English, originally latin | adjective

♦secret, mysterious, understood by only a few

---

 

Jeongguk is tentative to come any closer. No matter how breathtaking that human is and how approachable he seems, he is still not convinced that Taehyung is trustworthy.

He is a human after all.

The thing is, as he sits there so relaxed and open, completely vulnerable with his expression showing not a single shadow of hesitation - it makes it so damn easy to trust him. And Jeongguk wants to. Feels like he doesn't have to fear anything from him. With each warm smile, each unguarded twitch that gives Jeongguk the chance to read him like an open book, he wants to let his guards down.

But there is that little voice in the back of his head, the one responsible for his decade-old apprehension.

Remember what they did to Seokjin. Humans are vile.

So he keeps quiet. Stays in the water, ready to bolt any second, fingertips constantly tingling. And lets Taehyung do all the talking.

Which is way easier than anticipated.

With big, round eyes  - trusty, Jeongguk's mind unhelpfully supplies - Taehyung starts gushing about him.

"Ohmygosh, you are- are you a mermaid?! No wait, merman? Is that what you are? Holy . Hobi-hyung will never believe this when I tell him. This is really happening, right? I'm not dreaming?" He keeps fluttering his hands like an excited bird.

Jeongguk watches quietly. Taehyung is only a few sentences into his ramble when Jeongguk decides he really likes his voice. It's deep and rich in a way he never heard before. And comes so unexpected. Looking at the human, he would've never guessed him to have that kind of voice. But most of all, it's warm. That seems to be the one word to describe everything about the human. As Jeongguk lets him talk without really listening, his mind keeps circling back to that one word - warm. Warm skin tone, warm voice, warm eyes. Like a little sun.

Too bad Jeongguk always preferred the night sky.

Taehyung is still talking, oblivious to how Jeongguk stopped listening. 

"...And like, are you the big fish I kept seeing from the cliff? Except, clearly you are not a fish." He flushes deep red. Jeongguk watches and once again thinks, warm. "Oh God, was that insulting just now? I'm so sorry, I swear I didn't mean it in a degrading way! Fish are cool! I love fish! I used to have a pet goldfish."

That one actually makes Jeongguk smile a bit.

Instantly he is met with silence. And. After all that talking it's almost glaringly loud.

What-

What's going on?

The human watches him, mouth slightly agape.

"Wow."

Jeongguk blinks.

Hm, what?

"You have the most adorable smile."

...Oh.

Jeongguk flushes and sinks back into the water until only the upper half of his head is peaking out, burning cheeks hidden from Taehyung's curious eyes.

The human has the nerve to coo at him.

Jeongguk furrows his eyebrows, tail beating in irritation.

And yet he stays. Refuses to leave the human's company just yet.

Taehyung has this awed expression again. Too late Jeongguk remembers - his tail is supposed to stay hidden.

"You are magnificent."

No, Jeongguk thinks. There is no way this is all fake. 

"Can I... is this for real? I'm not laying in bed and making this up, am I?" He lifts a hand, then halts. "Can I... can I touch you again?"

Jeongguk flinches.

"No!"

Seokjin bleeding, Seokjin covered in deep cuts, with his fins cut off-

He dives back down and emerges a safe distance away from the human's eyes, from his touch. Ignores the hurt flashing in his eyes.

A part of Jeongguk wonders why he still hasn't fled.

After an awkward silence, Taehyung puts on a brave face.

"That's okay. We can still talk, right? You are not going to leave just now?"

And Jeongguk, he doesn't even know why, but he shakes his head. Doesn't like how the human's voice cracked at the end.

He is rewarded with a bright smile.

"Awesome!" Taehyung claps his hands.

And gets right back to storytelling. 

For the time being, Jeongguk keeps his distance. Content to listen to Taehyung and watch him from afar. Where he is safe.

This way he barely notices the time pass. Only realises how late it is once the huts' shadow no longer covers him. Taehyung, he'll give that to him, is a bright human. Because Jeongguk thinks he does a good job at concealing his restlessness. But the human takes a long look at him and says,

"You want to go back, huh?"

Jeongguk nods hesitantly. He spent more time with a human in one day than he did for the past... at least sixty years.

Just when he turned his back to him and tenses to dive back down, Taehyung pipes up one more time.

