Maori | noun

♦ hospitality, kindness, generosity, support; the process of showing respect, generosity and care for others

 

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Their time at the beach comes to a (not really) sudden end once Taehyung admits that he really, really needs to go grocery shopping,  and that grilling all the fish Jeongguk caught won't cut it any longer. Thus, being the dutiful lover he is, the mer brings Taehyung to the nearest coast town. With the same caution as always, the two of them slinking from shadow to shadow underwater until Jeongguk finds a good spot for the two of them to get up.

There is a short moment of Taehyung panicking as he realises they are in some foreign country. He doesn't understand what the people are saying, and, , he only got Korean Won as cash! How is he supposed to buy anything at all? Luckily, after a few minutes he calms down. Enough to notice, that, oh. If he speaks English, the kind woman behind the cashier understands him. Also, paying by card is a thing. And thanks to the huge heap of paperwork he had to sign over the years as trainee - and later as full-fledged idol - he doesn't need to worry about his card being locked for, uh, wherever he is now. So, yeah. He gets his shopping done. Eventually.

Maybe he should've taken his initial worries as bad omen, though. Because, well. Turns out, this place provides him with a phone connection for the first time in days. Which means his phone keeps vibrating from a stream of incoming messages for a solid five minutes. 95% of them are from Hoseok, demanding to know what happened, where he is, and most importantly, if he is still alive!

In hopes of not getting recognised from any potential fans, Taehyung risks staying a little longer. Decides it's easiest to just call his friend back and hope that the time difference between Korea and... here... isn't too much of a problem.

Hoseok picks up at the fourth ring. As always, he doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quiet'.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

The shriek is so loud, Taehyung has to hold the phone at arm's length. Part of him thinks that his friend is giving a good Molly Weasley impersonation, but a bigger part wonders what the he missed in the past few days.

"Whoa, calm down Hobi, it's not like I've died or something-"

"BUT YOU COULD HAVE!"

Taehyung pinches the bridge of his nose. "Hobs. Whatever are you even talking about?"

"What I'm- Taehyung! I'm talking about the ing tsunami that flattened an entire village at the east coast! Don't tell me you didn't hear? I mean, like- Tae-ah, you said you're staying at the east coast. And you haven't answered any of my calls. I thought- I thought-"

Slowly, too slowly, a bigger picture begins to form in Taehyung's head.

"Wait, hold up, give me a second..."

He takes the phone down to do a quick Google search about 'terrifying tsunami at Korean coast'. Frowns at the handful of pictures that pop up, showing a desolate bay that has a faint resemblance with Nakseongdae indeed if he squints hard enough. If it only weren't for, hm. The utter and complete lack of anything. No houses, no streets, no nothing. Just a sliver of barren land, with nothing but rubble left.

That must be a mistake.

No way is that Nakseongdae.

He types in the village itself, and is met with the same pictures. There are also a few close-ups of a  very haggard-looking Jimin giving interviews or something of the sort. Only half listening to what Hoseok keeps rambling about, he opens one of the articles and skims it. Several experts get cited there, who try and fail to make sense of the monster wave that supposedly erased an entire village and half of its population. The wildest theories circle the question as of why it's only been men - fishermen to be more accurate - who have died in the flood. 

Taehyung's forehead is starting to hurt from how hard he frowns. He's having a creeping suspicion, but doesn't want to jump to conclusions. That's when he finally remembers he's still on the phone with his friend. He hurries to assure Hoseok that no, he did not have a near-death experience, he's perfectly fine. 

"But if you haven't been there, then where have you been?"

"Uhhh... on a tropical island in the middle of nowhere?"

"On a WHAT?!"

"It's a long story, Hobs..."

There is a scoff at the other end of the line that has Taehyung laughing sheepishly. 

"Lay it on me. I want all the details, right now. Kim the Taehyung, I'll go bald because of you at this rate!"

Like the (mostly) good friend he is, Taehyung obeys the command.

"Okay, uh, so, remember how I was trapped in the room I rented and wanted to break out my merman boyfriend?"

 

By the time he sneaks onto what he hopes to be an abandoned house boat and dips a toe into the water, it's been more than two hours. Jeongguk indeed looks a bit nervous when he pops his head out of the water.

"You've been gone for a while, Taehyung."

"I, yeah, sorry. A friend called." He's been the one calling, but, semantics.

Jeongguk has already both arms stretched out to catch him. Picks him up in one big swoop and quickly brings them away from the town and all the cheap neon lights. They come up in the shadow of some low-hanging trees, no other human in sight.

"A friend?"

Taehyung nods. "Yeah, Hobi-hyung. You don't know him."

"Hobi... hyung?"

"Mhm. He's also an idol like me. Well, kinda. Hyung's more of a dancer while my main thing is singing. I met him on my first Inkigayo showcase, when I couldn't get off the toilet because my nervous bladder kept killing me. We've been close buddies ever since."

Jeongguk mulls it over. "So he is not like Jimin? A friend who only pretends to be a friend? He's good?"

"No no no, Hobi is great! He told me that he's been driving to Nakseongdae himself yesterday, despite his busy schedule and everything. Oh, also. Speaking of which..." Taehyung gives a wary side-glance to the mer. "Is there anything you want to tell me? About a certain monster wave, maybe?"

The mer only hands him a sea berry in answer. In his eyes, Taehyung sees the same question like back in the warehouse. 

Do you trust me?

