"Thanks. I'm Myungsoo." He said and Sunggyu could not help but to stare at the other's eyes.

It was weird though. Just now, when he saw those orbs, Sunggyu thought about the deepest and the bluest sea. But Myungsoo has a pair of dark brown iris, almost looked black. It was nothing near with the color of sea. Myungsoo then sat next to Dongwoo but Dongwoo seems uncomfortable to have Myungsoo next to him. Howon then started a conversation with Myungsoo and surprisingly, despite the awkwardness that surround the other, they managed to have a smooth chat.  

"Hey, look. My friend is here. I thought he won't come." Myungsoo said while waving his hand to his friend.

All four sets of eyes now landed on the newcomer. But as soon as Sunggyu's eyes locked with this male's eyes, that strange thing happen again. He was dead wrong when he thought that Myungsoo gave him the strongest feeling he ever felt. Because this man shocked him with the flash of image of the clear after-storm sky, far way greater than the sea earlier. His body felt cold and wet, like he was floating on the sea while gazing at the sky. It felt so peaceful and calming.

The coldness of the seawater on his skin, the breeze that touched his damped skin and the scent of the sea felt so real that make him forgot that he actually still in the bar. The sense of belonging was there, like he had found his home, his real home. He was thrown back to the reality when Dongwoo elbowed his side. That newcomer male stared at him intensely when he looked back at the other.

"His name is Woohyun. Nam Woohyun. Can he join us too?" Myungsoo asked with a sly smile on his thin lips.

"Sure." Sunggyu replied in no time.

Woohyun silently sat next to Howon and it was Howon's time to feel uncomfortable. Myungsoo then told them that Woohyun was being quiet because the other just not in good mood since he just broke up with his ex boyfriend. Dongwoo then excitedly(?) told them about Sunggyu's broke up with his ex girlfriend. Myungsoo asked why Sunggyu was there, and that was then Sunggyu realized that he was in a gay bar.

"You're not gay?" Woohyun for the first time spoke to him.

To say Woohyun's husky voice was seductive was understatement. It was too tempting and so alluring, enchanting Sunggyu and make his body shivers. Woohyun was facing him when he asked, allowed him to inhale the mint from his breathe. Their eyes met again and Sunggyu swear he saw sparks ignited between their gaze that make his body jolted slightly.

Then there was a rush of feeling attacked him. He suddenly can feel again. The numbness, the emptiness, all of it gone. But the surge of feeling somehow suffocated him. The heartbroken he should felt when he broke up, the sorrows he felt when he could not fall asleep, the helplessness he felt when he woke up from his nightmares, all of the negative emotion he “skipped” before crushed him from the inside.

Sunggyu grasped the edge of the table tightly. His mouth opened slightly to help him control his breathing. In between the loud beats of music, he heard Woohyun asked for his condition. He turned to face Woohyun and for a second, he saw the sea and the sky darken. Then came a storm, destroying the peaceful and the calmness it once owned and Sunggyu just had enough.

"Toilet." He said before he stood and left them.

He stepped faster, searching for toilet but when he saw the emergency exit stairs, he went there in hurry. He leaned his back on the wall and covered his teary eyes with his palms. He felt sick all of a sudden. He shed tears for gave up on his ex. For letting her walked away from his life. He such a loser, a crybaby. Why would he bother to cry now when he was the one who did not fight for her before.

He cried soundless sobs over and over again until he had enough. That was his life, he easily moved on after he had a little time for self pity. He wiped his cheeks dried, then walked back to search for the toilet. When he walked inside the toilet, he saw Dongwoo was there. Dongwoo saw he entered and eyed him walked to the sinks. He washed his face, pretending like he did not see Dongwoo was already there. Dongwoo quickly ended his "business" to quickly joined Sunggyu at the sink.

"Where did you go, hyung?" Dongwoo asked as his hand rested on Sunggyu's .

"Nowhere." Sunggyu replied in grimace as he was annoyed with Dongwoo's habit that was groping as naturally as it was just a handshake.

"Really? Are you okay? You don't look well. Should we call it a night?" Dongwoo asked while patting and squeezing Sunggyu's cheek harder.

"No, I'm fine." Sunggyu said and quickly grabbed Dongwoo's hand to peel it off from his bubble .

Sunggyu exited the toilet and walked back to his table. He noticed that they had changed their seats. Myungsoo was on the left end with Woohyun beside him. His seat was in the middle and it still empty, and Howon sat at the right end. He also noticed they were listening carefully to every words that Howon said. And when they saw him, Howon stopped talking immediately.

"What are you talking about just now?" He asked but Howon just shrugged.

As he wanted to sit next to Woohyun, the other frowned at him. He looked at the other weirdly and Woohyun just stared at him. Dongwoo then joined them and Woohyun's frown went deeper and he glared furiously at Dongwoo. And Myungsoo also looked alerted, like he was ready to attack Dongwoo. Howon in other hand just smiled and patted Dongwoo's shoulder like the other had nicely done his work.

