Germanic/Old English | verb

♦ to touch; to come in contact with; to concern/affect

 

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"I'm coming with you."

Taehyung pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs, long and drawn-out like someone who had the same talk several times already. Probably because that's exactly the case. "For the last time, Gguk. No, you're not. I don't trust that he really came alone-"

"Which is why you should let me come and keep you safe."

"No, listen." He drags a hand through his hair, restless from how long this conversation has been going on. "If they want to ambush you and you are not there, they'll have to let me go. I'm not of any interest to them as long as you are not there to see whatever they do to me. If you are there, however - and especially if Jimin is with them - they won't stop before they have you back in chains. And I don't..." Gulping, Taehyung stretches out a hand, tugs the mer closer, and cradles his face with the utmost care someone as precious as Jeongguk deserves. "I don't want a repetition of what happened in winter, baby. Never again."

With a big scowl, Jeongguk relents. Nods, as he lets Taehyung have it his way. "I don't like this," he mutters.

Taehyung smiles reassuringly and over the tiny stars under the mer's eyes. “How about this - I'll take Hobi-hyung with me. This way I won't be alone, and you are out of danger too. Okay?”

The mer grumbles some more but still nuzzles into the touch, albeit apprehensively. As if he doesn't want to, but can't help himself. “Is he strong?”

“Hobi-hyung? Oh yeah, he is! He's the best dancer I know, and dancers train super hard. They have, like, muscles everywhere, and know how to use them too.”

The scowl on Jeongguk's face deepens with each sentence. Taehyung is just about to wonder if he said something wrong, when the mer mutters, “Is he stronger than me?” His entire expression is pinched, as if the words leaving his mouth burn on his tongue, and, oh. It's the same expression Jeongguk had back when Taehyung fawned over Namjoon's cool tail.

“Of-of course not,” he hurries to say. Partly because a jealous Jeongguk is not a good thing, and partly because it's true. Hoseok is only human. No matter how hard he trains, he'll never be stronger than a mer. “He is strong enough to keep me safe, but he'd be no match to you, don't you worry, babe.” 

Taehyung leans closer to cover the mer's face in kisses until eventually the scowl fades and makes space for a besotted smile together with one of those pretty, twinkling giggles that always come so unexpected from someone with Jeongguk's appearance. Except by now, Taehyung knows. It may have taken him a while, but now he is well aware of  the soft and tender heart within that steeled body. Of course Jeongguk giggles like the cute thing he is.

They fool around for a bit, with the mer trying to give some pecks to Taehyung too but the latter dodges him and plants a loud, wet smooch on Jeongguk's cheek instead. The mer stops and stretches out his hand, all but shoving it in Taehyung's face, with one finger outstretched.

“Pinky promise?”

Taehyung blinks. “...What?”

“Pinky promise that you won't let anything happen to you?”

He melts. “Yes,” Taehyung says reverently as he locks their pinkies together. “I promise. It's sealed now.”

The mer nods, satisfied. When Taehyung tries to pull away, however, he finds that he can't. Jeongguk doesn't let go.

“And promise that when there is danger, you'll leave the Hoseok behind and come to the sea as fast as possible so I can take care of it?”

“I…” This time, Taehyung falters. He his lips. “I can't just abandon my friend, Gguk.”

But Jeongguk has none of it. With a determined glint in his eyes, he pulls at their entwined hands so they can rest against his chest. Taehyung has to awkwardly lean forwards, following the motion. For lack of a better option, he rests his head on Jeongguk's shoulder and pretends that it was his plan all along.

“You must. You promised to keep yourself out of harm's way. If that means leaving everyone behind and running away, then that's what you're gonna do, alright?”

“But-”

“If this really were a trap and they were only interested in me, your friend will be perfectly fine. You said so yourself.”

Taehyung pouts. “I don't like it when you use my own arguments against me.”

Jeongguk doesn't apologise. “Do you promise, Taehyung.”

“Okay!” With a huff, Taehyung throws his free arm up in the air. “I really don't like this, though.”

The irony of him saying the same thing as Jeongguk mere minutes ago is not lost on him. Neither is it on Jeongguk.

“Well, I hate letting you go without me too. If you want me to stay home, then you gotta promise me, Taehyung.”

“That's called extortion.”

“So?”

“...” Taehyung tugs at his hand again. “Can you let me go now? I already did what you wanted.”

The mer shakes his head and tightens his hold on Taehyung's pinky with his own. For just a mere pinky, it's unnecessarily strong. Why does Jeongguk even have strong pinkies?

“No, you didn't say it properly.”

Taehyung laughs incredulously. “What?!”

“You didn't say it properly,” Jeongguk insists. “Say ‘I promise to put myself first and abandon my friend if it means I get away unharmed’, and I'll let you go.”

“You are truly being ridiculous.”

“Taehyung.”

“Ugh.” 

Jeongguk squeezes his finger, still insistent, yet a thumb over Taehyung's knuckles as if to soothe the sting of his actions. How is Taehyung supposed to be mad, when already a hint of guilt pulls down the corners of Jeongguk's mouth?

“Fine. Okay. I promise to leave poor Hoseok if something happens and he falls behind, and make a run for the sea instead of helping him. Even if I really, really hate it.”

“Thank you.”

The relief with which the mer smiles at him would be enough to power an entire sun. He lets go. Taehyung squints at him, feeling as if he just stared straight into a spotlight.

“Uh. I'll… I'll go talk to Hobi-hyung, then. How about you try on some of the new clothes I got you, hm?”

Jeongguk steals one of those sweet, seemingly innocent kisses right from his mouth that always do a great job with sending Taehyung's heart into a frenzy.

“Deal.”

