Taekwoon swam deep, deeper than he had ever before to get away from the boat. He didn't stop until it was too dark to see even his tail when he looked back. There, he floated in the pitch black water, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He didn't know enough to tell, but he figured his first encounter with a human had not gone bad. The two had lugged him into their boat with a net, but the tanner one, Hakyeon, had introduced himself. He felt his lips drift upwards when he thought of the darker-skinned man with the kind face and nervous smile.

He didn't know what to think about Jaehwan, though. The man had certainly been suspicious of him, but then again, Taekwoon was a strange creature neither of them had seen before. Jaehwan had the reaction Taekwoon had expected from Hakyeon as well. But Hakyeon was different, and the more Taekwoon replayed the memory in his mind, the more appreciative he was for Hakyeon's kindness.

Still, he resolved himself to be more careful and to stay farther from the humans' boats. He couldn't guarantee that every human would be like Hakyeon. More likely, most of them would be like Jaehwan, or maybe even cruel to him.

These thoughts running through his head, Taekwoon began swimming upwards. The sun had begun to set already, and he shouldn't miss the underwater view. He eventually settled in a nice, comfortable position in the soft sand of the ocean floor on the edge of a kelp forest. He knew the area well, and there were no large predators that would come by, only large schools of small fish and the occasional crab.

The sun descended below the horizon in a splash of pinks and oranges. As darkness neared in first light magentas, then dark indigos, Taekwoon sank slowly into the sand, and his eyelids gradually shut. He was asleep by the time the moon rose, dreams filled with humans and boats and nets, but also with handshakes and smiles and laughs.

Unbeknownst to Taekwoon, a few miles away, Hakyeon's sleeping mind conjured up images of beautiful men with long silver fish tails, one in particular the most.

Hakyeon woke when the sun was well past the horizon with the merman fresh in his mind. He climbed out of bed and dressed, then headed to the bathroom, passing Jaehwan's open door in their shared apartment.

"Well someone's up late today," remarked Jaehwan as Hakyeon shut the bathroom door.

Hakyeon gave no response and started to brush his teeth.

"Have sweet dreams? Is that why?"

Hakyeon rolled his eyes and hummed an affirmative.

"Look, hyung, I hate to break it to you - and it's not like I haven't already - but you should get him off your mind."

Hakyeon swished water around in his mouth, spat it out, and then wiped his face with a towel. "No use, Jaehwan, I've tried. Besides, even if I couldn't have him, it doesn't mean I can't think about him." He came out of the bathroom.

Jaehwan raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement. "Just make sure it doesn't ruin your chances of ever getting a date."

Hakyeon grinned. "What are you talking about? You don't know how popular I am. Tons of guys have fought for me before."

Jaehwan scoffed. "Yeah, hyung, fought to get away from you."

"No." Hakyeon shook his head. "It's the complete opposite. You wouldn't understand. Understanding comes with experience, and you don't have that yet."

"You're a terrible best friend, you know," Jaehwan pointed out.

"Yet. I said yet... And you know you love me." Hakyeon winked.

Jaehwan sighed in exasperation. "Well I'm headed out now for the studio. You coming?"

"Actually, I just remembered - Hongbin's hosting a surprise party for Sanghyuk today. It'll be down on the beach. Wanna come?"

Jaehwan shook his head. "I can't. I'm really close to finishing that song I showed you."

"You're impressive?"

"Yeah, that one. Hongbin and Sanghyuk won't miss me too much, will they? Just say hi to them for me, and I can hang out with them later."

"Alright. Go finish your song, I really like that one."

"Do you even remember what it sounds like?" Jaehwan asked.

"Of course I remember!" Hakyeon started singing. "You completely disarmed all of me. I think I'm losing control. Oh yeah..."

"Huh." Jaehwan nodded appreciatively. "You do remember."

Hakyeon clutched his chest in mock pain. "Ah, it burns that you have such lack of confidence in me!"

Jaehwan punched him softly in the shoulder. "Alright, alright, I was wrong."

Wiping away a fake tear, Hakyeon laughed. "Admit it, that song is written for me, isn't it?"

Jaehwan shoved him off the chair. "You wish."

