Jeonghan smiled in his sleep. That sweet voice he loved played in his head. All he needed now was to find the source of it. The keeper of his heart. His hands moved, reaching out to touch cold sheets. Groaning, he rolled over and smelled the pillow. Joshua had been here, he knew that. He remembered carrying Joshua to bed and then ravishing him before the two of them fell asleep. Jeonghan could even tell from the scent of light ocean and flowers; Joshua’s special smell.

“Sir,” a voice came through the door, knocking. “Time to rise. Master Joshua is done with breakfast and he wants you to get up.”

Jeonghan moaned, throwing a mini tantrum like a child. “He needs to come up here and wake me up himself. Tell him that.”

The servant sighed, clearly used to his master’s childish antics involving his lover. “Of course, my lord.”

Footsteps left, echoing down the hall.

Keeping his ears peeled, Jeonghan grinned as he heard the light, almost dance-like footsteps that he always wanted to hear in his life. He closed his eyes, giving a fake snore as the door creaked open.

Another sigh let out, but those beloved footsteps made their way to the bed.

Jeonghan felt hands on him, shaking him gently awake. He playfully batted at said hands, making a sleepy noise, even if he was wide awake. Nothing wrong with playing with Joshua like this. He waited as Joshua bent down, no doubt to kiss him awake.  Jeonghan grabbed him, his arms shooting out of the blankets. Pulling Joshua towards himself, Jeonghan opened his eyes and grinned at Joshua’s shocked face, before rolling them over so Joshua was underneath him.

“Morning darling,” Jeonghan said, smiling down at Joshua. He leaned down and kissed the furrow on Joshua’s forehead. “Did you come to wake me up?”

Jeonghan lips twitched into a wider smile as he saw Joshua fight to not pout. His lover was so cute.

Watching Joshua open his mouth to speak, and hearing nothing come out made Jeonghan drop his smile. He forgot some days on how Joshua came into his life, forgot that Joshua gave up so much to be with him.

Jeonghan miraculously captured a mermaid, well merman really, and that merman had given up the life he had known in the vast ocean for a life as a noble’s lover soon to be husband. Joshua had given up his life, his tail, and his voice to walk side by side with Jeonghan.

A deal, Joshua wrote when he stumbled into Jeonghan’s arms that one day. Jeonghan bundled him up and took him home and Joshua explained just how a merman now had human legs. It was deal with a sea witch. Joshua gave up his honeyed voice for legs and life above the water with Jeonghan.

Some days he felt guilty. Other days Jeonghan didn’t care, relishing in the fact that Joshua loved him so much and now Joshua was his.

Feeling Joshua’s hand on his face, Jeonghan jerked out of his thoughts. Joshua frowned, his eyes concerned.

Quickly, Jeonghan grinned, moving his head to kiss Joshua’s palm. “Breakfast is done I hear. Let’s go eat your creations.”

 “You’re feeling better right?” Jeonghan checked over Joshua as he sat across from him. The other day Joshua threw up upon the sight of dinner, Jeonghan literally grabbed him and ran him to the doctor, not carrying if Joshua had gotten vomit on him.

Glaring, Joshua took his notepad. Jeonghan watched as he wrote yes in giant letters with more force than necessary. He knew Joshua didn’t like being babied, unless it was in bed and when he wanted to spoiled. When it came to being sick though, Joshua hated it.

“I’m asking because I love you,” Jeonghan pointed out evenly, trying to make Joshua see it was out of love.

‘I know,’ Joshua wrote, but he still pursed his lips. ‘I’m fine,’ he continued.

“All right,” Jeonghan said, reaching out to brush his fingers against Joshua’s cheek.

Curling into Jeonghan’s hand, Joshua nuzzled it for a few seconds before pulling away to eat. He took a spoonful of soup and before he could even finish putting it on his tongue he gagged and turned.

Jeonghan stood up as sounds of Joshua throwing up filled the room.

“Get the doctor!” Jeonghan shouted it to the servants in the room. “Now! Tell him to meet us in our bedchambers!”

Moving, he scooped Joshua up and put an empty bowl in his hands just in case. Last time Joshua had the saddest eyes over having vomited all over Jeonghan.

“Hmmm,” the doctor said, checking Joshua’s mouth. He hummed some more.

Jeonghan wanted to snap at him. What was wrong with Joshua? Was it that hard to find a diagnosis?

“Perhaps,” he muttered.

“Perhaps what?” Jeonghan tried not to grind his teeth in frustration but it was a near thing.

“Shush young lord,” the doctor said. He waved to Jeonghan’s man servant. “Get the midwife. I’ll need her expertise her.”