Taehyung takes the berry without hesitation, pecks Jeongguk's cheek, and nods. "Yeah."

The smile that spreads over Jeongguk's face is the most delicate thing. Taehyung wants to wear it under his skin forever. Wants to look at nothing else. Protect it at all costs. He hopes, egoistic as it is, that he'll get the chance.

"Deep breath, little star."

Taehyung breathes.

 

"...You know, don't you?"

It's been hours since Taehyung asked the mer. The response comes late, when they are both back in the mer's cave, huddled together as they are pouring over the map on Taehyung's phone in an attempt to find a new place to stay.

Taehyung shuffles around until he's turned towards Jeongguk without breaking the latter's embrace. "Know what?"

"What I've done."

He hums. "I don't know anything. I've only seen some super weird articles online that don't make much sense to me. The real question is, what is the truth? What is it that you are telling me? Because as long as I don't hear it from you, I'll just believe that Jimin has lately gotten into graphic design and Photoshop or something and made up a wild story again."

Jeongguk's eyebrows raise in wonder. "Again?"

"Oh, come on. As if the gruesome tale of you eating little children isn't completely made up and utter bull."

"I don't eat children."

"See?! My point exactly!"

The mer hedges around the topic for a bit longer, and Taehyung lets him, keeping true to the promise he made to Jeongguk that he'd give him all the space and benefit of doubt he'd need.

However. Once night has fallen and stars peek through the holes in the cave's ceiling - Jeongguk glowing along just as brightly - the mer slowly tells him about the night of their escape. Taehyung doesn't pry. He doesn't ask a single additional question. Just waits and listens to what Jeongguk is willing to share with him in the safety of their blanket cocoon and each other's arms.

Jeongguk doesn't say much about the people who died that night, but Taehyung can piece together enough for a general idea of what went down. Uneasiness and guilt spread inside of him at the thought of death, of murder. Cold and clammy, sticking to his lungs and stomach. But then he remembers Jeongguk upside down in the tank, hanging on that horrible butcher's hook, and the guilt dwindles. They were ready to kill Jeongguk. If he were human, they would have succeeded. Why not return the favour?

It's unethical, and a forbidden thing to even think. Yet Taehyung can't help himself. He'd rather it be them, than his Jeongguk. Maybe it makes him to a murderer by proxy. Maybe he's a little sick in the head. But the thing is, he doesn't blame Jeongguk. Not one bit. Taehyung silently wonders what that says about himself.

"...Are you afraid?"

"Huh?" Taehyung blinks. "Of what?"

"Of me."

Ah.

Taehyung pats the mer's cheek and gives him his warmest smile. "Babe, we've been over this already. How could I ever be afraid of you, hm?"

Jeongguk buries his nose into Taehyung's shoulder and squeezes him tight, his voice coming out muffled. "Just making sure."

"For someone that smart, you can be a little stupid sometimes."

Jeongguk nips him in the side, and Taehyung yelps.

"Yah!"

 

Haneul is everything Nakseongdae wasn't. It's rowdy where Nakseongdae was chillingly quiet, colourful where the village was made of brown and grey, modern where it was rustic as if stuck in another century, and dirty in the way all slightly bigger places are. After limiting it to a certain area further down the east coast with Jeongguk, Taehyung has decided for that new town simply because of one reason: all houses in the town centre are painted bright blue. It's an odd yet charming tradition of Haneul that is maintained every year - or however often a house's facade needs a new coat of paint. Taehyung doesn't know what was there first, the town's name or the blue houses, but he finds it cute nonetheless.

The town is quite a distance away from Jeongguk's cave. Which Taehyung considered to become a problem. He did, however, underestimate the mer's conviction, it seems. For Jeongguk's solution to the distance problem has simply been 'If we are careful, couldn't I try to live as human with you together?'. Which is a big fat YES.

It gives a strange twist to their dynamic. Until now, Taehyung has always come into Jeongguk's world. Jeongguk staying in a house with him for a change would be something utterly new. 

Taehyung has picked a handful of possible accommodations which he wants to contact at the next possibility. He'll have to use an alias and be more careful though. Because aside from everything else, Haneul is also noticeably larger than Nakseongdae. And close enough to Gangneung, that the chances of fans spotting and snitching on him are much bigger. 

He sighs. It's always the same. He has to weigh advantages of disadvantages of more populated places against each other and make up his mind whether the risk to his person is outweighed by the comfort of a city or not. Seems like he'll have to get buddy-buddy with his face-mask again. Wohoo. Totally didn't miss that particular thing.

"We'll have to scout the town first," Taehyung decides. "Get a feeling for the place and see what they think of your kind and stuff."

Jeongguk nods. Stretches out a pinkie for Taehyung to link his own, and smiles as they seal their pinky promise.

It's yet another cute habit the mer has picked up not too long ago. Every now and then, he'll make a pinkie promise about anything with Taehyung. (Maybe Taehyung fuels it. Sue him for encouraging Jeongguk's endearing traits.)

 

And scouting they do.

The next day, Jeongguk gets the both of them to Haneul. It's a clear winter day, the sea is calm even without Jeongguk's intervention. Taehyung sends off the e-mails he's written out back in the cave, and gets the first replies before they've even decided where to have lunch.