"Uhm, hey. Are you... will you come back tomorrow?"

He sounds uncharacteristically small.

And Jeongguk, he is stuck for an answer. With a last glance at the lone figure he disappears.

If Taehyung plans to come back with company tomorrow he surely won't be stupid enough to give him any hints.

 

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

 

"Hey Jimin-ah, you won't believe what I saw today!"

Taehyung bursts into the kitchen, ready to spill everything. He halts when he sees Yoongi mid-facepalm and Jimin with a sheepish smile.

"Uh, guys? What... what's going on?"

"My boyfriend is an idiot," the oldest scoffs.

Jimin huffs. "Well, at least you said boyfriend."

"You are not even denying it, idiot!"

Taehyung is still clueless. "Care to shed some light here?"

Yoongi, bless him, offers up some kind of explanation. If you can call it an explanation to wordlessly reach out and show Taehyung a brand new bottle of something, that is.

He takes the bottle, put off by how much heavier it is than it looks. "What...?" It seems to be porcelain or ceramic, a white bottle that has the word 'Ketchup' written on it in curly letters. And below, a picture of some blue grapes.

"What in the is that?"

"Soap," Jimin mutters.

Taehyung gapes. How the heck is that supposed to make sense? A soap bottle that says ketchup and has grapes on it? What- How could anyone ever think this to be a good idea?

He looks at the bottle, up to Jimin, down at the bottle and back to Jimin.

"...Why?"

The fisherman shrugs.

"Intuition?"

"Your intuition ," Taehyung accuses. Then freezes as he belatedly remembers the presence of Jimin's boyfriend.

But Yoongi just nods with grave expression. "No, you are absolutely right. Go ahead."

They continue giving Jimin for the rest of the evening. And Taehyung ends up not mentioning what he saw today, who he met. Figures roasting his friend has top priority right now.

 

 

The next day he bounds over to his spot behind the old huts in no time. He can't wait to see if he'll meet Jeongguk again.

As he gets there however, no merman is in sight. Or... as whatever he identifies. They. Hm.

It stings a little, he's not gonna lie.

Maybe he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. But somehow he really thought the other would come back.

With a resigned sigh, he sits down onto the pier. Puts his feet into the water like yesterday just because and then gets out his breakfast.

 

By the time the sun is at the zenith, Taehyung has lost hope for Jeongguk to show up. He's just about to call it a day and go on another hike instead when a soft splash makes him turn back around.

And there, just a few feet away from him, a familiar dark head peaks out of the water.

Taehyung is exhilarated. He almost trips over his own feet and stumbles headfirst into the sea, only manages to catch himself in the very last second.

"You came!"

Jeongguk's eyes go comically wide.

Oops. Taehyung grins sheepishly and rubs his neck.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just. Really happy to see you again."

The other stills. Doesn't say a word, just like yesterday. He is not much of a talker for sure. So Taehyung does the same thing as last time, he talks. About everything and nothing. Tries to seem nonchalant and not be too obvious in gauging Jeongguk's every reaction.

"...And honestly, I thought it's so weird for a coast town to forbid anyone from going into the water. But it makes sense now. This bay is probably your territory, right? They don't want anyone to disturb you."

A mixture of emotions flits over Jeongguk's face at that, too fast for Taehyung to make sense of them.

And then, for the first time that day, the other speaks up.

"Did you tell anyone?"

Taehyung has to stop himself from gawping because gosh, that's a sweet voice. Then, slowly, the words register. He doesn't need to ask what Jeongguk means and shakes his head.

"I... no. Not yet. Should I?"

Jeongguk hums. "No."

"Okay. Then I won't."

The other tilts his head. "...Just like that?"

Taehyung shrugs. "Yeah. If you don't want me to tell anyone about you, then I won't... Oh, I know!" He perks up. "Do you want me to pinky-promise?" 

"Pinky... promise?"

Taehyung is beyond himself. They are having an actual conversation! So he nods enthusiastically, stretches out his hand for Jeongguk and offers him the pinky. Jeongguk gives him a confused look.

"What do you want?"

He doesn't know what a pinky-promise is. Cute.

"We have to lock pinkies to make the vow," Taehyung explains, hand still outstretched. "Here, give me your hand. Let me show you."

