English | noun

♦ a hiding place; a place of safety and comfort

 

---

Taehyung stirs awake to a hand lovingly carding through his hair, and squints into dimness. He didn't light every wick of their self-made oil lamps the way Jeongguk always does. Most of the stone hall is still shrouded in darkness, and the finer details of the mer's handsome face are unrecognisable too. 

...Or maybe it's because his eyes are crusted with sleep. Could be that, too. 

He groggily pats Jeongguk's cheek and scowls, miffed that he can't count the stars under the mer's eyes like usually.

"You're late."

The mer laughs quietly. "Apologies, love."

"Ugh." Taehyung groans. "That's even worse than 'little star'. Have mercy with this poor, weak man, Gguk."

"Don't be dramatic. You are neither poor nor weak."

Taehyung flops an arm over the heap of pillows he's fallen into. "Lies!"

Jeongguk laughs again and leans down to pepper his face with kisses. Not that Taehyung is complaining. With a happy hum, he lets the mer dote on him.

After a while, he makes grabby hands, doesn't wait for Jeongguk to listen to his non-verbal request, and unceremoniously pulls him into the pillow heap too. The mer goes down with an un-majestic squeal that has Taehyung snickering.

"Aw, look at you, big, mighty merman who fears no nothing - except pillows."

Said mer nips him in the side and playfully snaps his teeth. "Yah! I am terrifying!"

"Uhum, sure~"

Jeongguk pouts. He sounds more like a spoilt brat who complains about not getting another treat than anything else. "I am!" Then his gaze drops onto Taehyung's wrapped-up hand and he turns all serious within the blink of an eye. Carefully, he picks it up and presses a kiss onto Taehyung's wrist. "I'm sorry."

Taehyung frowns. "Whatever for?"

"I never wanted you to get hurt."

"I knew you'd say something stupid, I just knew it," he huffs. "How, pray tell, could you have possibly prevented this from happening when you've been in that horrible tank, huh?"

The mer presses his mouth into a thin line and says nothing. 

"...If anything, I should be the one apologising." The admission comes out meek, sounding as small as Taehyung feels whenever he thinks about that certain aspect of, well, the night when everything went to . But now it's laid out in the open. All bare for Jeongguk to scrutinise.

The mer jerks his head back and stares at Taehyung as if he'd grown a second head. "What?! Why do you have to apologise?"  

"Because." Taehyung in a shaky breath. "Because if I hadn't asked you to get out of the water, if I hadn't insisted on kissing you, they wouldn't have caught you, and, well. Nothing of all this would've happened."

It's something he hadn't allowed himself to think about much. Not until Jeongguk was safe, at least. Had pushed the vicious thought aside to try keeping a clear head. Yet it's always been there, in a dark corner of his mind, brooding.

"Taehyung." Hands cup his face and pull him forward until their foreheads touch. "Taehyung," the mer says again. Keeps repeating his name like a mantra as he locks eyes with him, gaze intense. "Taehyung, my beloved Taehyung. None of this is your fault. Do you understand? The fishermen had set their minds onto catching me, whatever it takes. If their trap wouldn't have worked that night, then they would have come up with something else and tried again. It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong, never!"

Taehyung hiccups. He stands with what he said earlier - he is one poor, weak man.

"...I'm still sorry," he mutters.

The mer tuts. "No. Hush. Don't be. You are not allowed to feel sorry for something that was completely out of your control. Besides, out of the two of us, clearly I am the fool here."

"What do you mean?"

Jeongguk rubs their noses together and gives him a lopsided smile. "I'm a little stupid too, sometimes, you know?" He tenderly his thumbs over Taehyung's cheekbones, then leans in to steal a kiss from his lips. "I'd sooner do everything the same way again, than denying you my affection, little star. Minus the part where you get injured."

"Stop that." Taehyung weakly hits him with his good hand. The one he hadn't wrapped up with parts of his shirt while following a Youtube tutorial. He sniffles. "Don't say that- don't you dare say that! I never want to see you like this again. Ever! I thought- for a while, I-I thought, I-"

"Shhh." The mer guides him into a warm hug that he very desperately needs right now. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you, love."

Taehyung sinks further into the hug and huffs. "Then don't say stupid things like that."

"Alright. I won't."

