Latin | noun

♦dark cloud, thunderhead; circle of light, a saint's solid disc of gold in heraldry; a luminous atmosphere of a god on earth

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When the first yellow leaf falls to the ground right in front of Taehyung, he sees it as a sign. Summer is coming to an end.

A summer which he spent almost exclusively at Jeongguk's side, just like the spring. Doing what he wants, far away from his ever-rising mountain of responsibilities and the mask of idol Kim Taehyung he had to wear every day for the past almost ten years. That fact alone, the admission that he could be his true self without consequences made it the best summer in a decade. Meeting Jeongguk, becoming his friend and falling in love just made it a hundred times better. And, he supposes Jimin is his friend too, know. (With Yoongi he's not so sure.)

What naturally follows after summer, is the much colder and more hostile autumn. And it seems autumn is quicker to arrive at the coast than in the heart of Seoul. Taehyung only faintly remembers it from his early childhood, before he moved into the capital and got used to late temperature drops. It's why it catches him a little off-guard that the days are already growing colder. Not nearly cold enough to be chilly, but he surely wouldn't want to sleep under the open sky with nothing but his swim trunks on at that point.

However. He'll be damned if he doesn't wear short clothes for as long as possible and take every opportunity to show off his growing frame.

But, here is the odd thing: water gets influenced by the air's temperature, right? If the air gets colder, so does the water, eventually. Except, it doesn't. Not here. 

Taehyung studies the phenomenon for a few days. It's not normal, he decides. Even with the air growing colder, to a point where wearing just a short-sleeved shirt is no longer a smart idea, and nature prepares to embrace the new season, the sea is always pleasantly warm whenever Taehyung gets inside.

It gets to a point where he can no longer reason it away as a local anomaly. Which only leaves one other explanation.

Jeongguk.

There is no way the water is naturally that warm still.

That's the conclusion he gets to, after rubbing his hands up and down the bare arms during his run to the pier - he should really cave and start wearing jackets - and sinking first into Jeongguk's awaiting arms, then in the comfortably warm water with a content sigh. The water is not steaming yet but the contrast sure is very much noticable.

They take their daily dive to the beach with Taehyung keeping his clothes on. For most of the day he stays in the water, his body submerged so he doesn't have to come out and dry in the cold autumn air. Burrr. No thanks. Better to stay right where he is, where it's warm and where the mer is always nearby.

Taehyung's reluctance to leave the water leads to an almost comical role swap. While he stays in the welcoming wetness wrapping around him from all sides like a warm hug and grapples onto some of the lower stone ledges, Jeongguk more often than not hoists himself onto their rock until only a small part of his tail is submerged. It's one fluid motion, driven by incredible, undeniable strength but executed so flawlessly graceful it's enchanting to watch.

Taehyung greedily watches every single time, eyes jumping from the straining muscles of Jeongguk's arms to the dozens of glittering droplets gliding down his hair, chest and everything, to the perfect arch of his back that gets even deeper before the pulls himself out with one mighty heave and his tail curls in the air behind him, fins spreading wide and flicking out before falling down. Apparently he doesn't have a problem with getting cold.

But Taehyung can't find it in himself to be jealous when the view is that great. Even something as simple as moving becomes art when it's Jeongguk, and Taehyung is absolutely here for it.

Once the mer makes it onto their rock, he stretches out a hand for Taehyung's bag, pulls their current book out of several layers of plastic and then begins to read to Taehyung.

Oh, how the turntables. Now Taehuyng is the one indulging in the melodious sound of Jeongguk's voice for hours on end. He is the one staying back in the water while the mer has gotten on land. A funny role swap indeed. And Jeongguk has such a beautiful voice to listen to. It makes forgetting the time - and everything else - really easy.

So easy in fact, that he doesn't notice the water growing cold around him.

But Jeongguk notices. 

He finishes the last page of the chapter and then, with another fluid motion, is back in the water. The sea around Taehyung instantly warms up.

"Okay?", the mer asks, hands already rubbing up and down Taehyung's arms, expression growing concerned.

Taehyung nods, smiling. 

"Thank you."

He leans in to boop their noses together, giggling at the way Jeongguk goes cross-eyed.

"You don't need to thank me for something like that," the mer mutters.