"AMF please." Sunggyu ordered to the bartender when that shirtless male was unbusy and walked in front him as he finished his gin.

He was tired to think about all the strange things that happened to him that day so it was time to get some drink. After he gained his feeling back, he was in mood to get wasted. Somehow he forgot that he was in the gays' bar to act so carefree like that since he was straight so any unintentional interaction happen, he was the one in lost. He was tipsy by the time Woohyun asked him about his life so he blatantly told them how his love life was.

"Relax, bro. No need to stress out over these things. You just don't meet the right man yet." Woohyun said and flashed his charming smile at Sunggyu.

"Yeah, and the moment you do, you'll forget everything that you've gone through to get there." Howon said quickly after Woohyun, tried to cover up Woohyun's gay comment.

Although he wondered since when did Howon knew a way to comfort others with his words, he did not make a fuss about that and just nodded his head. He took a sip from his drink as Dongwoo started to speak. Dongwoo asked the other two about themselves. Maybe Dongwoo came to that bar regularly before, so he knew that two guys were new to that place.  

"Yup. We're new here. We just arrived here this evening actually. We took airplane to get here." Myungsoo answered Dongwoo's question.

"What bring you here? I mean, of course you can come here but I don't think this is regular place for you to show up." Dongwoo asked again, which sound really weird to Sunggyu.

"Well, we're looking for someone. Our ancient said that person should be here." Myungsoo said after Woohyun nodded at him, like giving the other permission to tell them which again, seem and sounded really weird in Sunggyu's point of view.

"You've found that person, right? The moment you walked here, you've found him ain't you?" Howon asked, like he actually knew who these two were looking for –or did he?

"Uh, that's... well, we're not sure whether he really the one we are looking for. We still need some time to... uh, confirm it." Woohyun answered hesitantly.

Woohyun was a bit shocked when Howon knew. He looked at Myungsoo and that male also did not know what to do. Woohyun was not sure whether these two other "creatures" were going to help them or they wanted to play them. They two probably knew what he and Myungsoo really were. The only human among them was remained silence, maybe he began to sense that something was out of place here.

"C'mon, you know it's him. Maybe we need to push you a little bit more to make you realize it's really him." Dongwoo said with his gummy smile while Howon smirked at them.

"Erm, guys. Can anyone of you explain to me what happen here?" Sunggyu interfered between them.

Sunggyu looked at Dongwoo and Howon suspiciously before turned to give the same glare to Myungsoo and Woohyun. Dongwoo and Howon seem relaxed even though that human already suspicious with them. Contradicted to them, Myungsoo and Woohyun already broke into sweat by Sunggyu's glare.

"Nothing, Gyugeegee. Uh, hyung. Didn't you told us before that you're good at swimming? You're the best swimmer in your whole school, right?" Dongwoo asked the tipsy human.

"Yeah. They even called me a tailless merman. Because if I'm a merman, I'm a merman without fishtail and I got legs." Sunggyu informed them while laughing because he found that memory of his high school life was hilarious.

Woohyun and Myungsoo looked at Sunggyu at the same time. Both of them really interested in what Sunggyu was babbling about. Howon then bragged about his swimming skills too which make both Woohyun and Myungsoo laughed. All of them were oblivious to the fact that they were tricked by Dongwoo and Howon. At least, Woohyun and Myungsoo realized their true intention after Dongwoo spoke again. Unlike Sunggyu who still oblivious till the end, left him being tricked alone.

"So now that we've a group of swimming champs, why don't we race to see who is the real winner here?"

"Here? What do you mean by here?" Myungsoo asked while laughing.

"Just behind this bar, we can have swimming race in the sea." Dongwoo explained.

"What?" Simultaneously, Woohyun and Myungsoo asked.

"Let's bet, who win first place can do whatever he wants with the whoever that get last place? Sounds nice?" Howon added.

"And swim !" Dongwoo suddenly added that make Howon glared at him.

