Baekhyun sighed as rays of sunlight soaked into his pale skin. He rolled over with a groan, readjusting himself on the large rock he'd chosen to be his sunbathing spot. It was located far enough from the shore to keep him from being spotted, and was the perfect size to allow his tail to drape off the edge and remain in the water so it didn't dry out.

      Despite being a merman, Baekhyun still loved to be on the surface and under the sun. He already spent so much time underwater that his complexion was deathly pale. Sleeping in the sun every now and then helped him look more alive, or at least that was the excuse he always gave his friends. Truthfully, he just liked the way the sunlight felt on his skin, and how it naturally dried him off. He also liked how his cobalt tail glistened in the light.

      Baekhyun had always been a curious one. Another reason he loved this rock was because he could watch the massive human ships sail into the port. He never got closer than the safety of his rock, but he longed to see more. He'd seen the humans on the ships, heard them speaking and laughing happily. It was how Baekhyun knew the names for ships and ports in the first place. He'd always wanted to learn more, but had no way of doing so. He'd heard stories of merfolk that befell terrible fates at the hands of humans, being tacked onto the front of ships, a constant reminder to stay away. It made no sense that Baekhyun was so curious about such monstrous people, but he couldn't help but feel there was more to them than the old stories of his people.

      Watching the ships come in, Baekhyun often saw humans interacting with each other. Most of the time, it was just men shouting orders at each other in between various amounts of vile language. Sometimes, on the larger ships, however, Baekhyun could see men, women, even families interacting with each other. Laughter seemed to abound on those ships. Baekhyun couldn't understand how people who looked and sounded so happy could be entirely monstrous. He was too afraid to find an answer to his questions though.

      Baekhyun had just started dozing off, his tail dipping lazily into the water, when his friends came paddling over to him, shouting panicked incoherent words. Baekhyun whined as they splashed cold water on him. His friends knew that when he was on his rock, he wanted to be left completely alone.

      “What?” Baekhyun snapped.

      “A ship is coming this way!” One of his friends, a merman named Jongdae, explained frantically.

      “That doesn't make sense. The port isn't close to this side of the beach...” Baekhyun mumbled. “You sure you aren't just misreading their course? Or is this a prank?”

      “No! It'll be here soon!” His other friend, Chanyeol, cut in. “We need to go now before anyone sees us!”

      The two immediately swam away, splashing more water on Baekhyun. He was about to shout after them, but his eyes landed on a ship in the distance. He gasped and his jaw hung open as his eyes surveyed the holes and intense damage to the ship. It had obviously been attacked. Had they been thrown off course? Or would they not make it to the port in time? Looking at the ship slowly sinking, Baekhyun didn't even think they would make it to this part of the shore in time.

      He slid off his rock and hid behind it, nervously watching as the ship came closer. He could hear the frantic shouts of the men on the ship, and he saw a lot of them preparing smaller boats for most of the passengers. They were abandoning the ship. Baekhyun swam around his rock slightly so that he had a better view.

      It wasn't a large ship, but it seemed to be grand all the same. Baekhyun might take a look at it once it sank under the sea. He could probably find plenty of neat trinkets that the humans would leave behind. Deep in his thoughts, Baekhyun didn't realize just how close the boat was getting to his rock. Soon, Baekhyun could make out distinct features on the humans' faces, and they could probably see him as well. He cowered against his rock, but he was too afraid to move. Too afraid, and too fascinated.

      The humans were beautiful up close. Their skin wasn't pale and their fingers weren't webbed like merfolk. They wore elaborate clothing that merfolk could only dream of wearing. It wasn't very practical for swimming under water after all. The women all had beautiful, shining stones hanging from their ears and around their necks, and Baekhyun wanted so badly to have one as well. There were many things that the humans had that Baekhyun was enthralled by.

      Baekhyun watched the humans shuffle to the small boats as the ship began cracking apart. It wouldn't be long before it sank. Baekhyun's eyes wandered from the cracks on the side of the ship towards the deck once more, and that was when he spotted someone he hadn't seen until then. It was a man, seemingly around Baekhyun's age. He had high cheekbones, round cheeks that seemed to sparkle with his smile, and warm, gentle eyes. Even while the man was running around the ship, shouting orders and trying to help people onto smaller boats, all Baekhyun could focus on was how beautiful he was.

      It was only when their eyes met that Baekhyun realized he'd come out of his hiding place, and was very, very visible to all the humans on the ship, including the man Baekhyun couldn't take his eyes off of. Baekhyun backed away nervously, his back meeting with his rock again. He saw the man call out to him, but Baekhyun was still too far and there was too much noise from the sinking ship for him to make out the man's voice. As if the man realized this, he started making hand signals to Baekhyun, pointing from himself over to where Baekhyun was. Was the man trying to say he was coming to Baekhyun? Did he think he was a human thrown overboard? He couldn't see his tail under the water after all. Was he going to try and rescue Baekhyun?

      Baekhyun frantically shook his head. It was enough that the human had seen him. If he tried to help Baekhyun and discovered his tail, there was no telling what he would do to Baekhyun. He needed to run away. He was about to duck under the water and flee when a large wooden beam broke off one of the sails and came swooping down upon the ship. It hit the man over the head, knocking him into the water. Baekhyun gasped, and before his mind could register what he was doing, he dove into the water to rescue the man.

      Baekhyun swam as fast as he could to the ship, glancing around the water for the man. As soon as he spotted him, he rushed over and wrapped his arms around his torso and swam toward the surface of the water. It was hard to keep the man's head above the water and swim backwards away from the ship and towards the shore. It was even harder to drag the man's body onto the shore. Baekhyun resented the fact that he didn't have human legs to easily drag the man onto the sand. Instead, he had to awkwardly crawl along the sand, his tail getting covered in it and loose scales falling out from the friction. When they were finally both on the shore, Baekhyun laid down beside the man, groaning in exhaustion. What on earth had possessed him to save a human?

      When Baekhyun had rested enough, he propped himself up on his elbow, looking the human over. He seemed to have a cut on his head from where the beam had hit, but otherwise, he seemed fine. Baekhyun cautiously hovered his fingers over the man's mouth, and breathed a strange sigh of relief when he felt breaths tickle his fingertips. Baekhyun let his fingers wander a little further, brushing along the soft skin of the man's cheek. He was the most beautiful human Baekhyun had ever seen, and his heart almost ached looking at him up close.

      He seemed like such a gentle human as well. He'd planned to save Baekhyun before he'd gotten hurt himself, though the human probably hadn't realized Baekhyun hardly needed saving in the ocean. Still, he couldn't get the selfless act out of his mind. Perhaps Baekhyun was misreading the situation and the human had planned to harm him, but looking at him, Baekhyun couldn't see such a beautiful, kind looking person harming anyone, especially when he'd been trying his hardest to save all the others on the ship.

      Baekhyun brushed his fingers through the man's hair, jumping when the man made a small groan. After a few moments of silence and Baekhyun was certain the man wouldn't wake up, he resumed his actions, hoping that they would provide some sense of comfort to the man in his injured state. Baekhyun had never taken care of someone before, merfolk or human. It was a little endearing doing so now. Baekhyun had to question his sanity with how attached he'd already become to this man whose name he didn't even know, but he couldn't help it. He was beautiful, and Baekhyun was sure he was kind as well. They were his two weaknesses when it came to liking people.

      Baekhyun laid beside the man for a long time, simply looking after him and wishing he could actually talk to him. He was still far too afraid to do that though, their old customs of separation from land dwellers training him well. It would do him no good pining after a human, so this would be the only time he allowed himself to stay beside him. There was no way he and this man could have a future anyway, let alone a friendship. It was sad to admit to himself, but it was the truth. As soon as this man woke up, Baekhyun would leave, and that would be the end.

      It was when the sun was setting that the man finally groaned and moved slightly. Baekhyun quickly sat up, preparing himself to back away. When the man opened his eyes and met his own though, he found himself frozen in place, staring at the tired, barely focused eyes. There seemed to be so much emotion in those eyes, and the strong gaze they held had Baekhyun struggling to breathe. Why did this man make Baekhyun feel like this?

      The man slowly lifted his arm from the ground and shakily held it up to Baekhyun's face. It was inches away from his cheek when Baekhyun heard distant voices calling out. He quickly flinched away, realizing he needed to leave before more humans showed up. He scooted backward and disappeared into the waves, ignoring how deflated the man seemed and how his hand dropped almost lifelessly back onto the ground.