On their way through Haneul, they also keep their ears open for any kind of talk about merfolk. Jeongguk is tense the entire time spent in such close vicinity to other humans. His every movement is rigid, facial expression withdrawn and cold, his fingers twitching in Taehyung's grasp all the time. He wants to bolt so badly, Taehyung can tell. Yet he doesn't. The mer stays put. Walks through the town at Taehyung's side without a single complaint.

It breaks his heart.

They don't hear anyone talk about merfolk. Nothing. No good words about them, but no bad ones either. The people here seem to be generally more laidback. Maybe it'll be fine.

They share some nice pajeon. Feed it to each other like the love-sick couple they are - it's a test to see how open-minded the folks here are, Taehyung told Jeongguk and the mer was more than ready to play along. As soon as their plates are cleared, they set out to the first accomodation that's gotten back to Taehyung. Jeongguk is slowly starting to relax the slightest bit around the humans.

All the progress in getting Jeongguk to relax around humans is gone the moment they step over the threshold of the first accomodation on Taehyung's list.

Lady Su seems nice enough. The room she shows them, however, is by no means fit for two grown men. While Taehyung has an issue with the meagre size of the chamber, Jeongguk keeps nervously glancing at the dusty, giant teddy bear sitting in a corner. They politely bide their goodbye to Lady Su, who is miffed enough to shut her door in their faces. Jeongguk tightens his grip on Taehyung's hand enough for his nails to leave white scratch marks.

Taehyung runs a soothing thumb over the mer's knuckles and ushers him away from lady Su and her poor manners.

Their next stop is another flop. They ring up a storm but nobody opens. A little confused, they trudge to one of the blue houses in the town centre and try their luck anew. Three time's the charm, no?

"G'day! One of ya by any chance Seongwo?"

Taehyung's jaw drops to the floor. This doesn't... it just doesn't match. How the can that cutesy, tiny guy in front of them have such a deep voice? Tiny guy grins at them. The next words from him are at least two octaves higher, and much more fitting to his appearance.

"Ah, my bad. It's always fun to see newbie's reactions when I talk like that, so. Didn't have customers- visitors- no, wait, what's the word..."

"Uh, guests?"

Tiny blond snaps his fingers, grin widening even more, and points at Taehyung. "Guests! That's the ! Right! So yeah, as I was sayin', didn't have any of those for a solid three months, so I'm really stoked yous here. Come on in, welcome, welcome!"

Both Taehyung and Jeongguk do as told, the former shaking his head and huffing out a little laugh. That guy is the most sunshine person he's ever met. And that says a lot, considering how long he's known Hoseok. Blond tiny also has a strange accent that Taehyung has trouble putting his finger on - until he looks down to notice a very faded Australian flag on the doormat, that is. Now, that makes sense. He points at it, but only gets a blank stare from Jeongguk. Oh. Right. Taehyung bites his lip. The mer probably has no clue of flags. Again something that makes sense in an embarrassing way.

"Hey, ya wanna take the upper or lower half of the hut? Or wanna have a look at everything first?" their probably future landlord calls over his shoulder.

It's another good opportunity for Taehuyng to gape. "Wh- half?! As in, the entire floor?"

"Yeah?" Tiny peeks out his head from where he momentarily vanished into the kitchen, looking confused. "Wait, didn't I say so in the room description? me dead, shoulda checked my entry better before uploading it! Ah, but we can figure stuff out, no worries. Anyway, you comin' ?"

A quick look at Jeongguk makes Taehyung wonder if the mer is experiencing something like a cultural shock right now. With all the curse words flying around, that is. In some way, it fits their landlord. Deep voice, sunshine embodiment, cursing like a sailor - but in a completely different way than Jimin. Slowly, his personality is becoming clear, the odd puzzle pieces fitting themselves together in a way Taehyung would have never thought possible.

They follow the Aussie into the kitchen - only to be greeted by the sight of four baking trays filled with... chocolate cake?

"Uh, so..." Tiny blond scratches his neck. His other hand is stuck in a giant, red and white chequered mitten., "Don't freak out, 'kay? I just, so, thing is, I kinda got over-excited cuz of yous, and, like, panic-baked? It doesn't happen everyday I swear! But yeah, uh... want some brownies?"

"...What's a brownie?"

Tiny gasps at Jeongguk in full offence, mitten-clad hand going to his chest and everything. "Ya dunno brownies?! That's not okay! That's very not okay! Here, have some."

He proceeds to aggressively feed a brownie piece to Jeongguk, the mer's eyes flitting over to Taehyung in alarm and waiting for his shrug followed by an encouraging nod before he closes his mouth and chews. Then, Jeongguk's eyes do that thing where they go all wide and shiny. Taehyung groans. He knows that look. Jeongguk is going to request brownies every single day from now on.

When the mer opens his mouth in the same manner he always does for Taehyung to feed him more, tiny blond just laughs and happily stuffs another piece into his awaiting mouth.

"Good, eh?"

"Mhmm!"

They don't have to check out the remaining places for Taehyung to know which one got Jeongguk's vote.

Not even one hour later, they have signed an agreement for their stay on the upper floor. A proper one, not a sad excuse like the one Taehyung made with Jimin where he offered to pay rent in the form of washed socks at some point. They have also learnt that their landlord goes by the name Yongbok. He hinted a second, more English name he doesn't want to enclose yet. And he's asked Taehyung twice so far if they've met before or if he should know him from somewhere. For now, Taehyung keeps shaking his head and smiling politely.

