Jongdae waited until the sun went down before unhitching the ropes and motoring his boat quetly out to sea. He was sick of his house, sick of land, he needed the wind and the waves. The sky over him was dark and endless and scattered with the beauty of a million stars. The moon was rising and it was big but not quite full. But Jongdae didn't care. He needed to try to see Minsoek. He let the boat chug slowly out of the bay and out into the open ocean before heading in the direction he last saw the beautiful creature swimming away from him.

Light danced across the water, scattering like sunlight on scales, as Jongdae dropped his anchor and sat down to wait. He picked at some fruit he had in the cabin, he scrolled through his phone a hundred times, he cleaned the deck and checked his ropes and inspected his nets.

And he waited.

He was just dozing off leaning against the cabin wall when he heard a loud splash. Jongdae ran to the side of the boat and looked over but he saw nothing but the inky black water reflecting the inky black sky. His eyes searched desperately for any surface movement, a ripple, a glimmer of tail or scale. And he was rewarded when the surface broke. The merling's head appeared above the water and he waved to Jondgae with a smile. "You came back!" he called out before ducking under the water. He reappeared by the side as Jongdae leaned down to see him. "Of course I came back." Jongdae smiled down at the beautiful pale face beaming up at him from the black water. "Come up!" he said and held out his hand.

The merling shook his head sadly. "I can't. There's not enough moon." He pouted gently, his rosebud lips forming a cute little circle, and a realisation washed over his face. "You come down here!" Jongdae looked around and then down at the black water. There was no land in sight, not even a rock or an island, and it was only his knowledge of the sky that had led him to this place with no landmarks.

The merling saw his hesitation and held his hand out. "I'll make sure you're safe. Trust me." His voice was clear and his eyes were sincere and Jongdae looked around. With no one watching, no humanity for miles, and nothing to lose he resigned himself and steeled his nerves. He shed his shoes and his shirt and on a whim he dropped his shorts as well. His body gleamed bare under the shy gaze of the moon but he felt no self consciousness as the eyes of the merling washed over him. He sat on the rail of the boat before dropping the few feet to plunge into the icy depths of the ocean.

Salt and sable pitch invaded his senses. Water filled his nose and ears and mouth. But he was a strong and confident swimmer and panic never set in. He kicked his legs and soon broke the surface to be met with the eyes of the merling staring right at him.

"You're an interesting man Jongdae." The merling smiled and Jongdae smiled back as he tread the water around him. "So are you. Can I call you Minseok even when you have your tail?" Jongdae spoke softly and carefully. This was a world unknown to him and he knew that as beautiful as the merling was he wasn't a man. He wasn't human any more and he didn't know how much humanity remained inside the creature but he got a gentle response as he swam a little. "You can call me Minseok." The creature grinned and the happy joy on his face was almost as radiant as the fine scales that edged his jawline.

"My brothers weren't happy with me." Minsoek said as tears filled his eyes. "They say men are dangerous. But I had to see you again. I tried to explain that you were different but they're scared for me." He swam closer to Jongdae who held his breath as the magical aura of the beautiful creature surrounded him. He had been shivering a little in the cold water but when Minseok came within touching distance of him the cold was chased away by a comforting warmth. He felt his effort decrease, he was buoyant and relaxed, as if the water was accepting him instead of pushing him away. "I had to come back and see you." Jongdae whispered as Minsoek came even closer. "You lost something and I had to bring it back." He unwound the leather strip from his wrist wrapped with the string of treasure and Minseok's face lit up with delight. "A gift! For me?" Excitement played across Minsoek's face as Jongdae wrapped the improvised bracelet around the merling's wrist.

"Not a gift. You lost this on my boat." He smiled and Minsoek shook his head. "Lost is lost. It is gone. The ocean gives and it takes away." He smiled gently as he the leather tied tightly around his wrist. "If you find it, then it's yours to do as you wish, and you chose to give it to me." He grinned at Jongdae's surprised expression. "I'm still learning the ways of the ocean Jongdae. This is all new to me but I know that this is a gift and I'll wear it with pride. My brothers wont like it but they cant stop me."

He swam a little closer to Jongdae who held his breath at their proximity. Minsoek reached out and put his arms around Jongdae's shoulders and drew him into an embrace that made the dark depths of the cold ocean disappear. Jongdae felt like he was floating but in a soft cloud of warmth, like he was suspended in the shallows on a hot summer's day, and Minsoek's eyes met his in a gaze that felt hotter than the burning sand.

"Can I give you a gift in return?" Minsoek whispered and Jondae nodded as their gaze held strong. Minseok leaned close and pressed their lips together, gently but firmly, before pulling away with a soft smile. "You taste like the sun." he said as his eyes glittered under the moonlight and Jongdae had to rememeber how to breathe again. "You taste like the sea." He said to Minsoek who broke their embrace wistfully.

"Come back tomorrow night! The moon should be enough!" Minsoek called out and with a flick of his tail he was gone.