Greek / English | noun

♦the low rumble of distant thunder

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"Namjoonie-hyung, how do I craft a dagger?"

One of the many sponges his dad has been lovingly tending to falls out of his hand. Slowly, the mer turns to him. "Pardon?"

"A dagger," Jeongguk repeats, slightly out of breath from his sprint here. This time he's been fast enough for Seokjin to not sneak up on him.

"Why do you need a dagger? Has the sea ever failed you?"

"No, that's not-" Jeongguk huffs, picks up the sponge and places it back into Namjoon's palm. "You said humans like pretty or practical stuff, right?"

"...Yes...?"

"And I remembered I have that piece of, I don't know, that pretty stone you gave me for the fourth decade, that one that is not really white but different hues of all kinds of colours and seems to glow from within, you know?"

"They're called opals, Jeongguk-ah."

Jeongguk snaps his fingers. "Yes! That's the !"

Namjoon blinks at him, mouth slightly agape. "Wh-what?"

A loud "Ha!" comes from their left. "I told you he's spending too much time with humans, I told you, but 'Nooo you're overreacting, Jinnie', well, would you look at that," Seokjin miffs when he slinks around the corner. "Oh, also nice of you to stop by so soon again." He gives a little finger-wave to Jeongguk.

Jeongguk rolls his eyes. "Yeah, good to see you too." Then he turns to his other dad. "So. Back to my dagger problem. How do I make a dagger out of the pretty stone?"

Both of his dads give him a long, judging look. Jeongguk frowns.

"What?"

"You do realise I'm the worst person to ask, yes?"

Jeongguk's frown deepens. "Why? You are the smartest mer in the entire world, you know everything!"

Seokjin cackles at the deep blush spreading all over Namjoon's face and elbows him in the side.

"Uh, be it as it may," the sand-haired mer splutters, giant orange fin curling around him like a blanket until most of him is covered up. "I'm still the wrong person to ask. Or did you forget that I'm a pacifist?"

"Yeah, well, if we look at it roughly I guess this place here still counts as the pacific," the youngster agrees, shrugging.

Seokjin breaks out into loud wheezes, burying his face in Namjoon's fin-clad shoulder as he's shaking with laughter. Namjoon on the other hand merely sighs once and then dons his explaining-dad expression. 

"Pacifist as in, I dislike violence, Gguk."

"Oh." Jeongguk pouts. "So, even if you'd know how to craft a dagger you wouldn't tell me?"

"That's correct."

"Even if the weapon is not for me but for the one I love?"

"Don't get weak now," Seokjin mutters into Namjoon's ear, expression hardening at the mention of Jeongguk's human.

Jeongguk flutters his eyelashes but to no avail. 

"No means no," Namjoon insists from behind his now even higher raised fin, voice muffled.

Well, yeah. If he can't see Jeongguk making pleading eyes then he doesn't have to worry about caving. Not fair.

"If you want to create a weapon, then you'll have to figure it out yourself. Although I'd prefer if you didn't try at all."

Still pouting, Jeongguk leaves. He knows a lost case when he sees one. (Sometimes.) Clutches the frozen book tighter to his chest and then, after the second goodbye to his dads within one day, hauls his back to Nakseongdae at last.

 

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Taehyung smiles when he steers his car off the main road and down the bumpy path that leads to Nakseongdae. It's been three eventful and exhausting days.

Sure, celebrating his mom's birthdays together with his family has been fun. But also draining as . He forgot that family birthdays don't just involves his siblings, parents and him - it involves the entire Kim clan. And everyone wanted a piece of The Kim Taehyung. He's been shaking hands for at least two hours straight. Now he feels like he needs a vacation from his vacation. 

And his daily dose of Jeongguk.

His grin widens at the thought of his favourite mer. Granted, the only mer he knows, but something tells him Jeongguk will always be his favourite. Yeah, he is biased and not too self-righteous to admit it.

Then he reaches Nakseongdae, slowly steering his trusty Genesis through the too small village streets and, ah. Right. That's why he hasn't taken any car rides since he's come here. The old streets are way too narrow for his car.

That wall there is coming way too close to his  left side-vision mirror for his liking. At this point he's creeping down the hill slower than walking pace. Clogging up the entire side street, much to the dismay of two kids who came around the corner ahead, took one sour look at him and turned back the way they came.

Excuse him for living in the twenty-first century and owning an according car.

