Jackson swam back and forth. The lunacy the young prince was causing was assuredly raising his blood pressure. He tried to not let it disturb his personal life. Just yesterday he snapped at Yugyeom and BamBam for considering how cool it would be to explore the waters outside of Atlantis. Mark and Jinyoung gave him weird looks as he put together what he had done. He promised Mark everything was fine.

Mark and his sons didn't believe him but for now he'd keep Jungkook's secret all too himself. No one else needed to know how insane the red haired merman was. Jackson noted to stay calm when he went back home with his family. It wasn't their fault that Namjoon had him babysitting Jungkook.

While he was murmuring to himself, said red haired prince was sitting on a rock with a big smile on his face. Jackson didn't need to ask what the prince was joyous about.

"Namjoon doesn't know a thing and he won't, thankfully. Hoseok, you and I will keep our mouths sealed. I can't lie to my best friend though...This gets worst by the second!" Jackson said.

Jungkook plucked a flower and picked at the petals, "He loves me...He loves me not." It kept going until it was down to the last two petals, "He loves me not...He loves me! I knew he did!"

Jackson overlooked the merry prince, "Jungkook, don't talk nonsense like that. You don't know what you're saying. Now, back to your appa, this secret—"

"I have to see him again! Tonight." Jungkook said with determination. He glanced at Jackson, "Jaehyun knows where he lives."

Jackson was staggered by what the prince was saying. "You're not thinking straight, Jungkook. The sea is your home and that's where your mind should be!"

The prince in love exhaled, "I'll swim up to his castle, get his attention and then—" Jackson couldn't stand another word.

"You don't want to be a part of the human world, Jungkook. It's a mess!" Jackson clarified. Everything he knew about humans was the same as any other mer.

From a young age all mers were taught to never go near land and to never interact with humans. Contrasting the merfolk, humans didn't care for the ocean. They contaminated the sea and hunted striking animals such as whales and dolphins. Jackson had heard from his other father that some humans took seahorses and kept them as decorations for their walls. Humans kept some animals they seized as their pets too.

It was not allowed for mers and humans to come in contact with each other. Just by what he's been educated about humans, Jackson was gratifying that it was prohibited. He wouldn't want to ever meet such irresponsible and insensitive creatures. Jungkook needed to stop thinking about this human prince. He had to be reminded that he was better off under the sea than on land.

"Look at the world you live in, Jungkook," Jackson got the prince's attention. He spotted a school of fish passing by, "Look at the wonderful, beautiful world you were born into!"

Jungkook laid his hands on his lap and innocently stole a glance at his surroundings. There was no way that anyone could disagree with Jackson. The sea was a beautiful place and Jungkook knew all he needed to. Humans didn't believe in krakens or selkies—they were very much real. Granted he's never met one but both of his parents told him they existed like the merfolk.

It wasn't tough to believe his parents' words. His father had royal blood in his family from a long line. Then there was his mother who hadn't lived in Atlantis his whole life. Yoongi, Taehyung and him knew better than to not believe in the fact that "sea monsters" (as humans called them) existed. They were real, just didn't want to be troubled.

It was standard for mer siblings to share a room in their youth. The nursery was the nearest to Namjoon's and Jin's chambers. The room was given the name, "the nursery" and it had formerly just been Yoongi's until Taehyung came along and he was Yoongi's roommate and then Jungkook arrived and the nursery belonged to all three princes who were just a year a part in age.

Though it had been Yoongi's room in the beginning, he had gotten used to Taehyung and Jungkook being present. The older mer had grown accustomed to sharing a room with his younger brothers. He didn't complain one bit. It made reading stories and singing lullabies easier for his parents when nighttime came around.

Since Namjoon was the king of Atlantis and was always needed, it was normal for only Jin to be in the nursery. Sometimes it was just Jin with the three mer children since Namjoon was caught in important meetings that couldn't be avoided. Even when Jin was in their chambers and the children were fast asleep, the king remembered to kiss his sons' cheeks before heading to his own bedroom.

Tonight was a night like some. The whole family was present in the nursery. Namjoon and Jin were sitting next to each other on the floor with their children all over them. Yoongi was leaning close to Namjoon's side, Taehyung was sitting in between his parents and Jungkook was lying on top of Jin's lap. The children were giggling while Namjoon and Jin smiled down at their babies they loved dearly.