Hakyeon hit the floor with a thud and smiled. "You'll admit it someday." He accepted Jaehwan's hand to help him up. "Well, I'll see you later. Have fun writing music!"

Jaehwan grinned and left out the door with a wave and a "bye hyung!" As the door shut, Hakyeon leaned against the wall and pulled out his phone to check his messages. There were two, both from Hongbin. One was from three hours ago:

Hongbin: Hey hyung! The party will start at 3. Meet us down at the beach around the second campfire place they've got set up there.

The other was sent two hours later:

Hongbin: Nevermind hyung, the party's been cancelled. We're rescheduling it for next week.

Hakyeon quickly sent Hongbin a message asking why. He drummed his fingers on his leg as he waited for a reply. If Hongbin's party was cancelled today, then he had nothing to do.

Of course, he could stay inside and rest, watch some shows or just listen to music, but he wanted to go out and do something. Maybe it was in his nature as a dancer, to keep his body moving and blood pumping. More likely it was the exhilaration of what he had done the day before. He had just managed to convince Jaehwan to go fishing with him, and they'd seen a merman. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around that fact. The more he thought about it, the harder it was to believe it had actually happened. He hoped his brain wouldn't overanalyze yesterday's events until logic convinced him he had dreamed the whole thing. But Hakyeon knew in his heart that there had been an attraction between himself and Taekwoon.

He supposed he had two options. He could take a leaf out of Jaehwan's book and go to the dance studio to practice. But he knew it was likely that all the rooms were booked well beforehand. It was a rainy day, and people wanted to stay inside. Or he could go down to the beach anyway and take his boat out. A little rain wouldn't affect him much, the sea spray drenched him enough already.

Hakyeon checked his phone again, even though it hadn't vibrated in the last few minutes. There were no new messages from Hongbin, Jaehwan, or any of his other friends. Hakyeon figured he might as well take his boat out. He might be able to see Taekwoon again, and even if he couldn't find him, he could always fish.

Twenty minutes later, Hakyeon stood alone in the helm of his small boat, wind blowing seawater and rainwater alike into his face. He blinked several times and tried to shake water out of his hair. The wind simply drenched him again from head to foot, and he slowed his boat to a mere crawl. The ocean was slowly churning, and it wasn't necessarily a great day to fish, but he cut the motor and cast his line anyway, hoping it wouldn't get caught on anything.

That done, Hakyeon sat down to wait for a fish. The ocean currents swayed the boat from side to side, and it bobbed up and down in time with the waves, though more often than not the waves crashed against the side of the boat, spraying onto Hakyeon. He hoepd it wouldn't get to a storm, although he could feel the wind blowing stronger and the rain falling harder with each second.

Usually, he would read while he was waiting, but that was hardly possible with all the water. He had just bought a new waterproof case for his phone though, and he checked it again. There was still no reply from Hongbin. The signal was very weak this far from shore, too slow to load anything but messages, so Hakyeon slid his phone back into his pocket and resigned himself to watching his fishing line. He wanted company though, and leaned over the edge to shout into the water in what he knew was a pretty futile attempt to attract some.

"Taekwoon!"

He waited for a while, but there was no response. Of course there was no response. Did he think the merman was just on the surface waiting for him? Taekwoon had jumped out of his boat to escape. For all he knew, Taekwoon hated him. Hakyeon paused. That thought had never occurred to him before. He always assumed Taekwoon liked him. The merman had given his name after all. But then again, Hakyeon had asked for it. Maybe the name had just been a knee-jerk reponse. Or maybe Taekwoon had been intimidated by him. Was Hakyeon scary? He hoped not. Either way, Taekwoon had no incentive or need to see him again. So why would he respond?

The wind picked up, and the rain thundered down onto the plastic roof above Hakyeon's head in a gradual crescendo that Hakyeon suddenly became aware of. He realized by then that the rain was going to turn into a storm. He spoke a curse that was lost in the wind, then started to reel his line back in. Somehow after a few minutes he managed to drag the line back.