And Jeongguk, oh he is hesitant. Refuses to lift his hand for a solid five minutes. But Taehyung can wait. And eventually, lo and behold, Jeongguk caves. Lifts his hand just a little bit above water so that Taehyung has to stretch himself even more. His untrained hiatus- complains with burning muscles and instantly aching limbs.

Their hands touch for the briefest moment before Jeongguk flinches away, then takes a deep breath and tries again. It's so obvious how much he has to fight himself. Taehyung wonders just what happened to him to react like that. He keeps his voice calm and steady as he continues.

"Okay, now lift your pinky just like I did... very good. That's it. And now we lock them like this... no no, wait, I'm not gonna hurt you. Yeah, just like that." They lock pinkies, Jeongguk 's eyebrows furrowed. 

"And now we swear," Taehyung declares.

"Swear?"

"Yeah. I swear to not tell anyone about you." He pauses. "Now you."

Jeongguk gives him a strange look. "Why should I swear?"

"...Oh." Taehyung blushes. Laughs. "Right. Uhm, well, anyway. Now that we made the pinky-promise, you don't have to worry about me ratting you out. Because a pinky-promise is final. Okay?"

"O...kay..."

He doesn't even hide his scepticism. Which, honestly, is a tiny bit insulting. Seems like Taehyung has to try getting his point across in another way.

"No, really," he says as serious as he can. "I don't know what it is that you are afraid of but I swear to not tell anyone."

The other still doesn't look one bit closer to believing him. Taehyung sighs. This guy has some serious trust issues.

"I see there is nothing I can say or do to change your mind, hm?"

Jeongguk doesn't reply.

They stay like that for a long time, only looking at each other, silently assessing. And again, Jeongguk is the first one to leave.

 

That evening, Taehyung feels weirdly empty. Like he didn't accomplish a single thing. Or maybe ruined something, even. The way how Jeongguk kept his guard around him even after two whole days they spent together - okay, maybe 'spent together' is too strong of a wording - but it keeps him up. He lays awake for a long time wondering what went wrong. What happened to Jeongguk, and more importantly, how he can help him.

Because someone as magnificent as him should never have to fear anything. That's just... so so wrong.

There has to be something, anything Taehyung can do for him to feel more at ease. To start trusting into others again, into him.

...What should I do?

 

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

 

There must be something that keeps tugging him back into that bay, Jeongguk muses. Otherwise, why would he keep returning to that blabbering human? 

It's the third day already.

And he really doesn't understand himself anymore.

Yet before he knows it, he already swims past familiar cliffs, can almost see the stilts now. And sure enough he can sense two legs in the water. He lets out an irritated huff, little streams of bubbles leaving his gills as his tail whips down once more and he crosses the distance to the huts.

Before he dives up, Jeongguk's gaze drifts to his hand. The one Taehyung touched. With a last deep frown he breaches the water surface. Always mindful to move careful and make the splashing noise as quiet as possible. With barely more than a thought he concentrates the energy at his fingertips until they are tingling. Just in case.

"Good morning Jeongguk," Taehyung chirps.

And.

It's enough to throw him off. Morning? What? Did he actually come here earlier than the past days without even noticing?

...Just what is that guy doing to him?

Taehyung watches him curiously, some food in his hand.

"Gimme a moment, then I'm ready, okay?"

Jeongguk stares.

Ready for what?

And stares some more as the fruit vanishes with only two big bites. That human has a.. healthy appetite.

Taehyung leans down to wash his hands - completely unbothered by Jeongguk's presence which is the weirdest thing ever - then reaches into his bag.

Jeongguk stiffens. His hands tense into claws as the water bundles around his fingers.

"Have you ever read a book?"

...Huh? 

That's certainly not what Jeongguk expected. He shakes his head, too stunned to even think about lying - or why the human asked such a question.

Taehyung grins. "Alright, then consider today your lucky day." He points at the book. "I've thought quite a while about what to start with and decided to go with an all-time classic. Does the name 'Harry Potter' ring a bell?"

Another subtle shake of the head. Just what does the human want?

"Okay, you comfy? I'll start at the beginning."

Jeongguk does a double-take. The human... wants to read to him? 