Nonsense.

Taehyung doubts there is a single other mer aside from Jeongguk who would care to keep the water lukewarm for him. He says as much and watches in absolute glee how the mer's ears turn bright red.

"Cute." Time to get a point across. "I'll say it again: thank you, Jeonggukkie."

Jeongguk huffs something too low for Taehyung to catch, then leans in to nose up his neck and give a sweet peck to the spot right behind Taehyung's ear before slowly retracting to get back on the rock. His hand is the last thing to leave Taehyung, sliding from his shoulder down to his arm and hand until only the tip of his nails are touching the pad of Taehyung's finger, and then nothing at all as he needs both arms to get back up.

This time Taehyung gets a bit more out of the water, pulls closer until he can stretch out a hand for Jeongguk. The mer shifts and lets one of his arms dangle off the rock so Taehyung can entwine their fingers and stay like that. Taehyung's face splits into a broad smile all on itself. It doesn't even take a second for Jeongguk to mirror it. It's a poetry older than most kingdoms, the two of them smiling at each other like the love-drunk fools they are.

"Chapter fifty-one. 'Five million dollars?' I said those words repeatedly as we retreated from Zara’s wing to Tobias Hawthorne’s study to strategize. 'Five. Million. Dollars. Does Zara honestly think that Alisa is just going to agree to cut that kind of check?'..."

 

They made it to chapter fifty-five before Taehyung notices the dark clouds at the horizon. At the furthest end, the sky seems almost black.

"Whoa." He whistles. "This is going to be one hell of a downpour."

If those clouds reach them at all, that is. They are so far away, moving so slowly... chances that they will just pass by are probably quite high. It's fun to watch how they spread out, come closer and grow darker from the centre. Almost like a drop of undiluted black ink on damp paper slowly tainting the white and creeping out in every direction, seeping into the fibres as the paper it up, with no way to stop the process.

He has the faint sense that maybe he should be scared. Nature is a force to be reckoned with, especially when it gets the chance to brew somewhere out in the open, everybody knows that. But somehow, the fear just doesn't settle in. Only a slight of... uneasiness.

Jeongguk in the meantime has secured his book and put it back into the bag. The hand with the bag raised high, he slips into the water and then gives the item to its rightful owner.

"You should probably go back before anyone starts to worry."

Taehyung turns around to him with a raised brow. "Do I need to worry?"

The mer shakes his head. "No. You are perfectly save, I promise. Nothing is going to happen, aside from maybe a little wind blowing here and there. But those townsfolks are a jumpy breed. A few clouds are enough to get them running. So maybe it would be wise to better be save than sorry, show up early and assure your friends you are not going anywhere tonight, you know?"

"I see," Taehyung muses. "That sounds reasonable. Although," he pouts and pokes Jeongguk's broad, sturdy chest, "I'd rather spend some more time with you. But yeah, Jimin can be a real pain in the if something doesn't go his way. And with how you described it, I can picture it perfectly well already." He sighs. Takes a last wistful look around their bay, then raises a fist skywards. "Homewards, then!"

Jeongguk's chuckle gives him enough time to inhale before the mer pulls them underwater and shoots through the sea.

They are swift like an arrow, as always, and near-silent when they emerge-

Under the old huts?! 

It's a funny picture, with how there are wooden stilts all around them carrying the former little shop buildings and the pier encircling them. Reminds Taehyung of that old playground where almost everything was made of wood. Although the atmosphere is more one of a grotto, with the constant sloshing around the stilts, the dim light where they are hidden away from a sun that's no longer shining anyway, and dripping sounds here and there.

"What-" Taehyung makes to ask, just to get shushed by Jeongguk with a gentle hand over his mouth.

They stay silent for several seconds as the mer strains his ears. And even Taehyung can hear some movement not too far away.

The look on Jeongguk's face is one of sharp focus, all serious, no smiles except for right before he leans impossibly closer.

"I won't come any further today," he breathes right in Taehyung's ear. The lips moving against his ear shell make Taehyung shiver. "Give me a sign when you've left the cover of the pier and can see if nobody's looking. I'll raise you up and drain your clothes. Should be enough to avoid questions."

Taehyung barely catches the last bit with how hushed Jeongguk speaks, but nods nonetheless.