"If I'm not allowed to feel sorry, then you are officially banned from getting hurt now."

"Very well."

Taehyung pulls out of Jeongguk's warm chest just enough to glare up at him. He is well aware that he probably looks about as intimidating as a kitten, but it is the thought that counts. "I'm being serious, Gguk. You as much as smell a harpoon, you turn the other way around, understood?"

"I don't think that's how-"

"Yah, Jeongguk!"

"Okay, okay. I'll be more careful, I swear."

Taehyung squints at him. "Do you really?"

With an offended gasp, the mer puts a hand on his chest, right above his heart. "Would I lie?!"

Taehyung purses his lips and gives him a long, judging look before he mutters, "...You're lucky you're cute."

Jeongguk beams.

 

Taehyung complains a bit more about the mer's recklessness in hopes that it might distract him from the terrific pictures in his head. 

The complaining doesn't help, not really - but the slow drag of Jeongguk's fingers over whatever part of Taehyung he can reach does. As do the lazy kisses he keeps stealing, and the soft murmurs right into Taehyung's ear. Slowly, so slowly, like the water that's been trickling through the closed gate, the tension leaves Taehyung's body. 

 A while ago, the mer has taken it upon himself to light all the remaining wicks. Until everything was basked in a warm, golden glow. And now they are both snuggled together into the pillow heap and Taehyung gradually turns to mush in Jeongguk's grasp.

At some point he starts roaming his hand over the mer's body too, and timidly asks Jeongguk if he could change back into his true form. He knows it's not ideal with zero water up here, but.

"Why?"

"I just," Taehyung gnaws at his lip, "I have to see. Gotta make sure, that, you know."

The mer quirks an eyebrow but gives him a kind look, silently urging him to explain.

Taehyung caves. "I just wanna see that you are really healed," he mutters, and glances down at his lap.

"Oh, Tae," the mer breathes. "Taehyung, of course, I'm perfectly fine, I promise. Here."

He shifts on the spot. Taehyung curiously watches the whole thing, forever fascinated by it. Admittedly, it is a little weird to see a giant fish tail flopping around between mountains of pillows. But Taehyung asked for this, so he shouldn't complain. And he doesn't. Instead, crouches down to run a hand over the dry scales, over the spot where the hook has been embedded within the mer's flesh. 

Now only a pale scar remains. In the places where he's been impaled by the harpoons, they are not more than pale, raised spots the size of a coin. Taehyung a finger over one of the bumps while looking at Jeongguk's face, gauging his reaction. The mer serenely peers back with a faint smile on his lips.

"Doesn't sting," he says.

Taehyung hums, then nods. "Good." Clenches his hand into a fist as he adds, "I'm glad."

Jeongguk takes Taehyung's fist and slow fingers over his knuckles until the fist opens, then entwines them and gives a light squeeze. His other hand reaches out for Taehyung's wounded one. He eyes the bandage with a low whine lodged in his throat.

"Taehyung," he says. And it's the closest Taehyung has heard him to begging. "Taehyung, please, tell me what to do."

The thing is, Taehyung is not so sure himself. He hasn't stuck his fist into someone's mouth and gotten bitten very often before. And is also not sure what exactly to google. They'll have to figure it out. If things get bad, he has to check out a doctor.

He says as much to the mer, following it up with "I'll just have to make sure it doesn't starts to fester."

Jeongguk's brows knit together at that. "What does fester mean?"

"Ah." Taehyung scratches his nose. "It's, like, if bad bacteria get into open wounds, the body might not react well and do things like developing some slimy, yellow kind of liquid. It probably hurts a lot, too."

"...I don't like this."

"It'll be fine as long as it doesn't get infected."

"And if it does?"

Taehyung shrugs. "I'll have to go to the doctor and hope for the best."

The mer keeps scowling at Taehyung's bandaged hand for a long while before he declares "this won't do", grows himself legs, gets up, walks over to the colonnade, and jumps into the early morning sea.

Taehyung stays back inside the pillow heap. He is not sure what to make out of this. It's not like Jeongguk explained anything, he just up and disappeared, Very strange. Should he be concerned?

Luckily, the mer isn't gone long enough for Taehyung to actually worry. It only takes a few minutes then he comes back, riding one of his giant water jet thingies and slops into the hall together with a generous share of sea water. Which is yet another first. Usually, the water stays outside whenever they get up here.