He eventually makes it to his - lodging? Temporary second house? Holiday flat? He's not even sure how to call the arrangement he made with Jimin months ago. Parks his car in the designated spot to hopefully not be moved all too soon again, grabs his bag and skips to the house.

"Hi, welcome back-"

Taehyung swashbucklers up the stairs, throws his bag on the bed and all but flies back downstairs in more than one sense, almost missing a step and falling flat on his face. 'Almost' being the key word here.

"Hi, it's good to see you too," he rushes out, pulls Jimin into a very quick hug and is out the door already. "Talk to you later, gotta go now! Bye~"

Maybe the door falls shut behind him with a bit too much force but can you blame him? He's gone without seeing Jeongguk for three entire days. That's at least five days too many.

And because he may be excited as hell to meet the mer again, he doesn't have it in him to be subtle now. Is running around at full speed, for everyone to see and wonder about it. Maybe even get the idea of following him to the pier. Which would be a really bad move in regards of the whole Keep Jeongguk a Secret matter.

However, idol training sometimes comes in handy in the strangest ways. One thing they had to learn was to multitask and make quick decisions. A good thing. It has Taehyung registering that he's being suspicious as hell. So while he knows he can't tone it down right now, he can make the active decision to not take the most obvious and direct way to Jeongguk. Breathing pattern adjusting to a longer run, he takes a sharp turn to the right and makes a beeline to the forest. Up to the cliffs and in the general direction of their beach. Where there are no prying eyes on him. And boy, is he grateful to have picked up training in the summer again. Pre-beach-body-Taehyung would be wheezing already.

The trees he's passing by barely register as his feet keep hammering on the forest floor. Minutes pass, five, ten, more, until he reaches the edge of the cliffs. 

Love makes you do stupid things, they say.

Maybe that's why for a moment Taehyung contemplates just jumping down, trusting Jeongguk will be there to save him. 

He doesn't.

Remembers last second that, when Jeongguk doesn't expect him to do such a dumb thing, there'll be nothing to dampen his fall. And those rocks jutting out of the sea look very hard. Also, the water is probably super cold without a certain mer around to amp up the heat just for him. So yeah, he stays put and starts walking along the brink for a good twenty minutes before finding a place where the mass of stone dips down and it's not that high. There he makes his careful descent, the first time that he's rock-climbing. It's nerve-wracking. Maybe his palms are sweaty.

He makes it down in one piece and once he's got a good grip on a protruding bit of rock, leans down to wait for a wave to hit his outstretched hand.

Which. Doesn't happen. He's still a little too high up. 

With a huff, Taehyung gets into motion again and carefully climbs a bit lower to where the stone begins to get slippery. Once his left hand is buried into a crack where he really, really hopes doesn't live a spider or something, he tries again. This time he can touch the water surface.

And just like he hoped (like he craved), it doesn't take much time at all until he can see a big shadow racing towards him. He doesn't see Jeongguk swimming fast from a distance often. Usually the mer is already there, waiting for him. So the visual of that familiar shadow approaching at such a high speed, much faster than normal ships and probably also faster than those little racing thingies, is indeed impressive. Makes him wonder if they go that fast when Jeongguk brings them to the beach too. Because if yes, then, oh lord. Then Taehyung is not giving his body enough credit for not fainting from that high pressure. Or whatever usually happens when you go too fast and your body says 'Uhm, how about no'.

He hasn't finished the thought when the water splashes up his entire arm and he finds his hand no longer empty.

"I missed you," Jeongguk breathes as soon as his head breaches the water surface. His fingers warm where they slide between Taehyungs. 

Taehyung doesn't bother hiding his wobbly smile, squeezing Jeongguk's hand without a worry about his sharp nails. He knows the mer won't hurt him.

He opens his mouth to say it right back. But as he's about to take a deep breath, something small and quick with at least six spindly legs crawls over his other hand. With a loud yelp he pulls out of the stone crack, tumbles, and falls into the water - right on top of a wide-eyed Jeongguk.

The cold water crashes over his head and seeps into his clothes like a thousand icy needles, quickly pulling him down and numbing him before everything turns lukewarm. Immediately Jeongguk is everywhere, arms wrapping around him, tail looping around his legs and fins splaying out to cover everything else.

They come back up together, the mer a mixture of worry, confusion and amusement on his face. He waits with a raised eyebrow as Taehyung splutters out water.

"Sorry," he wheezes out at last. Can already feel his cheeks reddening. "There was a cockroach, or something."

