Characters: Jimin & You

Setting: Disney au – The Little Mermaid

Genre: fluff(-ish)

Words: 2015

Summary: After you meet Park Jimin, you start to think that humans are not that bad as the Tribe said.

It started with a soft melody. Dwelling and sweet. Low and dull like it came from somewhere afar or straight from the bottom of the sea.

Still it was enchanting and Park Jimin just couldn’t get it out of his mind. It was as beautiful as a siren song and he felt trapped. He heard this in his dreams and soon he couldn’t tell apart the memories from imagination. Ever since the accident he wasn’t the same. His family, his friends, everyone noticed, it was hard not to when he wasn’t willing to go near the ocean anymore. As the so-called prince of Busan and a son of the owner of a big ship company, it was a shame to fear the waters just because of an accident.

It happened on his 21^th birthday party which he celebrated with a bunch of friends on the family yacht. They had fun and didn’t notice the vicious storm coming. The board became slippery and dangerous too soon. The next thing they knew the birthday boy lost balance and fell into the wild sea. He was so sure that someone came to him from underneath and pulled him up but nobody believed him. They said it’s impossible because the waves were too strong and the water was so cold that nobody could make it there. Also, not even a soul saw anyone with him when they found his unconscious body on the nearby shore. They said he must have been hallucinating because of the shock and he didn’t argue. But deep down he knew it’s not true. The memory of flash of red hair was still too vivid in his mind and the beautiful melody came back to haunt him in his dreams.

Each time Park Jimin looked at the sea he couldn’t help but think: Just wait and see. I’m gonna find her.

* * *

You were lucky that you didn’t get in trouble. The Kingdom had strict rules that you tend to forget. Like you just did with the most important one: do not get involved with humans. Do not risk getting caught and absolutely do not trust them. Humans are depraved and selfish creatures so they would only take advantages of your kind. Still, you couldn’t help but save one.

It was a particularly boring day and you decided to explore the beach a little. You had always found humans interesting. For example those sand castles they built or that silly game they played with throwing a weird shaped ball that kept coming back. You often returned home with a new junk you found in the sand because nobody needed it anymore. Namjoon, one of the tribe’s most clever members told you about these: that’s a fork, they use it to eat, that one is a brush for their hair or oh my holy sea that’s a sunblocker they use for protecting their eyes from the sunrays; where did you find it? In your opinion humans were just as dangerous as seahorses. Most of them were clumsy or afraid of the water. You often laughed at those who ran back and forth in the sand when a new wave came.

That day you didn’t make it to the beach because there was that big floating house (it’s called ship, Namjoon told you) out in the open. You see a lot of these underwater in ruins but it was still fascinating because the air was filled with the sounds of laughter, people chatting and loud music. You liked listening to human noises, observing their behaviour and afterwards telling stories to the tribe’s little kids. You knew it was dangerous but that didn’t stop you from peek-a-boo-ing (when did it really?).

As time went by the cheering became louder, there was also a little fire of some sort when people gathered around one particular boy. A young man who looked so stunning that you suddenly forgot how to breathe properly. Even though he was short among his circle of companions, he stood out. He had a white loose shirt on that showed off a bit of his collarbones while the wind blew his pitch black locks out of his pale forehead. His laugh was like some bewitching music to your ears and you couldn’t help but stare at him from time to time again. It’s not like you wanted to but your gaze seemed to wander back at him no matter what you did.

You were swimming around casually close to the ship when you felt the change in the waters: the cold creeping in your veins and the fury of the ocean’s goddess that threatened to take revenge. Your first instinct told you to warn the humans about it to avoid the cataclysm but you froze when you remembered the Laws. You couldn’t risk getting caught especially not while trying to save humans. You could be banned from the tribe for this kind of violation of the Law. That’s why you decided to stay low and as far from the ship as you could while keeping an eye on it. Just like you suspected, the humans didn’t notice the raging storm until it was too late.

The storm was ruthless: coming with huge waves, strong wind and striking forks of lightning. You wanted to leave because you had nothing to do with it but the the screaming got even louder and their desperation reached your ears.

“JIMIN! Oh my god, I can’t beli- Help! Someone-”

“Hey, hyung, what happened? Come back inside.”