And then, because this moment is screaming for it, because he needs to have some kind of reassuring goodbye and because he's been dying to do it for the longest time, he lands a whisper-light kiss square on Jeongguk's mouth.

The mer is too stunned to react, but he doesn't need to.

With a last smile at Jeongguk that he hopes conveys everything he can't say right now, Taehyung lets go of him and weaves through the stilts until he comes up from beneath the wooden planks in the same spot where Jeongguk always waits for him. There is nobody to be seen on the pier. But when he pears through the stilts, he can see  a trawler just making its way inshore. He waits until it's out of sight, then turns back to Jeongguk to give him a thumbs up.

The mer is already looking at him, one hand raised to his mouth and not moving. He blinks, shakes his head. Then his hand hand slips down at last, just for his tongue running over the lip now instead.

As much as Taehyung would love to continue watching, he doesn't get to. For the water around him then surges and lifts him up until he comes foot-level with the pier and simply has to take a step forward to reach it. When he looks back, the water pillar is already silently plummeting. A faint trickle follows with barely more than a little splash, and then his clothes are dry, too.

Taehyung splutters. This is so weird! He always forgets Jeongguk can do this. But, wait. That also means... he doesn't even have to stay in the water all day just to avoid drying on cold air. Huh. What a funny world. Now he feels dumb.

He's still processing that new discovery - which he could've made a week ago, to be very honest - when a dark shadow flits out from under the pier. Jeongguk turns on his back to give him a wave underwater, then flips around and descends into the depths of the sea.

Taehyung stands alone on the pier for several minutes, trying his very best to fight down the surge of The Feels as he rubs his lips together and thinks about what he's just done. This won't do. He can't be all lovey-dovey when he has to face Jimin in, like, ten minutes or so.

No matter how much he just wants to roll around the floor and giggle right now.

 

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•

 

Jeongguk is torn in three. 

One part of him worries greatly about how Taehyung shows by far not as much fear of the impending storm as would be justified. 

The other part is absolutely giddy about that very thing, about the fact Taehyung feels so save with him, with the sea that he doesn't even consider being afraid where others would have long since dropped to their knees and started praying they survive the night.

And the third part? That one's malfunctioning spectacularly ever since Taehyung kissed him.

Gosh.

Jeongguk brings up a hand and traces his lips where they are still tingling.

He did not see that coming.

How is he supposed to stay focussed and hold back the deadly waves all night like that?

But alas, he has no choice. The sea has been churning for about an hour already. It's roiling with power, the centre of that all-crushing abyss steadily approaching. He needs to be quick about this. Needs to spread out his net far, right up the the harbour of Nakseongdae, bury his claws deep into the surging masses once they begin crashing.

This is going to be a long night.

He has thrashed towns himself far more often than protected him. And now he wants to snuff out an entire flood before it can reach the bay all by himself, so not a single one of those humans gets hurt. Not that he cares for any of them aside from Taehyung, especially knowing most of them hate him with a seething passion. 

But a very selfish part of him wants Taehyung to keep his guards down in regards of the sea. Fears that if anything happens today, it will scare him off. And then maybe he won't be so relaxed when Jeongguk propels them through the water anymore. He doesn't want for Taehyung to ever look at the sea, at him, with the same wariness all those fishermen are born with.

And that means he has to protect the entire town. Not only Taehyung but everybody else too. Even if they don't deserve his protection. Not a single one of them. He curls his lips at the thought of those fishermen, with their harpoons and hateful glares and vile shouts and everything. He sneers. Those bastards are so damn lucky Taehyung is living in Nakseongdae now. Or else Jeongguk couldn't be bothered to fight the looming storm flood. No, he'd rather have fun joining in on the rampage.

But things are different now. Taehyung is there. And as long as Taehyung is there, nobody will get hurt.

Maybe he should send out word for his parents. If the sea talks to other mers about him and his wish to grow legs, then surely he could forward a message to Namjoon and Seokjin. However, who is to say they make it on time to help him? Besides, they have no connection to Nakseongdae and its inhabitants whatsoever - not anymore. It's been ages since Namjoon left this very bay.

No, he'll have to do this alone. Nakseongdae, and most importantly Taehyung, is his responsibility. He'll have to be enough.