"Of course."

"Yah, are you doubting my words?"

That's when the warm smile finally makes a home on Jeongguk's face. "Never," he vows and rubs their noses together. Followed by the first peck, and a second, and a third, and-

"Oh for 's sake, kiss me already," Taehyung grunts and digs his fingers into the mer's long hair, pulling him to his already open mouth.

This time however, Jeongguk barely humours him. Pulls away after a few seconds to cast a look around them.

"We shouldn't be in the open like this."

He lifts a finger to prod at one of Taehyung's new earrings.

"Beach or cave?"

Taehyung purses his lips, looks up to the steel-grey clouds. "Uh, cave?"

"Cave it is. Deep breaths, pearl."

 

Cave it is indeed. 

In the few days Taehyung hasn't been here, he almost missed it already.

Despite being originally a dark and wet place, as it is the nature of caves by the sea, thanks to Jeongguk's doing it had turned into an oddly cosy place. (The presence of one Jeongguk helps a lot, too, if he is being honest.)

There is a moss-covered stone ledge Jeongguk lifts him up to, the water having eaten its way beneath it and underwashed it for who knows how many metres. It's almost as if he's floating, hovering above the water deeper and deeper into old greyish-brown rock. Taehyung dangles his legs above the ledge, big grin all over his face as he keeps splashing water on a laughing Jeongguk.

The mers arms come up to loosely wrap around Taehyung's waist while he stays in the water, tail idly drifting under the rock.

"You having fun up there, pearl?"

Taehyung hums. Keeps grinning despite the light blush warming his cheeks.

"Immensely."

"Good," Jeongguk says. Lets go of Taehyung to prop his hands up on the stone slumbering beneath that thick layer of moss. He hoists himself up until they are eye-level  and he can give a peck to the tip of Taehyung's nose. It's a gesture cute enough to make his heart stutter.

Taehyung's grin turns soft around the edges.

"Hi," he breathes.

Wraps his hands around the mer's arms where they are encasing him, the strong muscles bulging.

Jeongguk's voice drops to that mellow thing, deeper and a little scratchy around the edges. Intimate. Taehyung doesn't miss the way Jeongguk's eyes flick down to his mouth and look a little sharper when they come up again.

"Hi to you too."

"Silly fish," Taehyung mutters. "You are not good for my poor heart."

"Likewise."

It's Jeongguk who gives in first this time. Who leans forward and connects their lips in a heated kiss that has Taehyung's toes curling. He gasps into the mer's mouth as air becomes sparse yet refuses to let go. Jeongguk notices. Of course he does. Slots their mouths together even firmer and sways a little as he shifts his weight from two arms to one, lifting a hand and burying it deep in Taehyung's hair. The air keeps coming, albeit thinner.

Taehyung doesn't know how long they sit there. How long their kiss is searing him in the best way. Time becomes secondary when he's with Jeongguk. Maybe even tertiary. Jeongguk first, Jeongguk second, the rest of the world third.

Eventually however, they have to let go. Even if Taehyung really doesn't want to. Judging from the crease between the mer's brows, it's the same for him.

"Huh." Jeongguk smacks his lips together. He lowers himself back into the water until only his head and shoulders stick out. "Breathing through my gills on land feels weird." He tilts his head and keeps rubbing his lips together.

Maybe Taehyung is staring.

"Are you tempting me on purpose, or what?"

"Hmm? I don't know what you mean."

Taehyung snorts. Pulls back until he can flop down on his stomach - and momentarily forgets what he was about to do, too busy burying himself into that weirdly soft, fluffy moss, ohmygosh, that's nice-

Oh, right. He turns back to an amused mer and crawls forward until his head hangs off the ledge. The moss is damp in his grip.

"Sure you do. So you better take responsibility," he huffs. Leans down to reconnect their lips, Jeongguk already smiling.

 

"Did you make these?"

They are both resting on that mossy ledge now, laying side by side, Jeongguk's tail twisting back and fourth between Taehyung's legs until dipping into the sea as always. The mer is one of Taehyung's new earrings. The dangly set is the most luxurious thing he's worn in Nakseongdae so far.

"Nah, I went to a specialist when I was away."

"A specialist?"

He nods against Jeongguk's shoulder. "Mhm. Went to a jeweller with my little pouch full of your pretty pearls and asked him what he can do. It went a little back and fourth until we agreed on a design I like, one that's not too flashy. You like?"