“Jimin fell into the water. Get some help, we need to pull him out, he might lost conscious…”

You didn’t need more. You didn’t even know who this so-called Jimin was but you dove underwater as soon as you registered the splash and your piercing gaze followed the sinking body’s figure. It was that boy, the dark haired prince-like you secretly watched all day and it didn’t take long for you to realise that he wasn’t moving at all. Without a second thought you swam closer and pulled the boy towards the surface. Being in known waters and the laws of physics helped you a lot so you could take Jimin farther and farther away from the ship. You dragged him to an abandoned beach but he still didn’t react which made you panic. His statue-worthy face had lost colour and he was ice-cold under his soaked clothes.

“Come on! Wake up,” you shook his shoulders relentlessly.

You didn’t know anything about him yet you broke another law for him: you sang for him. Mermaids’ songs could heal and that was one of the reasons you couldn’t let getting caught. Centuries ago your kind made the mistake of trusting humans but they were greedy and used mermaids for their own purposes, torturing your ancestors until they died. You heard the stories, everybody in the tribe did but that moment it didn’t mattered. You wanted to save him without causing problems so when he finally started to cough up water you fled away. But maybe not quick enough.

* * *

Park Jimin proved to be one of the most determined humans you’ve ever met - not like you’ve met a lot but still. Even though he carefully avoided the open sea, he made a habit of appearing at places around the beach where you used to hang out. It was fun until you could catch a glimpse at him and admire his beautiful side-profile but once he accidentally saw you. From the way his eyes widened, you were absolutely sure he recognized you. That wasn’t good, not at all.

You immediately dove into the sea under the waves so when he got closer he found nothing. From under the surface, you could see his face flinch in disappointment and you wanted nothing more than seeing him smile. You didn’t know why you felt so strongly for him despite not knowing him at all but maybe after all the time you watched him building sand castles with little kids or helping the elderly you fell in love a little. It was hard not to when he looked like a prince from those stories your mother told you and he didn’t seem nearly as horrible as humans were said to be.

Another day you were careless: playing around not so far from the bay. You were ought to get caught but this was the most embarrassing and most cruel thing that could happen to you. Your long, pretty tail got stuck in a fish net like you were some hunted animal. No matter what you couldn’t get it out because plastic strings were wrapped around your tail’s tiny flitters and didn’t let go. You tried to untangle them but it didn’t work. If only you had something to cut it with! You suffered for what felt like hours and the only lucky thing was that nobody came to check on the net in the meantime. That’s why you panicked hearing the approaching footsteps.

Humans are bad: they will sell you, use you, kill you… The Tribe’s shaman taught you it’s the best to fear and pity them. So you stilled and shut your eyes when a figure standing on the pier casted its shadow on you. You feared the worst yet nothing like that happened.

“Oh my god. Are you alright?” the familiar soft voice was dripping with worry when he asked you. You dared to open your eyes slowly and look straight up to the most beautiful caramel eyes you’ve ever seen. Those dark orbs had nothing malicious in them, only affection and he didn’t seem to freak out about your tail flapping under you.

“I- I got stuck,” you managed to mumble out because you realized you couldn’t escape without his help. It was better to deal with him now than waiting for some fishermen with questionable intentions. You could still use your ace card against Park Jimin since you saved his life once.

“Oh…” The young men took a closer look at your sticky situation and visibly gulped. Maybe he wasn’t that okay with your half-fish being like you thought after all.  “Let me get something for that,” he cleared his throat, got up and left the pier.

It made you anxious because you couldn’t do anything but wait for him even if he didn’t come back with help but more men to take you. But he wouldn’t betray your trust like that, right? And he didn’t. He came back running with something metal and you watched carefully as he worked on setting you free from the trap.

“And… that’s it!” he exclaimed with a relieved smiled in the end. You did a backflip in the water as soon as you got rid of the net. You could have swim away but something stopped you… maybe the look on his face. It wasn’t disgust or greed, just admiration and awe.

“It doesn’t freak you out?” you moved you tail a little behind you and looked up at him with worry. Jimin shook his head without hesitation.

“Actually, my grandpa always told us that mermaids live near here but I never believed him until recently,” he whispered sheepishly but stared at you nonetheless. You wondered if he found you pretty too because you still couldn’t get over the fact how handsome he was. And nice! His hands were so gentle when he dealt with the net and accidentally touched you.

“You were the one who saved me that day, right?” He asked but you didn’t answer, you didn’t know how to. You couldn’t admit it yet you didn’t want to deny it. Plus, he’d already known the truth. “I have been searching for you everywhere.”

You smiled a little, feeling special and all warm inside. Suddenly you wanted to giggle, kiss the tip of his nose, do stupid things with him and for him. To break more rules.

“Well, you found me.”

“Yeah. I finally found you.”

The way he smiled back at you promised the happily ever after you’d always yearned for.