Jeongguk takes deep breaths and spirals further into every bit of power the sea is willing to give him.

Ahead of him, the core of the storm blinks its lazy eye at him.

It is time.

 

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•

 

Once Taehyung rounds the crooked huts, he is greeted by the sight of everyone running around in a frenzy.

People are dashing up and down the quay and the street that runs parallel to the shore. Fishermen on the trawler are yelling all over each other. Little kids help carrying heavy bags, wooden boards, tools and whatnot. Elderly people are limping up the streets as fast as they can. There is a general movement up the streets, up the bay and away from the shore. Some families living closest to the sea seem to try packing their whole household on wooden trolleys. Everyone is rushing to bring things inside or upwards. Whoever passes the wet dock where the trawler still hasn't anchored yet, shouts at the crew to 'hurry the up, you idiots!'

It is, in all honesty, madness.

Especially considering how Jeongguk told him nothing is gonna happen.

What the ?

Taehyung dazedly watches while walking down the pier how the chaos unfolds more and more. It is, he has to admit, a controlled chaos though. Everyone seems to know what to do - save for him, that is. Every few steps he gets closer, the noise level rises. 

Once he hits the streets of Nakseongdae, a little girl with a huge box of tealights almost mows him over. The kid doesn't apologise, just looks at him with wide eyes before dashing off again. At the next crossing, it is a boy who just barely avoids running into him, long nails poking out of his pockets, little fists and even his mouth. He mumbles something around the metal stuck between his lips and throws Taehyung a glare. He thinks it might mean something like 'You're in the way', but can't be sure.

Taeyhung is beyond confused. All in all, the town behaves like it's only hours away from world's end, except every single local is a prepper and now going step by step through their meticulous plan.

He makes his way through town like that, trying his hardest to not get into anyone's way and watching all the locals running around frantically, carrying things that grow more outlandish by the minute. Finally Jimin's and Yoongi's place comes into view - and for the third time someone is only a hair's breadth away from colliding with him.

This time it's at least someone he knows, though. 

Jimin is packed with water bottles, holding a pack in each hand and having two more stuck under his arms, and obviously is about to run down to the docks when he notices the person in front of him is Taehyung. His jaw slackens and he gapes for a long moment. Several emotions flit over his face, from confusion to relief to... anger?

"Where have you been?!?"

It's piercing how he shrieks the words right into Taehyung's ears, enough so that the latter flinches back.

He doesn't get a chance to come up with a good lie before Jimin cuts him and falls back into a sprint.

"Whatever! Get inside, lock all doors and windows and don't go anywhere!"

The last words are shouted from the top of his lungs as Jimin is already a few houses down the street.

Huh.

Taehyung doesn't have much of a choice, does he?

He hasn't even made it to the front door yet when Jimin already returns empty-handed, rushes past him fast enough he has to grip the wall for leverage to not face-plant into the house. Moments later he's back from behind the house with a sand bag?! What, since when do they have sand bags stored anywhere? Is that normal? Jimin throws him a fiery glare, points at Taehyung and then the door, and is gone again.

Nope, Taehyung decides, this is most definitely not normal.

Stepping inside, he is greeted by even more strangeness. Because Yoongi is, without a doubt, packing. There are suitcases in the hallway and big baskets filled with food and all kinds of other stuff taking up the kitchen island. And now Taehyung's landlord is-

Well, he doesn't know what he's doing but he's got a big wrench in one hand and looks downright intimidatingly determined.

"What... what is going on here?"

"We need to get prepared," Yoongi grumbles and climbs up the stairs, cat Yoongi hot on his heels.

"Prepared? Prepared for what?!," Taehyung shouts up to him.

"Storm flood!"

Taehyung splutters.

What.

A storm flood? Here? And, like. They are real? Are something that's still happening in the twenty-first century?

"This is a joke, right?" 

He has to turn side ways and press himself flat against the wall as Yoongi is already on his way back down the stairs, squeezing past him without any finesse.

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

That's an easy no.

Taehyung is momentarily torn which way to go until he ultimately decides to head up the stairs to get rid of his bag, and then join Yoongi to offer help with... whatever he's doing.