The mer hums. Gives the slightest tug to the earring before letting go, then snips a nail against it. "Very. Although I can't help but wonder... what happened to the other pearls?"

For the ones gracing Taehyung's ears are by no means all he got from Jeongguk.

They're just three each, a big one in the middle of two smaller ones. Thin bands of silver twist around them, connecting them and holding them apart at the same time. They're not exactly subtle with how pretty the pearls are but the design is a tasteful kind of minimalistic, showcasing the pearls' beauty without overwhelming by sheer numbers. Exactly the kind of jewel a famous idol like Taehyung can wear on a daily basis - because that's the whole plan.

"The other pearls? Well..."

He grasps one of Jeongguk's hands and leads it to his neck, then to the hem of his shirt, where a thin sliver chain is disappearing beneath fabric. Jeongguk gets the message and tugs the hem lower until he too can withhold the chain. 

"What-"

The mer carefully pulls it out from under the shirt and then lays it on top of it so he can look at it properly. At the long silver ribbon that reaches til Taehyung's chest, and the five pearls fitted to it. Two at the ends of the string and one to fasten them together. Taehyung smirks. The necklace is the part of his newly-made three-piece set that is not supposed to be shown. He'll wear it under his clothes all the time from now on, for nobody to know except himself. Well. And now Jeongguk.

"Stunning."

Taehyung revels in it. In Jeongguk's intense eyes focussed solely on him. it up like a dry sponge, every bit of attention the mer is giving him. And it's a lot.

Jeongguk keeps staring for a long while as he too seems to realise Taehyung's attention of wearing it nonstop. Takes a bit to catch himself and ask about the remaining pearls.

"Ah," Taehyung muses. "I think... I made a body chain with them." 

It's his turn to feel up the necklace adorning Jeongguk's body. The flat metal resting around the base of his neck and the several silver strings fastened to it that reach over the mer's chest and then around him before meeting in a single chain on his back. Twinkling silver, just like his new set of pearl jewel. He tried to choose a chain similar to Jeongguk's. So they can... yeaaah, so they can match. He'll admit it. Sue him.

"It looks a bit different than yours, though," he tells a slightly gaping Jeongguk. "Without that big, uhm-" he knocks a knuckle against the broad metal torque- "thing. And less tiny silver plates and gemstones but more, well, pearls instead."

Jeongguk is still malfunctioning.

"A... body chain?"

Cute. Taehyung coos. To think that there would come a day when Mr. appeal himself is flustered. Oh, his trip to the jeweller sure was worth every single won already.

 

Turns out, Jeongguk really loves Taehyung's new earrings. Or loves seeing it on him. Ah, semantics. He is so enamoured by it, that when Taehyung tells him to turn around so he can redo one of the braids that's come a bit loose, the mer pouts and complains that he can't see all his pearls anymore that way.

(Taehyung is well aware that he himself is included as one of those pearls. Maybe he is blushing like mad. Maybe even his chest is tingling with warmth.)

He tries to play it cool and laughs, smacking Jeongguk's arm and telling him to turn around anyway, he'll be quick. But the mer doesn't budge. Tells him to do it so he can still look at him.

Sighing, Taehyung gets to work.

"But when the braid comes out crooked, you are not allowed to complain."

"I won't."

"Good."

"Mhm."

Taehyung has to start over thrice because he gets too distracted by Jeongguk's gentle hands on his ears, neck, chest. Dammit. The blush stays on his face. At this point, Jeongguk really should know these are some of his most sensitive areas.

It's. It's such an intimate affair, somehow, the two of them sitting close to each other - Taehyung is practically in Jeongguk's lap at this point - and carefully touching each other without any hidden intentions. Taehyung can't cope. His heart balloons in his chest and then topples over, the mushy warmth spreading through Taehyung's body from the tip of his ears all the way down to his toes. 

At some point he can't take it anymore and stops braiding to bury his face in Jeongguk's shoulder. Stays like this for several minutes and just breathes him in, the hand that's not holding apart the strands of the braid clutching at Jeongguk's side. The mer lets him. Gives him all the time he needs and runs slow hands up and down his back, touch warm and impossibly delicate as always.

"It's okay," he murmurs. His gills flutter against Taehyung's cheek and gosh, he didn't realise how much he missed that silly little sensation in the past three days. "Everything is fine. You are home now."

Jeongguk hums a sweet little melody and slowly leans back, taking Taehyung with him until they are both laying down in the moss, Taehyung on top. Eyes already shut, he snuggles further into the embrace and lets the music wash over him.