Then he started the motor. The boat surged forward a short distance, but then the motor sputtered and died. Heart sinking, Hakyeon wiped away the water drops on the dashboard. He had forgotten to refill the fuel tank after yesterday's run. He recalled now that he had been too excited to remember. Hakyeon bit back another swear and hit the motor with his fist, though he knew it wouldn't work. He leaned over the plastic railing at the side of the boat and spun in a full circle, straining his eyes against the downpour into the distance. The shore was nowhere in sight. There was no way he could swim that far, especially not in the turbulent waters and without knowing which direction to go. He doubted he would even be able to tread those waters.

A particularly large wave hit, and the boat shook and swayed violently. Hakyeon struggled to keep his footing as he realized there was nothing he could do but try to be lucky and stay afloat. At best his boat would survive in one piece and he would hang on until the storm stopped, although he doubted it. At worst the ocean would tear his boat to pieces, and he would drown.

Hakyeon resigned himself to grip onto the railing for dear life, praying that it would hold. The metal dug uncomfortably into his chest, but he didn't dare let go to reposition himself. If anything, he hugged it tighter.

He found himself thinking of Taekwoon, and of the merman's tail that he never got a chance to touch, the lithe torso he could never embrace, the soft hair he could never pet, the sweet lips he could never kiss, the deep brown eyes he could never see again. In the background of his thoughts, Jaehwan's song started playing. He hummed along to it. Soon realizing that he couldn't even hear himself over the noise of the storm, he began to sing it out loud, yelling into the wind and ocean and sky.

"There's no way something this sweet can be bad for me. I want to love you."

Several fathoms beneath Hakyeon's boat in the water, Taekwoon swam upwards.

There was a storm above, Taekwoon knew. And there was no chance he was going to miss it. Nothing much happened in the ocean on most days. Normally, Taekwoon would flow along with soft ocean currents and go where they took him. It was mostly uneventful beneath the surface. Taekwoon would drift past countless fish all going through their typical days of wake, eat, sleep, repeat. He would make short friends with the occasional whale or dolphin. Sometimes he would see a shark. They used to scare him when he was younger, but now he was big enough to intimidate them off and fight them if he needed to.

The fish half of the merman was completely satisfied with this relaxed lifestyle. He could cruise through life, grow old, and die a natural death. But the human half of Taekwoon was always dissatisfied. He wanted adventure, some purpose to his life besides living it through. Taekwoon longed for some excitement in his life, and storms were perfect for that. And he would rarely have to worry about humans seeing him.

Taekwoon closed his eyes and let the currents carry him to the waves at the surface of the sea and throw him into the air. He spread his arms wide and felt the air rush past like he was flying. He was a part of the land and the sea, and now, for a short while, he could be a part of the sky as well. As he fell back into the ocean, Taekwoon heard a sudden shout from a voice he thought he recognized.

"Are you human?"

Taekwoon snapped his eyes open and twisted in midair to face the direction the shout came from. The human was facing him, screaming in his direction, and Taekwoon ducked down until his entire body was submerged except for his eyes and ears.

Hakyeon clutched the rail harder when he saw a small silver flash through the water running down his face. He blinked frantically, trying to confirm if it was lightning or not. But the rain fell hard, rushing down his forehead and dripping from his eyelashes, and the wind blew the water from sky and sea alike into his eyes. No matter how fast he blinked, his vision seemed to be impaired by a blur of water that wouldn't clear. But he continued with the song, trying to stay optimistic.

Taekwoon squinted at the figure in the boat and did a double take. It was the man in the boat he had seen yesterday with his friend. He had introduced himself, and Taekwoon remembered the man's name as Hakyeon. As he recognized him, the human shouted again.

"How can you be so beautiful?"

Confused, Taekwoon scrunched his eyebrows. He couldn't stop his lips from twitching upwards though. And Hakyeon's next shout seriously freaked him out.

"Look at that face that is smiling at me."

Could Hakyeon see him? Taekwoon figured the man's eyes would have been blinded by the wind and rain, and the saltwater from the sea would sting badly. If he could see through all that, Taekwoon wondered how Hakyeon had not been surprised when he had shot out of the water. The man continued shouting nonsensical things.

"Are you really mine?
Is this all a dream?
I want to give you my all."