Once he gets back down, the older already has a dozen tasks waiting for him, starting with "Help me get the suitcases upstairs".

"Go get the torches from the cabinet under the sink - no not that one, the other, and bring them up too."

"Somewhere in the cupboard under the stairs is an old radio. We need that too."

"How many water bottles are upstairs now? Actually, forget it. We need more. Go fill up some more. You know where we keep empty bottles, yes?"

And on and on it goes.

At some point  after he just ran up and down the stairs four times, Taehyung dares to voice scepticism.

"Isn't this a bit excessive?"

Yoongi does not have to turn around for him to hear the raised eyebrow. "Excessive?"

"Yeah? I mean," Taehyung shrugs, "how bad can it be, really?"

It's to that question does Jimin come home. He's panting heavily and sports an angry red gash down his entire forearm.

"You didn't just ask this in all honesty, did you?"

His voice is slicing, such an unfamiliar pitch Taehyung does a double-take to see if it's really been Jimin who said that. If that icy tone really came out of this bubbly man's mouth.

"I... why? What's wrong with it?"

And oh, does he feel stupid with those judging twin glares turned his way.

"What's wrong with- do you even know how many people got hurt in the last storm night? How many people died?"

Taehyung can only shake his head.

"No, you don't," Jimin affirms with venom lacing his every word. "You have no idea."

Taehyung turns away. He hates this Jimin right now. When he looks outside, the sky is of a dead, startling black, that kind of darkness that every light away. The wind picks up and a tree branch snaps under the window.

Yoongi comes to join him. His stance is one of a soldier prepared for battle, with the absolute certainty there is no way in hell for him to win.

"Here it comes."

 

Taehyung can't sleep.

It's been hours since the fisherman flung the spiteful words at him. Jimin came to apologise later, with the apology itself wrapped into a crash course on the very deadly autumn and spring sea. Outside, the wind was howling, flying around the house and screaming at them wordlessly, giving the blackness that devoured Nakseongdae a voice. It was howling inside too, every warped door whistling an eerie melody. Everybody was tense to a point where the slightest provocation could have them snap in half.

At some point the kitten had timidly scratched at Taeyhung's door. It's been a quite sound, or maybe the wind was just too loud. Either way, it took Taehyung a while to notice, to a point where the little Yoongi let out heart-wrenching meows. Once the door opened for him, he bolted into Taehyung's room, jumped on his bed and waited for him to come back. As soon as Taehyung sat back down he found himself with a lapful of shivering white fur. The little guy was barely more than a trembling fluff ball, ears pressed flat against the head.

Now, hours later, the wind rattling the windows is not as bad anymore and cat Yoongi is dozing on the pillow but still Taehyung can't fall asleep. In the room next to him he can hear Jimin pacing.

He just hopes Jeongguk is okay, out in the open sea all by himself.

Maybe it makes him a bad person but the truth is, Taehyung doesn't care for any of the folks living more downhill - and thus closer to the sea - half as much as he does for Jeongguk's safety. The sea must be so much more violent at the open, where there are no restraints to the force of nature and the storm can rage to its hearts content.

Gosh, he really hopes nothing happens to the mer. He'll have to check on him tomorrow first thing.

The wind picks up again then, and the howling amps up to horror movie-worthy volume.

It is already early in the morning when Taehyung's eyes finally flutter shut and his breaths even out.

Nobody in Nakseongdae aside from him gets any sleep that night.

 

With the first daylight spilling over the horizon, the News spread all through town like wildfire.

Nothing got damaged, nobody got hurt past little scratches from the preparations. The sea has not risen above its usual level even once.

A miracle, the townspeople say, and Jimin with them.

With the wind blowing that strongly it is nothing short of a miracle the sea stayed outright docile. As if a huge damper was put on it, preventing any of the treacherous waves to rise.

It was absolute bull, of course.

Still, Taehyung sees many people praying on his walk to the pier. He quickly turns away before anyone can see him rolling his eyes. Whoever everyone is praying to, it's most likely not the entity actually responsible for the miracle.

He asked Jimin this morning if there was any chance they miscalculated and got worried for nothing. The fisherman has shaken his head.

"We are no fools, Taehyung. We know how to read the signs, it's passed down from generation to generation. By all means, it was supposed to become a horrible night, with water rising more than five metres. There is no explanation why it didn't come like that."