Taehyung flees the scene before he can embarrass himself and melt into a puddle of goo. Or something.

“Hey-yo, Taehyung-ah, my man!” Downstairs, Hoseok greets him with one of his broad signature smiles. There are too many bright smiles solely directed at him as of lately. Taehyung feels as if he spent an entire day in the sun. He's drained. “Did you know that Yongbokkie over here-” Hoseok jabs a thumb over his shoulder- “is a formidable dancer?”

“I, uhm.” Taehyung's eyes dart over his best friend's shoulder to where Yongbok is proudly sipping on a huge cup of whatever. The corners of his eyes crinkle from the force of his smile, and his freckles stand out darkly against his pale skin. “...No?”

“Well, now you know.” Hoseok claps him on the back with enough force to topple Taehyung over, were he not used to it. “Anyway. What's up?”

Taehyung purses his lips. He glances over to their landlord, who, in the little time where his attention was elsewhere, scuttled into the kitchen, fetched a cooling tray laden with chocolate chip cookies and is now holding the entire thing under Taehyung's nose.

“Ya want sum?”

It smells heavenly. Especially up close. Taehyung stuffs his face with two cookies at once before he remembers his manners and mumbles a sheepish “Thank you” to a cackling Yongbok.

“Yer good, yer good.” The petit man presses two more cookies into Taehyung's hands and makes his way back to the kitchen.

Taehyung can feel the chocolate melt on his palms. He blinks, a little dazed. Where was he?

Ah. Right. 

“Hyung, I was wondering if you could come to Nakseongdae with me tomorrow.”

The two others perk up at that, one alarmed and the other confused.

“That's just rubble, mate. Nothin' to see thea.”

“Is it true, then?” Taehyung feigns innocence. “It got completely destroyed?”

Yongbok shrugs, nods. “Yeah? My ma's friend's husband's brother went there. Said not a single house is left. Looks like on bloody Mars. Stones ‘n’ dirt ‘n’ nothing else. Super boring, if ya ask me.”

Hoseok on the other hand squints at him suspiciously. “Why do you wanna go there, Taehyung-ah?”

“Just heard it might be a cool place,” Taehyung tries to play it down.

Judging by the way his friend doesn't look convinced in the slightest, he didn't do a very good job. Hoseok gets up from where he's thrown himself over one of the two old armchairs, stalks over to him and grips Taehyung's elbow.

“Can we talk?” It comes out more a request than anything, his voice strained.

Without waiting for a response, he tugs Taehyung over to the small room where he's been staying over the weekend and closes the door behind them. Then he positions himself right in front of the door, arms crossed like a prison guard. Unpleasant memories rear their  heads and Taehyung has to take some deep, collected breaths. He got out, he is fine.

“What's going on?”

After some contemplation, Taehyung sits down on the tidied bed. “Well… I got a message from Yoongi-hyung to meet there.”

“Who is that again?” 

Hoseok is in full no-bull-mode. Rare as it is, Taehyung has learnt to fear that attitude. If Hoseok gets like this, the people around him have to choose their words very wisely.

“...One of my landlords from there?”

“The dudes that kept you prisoner?!”

Taehyung gnaws at his lip. So much to not go down the wrong memory lane. Deep breaths. “I, uh…”

Hoseok’s left eye twitches. “Well?”

“...Yeah?”

His best friend looks about ready to explode, mouth already opened wide as if to yell at Taehyung. But then he closes it again. A vein throbs at his temple. “And you think this is a good idea, because…?”

“He said he's alone.”

“And why would you believe him? That guy has done some horrible things to you and your man.”

Taehyung purses his lips, refusing to meet Hoseok's eyes. “Technically, it was Jimin, who-”

“They are together!”

“Well, maybe not any more, who knows?”

“Taehyung-ah, do you even listen to yourself?! This is a stupid and terrible idea, for a hundred reasons.”

“But Yoongi-hyung was the one who got me out of there.”

Hoseok laughs. This time though, it doesn't sound as jolly as normally. It's a mocking sound, grating to the ears. When he huffs, the joyless smile is gone. “Yeah, after defaming your basic human rights for how many weeks? Listen, Tae-ah, I'm all for peace and second chances, but this really isn't it. You had your fair share of bad ideas, and so did I, but this one is too much on the self-destructive side. What does Jeongguk even say to that?”

Taehyung flops onto the bed with a loud sigh. “He wants to come along.”

“Okay, never mind, that's even worse.”

“I know! But this is why I thought… what about if you come with me? To watch my back?”

For a while, Hoseok is very quiet. All that can be heard are their breaths, and Hoseok's foot tapping onto the floor.

“I don't like getting dragged into things like this,” he finally announces. “But I'd feel even worse knowing I could have helped you and didn't do it. Alright, yeah, I'll come with you.” He points at Taehyung and gives him his best glare. “But if they are trying to do something sus and I tell you to run, then you do it, understand?”

Taehyung snorts.

Hoseok's eyebrows shoot up. “What? I'm proclaiming my will to take a bullet for you, and you laugh? The disrespect!”

“What the- hyung, that's not it! It's just funny how you and him agree on something for once. Jeonggukkie literally said the same thing and even demanded for me to make a promise.”

At that notion, his friend looks mildly uncomfortable.

 

Getting whisper-yelled “Do you have an undercover cop costume” in his ear is not how Taehyung imagined waking up the next day. But then again, Hoseok tends to be unpredictable.

While Jeongguk next to him jolts upright and looks about ready to strangle the threatening intruder, Taehyung blinks blearily and begs his brain to do the thing where it makes sense of words.

“Whhhf?”

His friend has bolted out of the mer's reach and now crouches next to the bed. Taehyung is pretty sure that if he were to somehow magically get his eyes to cooperate, he would see the mer giving Hoseok a massive stink eye. The low snarl right into his ear does nothing to make him think otherwise.