      Baekhyun swam to the large rocks closest to the shore and hid behind them, watching the man from afar. His heart was pounding harder than it ever had before, and he almost felt like crying for leaving the man alone after he'd just woken up. To Baekhyun's questionable relief, however, a group of humans that Baekhyun assumed had been on the ship or awaiting it came rushing across the shore towards the man, who was still lying on the ground. Someone carefully lifted the man up so that he was sitting, resting against that person's shoulder. Baekhyun heard others shout things like 'the prince is safe' and 'let's get him back to the castle.'

      So the man was a prince. He really was in a world completely different from Baekhyun's. If he remembered correctly, there was a grate in the castle wall that he could peer through. Perhaps Baekhyun could see him again that way. He wouldn't interact with him, but looking was enough. Baekhyun would convince himself of that.

      As soon as Baekhyun had ensured that the man was safe and in good hands, he quickly swam home. He didn't notice the prince staring out at the ocean, looking for him desperately, nor did he notice the prince pick up one of his scales from the sand and hold it close as several other humans helped him to his feet and began walking him home to the castle.

~*~

      Following the incident with the ship, the prince had been taken to the castle right away and his wounds had been treated. He'd been lucky to escape with only a few scratches, the worst on his head where the wooden beam had hit him. His servant had informed the king that their ship had been attacked by pirates, and they'd barely managed to sail safely into shallow waters. It was a miracle that any of them were alive at all, especially the prince since he'd been the primary target and had fallen from the ship.

      The prince was exempt from most of his responsibilities the first few weeks of his arrival. The queen had panicked upon hearing he was injured, and she'd insisted that he spend some time recovering from his injuries and shock. The prince wasn't particularly fazed by the attack on the ship, but he was rather distracted with thoughts of the boy who had saved him. There was so much that the prince wanted to know about that boy.

      Perhaps it was because he'd hit his head rather hard, but he could have sworn that boy had a tail rather than legs. The blue scale he'd picked up on the sand was only further proof that he wasn't seeing things. How was that possible though? He'd heard tales of mermaids from some of the sailors, but he'd always thought they were nothing but a myth. Now that he'd seen one though, he couldn't convince himself that they were just made up. He'd really been saved by a merman.

      The prince had always been a curious, free-spirited man. That was probably why his father had kept such a close watch on him. He was prone to running off and having his own adventures. The whole reason he'd set sail was to learn sword fighting with a master in the east. He probably wouldn't have returned were it not for his father summoning him. Being cooped up in the castle during his recovery was almost unbearable. He didn't wish to get back to the duties his father had in mind for him, but he was dying to learn something new, to see something new, and that merman he'd encountered certainly seemed like an interesting choice.

      He sighed from his armchair in the corner of the room, glancing out the window. He'd asked his servant to bring him a few books, but none of them had particularly met his interest. It didn't help that he had a particular thing he wanted to look into. He didn't want stories of fair maidens and strong princes. He wanted to read old tales and studies of merfolk. Their library was huge, so there had to be some books there.

      The prince let out a sigh and got up from his seat, heading to the door. As soon as he opened it, he came face to face with his personal servant, a kind, middle-aged man by the name of Hyunsik.

      “Ah, Prince Junmyeon. I was just coming to check on you. Would you like some tea?”

      “Tea would be nice. Would you bring it to the library?”

      “You're going to be staying in the library for a while? Were the books I picked not to your liking?”

      “They were fine, but I wanted to do some research. You know how I am.”

      “Yes, of course. I'll bring your tea there when it's ready.”

      “Thank you, Hyunsik.”

      After parting, Junmyeon went straight to the library, scanning many shelves before he finally found a section on sailing the sea and the types of creatures living in the water. He pulled out several relating to merfolk and began reading. Hyunsik brought his tea to him, and later his lunch and dinner. Junmyeon found himself glued to the books, staying up late into the night until his eyes and back ached.

      His recovery time went on in this fashion. Everyday, Junmyeon would head to the library when he'd finished his breakfast, and he would often stay late into the evening reading. All their books on merfolk seemed to be limited in factual information, despite how thick they were. Most of them were recollections of different sailors, telling their stories of harrowing encounters with the creatures, and how they'd barely escaped their manipulative nature.

      In general, the books painted merfolk as monstrous creatures, sweet-talking beautiful sailors and tricking them into the sea, where they were dragged to the depths and ultimately, to their deaths. It seemed like such a drastic, biased viewpoint on the creatures. Junmyeon didn't want hearsay. He wanted to know how they lived, what they ate, whether they understood language and could interact. These tales seemed to at least prove that merfolk could understand and interact with humans.

      How did these stories of cruelty match up with reality though? The merman that had saved Junmyeon had seemed nothing like these creatures described by old sailors. If he'd been like the merfolk in these books, he could have easily dragged Junmyeon under the water. Instead, he'd done the exact opposite and taken him safely to shore when he otherwise would have drowned. This merman had saved his life, so why was it that every book he read about them painted them as monsters?

      Going back to his duties was a dreadful affair. His father was insistent that Junmyeon take care of negotiations and keep up with business within the kingdom. It left him with very little time to himself, and usually he was too tired at the end of the day to continue his reading, but he'd lost favor with those books anyway. He found himself longing to learn the truth from the very source. He wished he could see that boy again.

      To his surprise, he was given his chance one morning, shortly before he was supposed to report to the king regarding a conflict in a neighboring kingdom. He was staring out his window at the small garden beside the castle wall. He'd always thought having the wall so close and looming over the garden took some of the beauty out of it. He'd never much paid attention to the wall, so he'd never noticed there was a small grate in front of a body of water pooling at the edge of the garden. Junmyeon knew it was ocean water that they'd chosen to use as a form of decoration, but that wasn't what held his attention at that moment. It was the cobalt blue tail being hugged to the chest of a familiar boy that Junmyeon had seen before. The merman was sitting behind the grate, staring up at him.

      Their eyes met and everything seemed to still for a moment, similar to when they'd first met. Junmyeon was fully conscious this time, so he was able to make out the boy's face. He had gentle, dark eyes, and round cheeks. His lips seemed thin, but there was a slight downward curve to them that gave the boy an endearing, almost puppy-like look. His hair was somewhat wet and stuck to his forehead, but Junmyeon could still tell that it was a silverish blond color. Even his nose seemed perfectly round like a button. He was beautiful, possibly more beautiful than any man Junmyeon had ever met, and he felt a strange sense of longing in his chest, despite never talking to this boy personally. His books hadn't been kidding when they'd explained that merfolk were uncannily beautiful.

      Sadly, their moment didn't last long, for soon the merman realized Junmyeon was in fact staring at him, and he quickly fled from the grate back to the sea. Junmyeon called out for him to wait, but it was no use. The boy had already left. Junmyeon rushed to his door, planning to try and scan the wall to see if he was still nearby, but his servant was waiting for him just outside.

      “It's time for your meeting with the king,” Hyunsik started nervously, noticing how much of a hurry Junmyeon seemed to be in. The prince sighed and nodded.

      “Yes, of course. I'll be right there.”

      He never got to check if the merman was still by the wall that day, but he had a feeling he'd swam as far away as he could. There was no way he would stay until the evening, and now that they'd made eye contact, Junmyeon had a feeling the merman wouldn't come back. Why was he there in the first place though? Had he set his sights on Junmyeon? What did the merman want from him? Perhaps he was just as curious as Junmyeon was about him. It was driving him crazy not knowing anything about the boy and having missed his only chance to find out.

      More often than not, Junmyeon wished he weren't the prince. He hated having so many responsibilities tying him down. It felt like he was suffocating. His father had never been particularly affectionate or encouraging either, so Junmyeon constantly felt like he was walking on a tightrope and his father was just waiting for him to slip so he could condescendingly correct him. Junmyeon wished he could flee to the sea any time something troubled him, much like that merman had fled in the morning. Junmyeon wished he could at least learn the boy's name if nothing else.

      Following the brief 'meeting' with the merman, Junmyeon found himself traveling to the shore at the end of each day, sitting on the sand and gazing out at the water. He knew it was foolish, but he couldn't help but hope he would see the merman again. His curiosity was starting to border on unhealthy obsession. He would bring the beautiful scale with him and tilt it in his hand, watching the different ways the setting sun reflected off of it. He was sure if he saw the merman's tail at this time of day, he would be absolutely breathtaking. He already was, even in the few times Junmyeon had seen him. Perhaps he was entranced, like all the stories had made the common reaction to be, but Junmyeon wanted to believe there was more to his feelings than simple attraction.

