Taemin, look at this one. I found it this morning on the reef. Isn't it magnificent?

The excitement in Onew's voice radiated through his face. He was always like this when he found something new to add to his collection and Taemin, his partner, couldn't deny the infectiousness of Onew's joy. True, Taemin didn't understand the elder's fascination with the small bits of debris he roamed the bay to harvest. Armfuls of the miscellany lay scattered about their small home in the cove, much to Taemin's annoyance. But seeing the spark in Onew's eyes as his fiddled with pieces, trying to extract sounds or movement, made it hard not to allow Onew the indulgence. Even if Taemin noticed that it seemed to be taking on a more obsessive bent lately.

Let's go to the beach and sing for a while. Maybe I can test out that thing I found last night. You know everything seems to work better once it dries in the sand.

And he was right. Most of the water logged contraptions didn't seem to do anything until they were free of water. Often it wasn't until after a day in the sun that the small silver objects would reveal their secrets. Some nights, Onew would wander away from their home in the cove to place his treasures in a circle just within the sun's reach but still fairly hidden from curious eyes. Then, on the rare occasion that he and Taemin would venture to the shore together, Onew would have a buffet of wonders waiting for his eager senses.

Many afternoons the two sat on that abandoned stretch of beach surrounded by the the sea. As the waves danced about them Onew would sing out a call to their waltz. The notes danced on the water's surface and echoed across the expanse until Taemin joined in, their voices mingling to form a chorus that worshipped the surf. While the melody was ever changing, the intensity was always the same whenever Onew sang with Taemin. It was love, expressed in pure harmony with the person destiny had blessed him with.

Don't even bother asking him. Onew never plays with ANYONE.

Yeah. He's too busy picking up sea trash.

Taemin had always been the only one that understood Onew's queer nature. While the other kids spent time splashing in the currents or exploring the riches of the sea, Onew often stayed behind to watch the small creatures of the tide pools or search for cast off wares by the harbor. When the ties of youth gave way to the pull of puberty, Onew soon found himself even further removed from the others and probably would have been totally alone if not for Taemin. Early on, the youngster had latched onto Onew in hero worship but it quickly developed into something much deeper until both knew their youthful friendship was now budding romance. Then, when Taemin came of age, the two made it official, singing their first heart's song together. Theirs was a song that could only be completed by the joining of their voices. It was an eternal duet just for them.

Still, Onew often snuck away to enjoy solo excursions near the harbor. That was where he first found the world of the four armed men. Looking not so different from the people in Onew's tribe from the waist up, what fascinated him was the lower half of their bodies. Where Onew should have found a large, scaly appendage, there was instead another long set of arms. When Onew first told Taemin of the strange creatures, Taemin was convinced Onew was suffering from fever. But once Onew convinced Taemin to venture with him towards the place where he had first spotted the men, Taemin was stunned into silence. It had been just as Onew described and more. Held within their upper set of hands, Taemin noticed some of the trinkets that Onew had gathered being used. It was all so foreign to Taemin but after the initial shock wore off, Taemin didn't feel the need to delve any further into that realm. Onew, on the other hand was hooked.

It was dangerous to be too close to these men or the harbor they lived in, but Onew continued to observe their ways from afar and with every new item he could identify, the bewitching gained firmer grasp. Now, it seemed that but for Taemin, Onew thought of nothing but the four armed world and its ways. Then one day an overheard conversation changed everything.

...but what if it doesn't work? Then she could never come back to the sea.

Then that is the risk she takes. It's her fault anyway for wanting to be with a HUMAN.

I guess. It just gives me the creeps thinking about entering the sea witch's cave.  I hear her price is the steepest of all.

For love, there is no price to high. I just hope life as a human is worth it.

Life as a human? The very idea that one could be turned into a four armed man , or 'human' at the others called them, was astounding. It was as if Onew had found out you could wake up one day and become a bird, or that you could swim in air instead of water. Suddenly a possibility never hoped for was taking possession of Onew's thoughts. And as the preoccupation grew, the part of Onew that had been reserved for Taemin alone shrank further inward until one day Onew found himself alone on the beach signing a song dedicated to his heart's new desire, words he hadn't dared speak out loud to anyone, not even Taemin.

But Taemin heard and witnessed his love's tears for a life different from the one they shared. In some ways it was a relief. For months the elder had been spending more time exploring the shore, stalking the harbor and generally ignoring Taemin. It had gotten to the point that Taemin believed there may be someone else. Still confronting his lover's discontent left him hurt. Was his love not enough? Would it ever be?

Onew didn't come back to the cove until well into the night, having gone on another hunting expedition. Wandering into his home, he was surprised to see Taemin still awake.

I heard you, Onew. Today on the beach. I was going to join you. I was going to sing with you. You were already singing.

Taemin-ah, I-I can explain~

Don't. Please don't. Don't tell me what I already know. Just...Just how long were you going to wait to tell me? Would you have ever told me? Or would you have let me wake up alone, clueless?

I didn't want to tell you anything because I was hoping I could find another way. A way to keep us...US! Taemin, if I could find a way to take you with me, I just you would love it up there. All the things we could do and see and experience. I just want it all so bad. But I want it with you. If I could just find a way.

But you know there is no way. The surface is not my heart's desire. It never has been. It was only you. You were all I wanted and once the witch senses it, she won't turn me. No. If you do this...you do it on your own. 

...There has to be a way.

In the morning,Onew.....I will be waiting for your answer.