There was no way Hakyeon had seen him, Taekwoon thought. He must have been hallucinating someone. Was the man reciting poetry? Was he going insane? Sometimes it happened to people lost at sea, people who thought they were going to die.

"I wasn't like this but I keep getting greedy.
The feelings get bigger.
A me that I didn't even know has awakened,"

Hakyeon screamed into the wind, trying to give Jaehwan's tune some justice.

"Because of your love."

Taekwoon started to realize what the man was doing.

"Because of you.
Because of you alone.
Yes, you awakened me."

The man was singing. Why he was singing, Taekwoon had no idea. But now that he realized the man was singing, the merman could pick up the tune of the song. The lyrics were ambiguous and could have belonged to a sad song, which would have been understandable considering Hakyeon's current situation, but Taekwoon could hear the happy undertone beneath the screams Hakyeon forced through the wind. Really, it was a good song, Taekwoon thought.

"I've already fallen for you,"

Hakyeon was singing.

"I wasn't like this but I keep getting greedy.
The feelings get bigger.
A me that I didn't even know has awakened.

Because of your love."

Taekwoon realized that he had heard this part before. He remembered the notes and the words, and from there, his brain somehow filled in the spaces. The merman opened his mouth and added in some adlibs of his own to the verse he knew would come next.

"Uh, uh, woo~"

"Because of you."

"Uh, uh, woo~"

Hakyeon became aware of a clear, beautiful voice, almost an echo to Jaehwan's song. It was almost like the sea was responding to his musical screams.

"Because of you alone."

"Uh, uh, woo~"

Hakyeon suddenly felt a longing. He was unsure of the source, but it was directing him towards something in the ocean. There were four more words Jaehwan had written, but Hakyeon couldn't say them. Instead, not fully understanding what he was doing, he leaped from the boat and dove into the ocean. There was a peaceful calm in his chest as the waters enveloped him. The water was not as violent beneath the surface as above. A small voice in the back of his mind told him that it was dangerous to be completely suberged as he was, but Hakyeon ignored that voice and listened to the beautiful, mystical voice instead. He closed his eyes and spread his arms like he was flying and let the current carry him wherever it wanted.

"Yes, you awakened me."

Taekwoon sang the last line and stopped in confusion. What was Hakyeon doing?

Immediately the mist in Hakyeon's head cleared, and the voice in the back of his mind made sense. Instinctively, Hakyeon opened his mouth for air, but only saltwater came in. Hakyeon began choking, and he knew then that he wasn't flying. He was drowning. Hakyeon reached for the surface. His fingers grasped the air, but there was nothing to hold to pull himself out. He shut his mouth tightly, refusing to let any more water enter his lungs. He didn't want to drown.

Suddenly there was a strong force under Hakyeon's armpits that pushed him upwards. His head broke the surface, and Hakyeon tasted fresh air before another wave crashed over him. He expected to be drowning again, but soon his body was pushed up again and he could breathe.

Hakyeon coughed and desperately drew in ragged breaths. He wiped the water from his face, and when his vision cleared, the first thing he saw was Taekwoon's large eyes peering at his face in concern. Hakyeon's heart skipped a beat, and his brain refused to function for a split second. The merman was just an arm's length away. Taekwoon held him with his mouth above the water, treading water effortlessly with his powerful tail.

"Are you okay?" the merman shouted over the storm.

Hakyeon nodded - he just needed to get back on his boat. He looked over his shoulder, but the boat was gone.

Taekwoon must have seen the panic in his eyes, because he gave a sympathetic look. "It's either too far to see, or it's sunk. Don't worry," Taekwoon reassured him. "I'll find a place. Can you stay afloat for a couple of seconds? I just need to check something out." He didn't wait for a response and simply dived down.

As soon as Taekwoon wasn't supporting him, Hakyeon was drowning again. The first few seconds he managed to keep his mouth above water, but after that his head slipped under and every second was a separate battle to stay alive. He flailed his arms around and kicked the water but the ocean was unforgiving. The more he struggled the faster the oxygen burned from his lungs, but if he didn't fight he would just sink straight down.

But before he could drown, Taekwoon was back. Hakyeon was still thrashing his limbs about, and when the merman grabbed him Hakyeon accidentally kicked him in the chest. Hakyeon had his eyes shut tight and didn't even feel his kick. It was too difficult to help Hakyeon when the man was like this.