They leave with their stomachs full of brownies and an agreement to move in tomorrow, then keep roaming Haneul for a bit longer before calling it a day. Taehyung is, in all honesty, not sure for how long Jeongguk will be able to play human and stay in his second form. Only time will tell, he supposes.

After they've passed by a whisky shop and the mer got distracted by all the pretty bottles , he asks, "What's next?"

"Next, I'll search for my car."

"Search? Did you lose it? Can people lose cars?"

He chuckles. "No. It's... ah, long story short, I did not lose my car. But I don't know where exactly Yoongi put it."

The mer bristles at that name.

"Why does he know where your car is?"

"Because I couldn't leave with my entire stuff in the bag when I went to break you out, Gguk."

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

"Of course you don't."

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Are you gonna help me search my car, then?"

The mer stops in his track. "How close to Nakseongdae is it?"

"...Close."

Taehyung watches how Jeongguk furrows his brows, purses his lips, then lets out a sharp sigh and flexes his hands. It's obvious that he struggles to make a decision. Taehyung caves.

"Actually, I think I have a good idea where it is. It'll be only a few minutes. Would you like to wait for me somewhere along the coast?"

"I-"

The frown on Jeongguk's usually handsome face deepens.

Now Taehyung feels horrible for showing attitude a minute ago. "It's okay, really. What could possibly happen to me?"

"...I can think of a few things. Do you want a list?"

The idol laughs. Cups Jeongguk's cheeks and his thumbs over soft skin. "Babe. I swear I'll be fine. And if anything happens, I'll simply get into the water and wait for you. Here, pinky promise?"

The mer nods solemnly and links their fingers together. "Pinky promise."

 

Sure enough, once Taehyung gets off the bus and wanders down the street, it doesn't take more than half an hour to find his car. All of his bags are still inside. He does a quick check on everything. Finds nothing amiss, gets into the driver's seat, and starts the engine.

Maybe it's just his imagination. But he swears for a few seconds, the engine bubbles. Which is ridiculous, really, considering Yoongi must've brought the car here hours before Jeongguk's monster wave hit the village. There shouldn't be any issues at all. After cutting the engine off and starting it anew, it sounds as good as always. Time to go. If he'd head down the road just a few hundred metres more, he could see Nakseongdae. Or whatever is left of it.

Not happening.

With a resolute huff, he steers the car back onto the main road, and then takes south. Towards Haneul. Towards Jeongguk waiting for him somewhere halfway down the way.

 

Yongbok opens the door for them with a broad smile that has sharp teeth peeking out. For Halloween, he could probably give a convincing vampire with baby fangs. "Yer here early, awesome!"

Taehyung tilts his head. "It's past eleven."

"Yep! As I said, early. Bet ya guys usually don't get up before ten."

Taehyung doesn't have it in himself to argue with him. Besides, the entire house is smelling like warm chocolate again, and Jeongguk is drifting dangerously close towards the kitchen. Taehyung tugs the mer back towards the stairs. 

"You can't survive off brownies alone, it'll make you sick," he mutters.

"You don't know that!"

Taehyung huffs. "I do, actually. Seven years ago, I had my strawberry cheesecake phase. Had to postpone an entire concert because I kept puking my guts out at some point. I've never eaten a single slice of cheesecake ever since."

"Yeah, but. You're human."

Taehyung smacks the back of Jeongguk's head and trudges upstairs, with one heavy bag slung over each shoulder. The mer follows him with the rest in his hands, cackling. Only gives one cautious glance in Yongbok's direction.

 

One thing Taehyung noticed and that he already dislikes massively, is, how Jeongguk has toned it down with the pet names ever since they came to Haneul. No matter how bad it is for his heart, Taehyung misses his 'little star's and 'pearl's and 'treasure's. Right now, he is only either 'Taehyung' or 'love'. Which. No.

So he asks Jeongguk with all the finesse of a well-trained monster rookie.

"Why aren't you calling me all those cute things any  longer?"

The mer sniffs, looks away, and then mutters that those endearments are for Taehyung's ears, and his only.

Which, okay. So he did not tone it down in favour of fitting in the human society of a small town like this. No. His reason seems to be much more likely to be something akin to jealousy. Taehyung can live with that. He'll just have to make sure Jeongguk makes up for it in the shared confine of their bedroom, and call Taehyung all these toe-curling things there.

 

The rest of their first morning in the blue house is spent with Taehyung unpacking. Jeongguk lays on his stomach, in the middle of their large bed, and curiously watches him neatly put all his clothes into the wardrobe. By the time he's done, a different aroma is wafting through the old house.

"Guys, I made stew," Yongbok yells up the stairs. "It's probably not great, but it's hot!"

Spoiler alert: the stew is good. Jeongguk alone devours three servings.

 

"I like your hair," Yongbok says over breakfast next day to a rapidly blushing Jeongguk. "Very cool. Has it ever seen scissors? Ya look like a Disney character. In a good way!"

He even goes as far as to stretch out his hand, to which the mer flinches away. So far Jeongguk might've been cool with that other human, but touching is still very much off-limits, it seems.

Their landlord notices it too, his hand falling limply to his side, smile diminishing a bit.

Taehyung scowls. He doesn't like this.

"No offence, but don't you have, like, a job to attend? Do you really have time to have a relaxed breakfast with us?"