      Unfortunately, his actions could only go so long before being noticed. It was Hyunsik that noticed his disappearances from the castle every evening first. The man had followed Junmyeon out to the shore one night, and sat beside him, not saying a word. He eyed the scale in Junmyeon's hand warily, however, and Junmyeon knew that Hyunsik was worried that Junmyeon was becoming obsessed and irrational. Perhaps he was, a little bit. The man knew Junmyeon better than anyone though, and he knew that saying anything would only upset the prince, so he kept quiet. Hyunsik was the only one that gave Junmyeon silence and the freedom to have his own opinions and explore his own interests. He was precious to Junmyeon, and more like a father than the king had ever been. It was the only reason Junmyeon had dared to take out the scale and show it to him.

      “Do you think merfolk are truly as evil as the tales make them out to be?” Junmyeon asked softly. Hyunsik's brow raised at the question, then he sighed.

      “I'm not sure, my prince. I've never met one.”

      “I have...but he seemed so caring. He's the reason I survived, Hyunsik...Do you believe me?”

      “Yes, I believe you. If I ever meet that merman, I'll thank him personally,” the man joked, bopping his shoulder against Junmyeon's. “But I implore you, don't let this get out of hand. Watching the sea after a long day is very therapeutic, but don't start neglecting your duties. Your father wouldn't stand for that.”

      “Believe me, I know,” Junmyeon sighed. “I wish things were simpler sometimes...”

      “I wish so too, for your sake.”

      “It's getting late...Let's go back.”

      Junmyeon got to his feet and helped Hyunsik to his. They made their way back to the castle slowly. It always felt like Junmyeon was going back to some sort of prison whenever he returned to the castle. The feeling was only reinforced when they ran into his father as soon as they'd returned. No words were exchanged, but the disapproving look of his father was enough for Junmyeon to know that the man didn't approve of him going out in the evenings, for any reason.

      It was a few days later that Junmyeon's father delivered grim news he'd never thought would come so soon. Relations between a neighboring country were going sour, and the king wanted to mend the bond through matrimony. Junmyeon was to be wed to a woman he'd never met and would be bound to her and the two kingdoms for the rest of his life.

      He'd tried to protest, but his father had shouted at him, spewing profanities and cursing him for being such a useless son, only capable of flitting off on his own to waste time. It hurt more than any physical wound to hear his father disregard everything and anything he'd ever done for him and this kingdom. Junmyeon had always put his responsibilities first, but it had never been enough. It had been a growing realization in Junmyeon's mind, but he'd forced himself to ignore it. He really was nothing other than a pawn in his father's eyes, and he'd never be good enough.

      Junmyeon had shut himself in the room that night, refusing to come to supper and ignoring his food when Hyunsik placed it on his table within his room. Instead, he sat by his window, hugging his knees to his body and trying to find any source of light at the end of the tunnel. It was one thing to say cruel words to Junmyeon, but to give him away without any care for his consent or happiness was unforgivable. Junmyeon knew it was often the case to marry for business rather than love, but he'd hoped he could have put it off much longer than this.

      Later in the evening, there was a gentle knock on the door, and Hyunsik entered the room. He said nothing, but walked over to Junmyeon and gently wrapped his arms around the prince's shoulders. Junmyeon leaned against him, finally letting the tears fall. Hyunsik rubbed his back.

      “I'm sorry,” the older man whispered. “I tried to reason with your father to wait, but he refused to listen to me.”

      “I can't marry her,” Junmyeon whispered between sniffles. “I can't.”

      “Perhaps it won't be so bad. She could be a wonderful person. You could learn to love her.”

      “You know just as well as I do that I will never be able to love her...This will only make both her life and mine miserable.”

      “You don't have a choice,” Hyunsik sighed.

      “And that's the problem.”

      “I don't want to dampen your mood further, but regardless of who your father marries you off to, it will never be what you want.”

      “Because I don't love women,” Junmyeon mumbled. “If father's disappointed in me now, imagine how he would feel if he knew his son loved men...”

      “He won't find out,” Hyunsik stated firmly. “I'll try to reason with him again about the marriage. We can't put it off forever, Junmyeon, but perhaps a few more years. And when it does finally happen, just treat it as any other negotiation you've done for the kingdom.”

      “Marriage is different though. It's a life-long obligation...”

      “I'm sorry. I wish I could do more for you. You deserve love and happiness.”

      “You've done more than you can imagine,” Junmyeon whispered. “You're the only person I can trust and turn to.”

      “I'll talk to your father again, I promise.”

      Junmyeon nodded lifelessly and felt Hyunsik pull away. He was left to his thoughts again, staring out the window at the sky. Hyunsik's efforts would all be in vain. Probably the whole reason his father was so angry and forcing this marriage was because Junmyeon had put off another one before with Hyunsik's help. There was no escaping it this time.

      Junmyeon resented being of royal blood. If he were a regular man, he could simply run away from home and find a lover of his choosing. A prince running away from the kingdom would never succeed. His father would simply send an army out to find him. There was nowhere on land that Junmyeon could run where he would be safe and at peace. And that was when his mind began to wander back to the beautiful merman that had fled from him not so long ago.

      If only Junmyeon could run away into the sea. His father would never look for him there. Junmyeon wouldn't be royalty under the water. He wouldn't be anything. He would be dead. Junmyeon groaned as he realized how crazy he was starting to sound. It was one thing to think about running away from the castle, but to consider drowning himself in the ocean for a sense of freedom? Was that really the optimal path for himself?

      Merfolk existed though. That merman existed somewhere under the water. If there was a way for Junmyeon to become like him, then he could hide away from the kingdom and perhaps finally meet the beautiful being that had been plaguing his mind for weeks. How could he become like him though? Humans couldn't just turn into merfolk at will. There had to be some sort of magic spell that could work.

      Junmyeon's heart sank as he realized what he would have to do. He would need to make a deal with the witch in the town. His father had tried to banish her from the kingdom several times, but after she cursed the whole town with a grave epidemic, the king agreed to let her do as she pleased as long as she kept her magic to a minimum. Basically, as long as she didn't affect the masses or the royalty, his father stopped caring what she did. If Junmyeon made a deal with her, she could definitely turn him into a merman.

      There would be a catch though. She never made a contract without some sort of cruel, usually doom-inducing deal. There was no telling what Junmyeon would have to give up or bear with if he went through with this, but escaping into the sea and seeing that boy again was already sounding like such a brighter future, even if short-lived, compared to marrying a woman he'd never love and living as his father's puppet for the rest of his life. This was his only option. No matter what happened, he had to get out. He had to make a deal with the witch.

~*~

      A few nights later, after avoiding his father as much as possible during the days, Junmyeon decided it was time to finally see the witch. He'd waffled back and forth about going, but he couldn't stand the life his father had planned for him. Even if he doomed himself in the end, Junmyeon wanted to make his own decisions for once.

      He grabbed the cobalt scale and tucked it into a small pouch before sneaking out of his room. He had to be careful walking through the halls, taking routes to avoid the guards stationed throughout. He had to be especially quiet creeping past Hyunsik's room. The man had always been a light sleeper, quick to come to Junmyeon's aid as a child if he cried out in the night. Junmyeon felt bad for leaving the man that had been like a father to him without saying a word, but he couldn't let Hyunsik know he was doing something this foolish. Hyunsik would no doubt try to stop him, and Junmyeon just wanted to let everything go. He'd fought for too long to keep everything hidden. He wanted to be himself finally.

      It took some time to finally escape the castle walls. Junmyeon had had plenty of practice throughout his time growing up, so he knew the best route, but patience was always key. He used to sneak out in his teenage years to mingle in the pubs with the other townspeople. He'd loved visiting them, but as soon as his father began giving him more and more responsibilities to attend to, Junmyeon had found himself too tired to go out.

      Junmyeon moved swiftly through the empty streets, keeping his head down in case anyone recognized him. When he stopped in front of the witch's door, he let out a shaky breath before reaching for the doorknob and heading inside. The small shop was rather dirty and unkempt, full of clutter, various jars of strange liquids, and other items that Junmyeon didn't quite wish to know the origins of. There was a small desk covered in tattered old scrolls, but the witch herself seemed to be nowhere in sight. Junmyeon took a few cautious steps forward, gripping at his shirt nervously. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all.

      “Well, what have we here?” An old woman's voice called from the corner of the room. It was rough and sent chills down Junmyeon's spine. “If it isn't the prince himself. Has your father sent you to try and oust me from the town again? Or are you perhaps here...as a customer?”

      “I-I...I need your help,” Junmyeon stuttered. Something about this woman's presence was extremely unsettling.

      “My help!? The prince coming to a lowly witch for help? What could he possibly need from a little old woman like me?” She asked, sounding highly amused.