Hoseok however, either has massive balls or is oblivious as hell, for he rambles, “Undercover cop, Taehyung-ah. This is a dangerous mission, we should dress the part. Please tell me you packed a black turtle-neck, dark jacket, base-cap and some giant sunglasses, yes?”

“Hrrrrrrrm.”

Taehyung swats in the annoying voice's direction and turns on his other side. The next moment, the blanket gets pulled off him.

“YAH!”

“Rise and shine, we have to be there in not even two hours. Get going, lazy-.”

“Twohourssssalotsatime.”

“Not if it's you we are talking about. Move it, Taehyung.”

“...I hate you.”

Next to him, Jeongguk wrangles with Hoseok for the blanket. Taehyung watches the tug-of-war with a dreamy smile. His knight in shining armour, fighting for what rightfully belongs to him. He sighs.

“No, you don’t,” Hoseok grunts mere seconds before giving up and letting go of the blanket.

Jeongguk holds it up triumphantly and then gingerly drapes it over Taehyung, leaning down with the motion to give him a kiss on the forehead.

“Thank you, baby,” Taehyung whispers, hopefully too low for Hoseok to hear.

He gets another peck as an answer. The mer slips under the blanket with him and wraps an arm around Taehyung’s waist.

With the most unimpressed expression, Hoseok hovers over the two of them. “That’s all very sweet and stuff, but we really gotta get going. Taehyung-ah, can you show me the message from yesterday? Also, time to get up. For real.”

Grumbling, Taehyung pats around until he finds his phone, unlocks it, and shoves it in Hoseok’s face. “There.”

His friend takes the device and squints at it for a few seconds, before-

“The , Tae?! It only says that some Chim is not there, and not that the dude is coming alone, like you told me. You dumb nugget! That’s a big difference.”

Oh. Right. That’s why he didn’t show the message to Hoseok yesterday, Taehyung belatedly remembers. Screw his sleepy brain. He just did as told without thinking twice. Or even once.

Jeongguk goes rigid. The low growl that started the moment Hoseok called Taehyung a dumb nugget is cut off, and the arm around Taehyung tightens. Taehyung gulps. And here is reason number two why he didn’t show the text yesterday. With his superhuman hearing, the mer would have totally heard it if this very same conversation had happened last evening in Hoseok’s room.

Well, damn.

How is he supposed to get out of the house now?

 

Late, is the answer. Very, very late. It’s 10.50, and Taehyung has no hopes of making it to Nakseongdae in time. The bumpy path down to Nakseongdae is not good for speeding. At all. But it took until now to leave. Calming down a distressed Jeongguk had been a group effort. And now he still stands in the doorway with the nails of his claw digging into the wooden frame as he physically holds back from running after them. 

Taehyung slams the car door shut and urges Hoseok to hurry. Through the rear mirror, he throws one last reassuring smile towards Jeongguk. Then he starts the engine, and they’re off.

On the way to Nakseongdae or whatever is left of it, Taehyung grows more glum with each passing minute. It's inevitable, really, how all the bad memories resurface. He briefly wonders why it can't ever be the good memories coming up first for places where one experienced both good and bad things. Next to him, Hoseok slowly quietens down and eventually stops singing or talking altogether.

The entire thing doesn't get better when Taehyung thinks about how he has to go back to Seoul tonight. Which means every minute spent with their not at all thought-through impromptu trip is a minute less spent with Jeongguk. Which, naturally, . He really hopes it's worth it. Especially as he can't be sure when he will have the next chance to meet the mer.

“So… how dangerous is that Yoongi guy exactly,” Hoseok prods hesitantly after they passed a street sign that said ‘Nakseongdae’ but with the name crossed out several times. Wouldn't it have been easier to remove the sign?

Taehyung's fingers thrum onto the steering wheel. “I don't know. He is probably not as strong as Jimin, who's been hauling fish everyday and also looks the part. But he's crafty. We should probably be careful.”

“And where are we meeting him? Did he send any location?”

At that, the younger snorts. “Nah. But if the damage on Nakseongdae is really that bad, we can probably spot him from everywhere. Finding him will be our least concern. Except for when that's already part of a trap. Which would be really ty of him, cuz then he'd have betrayed me twice.”

“”That's not very uplifting.”

“Well, it wasn't supposed to be.”

Hoseok huffs. “I just hope you didn't call for bad karma right now.”

“I don't think that's how it works, hyung,” Taehyung says after a very quick side-glance. They are nearing the former village and the road gets worse with each turn.

Two more turns, and they are at the upper end of the serpentines leading down to the bay. Taehyung brakes a little harder than necessary. He hasn't been back here since last winter. Even when he fetched his car, it's been further up the road, out of sight of… this.

There truly is nothing left but a dystopian landscape, with gaping holes in the ground where the ceiling of some tunnels must have collapsed. In a few of them, Taehyung can see sea water sloshing around. The entire system probably got flooded. Aside from that, there's only debris. Not a single wall remained standing. Everything got flattened by the monster wave. It also seems like there has not been much clean-up going on, judging by the way the spring sun glitters in countless glass shards that must've been windows once upon a time, and the fact that, well. It indeed does look dangerous to get close with all that rubble.

Down at the docks, however, there indeed is a lone pickup parked, right next to the beginning of one of the jetties. Before Taehyung can begin to wonder how the that car managed to get where it is - did it ing fly?! - Hoseok points ahead.

“Look, there's a path.”