The small blond laughs merrily. "Yer good, mate, no offence taken." He stuffs another spoonful of kimchi eggs into his mouth until his cheeks bulge out like those of a hamster, and chews for a long while. "Ya funny tho. Taking care of ma guests - which means, yous - is literally my main source of income."

"Oh." Taehyung blinks. Then halts. "Wait. So what do you do all day?"

Yongbok chugs down another way too big spoonful, and shrugs. "Housekeeping, cooking... oh, I can be yer tour guide, if ya want. If guests have any pets, I can also dog- or cat-sit. My sister and I don't have a boat, but my friends do, if ya wanna take a dip. And I can organise get-togethers, if ya feel like meeting more folks. Or give you tips on... anything, really." He leans forward to whisper conspiratorially, "I can also give some bloody awesome massages. No extra charge." 

He winks, and suddenly it's Taehyung who splutters.

"By the way, I've been wondering the whole time... are yous on yer honeymoon? Yer together, right?"

Taehyung hides behind his hands. Feels ready to melt on the spot. "I, uh... yeah?"

"...Taehyung." Jeongguk tugs at his sleeve. "Taehyung, what is a honeymoon?"

Taehyung lifts his hand and points at the ring that's sitting there. "Like this."

"Oh." A smile that could rival the sun breaks out on the mer's face. He's glowing. "I see." Then he turns towards Yongbok who's followed the exchange with his chin resting in his hand and a besotted expression, and nods. "Then, yeah. We are."

"Cute."

 

"How do you feel about cutting your hair, babe?"

Jeongguk gives him a side-look that speaks volumes. "Is it because of what the Yongbok said earlier?"

Taehyung has half a mind to snicker about the phrasing, yet he doesn't. "No." Yes. "...Maybe?"

The mer huffs. Twirls a strand of black hair around his finger and pulls, until it's taut. "Dunno. Do you think short hair would look good on me?"

"Everything looks good on you."

It leaves Taehyung's mouth way too quickly to be anything but sincere. And completely smitten.

Jeongguk turns away, cheeks flaming red.

"...Oh," he just says quietly. Not 'You flatter me', or 'Stop teasing', or anything of the sort. Just that small word, as he accepts Taehyung's words and the conviction with which they are spoken as the idol's personal truth. If Taehyung had to guess, he'd say the mer is probably cradling his words close to his heart now. The same way Taehyung does whenever Jeongguk calls his name in that special way where he makes it sound like a prayer.

They sit on their shared bed together for quite a while, content to stew in their own juice. It's not per say, but some form of tension nonetheless. It's good. Taehyung likes that he can have such an effect on Jeongguk, to the point where the mer doesn't get out a proper sentence for minutes.

Eventually, he collects himself enough to meet Taehyung's gaze and ask, "Are you still gonna play with my hair when its gone?"

His voice is serious. As if that's the most important thing to consider before he entertains the idea of cutting his hair. It's ridiculously adorable and Taehyung is so, so gone.

"Of course!" He promises, words coming out rushed. "Your hair being a metre shorter won't stop me from messing around with it, don't you ever worry about that."

Jeongguk's answering smile looks adorably relieved. As if he's actually been worried. What a stupid thought, really. Not in a thousand years will Taehyung be able to keep his hands to himself when a certain mer is concerned.

Speaking of which...

One of those days he should figure out once and for all whether or not Yongbok stays in the house overnight. He has no idea how thin the walls here are. And with Jeongguk and him literally sharing a bed, it's too good of an opportunity to let pass. But so far their landlord has been nothing but sweet and forthcoming. Maybe, if Taehyung asks nicely, he'd find somewhere else to stay for a night or two.

However. First things first. And that means, it's time to ask Yongbok for a good (and discreet) hairdresser.

The man in question looks like an over-excited puppy at the prospect of giving any kind of advice to his dear guests.

"Aight, do ya want me to give ya the top five, top three, my personal favourite, the cheapest one, the quickest, or the one least popular for gossiping?"

"I, uh." Taehyung gnaws at his lip. "Yes?"

Yongbok just crosses his arms and waits, swaying forth and back on his feet with a smile. Behind his back, Jeongguk sneaks to the large round metal box that sits open on the table, and steals a few cookies. When the mer notices Taehyung's eyes on him, he just winks and grabs another one. Taehyung shakes his head and sighs, amused. Then he focusses on the initial question.

"How good is the discreet one?"

Yongbok, utterly oblivious to the theft that has just taken place in his  kitchen, beams. "Oh, she's great! Charges accordingly, though."

"How discreet is she exactly?"

"Well." The petit blond man taps his chin and tilts his head in a way that makes light hit his features differently. It's the first time Taehyung notices numerous faint specks all over his nose and cheeks. In the summer, the guy must be covered in freckles, and probably look even more like a foul-mouthed pixie. "Let's say... if there would be a world-famous idol who's gone MIA for almost a year suddenly walking into her hair salon and requesting a trendy, new haircut, she would not post about it on her Insta account."

Taehyung has a weird feeling. "That's... oddly specific." And too much of a description of himself to be coincidence.

Yongbok shrugs. "What can I say? I like to be specific sometimes, Seongwo."

And the way he emphasises the last word...

Taehyung squints. "How long have you known?"

"Known what? That ya've given me a false name?" The smaller man snorts. "Maybe ya shoulda bothered to react quicker to yer alias for the whole thing to be convincing. And if ya mean how long I've known who ya really are, well. I said this-" he makes a sweeping movement with his arms- "is my main source of income. Not my only one. In my spare time, I work as independent songwriter for several agencies, including yours. Ya probs just didn't notice cuz I go by the name Felix there, 's all."

