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{Someone keeps watch for Taemin.} | 1377w

A/N: Instead of keeping these last ones short to finish already I'm just.. I'm torturing myself. And I hate doing research for stories, but I'm also addicted to it because it helps so much. Ugh <3

Taemin nervously glanced at the dark forest and then at the bank before him as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and then ped his pants and let them fall around his ankles along with his briefs.

He didn't care about leaving his clothes strewn on the soft dirt of the shore since he wasn't going to put them back on. Thanks to an incident involving two teenage idiots and a two-liter bottle of soda, he'd gotten drenched pretty good.

Before leaving the campsite, he'd told Jonghyun to grab some clothes for him and then asked him to stand watch nearby and give him a shout if other campers came around. He doubted anyone was still awake; the sun had set hours ago, but he couldn't be too careful.

He ran to the lake, wincing when his feet met the icy water.

“Freakin' hell!” Taemin hissed. He backtracked, thinking that maybe a dip wasn't necessary. He pressed his palms to his chest and thighs, making a face when his fingers stuck to his skin. Deciding to just get it over with, he splashed into the water and dove in when he was deep enough.

Taemin gasped when he broke the surface, feeling himself become covered in goosebumps. Teeth chattering, and breaths coming and going quickly, he forced himself to keep moving while he washed off as best he could.

There was shuffling in the bushes, and Taemin let out a sigh of relief because he really wanted to get out already. He looked to the shore, but didn't see Jonghyun or his clothes.

“H–Hey..” he called, still shivering. “Hey!”

More movement came from a thick patch of vegetation to his left. Taemin froze, thinking that maybe an animal was stalking him. He a cupped hand across the surface of the lake, sending a stream of water that slapped the wall of cattails. The stalks moved again and Taemin was about to swim away, but he stopped himself, squinting and moving toward the plants with determination instead.

“You guys, one prank is enough!” he yelled. “I'm freezing; bring me my stuff!”

There was no response or movement.

“Jinki?” he asked, cutting across the dark water to the edge of the plants. “Jonghyun. Guys. Please stop messing with me.”

He was only waist deep when he began to push the stalks aside. The late-night breeze flitted over his textured skin, sending a chill down his spine. He huffed as he wiped his dark hair from his face and hugged himself to fight off the cold.

“Hey,” he tried again, and relief washed over him when he noticed a face through the green. He hurried forward, beginning to laugh. “I see you, come out already.”

Taemin screamed when he saw that it wasn't either of his friends who materialized from behind the cattails, but a tall girl who was just as frightened.

He lost his footing and fell back into the plants, frantically waving his arms about to try to lift himself up again.

“Oh my God!” he shrieked, seeing the girl standing right over him with her hands clasped over , watching him struggle with wide unblinking eyes. He averted his gaze to maintain decency, and continued to thrash in the water.

“W–What's going on?!” he sputtered, hiding behind the stalks. “Where did you come from?!”

She dropped her hands from her face, exposing her flat chest. “I live here,” she said with a playful crooked smile.

Taemin stopped moving when he heard her voice was everything but female. He dared to stare at the bare chest in front of him, and he could only choke out a few words.

“You're n–not...” Taemin's eyes moved down his slim torso and stopped at the smooth stretch of skin below his navel. The water hid what would undoubtedly confirm his suspicion.

He heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes as he tilted his head to the side. “No, I'm not. I'm a disappointment, I get it. I'm reminded of that often enough.” He crossed his arms and fixed his eyes on the boy in the water. “I guess I can't be too angry with you,” he started, “If I hadn't watched you undress, I would've thought the same of you.”

That snapped Taemin out of his daze. “Excuse me?!”

“I won't apologize.”

“You watched me undress?!”

He chuckled, pulling at a strand of wavy brown hair that fell by his neck. “What else do you expect me to do? It's not every night a human boy decides to go for a swim. Especially not in the .”

Aside from feeling extremely self-conscious, Taemin couldn't help but question the other's unsettling words.

“What do you mean... 'human'?”

He grinned at the other's disturbed expression. “Don't be afraid.”

Taemin gripped the broken stalks in front of him, feeling the cold bite at his body more fiercely than ever.

“I won't hurt you,” he assured the boy. “I'm a nymph.” He dipped his fingers into the water and then lifted them, letting droplets fall onto the surface, sending ripples that distorted the reflection of the moon toward Taemin. “A naiad, to be more precise, and a limnad if you're really picky. I'm also a dryad.” He pointed to the large willow tree at the edge of the lake behind him. “That one belongs to me. Isn't it beautiful?”

Taemin stared up at the billowy canopy of slender branches adorned with thin elongated leaves and nodded, honestly impressed if he was responsible for its appearance. “So you're not human... you look human though.”

“Yes, we all look human.” He frowned, dropping his gaze to the cattails between them. “Like human females. But not me.”

Suddenly Taemin realized why he'd been so upset when he mistook him for a girl. “I'm sorry.”

He let out a melancholic sigh. “I am too. None of us understand what went wrong. I'm just like the girls, but no God ever shows me the same amount of interest.” He met Taemin's concerned stare. “I'm not pretty enough.”

Taemin hesitated before deciding to voice his thoughts. “Well... you had me fooled. I think that proves you are.”

“Your kind has always been more affectionate with me.” Stepping forward, he raised his hand and gently traced his fingertips along the side of Taemin's face.

He tensed under his touch, but didn't move, entranced by the other's piercing eyes.

“What is your name?”

“Taemin,” he breathed.

“It's a pleasure to find you in my waters, Taemin,” he murmured. A tiny smile formed on his lips. “I'm named Minho.” He laughed when Taemin didn't speak, so he pulled his hand away. “I'm sorry. I tend to warm up to pretty ones quickly.”

Ironically enough, a surge of heat shot through his limbs and his face reddened. Taemin couldn't understand why he felt so sheepish or how this nymph boy could be drawn to him. Just an hour ago he didn't even believe such creatures could exist. Thinking about it, he didn't know how much time had passed since he'd jumped into the lake, or if Jinki and Jonghyun knew where he was.

Taemin shuddered as he rose from where he'd been crouching, standing close and nearly eye-to-eye with Minho.

“They're coming. Two boys. They're looking for you,” Minho said, peering over the cattails and into the forest. “They'll be here soon. I should go.”

Taemin couldn't even think about what he was doing before he grabbed the other's wrists. “Wait. Where are you going?”

Minho gave him another crooked smile. “I'm not really going. I'm always here.” He leaned in and kissed the boy, slowly gliding his tongue over his full lips, leaving him with an intensely sweet taste of freshwater before disappearing.

Taemin's legs felt weak, as if they'd give out at any moment, and he didn't know if the temperature or Minho's parting kiss was more to blame. Using what little strength he had left, he pushed through the plants and found his friends holding towels and clean clothes. They were standing on the bank, looking up at his clothes which were thrown over a low branch of the willow.