And sure enough, there is. The main road has been cleared of all the mess just enough so that one car can drive down to the wet dock, without any detour. Taehyung carefully navigates the vehicle down the rocky road. It has significantly more holes than he remembers. But he supposes all the houses left and right collapsing does that to you. He hopes that at the literal end of the road, there will be enough space to turn around comfortably. And that they won't get into a situation that requires a speedy exit, because there is nothing fast about this road.

When they are about two blocks away from the docks - Taehyung is wildly guesstimating here, thanks to all the other streets being not a thing any more - he notices something partly hidden behind a mountain of debris that looks like half of a motorbike. Wordlessly, he jerks his head in the direction without slowing down further. Hoseok gives him an affirmative hum.

“I saw.”

Taehyung's grip on the steering wheel tightens. A partly hidden vehicle is not a good sign. He doesn't like this.

Yoongi, however, doesn't look the least bit concerning or intimidating with how he sits behind what must be his car in one of two folding chairs turned towards the bay, a steaming coffee mug in one hand. Taehyung isn't sure how long he'll manage to stay alert like that. It's the most unthreatening view one can have.

“That's Yoongi-hyung,” Taehyung confirms to Hoseok. He parks his car next to the pickup and turns around to his friend with a serious expression. “Let's hope for the best.” Then he gets out, with Hoseok close behind.

Yoongi doesn't look up at the noise. And after a few steps, Taehyung knows why. The (no longer little) black kitten in his lap demands all his attention. Yoongi number two is in the middle of a big stretch when he spots Taehyung and lets out a questioning “Mrrp?”

Only then does Yoongi number one turn his head. When he spots Hoseok behind Taehyung, he chokes on the next sip.

“Wh- yer not- wait, are ya one of them?”

Taehyung looks back and forth between them with furrowed brows. “He's not a mer, if that's what you mean.”

“Oh. Okay, yeah. Cool.”

That's when the cat decides to jump off Yoongi's lap and stroll over to the newcomers. Taehyung crouches down, one hand outstretched. Cat Yoongi takes the invitation to sniff him and once he's done, instantly starts purring and rubbing his head against Taehyung's legs. 

Taehyung chuckles. “Yeah, it's good to see you too, buddy.” He gives a few scratches to the black ears before the cat trots over to Hoseok.

Who lets out something between a shriek and a coo - either way, it's loud. “Awww, look at that cute kitty!”

Said cute kitty almost jumps out of his fur at the noise. Hissing in Hoseok's direction, he retreats to his owner and is back on Yoongi's lap within a second. Hoseok pouts.

“That's what you get for being so obnoxious, hyung,” Taehyung mutters.

He cashes in a swat to his arm for that. “That's just who I am, yah!”

“Uh, yeah, about that…” Yoongi clears his throat, which helps nothing against his raspy voice. He points at Hoseok. “Who're you again?”

Taehyung and Hoseok exchange a glance. Taehyung shrugs. It's up to his friend what to say, how much to reveal. So that's what the dancer does.

“I'm Hoseok, a.k.a your downfall, should you guys try to do anything funny towards my best friend.” He lifts his chin, crosses both arms in front of his chest, uncrosses them to do an ‘I see everything' motion with his right hand, and crosses them again.

Yoongi blinks. “Uh… okay? Why're ya talking in plural?”

Hoseok huffs. “You must think us stupid enough not to notice your accomplice. I'm telling you now that I'm ready and very much capable of breaking every single bone of whoever is lurking behind the trash mountains.” He raises his voice at the last part and lets his voice carry with the ease of a well-trained idol, audible for the ominous other guy who might be close-by.

Taehyung's former landlord still looks lost, though. And maybe a bit impressed at Hoseok's powerful voice. “But I came alone?”

Hoseok snorts. “Yeah, sure.”

With a deep frown, Yoongi scratches the cat's chin and seems to get lost in it for a moment. He jerks, blinks, then turns back to them and gestures for Taehyung to get closer. The latter hesitantly leans down. His left hand automatically stretches out, until he feels Hoseok gripping it reassuringly. The whole thing doesn't go unnoticed by Yoongi, the corners of his mouth turning even more downwards than usually.

“Why d'ya think there is someone, kid?,” he whispers. 

Taehyung doesn't bother keeping his voice down. Why should he, when Hoseok knows the same things as him?

“There was a motorbike a few blocks away. I'm pretty sure it's not from… before.”

Now Yoongi too throws a suspicious look over his shoulder. 

“...A motorbike, you say? Was it by any chance red?”

Taehyung nods. The other curses.

“. Let's get going, then, come on.”

He makes to get up, with his cat letting out an annoyed 'Miaow' before jumping down, tail held high. Hoseok stops Yoongi, steps into his way with determination.

“Yeah, no, as if.”

“As if what?”

“As if we're gonna follow you to an even more secluded area where you can do whatever you want.”

“What-” Yoongi wheezes. He looks a bit sick. “Whaddaya think I'll do? And ya weren't invited anyway.”

Hoseok shrugs. Not a hint of his usual sunshine persona is to be seen. “Do I know what goes on in the sick heads of you guys?”

“Hyung…” Taehyung tugs at Hoseok's hand. “Hyung, I don't think provocation is the best idea right now.”

“Well, he should have thought about that before imprisoning you and committing manslaughter, then.”

“I DIDN’T KILL ANYBODY!” Yoongi’s face is scrunched up in a grimace, a mixture of desperation, anger and something else.

Taehyung nods. This is awkward. And uncomfortable. And also, maybe, potentially dangerous. He wonders if it really was such a good idea to come here. “He wasn’t there, when they, uhm. You know.”

“But he didn’t exactly help, did he?,” Hoseok presses, unrelenting with his charges.