"Stop fighting!" Taekwoon yelled.

Hakyeon didn't hear.

Somehow Taekwoon managed to wrestle Hakyeon's head into a tight grip while keeping away from his arms and legs. He brought his lips to Hakyeon's ear. The seawater was freezing cold, and that touch was like fire to Hakyeon.

"Stop. Fighting," Taekwoon spoke loudly directly into Hakyeon's ear.

Hakyeon immediately became still, heart pounding hard in his chest. "I was just - I thought I was going to die. Don't leave me like that Taekwoon!" Hakyeon threw his arms around Taekwoon's neck and pulled him close. The merman's body was hot, and Hakyeon began to warm up.

Taekwoon patted Hakyeon on the back a bit awkwardly. "Sorry Hakyeon. I just had to go check something. I've got good news and bad news."

"O-Okay." Hakyeon tried to calm down his breathing. But now that he wasn't about to die, he was hugging Taekwoon. Who was a merman. And who he also happened to be in love with.

"There's an island close by, but it's all sharp rocks and cliffs. I don't want to risk the sharp rocks, and I don't think you want to climb tall cliffs in a storm. I did find an underwater passage though. I can feel the freshwater coming out. If we follow the passage there has to be a dry cave at the end. I just don't know how long the way is. But I think we should go." Taekwoon turned to Hakyeon with a questioning look.

Hakyeon agreed. He had no options of his own anyway.

"Take a deep breath," Taekwoon told him. Hakyeon did. "We'll be underwater the whole time. Tap me on the shoulder if you need to breathe." And with that, the merman pulled Hakyeon down.

The water closed in all around them, but this time Hakyeon was prepared. He kept his mouth pressed in a firm line. Once they entered the underwater passage the water was much less violent, running through Hakyeon's hair almost lovingly. Even though he was swimming against the current, Taekwoon was fast, faster than any human could swim. It was much darker here, and yet Taekwoon's tail had a silver sheen that still reached Hakyeon's eyes. He watched the merman's silver tail bend and flex, propelling them through the passageway.

Taekwoon pushed himself against the current. It had only been a few seconds, but already he could feel the human was tense. Hakyeon had a strong grip on Taekwoon's shoulder, and the man's heart was pounding so hard he could feel it on his own chest. The zipper on Hakyeon's windbreaker was pressed tight against his skin, but Taekwoon ignored it and kept going.

It had not been a minute before Hakyeon knew he was about to run out of air. He could try to hold on a little longer though, and maybe Taekwoon would find an air bubble somewhere. But then he realized that if Taekwoon didn't find a place above water, he would have to swim all the way back out, which would take about the same amount of time it had taken to get there. There was no way Hakyeon could hold his breath that long. He began frantically hitting Taekwoon on the shoulder, gesturing towards the way they came.

Taekwoon took one look at Hakyeon trying not to choke with the quickly depleting air supply in his lungs and took off heading back out of the passage. It had taken a minute to reach where they were, and following the current Taekwoon took only fifty seconds to get back into the open ocean. He pulled the human up to the surface.

Coughing and sputtering, Hakyeon in huge gasps of air. Some water had made it into his mouth and nose, but he could breathe now at least.

"I'm sorry," Hakyeon gasped, loosening his grip on Taekwoon a little but still hugging him close. "I just couldn't... hold it... any longer..." He felt Taekwoon squeeze him a little tighter in his arms.

"It's okay."

They stayed on the surface until Hakyeon's breathing became less frantic and his heartbeat calmed a bit. Taekwoon managed to keep them above the surface, shielding Hakyeon from the biggest waves, although the wind and rain still made it hard for Hakyeon to see.

"Are you okay now?" Taekwoon asked in his ear. "It's too dangerous up here."

"Yeah, let's go." Hakyeon took a few deep breaths, holding the last one.

Taekwoon took a deep breath of his own before diving back down again.