A few minutes later, he's fast asleep in Jeongguk's arms.

 

"Already?"

Taehyung chuckles and gives another peck to the mer's pouty lips. "I've been here for hours, baby. Jimin knows that I'm back and just saw me running off the very minute I arrived. He probably thinks I'm the rudest person alive. I have no excuse if I miss dinner tonight."

"Fine." Jeongguk is still pouting. "But he better be super nice to you and not say one bad word."

Taehyung just grins.

With a grunt and brows still knitted together, Jeongguk lifts him off the ledge and into the water. Spends a good five minutes picking moss out of Taehyung's hair in such a blatantly obvious attempt to stall that Taehyung can't help but laugh and give him another short kiss.

"Stop sulking. You know I'll be back tomorrow."

Jeongguk huffs but finally tightens his hold and gives Taehyung that certain look that has him taking a deep breath before the world disappears in endless water and he gets brought back to the pier.

 

Jimin doesn't say one bad word. 

No, one is certainly a way too small number. The moment Taehyung enters the house, it's one curse strung onto the next, underlined by several hits with a spatula as his landlord rants about how Taehyung didn't even greet him properly, what the , "I thought city boys are supposed to have manners, I was worried sick, you know- stop grinning, Yoongs!"

From time to time he remembers who Taehyung is and falls into a deep bow. Seconds later, he's back at it. Keeps scolding him like a mother hen. Taehyung can't even begin to feel bad. This is too funny.

"Yah, Kim Taehyung! The next time you disappear, you have to come back here and play at least ten rounds of ludo with me the very moment I'm back home, you hear? Stop laughing! Yah!"

 

Later, when Yoongi has made his way upstairs already and Taehyung is about to follow suit, Jimin hold him back with a hand around his wrist.

"Those are really pretty earrings," he says and squints at them as if he doesn't find them pretty at all. "I don't remember any deliveries arriving here for you...?"

Taehyung's eyes flit upstairs and then back to the landlord. "Ah no, it didn't get delivered. I bought them in my hometown."

"Hmmm."

Jimin is still giving him that calculating look. "They do look great indeed. Where did you say again you got them? Asking for a friend."

"Oh, uh..." Taehyung gnaws on his lips. "You can't- I mean, they're custom-made, y'know?"

"Is it the pearls?"

He nods. "Yeah, that's right. I found them."

"...Sure you did." Jimin halts. "Wait. You found them? Here?"

"Yup."

"Hm."

 

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Late that night, when he's sure Taehyung is asleep, Jimin nudges Yoongi until he stirs awake with a grunt.

"Mmwhadissid...?"

"Jagiya... our lodger is hiding something from us. Did you notice?"

Yoongi grunts again and rubs a hand over his face, then begrudgingly pries his eyes open. "Whaddaya mean?"

Blanket still wrapped around them, Jimin climbs on top of his boyfriend and straddles him, small hands splaying out on Yoongi's pecs.

"The pearls," he hisses, rocking down.

Yoongi's hands come up to wrap around his waist. He definitely looks more awake now. "What pearls?"

"The pearls our dear mister Kim is wearing as earrings now."

Jimin rolls his hips and lets out a satisfied huff when Yoongi bucks up against him. Long fingers wander from his waist down to his , massaging the flesh then digging in and pulling him down firmly.

"Why are you trying to have that conversation with me while riling me up, you little menace, hm?"

Smirking, the fisherman flutters his eyelashes. Revels in the way Yoongi's gaze darkens in the moonlight. He leans down to give a teasing bite to the older's lower lip. "How else am I supposed to get you awake past ten?"

"Very well," Yoongi drawls. Pulls down Jimin's boxers until he lifts one leg after another to fully get out of them, then waits for the younger to do the same for him. " to me about those pearls."

JImin huffs out a laugh. He's towering proud above him in all his glory. "You are so easy."

"Only for you. Now tell me what you must and then get me off, you little minx. We both have to get up early as tomorrow."

"That foul mouth of yours, I swear."

Yoongi pinches his cheek. "As if yours is any better. I fell for your rotten sailor's mouth, remember?"

"When will you ever learn the difference between sailor and fisherman," Jimin sighs and grapples for the lube, ignoring his boyfriend's hiss as the cool gel drizzles on him. "And as a fisherman," he says, scooping up some lube with the hand that isn't busy Yoongi to full hardness and guiding it to his own , "I am more than capable of telling which kinds of pearls can be found around here and which ones not. And the ones Taehyung allegedly found in this very bay are not endemic. At all."

