Jonghyun sighed as he wandered through the town. The bricks and paved roads always unsettled him, simply because they were so different than what he was used to. He wasn’t used to human’s necessity for such things when more resources of the land could be used. There was no need to create artificial materials when the land already provided everything necessary.

He couldn’t complain too much, since this was not his land after all. The God of the land allowed the humans to use the land as they pleased, and as such, what they were doing couldn’t have been so terrible. Still, it was not something he was used to, and the sight of his made him feel uncomfortable.

It wasn’t until he arrived at a familiar home that he felt a bit better, smiling to himself as he knocked on the door. Luckily, there weren’t too many people wondering on the road at the moment, so no one could see his nervousness. His palms sweat as he waiting patiently for the door to be answered for him. His friend should be home at the moment, so he didn’t understand why it was taken so long in the first place. The longer he waited, the more his nervousness rose.

“Sorry!” He heard a voice from inside call. A moment later, the door was opened to the sight of his friend smiling brightly at him, his eye smile practically closing his eyes. “Sorry, I was in the bathroom.”

“I think I simple sorry would’ve been enough,” he replied as he stepped into the house. His friend made way for him, closing the door gently behind him as he continued walking until he entered the living room. He sat down on the couch, practically sprawling onto it as he groaned.

“So, how do you feel?” his friend asked jokingly, sitting on the seat opposite to him with his legs crossed. Jonghyun shot him a look before covering his eyes with an arm.

“I’m not in a joking mood Jinki. Can we just talk normally for a moment? Please?” Jonghyun asked. Onew put his hands up defensively and nodded.

“Sure, but I really am curious about what’s bothering you today,” Jinki said. Jonghyun sighed and rolled over onto his side. Jinki was still looking at him, and Jonghyun wasn’t sure if he could explain everything to him, not the way he really wanted to at least. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t tell Jinki of what he really as, in fear that Jinki would think badly of him. “We’ve known each other for what? Three of four years now? I think you can tell me anything at this point.”

“Some things are best left unsaid,” Jonghyun countered.

“But ignorance is not as much of a bliss as everyone claims it to be,” Jinki said back. Jonghyun to his back once more and ignored him. “You can’t just enter my own house and ignore me.”
 

“Do you want me to leave then?”

“You’re annoying, did you know that?” Jinki asked. Jonghyun snorted, a nostalgic smile on his face.

“Yeah, I’ve been told,” he replied softly.

He thought of all the times Kibum had yelled at him for using his song, or the times Kibum just poked his head out of the water for a moment before leaving. It gave him some hope, knowing that Kibum wouldn’t let him die, but he also knew that the chances of Kibum doing anything past his previous actions was less than likely.

The more he thought, the deeper a frown settled on his lips, and Jinki frowned himself at the site of it. He quickly, and quietly, got up from his seat and smacked Jonghyun’s forehead, earning him a yell in return.

“Stop being moody. If you’re just going to mope around, then go. I can’t have you destroying my happy place with your pessimism. I do that enough on my own,” Jinki said quickly. Jonghyun looked at him quickly before looking away and muttering an apology. “Now, you’re going give me the short version of what’s wrong with you or I will literally kick you out.”

“Alright, fine. I’m the annoying one?” Jonghyun asked incredulously. Jinki only gave him a grin, and that alone was enough to let Jonghyun know that telling the short version really was his only option. “My friend just recently moved in with me after going through some... relationship troubles and I don’t know how to help him.”

“Why can’t you help him?” Jinki asked.

“Do you remember how I was when you first met me?” Jonghyun asked back. At Jinki’s nod, he continued. “That’s how he is now. And I can’t really help him when I still haven’t been able to fix my own problems.”

“Well I can’t help him the same way I helped you, sorry about that. I’m not much of a party person anymore for me to just randomly sleep with someone again, and I have a girlfriend. I’m pretty good with advice though,” Jinki replied teasingly. Jonghyun groaned once more and reached over to hit Jinki, which he missed, but it made him feel a bit better just by trying.

“Why do you always bring that up? That was years ago already. And if you sleep with him, I’ll kill you myself.”

