It took a lot of convincing, but Hyukjae finally managed to make Donghae head home. The cold season is coming upon them, and Hyukjae will not let Donghae brave the winter storms. It probably took the moon to go through every phase it has, but they embark on land by sunrise. Donghae makes Hyukjae wait near the shore, and ties his boat securely, then procures a cart and the old reliable tub from Donghae’s dusty house.

The sun separates from the horizon, and Donghae pulls Hyukjae on his cart. The village had been long abandoned, but the two of them fill it up like festival.

“What do I do?” Hyukjae inquires once Donghae settles him inside the house. Donghae's growing hair is hastily tied behind his head lowly.

Donghae smiles cheekily. “Sit there, and look beautiful.”

Hyukjae shakes his head. “All right, Donghae.”

~

Because Hyukjae was afraid that Donghae might starve, he demands that Donghae go out for fishing with him. He also cries some pearls secretly so that Donghae can go buy whatever it is he needs. When Donghae has been gone for a few days, Hyukjae ambles by the shore. Donghae usually brings home weird objects, like a stack of papers pasted together, a wooden instrument that can produce words, and sometimes samples of food with all the flavors other than fish.

“This is your name in my tongue,” Donghae says, drawing the characters of Hyukjae’s name on paper. He shows them to Hyukjae, whose wet fingers trace each black, feathered .

“And your name?” Hyukjae requests.

Donghae turns the paper to back to himself, and quickly sketches his own name. Then he turns it around again to show Hyukjae.

“Donghae.”

The keepsake of the name nods. Hyukjae grins at the scattered ink.

~

Donghae lugs him around on a cart again, and Hyukjae watches his weathered body. He is surely aging, but his body is still as physically strong. He lifts Hyukjae easily, and carries him around whenever he can. They joke around and they banter, sometimes going too far in their teasing, but they always come back to their common understanding of coexisting with each other.

Hyukjae has never felt so content and at home.

Donghae has never felt such peace and assurance.

~

Hyukjae traces Donghae’s arms, assuming that his bulging veins are what rivers and streams can look like. Spots appear on his skin, and Hyukjae kisses them gently, unsure of what they mean. The skin around Donghae’s eyes have deeper wrinkles, and Hyukjae thinks that they could be the ridges of mountains, where the sun peeks over whenever it rises and falls.

His eyes are as warm, and they still look at him so fondly like he is the most precious treasure in the world.

One afternoon, Donghae brings Hyukjae a purple flower. He puts it behind his webbed ear, and he pets his cheek.

“What’s this?” Hyukjae asks, watching as Donghae cleans around his house.

“A token,” Donghae simply replies and then he reads Hyukjae a story about a king who conquers a kingdom with his great mind.

Hyukjae closes his eyes in appreciation, moving his tail around in the tub comfortably.

~

One night, Donghae rests his head on his folded arms. He closes one eye as he takes in the full moon. Then he takes his thumb and forefinger to press it, imagining that its size is as tiny as his fingers can allow.

“Why can’t you kiss me?” Donghae asks suddenly.

Hyukjae turns in his tub, and peers over it. “What?”

“I wanted to kiss you that night,” Donghae explains. “I never asked for another one, but why can’t you kiss me?”

“On your lips, right?”

Donghae hums in affirmation.

Hyukjae commends the sea under the night sky. It calls to him, beckoning him back to it. He will not. “If I kiss you, you might forget me.”

“What? Why?”

“We’re kind of cursed like that, but it is one of our powers.”

“Do you take memories intentionally?”

“No.”

Donghae sits up, and leans closer towards Hyukjae.

“Don’t forget me, Donghae,” Hyukjae pleads, and he kisses Donghae’s cheek like a passing wind.

Donghae smiles and he shrugs. “If that’s what you want.”

Hyukjae sighs a relief. “You could ask more of me.”

Donghae shakes his head. “We have everything we could ever need.” He gestures at the world like he’s buying it all for Hyukjae.

“You speak too proudly, human,” Hyukjae teases.

Donghae jumps to his feet, displaying no signs of his physical limits. He spins around with his arms spread wide. “It’s all ours.”

Hyukjae laughs a big one, and Donghae joins him in a chorus.

A/N: Happy New Year. Triple update!!! ^^