“Well-”

“I tried to!” The villager runs a hand through his hair. His eyes dart from side to side as if he’s afraid who could hear him. He lowers his voice, hissing the next words in a loud whisper. “I tried to, okay? It’s not… , it’s not easy, when ya get indoctrinated by the entire village since birth. And when your partner is a hardliner himself. Yeah, I made mistakes, I know, but they got out, didn’t they?” He gestures in Taehyung’s direction now, still hissing in Hoseok’s face, his movements almost frantic. “Him and his- the, uhm. The, the mer. They got out together, they survived. I know it was a show, but they made it out alive. And that’s why I’m here today, okay? To apologise, and, just. Talk, ya know?”

“Hm.” Hoseok tilts his head from side to side, lips pressed into an unforgiving line as he weighs the words. Then he glances at Taehyung, one brow raised.

Taehyung nods.

“Well, okay then, mister goody-two-shoes.” Hoseok waves a hand dismissively, yet his gaze remains sharp. “Lead the way. But I’m warning you: try anything funny and you will taste these fists.” To underline his words, the dancer flexes and shows off some of the muscles he trains so hard for.

Yoongi has the good sense to gulp and take the words for the very real threat they are. Taehyung faintly wonders if anyone out of the idol industry who doesn’t know Hoseok as well as him would think they've got Hobi’s evil twin in front of them right now.

“Uhm. Okay.” He his lips, gives Hoseok a nervous side-look and then begins to lead them through the rubble, on a twisted route far off that one street free of any hindrances - and away from the direction Taehyung pointed him regarding the motorbike.

After a good fifteen minutes of climbing, sneaking and cursing - underlined with some unamused miaows from the black cat trailing ahead of them - they reach the western outskirts of Nakseongdae. And Taehyung finds himself at the start of the very hiking trail he used to frequent every day in his first weeks here. The one that leads through the forest on the cliffs to Nakseongdae’s left, from where he spotted the suspiciously large shadow in the water, not knowing what it was back then. Who it was. It’s also the very same trail he used to come back on after Jeongguk lifted him up the cliff with one of his huge water jets or waves after a day at their beach.

He only notices he’s gaping when Yoongi gives him a funny look and snorts. 

“What?”

Taehyung blinks. Now Hoseok shoots him an intrigued look, too. “Nothing. It’s just, uhm. You know this trail?”

Another snort is his answer, together with a head-shake. “Whaddaya think who made it, kid? You’re not the first one to wander these woods and trample down this path time and again. Figured ya need the solitude more than I did back then, though.” He shrugs.

And Taehyung, well. He thinks that’s just one more way to make him feel kind of stupid. “Huh,” he says and leaves it at that.

His former landlord chuckles as he continues to lead them up the cliff.

It doesn’t take long for Hoseok to drop his threatening persona and look around in wonder instead.

“Whoa, Taehyung-ah, you used to go hiking here? This is beautiful!”

He makes the ascend effortlessly, with the black cat trailing next to him yet keeping a safe distance to the loud human. Yoongi however doesn’t seem to have such an easy time. Must’ve been a while since he went up the cliff.

They reach the highest point and step out of the trees, onto the last few metres covered in tall grass. Taehyung automatically walks right up to the edge of the steep cliff, disregarding the alarmed little noises coming from the others. He sits down and dangles his legs over the abyss. Here, he saw the too big fish for the first time. With a faint smile on his lips he gazes out onto the open sea ahead. And when he lowers his gaze to where there are strong waves crashing against stone far below, he thinks he can make out that very same shape now too. He closes his eyes and takes some deep breaths as he concentrates on the faint spray of sea water on his face that miraculously reaches him even up here. His smile grows and he stretches out a hand, curls his fingers around nothing but salty sea air.

When he opens his eyes again, a small head framed by jet black hair pops out of the water for a second, too quick for the others to see from where they stay a few metres behind Taehyung and ask him to please get away from the edge. Taehyung wiggles his fingers in a little wave at the mer, then gets up, groaning as his knees pop.

They keep following the path that runs parallel to the cliff, away from Nakseongdae. And every time Taehyung turns his head to the left, he sees a large shadow following them in the water. Neither Yoongi nor Hoseok seem to notice. 

Their hike turns into a competition when they reach a fork and Yoongi points the right path as the easy one back into the forest, and the left one as the difficult one.

“Very ing steep,” he huffs.

Hoseok looks at both paths in deep contemplation, then turns to Taehyung, ignoring their actual local guide at hand. “Okay, but. Which one is more scenic?”

Taehyung wordlessly points at the left path.

“Alrightey!” With that, Hoseok skips ahead.

It becomes apparent why Yoongi called it the difficult one after five minutes of child’s play. That’s when the path stops to make sense, and leads them not around but over some big rocks, without proper stairs or anything of the sort. They have to do something that must be a mixture of parcour and actual mountain climbing. 

Both Taehyung and Hoseok manage just fine, with the former being in top shape thanks to his comeback - although he can’t say he trained indoor rock climbing - and Hoseok having great stamina every day of the year anyway. Yoongi though. The guy needs both of them to lend a hand. Once they reach the peak of that massive rock, he crouches down, hands on both knees. His cheeks are bright red as he takes a few shuddering breaths.

“Whoa,” Hoseok exclaims, mouth open in a wide, heart-shaped smile. One hand above the eyes against the bright spring sun, he slowly turns on the spot. “What a sight! Makes sense why you wanted to move here, Taehyung-ah. Just look at that view. I love mother nature!”

Next to him, Yoongi chokes on his own spit. “Mother nature is a ,” he wheezes. Then falls onto his and refuses to take one more step.

With some sighs and eye-rolls, Taehyung and Hoseok get comfortable on the warm stone too. Cat Yoongi happily jumps into Taehyung’s lap as soon as he’s fully settled and instantly starts purring at full volume while rubbing his head against Taehyung’s stomach. Hoseok gives him a jealous side-look and pouts.