But Taehyung doesn't wait for a reply. He pulls his legs out of the water in favour to turn over and flop onto his belly, book laid out in front of him. The human clears his throat, then starts reading.

"The boy who lived. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much..."

 

In the hours that Taehyung reads to him, Jeongguk doesn't even budge. They only stop once the human's voice is raw from all the reading and he really, really needs a break.

They had taken some smaller breaks every now and then where Taehyung chugged down big gulps of the bottle he brought but at some point it seems he is just done for the day. He puts the book away and returns to his initial position, feet dangling in the water and food in his hands.

"So? What do you think? Shall we continue tomorrow or do you want me to pick a different book?"

Jeongguk ducks into the water until only his eyes are above and starts breathing bubbles through his nose - a bad habit he never got rid of. It's funny how the human doesn't even consider quitting. 

He comes back up, his lips once before answering.

"...No need. This one is... is okay."

Taehyung's smile is almost blinding.

 

It takes Jeongguk several hours to come to terms with the fact that he agreed to meet up with a human.

He rests in the cave with the colourful windows and looks at the spots of blue and green and red on the sand. It's one of his favourite places to think.

So that's what he does - think.

And wonder what's happening with him.

 

The next morning Taehyung is already waiting for him and even offers up some of his breakfast.

Jeongguk shyly declines.

"I don't eat."

The human purses his lips, ponders it for a while.

"Not at all?"

Jeongguk shakes his head. And then belatedly wonders if he just gave away some crucial information about his kin.

But Taehyung just shrugs and eats the fruit himself before opening the book from yesterday.

"Okay, where were we - Quidditch. As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy grey and the lake like chilled steel..."

 

With each day, Jeongguk dares to come closer and closer. Figures, if the human wanted to betray him or trap him somehow, he had multiple chances by now. And yet he didn't. Didn't even give a sign of aggression towards him.

First, Jeongguk drifts closer every day until he is within touching range of Taehyung. Like during their very first encounter.

As still nothing happens after a while he starts resting against the stilts.

And as days turn into weeks, he finds himself perched onto the pier, upper part of his body above water and arms resting on the warm wood. Still a fair distance away from the human, but. It's the most unguarded he's been in years. Decades, even. It's a rare thing for him to pull that far out of water, to have his hands dry. Especially that close to a human.

Taehyung must notice it too. But he never mentions it. Only gives Jeongguk one of his big smiles with each little change.

They go through the whole Harry Potter series like that, with Taehyung reading to him and Jeongguk listening attentively.

And everyday it gets more difficult to not just cave. To not let his guard down completely, close his eyes and just listen to Taehyung talk. Bask in the rich sound of his voice.

It scares him enough to keep him from sleep for days.

Jeongguk takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, watching the bubbles rise up to the surface as he floats above the sea bottom. His eyes are heavy from the lack of sleep.

The ground is cold and slick against his back as he sinks down. It's there that he makes a decision.

He has to stay away before everything gets out of hand.

 

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

 

Spring is turning into summer during the time Taehyung reads to Jeongguk. He barely notices, too focussed on their daily meetings. Even though most of the time the other stays mute like a fish.

Still, they are making great progress in his humble opinion. It may have taken weeks but now Jeongguk is comfortable enough to half lay on the pier with his tail idly swishing in the water.

Taehyung is glad he picked the Harry Potter series to start off the whole reading thing. Had he chosen something where he doesn't get in easily, he'd probably do a very poor job at reading to Jeongguk. Would be too busy to stare at his tail. Not in the 'holy , that's a fish tail, this is really happening' way. No, he's past that. But in the admiring way. In the 'ohmygosh, just look at how his scales shift from a rich azure kinda shade to something more green, something teal or turquoise when he moves' way. The water drops on them sparkle like tiny diamonds in the midday sun. It's just. It's a sight to behold. Every time he gets to witness that miracle, the stunning sight of Jeongguk hoisting himself out of water, Taehyung stares for a good few heartbeats before he remembers to get back to his job and read.

How big might Jeongguk's fins really be? He has only seen a bit of them, and never splayed out to their full size. But from what Taehyung caught he can already tell they must be huge and probably look like transparent veils shifting in a summer breeze when Jeongguk swims.