"It's mind-boggling, is what it is," Yoongi grunted into his coffee mug. "Sounds like witchcraft to me."

At that notion Jimin's face twisted into one of outrage before smoothing out again. He gave a curt nod to his boyfriend and didn't distribute to the conversation any further.

Taehyung is still mulling over that look of wrath so hateful as he's never seen before when he makes his way down the pier. There is something Jimin doesn't tell him. Something big.

He shoves the thought far away upon sitting down behind the huts. Makes swift work getting out of his shoes. Not even five seconds later, his foot is dangling in the water and he wiggles his toes. Jeongguk is nowhere to be seen.

He's about to pull his foot out of the cool water when it begins to warm up. Something flicks against his toe. Taehyung looks down just in time to see a shadow disappear under the pier. Was that-

Is that Jeongguk's tail?

He pulls his foot out, then crouches down, both hands wrapped around damp wood, and peers in the darkness beneath the huts.

Sure enough, a familiar face is floating not even a metre away from him, already smiling from within the shadows.

"There you are!" Taehyung grins.

Jeongguk his head. "Hello, Taehyung."

Taehyung almost forgets to be sneaky and swings himself over the pier to fall into the sea. Almost. Because, oh, right. No loud splash sounds. But with Jeongguk so far away, how is he supposed to silently get into the water?

A quick glance around and the whispered confirmation that they are alone is what gets the mer to emerge from his hideout. He easily catches Taehyung and lowers him into the water as near-silent as always.

And Taehung, he keeps the words locked away in his mouth until they reach their secret spot. Once Jeongguk swims them to the stone arch and makes to get out of the water however, he stops the mer with a hand around his wrist.

"Wait, Jeonggukkie."

The mer complies and comes back until he is right in front of Taehyung again. A shift of his tail and Taehyung is propped up on it, floating amongst little waves.

"Yes?"

"I, uhm..." Gosh, why is he feeling so hot? "I wanted to thank you. For, you know. For keeping me save."

Jeongguk just smiles in answer.

It's like this, perched on Jeongguk's tail, with the mer making no attempt to deny such a far-fetched idea as being called the single reason a big tragedy was prevented, that Taehyung slowly begins to understand how incredibly powerful he really is. His abilities must easily go beyond what Taehyung could grasp. It's a thrilling thought. Not frightening, though.

Taehyung could never be afraid of someone so lovely.

He remembers to ask, then. Sure, he's been checking on the other the very moment they met but seeing no injuries and knowing there are in fact none are two quite different things.

"Are you alright? Did you not get hurt last night?"

The mer gives him one of those impossibly tender looks that have a giddy warmth pooling in Taehyung's stomach. "Were you worried about me, Taehyung?"

"Yes."

He has no shame admitting it. Just wants- needs to know Jeongguk is save.

"There is no need for that," the mer says with a little smile. "You don't have to worry about me, Taehyung."

Taehyung huffs and crosses his arms - or at least he's trying to, but the movement has him almost rolling off the mer's body. And he can't have that, can he?

"I can't help it! If someone dear to me is in possible danger, then of course I worry. Even if you are super duper ing strong."

Jeongguk quizzically stares at him for a long moment. As if Taehyung is a riddle he needs to solve. Taehyung feels under his gaze, like Jeongguk can see everything of him. (He loves it.)

"Is that what I am? I am someone dear to you?"

The question is asked with such softness Taehyung doesn't know how to deal with it. Fears his chest is too small to take in all the feelings that have his heart swelling up. So he rolls his eyes, tries to play it cool. But has the distinct hunch it's not working at all.

"Duh."

The mer snickers at him. They fall into a comfortable silence afterwards. Keep floating in their secret little bay, with Taehyung sprawled over Jeongguk like a big baby, his limbs hanging off him at all sides. The water is once more stupidly warm for this time of the year.

There is one thing he notices while he's laying on top of Jeongguk, head turned to the side as it's resting on the mer's chest, a few of his body chains wedged between the mer and Taehyung's cheek. There are no fish flitting around them today. None. Even with time passing and the two of them barely moving save for an occasional flip of Jeongguk's fins to keep them afloat.