So, excuse Taehyung for staring. (And for letting out a low "The ".)

"The sea agreed to help you," Jeongguk says as if that explains anything.

Taehyung gives him The Look. Waits for the mer to elaborate, because in his book it is not normal to have conversations with the sea.

Jeongguk, however, doesn't seem to get the memo. He stays in his mer form. Water keeps swirling around his lower half while his upper body slumps into the pillows. Which only confuses Taehyung further.

"Tae, hand."

Taehyung gives him a hand, and the mer huffs.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"Give me the other one."

"...Oh."

The mer struggles to remove the bandage but refuses Taehyung's offered help, insisting he got it. All Taehyung can do is lay there and let him do whatever it is he's trying to do. Once the fabric is gone, Jeongguk goes very quiet. Taehyung can't tell if he's only being serious, or if he's angry. (His gut tells him it's the latter, which he totally understands. As he's seen Jeongguk wounded, he's been furious, too.)

Taehyung gets distracted by the depth of Jeongguk's eyes one too often. That's why the touch of cold wetness on his hand startles him enough to yelp.

"Yah, what-"

Some of the water cocooning Jeongguk's form has wrapped around his hand, up to his wrist. There is an icy bite to it, and everywhere it meets open flesh, the contact burns.

Jeongguk shushes him, entire focus on his hand now.

"Maybe don't watch."

Taehyung hums and looks at him instead.

A little while that might as well have been an eternity passes, before the mer meets his gaze and gives him a small smile.

"Alright."

The water slips off Taehyung's hand, and gets replaced by gentle fingers caressing his knuckles, his palm, the back of his hand. It doesn't hurt at all. So Taehyung risks a glance down - and gapes.

"Holy !"

Because.

His hand looks like new. There isn't even the shadow of a scratch mark left. Only smooth, healthy, sun-kissed skin everywhere.

Jeongguk lifts the hand to his mouth and kisses every spot where a tooth mark has been. Then gives a crude over the palm that has Taehyung's toes curling. "All done," he says. And floats himself back out of the hall, taking every drop of water with him.

"...That was weird," Taehyung mutters to himself as he waits for the mer to come back. "Cool, but weird."

 

After a while of the two of them resting in each other's arms without getting any shut-eye, the mer pipes up with hushed voice.

"Do you want to stay here or come back to my place?"

Taehyung ponders the question. "...I feel safer and more at home in your cave. But the pillows are here..."

"I, uhm, I can just take the pillows along?"

"Deal."

So they leave, with the sweet syrup of Jeongguk's magical berry clinging to Taehyung's throat, and an entourage of pillows floating behind them through the water. Taehyung can't help but giggle at the ridiculous sight. Is instantly thankful that the berry allows him to breathe underwater, or else he'd be a spluttering, near-drowning mess now.

Jeongguk's home also has the advantage that daylight doesn't find its way inside quite as easily, which makes falling asleep at such an early morning hour a no-brainer. Taehyung is content where he has sprawled an arm over Jeongguk's chest and tangled their legs together between the many pillows. Slow, lazy fingers up and down his back while Jeongguk keeps humming a quiet melody. Taehyung's eyes slip shut in no time, and before he even knows it, he dozes off in the arms of his mer. 

 

The next time, he wakes up to a hand slipping under his pullover and splaying out over his stomach. A content sigh leaves him as he presses against the warm chest behind him, mildly registering that he must have turned around in his sleep. Jeongguk grunts and pulls him even closer. 

They doze off for some more, to the sound of gentle waves lapping at stone and sunlight filtering through the colourful sea glass windows Jeongguk crafted. 

What roses Taehyung from his slumber for good is the slightly cold nose digging into his nape, accompanied by constant shallow puffs of warm air on his skin. He rubs his eyes and blinks at the colourful spots covering equally colourful stone walls and floor. Seems like he is the first one up this time. But maybe that shouldn't come as a surprise, considering everything Jeongguk went through. Now, the mer needs and deserves all the rest in the world. So Taehyung stays where he is, fully content to just lay in Jeongguk's arms for however long it takes the other to wake up, and think about this and that.