      “I want to run away to the sea...Can you turn me into a merman?”

      “A merman? Of all the creatures to become fascinated with, you chose them?” She laughed humorlessly. “Then again, I can see a growing infatuation within you. Awfully brave of you to go against your father and make a deal with a witch.”

      “I want this. Can you help me or not?”

      “I can, but nothing comes for free when you make a deal with me. I'm sure you know that very well.”

      “Of course I do. What would you like in exchange?”

      “I'll make you a merman, but there will be conditions. Signing a contract with me puts a curse upon you.”

      “What kind of curse?”

      “Well, if you must know, the deals have a time limit. If you can't accomplish your end of the bargain on time, the curse will kill you and your soul will belong to me.”

      “O-Oh...What do I need to do then to uphold the bargain?”

      “It's different for each person. For you, I think I'll be nice and make it simple. You have one month to make that merman of yours fall in love with you.”

      “What are you talking about? What merman? This is an impossible task!”

      “Don't treat me like a fool,” she hissed. “You think I can't read you like a book? You're running away from papa because he doesn't know where your heart truly lies. And the only reason you asked to become a merman is because you're pining after one. Your heart is easy to read.”

      Junmyeon bit his lip. She must have been the real deal if she knew all of that without Junmyeon having said anything. Would he really take the deal though? Getting someone to fall for him wouldn't be easy, and death awaited him upon failure. It would be foolish to take this kind of a deal, but did he really have a choice? This was what he wanted, just with several more risks attached.

      “Come now, it's quite an easy deal, really! I've given you plenty of time compared to the usual bargain witches make. And you already have some sparks flying for that merman, so this is almost like an opportunity to succeed, if you think about it. Why not take the deal?”

      “There has to be more of a catch than just the curse,” Junmyeon stated. “I don't believe that you would keep it so simple and beneficial on my end.”

      “Smart boy,” the woman chuckled. “There is one more thing I'll demand of you.”

      “And what's that?”

      “Your beauty.”

      “What?”

      “You know the merfolk treasure beauty above all else. It would be too easy if I just sent you there looking like a dashing prince. To even the playing field, you must give up your beauty and win the merman over some other way. I'm doing you a favor. Without your beauty enticing him, if the merman falls in love with you, you'll know it's genuine, right?”

      “So I give up my beauty and have one month to live unless he falls in love with me,” Junmyeon repeated, letting the details sink in.

      “That's correct.”

      He should have said no. Every sensible part of his brain was telling him to say no and leave, to see if Hyunsik can reason with his father again. Junmyeon found himself drawn to the deal however. Even if it was just a month and he died unloved, it still seemed better to him than living an entire life of feeling unloved and controlled. There was always a small chance that he succeeded at this bargain as well. Perhaps he was too much of an optimist, but Junmyeon wanted to succeed. He wanted to get to know the merman that had saved his life and captivated him. Falling in love wasn't originally Junmyeon's goal, but perhaps it was what he really wanted deep down. Against his better judgment, he wanted to take the deal.

      “I'll do it.”

      “You will?” The witch mused. “You really aren't anything like your father, are you?”

      “I'm really not,” Junmyeon muttered.

      “Well, your father is a bland man. Come now, let's get your contract drawn up.”

      She waved for Junmyeon to follow her over to the desk. One of the scrolls hovered in the air and Junmyeon watched as words began to write themselves. With another swish of her hand, the witch sent the scroll and a quill over to Junmyeon. He stood there for a good five minutes, reading through the entire contract and fine print to make sure everything was as they'd agreed. The witch seemed rather impatient, but there was no way Junmyeon was going to sign a contract with someone like her without reading every single line. When he'd finally decided it was as they'd spoken, he took the quill and signed his name on the line. The contract tore itself from the rest of the scroll and hovered over to the witch's hands. She carefully placed it within a large, old book that Junmyeon guessed contained the rest of her contracts.

      “Now then, about that tail...I'm going to make you a potion. Make sure to drink it near the ocean. Wouldn't want you to become a fish caught on dry land.”

      “Right...”

      “I'll also be taking your beauty now.”

      “Alright...”

      “It might sting a little.”

      She turned and held her hand up to Junmyeon's face. Pain burned under his skin and he gripped at his face, feeling it slowly reconstruct itself. He groaned, the pain getting worse as the ordeal went on. Finally, his face stopped hurting, a gentle throb left in place of the pain. Junmyeon carefully ran his hands over what felt like rough, lumpy, uneven skin. He dared to look up into a dusty mirror among the clutter of the room and gasped. His skin was wrinkled, bulging slightly at his eyelids and cheeks. There were patches of discoloration and warts littering his once flawless skin. His face looked completely reconstructed and hideous. Junmyeon couldn't even begin to recognize himself.

      “It's not all bad,” the witch soothed in a mocking tone. “Think about it. Now no one from town will know who you are. I'm doing you favors left and right. And should you succeed, your face will go right back to the way it was.”

      “If you say so,” Junmyeon mumbled from behind puffy, over-sized lips.

      “Unfortunately, it seems I'm out of essence of mermaid, so it might be hard to make you a potion right now.”

      “What about the contract? You're not getting out of this or cheating me some of my time.”

      “I wouldn't dare!” The witch huffed, but Junmyeon had a feeling she wasn't at all genuine.

      “I have a scale from a merman with me. Will that work?”

      “Perfectly. You're quite a useful client. I don't get many like you.”

      “Whatever you say,” Junmyeon sighed.

      He pulled the small pouch out and passed it to the witch. She proceeded to pull several different jars off her shelves and took them over to a large cauldron in another corner of the small shop. She poured ingredients in, mumbling incantations under her breath, and Junmyeon watched as smoke and sparks flew from the liquid inside. After a rather large flash and possible explosion, the witch took a small vial and dipped it into the liquid, then capped it and held it out for Junmyeon.

      “Well, here it is. Best not waste any of your time standing here. You only have a month after all.”

      “Thank you,” Junmyeon whispered, taking the small bottle from her.

      “Don't thank me yet. If you fail, I'm taking your soul, remember?”

      “Right...”

      “And one more thing. Tell anyone about the curse, and the deal's off instantly. I get your soul and you never get your cute little merman. So keep those lips of yours sealed, understand?”

      Junmyeon grimaced and nodded, then quickly left the shop. He didn't want anything else to do with the witch. He would have to do his best. It would be hard to woo the merman with his face as it was, but he had to succeed. If nothing else, he had to make the most of the time he had left.

      Junmyeon quickly ran to the docks. It was still late in the night, but the sun would be rising soon, and the fishermen would crowd the docks. He had to be underwater before then so no one would see him and try to stop him. When he reached the pier, he walked out to the very edge of one of the docks and held the small vial up. He took one more deep breath, still not entirely sure this was the right thing to do. He knew it wasn't, but it was too late to go back now. He pulled the cap off the vial and held it up to his face. One whiff of the strange liquid had him gagging. He plugged his nose with one hand, then closed his eyes and drank the potion in one gulp to get it over with.

      His body began to tingle and morph again. He gasped as pain gathered in his neck, and he ran his fingers along it just in time to feel gills forming. His clothing began to tear and he gasped, feeling bear to the world. He was glad he'd done this when no one was around. The skin of his legs began to grow scales, and slowly, the gap in between his legs disappeared. As his tail continued to form, he fell forward into the ocean. Between the shocking, cold water and the pain of his transformation, Junmyeon lost consciousness as his body floated down to the sandy floor.

~*~

      Junmyeon wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but he was awoken rather abruptly by the sounds of shouting nearby. It was strange, because the shouting sounded muffled despite being so close, and it took Junmyeon longer than it should have to realize it was because he was underwater. He sat up, meeting a lot of resistance from the water surrounding him. He felt so much heavier underwater. He wasn't used to feeling something bear down so heavily on him whenever he moved. Nor was he used to breathing underwater and being able to see without feeling the sting of saltwater in his eyes.

      He glanced around dazedly, looking at the dock above him that he'd fallen off of. Then, he gradually followed the sounds of shouting and his eyes landed on three mermen struggling beside what looked to be a small fishing ship. Junmyeon focused as hard as he could on the words the three were shouting to each other.

      “How the hell did you get your tail stuck in a fishing net!? This is why we can't bring you anywhere, Chanyeol!” One shouted.

      “Shut up and just get me out!” The struggling merman, 'Chanyeol' Junmyeon assumed, grouched back.

      “You're struggling too much. We can't get the ropes off,” the third explained, seeming calmer than the other two.