"Ugh." Taehyung cranes his neck and groans. "Whyyy do I always pick landlords who have ties to the music industry and recognise me immediately?"

Yongbok gives him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Bad luck?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Hey, no drama, m'kay? I'm not in the habit of causing problems for others. Yer secret is safe with me. Besides," the excited grin from earlier is back, "this makes me feel like a secret agent or something. When I help ya protect yer identity, I mean. And for the hairdresser - the discreet, expensive one happens to be my sis. Mayhaps I already told her when someone called 'Seongwo' makes an appointment, she is to not lose a peep boutta the whole thing."

Oh.

"That's-"

-very kind, Taehyung was about to say, but gets beat to it by Jeongguk who shamelessly strolls over from the table as if he didn't just inhale half of the cookie box's content.

"I like him," he declares towards Taehyung. 

Taehyung lets out a strangled sound as he thinks about how that sounded like something one would say in a pet shelter before adding a 'can we keep him?' and give pleading looks. Yongbok is not a pet. They are not going to keep him. This is all a temporary arrangement anyway.

Yongbok though either didn't read between the lines in the same way Taehyung did, or disagrees, because he beams up at the two of them as if he'd just received the best compliment ever.

Great.

Leaving this place for good is gonna be such a pain in the . Jeongguk is gonna throw a fit, Yongbok is gonna be whining all heart-broken, and Taehyung is gonna cave and stay one, two, fifteen days longer, he can already tell.

 

Their visit at the hairdresser turns out to be a challenge for several reasons. One, Jeongguk does not react well when the woman starts touching his hair. He even goes as far as to hiss at her, which Taehuyng tries to cover up with a dry cough. He curses himself silently about not having given a proper explanation about what hairdressers do and how they work.

They make it work, somehow, with Taehyung taking a seat right next to Jeongguk, the two chairs practically bumping into each other. Jeongguk's hand is clammy in Taehyung's.

He makes up a story about physical neglect on the spot that's not all that far from the truth, asking the young woman that may or may not be Yongbok's sister for some leniency, and to please be very careful because Jeongguk's hair has been some kind of taboo area to touch up to now.

She goes a little teary-eyed and nods frantically, promising to do her very best not to hurt or spook the poor man. After that, however, she resumes her calm, collected demeanour. Stops gushing about Jeongguk, thankfully, who has gone completely rigid in his chair and is holding onto Taehyung for dear life.

The next challenge is to decide what the woman is even to do with all that mass of Jeongguk's hair. Together with Taehyung, she gives him a scrutinising look. They decide to go for a two-block cut and long curtain bangs swept back out of his eyes in a wave.

"It almost physically hurts to cut off all that pretty hair," she mutters but does as told.

Taehyung can't help but agree, wistfully watching every long strand falling to the ground. In no time at all, Jeongguk is sitting into a fluffy heap of black hair.

"Everything okay?," Taehyung asks under his breath when the hairdresser has left for a moment to fetch some shampoo or whatever.

"Mhm," is all the mer presses out through gritted teeth.

"You are doing so well, baby. I'm very proud of you. My brave, selfless, beautiful Gguk."

The hold on Taehyung's hand slackens slightly. Jeongguk turns his head towards him and gives him a tense, tiny smile. Taehyung broadly smiles back at him.

When it's time for the mer to get his hair washed, he does protest quite vehemently. It starts off fine - until the woman begins to thread her fingers through Jeongguk's now much shorter hair, coating it with shampoo and lightly massaging his scalp. Jeongguk pushes her away with a snarl and jumps up from the seat, hair dripping wet.

It takes a hot minute for Taehyung to work out the issue and get Jeongguk to calm down. Only when he's got his face buried in the crook of Taehyung's neck, does the mer mumble something about the touch being too intimate. 

"I only let you ever touch me like that," he breathes. "Only you."

Taehyung's heart clenches, expands, and shrivels up at the same time. He presses a kiss onto the back of Jeongguk's wet, sudsy head and says nothing.

Thankfully, the hairdresser still buys Taehyung's story and doesn't complain, not even when he sheepishly asks if it would be alright for him to wash Jeongguk's hair, and for her to take over afterwards.

They make it work.

Jeongguk lashes out a few more times, and Taehyung has to stay very close all the time, but in the end he gets his hair done.

Taehyung himself only absent-mindedly registers another woman working on his own hair. At some point she'd asked if he would like to get his hair cut too, and he'd nodded and said "Just a touch-up, and a trim, please." This could be a wellness date, with the two of them getting cared for each on their own yet right next to each other. It isn't. Not with how tense Jeongguk is the entire time. Wellness means relaxing and letting lose, and the mer is as far from relaxed as one can be.

When the two of them are finally done, Jeongguk looks as if he hadn't slept for three days.

Taehyung showers him with compliments of how well he did and promises him that they don't have to do this again anytime soon if the mer doesn't explicitly want to. He pays both hairdressers generously for putting up with the trouble. They decline at first, saying that they merely did their job and that Jeongguk is welcome to come back anytime, but he insists.