He'll have to find a new place to stay for as long as he doesn't want to get back to Seoul yet. Maybe in that other village with the closed restaurant. Or maybe that's too close to Nakseongdae. If he's being honest with himself, he doesn't want to get anywhere near that place ever again. He'll have to talk it over with Jeongguk. After all, the farther away Taehyung decides to move, the farther the way from Jeongguk's home to that new place will be. It'll require careful navigation to decide on a new accomodation. But one thing is fore sure, he can't exactly stay inside a cave for days and weeks on end.

The glowing specks of green and blue leisurely wander over the stone with the sun.

With a huff, Taehyung gets up when he can't ignore his empty stomach any longer. He trudges over to his bag and rummages around for something edible. He knows he's packed something yesterday. Two apples, a bag of rice crackers and salami sticks is what he comes up with. Not much, but better than nothing. Ugh. Does that mean, Jeongguk taking him to some town so he can go grocery shopping has made it to the top of their agenda now? How uny.

Taehyung munches away on the salami sticks, watching how the heap that is Jeongguk sleeping begins to groan and stir. He chuckles. Finishes the treat, and pads back to the mer, crouching down in front of him to card a hand through his tangled, messy hair.

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Hrrrrrrrrrmn."

"Yeah, me too."

The mer pouts, and lifts the blanket for Taehyung. "Come back."

Taehyung instantly obliges, because of course he does. Slinks back into the toasty warmth and weaves his legs between Jeongguk's, as strong arms encircle him and pull him close. Jeongguk perches his chin on the crown of Taehyung's head, then shifts and inhales deeply while letting out a content hum.

Taehyung snorts. "Better?"

"Much."

 

Thorough the day, they talk about what happened to each other. They have to, even if it's painful to bring up every detail. At a few parts they don't explain everything though, hearts and minds still too raw to voice certain things out loud. 

Like the way Taehyung stopped functioning the moment he thought Jeongguk was dead. Most of the fine print he skips there, only painting a rough picture for the mer.

It's enough. Jeongguk understands without him saying much. Wears such a heart-wrenching, sorrowful expression as he pulls Taehyung into a tight hug and peppers his face with kisses while whispering that he is alive and well, don't worry about a thing.

Taehyung hugs him back just as hard and clings to his every word. Perks up when Jeongguk off-handedly mentions, "In fact, I don't think I even can die."

"What?"

The mer shrugs. "I mean, some other mers are more than a thousand years old. And Jinnie is still alive too, after everything that has been done to him. Which was much worse than what I experienced, by the way."

Taehyung furrows his brows at that. He remembers Jeongguk telling him about one of his foster dads being littered with scars but didn't think much of it yet. Now, as he thinks about how the cruel treatment of Jeongguk left only small lasting marks on him, he can't help but wonder what kind of sick sadists had gotten their hands on that other mer. Or if it was a terrible accident.

(If it wasn't, then Taehyung is going to apologise on behalf of all mankind to the mer the very second they meet.)

Jeongguk must sense Taehyung's mind drifting into murky waters of a different kind than before. He gives him a concerned look, then puts on a little smile and reaches out to tickle Taehyung's sides.

Taehyung folds in two with loud shrieks immediately.

 

He is in the middle of doing Jeongguk's nails - all the cracks and splinters have been sanded off, and now Taehyung is trying out something new with the nail polish that will hopefully look like shimmering fish scales once he is done - when the matter of that large tank comes up. As in, the way it was crafted, how it worked, and its entire existence in general.

He wonders out loud, "With the way those damn chains have been obviously included in the design from the beginning, it seems an awful lot as if it was supposed to imprison something."

The mer nods.

Taehyung purses his lips. "But imprison what? They must've had something specific in mind."

His mind hedges around the obvious answer, but he ignores it, hopes that maybe-

"...Me."

Jeongguk says it with a finality that leaves no room for doubt. Taehyung slumps forward. That's exactly the answer he didn't wanna hear.

"But why go at such lengths to capture you and keep you locked up," he muses. "Are you really that dangerous?"

The mer studies with rapt attention the way Taehyung keeps adding layers of nail polish. Keeps his eyes lowered as he answers, voice low and distant.

"...I can be. I just usually choose not to."

"What changed?," Taehyung breathes, pictures of fishermen drowning on dry land pushing forward in his mind.

Again, the mer takes a while to respond. This time he does look at Taehyung, impossibly dark eyes staring at him as Jeongguk opens his mouth a few times, pushing the words out at last.