      Junmyeon's hand flew over his mouth when he realized who that third merman was. He had a cobalt blue tail, one which Junmyeon's matched now, most likely because he used the scale in the potion. It was the beautiful merman with silver hair that Junmyeon had found himself so captivated with, the one that had saved him. This luck seemed too good to be true, but Junmyeon wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. This merman had saved him before, so now it was Junmyeon's turn to help him.

      He looked around, spying a sharp rock nearby. He swam over to it, struggling to get used to having a tail instead of two legs, then made his way over awkwardly to where the other mermen were. He would definitely have to practice swimming if he wanted to get anywhere. When he reached the others, he gently tapped the silver-haired merman's shoulder and handed him the sharp rock. He took it without even looking at Junmyeon, knowing immediately what to do. Junmyeon felt a little bad for the fishermen that would have to repair their net after this merman cut it apart to free his friend.

      It took some time to get the merman's tail free, and as soon as he could swim on his own, he sped away, stopping several feet from the boat and looking at it frantically. His friends laughed at him, pointing fingers as the whole ordeal slowly became a funny joke to hold over his head later. Junmyeon smiled to himself, hoping this would be a good start to whatever relationship he would have with these three mermen. The group seemed to remember his presence suddenly and turned to him.

      “Hey, thanks man- Oh God!” The previously trapped merman gasped. “S-Sorry, your face just uh...kinda shocked me...”

      “Oh,” Junmyeon mumbled.

      “Never seen a merman that ugly before. Didn't think you could look that bad,” the other stated. The words hurt Junmyeon more than he thought they would.

      “Jongdae, chill!” The silver-haired merman snapped. “What kind of thanks is that? Apologize.”

      “I'm just stating the truth,” Jongdae shrugged, swimming over to Chanyeol. “Besides, Chanyeol already thanked him so we're good, right?”

      The silver-haired merman rolled his eyes and sighed. When he looked over at Junmyeon, their eyes met for a long time. Their gazes seemed to hold the same intensity as the last time Junmyeon had met eyes with the merman, though perhaps it was all one-sided this time. After all, there was no way this merman would recognize who he was. Rather than reacting with disgust like his friends though, this merman smiled at him. It was a smile so radiant Junmyeon was fairly certain he stopped breathing underwater for a second.

      “Thanks for helping us. I'm sorry my friends are acting so rude.”

      “It's no problem, really...”

      It felt strange talking underwater and not choking. Junmyeon's voice was probably a bit more muffled than the others between adjusting to the new setting as well as his new face. Still, the silver-haired merman didn't seem to judge him for it. Instead he smiled even wider.

      “My name is Baekhyun. I haven't ever seen you around before.”

      “I'm Junmyeon. I'm not really from around here...”

      “I kinda figured that much,” Baekhyun laughed. He looked Junmyeon up and down, his eyes widening as they landed on his tail.

      “You have the same tail as me! We must be from the same village! Why haven't I ever seen you before then? I mean, I moved away a while ago, but I still would have seen you around...”

      “I, um...I traveled alone mostly.”

      “I can understand why, looking at you,” Chanyeol mumbled. Baekhyun turned around and glared at him.

      “Stop insulting him! You would be human food if it weren't for him!”

      “I really don't think humans would have eaten him,” Junmyeon mumbled. Baekhyun looked at him curiously.

      “How would you know?”

      “I, um...I don't know. I just kinda figured...”

      “Well, we're gonna leave you with your new pathetic boyfriend, and you two can get acquainted,” Jongdae teased. “I had other things I wanted to do today~”

      “Me too,” Chanyeol agreed. They began to swim off and Baekhyun moved to follow them.

      “Guys, wait!”

      Baekhyun looked like he was about to leave after them, and Junmyeon panicked. He didn't particularly like the other two, but he needed someone to show him the ropes and help him out. He needed to know more about Baekhyun, and not just because the curse dictated so. He reached forward and grabbed Baekhyun's wrist, pulling him back towards him.

      “Wait...” He asked quietly.

      “I'm really sorry about how they're acting. They aren't usually like this, but sometimes they can be pretty shallow...Look, maybe we'll see each other around again sometime soon and I'll make them apologize. Sound good?”

      “That's not...I don't really care if they act like that to me. I'm not...I just...I need help.”

      “Help? With what?”

      “I, um...I just got to this area and I don't really have anywhere to stay...”

      “You're joking right? You just up and left without having a plan? Do you have anything?”

      “No. It's just me...”

      “You're either really stupid or really crazy.”

      “Can I stay with you?”

      “I'm grateful that you saved my friend, but I'm not going to just bring you into my house without even knowing you.”

      “Then do you know of anywhere I can stay?”

      “Don't you know how to find a place to sleep on your own? You were a traveler, weren't you? How come you suddenly can't find a little grotto on your own? If you don't know the area, then just look around.”

      “I-I guess I can do that...”

      “I have to go find my friends, alright? I'll see you later.”

      Junmyeon frowned as he watched Baekhyun swim away. He moved with such ease and grace, Junmyeon must have looked like a blundering idiot trying to swim beside him. He really did look around for somewhere, but Junmyeon hardly knew what constituted as a living space for a merman, or where to find a grotto like Baekhyun had suggested. He didn't cover much ground swimming either. At least this provided practice for him. He'd hoped Baekhyun would have been more willing to help him. Perhaps he really had only helped Junmyeon as a prince because he was beautiful. Maybe it was impossible for a merman to fall in love with Junmyeon as hideous as he was.

      It was some time later that Junmyeon felt like he was finally getting better at swimming. His speed was still pretty bad, but at least he could swim in the direction he wanted to go without faltering and having to readjust himself every few seconds. He saw someone approaching him from a distance and he froze in fear. So far, his interactions with sea creatures hadn't been very fulfilling. He had a feeling Baekhyun and his friends were some of the nicer merfolk as well. Was he going to be attacked? The approaching figure seemed to be coming directly towards him at a fast speed. That was the most likely reason, right?

      As the figure got closer, however, Junmyeon realized it was Baekhyun again. The boy seemed irritated, and Junmyeon couldn't help but feel he was the cause. He wished he could tell the boy that he was new to the ocean in general and had never really been underwater in his life, but he couldn't say anything that might relate back to the contract. He would have to lie his way through this.

      “Are you sure you've traveled a lot?” Baekhyun asked as soon as he was near Junmyeon again. “Because you don't seem that experienced at all this...”

      “I don't know this part of the ocean at all,” Junmyeon said softly. “I must not be very good at finding places to live.”

      “Apparently not,” Baekhyun sighed, but there was a smile on his face.

      Whether he was silently laughing at Junmyeon or taking pity on him, the latter didn't know. Finally, Baekhyun heaved another sigh and waved his hand for Junmyeon to follow him.

      “Come on. You can stay with me tonight. I'd feel too bad leaving you alone out here.”

      “I'm sorry...”

      “It's alright. But any funny business, you're out and I sic a shark on you, got it?”

      “Got it...”

      Baekhyun began swimming away and Junmyeon did his best to keep up. Even after all his practice, he could barely hold his own against someone who had been swimming this way his entire life. Baekhyun must have noticed that Junmyeon was struggling because he paused and held his hand out for Junmyeon to take. As soon as the latter did so, Baekhyun began tugging him along and guiding him as they swam. It was oddly comforting to hold Baekhyun's hand like this. In general, there was something extremely comforting and inviting about Baekhyun. Junmyeon felt like he would be ok if he was with the other boy. He could only pray that Baekhyun would come to at least like him.

      After some time, they made it to a small grotto. It wasn't terribly far from the shore, but a long enough distance away that divers and other humans wouldn't find it. Baekhyun tugged Junmyeon inside, and the latter's jaw dropped. Inside the small grotto was a massive clam shell, or rather the bottom half of one. The ground was decorated with several different colored shells. Baekhyun must have gathered them over time and set them out. Behind the clam shell was a chest that looked surprisingly human-made. Where had Baekhyun picked that up? Junmyeon would have to ask him another time.

      Baekhyun swam over and lowered down onto the inside of the clam shell with a happy sigh. He glanced at Junmyeon and patted the spot right beside him expectantly. When Junmyeon remained where he was, Baekhyun sat up with a quiet groan.

      “Are you going to rest here or not?”

      “On your bed?”

      “Do you see anywhere else to sleep? Lay down before I change my mind about letting you stay.”

      Junmyeon muttered a quiet thank you and quickly laid down beside him. Baekhyun rolled onto his side and stared into Junmyeon's eyes with a serious expression.

      “No funny business, alright? I'm serious. Try anything and you're out.”

      “I won't do anything,” Junmyeon sighed tiredly.