Carefully, Taehyung scoots closer to the edge once more. Far away enough not to alarm the others - or have kitty jump off his lap - but close enough that he can keep an eye on the shadow turning lazy circles at the cliff’s foot. He can’t help but coo quietly. It’s cute how Jeongguk keeps an eye on him. Besides, like this he knows that if this really was a trap, he could just jump off the cliff head-first and be perfectly fine. Which is a great deal reassuring. Because no matter whether or not he trusts Yoongi, he still doesn’t know what’s up with the motorbike. So yeah, he’ll keep close to the edge. Just in case.

After a while in which the only sounds to be heard were the crashing waves, Yoongi’s ragged breaths, the comforting purring, and the twittering from the forest behind them, Taehyung can’t keep quiet any longer.

“So… you wanted to talk?”

Yoongi stiffens. “I guess.”

“You guess? It was not my idea to meet up, you know.”

His former landlord huffs. “Yeah, well. Ya know how it is with speeches. Ya prepare ‘em, and then forget ‘em when ya need ‘em.”

Taehyung chuckles. “Very eloquent, hyung.”

Yoongi throws some grass at him. “Yah, you punk!” Then he smiles. “Been a while since ya called me that.”

Taehyung hums. “True. It’s also been a while since I was here.” He frowns as he recalls his last time at this bay.

Next to him, Yoongi nods stiffly. On his other side, Hoseok has stopped smiling. The wariness is back as he closely monitors the conversation and keeps quiet himself - something, others who only know his stage persona would deem impossible. But those people don’t know about Taehyung’s best friend. Hoseok is a great listener, has sharp wits and intuition and doesn’t miss the smallest detail. He is also a fierce protector. Aside from Jeongguk, there is nobody else Taehyung feels so safe with.

“...We buried everyone now,” Yoongi mumbles.

The frown on Taehyung’s face deepens. “Uh, my condolences? I guess?”

The other huffs and shakes his head. “Nah, thanks. I know you don’t mean it.”

Which, well. Sounds harsh, but. “...True.” 

He would not mourn the men who impaled his Jeongguk time and again, until he was a bloody pulp. Maybe it makes him the villain in their narrative. But he refuses to feel sorry. In his eyes, these guys were killers. Because with how they treated the mer, if he were anything else, anything more human, he would have not survived. He would’ve probably been dead a dozen times. And Taehyung does not pray for murderers.

“My uncle died that night, ya know. Together with my two cousins and some good friends.”

Taehyung balls his hands into fists. When he opens his mouth, he lets some of the ice only very few people ever witness seep into his voice. “Why are you telling me this?”

Yoongi blinks at him. “I-”

“Do you want me to grovel and ask for forgiveness? To say that I’m sorry for your loss? Is that why I’m here now?”

“No, that’s not-” Yoongi turns to the sea and stares ahead, unseeing, before he turns back to Taehyung. He his lips. “That’s not it at all.”

“Then why did you tell me this just now?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know, okay? I just thought… maybe ya’d like to know. Or something. It’s been weird ever since then. Everything’s been… weird.”

“Between you and Jimin?”

“No,” Yoongi huffs, shakes his head. Then nods. “I mean yeah, that too. But just, in general. Nakseongdae used to be an old village with lots of history. A few centuries ago, it was a big deal, actually.”

“Yeah, before you to the benevolent mer living in your bay,” Taehyung mutters. The black cat in his lap has stopped purring and is peering up to him with big green eyes.

“What?! What are you talking about?”

Taehyung glances towards him, then back to the shadow beneath glittering waves. “The temple? The meaning behind Nakseongdae’s name? The reason there even was a village built in this spot?”

“What temple?”

“Oh wow. Taehyung laughs. “You really don’t know about your own history, do you?”

Yoongi gives him a very long side-look. “...And you do?”

“Apparently.”

The older one scratches behind his own ear and says nothing. Cat Yoongi jumps off Taehyung’s lap to trot over to his namesake. Taehyung looks after him and slowly uncurls his fists. Hoseok quietly pats his knee.

“Did your merman also tell you how he took his time with drowning some of the fishermen? How he dragged out the torture for hours and there was nothing we could do to help them? How he slowly forced seawater into their veins? If he told you so much about us, did he tell you that, too?”

The fists are back again. Neatly trimmed fingernails cut into Taehyung’s palms. He uses the sharp sting to anchor himself. To not spiral down too far.

“And you?” he demands with deadly quiet voice. “Did Jimin tell you how they hung him head-down on a rusty butcher’s hook through his tail? Did he tell you how they stabbed him so often the entire pier was drenched in his blood? Or how they speared him with dozens of harpoons when he hung there, as if he were some ing party cheese hedgehog?” He holds Yoongi’s gaze, trembling with white-hot rage, and watches how the other slowly turns pale. “Did Jimin tell you about the scratch marks on the bottom of that cursed tank where Jeongguk tried to break out of his chains, of the deep grooves in the metal, one for each finger scratched raw? Huh? Did he tell you about how the hole around that ing hook was so big you could look through it, and how the water was murky red from all the blood that kept flowing into it? Did Jimin tell you all these things, hyung?”

Slowly, Yoongi shakes his head. “No,” he croaks.

“No,” Taehyung agrees, ignoring the way Hoseok gapes at him. “You don’t know the full story. Which is why you don’t get to twist this into guilt-tripping me. I am sorry for your loss, but I am not sorry that those people paid the price for what they’ve done.”

“And what about the women and children? They have nothing to do with it. Yet the entire village is gone and some of us have turned into homeless beggars. I lost my home and 416 songs on my laptop that night.”