"There was too much at stake this time."

Something tightens and unravels at the same time within Taehyung. He his lips and pretends to be focussed on Jeongguk's nails while his mind wanders off without him. The second sentence that Jeongguk didn't say out loud floats in the air between them, heavy and tangible.

They kept hurting you, too.

He hears it loud and clear.

 

Before Taehyung is allowed to go fetch his car and look for a new accomodation, Jeongguk whisks him off his feet and declares they both need a tropical vacation right now.

Which, cool. Taehyung is fine with that. It's just an oddly specific declaration. Seems like Jeongguk has something in mind.

His hunch turns out to be true, as Taehyung sees not one, but three heads popping out of the water from where he's sitting cross-legged on a lone boulder at the beach of some uninhabited island, palm trees swaying above him.

Only one of the figures comes closer though, the other two staying a fair distance behind. But as Jeongguk makes his way over to him in all his dripping, glory, another one lifts a hand and gives a tentative wave. Taehyung hasn't even waved back when the second stranger slaps the hand down and pulls the friendlier one back underwater.

Huh. Taehyung blinks. That was... surely something.

"Ah, sorry about that." Jeongguk scratches his neck and flops down onto the sand next to Taehyung's boulder. Then he spontaneously grows his tail back, just to curl it around the stone. Once he is satisfied with his position, he lets out an airy laugh. "They're both shy. I tried to convince them that you won't maul them on sight, but, ah."

Taehyung's hand tangles in the mer's hair where he's resting his head in Taehyung's lap before he knows it. "I get it, Gguk. It took you days and weeks to become comfortable around me. I didn't expect them to welcome me with open arms, you know."

The mer turns his face upwards and pouts. "Still. I wanted them to give you a warm welcome. This was embarrassing."

"Aww. As if I'd ever be embarrassed by you, silly."

"...Really?"

Taehyung chuckles and leans down for a peck on Jeongguk's forehead. "Really." He stretches out a hand. "Pinky promise."

Jeongguk links their pinkies together and grins. When he looks back at Taehyung, his eyes hold entire galaxies.

 

After a while, Taehyung remembers all the gifts he packed for Jeongguk and never came around to give him. So he holds a little celebration, right there at the beach. Writes 'Happy Surviving Day' in the wet sand with his fingers and draws a few curls here and there in lack of actual paper streamers.

He is beyond delighted to see that all the gifts he so meticulously wrapped up made it through half an ocean without getting so much as damp. At this point he probably shouldn't be surprised anymore, with how he has seen Jeongguk effortlessly control water on the daily. But. He still always checks if everything in his bag remained dry. Just in case. Call it bad habit, if you will.

He makes to arrange the different presents in the shape of a heart but gives up soon. The presents are of such various size and shape, the heart shape is in no way recognisable. It just looks... sad. So he settles for a classical gift heap instead.

Yep.

Because being on a deserted island, carrying around a mountain of presents, and trying to throw together a party there is completely normal.

Jeongguk fawns about all the pretty jewellery like there is no tomorrow after he unwrapped them. Proceeds to put on everything at once and huffs as Taehyung keeps laughing at him. 

"You can't- you can't wear a tiara and a crown together," he wheezes.

The mer obviously takes it as a challenge. "Oh, yeah? Watch me!"

Taehyung shrieks and throws sand at him.

As soon as Jeongguk is satisfied with his work, he hugs Taehyung, presses a wet smooch on his cheek and then turns around to run straight into the sea.

"YAH, LOOK WHAT TAE GAVE ME," he bellows.

Dives into the ocean head-first, and is gone.

Taehyung gawks after him.

"Huh." He falls onto his . "...I take it you like your gifts."

 

When Jeongguk returns, it's with the crown wrapped around his neck - Taehyung neither has an idea how that's possible, nor thinks he wants to know the logistics of that - and the biggest, -eating grin on his face.

"I showed my dads all your presents and Jin was sooo jealous," he crows.

Taehyung shakes his head and chuckles.

His immortal, all-powerful merman boyfriend is such a dork.

The smile has turned a little insecure by the time Jeongguk reaches him; just enough to raise alarms. Taehyung takes a deep breath to steal himself for whatever is about to leave the mer's mouth, already worrying what could have gone wrong.