“Do you like him?” Jinki asked. He looked amused as he stared at Jonghyun. “Because if that’s the case, I don’t know what the problem is. He’s living with you, so it shouldn’t be so hard to get him to feel the same.”

“I don’t like him, alright? He’s like a brother to me. We grew up together even if he’s a few years younger. I won’t let him make the same mistakes I’ve made,” Jonghyun said. He quickly shot an apologetic look to Jinki, who was staring at him incredulously. “I don’t mean that meeting you was a mistake. Just the sleeping together. I could’ve lived without that happening.”

“No hard feelings. If it makes you feel better, we were both drunk and it only happened once. I told my girlfriend all about that and she laughed at me too,” Jinki replied.

“I’m glad you’ve at least found something good about this,” Jonghyun said sarcastically.

“Yeah, she’s great. She really understands me.”

“I’m happy for you Jinki, I really am. But right now hearing about relationships makes me feel worse,” Jonghyun said.

Jinki nodded and allowed Jonghyun to rant to him a bit more, telling him with as little detail as possible about everything that was bothering him. He thought back everything that had happened when he first met Jonghyun, although he couldn’t remember the very first meeting as well as he’d liked to. All he remembered was waking up the next morning in bed with him, which had somehow resulted in a strange friendship.

Jonghyun had looked so devastated when he realized what he had done, so horrified with himself that Jinki had to think for another moment about he felt as well. He hadn’t slept with many people before that time, but he’d had his fair share of partners when he was serious about them. Jonghyun had been a though, and even if Jinki still couldn’t remember who initiated the entire situation, he still felt bad that it happened.

He had done his best to try and help Jonghyun after they had woken up, and the more he listened to Jonghyun’s problems, the more understanding he felt. A part of him had felt it was strange to stay with a one night stand for so long, but he knew Jonghyun was different.

Especially when he had found a few feathers around the room while Jonghyun was asleep. It was impossible for a bird to ever get into the room, which meant it had to have come from inside, and the feathers had been much bigger than any bird he had ever seen.

He didn’t know for sure until he had asked Jonghyun to sing for him. He had heard Jonghyun humming to himself, and immediately asked for Jonghyun to sing, to which the younger quickly paled and stopped humming altogether. Since then, Jonghyun rarely let himself be heard even humming.

He had only ever heard stories of mermaids and sirens, since it was something he had learned briefly in classes when he was younger. Schools taught only the basics of history that involved the two creatures, with constant warnings to stay away from the them. At the time, he had believed it all, but seeing Jonghyun, he couldn’t be sure it was very true. He also wasn’t sure how sneaky Jonghyun thought he was, because no human was capable of having red eyes.

All he knew of Jonghyun’s situation was that he fell for someone he wasn’t supposed to. He didn’t know the extent of the situation, but he knew that the person meant a lot to him.

“Here’s my advice, for you and your friend,” Jinki said. Jonghyun turned to look at him seriously. “Don’t stop trying. If you give up, you’ll regret it more than anything. Giving up will give up more pain than anything else, that much I can assure you.”

Taemin, that morning, decided that he needed to fly. He felt as if he hadn’t flown in so long, and had gone to his home to see if his brother would like to join him. The four year old was still only learning how to properly control his wings, and how to fly, and Taemin did enjoy the times he could help him learn.

With that in mind, he quickly went home to surprise his little brother, who would no doubt be excited to see him again so soon. Sure enough, as soon as he opened the door, his brother looked up from his place on the floor in the living room and ran over to him happily. Taemin caught him in a hug, just as happy to see the younger.

“How are you today Jonginnie?” he asked. His brother’s arms were tight around his neck as he spun them around with a grin. Jongin’s happy squeals were enough to make him forget, even for a moment, of all of the problems he faced outside of these walls. His mother briefly greeted him with a kiss on the cheek, letting him know that his father would be back soon, as he had gone out to hunt with a few others, since today was his turn.