"Oh, c'mon." Yoongi groans. "Not this again. We've talked about it, haven't we?"

"But! The long walks he takes everyday where he disappears for so many hours?"

"I told you, he's an artist, that's probably his way of-"

"There is nothing here to see! Nakseongdae and everything in close vicinity is absolutely boring, what else would he do all day-"

"Did it ever occur to you that he came here exactly because there is nothing to see? If he wanted culture and excitement he wouldn't have bothered to move to this arse-end of the world, yah."

Jimin's grip on him tightens. "But the pearls! How is he supposed to get his hands on such exotic pearls if not because he met one of those- those things? Maybe we should keep an eye on him."

"Jimin-ah," Yoongi grunts. "That's stupid and you know it. Now, how about less talking and more bouncing, hm?"

"...You're lucky I love you."

"Sure am."

 

"...I really should start following him. Just to be sure."

"Babe, sleep."

 

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Tongue between his teeth, Jeongguk stares at the pretty stone. 

"Okay." He cracks his knuckles. The water between his fingers begins to crackle with energy. "I can do this."

He turns to the side, where one of his books lays on the stone, a big conch holding it open. Most of the ink is blurry. Has turned into dark splotches that make the pages stick together in wet clumps. A few things, however, are still recognisable. Like that one picture of an old dagger from the 16th century. It has a beautifully twisted grip. Or, wait, was it hilt? Something with 'i'.

Anyway!

He's going to make the best pretty practical present ever for his treasure.

In some grove of his cave, tucked away half-forgotten, he found an old sword.

It was broken long ago, probably fell from a ship back when they were still made of wood and the humans had no business racing the seas like madmen yet. Maybe there was a fierce fight on deck between those who fled from justice in search of freedom and those who intended to conquer everything, maybe it was a sabre or a sword and the unlucky soul wielding it got overwhelmed, the weapon flying out of their hands and straight into the sea where it got buried in sand for many decades and slowly decayed... who knows? It's one of the favourite stories he came up with for all the things he found at the bottom of the sea. 

The jagged remnants of the blade he'd broken off quickly enough. Now it's about remodelling the hilt and giving it a new blade - a better one. Alluring yet dangerous. Just like the sea.

Water heating around his hands, Jeongguk gets to work.

 

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"You know what's funny?" Taehyung asks after they've tried out the acoustic in their little cave with him teaching Jeongguk children's songs for the pure thrill of it.

"What is?"

The mer is fiddling with his earrings again. Had the most blinding smile on when they met at the pier today and he saw them hanging off Taehyung's ears again.

Taehyung props himself up on Jeongguk's chest - his favourite spot - and takes the end of one of the mer's braids in his hand to tickle Jeongguk's gills with it until he sneezes. Taehyung grins. "Funny is, that we know each other less than a year. But it doesn't feel like it, does it?"

"No," Jeongguk admits with a voice so soft it's barely audible over the gurgling sea. "It really doesn't." Then, a bit firmer and with a finger under Taehyung's chin he adds, "Where have you been all my life before we met, I wonder?"

Taehyung slumps against him with a loud groan. "You really shouldn't say things like that without proper warning."

"Or what?"

He blinks. "Well. I might simply explode."

That has Jeongguk laughing, loud and high-pitched and carefree. But Taehyung doesn't fail to notice how the mer's grip around him turns tighter despite it. "Don't worry," he says and gives a little kiss to the shell of Taehyung's ear. "I won't let that happen to you."

Taehyung huffs, tries to ignore his burning ear. "You better not." He stretches out his pinky. "Promise?"

Jeongguk again has that smile that looks as sweet as a caramel latte tastes. (Taehyung has zero idea why his useless brain is making that specific connection. It's just. It's a really sweet and special smile, one of those he doubts just anyone would get from the mer. And it's doing, well. Things to his heart. A lot of things.)

"Promise."

They link their pinkies together in a slow and careful manner as the mer tries so very hard to not scratch Taehyung with his sharp nail. A whole new inferno goes off in his chest and mind and everything when Jeongguk guides their hands to his mouth and seals the promise with a lingering kiss to their pinkies. Taehyung's heart stutters at the raw devotion he finds in the mer's endlessly dark eyes. Yeah, he's got no doubt about it. Jeongguk will protect him from anything.