"...Also, uhh, Namjoonie broke one of the hairpins you got me. The one that looks like spoondrift."

With a big pout on his lips, he opens the hand he's been hiding behind his back. Sure enough, there are two halves of the delicate hairpin resting on his palm now, the almost black wooden pin cleanly snapped in the middle. Taehyung has a split-second to master his expression into something friendly and reassuring before Jeongguk looks up to him in something that's turning more and more into distress. Now, Taehyung won't lie, he is bummed that one of his (not-so-cheap) gifts got broken so soon. But seeing the way Jeongguk peers up at him from under his lashes as if not sure what to expect of Taehyung, probably steeling himself for a scolding, is even worse.

So he gently pats the mer's cheek, gives a peck to the bridge of his nose, carefully takes the two pieces from Jeongguk's hand and assures him that he'll try to get it fixed soon. Maybe in whatever place he'll stay soon, they have some super strong glue at the supermarket. It'll be alright.

Jeongguk traipses after him on quickly re-grown legs when Taehyung goes to put the damaged good away. Comes to a stand-still next to where he is crouching over his bag. From the corner of his eyes, Taehyung can see the mer fiddling with his hands. It's so very uncharacteristic - so unlike the usually proud, confident mer, that he doesn't really know what to do about it.

"What is it?"

"Uhm..."

Jeongguk chews on his lip, eyes darting away, then back at Taehyung, and off to the side again.

Taehyung scowls. This won't do. He pats the sand next to him, waits for the mer to sit down, weaves their fingers together and half pulls Jeongguk onto his lap. The mer lets out a quiet sigh as he settles.

"What's wrong," Taehyung tries again. His thumbs are rubbing circles into the back of Jeongguk's hands.

"It's not... there is nothing wrong, I just," Jeongguk huffs, sounding about as frustrated as he looks, "I'm just not sure if it'll, uhm. So, like. Namjoonie-hyung wants to kinda, in a way, maybe, like... apologise? In person? And I just- he doesn't- I mean, it's been a while since he last met a human."

At this point, Taehyung can no longer hold off the laugh. Jeongguk's rambling is just too cute.

"Gguk," he says, forever fond. "It's been a while since you last met a human before me too, if at all, right? And we are perfectly fine now."

"Yeah, well, but for my dad it's been several centuries!"

"So? He seemed kind enough to me. Don't sweat it, okay? If anything happens, I know you'll be there to protect me."

The mer puffs out his chest at that. "Of course I will!"

 

They work out a time for Taehyung to meet with Namjoon - as if either of them had a busy schedule anyway - and then find themselves stuck at the logistics of their plan. Because, well. As seemingly easy it is by now for Jeongguk to come and join Taehyung on land, as outlandishly impossible it is for any other mer. Namjoon can't grow himself legs. Which means everything else than deep waters are an impossible meeting spot for him.

"...As I see it, we have two possibilities to go about this," Jeongguk declares. "One-" he holds up a prettily manicured finger- "I'll let you ride on my tail again, like back in summer when we were at the beach."

Taehyung groans into his palm. "I don't know if it's just my brain making up things, but the way you just worded that kinda turns me on."

The mer blinks at him.

"...Huh."

"Wait, so it wasn't on purpose?!"

"...Now that you mention it..."

Taehyung swats him on the chest. "Yah!"

 

They get a little side-tracked (and maybe are glad Jeongguk's dads are keeping their distance for now) until Taehyung remembers something.

"Hey," he says, the word dragging out with lazy contempt. 

The mer hums into his shoulder from where he is nestled into Taehyung's back. His hand keeps drawing slow circles into Taehyung's stomach.

"You never told me option two, babe."

"Oh... guess I didn't. Someone must have distracted me~"

His hand wanders lower again, where part of Taehyung begins to stir in interest again. Taehyung gulps.

"Nooo... no, Gguk, I just came."

The hand retreats, accompanied with a teasing chuckle. "Okay, okay." With yet another hum, he places a kiss onto the spot behind Taehyung's ear. "Option two... I could get you a rock to sit on. So you don't have to swim during the whole conversation, if you wanna meet him alone."

"Dude," Taehyung deadpans, "deep waters. You said it has to be deep waters. For a rock tall enough to peek out there - you can't just dig up and carry over an entire stone needle!"

