I am not really good with slow burn, so I hope you guys won't mind the rapid development in this chapter. Moreover I don't want to drag the story unnecessarily.

 

It was odd, really, how finding out the truth about Sehun didn’t end up changing much. He was still the same brightening presence in Kai's life, and all that was different was that now he didn’t have that little feeling in the back of his head that one day Sehun might return to whatever family he’d left behind, because Sehun had assured him he's not returning to the sea anyty soon. Kai told Sehun about his family and friends . He told him how he met Jungkook, Baekhyun and Yoongi back in highschool and how they became good friends. He also told him about his sister (Taeyeon) and about his mom that was still in a coma. Sehun told him about his family as well, and about his best friend Jimin who, according to Sehun, knew everything there was to know about anything. He talked about the castle he grew up in and Kai's mind overflowed with questions. Sehun patiently answered every one Kai shot at him, and asked just as many of his own in return. Kai had been teaching Sehun how to read and write and to his amusement Sehun was a very fast learner. Kai regarded that to the fact of Sehun being a merman and perhaps that's why his learning skills were extraordinary. Sehun now could write and read phrases. And Kai felt like a proud boyfriend whenever the merman wrote a short note just to taste his own progress. Kai also came to learn that surprisingly the merman had a love for flowers. Because according to him they don't grow inside the ocean. So that's how a few days later Kai brought him a beautiful flower crown that his sister specially made for Sehun, (Kai had finally admitted to her about his feelings for Sehun and told her what Sehun really was because he trusted his sister to keep Sehun's secret. And she didn't really seem stunned or shocked  by the whole ordeal).  He held the flower crown out as Sehun swam nearer, suddenly feeling a bit nervous what if Sehun didn't like it?. But When Sehun saw it, his eyes widened and he scrambled up the pool, nearly launching himself into Kai's lap. “Kai” he breathed, inching closer and closer to the flowers. “Is…is that a flower crown?” Kai nodded, passing the crown over to Sehun who continued to stare at it as if it would vanish should he blink. “ My sister made if for you, I hope you like it?" Sehun finally tore his gaze away from the crown and blinked up at Kai. The look on his face was so soft it caused Kai's stomach to swoop. “Thank you,” Sehun whispered, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Kai's cheek, and this time Kai's stomach did a full somersault. Sehun took the crown from Kai and held it carefully in his hands, gently petting the pink petals.“It’s beautiful,” he said, cradling it to his chest like a newborn baby. Why did Sehun have to be this… this. Getting excited over the smallest things in the most genuine way, and he used his entire face to express it. His eyes were quite literally lighting up, the apples of his cheeks bunching up as he smiled, tail swishing around in the water and creating ripples on the surface. Kai wasn't sure if he wanted to take a picture of him or pet him on the head until the feeling in his own chest dissipated. Damn he's falling in love with this precious being. You’re so ing beautiful, Kai thought as he watched Sehun turn the crown over, observing it with wonder and awe. Once he finished inspecting the flowers Sehun looked back at Kai. “help me wear it,” Kai wasted no time in doing as told.  "You look beautiful" Kai told him.  Preening at the compliment, Sehun scooted closer to Kai, tail flipping happily in the water. "Yeah, it suits you" Jungkook piped from where he was laying at the edge of the pool, swirling his hand lazily in the water. “I could ask Noona to make another for me too, We could match.” He looked positively thrilled at the prospect staring down at the merman who was flailing his tail happily. "No, it's gonna look awful on you" Kai said sending a disapproving look Jungkook's way. Jungkook pursue his lips. "You're saying this because you're jealous." "Why would I be jealous?" Kai gasped dramatically. Jungkook smirked, with a knowing look on his face, he didn't respond to Kai as he rose up to his feet. "I'll go make something for Sehun to eat" he turned to face the merman. "Raw or cooked?" He asked. Sehun glanced briefly at Kai, rising a little from the water, his scales covered hip glistens in the sun like tiny diamonds plastered against his skin. "Cooked" he said a moment later. Jungkook nodded before making his way out of the pool room. "You don't have to eat cooked food if you prefer raw fishes." Kai told him. Sehun shook his head. "I want to live the life you live Kai." Kai grinned, stretching his hand to caress down Sehun's scale covered hip. Sehun shuddered a bit. "I appreciate it babe, but you don't have to force yourself if you don't want to." Sehun blushed clearly from the pet name, Kai himself didn't know how that got out from his mouth, it's like his heart was in control of him. "I want to do it Kai, I fed on raw fish this morning and it's enough to sustain my other part." Kai hummed moving his hand up to brush through Sehun's hair; it’s damp, slightly messy, but Kai really liked Sehun's hair, it matched perfectly with his tail. He liked everything about Sehun. "Alright. If you say so, I just want you to know I like you no matter how or what you are."  It's like the time has stopped, both staring into each other's eyes unblinking and unmoving. Kai felt as if something had been lifted off his heart. Like the heaviness he had felt whenever he looked at Sehun and unable to say anything. But at this moment it felt amazing, it felt right.  