"Do krakens exist, Umma?" Taehyung looked up at his mother. The five year old had mentioned he had seen a bunch of squids so he got thinking about the large squid like monster.

Jin Taehyung's dark blue locks, "Yes, Tae Tae, they exist just like merfolk do."

Dazed by his mother's words, Yoongi leaned closely, "Have you seen one before, Umma?"

Jin giggled and shook his head, "Nope, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. It just means they want to live their lives lonely and peacefully, that's all."

"We have no right searching for them. It'd only provoke them. The ocean is their home and therefore they can't be blamed for attacking." Namjoon explained to is three sons.

Cutely, Jungkook asked, "What about selkies?"

"They exist too, Kookie," Jin guaranteed his youngest. "And like krakens, they wish to live unbothered. Everyone wants to live happily and no one to harm them, right?"

Namjoon agreed with his husband, "How would you feel if someone went into your room and made a mess of it, hm?" The three boys gaped with widened eyes.

"That's not nice." Yoongi reasoned with a pout.

"Punish them!" Taehyung cried.

Jin giggled, "Violence isn’t always the answer, Tae Tae." He observed all his sons, "We shouldn't disturb anyone. Treat everyone the way we want to be treated." With big smiles the little mers nodded.

The memory was a sweet one. Long time ago Jungkook would have his mood dropped by thinking about the past with his mother alive. He stopped thinking that way though. Jungkook had cried too much that it had gotten glum. Life didn't seem so remarkable without his mother. But his mother wouldn't want him to remember him with tears. He'd want Jungkook to continue living and to be happy. The prince had Hoseok to thank for that.

Hoseok hadn't been living a picture-perfect life when Jungkook had met him. Jungkook had made that slipup of supposing he did due to his jubilant mood. Hoseok was an orphan. Hoseok had been enjoying a good time with his parents and older sister as they were travelling away from Atlantis. During their travel, Hoseok's parents had been harpooned. Hoseok's older sister tried leading him away until she was harpooned herself.

The cheerful green tailed mer had his family's blood all over him when guards from Atlantis found him trying to return home. When they had taken him in, Hoseok had run away and hid in Atlantis, not wanting to be found. Jungkook didn't know why Hoseok was still so happy with that tragedy that had befallen onto him. Jungkook had been proven that the awful event that awakened something beautiful instead.

Hoseok told him that a few days after he continued in hiding, he found a baby sea turtle hiding from a barracuda. Hoseok aided the vulnerable sea turtle and it altered his look on life. He had witnessed the sea life around him and he was amazed by the beauty by it that he cried of contentment. Life was beautiful and disastrous at the same time.

The sea turtle reminded Hoseok of himself. Not all of the babies from the nest had made it, evidently, but this one did. Hoseok told Jungkook that he didn't have time to sit and cry. Hoseok lived out his childhood on his own. Jungkook couldn't believe such a young mer could recover from that. It had inspired him to not cry for his mother anymore, but to smile for him. Jungkook wished to be enthusiastic about life and it had led to now.

"Under the sea, how can you not be living with a smile on your face? What more could you be looking for when you have the ocean is your oyster and you are its pearl." Jackson enlightened.

Jungkook was about to thank Jackson when he spotted Hoseok. He grinned and waved at his friend. Since Jackson was so preoccupied by his own words, Jungkook found it being the right moment to escape. Jackson was still going on as Jungkook snuck out following Hoseok.

When Jackson turned around to where Jungkook had been sitting he felt overpowered. "Jungkook? Jungkook!" He shook his head, "Aish...Someone's got to nail that boy's fin to the floor."

Jungkook had run off as he always did. He still didn't know why he hadn't told Namjoon about this yet. The king had no clue of his son's collection, the fact that he rescued a human and that he was in love with this human.

How could things get any worse?

When you least expect it, things get worst. Moonbyul swam swiftly towards Jackson with a look of worry. Jackson turned to the mermaid.

"Jackson, where have you been? I've been looking for you." Moonbyul stated. Hearing the woman's heavy breathing proved she was right. "Namjoon wants to see you."

Jackson tilted his head, "What's wrong?"

"He says he wants to see you right away," Moonbyul continued. "It's about Jungkook." Jackson paled at the merman's name.

I'm dead! Jackson worried as he trailed Moonbyul back to the throne room where Namjoon was awaiting for him.