Taehyung doesn't have to turn around to know that Jeongguk is pouting.

"...I totally can."

"Jeongguk, no."

 

Shortly before The Meeting is supposed to happen, Taehyung does get a slight case of nerves. Because. Even if Jeongguk will be there too, it is still his first meeting with another mer. And with how Jeongguk has been so hesitant to get close to Taehyung initially, it must have been a behaviour instilled by his dads. So it's probably safe to assume that both of the other mers are not fond of humans. Which is a legit reason to be worried, in Taehyung's humble opinion.

"Do you think he's gonna lynch me?"

"Depends on what that means."

"It's, uh... let's say, it hurts a lot and I don't wanna experience it, like, ever. Also most people die during the procedure, I bet."

The grip on Taehyung's hand tightens as they head towards the open sea together. "You won't get hurt."

Taehyung leans over to give him a peck. "Thank you, babe."

In the distance, he can already see a blond head peeking out of the water. It is a bit surreal, with how he is used to the sight only in context of Jeongguk. Just to be sure the mer is still next to him, he glances to the side . Sure enough, Jeongguk is still there, a reassuring smile on his face. And his hair is still black, too.

 

The initial meeting with Namjoon is, well, awkward, to say the least. Taehyung is a bit out of practise with sitting on Jeongguk, and yelps as the mer's tail wiggles itself between his legs. His face burns, and he doesn't dare look into the stranger's direction for a solid minute. Way to make a good first impression.

Namjoon, to his credit, does not . Waits patiently for Taehyung to gather his wits, and greets him with a wide, dimpled smile once he looks up.

"Hello, Taehyung. It is nice to meet you."

He extends a hand, which Taehyung hesitantly shakes. 

"Uhm." Taehyung clears his throat. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you too, I guess."

The mer's smile dims a fraction. He turns to Jeongguk, an eyebrow raised. " 'I guess?' Did you tell him anything frightening about me?"

The younger mer splutters out a string of denials.

From then on, the encounter goes rather smoothly. Or, as smooth as could be, considering the awkward monologue Namjoon holds about the fragility of jewels and his incomparable clumsiness, and the slip-up on Taehyung's side, where he openly stares at the fiery orange-yellow fins growing in a jagged line on a yet-black tail.

"Whoa, you look so cool!"

Namjoon chokes. Quickly puts his tail back down from where he's been curling it in the air in emphasis to what he's been saying.

And Taehyung, he gets jostled quite a bit as Jeongguk sits up straight behind him and wraps both arms tight around his torso.

"Yah!" The mer pokes his nose in Taehyung's cheek. "Yah, Tae, I'm cooler though, right?"

Taehyung his lips. Gives an apologetic look to the older mer who seems equal parts confused and mildly amused. 

"Uhm, of course. Of course you are cooler, the coolest of all! My cool, handsome, stunning, beautiful, kind, lovely, gentle favourite mer," he coos.

Jeongguk hums, placated, and dots Taehyung's neck and face with kisses. Taehyung makes a mental note not to compliment any other mer in Jeongguk's vicinity.

After that, they manage to have a good portion of small talk that doesn't feel like pulling several teeth. Namjoon talks about his favourite pod of dolphins that's been passing by again just recently, and about Seokjin's plans to redecorate their home. Again.

Jeongguk looks the most unimpressed. "Isn't that, like, the sixth time this year?"

Namjoon pinches the bridge of his nose and groans. "The seventh. Don't ask. Jinnie decided yesterday that aquamarine is The Colour Of The Year. And you know I'm a weakling when he gives me that pout."

Jeongguk snickers.

Surprisingly, Namjoon then shows a vivid interest in Taehyung's profession as singer. 

"Oh, there was a time when I tried singing too," the mer admits with a little smile. "I mean, Jinnie is a gorgeous siren, with the prettiest voice, so I wanted to impress him. But, uhm. Guess I'm just not made for this."

Now that's some interesting News. They keep chatting about music for a long while. But then one thing leads to another. Taehyung is reminded of wannabe-producer Yoongi, and thus, of Nakseongdae.

He frowns. "You know what I don't get about the whole thing with N-"

"Shhh." Jeongguk carefully puts a hand over Taehyung's mouth. "We don't say that word here."