"Bring it on! I'm going to stomp on you and make you go home crying tonight." Sunggyu shouted before he pointed at them four.

~~~~~~

They tossed their drinks together for the winner. They were in Howon's house that time. They changed the avenue since Myungsoo and Woohyun insisted that they would not even touch the seawater, so they went to Howon's pool. Sunggyu was sober by the time they reached there but he still joined the race simply because he has agreed to it when he was tipsy.

"Both of you're super fast. I couldn't even stand a chance to follow your lead." Howon complied Myungsoo and Woohyun for their inhuman speed.

The four of them then laughed like Howon was telling a joke. Sunggyu was pouting as he was in the last place. He wanted to say that race was invalid since he was not sober enough to swim, but then again, it was his fault at the first place for getting drunk way too early. He then put down his glass and thrown away the towel around his waist before he jumped into the pool.

"Someone is mad." Dongwoo .

"I'm not. I just want to stay in the water." Sunggyu defended himself.

"Yes, we know you love being in the water. You're a merman. But a handicapped one." Howon .

Sunggyu dived into the water, ignoring their mocking. He felt so calmed and relaxed as he swam. Water always gave that kind of effect to him. Ever since he was a kid, he would dove into the water and spent for hours practicing his . His numbness usually went away when he swam, water always make him feel again. Just like how Woohyun's voice did to him when they were in the bar.

"You're not bad actually. I think you're pretty faster than others." Woohyun said to him as soon as he reached the wall of the pool.

Sunggyu looked up and saw Woohyun was sitting beside him, his eyes were looking down to Sunggyu in the pool. For the first time, Sunggyu was starstruck by someone who was same gender as him. When their eyes met, Sunggyu could not deny the attraction he felt for the other. If before it was just sparks, now it have became lightning struck between their gaze.

"Can you feel it? Can you feel it too?" Woohyun asked him while his hand slowly reached out for Sunggyu and cupped Sunggyu's cheek.

Sunggyu found himself gave in to the touch. He closed his eyes to enjoy the warmth that prickling on his skin. His heart was beating faster than it should. Then he realized he should not act like that. He quickly shot his eyes opened and moved away from Woohyun's hand. He swam to the stairs and climbed it. Woohyun stood as he saw Sunggyu was walking away from him.

Woohyun was about to chase after Sunggyu but he was mesmerized when he saw Sunggyu's body was dripping with water, make his skin glimmered under the light. He swear, he saw angel that time. But when Sunggyu turned away from him, he saw no other than the spawn of evil itself. His mouth gone dried when he saw Sunggyu's bubble was only covered by thin fabric of his brief -which already soaked, enable him to make out the shape of the other's perfectly.

They did not swam as Dongwoo challenged earlier since he fought against it. It was all for the sake of his sanity. Plus, the plan was to get him win after all. It will be a great waste if he lost just because of his rigid hardon. He was being hypnotized by every step Sunggyu took with his stuck out high, by the time Myungsoo approached him.

"You think it's him?" Myungsoo asked next to his ear that make him jumped a bit.

"Hell, you shocked me." Woohyun said as he looked at Myungsoo but the other just sent him a glare.

"Maybe." Woohyun then answered Myungsoo's question earlier since the other insisted to get the answer.

"You aren't sure." Myungsoo state.

Woohyun was in a deep thought about it when he saw Howon tried to pushed Dongwoo who still dried since the other did not participated with their race earlier. Dongwoo struggled with Howon to break free. Accidently, Dongwoo had pushed Howon too hard that sent Howon fell backward toward Sunggyu who was standing there to dry himself. Howon turned to Sunggyu just in time before they fell into the pool while hugging each other.

Dongwoo ended up bursting into laughter as Sunggyu wrestled with Howon in the pool. Howon was so awkward with Sunggyu that he ended up letting Sunggyu win over him. Sunggyu was such a vengeful person and that was shown clearly by the way he held the other under the water. Woohyun was holding his jealousy as he was counting how many time Howon had touched Sunggyu's tight during their wrestling.

"You think he has something going on with those mammals?" Myungsoo asked him.

"We're mammals too." He said, avoiding the other's question.

Woohyun was going to call it a night as he was walking into the house and hit the shower since Howon has shown him the way before. He the water and stepped into the shower. He was soaping his body as he heard some sound from the kitchen. He heard Myungsoo's voice but he just ignored it as he was enjoying the water flowed on his body. He closed his eyes and slowly he losing his control. He realized that his legs began to stick together.

The gap between his tights was gone. His fingers already sticked with each one of them. Woohyun turned off the water and took a deep breath. He imagined about his legs, pictured it in details inside his brain. After a few second, his legs and fingers were back to normal again. He grabbed the towel and dried himself up. But suddenly, his body jolted. His heart felt painful like he was being stabbed by hot knife, the pain stung and the heat burning him inside out.

