The next morning, Eunhyuk awoke and stretched in his bed before sighing and looking up at the ceiling. He recalled the night before, of holding Donghae in his arms and kissing the merman lovingly. Eunhyuk wanted nothing more than to keep Donghae safe and loved, but the blonde didn’t know whether or not Donghae would stay with him or return to the ocean when the weather turned warmer. He got up and walked over to the bathroom, gently knocking on the door. “Donghae?” he whispered.

          From inside, the merman opened his eyes and replied quietly “Yes?”

          “Are you alright?” Eunhyuk wondered.

          “Yes I’m fine,” Donghae confirmed. “I’ll be out in a second.”

          “Okay, I’ll go ahead and get some breakfast started,” Eunhyuk said before walking away from the bathroom.

          Donghae heaved himself up onto the side of the bathtub and watched his legs reappear before drying them off and slipping into some boxer shorts and a t-shirt. The brunette unlocked the bathroom door and slowly headed into the living room area. There was a rather awkward tension in the room between him and Eunhyuk because of what happened the night before. After listening to Eunhyuk cook in the kitchen for a few moments, the merman stood up and slumped into the next room. “Hi,” he muttered.

          “Hey,” Eunhyuk responded, looking at Donghae as he set their food onto the table. Eunhyuk approached the brunette slowly and gently placed a hand on his face. “Are you upset with me?”

          “No of course not, I’m just, I don’t know how to feel right now,” Donghae said as he closed his eyes and felt Eunhyuk’s hand on his skin.

          “Well what are you feeling right now?” Eunhyuk asked.

          “Mixed feelings; like happiness and curiosity, but also I also feel worried and scared,” Donghae responded before looking up and meeting Eunhyuk’s eyes.

          The blonde placed his other hand on Donghae’s face and pulled their faces closer together before gently kissing his lips again. “Don’t be scared Donghae,” Eunhyuk whispered as he the merman’s face. “I won’t let anything happen to you, I’ll protect you.”

          Eunhyuk wrapped his arms around Donghae and pulled him closer. The brunette slowly ran his hands up Eunhyuk’s back as he held the human close to him. “I want to believe you,” Donghae muttered into Eunhyuk’s neck.

          “What can I do, that will show you I’m serious?” the blonde asked, running his fingers through Donghae’s hair.

          “Eunhyuk, a merman being with a human isn’t that simple; you humans think falling in love is easy, but it’s not. When merpeople mate, we mate for life. I just need to know if I’m really the one you want to be with for life, if you don’t; then I can’t go any further with this friendship,” Donghae explained as he lowered his head and muttered “I can understand why you wouldn’t want to be with a creature like me.”

          “And why would you think I wouldn’t want to be with you?” Eunhyuk wondered

          “Because that’s what I was always told by my owner, he would always say that no one would ever want to waste their time with me because of my constant need for water. Youngmin said I was nothing more than his performer, born to do what he said, when he said. He would always tell me that no one would ever want or love me,” Donghae muttered.

          Eunhyuk wrapped his arms around Donghae tightly and pulled him close. The blonde placed his hands on the merman’s face and replied “I want to be with you Donghae.” He kissed the brunette before tracing his thumb over Donghae’s lips. “I’m falling in love with a merman, and to be honest, I feel the happiest when I’m with you.”

          “You make my heart smile Eunhyuk,” Donghae said before he wrapped his arms around Eunhyuk’s neck, and felt the blonde place his hands on his waist.

          Donghae felt Eunhyuk slide his fingers underneath his shirt and run them up his back gently. The blonde felt Donghae shudder under his touch as goose bumps appeared on his skin. Eunhyuk backed Donghae into the wall slowly while he began to kiss the merman again. Donghae jumped up and wrapped his legs around Eunhyuk’s waist suddenly. The two looked at one another before Eunhyuk leaned his face against Donghae’s and whispered “Will you let me touch you, if it’s in a loving way?”

          The merman nodded before burying his face in Eunhyuk’s neck. The blonde carried Donghae into his bedroom and closed the door before laying them both down on the bed, with Eunhyuk hovering over Donghae. Gently, Eunhyuk slid Donghae’s shirt up off over his head and tossed it to the side. “Can I take yours off?” Donghae requested.