"By the way," Jeongguk quips in a nonchalant way that has Taehyung reeling, as if there hasn't been a tension between them thick enough to almost taste it just a second ago, "speaking of protection. I might have something for you."

"Oh?"

Now, that catches Taehyung's attention for sure. (As if the mer wouldn't have it all the time anyway.) And then, before he knows it, he's gingerly lifted off Jeongguk by those wonderful, strong arms of his, and placed onto the moss instead. Gosh. He should stop staring. Is he salivating? He hopes he isn't. Damn Jeongguk's physique and the muscle kink it invokes in him.

"What-"

"Just give me a moment, yeah? I'll be back in a second." Jeongguk gives him a kiss on the forehead, then swings himself off the ledge in one of those perfect arcs. Taehyung can't even be mad at him for suddenly disappearing when he gets a view like that to enjoy.

Sure enough, it doesn't take long for him to get back. And even when he's still a few metres deep in the water, Taehyung can clearly see he's holding something.

...He'd never expected that something to be a big knife, though.

"I, what?" He blinks. Has the faint sense of his mouth dropping open.

It's not that this new gift is lacking beauty in comparison to the ones he got before from the mer. Definitely not, with how the light breaks on the sleek surface of the blade that seems milky-white in one moment, dusty violet in the next, and then again light blue like the summer sky right above the horizon. Spirals of silver - so typical, Taehyung thinks and smiles - are wrapped around the upper end before turning into a slim hilt that's twisting around its own core. No, the beauty of it is not the issue. But rather, that he didn't anticipate to receive a weapon. Ever. Because that's what it is, a weapon. Even he can tell with one look how sharp it is.

"So, I, you see..."

Wait. Is Jeongguk nervous now? What?!

"So I went to my parents, and Joon-hyung said-"

Taehyung stops him right there. "Hold up. Parents? I thought mers are descended stars or something?"

"Yeah, well, when we are freshly born, usually the nearest mer adopts you and raises you as their own until you can wield the sea's power and survive on your own, which I'm pretty sure I told you at some point but-"

"No, you didn't!" Taehyung shrieks. "Details, now!"

With a good-hearted sigh, Jeongguk obliges. Only takes his time to get out of water and settle next to Taehyung before he tells his little tale.

"Very well. Then listen closely. Once a love-stricken star plummets into the depths of the sea and ceases being a star to be reborn as a mer... it goes like a whisper through the whole maritime realm. Gets carried by the waves into the farthest corner of the smallest bay. Everyone will know a new merbaby was born. And the mers closest to it will come to pick it up and raise it as their own."

"Just like that?"

Jeongguk hums. "Just like that. I told you, merfolk is one big family. We are all born from the same destiny and thus regard every single mer as our relatives. It's why we never understood you war-mongering humans."

Taehyung frowns. "Huh. So you too got adopted by the mer who just happened to be close by?"

The emr nods. "That's right. In my case it's been two mers, though. So, where was I? We get adopted and raised. And then, after a few decades, once a mer is old and strong enough to care for themselves and control the sea properly, they can decide whether to stay with their foster parents or to leave and start a life on their own."

Taehyung drops a hand to Jeongguk's neck and lets the sliver chains attached there idly run through his fingers. "So you decided to leave. And never heard that whisper yourself?"

"Oh, I did. I heard it once, pretty close to where I stayed back then," the mer easily admits. "But I refused to go. I knew there were other mers near aside from myself who could and would take it in. The whisper only stops when an older mer picks the newborn up, so as long as it's still ongoing, we know someone has yet to come and take it in. But I was young and reckless back then. I wanted to continue living on my own for a bit longer before getting a new family member shoved into my life out of the blue."

Taehyung chuckles. "So you were a proud and thriving single. How about now?"

"Now," the mer hums and tucks a strand behind Taehyung's ear, "I'd probably ignore the call again. Now that I have you."

"Aish, seriously."

Jeongguk laughs. "What? It's true. Anyway. Do you like your gift?"

"Yeah, I do." Taehyung leans forward to give him a kiss that is happily answered. "Thank you. It's unexpected, but I do. You spoil me."

"Only the best for you." The words are whispered against his mouth like a secret nobody should know.

Taehyung smiles into it and tugs Jeongguk closer by the chains. "How shall I ever show my gratitude to you, hm?"

Jeongguk frowns. "You already do. Everyday, you do."