“Hyung, what are we doing today?” Jongin asked him excitedly. Taemin smiled slyly and hummed, laughing to himself at Jonghyun’s impatience. He looked to his mother quickly, implying a question for permission as he spoke.

“I was hoping to take you out flying for a bit, if that’s alright?”

Jongin’s happy yells were instant, and his mother smiled at him and nodded.

“I don’t see why not. Just make sure you watch him, okay? He’s still struggling a bit, and his landing isn’t so gentle,” his mother replied. Jongin whined while Taemin promised to keep him safe, and walked out with his brother. He flew them to a clear area of the island where Jongin could fly safely.

As soon as he set his brother down, the younger ran around the area, telling his brother that he was going to get a running start. Taemin quickly put an end to that, grabbing his brother’s shoulders as soon as his brother past him and holding him to his side.

“You remember how to start Jonginnie. You’re not ready for a running start yet, you still have to be steady with a basic start. Do you remember how to start? Did Appa explain it to you?” Taemin asked. Jongin nodded, but by his expression, Taemin could clearly tell that he was upset about not being able to try a running start yet.

“Stretch my wings out back and then flap them down,” Jongin said beside him. Taemin’s smiled at his simplification of the words and nodded to him, showing him how to pull his wings back properly. Jongin copied his movements, and despite the large size difference in their wings, it was clear how similar they were. “When will my wings be as big as yours hyung?”

“When you get older,” Taemin replied. He smiled down at his brother, who was staring up at his stretched wings in amazement, and Taemin looked at Jongin’s own, that were still not even half the size of his. “Did I tell you? Your wings will be even bigger than mine one day.”

“I hope so hyung. Umma’s are super big too. I want to be like you guys,” Jongin said.

“You’ll have the most beautiful wings anyone has ever seen Jonginnie.” Jongin nodded happily and moved a bit away from Taemin, to give each other space for their wings.

“Hyung, can we fly now?”

“Of course,” Taemin said. He waited for his brother to go first, smiling proudly as his brother lifted a few feet off the ground before flying up as well. “Can you handle flying up higher? I want to fly above the trees.”

“Of course I can! I’ve been practicing with Umma,” Jongin said back. Taemin smiled and glided around his brother, enjoying his soft laughter before he flew below him, making sure to keep watch on the younger. Jongin flew unevenly, but he was steady enough to keep himself up. Sometimes Taemin moved to fly beneath him, just in case he fell. He wanted to be extra careful with his little brother. Jongin would laugh every so often, looking down at how his brother’s wings moved. For a while, Taemin just glided, and Jongin followed his example quickly.

Every once in awhile, Taemin would move away from him to fly around him, sometimes spinning around him, much to Jongin’s amusement.

The more he flew with his little brother, feeling the wind through his feathers, the more free he felt from all of his troubles. It was as if a gust of wind was blowing away his problems, and for a moment, he could forget about Minho and focus solely on his little brother and enjoy himself. He could let the air around him flow around him, move against him, and comfort him in ways he never realized until now.

The more he flew, the more he could feel himself relax, and having Jongin around was helpful. With Jongin, he could feel more carefree and playful, despite the intense protectiveness he felt over him. He had sworn to himself the moment he had met Minho that he wouldn’t allow something like this to happen to his brother. He couldn’t control who Jongin’s mate would be, and he couldn’t change the way the world worked, but if he had to stop his brother from ever using his call, he would, so long as Jongin stayed as happy as he was now.

“Hyung, can we practice landing?” Jongin shouted to him. Taemin replied quickly, motioning to his brother that he would show him how to first before he was to repeat the action. He glided down closer to the ground, and when he noticed he was approaching, he shifted his weight so that his legs were stretched in front of him and his wings were flapping against the wind. He set one foot first, the other coming down gently as his wings folded behind him, and he turned to watch Jongin do the same.

His brother’s was a bit unsteady, just as his mother had warned. It seemed that he tried to set both feet down at once forcefully, and Taemin smiled at his attempt and caught him before he could fall forward.

Before he could say anything, he heard a familiar tune, and paused. He turned his head to where he heard it, in the direction of their beach, and he turned back to Jongin, trying to lie as quickly as he could.

