Minseok slipped into the water and began to swim. He felt his presence before he even saw him and soon Yixing was swimming beside him full of quiet anger.

"You went to the surface again." Yixing frowned as he stared Minseok down. "Yes I did," the other said defiantly. Yixing just shook his head. The King wouldn't like this at all and Yixing hated the King being mad. He knew the King was his mate and had always known since the first time he saw him but he was holding back from making their match official. Yixing was desperate to please him and bringing this unruly new merling into line would make his lover happy.

"You cant be doing this Minseok." He frowned as they swam away from the open water and closer to the reef. "I can and I will Yixing. He's my mate." Minseok said defiantly and Yixing stopped swimming and turned to him in fear. "He can't be. He's a man Minseok. He's not one of us." Minseok slowed but didn't stop and Yixing had to catch up with him. "I don't care. He's my mate. I know." Minseok said. "Maybe the moon took me by mistake. Maybe something went wrong somewhere, maybe I still need time to adjust, maybe the moon has other plans for me. But I know." Minseok was definite. He turned to Yixing as they swam. "You knew didn't you? That he was yours and you were his?" Yixing nodded sadly. "So why are you not officaly mated?" Minseok felt a little bad using his brother's situation to deflect from his own. Sadness crossed Yixing's face as he realised he didn't know exactly why. "I don't know. I sometimes wonder if he thinks I'm not worthy of being by the side of a King." Yixing's swimming slowed down and Minseok reached out for him. He held his hand tight as they swam slower, their pace receeding as the reef loomed overhead.

"You need to talk to him." Minseok said and Yixing nodded. He knew he did but he was afraid to hear the answers to the questions he had. He tried so hard to be the best merling he could be, healing and guiding, and always following the rules. Hearing that his mate didn't see him as worthy would crush him and he just wasn't ready.

"What are you going to do?" Yixing asked Minsoek who just smiled at him with a mixture of defiance and joy. "I'm going to keep seeing him Yixing. Maybe the moon made a mistake. Maybe she can turn me back." "We can't lose another brother Minseok." Yixing trembled at the thought. There were so few of them already. They needed him and couldn't bear to lose another. Minseok suddenly turned to Yixing with light in his eyes. "What about if we get the others back?" He asked and Yixing shivered. "But how?" he asked. The idea was exciting. If he could bring their lost brothers home then surely Junmyeon would have to see him as a worthy mate. 

Minseok swam in little circles as his excitement built. "I don't know but I'll think of something. We have to at least try. And if we could bring them home then everything would work out!" he was suddenly giddy with the thought. "You will have your mate and Sehun's will come home to him! There will be eight of you then and there's only six now so surely I could ask the moon to send me back...." Minseok mind wandered to a distant memory of warm sand and bright sun, of laughter and coffee, of sleeping between crisp sheets. "Maybe I can ask the moon if I can go home."

"I don't want you to go. This is your home." Yixing whispered as they neared the reef. "Yixing, Jongdae is my home, I know he's my mate. I can feel it when we are together and I can feel it when we are apart. It is meant to be and it will be," he said as they slipped into the Kingdom of the Merling King and hoped no one noticed how long they had been gone.

=

Jongdae woke up and rubbed his head. He felt hungover even though he hadn't drank. The broken and scant sleep was starting to affect him but he still felt warm inside with the feeling of Minsoek in his arms. He was already excited about meeting him tonight and he had arrangemets to make.

He started by cleaning the boat top to bottom although he realised the merling probably took no notice of the cleanliness of the surroundings. It didn't seem like something that the beautiful creature would find important.

He tidied the cabin and went home before returning with clean cotton sheets, a thick woollen blanket, a soft fluffy one, and a thick winter feather quilt and some pillows. He looked up and noticed Chanyeol eyeing him with curiosity from the dock but when their eyes met he just gave Jongdae a knowing smile.

"Someone's got a date tonight!" a booming deep baritone right behind him shook Jongdae and made him jump. "Chanyeol you scared me!" he said as he dropped the blankets on the bed in the cabin. "And yes. Kind of." Jongdae blushed and Chanyeol laughed. "You couldn't think of somewhere nicer to have a date than on your boat? You're a weird little man Jongdae and your boyfriend must be too!" Jongdae shook his head a little as he neatened up the cabin under Chanyeol's curious gaze. "You have no idea," he mumbled.

"Ok so help me." Jongdae said as he arranged the inside of the cabin. "Baekhyun's spoilt and you make him happy. So share your secrets Chanyeol. Spill!" Jongdae laughed and Chanyeol did too. "No way man. My tricks of the trade are not to be shared!" he laughed and Jongdae climbed on the bed and hit him with a pillow making the big man stumble around in the tiny cabin. "Don't break the place you clumsy giant!" Jongdae shrieked and they both laughed until they were breathless.

"It's easy." Chanyeol said. "Just listen to him. Take notice of the things he says and the things that he likes. And remember and make sure he sees that you remember." Chanyeol turned suddenly and uncharacteristically serious and smiled at his friend as he patted his shoulder comfortingly. "You seem happier than you have in a long time. It's good Jongdae." He said and turned towards the door. "Just make him feel like the only man in the world that you'll ever want and he'll believe it."

An hour later with the cabin stocked full Jongdae had one last job. He walked up the little hill to the café and was greeted with a smiling Baekhyun holding a white box. He opened it and grinned when he saw the cake inside. Vanilla sponge, layered and filled with strawberry jam and fresh cream, decorated with little chocolate hearts and a dusting of powdered sugar. It was perfect.