They are starting to appear in his dreams now. Large, greenish-blue fins, powerful tails in the colour of the sea during sunshine, chiselled chests and dark eyes.

So Taehyung writes it down - everything he can remember. Keeps writing during the early evening hours once Jeongguk leaves for the day and gradually fills his notebook with bits and pieces of stories. Of something that could one day turn into song lyrics. About him, about the sea, about the birds and fish that slowly warm up to Jeongguk's presence. Because oh, Taehyung certainly did notice. How it went quiet during the other's first appearances in the bay. There must be something about Jeongguk, something that all those animals instinctively feel too.

Taehyung wonders what a lonely life it must be when everything flees from your very presence. If there are exceptions.

His thoughts drift into muddy waters like that again as he tries to fry himself an egg sunny side up. And okay, yes, maybe he doesn't pay attention for a second or two of what he's doing and ends up cracking not one but two eggs into the pan.

Huh.

He squints at his creation, hands akimbo.

Just then Jimin makes an appearance. It's one of the few Saturdays where he doesn't have to work.

"Oh, morning Hyunjin-ah. You making yourself a second breakfast?"

Taehyung grunts in affirmation. Then turns around to beckon the fisherman over. Looks at the loose tank top he's wearing now and notices the muscled arms on display. His mind swithces back to Hoseok's fit right after he visited Nakseongdae for the first time. Back when his friend warned him to not underestimate Jimin just because of his height. Yeah, Hoseok was right. Taehyung has to give credit where credit is due. Somehow the dude is a lot more ripped than Taehyung would've thought.

But back to his... issue. He points with the spatula at the two eggs in the pan.

"This was not supposed to happen."

Jimin takes one look and snickers.

"Dude. That looks like a ghost who is scared of its own fat yellow tiddies."

"I know," Taehyung whines. "How could that happen? That's not normal, right?"

The fisherman gives him a side glance, then looks back at the pan and giggles again before patting Taehyung's back.

"Maybe you should leave the cooking to me, Hyunjin-ah. No offence."

Taehyung pouts but doesn't disagree.

 

That day he ends up running late for his reading session with Jeongguk. He hurries down the pier with an apology already on the tip of his tongue, one hand buried in his bag and grappling for the final Harry Potter book, but.

Jeongguk is not there.

Taehyung runs a full lap around the huts, thinks that maybe his eyes are playing him just now. No Jeongguk, nowhere. He even leans down to peer beneath the wooden structure, then pushes his legs into the water and waits.

After like ten minutes he has to come to terms with the fact that he's alone.

Which is weird. Usually Jeongguk would have arrived by now.

Yet the spot hidden between the huts stays empty. At some point little fish even start to wreathe around Taehyung's feet.

He keeps waiting for Jeongguk, too nervous to even think of opening the book and reading for himself.

Jeongguk doesn't come.

 

By Monday Jeongguk still hasn't showed up and Taehyung begins to get really worried.

Did something happen? Is he okay?

Just what went wrong?

Because something must be wrong for Jeongguk to stop showing up all of a sudden. Taehyung can only hope it was nothing he did, that he didn't scare him off.

A tiny part of him can't help but marvel though, at how free-spirited Jeongguk is. Like a wild animal that's purely reacting on instinct. Taehyung hopes it's just that, it's only Jeongguk being skittish, and not that he got hurt or something.

It doesn't stop him from worrying.

 

A whole week passes without Jeongguk coming to their spot. It makes Taehyung limbs heavy. The bounce he adapted on his way to the pier is now gone as he trudges to the lonely spot day in and day out. There is also a noticeable decrease in his writing flow. Where for a while the words came nearly as smoothly to him as in good old times, he is now stumbling over the phrases he tries to pen down. 

What keeps him company these days are the little swallows under the roof. Sometimes Taehyung lays on his back and watches the birds for hours.

Jeongguk never comes.

 

By the end of week two without Jeongguk, Taehyung doesn't even bother to put his feet in the water. He spends less and less time at the pier and instead opts for long hikes all around Nakseongdae. His gaze keeps drifting to the open sea, feet unconsciously carrying him to the cliffs more often than not as he keeps a lookout for a big shadow in the water.