“True. But you survived, no? You angered and tortured nothing short of a sea god - completely unjustified at that. This is what you get. You reap what you’ve sawn.”

“I didn’t anger him!”

“Maybe not directly. But there is a great deal more you could have done to prevent this. Especially if you didn’t agree with the toxic mindset of the others. You knew what they were doing was wrong. And yet you snitched on me. Yet you guarded my door like I was the criminal here. Getting me out of there that night was the very least you could’ve done.”

“I’m sorry,” Yoongi cries. He is white as snow. “I’m sorry, okay?! I didn’t- I wasn’t- I’m sorry!”

“Taehyung-ah.” This time, it’s Hoseok who cautiously calls him off. “I don’t think you should be here any longer.”

Taehyung purses his lips. Then he nods. “You are right.” He gets up and looks down at his former landlord. “Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

Yoongi mutely shakes his head.

“I see. Well, goodbye then, I suppose.”

He doesn’t look back as he leads Hoseok back through the forest. His clenched fists only stop trembling when he’s back in the car.

Their ride back is silent. When they arrive back at Yongbok’s small blue house, Taehyung takes some deep breaths.  Before they get out of the car, Hoseok pulls him in a tight hug.

“I had no idea, Taehyung-ah,” he says, voice heavy with emotion. “I had no idea it was that bad. That you saw it all. I’m so sorry.”

There is a soft knock against the window on the driver’s seat. And sure enough, when Taehyung looks to the side, Jeongguk is already hovering over the car door, hair still wet as if he couldn’t have been bothered to magically dry it in his haste to get back here. Taehyung melts a little. Before he can get out of the car and walk straight into the mer’s arms, however, Hoseok grabs his wrist.

“Taehyung-ah,” he says, his voice low and warning. “I just realised… that Yoongi wrote you he recognised your car, right?”

Taehyung nods.

Hoseok’s grip on his wrist tightens. “This is not your car. You rented it, because of sasaengs, remember? So how does he know that you are here?”

A chill runs down Taehyung’s spine. His mouth goes dry. The knocking on his door gets louder, Jeongguk probably heard every single word.

“....”

Hoseok nods, then lets go of him. “Just be careful with that guy, okay? He seemed to really be upset at the end, but I have a bad feeling about this.”

They get out of the car. The hug Jeongguk pulls him in is extra tight, with the mer burying his nose in Taehyung’s neck and breathing in deeply.

Jeongguk pulls away just enough to get a proper read on Taehyung’s face and cradles it in both hands, thumbs over his cheekbones. “Are you alright, little star?”

Somewhere in the background, a door clicks shut as Hoseok disappears inside the house and gives the two of them as much privacy as one can get on a town’s pavement.

Taehyung buries into the touch and lets his eyes flutter shut for a moment. His arms loop around the mer’s waist as he takes the moment to bask in the other’s presence for as long as he still can. The thought of going upstairs and packing his bag for the trip back to Seoul today has the corners of his mouth turning downwards. Immediately, the caresses on his face pick up again. Jeongguk lets out a worried little sound.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he hushes out. “Yoongi tried to fling some accusations at me - I think - but nothing really happened.”

He briefly wonders if he should tell Jeongguk about the lone motorcycle, decides against it though. He doesn’t want to worry the mer more than necessary.

Jeongguk gives him a long, imploring look but doesn’t pry further. Instead, he tugs Taehyung towards the blue house, a tentative smile playing around his lips.

“I smell fresh cookies. Wanna go inside?”

Where it’s safe, is what he doesn’t need to say.

Taehyung easily complies.

 

The goodbye almost as much as it did four months ago. Except, this time Taehyung and Jeongguk have been sitting down and mulling over several maps to plan where Jeongguk would go when so he could meet Taehyung during his coastal concerts. The plan is anything but soundproof, considering how both of them are unfamiliar with all those cities and thus have no idea how to decide on good spots for secret meetings. It is, however, better than nothing. And also means they won’t have to wait another four months before they can meet again. Hopefully.

“I’ll have to see if there are other mers in those areas who can help me get on land unseen. I’ll find a way. Don’t you worry, pearl. Just concentrate on your tour, okay?”

Taehyung lets out a deep sigh and slumps against the mer’s broad chest. “That still doesn’t resolve the problem of us getting in touch with each other, Gguk.”

“Well.” Jeongguk spreads his hands over Taehyung’s stomach and hums. “Well. If nothing else works, you could just pick a spot and come into the water. I’ll have my senses branched out to the max so I can’t miss it. Wouldn’t that work?”

Taehyung turns around in the mer’s grasp and gapes at him. “Babe, you’re a genius! I totally forgot about your ultrasonic thingy. That could actually work.”

Chuckling, the mer leans down and plants a kiss square on his mouth.

 

Downstairs, Hoseok clings to a huge container filled to the brim with home-made cookies and dons a massive pout.

“Can’t we stay longer?”

Taehyung shakes his head sadly. “You and I both have tight schedules next week, and you know it.”

Hoseok kicks against the lowest step of the stairs. “Well, this .”

“Same.”

Jeongguk is once again clinging to him like a giant leech. A leech that keeps peppering his nape with kisses. Taehyung is this close to say ‘ it’ and not leave.

Yongbok lingers in the kitchen’s doorway and looks about as crestfallen as all of them. “Man, I’ll miss ya heaps.”

At that, Hoseok whirls around and stalks over to the small man. “Oh, you have to come to Seoul soon, Yongbok-ah! So we can film some content together. You’ll come, right? You have my number.”

Yongbok nods enthusiastically. The sunshine smile that shows his cute little fangs is back in full force. “Yeah, sounds cool.”