He wrapped the towel around his waist and with his right hand clenched tightly on his chest, he walked out from the bathroom. He went to the kitchen and saw Myungsoo was there. He wanted to call out for the other but as he stepped closer to Myungsoo, he was shocked to see what the younger was doing. Myungsoo was kissing someone. And what shocked him the most was, the person Myungsoo was kissing with, was Sunggyu.

After they broke the kiss, Woohyun really wanted to hit Myungsoo as he saw Sunggyu was clearly shocked by the other's action. And what make he wanted to kill Myungsoo was the thing Sunggyu said to Myungsoo. How polite Sunggyu's tone was, also add the fuel to Woohyun's burning rage.

"I... I'm sorry... but I'm not gay. I'm really sorry." Sunggyu rejected Myungsoo with tons of apology.

Sunggyu then, quickly left them using the back door. Woohyun stared Myungsoo furiously. Why did Sunggyu apologized? Myungsoo was the one who should apologize to Sunggyu. All four of them were well aware that Sunggyu was not gay. So it was Myungsoo's fault for kissing the other.

"It's him! It's really him. Oh! Thank God we found him finally." Myungsoo said as he walked closer to the other.

"Why?Why'd you think it's him?"  

"The bond. I feel it when we kissed." Myungsoo said, genuinely happy.

Despite the fact that they were sharing a good news, Woohyun still could not afford a smile. Somehow, he found that his heart was in pain by what he been witnessed just now. Did not want the other to notice his real feeling, he walked away to the swimming pool. The other two males there quickly went to him when he walked there.

"Sunggyu just went home. He seems rushing." Howon stated.

"What just happen? Did he saw your tail?" Dongwoo asked.

Woohyun just sighed as a response. Apparently, Myungsoo had scared the other while he done his work. So how was he supposed to get closed with Sunggyu and played his part now? Myungsoo has ruined everything. Woohyun thought it was better if he told the other two the truth so, he began telling them everything.

"It's okay. You win the first place. He still owed you. We'll keep reminding him that every time we meet him." Dongwoo assured him.

"Wait, before I forgot. I want to ask you something. Do you guys have something with Sunggyu? Because back then in the bar, I smelled you on him. Isn't you guys marked him?" Woohyun asked while pointing at Dongwoo.

Both of the males in front of him gave him devilious smiles. Dongwoo just tried to provoke him by marked Sunggyu in the toilet. His wetted his hand with his urine and he rubbed it on Sunggyu's before. And he was glad when he saw Myungsoo and Woohyun irritated with that.  

"Sorry, that's just for test. We need to know whether you guys feel the same as him or not. We had to get confirmation that three of you were bonded with each other to make up a plan to get you close with him." Howon explained.

"So... he felt the same like us? How'd you know that?"

"We can smell it. When he saw both of you, he released dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. But he released it more when he saw you." Dongwoo spoke.

Woohyun smiled, he smiled so wide as he heard it. He was too happy when he heard that he had a greater effect on Sunggyu than Myungsoo had. Dongwoo looked at Howon and the other did the same. Both of them can sense something was going on in Woohyun's mind. Again, that creepy smiles were back on their lips.

"Hey, we smelled your arousal when he got out from this pool earlier. You like him, right? But we don't get it. Why both of you're bonded with him. Is it common thing for your kind? Because for us, it isn't." Howon asked.

Woohyun looked at both of them. If he was not mistaken, both of them were werewolves. And werewolves only mate with one person. But his kind –the merfolks, did not have the imprint thing-y. He, Myungsoo and Sunggyu were stuck in complicated situation. Their kind called Sunggyu as a "cursed" one, but he rather called the other "gifted".

"No, merfolks don't have soulmate thing. We mate just like humans did, some relation succeed but some can fail too." Woohyun answered.

"But you'd imprinted Sunggyu. So he's your soulmate, right? The person you're looking for is your soulmate, right? But wait, Sunggyu isn't a merman. And how can he be both of you guys' mate?" Dongwoo asking question after question like M60.

"Like I said, we don't imprint. So even if Sunggyu is really my soulmate, I won't know that for sure. But yes, he's the one we're looking for. Not as my soulmate, however." Woohyun said and both of the werewolves listening carefully to his words.

"Actually he gave me something when I was a kid, Myungsoo got a piece of it too. But that thing gave me some sort of side effect –painful kind of side effect. So our ancients told us to find him and return that thing to him back." Woohyun explained more.  

"What? Is it a poison? What will happen to him then, if he take that thing back from you?" Dongwoo asked.  

Woohyun stayed silence, unwilling to answer that question. He was weighing whether should he told the other or not. The two werewolves were anxious waiting for him to answer. It was not everyday they meet sacred creature like Woohyun and Myungsoo, so they really wanted to help the mermen and be friend with the other. But still, Sunggyu was their friend so they did not want to help the mermen if the other will get hurt.