      Even though he'd been unconscious for so long earlier, he was exhausted. He was too tired to even think about anything other than sleep. Baekhyun's expression softened suddenly.

      “You look exhausted. It must have been a long day for you.”

      “Yeah. It was...”

      “That must have been why you were swimming so slow, huh?”

      “Mm,” Junmyeon hummed sleepily. “Goodnight, Baekhyun...Thank you for everything.”

      “Uh, sure,” Baekhyun replied, flushing slightly. “Goodnight to you too...”

      Junmyeon wondered if Baekhyun wasn't accustomed to having someone else with him in his small grotto, or if merfolk didn't usually wish others goodnight. He was too tired to ask any of those questions. His eyelids were too heavy to keep open any longer. Junmyeon drifted off to sleep almost instantly, unconsciously snuggling closer to Baekhyun. He didn't feel the soft pats on his head or hear the gentle whisper of 'sleep well' from the other boy's lips.

~*~

      Junmyeon was awoken rather abruptly the following morning by someone shaking his shoulder roughly. He groaned, wanting to sleep more. The transformation must have taken more out of him than he thought. The other person didn't seem like they were going to let him be, however.

      “Come on. Time to wake up!” A familiar voice called.

      Junmyeon slowly opened his eyes and focused on the person beside him. Baekhyun was sitting beside him, looking somewhat irritated, but still very beautiful. Baekhyun was even more beautiful up close now that Junmyeon could look at him. Unfortunately, Baekhyun didn't seem to enjoy his silent staring either.

      “It's about time you woke up! Come on! You're leaving today. You've got all day to find your own place, so I suggest you get moving.”

      “Already?” Junmyeon asked tiredly, sitting up. He didn't want to leave so soon.

      “You're not going to mooch off me forever, are you?” Baekhyun asked. “If I'd known you were so clingy, I wouldn't have taken you in...”

      “I'm not clingy, I just...don't want to be alone.”

      “Isn't that the same thing as being clingy?” Baekhyun sighed, but there was a smile forming on his face. “I'll help you find somewhere, alright?”

      “Alright...” Junmyeon sighed.

      He glanced around Baekhyun's small grotto and his eyes landed on his wooden chest. It looked like it had seen much better days, and the water had probably done most of the damage. How long had Baekhyun had it? Did merfolk actually construct chests for storage as well?

      “Why do you have a chest here?” Junmyeon asked.

      “My chest?” Baekhyun asked, pressing his hands defensively on his own chest. “What are you talking about? Everyone has a chest...”

      “No, not your actual chest,” Junmyeon laughed. “The wooden one in the corner there.”

      “That's called a chest? Why would they call it that?”

      “I don't know, but yeah, that's what humans call them anyway.”

      “Humans? How do you know they call them that?”

      “I, uh...I've studied them...a lot,” Junmyeon lied awkwardly. “You know, when the ships come in and stuff.”

      “You got close enough to hear them!? You've really got guts, huh? Moving out with literally nothing and no direction and listening to humans...”

      “I guess...”

      “So it's really called a chest?” Baekhyun asked. Junmyeon nodded.

      “Yes. Do merfolk not have them?”

      “We don't really have many possessions. Some shells to decorate and a place to call our own, yes, but otherwise, we don't keep much.”

      “So why do you have that chest?”

      “I found it on a sunken ship some years ago. My friends and I were exploring a ship that sank during a bad storm and we all took something home from it. My friends and I are probably a little too curious for our own goods.”

      “It's not like the humans will be needing those things anymore, so why not?” Junmyeon shrugged. Baekhyun's face brightened at this.

      “You're the first merman I've met that's actually seen it the same way as us!”

      He got off his giant shell and swam over to the chest, running his fingers along it gently before carefully opening it. It must have meant a lot to him with how delicately he treated it. Soon, Baekhyun pulled a couple different things out that Junmyeon couldn't see, then glanced up at him.

      “You really know about humans?” Baekhyun asked again. When Junmyeon nodded once more, Baekhyun's smile beamed. “Then can you tell me what these are?”

      “If I teach you about humans, will you let me stay just a little longer?” Junmyeon asked. Baekhyun's face fell slightly. “It's fair to ask for a favor in return, right? I'll teach you about humans and you can teach me about this place...”

      “I guess,” Baekhyun pouted. “Alright, fine! You win for now! But only if you can actually tell me what everything is!”

      “Alright,” Junmyeon agreed.

      He swam over, finding it a little easier now that he'd had some amount of practice, and lowered down to the floor of the grotto in front of the chest where Baekhyun was. The other merman held out his hand with one of the items Junmyeon had noticed him pull out earlier. He smiled gently as he realized what it was.

      “This is a fork,” Junmyeon stated.

      “What does it do?”

      “Humans use it to eat.”

      “Really?” Baekhyun asked, cocking his head to the side as his face contorted in confusion. “Isn't that what your teeth are for?” Junmyeon couldn't help but giggle.

      “A fork can be used to poke something and lift it up to their mouth. Some of the things humans eat are messy so they don't want to use their fingers.”

      “I guess...I thought it was what they used in their hair.”

      “That's a brush,” Junmyeon corrected. “It's similar, but it's usually got a lot more little spikes and they aren't as hard, otherwise it would hurt your head, right?”

      “You really know a lot...It's kinda scary...”

      “I guess I was just curious like you,” Junmyeon said with a smile, daring to nudge Baekhyun's shoulder with his own. He was grateful when Baekhyun didn't rush away in disgust. “What do you want to know about next?”

      “This one!” Baekhyun happily exclaimed, passing another trinket over to Junmyeon.

      “This is a spoon. It's similar to a fork, but you scoop food up with it, rather than poke it.”

      Junmyeon demonstrated with the sand on the ground and Baekhyun took the spoon from him so he could do it himself. After that, Junmyeon proceeded to explain what the other miscellaneous silverware Baekhyun had were, as well as the other random things he'd gathered. Somehow, Baekhyun had managed to find a pipe, a small telescope eyeglass, and a few wooden toys among other things. Finally, he pulled something out of his chest that made Junmyeon's eyes go wide.

      “This is a dagger,” he explained quietly. “The case it's in is a sheath. These are used to hurt and to kill...but also to protect.”

      “To kill?” Baekhyun whispered, staring at it fearfully. Junmyeon nodded and carefully pulled the dagger out of its sheath.

      “The sharp edge can easily cut a person's skin. To have one of these, you have to have a lot of responsibility and discipline. It should only be used for self-defense when you really need it.”

      “Why would humans have something like this? Do they like to murder? Are the stories about them true?”

      “Stories?”

      “That they kill merfolk and put them on the front of their ships.”

      “Ah...Some people might do that. Not every human is good. There are cruel people that use these to hurt, but there are also people that use them to survive. Sometimes you kill to eat. Sometimes you kill to protect a loved one.”

      “Humans are much stranger than I realized,” Baekhyun sighed. Junmyeon simply shrugged and placed the dagger back in the chest.

      “I'm getting hungry. What's there to eat?”

      “Ah, yeah...We haven't eaten yet, have we?” Baekhyun asked. “Follow me!”

      Baekhyun shut his chest and quickly swam up, pulling Junmyeon by the wrist along with him. They quickly left his grotto and swam to a nearby patch of seaweed. Baekhyun then began to explain to Junmyeon which seaweeds were safe to eat and which were the most delicious. Junmyeon had never stopped to consider what it was merfolk ate, but seaweed seemed like a rather obvious answer. He missed having more to his meal, but he found the seaweed to be surprisingly tasty, as Baekhyun had explained. It was something he'd have to get used to, but he didn't think he'd mind, especially if he could listen to Baekhyun speak to him with each meal. Even his voice was alluring.

      Following breakfast, Baekhyun began to show Junmyeon around, teaching him about all his favorite spots and telling him about all the places he and his friends liked to goof around. It was a lot of information for Junmyeon to take in all at once, but he was happy. Baekhyun seemed to have been at least charmed with him enough to not get rid of him. In fact, Baekhyun had been nothing but bubbly conversations and sparkling eyes since Junmyeon had agreed to teach him about the humans. Perhaps this would be how they got closer to each other.

      Later in the day, Baehyun's friends joined them again. Junmyeon wasn't particularly happy to see them again, given the way they'd treated him before. They were still Baekhyun's friends though and he seemed to be a good person, so perhaps there was something redeeming about them after all.

      “You're still hanging around with that guy from yesterday?” Jongdae greeted, circling around Junmyeon to get a better look.

      “Yeah, he's actually really nice if you talk to him, something you and Chanyeol wouldn't know,” Baekhyun responded irritably. “You still owe him for saving your tail by the way!”