 

Jimin must have noticed something off, for he one day drags Yoongi out of his room after dinner and sits all of them down in the living room to play Uno. Which is a cute gesture for sure. However, Taehyung has never bothered to learn the rules and so it takes no genius to predict that he loses six times in a row. He is this short of quitting when Jimin hurries to get out something else. You can never go wrong with ludo. Taehyung even gets to pick a colour first. He opts for green.

After like half an hour it turns out Yoongi may be the most ruthless Monopoly player out of the three of them, but if it comes to ludo they are all ready to cheat and betray each other like there is no tomorrow. What started as an obvious attempt to distract Taehyung quickly becomes a heated race for the first place. And so it doesn't take long for the rules to slowly but surely fall apart.

"Jimin-ah, capture my pawn one more time and I don't want anything to do with you," Yoongi threatens with low voice.

Jimin grins, rolls the dice and... kicks out Yoongi's black pawn. 

"Sorry sweets, I'm just following the rules~"

Taehyung guffaws. "That's not even- you didn't even roll a four! You rolled a five. That's not how it works."

"Well, he was in the way so I had to kick him out, obviously..."

Yoongi goes eerily quiet as he puts his pawn back home. 

Taehyung is still not over Jimin's fool play so he doesn't notice what happens next - but Jimin does.

"Yah!" The fisherman pounces and sets the whole table rattling. "You can't take your pawn out! You didn't roll a six!"

"I did," the older deadpans. "Five plus one makes six."

He puts his pawn on the starting field. Jimin reaches out to put it back but Yoongi gives him a jab, hand shooting out to grip his boyfriend's wrist. They wrestle like that for a solid five minutes. Taehyung takes the chance to carefully slide his own pawn a step forward... and another one... and another.

Things don't get better and so it doesn't take long for the whole board to fly across the room while Jimin yells, "I HATE YOU ALL!"

They stop playing for that evening.

 

After a few more days, Taehyung makes a life-changing discovery.

The absence of Jeongguk influences his sleep schedule!

That, or his body finally has switched into vacation mode and is well-rested enough now to get up early without trying.

(He low-key prefers to think it's because of Jeongguk, though.)

Him getting up early also means he gets to meet his landlords before they have to go to work - sometimes. When it's a late day for Jimin. 

And that means he can witness what must be the daily ritual of Jimin and Yoongi measuring their height. The first time he sees it, he doesn't even understand what's going on. But the second time, things start to come together.

Mainly because the two men are bickering passionately while pointing at the door frame. A door frame that, if Taehyung thinks about it, is littered with little nondescript markings. 

Jimin is the first to spot him.

"Ah, Hyunjin! Come here, we need a neutral judge."

Taehyung carefully approaches, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "A judge?"

The fisherman nods vigorously. "Yoongle-babe thinks I'm cheating."

"I know you are cheating."

"No I'm not! I grew, I swear I did! Hyunjin-ah, come and take our measurements, please."

Taehyung's eyes shift from one man to another. What would be worse, to declare Jimin taller, or Yoongi? Favouring his best friend or signing his death warrant?

"Uh, I need to pee."

Creative. Very creative, Kim Taehyung.

 

He ends up declaring it a tie. It's enough to make Jimin fume but Yoongi looks incredibly pleased. Still has a smug grin when they have breakfast together for once.

"Taehyung-ah, can you hand me the coffee please?"

"Sure." Taehyung reaches over to do as told - and promptly misses the weird look from Jimin. 

Yoongi accepts the coffee pot with a nod and an even broader grin.

Taehyung is about to go back to eating when Jimin can't hold it in any longer.

"But... but that's not his name?"

Taehyung gulps.

Oh. !

That was... that was not very smart of him.

Especially when Yoongi shrugs and declares, "Yes it is." With a finality that doesn't leave any doubt. He knows, oh, he so knows.

Taehyung becomes very small.

"How... how do you know?"

He's been so sure this town would be desolate enough for people to not know about idols and stuff.

Yoongi shrugs. At least Jimin looks as lost as Taehyung feels.

"I'm a wannabe producer in my free time. Of course I know everything about what's going on in the music industry. And about one of the brightest stars in the music industry who wondrously disappeared a few months ago." He gives him a pointed look.

Taehyung curses.

"...Damn."

" to be you, huh?"

"Min Yoongi," Jimin shrieks and swats his head. "You better watch your mouth!"