~~~~~

Woohyun walked slowly alongside the seashore. It was the third night he went there, gazing at the moon while enjoying the seabreeze until the sun rose. The night he decided to tell the werewolves the truth, the weres gave him a crucial information about Sunggyu to help him finished his mission. So there he was, waiting and hoping that Sunggyu will walks out from his house to enjoy the scenery.

He then sat on a big stone while he thrown his gaze away to the vast midnight sea. Somehow, he felt homesick and remembered his parents who he left behind to go there. He stared longingly at the calming sea as the sound of waves became music to his ear. He thought about Sunggyu, how lonely the other had felt since the other did not own a "family" anymore. Sunggyu has been separated with his kind long ago, even before Woohyun was born.

"Woohyun?" He heard someone called for him.

He turned to face the person who said his name and a smile spread across his face. The only source of light at that moment was the moon, but he can see Sunggyu standing there while hands were crossed against his chest. Because even in the darkness of the night, Sunggyu will shine the brightest in his eyes. Like Sirius star along Canis Majoris during winter.

"What're you doing out here during this hour? Did you live near here too?" Sunggyu asked him.

"No.  I just come to catch the sunrise. You?"

"Fresh air." Sunggyu answered and Woohyun nodded, pretended like he just knew about it.

His heart was blooming and secretly he thanked the weres for telling him Sunggyu's habit. Sunggyu loved beach and sky so much which make the other rent a place near the beach. And Sunggyu would spent his time at night to walk on the shore and enjoy the view of sea at night.

"It nice, isn't it? The breeze... against our skin." Woohyun spoke randomly.

Sunggyu looked at him with crooked brows. Woohyun was new to that city, but why was the other was there instead of visiting places, works or perhaps clubs? Sunggyu thought Woohyun was a handsome guy who loved to enjoy himself with parties and women. So he found it really strange for Woohyun to be there. Woohyun did not seem like a nature-lover in his eyes.

"It is... I guess." Sunggyu replied.

"Do you usually come here?" Woohyun asked even though he already had the answer, he just wanted to keep talking with Sunggyu.

"Yup. I live just behind there. Only takes a few minutes to get here." Sunggyu said while pointing to his house –which Woohyun already knew, but he again pretended like he just heard it for the first time.

"You come here alone, before? At night too?" Woohyun asked and seeing Sunggyu's nod, he added. "That's dangerous. Especially for a pretty guy like you."

His remark gained a chuckle from Sunggyu. He stood from the stone as he saw Sunggyu began to walked away. He followed the other quickly until he was able to walk beside the other. Sunggyu stepped on the wet sand and his feet got hit by the waves as he walked on the shore. Woohyun walked on the dried sand as he tried to avoid having in contact with seawater.

"If I'm pretty, the you shouldn't come here alone too. You're much more prettier than me."

"Are you flirting me with me? 'Cause if you're, I'm definitely going to fall for it." Woohyun playfully replied and that make Sunggyu laughed again.

"Silly, I'm not. I'm straight."

"I know... and I uh... I'm sorry about what my friend did nights ago, kissing you... even when he knew that you're straight." Woohyun apologized on Myungsoo's behalf.

"No, it's s'kay. Actually, I've been wondering. What're your relationship with him? You both seems to understand each other completely. Like you've known him since birth or something." Sunggyu asked as he remembered how Myungsoo and Woohyun used to communicate by using stares only.

"We're like brothers. We knew each other since we were kids. And we even got into accident together when I was five and he was just three years old. We survived through that hardship together, so we completely trust each other more than our other friends." Woohyun said, tried to test whether Sunggyu remembered about that accident or not.

"Accident? What'd happen?" Sunggyu asked without any hint of remembering it.

"We used to swim together in the sea. But that day, we went to far and swam to the waterfall. Myungsoo nearly drowns and badly injured while I... I was nearly died. But someone saved us. And thanked to him, we're alive… until now."

"What? Swimming in the sea? To the waterfall? At age of five?" Sunggyu asked in disbelief and he turned to look at Woohyun beside him.

Sunggyu even had stopped walking because too surprised hearing Woohyun's story. Woohyun gave him a thin smile before he walked again. He was in despair as he realized that Sunggyu did not remember that accident. He began doubting that Sunggyu was the same guy that saved him and Myungsoo before. But still, he did feel the bond between them. The bond was too strong that make him confident that he was not mistaken this time.

Sunggyu when he saw Woohyun seems hurt by his reaction thought that he had offended the other. He thought that Woohyun felt sad as he did not seems to believe the other's story. He thought Woohyun thought that he accused Woohyun for telling a lie. So he jogged towards Woohyun and apologized to the other.

"For by your faith are you saved, and shall by it you found your way to me. Doesn't it ring a bell?" Woohyun tried again, in full of hope this time Sunggyu will recognized him when the other heard what the other had said to him after saving him that day.

"I'm not a priest." Sunggyu said as he thought Woohyun was reciting words from Bible.

Woohyun felt his heart sank into the depth he never knew existed. He was really sure that Sunggyu was the one he been looking for, but all the confidence had perished. He bit the corner of his bottom lip and tried to form a bitter smile to Sunggyu.

"I think I've to go. It already late. Let me walk you home." Woohyun coldly offered.

Sunggyu still wanted to stay and talked with Woohyun but he cannot stop Woohyun from leaving, can he? So he accepted the offer just to have a little more time with Woohyun. The other leaded the way to his house with him followed from behind. The awkwardness on air was so thick and Sunggyu could not help but to notice that Woohyun was giving him a cold shoulder.