      “I know, I know,” Chanyeol pouted. “We came here today to see if he was still with you. Your name was Junmyeon, right? I'm Chanyeol!”

      “Nice to meet you...”

      “And I'm Jongdae. Don't take what we said yesterday too harshly, alright? We're just a little wary with strangers.”

      “Yeah right,” Baekhyun huffed.

      Jongdae laughed and wrapped his arm around Junmyeon's shoulder, smiling a grin that Junmyeon figured could only mean he was up to no good. Baekhyun's prickly response and Chanyeol's own devious grin seemed to prove his assumption right. They ended up spending the rest of the day swimming around to everyone's favorite places and teaching Junmyeon a few of the games they would play with each other. They were almost like underwater sports in Junmyeon's eyes, and even though he was still really bad at swimming, which Jongdae and Chanyeol often took advantage of, he had a lot of fun. He was completely exhausted when the day came to an end. Hearing Baekhyun say “let's go home” made his chest flutter more than he thought it would. It was nice to feel a sense of belonging, even with a boy he'd only just met. It was something he never got at home beyond Hyunsik. Junmyeon could get used to hearing Baekhyun say this sort of thing.

~*~

      The days flew by with Baekhyun and his friends. The passage of time was much more muddled under the water than on land. It wasn't like they got nearly as much sunshine after all. Junmyeon could vaguely tell when the ocean got a little darker and cooler than usual that it was night time, but it was mostly his own exhaustion that alerted him to the fact that it was time to sleep. Merfolk didn't exactly have calendars or keep track of the days either, so Junmyeon found himself easily losing track of time.

      Junmyeon was surprised that Baekhyun never tried to push him out again. He would have thought that after explaining everything in Baekhyun's chest, the merman would have wanted his own living space to himself again. Instead, Baekhyun had question upon question for Junmyeon about human customs and activities. There was no end to the list of things he wanted to know about. What did they do in their free time? Why did they sail in those big ships? What was the large triangular thing that stood up from the ship? Why did humans wear clothes?

      The questions never failed to amuse Junmyeon with their innocence and curiosity. His own questions often left Baekhyun baffled as well. Junmyeon lacked common knowledge when it came to the most basic things. Baekhyun still couldn't believe he had to teach Junmyeon which seaweed to eat. How on earth had he survived on his own up to this point? It was particularly embarrassing having to explain basic anatomy to Junmyeon. How had he never bothered to look at himself and explore his body at all?

      Baekhyun had explained to him that their anatomy was similar to other marine mammals, their excretory and reproductive organs hidden within their tails. Junmyeon had seemed so fascinated with it, and Baekhyun felt like his cheeks were on fire, despite being underwater. It was even more mind boggling to Junmyeon when Baekhyun explained that there were several different types of mermaids, usually identified by their tail type. Baekhyun and Junmyeon were from the same village, but Jongdae and Chanyeol were each from a different one, their tails striped white and maroon and deep green respectively. Baekhyun had gotten quite the laugh when he told Junmyeon that some merfolk were even related to seahorses, and the men carried the young in those relationships, just like seahorses.

      Junmyeon's naivety was extremely endearing to Baekhyun, but it worried and confused him as well. How had he gone so long without knowing the simplest things about merfolk? Had he really been alone his whole life, so he'd never had anyone to ask these questions to? The thought broke Baekhyun's heart. Merfolk did tend to discriminate based on beauty, but Baekhyun had always been against that notion. It was one of the reasons he lived alone, having left his village behind. Perhaps they'd ousted Junmyeon. He wasn't pleasant to look at, Baekhyun could agree, but he was so kind. He put up with Jongdae and Chanyeol's teasing, and he told so many amazing stories about humans. He didn't deserve the cruel treatment and disgusted glances. He deserved a place to live and call home.

      After a while, Baekhyun decided to show Junmyeon his favorite rock. Unlike Jongdae and Chanyeol, Junmyeon found the idea of sunbathing relaxing, just like Baekhyun did. They laid down together on their stomachs, their tails occasionally curling together as they dipped into the water, and they talked for hours. Junmyeon had missed the way the sun felt on his skin.

      Later in the day, as they were both starting to doze off from the warm sunlight, Baekhyun spotted something that had him propped up on his elbows instantly. He shook Junmyeon's shoulder excitedly and pointed forward.

      “A ship is coming! Over there! What did you say that big triangular thing was again?”

      “A sail,” Junmyeon answered propping himself up on his elbows, leaning closer so their shoulders were touching. “I wonder if it's a cargo ship or if it has people on it...”

      “A cargo ship? What's that?”

      “Ah, it brings different items into the port. You know, there are humans living on land across the sea as well, kinda like how there are merfolk scattered all throughout the ocean. Those people sometimes have ships bring items they made across the ocean so they can be sold elsewhere.”

      “Sold...”

      “It's like trading. Humans like this thing called money. If you trade someone money, they'll give you an item or something in return.”

      “Humans have so much...Doesn't it get complicated, keeping track of all these possessions and money?”

      “Yes, it gets very complicated,” Junmyeon sighed. “It's much simpler under the sea.”

      “Well, if you were in a colony, it might be harder for you as a merman,” Baekhyun shrugged. “They have their own complications and customs. I much prefer living on my own.”

      “I think I prefer living with you,” Junmyeon mumbled. “You're kind and it's fun being with you.”

      “Ah...Yeah...” Baekhyun muttered, feeling his cheeks get warm again for some reason. It felt harder to breathe as well. Was he getting sick?

      Baekhyun suddenly spotted two humans on the ship twirling each other around, and his eyes went wide watching them. The woman was lifting the edge of her dress, as Junmyeon called it, and swirling it around as she and the man moved rhythmically together. Baekhyun nudged Junmyeon's shoulder again and pointed at them.

      “What are they doing?”

      “Hm? Ah, they're dancing.”

      “Dancing? What's that?”

      “Usually, it involves music. So someone could play an instrument, or sing, or even just pat a beat onto the side of the boat. Then people just kinda move to the music.”

      “Why? What's the point?”

      “It's fun,” Junmyeon shrugged. “I guess you could say it's one of the ways humans play.”

      “Merfolk sing, but I don't think we could dance...We don't have feet.”

      “Maybe you couldn't dance like that, but I'm sure you could think of a way. You're pretty creative, aren't you?”

      “I guess...I don't see the point though. I'd rather tackle Chanyeol to the ground.”

      Junmyeon smiled softly and turned his gaze back to the ship. He didn't tell Baekhyun that there was usually a romantic element involved in dancing. From what he'd learned, merfolk romance was a lot more subdued than human romance. Sometimes, they merely reproduced to keep the population going, but never really fell in love. It seemed sad to Junmyeon, but Baekhyun had told him that merfolk tended to be a bit shallow. Relationships and commitments didn't come easily to them. It made Junmyeon feel disheartened for numerous reasons. If Baekhyun was like the others, then the odds of him falling for someone like Junmyeon were slim, which didn't bode well for his future. It also made Junmyeon sad because he'd run away to escape the lacking relationship he had with his own family. Was it really impossible for him to find somewhere to belong and feel loved after all?

      They'd gone back to Baekhyun's grotto after watching the sun set in the sky from upon his rock. Junmyeon had dared to snuggle closer to Baekhyun that night, wanting to gently test Baekhyun's reaction. After all, Baekhyun hadn't seemed particularly fond of physical affection and usually kept distance from Junmyeon. To his surprise, however, Baekhyun relaxed against him with a tired sigh, and let Junmyeon snuggle as close as he wanted. Perhaps Baekhyun wasn't like the other merfolk. Maybe Junmyeon had a chance after all.

      If Junmyeon wanted anything to come of his relationship with Baekhyun, however, he needed to start acting upon it. He'd gotten to know the boy, and he was fairly certain his attraction to him had only gotten stronger over the course of living with him. If he was going to win Baekhyun's heart, he needed to start wooing him. He of all people knew that his face wouldn't win the boy over, but perhaps his heart and actions would.

      Junmyeon snuck out early the following morning and swam to a nearby coral reef. Baekhyun had shown it to him once before. Among the coral, a few different types of sea flowers grew. Most of them were anemone and stung to touch, but Baekhyun had shown Junmyeon which ones were harmless. He stopped upon one with rather bright colors of green and pink in the center, but a darker blue around the edge. It reminded Junmyeon of Baekhyun's tail. It would probably look really pretty in his hair. Junmyeon picked it, plucking off any particularly hard or pointy nodes. He hadn't realized how much time had passed until he saw Baekhyun swimming over to him and he quickly hid the flower behind his back.