The sounds of rain and the wind howling were lost to Hakyeon's ears once more as Taekwoon swam into the passageway. It gradually went almost pitch black all around him, and this time Hakyeon focused intently on the merman's shiny tail. He tried to think of anything but his need for oxygen. Soon seconds felt like minutes that would turn into hours. Still, he reckoned it was more than a minute before he tapped Taekwoon on the shoulder.

But this time, Taekwoon didn't turn around. He kept going, deeper into the passageway and farther from Hakyeon's precious oxygen. Hakyeon tapped harder. He would have been punching Taekwoon if he had the strength. Every second could be the difference between life and death. Darkness closed in on Hakyeon, and he knew it was his vision failing him.

Then, Taekwoon abruptly stopped. Hakyeon kept tapping at his shoulder, but Taekwoon barely felt it. Hakyeon's body began to shut down from lack of oxygen. The last thing he saw was the faint outline of Taekwoon's face and the merman's worried brown eyes, growing bigger and bigger until it filled his tunnel of vision.

Hakyeon closed his eyes, unable to watch his vision die. He hoped Taekwoon had found the cave. Or else... the merman wouldn't have lied to him, would he? Hakyeon immediately banished the thought from his head. That couldn't be true. With his last remaining strength, he hugged Taekwoon tighter. At least the last thing he could feel was... Taekwoon's warm lips against his own?

Hakyeon's eyes shot open with surprise, and with a burst of adrenaline his vision returned. Taekwoon's eyes were wide open. The merman's lips were soft and warm. Hakyeon instinctively moved his lips against them, and for a short while he forgot that he needed air.

Taekwoon furrowed his eyebrows, and Hakyeon was perplexed. He didn't know why Taekwoon was confused. The merman was the one who had initiated the kiss, but Hakyeon wasn't going to question.

But then Taekwoon pressed his lips against Hakyeon's harder. Hakyeon responded eagerly, but Taekwoon shook his head slightly, the confused look still on his face, and Hakyeon stopped. Taekwoon opened his mouth and used his tongue to force Hakyeon's open as well. Hakyeon met Taekwoon's tongue in his mouth just as Taekwoon breathed air into his mouth.

Oh.

So that's what Taekwoon was doing.

Taekwoon made the okay sign and Hakyeon responded with the same. It was only then that Taekwoon closed his mouth and, making sure that Hakyeon's was closed too, pulled away. Hakyeon inhaled the air into his lungs, and the black spots cleared from his vision. He blinked a few times, and they didn't come back.

Taekwoon didn't wait for Hakyeon to catch his breath before speeding up again through the passageway. Hakyeon had his chin hooked firmly to Taekwoon's shoulder, and he was thankful that all he had to see was Taekwoon's tail and not face the merman himself. Hakyeon was well occupied with what had just happened, and it was easy to keep his mind off the limited air supply in his lungs. Until another minute had passed and there wasn't any air left.

Hakyeon was tapping him again, Taekwoon knew, but he didn't have any air left to give. So the merman pressed his lips together and pushed on even faster, hoping the human could hang on just a little bit longer. The current he was swimming against was mostly freshwater now, and the cave must be near. He definitely didn't have enough time to swim back out, even with the current helping.

So the merman swam on. Within a few seconds, Hakyeon's taps became urgent, then weak. And soon he stopped tapping at all. Taekwoon could still feel Hakyeon's heart beating against his chest though, and he pushed himself even more.

A few seconds later, Taekwoon's tail brushed sand at the bottom of the passageway. Hakyeon's body gave a small spasm, and his pulse became so faint Taekwoon could no longer feel it. The merman swam as far as he could, and then flopped awkwardly onto the sand, dragging Hakyeon up with him into the fresh air of the cave and laying him on his back. Hakyeon didn't move.

Taekwoon pushed the man's legs out of the water and then used his arms to drag himself painfully up the small underwater beach beside him. The sand dug into his chest and slipped between the scales on his tail.

Taekwoon ped Hakyeon's windbreaker and placed a hand on his chest. It wasn't moving up and down as it should.

And as he moved his hand around Hakyeon's chest, he couldn't find a pulse either.

AN: Whew, long chapter, hope it was worth the wait. I was going to end it 3k words earlier, but decided to keep going... and this happened XD
Also, I did change the title. If you have any better suggestions though, feel free to comment/PM me.