Sehun finally blinked, his grey eyes widening a bit."You like me?" He asked. Kai nodded without an ounce of hesitation. "Yeah, I like you a lot Sehun. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever set my eyes on." He confessed. Sehun's smile was the brightest. His smile was so bright that the whole universe seemed so dull next to him. He reached for Kai's hand and squeezed it a little."I lo– like you too Kai." Kai squeezed back."Good, because i will be doomed if you don't want me back." Sehun giggled, throwing his head back as he did that, he looked so beautiful. Magical even. "Oh I was the one that left my home for you. I will be cursed to do that without an actual reason." “Cursed?” Kai murmured. “Do you believe in such things?” “No,” Sehun laughed. “Merfolk are extremely superstitious beings. They tell us all sorts of ridiculous things when we’re young. For example,” Sehun began as he lifted his hand, and Kai felt his breath catching in his throat when Sehun gently brushed his fingertips across his face. “They say that if we touch a ground-walker's skin, our scales will start to fall off,” he said, as his fingers gliding along Kai's cheek and down his jaw, leaving trails of sparks tingling beneath his skin in their wake. They stared at each other, unblinking, with Sehun's hand resting on Kai's neck. Kai felt a sudden urge to cover it with his own, to hold Sehun's hand in his and press soft kisses along his knuckles. He’s startled from his thoughts when Sehun flipped the tip of his tail up into his lap, waving it in front of him. “See? No curse.” Kai exhaled slowly, trying to recall the point Sehun had been trying to prove. "Yeah right nothing of such, this is not the first time you touched me." He nodded. "I used to have a believe that dinosaurs still existed when I was a teenager and one day they'll take over the world, my sister tells me such believes happened to individuals especially if one's – ."  “Dinosaurs?” Sehun cut him off, tilting his head to the side curiously. Kai blinked at him for a moment. “You know about flowers but you don’t know what dinosaurs are?” he asked and Sehun shook his head. It’s so easy to forget sometimes, how different their worlds really were, when they fit so effortlessly together and understand each other so easily. But then something would come up and Kai would be reminded of this gap between them. A gap that somehow brought them even closer still, allowing them the opportunity to teach each other, learn together, and share the things that meant the most to them. "I will tell you about them sometimes." Sehun nodded. "Okay, I uhm been wanting to ask you." Kai hummed, "shoot" "What does fiancee means?" Kai knit his brows. "Fiancee? Where did you hear that from?" "The lady that came looking for you the other day, she said she's your fiancee." Kai smacked himself mentally for not explaining things to Sehun before he'd confessed. "It means uhm the person you are engaged to." "Engaged? Like betrothed?" Kai nodded. "Yeah something like that" Sehun gasped, eyes looking into Kai's .
"You're– you're going to marry her?" He sounded hurt and somehow terrified . Kai shook his head. "No I am not. My Dad and her dad's are friends and apparently they thought it was a good idea to set an alliance. But I don't have feelings for her and I've already told her that. I don't want to marry someone I don't have feelings for. So I turned down the alliance." "Like arranged alliance?" Sehun asked and Kai nodded. "We do that too, mostly for political reasons. My father wanted to do that to me too but I refused and chose someone else as my lifebond" "Lifebond?" "Yes, it's when a mer chooses someone as the person they want to spend their lives with." "Oh so who do you choose?" Kai asked, wanting to sound uneffected but he couldn't, he couldn't imagine Sehun choosing someone else that wasn't. him Sehun grinned. "It's a secret" "Oh c'mon tell me" "You want to know?" Kai nodded even as his heart kept flipping.
"Yes" "You're sure?" Sehun taunted. He nodded again. "I chose a ground-walker." "Who?" He whispered barely audible to his own ears. "You" Kai let out a breath he didn't realize he's holding. "Oh wow!" He couldn't stop his smile from forming."I am honored. And I will have you know that I will never choose anyone to spend the rest of my life with other than you." Sehun smiled, eye's widening a bit, his hands moving to cup his own cheeks."Okay." He glanced at Kai shyly through his lashes, causing Kai's heart to skip a beat. "How about you join me for a swim now, after dinner you take me go see your mom?" "My mom? You want to meet her?" Sehun almost nodded his head off and Kai felt his heart melting. "Of course I do" Kai could only beam as he began to take his shirt off. "I will love that, I want you to meet my mom." He tossed the shirt on the floor before sliding his legs into the pool. Sehun grinned mischievously and reached his arm below and felt around for Kai's foot, sighing in satisfaction when his fingers hooked onto Kai's toes.  And before Kai could understand what the merman was up to, two cold hands were wrapped around his ankle as Sehun pulled him into the water. Kai sank to the bottom, eyes wide watching the merman smiled, he looked even more beautiful underwater like an angel, some ethereal being that couldn't possibly exist. His tail shimmered like he spilled a bag of silver glitter on himself and never cleaned it up. The tail was stunning on Sehun. The flower crown floating above Sehun's head. A moment passed the two were just starting at each other underwater, before Kai swam up to the surface, and Sehun instantly followed suit, the merman moved closer to Kai, placing his webbed hand on Kai's face. "Soft cheek.” Sehun murmured, touching Kai's cheek with his f