      “Why did you leave without me?” Baekhyun pouted.

      “Sorry...I, um...I was looking at the coral.”

      “Really?” Baekhyun asked incredulously. “Why would you want to stare at a ton of coral when you could be sleeping longer?” Junmyeon smiled and held up the sea flower.

      “I found this.”

      “Yes? They grow here after all...”

      “Ah, it's actually a human custom to give flowers,” Junmyeon explained awkwardly, not exactly liking Baekhyun's reaction.

      “Why?”

      “Well, to humans, flowers are beautiful, and it makes them happy to receive them. They could be given out of gratitude, or congratulations, or even romantically.”

      “Really?” Baekhyun asked, instantly interested now that Junmyeon had taught him something new.

      “So then, why did you pick this? Who are you going to give it to? Please don't say Jongdae...or Chanyeol either, actually.”

      “I'm giving it to you,” Junmyeon stated through laughter. He held the flower up to Baekhyun. “It reminded me of you and I wanted to give it to you.”

      “Really...? Me?” He asked, timidly taking the flower. “Why?”

      “Well, I guess you could just call it gratitude and leave it at that.”

      “Leave it at that? Is there more to this gift than that?” Baekhyun asked.

      Junmyeon didn't answer his question, but when their gazes met, Baekhyun couldn't help but notice his heart beat just a bit faster. Junmyeon's eyes held so much emotion in them, and Baekhyun couldn't even begin to read them. He could see sincerity and kindness though, and it drew him in. There was something very different about Junmyeon, but Baekhyun couldn't help but feel some sort of attraction to him. He cleared his throat awkwardly and glanced back down at his flower.

      “I've never really received a flower before...What do I do with it?” He asked.

      “Hmm, whatever you want, really. You could take it back to the grotto and look at it.”

      “What about this?”

      Baekhyun held the flower up to his face and tucked it behind his ear. He cupped his cheeks slightly with his hands, turning his face to show Junmyeon the flower. As Junmyeon had expected, it looked beautiful on Baekhyun, contrasting well with his silver hair. Baekhyun's smile was beaming, and Junmyeon could only focus on how beautiful he looked, how happy he was. Junmyeon really liked Baekhyun like this. He was pretty sure he loved him actually, but he couldn't say that to him yet.

      “Does it look cute?” Baekhyun asked.

      “You look beautiful,” Junmyeon whispered.

      Baekhyun's eyes went wide and he paused for a moment, as if registering the words. Junmyeon feared he'd gone too far with his compliment, but thankfully, Baekhyun's smile returned even wider than before and he grabbed Junmyeon's wrist.

      “Come on! I want to show off to Jongdae and Chanyeol!”

      Junmyeon let Baekhyun pull him along with ease. The latter had always been a better swimmer after all. Baekhyun spent a good hour bragging to Jongdae and Chanyeol about the flower and how much he knew about humans now. Junmyeon couldn't help but look on with a smile on his face. He was so happy with Baekhyun. It was like all those years of feeling suffocated in the palace no longer mattered. He was free here. He was having fun on his own terms for the first time in his life. He was falling in love for the first time in his life.

      As the day neared its end, Junmyeon and Baekhyun left Jongdae and Chanyeol. The two had threatened Junmyeon that if he ever gave Baekhyun another flower, they would personally tangle him in a fisherman's net since Baekhyun had been so annoying about it. Baekhyun had gotten angry at the statement, but Junmyeon had simply laughed. Had he ever laughed this much before? This felt so right.

      Before Baekhyun made it all the way back to his grotto, Junmyeon grabbed his wrist, tugging him slightly towards the coral reef. Baekhyun looked at him curiously, not understanding why Junmyeon wanted to go back again.

      “Are you giving me another flower? I still have this one though...And Jongdae and Chanyeol said-”

      “I have something else to show you,” Junmyeon said gently, a smile ever present on his face.

      “Really? What!?” Baekhyun gasped excitedly.

      Junmyeon didn't say anything, simply pulled Baekhyun towards the coral reef. They stopped when they were just above it, so that if they looked down, they saw a beautiful array of colors. Junmyeon shifted his grip from Baekhyun's wrist to his hand, lifting it to the side. Baekhyun looked at him with a confused expression, which only grew worse when Junmyeon placed his other hand on Baekhyun's hip, pulling him closer.

      “What are you doing?” Baekhyun asked nervously.

      “Just trust me,” Junmyeon said quietly. “I want to show you how to dance.”

      “Dance? But I thought we couldn't do that without feet and music...”

      “Dancing might be a little different without feet, but it's not impossible. There are different types of dances as well. And they have different meanings.”

      “Like what?”

      “Some are for fun...But some dances are a bit more intimate and have different feelings attached to them. I want to show you one of those.”

      “O-Ok...What do I do?”

      “Put your free hand on my shoulder.”

      “Ok...” Baekhyun muttered, doing as told. “Now what?”

      “Just follow my lead.”

      Junmyeon began to turn them, having some difficulty at first since he still wasn't the best at using his tail. Finally, with Baekhyun's help, he got them into a flow, circling slowly above the coral reef. As their pace became more comfortable, Junmyeon began to hum slower tunes, giving them the music that Baekhyun had wondered about.

      Baekhyun felt a lump forming in his throat at the whole experience. He'd been this close to Junmyeon when they slept together, but something about holding his hand and feeling Junmyeon's hand pressed against his back was different. It was far more intimate, and dare Baekhyun think it, far more caring. This close, he could see every imperfection on Junmyeon's face, but it didn't bother him at all. He dared to look into Junmyeon's eyes again, only to find that expression from earlier multiplied tenfold. It was like Junmyeon was looking at him like he was the most precious thing in the world, and Baekhyun didn't know how to handle it. Junmyeon made him feel so many things he'd never felt before. He'd only ever felt this kind of admiration for the human prince, and even then, Baekhyun was wondering if that could even compare to how Junmyeon was making him feel now. He felt special. Dare he say it, he felt loved.

      Junmyeon's voice was so beautiful to Baekhyun's ears. There was so much about Junmyeon that was beautiful, Baekhyun had found. It was like everything that he lacked in physical beauty, he made up for in other ways. He was kind, patient, and understanding. He never let the cruel words Jongdae and Chanyeol playfully threw get to him like Baekhyun often did. Junmyeon always seemed to put Baekhyun's interests over his own as well. He was so selfless. Baekhyun had never met anyone like him.

      Baekhyun gasped and pulled away when he realized how close their faces were to touching. They'd gotten closer to each other while dancing, bodies flush and lips close to touching. Junmyeon looked somewhat hurt at the response, and Baekhyun instantly regretted it. He quickly reached for Junmyeon's hand, holding it tightly. His other hand unconsciously hovered above his rapidly pounding heart.

      “Sorry,” he whispered. “I got a little flustered...”

      “It's ok,” Junmyeon answered, gentle as always. “Did you like that dance?”

      “Yeah, I did. I think I understand why humans do it now.”

      Junmyeon smiled widely, and Baekhyun's heart continued to beat into his palm. Why was he losing his cool now? How could Junmyeon bring him to this state so easily? What was he feeling for him? Was it admiration and care? Or was it something more? Baekhyun had never felt so confused in his life.

      “It's getting late,” Junmyeon finally stated. “We should go to bed.”

      “Ah, yeah...”

      Baekhyun tugged Junmyeon along, back to their shared grotto. He usually took the lead compared to Junmyeon's slower pace, but it was nice having someone at his side to lead. Baekhyun had been alone for so long, he'd forgotten how nice it was to finally be with someone again. Even Jongdae and Chanyeol had their own places to return to at the end of the day. Perhaps Junmyeon could become a permanent part of Baekhyun's place. It shocked him that he was even thinking such things. What on earth was he feeling?

      They snuggled together like always that night. Baekhyun somehow managed to fall asleep fairly quickly, despite all the questions plaguing his mind. Junmyeon, however, remained awake for a little longer, watching Baekhyun and waiting for the painful feeling in his chest to go away. He'd started noticing it as time went by. The pain got a little worse each day. The curse was starting to affect him. He was starting to run out of time.

      Dancing with Baekhyun had worn him out more than he would have imagined, but it was worth every second of struggle. Junmyeon had longed to hold Baekhyun close like that for some time. Even if he couldn't make Baekhyun love him in the end, at least he could take a little peace in the fact that he got to love Baekhyun and dance with him in such a beautiful place. He could only hope his time with Baekhyun meant as much to the other as it meant to him. He may have thrown his life away, but Junmyeon was glad he'd chosen this path. Nothing would ever make him regret meeting Baekhyun.