When Woohyun sent him to his door, he stood there silently as he watched the other disappeared into the darkness of the night without turning back to him a last glance. His heart felt heavy by the fact that the other was leaving, but he wondered why felt that way. He tried to distract himself from thinking about Woohyun but in the end, he could not sleep that night as he spent it to wonder about the other.

The next night, Sunggyu went back to the sea with hope that he will get to meet with Woohyun. But the other never came. He spent his night doing things he always do, staring to the sea but somehow, longing feeling inside his chest did not subside. Again, he felt so hopeless and useless. Was he just too depressed or he had began to feel sick of his meaningless life?

He never know. And he never will.

The next night, he was looking for the other again at the beach. But his effort gone wasted as the other still did not come. He went home that night in despair again and he kept losing his sleep. The third night he was looking for Woohyun had became too painful for him. His chest felt heavy and somehow empty.

The sea and the sky lost its effect on him. He could not feel the calmness that sea breeze used to blow into him anymore. Only longing, pain, sadness and despair were there welcoming him. The corner of his eyes were burning with tears that threatening to fall. He hate himself for having a mental breakdown, all alone with the sea and the sky for someone he barely knew for days.

He went home with a bit shaking legs and hitched breath that night. There was no use for him to stay at the beach any longer if what he been seeking for was not there. He sat on his couch and wondered what had happen to his life. And again for that night, he could not get even a second of sleep. Even well aware that his insomnia was back, he did not take his pills.

Sunggyu thought he will going crazy, he definitely will going crazy if not for fate that saved him during his lunch the next day. He was eating his lunch, mouth was wide open as he wanted to take a bite on his burger when suddenly a surge of calmness washed over him. He put down his burger and searched around his area for the source of what he felt and that was then he saw two familiar males walked into the café.

It was Woohyun and Myungsoo!

The other two were also searching around and only stopped when they saw him. It was weird for him to feel so happy when he saw them but he could not help it. He smiled and waved at them so they end up having lunch together at the same table. Seated facing the other two, Sunggyu has been abused by the view of a calm sea and the sky every time he looked into their eyes. He felt like he was eating his lunch at the beach, under the clear sunny sky. It was a vacation for him!

He was totally over the moon, but that was only last until they need to  apart after they finished their meal. The thirty minutes that had past felt too short for his liking and he been craving to have longer time with them. Woohyun was the first one to turn back and left after their goodbyes. Watching step by step taken by Woohyun brought painful that been stung his heart.

His chest tighten when Woohyun's hand reached the door. His throat constricted when the other pushed it open. The wider the door cracked opened, the bigger the slump formed in his throat. He cannot let Woohyun walked away this time, he did not know how long will it takes for them to meet again. Or will it ever be "next time" after this. He need to stop the other. One more time, just for one more time, he wanted to be downed inside Woohyun's eyes, inside the deep blue sea that the other owns inside it.

"Wait! Woohyun." He shouted to Woohyun, make the other stopped dead in his track and turned to face him, rendering him paradise inside those orbs.

"Yes?" The other asked and that snapped him back to the reality.

"A –about... about the... t –the... the bet. Yeah, the bet. You still don't request anything for me to do. Well, don't get me wrong. It's not that I want to do it so badly but uh, you know... it a promise, so I don't think I should, you know... ignoring it. It'll be the same as I broke my promise." Sunggyu said as he suddenly remember their bet, so he used that to save him.

"You don't have to." "We'll think..."

Simultaneously, both of Myungsoo and Woohyun answered before they exchanged gaze with each other. Woohyun was letting me off of it but Myungsoo seems to go against it. Woohyun slightly shook his head but Myungsoo this time acted on his own. Myungsoo then broke their eye contact –which make Woohyun casted his eyes to the ceiling and clicked his tongue, to look at Sunggyu before he walked towards the other.

"We'll think about it and we'll let you know by tonight." He said, continuing his unfinished words that he spoke earlier, before he patted Sunggyu's shoulder.

"You don't have to go to the beach again tonight. 'Cause we'll come to your house." Myungsoo added before he walked to Woohyun and they both left Sunggyu there alone to digest what had been said by Myungsoo.

That night, after he had took a bath, scrubbed his body clean, put on his best clothing on, he waited for them two to come while he paced back and fro in the lounge room. His heart was beating like crazy and he was extremely nervous, which he did not know why he felt that way. He was not even half that nervous when he first time went out for a date. He was still pacing when someone rang his doorbell.

"Hey." Myungsoo said as he opened up the door for them.

Sunggyu was awestruck when he saw Woohyun looking at him in front of his door. The  

Other was so breathtaking and make his heart beating harder against his rib cage. He welcomed them both in and have them sat on his couch. They both looked so appealing that make him really doubt his uallity. He then served them drinks and food before they went to their real intention.