On the entire way back, his own very personal challenge consists of trying not to look at Jeongguk too closely. Because. Now, wearing some of Taehyung's comfier clothes and sporting a modern hairstyle, Jeongguk looks like an idol himself. He fits right in next to Taehyung. And Taehyung already knows, once he starts looking properly, he won't be able to stop. He'll keep staring at the mer like a creep with how ing handsome he is with that short hair of his. It's not fair. This was a terrible idea. And it's all Yongbok's fault.

Of course, as soon as they get back, Yongbok greets them with a wolf whistle and skips over to run a few laps around the both of them and fawn over them - but mostly Jeongguk - from every angle. Taehyung has to bodily shove himself between the two and steer Jeongguk up the stairs, away from their too loud, too bright landlord. His Gguk needs some rest from social interactions with strangers. Right now. 

(And also, Taehyung selfishly wants freshly-styled Jeongguk all for himself.)

Despite his usually naive demeanour, their landlord must not be completely dull. After a few minutes he calls up the stairs that he has to leave and help some friend, he'll probably be gone for a few hours, but dinner is in the pot on the stove if they wanna get started without him. 

Taehyung yells down a confirmation, then waits for the door to fall shut. The smile on his lips becomes a little wicked when he turns back to Jeongguk. The mer lays sprawled out onto their bed, eyes closed and limbs stretched in every direction. Time to give him a proper reward for putting up with everything today. And to show just how affected Taehyung is by that new look of his.

 

Yongbok wisely enough takes his sweet time to return.

Later that evening, when they sit around the table and have dinner together, the small blond has a teasing glint in his eyes.

Taehyung just raises an eyebrow in challenge. It's not like they are trying very hard to hide what they've been up to. Both him and Jeongguk still wear that post- glow like a second skin, and Jeongguk looks both more lively and sated than before, cheeks rosy, hair ruffled. Content. His sparkling eyes keep flitting back to Taehyung every other second, and damn if the latter doesn't preen under the attention. Under the longing he can still feel radiate off the mer in waves. The bare foot Jeongguk keeps sliding up and down Taehyung's leg beneath the table helps driving the point home even more. Apparently three s are not enough to tyre out a very enthusiastic, two-hundred-something years old merman.

"I'll go and wash the dishes at my sister's place, or something," Yongbok says with a knowing grin at the two of them while he gets up.

Barely looking at him, Taehyung hums. "Sure."

iled from his own house. Taehyung feels almost bad for their landlord.

...Almost.

 

The next day, Taehyung wakes up to high-pitched, definitely girly squeals from downstairs. His immediate reaction is, , Yongbok's sister snitched, and now there are sasaengs in the house.

Jeongguk is only halfway awake despite the commotion. Opts to grunt, and pull Taehyung back against him by the waist instead of making an actual effort to get up.

Taehyung gently but decidedly pries the mer's hands off him, and sits upright. If there are sasaengs here, resting time is over.

His worry - thankfully, oh - turns out to be for naught. The squealing voice belongs to a girl, yes. Or rather, a woman. But it is only Yongbok's sister herself, and she is in the middle of fawning over a tea pot that's shaped like a smiling cartoon mushroom, probably a gift from her brother. When she spots Taehyung at the foot of the stairs, she only acknowledges him with an "Oh, good morning, Taehyung-sshi" - which answers the question whether she, too, knows - and then gets back to turning her new mug every which way while letting out more cooing noises.

A little disoriented, Taehyung pads back upstairs and wiggles his way into Jeongguk's arms.

 

 

It takes another hour before they've officially emerged from the bedroom and are ready for breakfast. Today, it seems, it's time for another Australian version of the first meal of the day. Yongbok likes to vary what he offers his guests, whipping up a storm from either cuisine he grew up with. It keeps Taehyung and Jeongguk on their toes. They never know beforehand on which continent they'll be that morning, taste-wise.

"Mornaying, lovebirds~" Yongbok greets them with one of his broad grins, obviously wide awake for hours at this point. He holds a spatula in one hand, and a large pan in another. "Yous just in time!"

Yongbok turns around with a skip to put the enormous pan in the middle of the table. 

"Gentlemen, I hereby present you-" he makes a dramatic gesture towards the sizzling pan, the aroma of fried bacon wafting through the air- "The Big Fry! Dig in as long as it's hot, guys."

They take a seat at the small wooden table that's been formally white, Taehyung being very careful as he does so. His bum feels a little raw after last night despite the nice, long bath they had together somewhen around midnight.

Yongbok, sweet as always, notices of course. And proceeds to very round-about ask Taehyung while the latter is helping himself to some fried egg, bacon and mushrooms, if he needs some vitamin E oil later.

Jeongguk, bless him, doesn't understand the question at all. Proceeds to boast about how Taehyung always eats vegetables and is a very healthy human in every way.

"Gguk, no," Taehyung groans from somewhere behind his hands.

Their landlord just laughs and reaches over to pat Jeongguk's shoulder, the mer flinching away only a bit. "Yer cute!"

 

Later, when Jeongguk is busy inhaling half of yet another tray full of cookies, Taehyung sidles up next to Yongbok and sheepishly asks for some of the oil, please. Yongbok is gone in the blink of an eye, and back in the next, unassuming bottle in his hand. 

"Here, keep it. I don't need it right now anyway."

Taehyung blinks. "I, uh, thank you."

"No wucka's."