It's almost like back in the beginning when all the aquatic life seemed to shy away from Jeongguk. Over the months, the creatures have grown accustomed to him, much like how Jeongguk has grown accustomed to Taehyung. But now they are back at square one. And Taehyung wonders, if it has something to do with last night. If whatever Jeongguk did exactly reminded all the beings living in his territory what he is capable of. That he is easily powerful enough to be feared.

Or maybe that's not it at all. Maybe he's thinking too much into it. (He has a hunch that his theory is correct, though.)

"What are you thinking?"

Jeongguk tilts his head while he voices the question. It has some strands of wet hair shifting so they cover part of his face, and the sun catching in his eyes and setting them aflame in a rich blue. Taehyung sees sparkling hues of blue and thinks sapphire, thinks lapis lazuli, then abandons the idea. Gems like that have not such blackness mixed in. Taehyung gets side-tracked for a moment as he keeps staring at those pools of ink, devouring light no longer but dripping with it for once, those respective billowing storm clouds of their own giving way for what Taehyung wonders to be the infamous Stygian blue, that one impossible colour.

Taehyung shifts too close and accidentally blocks out the sun. Just like that, Jeongguk's eyes are back to that striking darkness that goes beyond black. Are back to being so dark there is no doubt celestial bodies must reside in them, entire universes and galaxies laying ensnared there and giving the term 'stargazing' a new meaning.

Curiosity is beautiful on him, Taehyung thinks as he keeps carding a hand through Jeongguk's long hair. His fingers catch ever so often onto those pretty little metal rings stuck in the handful of braids the mer is sporting everyday now. (Taehyung asked him once if Jeongguk wants him to teach how to braid so he can do it on his own but the mer just shook his head and said he likes it better when Taehyung is the one doing his hair. And. How could he say No to that?)

"I'm thinking," he muses and leans forward until his body weight pushes Jeongguk down and the mer is floating on his outstretched back, Taehyung perching himself up on his chest, "I'm thinking that you are absolutely incredible."

Jeongguk loops his arms securely around Taehyung's waist and gives him a fond smile. There is something else mixed into it though, something so out of place it takes Taehyung a second to decipher. It almost looks like... disbelief.

"Why?"

"Wh-" Taehyung splutters. Has the strong urge to punch him, similarly wants to worship the ground he walks on, the sea he traverses. "Why?! Because. You just protected an entire town from something impossible to protect from. And all on your own, at that! ...Right?"

Jeongguk nods but still seems a little apprehensive.

Maybe Taehyung needs to get his point across better.

"Jeonggukkie." He grabs the mer's face between both hands. "Turning down a natural disaster such as a storm flood is impossible. Impossible! Nobody could ever wish to fight against such a force - and make it out alive. Let alone win. Yet here you are. Defying the laws of logic and physics and who knows what else?"

Something shifts in the mer's expression. Maybe the message is finally hitting home. Taehyung continues.

"Gguk, the entire town of Nakseongdae is praying and thanking the heavens. They are talking about a miracle, say that a god must've protected them. And, I mean. They are not completely wrong, are they?"

"I'm not a god, Taehyung."

"Aren't you?" Taehyung challenges. Leans even closer, tip of his nose brushing against Jeongguk's before pulling away again so he can take in the other's entire expression. "Aren't you the deity who controls and protects these waters? Aren't you the god of this coast?"

Jeongguk slowly shakes his head in Taehyung's grasp, still smiling.

Taehyung is having none of that. How can Jeongguk not see it?

"You may deceive yourself, but not me. You are every bit the wondrous marvel you told me all mers are, even if somehow you can't see that."

"...This is what you truly think?," Jeongguk asks lowly.

"I don't think so, I know so."

"Oh, Taehyung." The mer sighs. It is a small sound, laced with defeat. Taehyung instantly hates it. "You make it very hard to not love you."

And, oh. Such are the most sweetest words. Taehyung has to in a sharp breath, has to blink away the wetness gathering behind his lids. His grip on Jeongguk's head tightens to a point where his nails must be biting into the mer's skin. He never really thought- sure, he hoped, but-

"Then stop fighting it."

It comes off less like a demand and more like a plea. Sounds every bit as desperate as Taehyung feels.