Jeonghan felt faint for a few seconds: his body shook, his heart thumped extra hard. “Midwife,” he croaked out.

Joshua looked between him, eyes worried, and then back to the doctor in surprise.

“All shall be known.”

Joshua ignored Jeonghan’s shouts to be careful. He finally was able to touch the ocean. Once the midwife and the doctor gave them the diagnosis of pregnancy, Joshua had been followed around like a hawk. The downsides of not being able to talk anymore.

Jeonghan worried over him and so he ordered someone to be buy Joshua’s side 24/7 during his pregnancy if Jeonghan himself couldn’t be there while he planned their wedding. It was understandable, and Joshua bore the annoyance of it. But then came the bed rest when he fainted that one summer day.

From then, Jeonghan didn’t allow him outside of the estate walls at all. Joshua fought with him for days, barring Jeonghan from their bedchambers until Jeonghan begged in a shaken voice for Joshua to please listen.

“I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. Please Shua. You’re my everything. Listen to me just this once. I beg of you.”

Jeonghan held onto Joshua’s knees, his voice not quite breaking into a sob. But it had been a near thing.

Joshua kissed him softly and nodded, acquiescing to Jeonghan’s pleas.  

But today was special. The doctor lifted the bed rest 24/7 ban. It was sunny, a bit breezy and Joshua missed the sea that he hadn’t been able to touch in months.

Everything was going well. The wedding was almost here, Joshua was going to pop in a few months, and they were happy.

“Joshua,” Jeonghan called out. “Don’t go too far into the waves.”

Joshua harrumphed. Honestly. “I know,” he snapped out. “I used to be a merman you know.”

“I know you were,” Jeonghan said his voice drifting closer as he walked towards Joshua, “but love, it’s for your safety and our child’s.”

Stopping with his feet in the sand, Joshua held his throat in surprise. He could speak again. How? He had bargained it away for the life he had now. “Jeong-Jeonghan! I can talk again!”

Jeonghan’s head snapped up. His eyes went wide. Running the rest of the way to Joshua, he pulled him into a hug, holding on tightly. “How?”

“I—”

“Because we killed the sea witch,” a very familiar voice said.

Joshua turned his head to see people he had left behind when he walked on land and never looked back. People he loved and loved him return.

“Aron,” he said softly.

“We killed her. Come now Joshua. It’s time to go home.” The merman held out his hand, waiting for Joshua to come.

The others nodded in unison, waiting for him to rejoin them in the sea.  

“No,” Joshua said. “I have a home here. I’m getting married.” He gripped Jeonghan’s sleeve. “I’m with child.”

Aron blinked, his eyes opening to take in Joshua’s belly. “Oh.”

“Thank you, but I gave up my voice to be with Jeonghan and I won’t leave him,” Joshua said fiercely.

“You know what you’re leaving behind correct?”

Joshua nodded, blinking away tears as he remembered that he had said his final goodbyes to his mother and hadn’t seen her since. He missed people. But if he lived apart from Jeonghan, Joshua knew his heart would be missing a piece that would never be filled.

“You can always come visit,” Jeonghan offered. “You don’t have to completely abandon him, nor does he have to abandon his old life. Visitors are always welcome.”

Nodding, Aron said, “We’ll consider it.”

“Tell my mother that I'm happy,” Joshua blurted out, “and I’m getting married and having my own child.”

“She’d love the good news,” Minkyung said, her eyes full of understanding.

“Thank you,” he whispered. If any of them came to visit, he knew he could count on Minkyung to come to see him. She was always interested in the human world just like he was.

They waved to Joshua one by one before swimming into the deep end and diving down, the flicker of the sun bouncing off their scales to give Joshua one last goodbye.

“Shall we go home now?” Jeonghan, held him close still, rubbing Joshua’s belly softly.

“Yea,” Joshua answered. “I can’t wait to shock everyone by speaking.”

Jeonghan barked out a laugh. “You trickster.” He tickled Joshua, running his fingers over Joshua’s sides.

Squirming, Joshua tried to break out of Jeonghan’s arms as he laughed. But Jeonghan stopped soon enough.

“Are you truly happy,” he whispered, he tried to hide the insecurity but Joshua could hear it still, “there’s no need to lie to me.”

Joshua laced his hand into Jeonghan’s, holding on tight. “I don’t regret my decision to leave the ocean behind,” he answered softly. “Some days I miss it like a missing limb, but you make me happy. Being here with you, everyone. I’m so very happy. Never doubt that Jeonghan.”

Jeonghan kissed him, squeezing his hand in an answer.