 

It's a horrible day to be outside. Too warm for snow, but too cold to feel comfortable. The chilly rain going down on Haneul quickly soaks through everything, and the wet cold bites deep. It makes the decision to stay inside all day very easy. That's how, until lunch, Taehyung sits Jeongguk down with him on the bed and goes through the lyrics of his next album with the mer, asking for his opinion and advice. Jeongguk is an attentive listener, and a great word-smith.

"Is that the siren part of you?" Taehyung wonders after they've made a subtle change to one of the verses that rounds out the whole thing so much more.

Jeongguk shrugs and gives him a lopsided smile. "Maybe? This is fun, though."

It is. Especially with a large cup of hot chocolate in their hands, a fuzzy blanket wrapped around them, and the fairy lights on the walls above the bed switched on. Taehyung has his speaker to let some French coffee jazz pour into the room that takes the glumness out of the never-ceasing pitter-patter of the rain against the windows.

It's nice, cosy. Doesn't feel like work at all, even as Taehyung sends the edited versions to his manager and gets an immediate reply that tells him manager Seo is probably sporting a puckering vein now. The initial message is followed by a string of questions, that are all different phrasings demanding to know when Taehyung will come back to Seoul and start to seriously work on the album. Taehyung lets his head fall on the mer's shoulder and heaves out a long exhale.

Jeongguk's hand comes up to card through Taehyung's now shorter hair.

"Tell me."

"I'll have to get back soon, I think."

A pause.

"...What does 'back' mean?"

Where am I in this picture, is the unspoken question that follows up the first one.

Taehyung flips to an empty page of his notebook and does a quick sketch of Korea. Then jabs his pencil into the far upper left corner, at the other side of the country. Somewhat close to the west coast. Many kilometres away from Haneul or Nakseongdae.

"There," he sighs, shoulders heavy, "is 'back'."

 

If Yongbok notices the dulled atmosphere during lunch, he doesn't mention it. He does, however, rope his two guests into an extensive gaming session. Opens an old, weathered chest in the hallway Taehyung had thought to be there for decorative purposes only, and proudly reveals his game collection.

The rest of the day is spent with competitive bets, several cases of sore losers, attempts of allying against each other, and lots of laughter to the point of tears. 

Yongbok beats them both at Twister easily. It's then that Taehyung learns their landlord is not only flexible but also strong. And that he's got a black belt in taekwondo. Taehyung calls fraud, with Jeongguk passionately joining in even thought it's clear the latter has no idea what that means but is ready to try knocking Yongbok down. Their landlord argues that he didn't violate any rules and sticks out his tongue.

Charades turns into a little disaster, seeing as how Jeongguk is great with imitating and guessing sea creatures - but terrible with anything else. And as soon as Yongbok caught up on that, he is merciless to use the knowledge to his advantage. 

When it's time for uno, Taehyung is secretly delighted that for once, he is not the worst player. Although his giddiness doesn't last long - for it takes Jeongguk only two rounds to figure out the game completely, and from then on he wipes both Taehyung's and Yongbok's asses mercilessly. Somehow, the Take Two and Take Four cards always make it into the mer's hands. If Taehyung didn't know for a fact that Jeongguk has no idea what cheating is, let alone how it's done, he would accuse him of foul play.

Things start to get messy once Yongbok decides to bring marshmallows into play. Be it as tokens, prizes, or something else. At some point, Jeongguk gets a moustache made of half-molten marshmallow, and another one of the sugary fluff-balls sticks to Yongbok's forehead. It's hilarious, and exactly what they needed.

When the sun - what sun? The entire day has been glum - has settled, Yongbok makes his round through the house to switch on all the decorative lights. Including two star light curtains, and at least five different strings of fairy lights on the walls. Next, their landlord puts his old kettle on the stove. And from then on it takes just a few minutes more before three giant pots of tea from his own mixture are ready. Something with dried berries, oranges, cinnamon and other spices. It smells a bit like roasted almonds.

Jeongguk curiously sniffs at the brew.

"Is that tea?"

Yongbok snorts. "Duh."

"That means yes," Taehyung mutters. Thinks he hadn't introduced the mer to that particular slang word yet.

Sure enough, Jeongguk gives him a grateful little smile and nods. 

"Ah. But... how? Your tea never smelled like that."

"That's because I prefer herbal tea, babe," he says. And hurries to add, "But this one is good, too," while shooting a concerned look at their landlord.

Yongbook, who doesn't look the least bit perpetuated, just grins. "I know."

Jeongguk looks back and forth between them with furrowed brows.

"...Wait. So there are... different kinds of tea?"

Taehyung coos. "Oh, baby. You have no idea. Looks like it's time to get some educating done."

Yongbok has already scurried off into the kitchen to fetch all the different teas he can find.

The rest of the evening, Jeongguk has to sample every tea their landlord brews. He gets a notepad and a ballpoint pen, and then has to rate every tea with one to five stars after taste, smell, colour, and 'would drink again'. Taehyung and Yongbok in the meanwhile take bets of the mer's next rating, with the prize for each round's winner being one m&m.

Things get a little heated when there is a tie between peppermint and ginger tea. (Taehyung, who had bet for peppermint, wins. He is not sure whether Jeongguk announced peppermint the winner just to humour him, though.)

 

The laughter and excited chatter stays behind in the living room. Back in their bed, the atmosphere is sombre once again.

"When do you have to go back?"

Taehyung presses his face into Jeongguk's warm, broad chest and fiddles with the other's pyjama trousers.

"I don't know," he admits. Hates to say it out loud, but hates the following word even more. "Soon."