"Hm? Wh-"

Pure, undiluted desperation flits over Namjoon's face before he can master himself. Within the blink of an eye, a kind smile is back on his face, but Taehyung saw. And he belatedly remembers the story Jeongguk told him a while ago.

"...Oh. I'm sorry. I mean, uh... nevermind. I already forgot what I was about to say."

Jeongguk stirs the conversation back into safe waters with an ease as if he's done it a hundred times. Starts to brag about the galaxy book Taehyung got him not too long ago. Slowly, the tension that's been creeping up on all of them fades away. And soon enough they are laughing loudly together when Taehyung tells them about that one time he went to a restaurant where everything was completely dark and he couldn't see a single thing on his plate.

"...And I had no idea what was on the menu. Like, zero, nada, niente! My friend Hobi swears one of the things we got served was abalone but honestly, every second thing tasted like chicken to me. I think my taste buds were confused that they couldn't see. But one of the dishes was so spicy, ohmygosh, I've been coughing and crying and had to blow my nose for at least five times. Thought my would explode right on the spot, man!"

Jeongguk is already panting, out of breath from all the giggles. And Namjoon too wipes a little happy tear away. Taehyung grins, very satisfied with himself.

They bid their goodbyes to each other soon after, with Namjoon giving a strong pat to Taehyung's shoulder that has the latter doubling over. It feels a lot like The Dad Approval. (Taehyung only inhales sea water and splutters a little bit.)

Back on the beach with Jeongguk, however, he picks up the lose thread of earlier.

"So... about Nakseongdae."

The mer lets out a low, melodic hum to signal he is listening. He keeps carding a hand through Taehyung's wet hair, collecting more and more water droplets in his palm with each pass, effectively drying his hair with rad merman magic.

Taehyung leans into the touch and closes his eyes.

"It's just... after you saved the village from the storm flood months ago, everyone was thanking you and worshipping you like a god, and rightfully so!"

Jeongguk huffs at that, but Taehyung swats the mer's thigh, a little offended.

"Yah! I mean it! You basically are a Sea God! To me, you are. They were right with the praying for once. Yet those same people were more than ready to tear you apart and lock you up. It just... it doesn't make sense."

Declaring Taehyung's hair for dry, the mer hooks his chin over the latter's shoulder and wraps both arms around Taehyung's waist, fingers slipping into Taehyung's.

"It's like history repeating itself, but in a very quick summary."

Taehyung makes a questioning noise at that. Looks down into his lap where Jeongguk is fiddling with their entwined fingers.

The mer's voice is raw around the edges when he continues.

"Time is a cruel thing, little star. The loveliest fairy tale will turn into a nightmare if you just let it sit long enough and give it enough time to become its own abomination. Did you know there even used to be a temple dedicated to Namjoon when he still lived there?"

Taehyung gasps. "No way!"

"It's true. He told me once that it was somewhere to the right of the village. But now, nothing remains. I went to look for it when I built the staircase, you know? Searched for several nights, yet didn't find as much as rubble. It's completely gone."

"...That's cruel," Taehyung says, feeling very small all of a sudden.

Behind him, he can feel Jeongguk shrug. "That's how history works, I suppose. Or human history, anyway. Most of you only believe what they want to believe or what benefits you most, regardless of logic or truth. How else would a village that worshipped the children of the sea long ago come to hate everything I am?"

Taehyung sighs then, long and deep and hurting with every fibre for the mer who always holds him so gently. Squeezes Jeongguk's hands where they have come to rest in his lap. "I don't know, Gguk. I don't know. But they are wrong. They wronged you in terrible ways. And I won't miss them one bit because of it."

A delicate silence stretches between them, only interrupted by the faint lapping of waves on the shore, and lastly by Jeongguk's hesitant voice.

"...Not at all?"

And. Seems that, after everything, Taehyung still needs to clear some lingering doubts. So he turns around and makes to straddle the mer, both hands coming up to cup Jeongguk's cheek. 

"Not at all. I chose you. And I'll keep choosing you, every single day. You better remember that, Gguk." 

He leans forward and kisses Jeongguk, soft and delicate, reverent, just how he deserves to be treated. Does his utmost to show the mer how much he treasures him. Jeongguk melts against him like putty. Only his embrace is solid where he clings to Taehyung like he never wants to let go.