"Sunggyu, we've something to tell you. You remember the story I told you before, that we were saved by someone when we were kids?" Woohyun spoke when they were back again on the couch.

"I do. Why?"

"We both believe that, that person, the one who saved us is no other than you yourself." Myungsoo calmly spoke.

Sunggyu frowned at them as he thought about what they had said carefully. But no matter what angle you saw these things, it just did not make sense. Sunggyu never went to waterfall before. And he just learn swimming in his middle school. Woohyun was five when that accident happen so it was impossible since the age difference between him and the other was just two or three years it seem.

"Maybe you need to know what we're to actually remember us." Myungsoo said while he looked at Woohyun.

"Actually, we aren't humans. We uh, we're mermen. You know mermaids? Just like them, we're all the merfolks." Woohyun explained while glancing at him, reading his expression for every second.

Sunggyu widen his eyes when he heard that, but his mind told him to laugh as he began to think that they were telling jokes. Then he thought about the bet, that he was supposed to do what Woohyun asked him to do. So with that in his mind, he played along with them.

"Okay, you want me to believe in fairytale. That's fine then. What next? What next should I do?" Sunggyu asked and hearing that, Woohyun asked Myungsoo to show it to Sunggyu so the other would believe them.

"No. I can't do it. I need seawater to change. You should do it. You can control it aren't you?" Myungsoo refused with serious face but only for a second as he ended up laughing at Woohyun's  flushed face.

"I'll show this to you first Sunggyu. And after you believe in us, then I'll told you want I wanted from you." Woohyun said as he stood and went in front of Sunggyu.

Sunggyu watched carefully what Woohyun was doing, anticipating on what will the other wanted to show to him. He somehow freaked out as he watched Woohyun unfasten his belt and undid his jeans button. Then Woohyun took off his jeans but not only that, Woohyun also took off his brief. Sunggyu felt disgusted and looked away as Woohyun was standing in front of him without anything more than the end of his shirt that cover his private part.

"I've no problem with gays. I can even watch you do each other if you want but just don't do it to me." Sunggyu said as he looked at Myungsoo, trying his hard to not feel intimidated by Woohyun.

"It's not like what you think it is. Just look at him." Myungsoo said and he had no other choice than to comply.

Woohyun closed his eye and slowly, his fingers began to stick with each other. The gap between his tights was gone, replaced by skin that connected both of his tight into one. His calves also began to receive the same and soon, his legs were changed into a fishtail. Myungsoo quickly ran beside Woohyun and held the other as Woohyun now no longer able to stand. The transformation then speeded up, Woohyun's eyes were changed into blue and his tail grew longer and colored blue, as blue as the color of Pacific Ocean.

"What the..." Sunggyu stood abruptly as he was awed.

"Now. Do you remember anything?" Myungsoo asked as he slowly lie Woohyun down on the floor.

"No. I... I never saw one before. I don't even know you guys existed. Is it real? can I touch it?" Sunggyu asked as he knelt down next to Woohyun.

His hand traced lightly on Woohyun's tail, make the other closed his eye and enjoying the attention. Sunggyu then, still wanted to know whether it was real or not, he pinched as hard as he could on Woohyun's tail. Woohyun shouted out of shock more than because of the pain and automatically his tail. Sunggyu fell on his but due to the great force by Woohyun's move with his eyes wide opened.

"It's real!"

"Yes it is, silly." Woohyun said.

"So you don't remember us?" Myungsoo asked.

"No I don't. You must be mistaken me with someone else." Sunggyu said.

"No. You're the one who saved us. We can feel it. You do feel it too, I know you do."  

Sunggyu looked at them for a while. Now he did know why he kept seeing the view of sea when they looked at them. And he now understand why he felt so lonely, so ut of place. It because he never belong there. He was the mermen too. He finally found his home, his family. So, excitedly Sunggyu asked them how to make him changed into his merman form.

"Sorry to pop your bubble, but you're not one of us." Myungsoo said.

"What? Then why are you looking for me? How can I save you at the waterfall if I'm not a merman?" He asked half whining.

"You're the cursed one as what my kind called you, and you was hiding from human by living with us under the sea. After we fell on the waterfall, badly injured and nearly die, our people found us and took us to you. And you healed Myungsoo." Woohyun explain.

"And for Woohyun who nearly die, you gave him your half to him. And by doing that Woohyun was able to heal himself. But after you did that, our parents said you disappeared from the village. So here we're, looking for you to return back your gift." Myungsoo said and Woohyun frowned at him.

"Can you take it now? It hurt me sometimes, like striking me with electric charges." Woohyun said again.