Yoongi crosses his arms with a huff. "But he's not even smart about it! Who else except for him has dyed hair here in Nakseongdae? Of course he sticks out like a sore thumb, I mean look at him." He waves in Taehyung's general direction.

Taehyung pouts. Excuse him for caring about his looks to a certain degree.

Yoongi isn't done yet, ignores Jimin's kicks under the table. "Besides, who the wears pyjamas on the street if not some kind of eccentric celebrity? That's just weird, come-on."

"Wh-what do you care what I wear?!"

"I don't. 'M just saying, it's all pretty conspicuous."

Jimin it seems has still trouble piecing everything together.

In the meantime, Taehyung is worrying a great deal.

"You're not going to rat me out... right?"

Yoongi snorts so hard he inhales coffee and ends up choking on it.

"Kid," he wheezes, "why the everloving would I do that?"

Which is assuring, but. Taehyung scowls. "Why do you keep calling me a kid? You don't do that with Jimin."

Another shrug. "He's more than two months older than you. it."

"How do you-"

"I can literally google your birthday, dude."

"...Oh."

And finally, Jimin has caught up, to.

In an astonished whisper he says, "Oh gosh, we are housing a celebrity?"

 

Only hours later Taehyung notices the parallels.

Of Jeongguk being so afraid that anyone knows about him and asking Taehyung to keep quiet. And now Taehyung has essentially done the same.

Sometimes life is a funny .

 

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

 

Jeongguk manages to stay away for three weeks before he caves.

Three weeks holed up in his cave, with no human contact - or any contact whatsoever. 

It's nothing he is not used to, at least normally. He can spend months down here.

But that was before he met Taehyung. Before he got so used to the sound of his voice, the feeling of his presence in the water. It reminds him of something Namjoon told him many years ago. 

 

'Did you know, Jeongguk-ah? Someone who tasted hope will suffer ten times more than someone who never did.'

 

And maybe Taehyung does not equal hope. But Jeongguk thinks maybe it's not all too different, that emptiness he now feels after he met the kind human.

In the end he can't take it any longer. 

The thing is, by the time he finally decides to return he can no longer feel Taehyung. There are no wiggling toes in the water. No human who dares to get into the sea.  He knows, has adjusted himself to every minute movement in the bay of Nakseongdae by now. If anyone were to walk down the pier, he'd feel the stilts rattling.

 

Days go by where he restlessly cuts through the waters and keeps coming back to the bay. Close enough to sensitise himself even more yet far away to not fear the fishermen.

Still there is no Taehyung on the pier.

The uneasiness inside of him boils over and with an irritated flick of his tail he catapults himself out of the bay.

This is ridiculous. It's just a human.

With a deep frown he pulls at the water around him. Pulls and pulls with all his might, fins shifting, tail beating until he can feel exhaustion settling in. Like that he reaches the southernmost tip of Korea and still can't think of anything else than the lack of Taehyung in the water. It's like there is a Taehyung-shaped hole he can feel from everywhere.

Empty.

 

Two days later Jeongguk almost jumps out of his skin.

Taehyung!

He's on the pier again.

It should be embarrassing how he instantly leaps up to rush over. But he's too busy with swimming to care. Hurries to get to what has undeniably turned into their spot.

So maybe he all but jumps out of the water, a breathless "Taehyung" on his lips. Maybe he is too reckless for his own good. Forgets to quietly get out of water the way he usually does.

It's worth the look of surprise that quickly morphs into one of undulated joy on Taehyung's face.

Already he is leaning over the pier, hands tightly grasping the edge.

"You are back!"

Jeongguk flushes. When was the last time he got such a greeting, from a human no less? So kind and heartfelt and... enthusiastic at the mere sight of him?

A little overenthusiastic perhaps, as Taehyung leans forward too much and loses his balance, hands flailing.

It takes Jeongguk one, two beats of his tail then he is there. Lunges up and presses his hands against Taehyung's chest, steadying him. As he looks up, Taehyung is already staring at him with wide eyes.

It hits him then. That he is not afraid, despite being closer to a human than ever before. He doesn't even think of it being a trap. 

Maybe it will be alright.

Jeongguk allows himself a shy smile.

"I'm back."