“Jonghyun is calling me,” he said. Jongin whined and pouted.

“Can’t I see Jonghyun hyung with you?” Jongin asked. Taemin smiled and ruffled his brother’s hair, smiling at the unkempt mess he had.

“Another time, I promise. I’ll visit you again tomorrow and we’ll practice your landing again. Come on, I’ll take you home now,” Taemin replied. Jongin nodded reluctantly and allowed Taemin to carry him back home. His mother was surprised to see them back so soon, but when Taemin explained the situation, she nodded and waved him off, making him promise to stay for lunch the next day, to which Taemin agreed.

As soon as he was out of the house, Taemin flew towards the beach, circling around the area to catch sight of his mate before he flew down. He frowned a bit when he noticed that Minho wasn’t alone, but he accepted that as merpeople, they were still probably hesitant to be around sirens alone. The thought of Minho fearing him sent a pain larger than he imagined through his heart, but he held himself back as he landed gentle on the ground before them. Kibum’s scowl was clear, but Minho’s grin seemed to take precedence in Taemin’s mind.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come immediately. I had to take my brother home,” Taemin said. Kibum didn’t respond to him but Minho looked at him curiously.

“You have a brother?” he asked. Taemin smiled fondly at the thought of the the younger one.

“I have a younger brother. I was flying with him, since he is still learning. He’s a bit rough with the landing, but he’s getting better,” Taemin replied proudly. Minho smiled softly at him and Kibum seemed to take a bit of interest, but not much. Taemin barely noticed him the more he looked at Minho who still sat on the shore, his tail still in the water.

“You seem to really care about him,” Minho commented. Taemin looked surprised at him before nodding.

“Yes, of course, he’s my little brother. I’d do anything for him,” Taemin replied. Minho’s smile grew a bit before he pulled himself out of the water. Kibum followed him and Taemin ran to get them both pants. He had to fly back home to get another pair for Kibum, but he was back quickly. Kibum changed just as awkwardly as Minho had the first time, and Minho struggled a bit with putting the pants on while standing, but he managed after a few attempts.

Taemin was amused as he listened to Kibum and Minho argue about the lengths of their new appendages, even if he felt annoyed that Kibum got to see it. He understood that the two were close, and they had never experienced having the appendage before, but the curse wouldn’t allow him to feel comfortable with anyone being so close to Minho that wasn’t him. He hated feeling so uselessly jealous, especially while knowing he had no chance, but there was nothing he could do either.

“I suppose I have to teach Kibum to walk as well?” Taemin asked. Kibum shot him a glare and scoffed.

“I’d rather you didn’t touch me, thanks,” Kibum said. Taemin fought back a flinch at the spiteful words and Minho elbowed his friend. “What? I’m not letting a siren of all things try to help me. I’d rather deal with a shark. Can’t you help me?”

“No,” Minho said back, “Because I’m still learning too. So either you let Taemin help you, you sit here and whine, or you go back in the water.”

“Then I’ll sit here and wait,” Kibum replied. Minho scoffed and walked towards Taemin. His steps were careful and slow, and Taemin smiled at his attempt. His heart soared as Minho reached out for him for some balance. He quickly held onto his forearms, steadying the elder quickly and smiling up at him.

Minho gave him an appreciative smile and they continued where they left off, this time much smoother than before. Taemin felt his heart raging like a tornado, intense and merciless. He feared Minho could hear it, but by the smile Minho was giving him, he wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

“You’ve gotten so much better,” Taemin commented. Minho thanked him and grinned.

“I’ve had a great teacher,” Minho said back. Taemin blushed looked away.

“It was only one lesson. That hardly makes me a good teacher,” Taemin replied. Minho smiled gently at him and Taemin felt the tornado in his heart grow larger, more violent.

“The fact that you’re willing to help a mermaid learn to walk is great enough,” Minho said gently. Taemin smiled up at him, feeling bashful at Minho’s words. He was going to comment back that Minho was just as amazing for letting a siren teach him, but a voice disturbed them from behind.

“What are you doing?”