Woohyun was living a hard live with that "gift". Even though it make him alive till now, but sometimes it hurt him too. When he was in romantic relation with a man, he would got chest pain and that pain would kept stabbing him. He went to the human hospital but got nothing as a result. So his parent brought him to meet their ancients one. That was then, they were told to return the "gift" back or else it will be "curse" for him to keep.

"Take what?" Sunggyu asked while waiting for them to give him instead of him taking it from them.

"Your other half inside him. Summon it out." Myungsoo said while pointing at Woohyun.

"Summon it? How?" Sunggyu asked and that make Woohyun's color gone from his face.

"You don't know how? God! You're kidding right?" Woohyun asked furiously.

Myungsoo remained silence beside them. He was thinking about another way their ancients told him before. But that way was dangerous. Woohyun might die if the did it that way. If only Sunggyu did not lose his memory. Myungsoo sighed while thinking about it. Woohyun was busy nagging at Sunggyu and Sunggyu casted his eyes down like a kid being scold by his mother for stealing cookies.

"I know a way. That piece is on Woohyun's throat. A famous way to get it out is by summon it by it's master. But in our case, we need to do it manually. We need to cut Woohyun's throat and let Sunggyu it out." Myungsoo said before asking Woohyun to make an appointment with a doctor.

"No!" Both of Sunggyu and Woohyun shouted.

"If we did it by ourselves. You'll die. So we need professional hands!" Myungsoo was shouting to them this time.

All of them stay silence for a few minutes after Myungsoo said that. They both aware that the size of that piece inside Woohyun's throat was the same size of a marble, so Sunggyu cannot take it out just by Woohyun neck. But even if the cut was just the size of marble in Woohyun's neck, that could killed him if it was done by Myungsoo or Sunggyu –the people that never knew even to treat a wound.

"Aha! I remember. Also a kiss can. But Sunggyu, you need to very hard. That piece was on his throat." Myungsoo said as he said as he remember a myth his parents used to told him.

"What?" Again Sunggyu and Woohyun asked in unison.

As much as they hate to do it, they still needed to. Woohyun wanted to be in love and have a relation without been struck by the painful electric shock again. He was grateful enough at the "gift" to allow him to live until now, but he did not want that to be his "curse" and maybe if returned that "gift" back to Sunggyu, Sunggyu will be able to remember who he really was. So instead just doing it for him, he going to do it for both of them.

"Fine." Woohyun said and with that he kissed Sunggyu.

Sunggyu closed his eyes tightly, as much as he wanted to cringe for kissing a guy, he still could not deny how good it felt when Woohyun moved his soft lips against his. Woohyun kissed him gently at first, letting him comfortable but as he eagerly respond to Woohyun, both of them kissed passionately then. Woohyun then opened his mouth to let Sunggyu explored his hot cavern, no longer can they remembered the real reason for their kiss.

Sunggyu wasted no second as he began his exploration and on Woohyun's tongue. Woohyun felt his heart beating faster and faster with every Sunggyu made. And soon, he felt hot on his throat and he began to feel hard for him to swallow his spit. Felt like there was a marble inside his throat, a hot round marble that slowly moving upward, and then it was on the end of his tongue.

"I can see it! it in Sunggyu!" Myungsoo shouted excitedly as he saw the glowing blue light in the size of marble moved out from Woohyun throat to his mouth.

Sunggyu still on the other so he did not stop after he heard that. But then he felt it, the hot marble-like structure entered his mouth and Woohyun quickly pull off of him. He swallowed it and felt the marble burned his throat all away down through esophagus to his stomach. His breath hitched and he clenched his fist on his chest tightly. His mouth slack open as he breath for air.

"Sunggyu? Sunggyu, are you okay?" Woohyun asked worriedly and slowly return to his human form again.

"I... uh, can't... breath..." Sunggyu whispered out and Woohyun looked at Myungsoo in panic.

The floor began to shake as the light flickered. Cold sweat formed on their forehead as they witnessed the "cursed" one return to his complete state. Woohyun could not stand, too shocked to even breath. Myungsoo took a few steps backward, eyes wide open as he looked at Sunggyu. Sunggyu felt hotter and hotter every second that passed, especially on the upper part of his back. Like someone marked him with burning metal.

Woohyun stared at Sunggyu, awestruck. If before he thought Sunggyu was beautiful, now he just lose his word. Even the word "beautiful" cannot fit what Woohyun had been looking on. Sunggyu was growing wings, a pair of almighty white dove-like wings at that. The blue light that surrounded the other make his skin glowed. And Woohyun then know, what falling in love really meant.

"You've returned my grace, and for that I thank you." Sunggyu spoke while he slowly rose and stood in front of them in his angel-like glory.

Woohyun looked at the fallen angel who had saved his life by letting him used the power of his own grace. And he never thought he could fall in love with some as great as he did the moment he saw Sunggyu like that. And seeing Sunggyu smiled make him just remembered something important for him to say.

"That kiss just now... was great."

-FIN-