Eunhyuk took Donghae’s hands and placed them on the bottom of his shirt, signaling to the brunette that he could take his shirt off. Donghae slipped the garment up off Eunhyuk’s head and gazed at the blonde’s torso. “You look pretty.”

          Eunhyuk smiled and laughed quietly before bending his head to kiss Donghae’s lips again. “You’re so cute and funny,” he whispered to the merman. Donghae slid his hands up Eunhyuk’s chest as the blonde kissed him. Eunhyuk felt Donghae tremble in his arms when he moved his lips down to the brunette’s neck, then to his chest. “Don’t be scared Donghae, I won’t hurt you.” The blonde raked his fingers gently down Donghae’s torso before landing them on his thighs. The merman felt his heart pound faster as Eunhyuk touched the waistband of his boxers. Eunhyuk gently stripped Donghae of his clothing. The blonde noticed Donghae’s expression and wondered “Why are you embarrassed? I’ve seen you before.”

          “Not like this, not intimately,” Donghae replied.

          Eunhyuk stripped himself of the rest of his clothing before saying “See; now you see me , does that make it less awkward?”

          Donghae smiled. “Yeah, a little,” he agreed.

          Placing another kiss on his lips and wrapping his arms around Donghae’s exposed torso, Eunhyuk whispered “Are you ready?”

          “Before I answer that, answer me this,” Donghae requested. “Are you sure you want me?”

          Eunhyuk kissed Donghae’s neck and muttered “I want you today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life.” Donghae raked his fingertips up Eunhyuk’s back, feeling the human’s skin against his, feeling their bodies press together, and feeling Eunhyuk gently kiss and caress him all over.

          The merman opened his eyes several hours later and found that he was still wrapped up tightly in Eunhyuk’s arms. Eunhyuk was fast asleep with his face lying against Donghae’s neck, while the brunette gently touched Eunhyuk’s arms, running his hands up and down them slowly. The blonde’s eyes fluttered open as he looked at Donghae. “Hey,” he whispered before placing a kiss on Donghae’s shoulder.

          “Hi,” Donghae responded as Eunhyuk climbed back on top of him and kissed his lips lovingly once more. “Are you happy with what we did?”

          “Yes, I’m very happy; what about you, do you have any regrets about sleeping with me?” Eunhyuk wondered as Donghae his face.

          “Of course I am, I chose you and I couldn’t have made a better choice,” Donghae replied with a smile.

          Eunhyuk laughed quietly before kissing the merman. “I love you Donghae,” he stated. “And I mean that with all my heart.”

          “I love you too Eunhyuk,” Donghae echoed as the blonde kissed and at his neck.

          He watched Eunhyuk climb out of bed and redress himself. “I’m gonna go make us something to eat,” Eunhyuk informed as he ran a hand through the brunette’s hair.

          “Okay, I’ll get up in a second,” Donghae promised.

          “Okay,” Eunhyuk said as he rubbed Donghae’s back for a few seconds before heading into the kitchen. Eunhyuk took the plates of food he’d set out earlier and decided to reheat them back up, since he and Donghae had been preoccupied for the past several hours.

          Donghae rolled over onto Eunhyuk’s side of the bed and felt the blonde’s faint body warmth. The merman inhaled and took in Eunhyuk’s scent that still clung to the sheets and pillow. He loved everything about Eunhyuk; the way he touched, the way he kissed him, the way he made him smile and laugh, Donghae was truly happy for the first time in his life. The brunette got out of bed and put his clothes on before strolling into the kitchen. He walked up behind Eunhyuk and wrapped his arms around the blonde’s waist, before placing a kiss on the back of his neck. “I love you,” Donghae muttered, leaning his head against Eunhyuk’s back.

          Eunhyuk turned around and kissed his lips, gripping at his shirt while Donghae buried his hands in the blonde’s hair. He backed Donghae against the wall again, slid his hands to Donghae’s back and echoed “I love you too.”

          As the two broke for a brief breath of air, Donghae muttered “Eunhyuk, do you remember when we first met and I said I would be nothing if I couldn’t have my tail?”

          “Yeah,” Eunhyuk confirmed.

          “Well now I feel like I would be nothing if I couldn’t have you,” Donghae whispered.

          Eunhyuk nudged his face against Donghae’s and kissed him before promising “You will always have me Donghae.”