Please don't let this be a dream, please don't let this be just in my head...

He soldiers on.

"There is nobody stopping you from loving me back." Here it is, his little secret, laid all bare in that last word. "Least of all me."

It's the furthest from 'just friends' they've ever been. And they keep taking step after step further away, the distance to that label growing with every second Taehyung's eyes flit down to Jeongguk's slightly parted lips, then up to his eyes just to catch the mer doing the same. There is lightning crackling between them, charging up what little of space is left between them. Taehyung can taste the storm now more than yesterday when there were actual thunder clouds crowding the skies.

This, air charged between them with every moment they don't quite give in to cross the distance, is a far more violent tempest than anything that came down on Nakseongdae last night.

The trickle of time slows down and comes to a stop until the very shadows of the sea arch covering them from the late morning sun seem to breathe deep and glacial. Somewhere in the distance, a seagull lets out a piercing shriek.

Another breeze ruffles Jeongguk's steadily drying hair and blows it all over his face, strands catching everywhere. Taehyung brushes them away one by one. Leaves the one stuck to the mer's lips for the end. And once he gets there - honestly, removing the hair is secondary to the sensation of Jeongguk's lips under his thumb. He lingers. Is deliberate in how he sweeps the finger over Jeongguk's mouth and traces its shape.

The mer slowly closes his mouth. Taehyung watches his top lip dent around his thumb, enraptured.

A wave crashes against the stone looming behind them.

Jeongguk takes Taehyung's wrist in his hand, pulls it up a little further to sear a kiss into Taehyung's skin right under his palm. The lightning between them strikes. Taehyung surges forward.

And gets stopped by a hand lifted his mouth and resting against it in a barely-there touch.

"No."

He almost falls off Jeongguk. What-

"No?," Taehyung asks, incredulous. Did he... was it not mutual? Did he misunderstand? Maybe... maybe Jeongguk doesn't want to love him, did never intend to give in?

.

A dull ache begins to spread through him from he doesn't know where, it seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

He's probably overreacting, he know he is, but that doesn't mean he can do anything against it. Doesn't mean he has it in him to hold in the lone tear slipping past the corner of his eye and down his cheek. He takes one hand off Jeongguk's face - it immediately feels cold and empty and wrong - to furiously wipe at his face.

Gosh, . Why is he being like that? They've been great together until just now.

Taehyung's head fills with a cacophony of What-ifs and Whys and Where Did It Go Wrongs. He can't think straight. Can barely make out Jeongguk's features at this point.

The mer takes the hand off his face and gingerly cradles it in his own, the other one coming up to over his cheek, sharp nails so, so delicate on his skin.

"Taehyung."

The chaos in Taehyung's head comes to a standstill.

"Taehyung," Jeongguk says again, voice spilling over with devotion.

Taehyung's mind empties of everything else. He blinks, and sees  the mer clearly again, beholds the worry in his face.

"Do not think I don't want you, little Star," Jeongguk murmurs and oh. Taehyung is ready to explode. Jeongguk is not allowed to call him that without a preliminary warning.  

The mer continues as if he didn't shook Taehyung's world with a single word twice within five minutes.

 "It is just. The first kiss, those kind of things are very important to you humans, are they not?"

Taehyung nods feebly.

"That's what I thought. And, it... maybe it is stupid, but. I don't want us like this, when you are just grateful because I saved the town. Don't get me wrong, I would love to give myself to you. So much. But not like this, not right now."

Taehyung can only stare, dumbfounded into muteness. Because it's true. Maybe not entirely, not how Jeongguk understands it and thinks he's only realising now how utterly amazing the mer is. But with how Jeongguk words it, the timing truly is... unfortunate.

And maybe Taehyung wants to slap himself. Just a little. For not being more sensible about the whole situation. Now Jeongguk  thinks he has some sort of saviour worship complex, which. No. That's not how it is at all.

It ultimately means two things:

One, Taehyung's feelings are more than mutual (he swoons).

And two, he just has to work harder and prove to Jeongguk that it's not his earthshakingly tremendous powers he likes, but him as a person. 

And he will.

He will show Jeongguk that he is so much more than the honorary title "Stormbreaker" he heard one of the old fisherman's wives mutter earlier. Jeongguk is so much more.