“Great! I’m counting on you.”

Then it’s time for Taehyung to bid his farewells. He goes in for a hug to his landlord - and whispers something to him that may or may not result in his own demise in the long run. A bit confused yet no less determined, Yongbok looks at him and nods. He gives him a thumbs up, together with a bright smile. 

“I’ll do ma best, mate!”

When Taehyung stands in front of his Jeongguk, however, he baulks. It’s been less than three days, goddammit. He is not ready to part just yet, not at all. So instead of hugging and kissing the mer goodbye, he grasps his hand and tugs him along towards the car. Hoseok gives him a questioning side-look yet says nothing when Taehyung shows the mer how to climb into the passenger seat. He patiently explains the usage of the security belt while Hoseok gets into one of the back seats, his precious cookie box still in one hand.

Explaining to Jeongguk that no, he can’t hold hands the entire ride because Taehyung needs his hands for driving is a whole new form of devastating. Truthfully, there is nothing he would love to do more. But the gears don’t shift themselves, sadly, so there is that. As he doesn’t get a hand, the mer goes for Taehyung’s right thigh instead. Which, uhm. That poses an even bigger distraction. Taehyung doesn’t have the heart to tell Jeongguk off a second time, though. He’ll manage. Hopefully. Will get them to their destination without popping a or causing an accident, in whatever order. Speaking of which-

“Where are we going?,” Hoseok pipes up from the back seat. 

Jeongguk merely gives him a look with his big, dark bambi eyes.

Taehyung hums, more focused on reversing the car and getting back onto the street. “You’ll see.”

“Wow, not helpful.”

“Excuse me, would you like to walk back to Seoul, Hobi-hyung?”

Hoseok splutters but from then on remains quiet. 

Thankfully, Jeongguk is doing fine on his first car ride. Taehyung keeps glancing at him every now and then to check for paleness, white knuckles or something similar. It seems he doesn’t need to worry about anything at all. The mer gazes out of the window with wonder, one hand on the glass as Haneul and then the landscape flies past them.

“This is fun,” he whispers at some point when Taehyung accelerates on an empty street.

Taehyung grins. “You like?”

He is just in time to catch the love-struck gaze Jeongguk offers him. “Yeah.”

One quick look at the straight, still empty road, then Taehyung takes his right hand off the gear shift and his thumb over Jeongguk’s cheek before he focusses back on the street.

Behind them, Hoseok groans. “Ugh, I feel so single when I watch the both of you.”

Taehyung blushes. For the rest of the ride he keeps his hands to himself.

It doesn’t take that much longer to reach his target location. They pass by two villages. Right after the second one, he takes a sharp turn to the left, down a bumpy dirt road through a deep forest.

“Should be around here somewhere,” he mutters to himself once the trees begin to clear. In his defence, he hasn’t been here in person before. The key got sent to him via mail, just like the contract. 

But, ah, there. A rusty metal fence emerges between the trees, blocks the way ahead with an equally rusty, locked gate just as wide as the dirt road and runs down the sliver of beach, straight into the water.

With a triumphant grin, Taehyung stops the car, gets out, and tugs the key out of his pocket. He needs to wiggle a bit until it fits in the lock and the grating sound from metal on metal tells him the bolt has slid free. Some rather rough pulling later - comeback training really does come in handy today - the gate gives way for the property behind.

A merry little whistle on his lips and spinning the lone key around his finger, he gets back to the car. Drives through the open gate and a few more metres down the dirt road up to the point where it truly is too overgrown to proceed. Especially in a car that’s only rented. This time, when he gets out he jogs around the car to open the passenger door and swiftly leans over Jeongguk to free him from the security belt. He silently offers the mer a hand which the latter gingerly accepts as he gets out.

“So?,” Taehyung asks. Gestures at the fenced area. 

In the back, there is a last stretch of pine forest that dwindles down to some beach grass and then a clean strip of fine sand. Left and right from the fence, rocky cliffs rise up. It’s a tiny beach, a secret bay tugged between the bluffs, just enough space for one nice estate. And in front of them, the open sea reaches for the horizon, with a handful of stone needles sprinkled into it.

“What do you think, Gguk?”

The mer gapes. Slowly, he turns on the spot. Taehyung suppresses the urge to do the same. He only knows the view from pictures on his phone. But his own curiosity is secondary to Jeongguk’s answer.

“Is this what you meant?” Jeongguk grapples for Taehyung’s hands and squeezes them. There is a telling glint to his blueish-black eyes. “Is this where you want to build your house?”

Taehyung nods.

“Whoa, dude,” Hoseok exclaims from behind them. He’s popped open the box and is munching away on one of the cookies. “This is sick! You can fit an entire mansion here, plus a private beach. Gonna take a while to build it from scratch though. Can I visit for vacation?”

“Uh, sure?”

“Awesome!”

Jeongguk clears his throat and sniffs. Which is more than enough to get Taehyung’s entire attention back.

“Hey, baby, don’t cry, please don’t cry, okay?” He the tears away that have started running down the mer’s cheeks, worry clenching his stomach. “I can find a better spot, okay? Just tell the word and I’ll-”

“It’s perfect, Tae,” Jeongguk croaks. He manages a wobbly smile that holds for about three seconds before he gives up and slumps forward to bury his face in Taehyung’s shoulder instead, his entire frame shaking. “It’s perfect, you’re perfect. I love you so much.”

Taehyung awkwardly pats his back. He is not sure what to do against happy tears. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

The mer swats at his chest weakly and huffs. “Stop being so good.”

That at last makes him laugh.

 

After half an hour, they manage to part ways. Taehyung cashes in a dozen sweet little pecks and one deep kiss with tongue and everything that has his toes curling. “Busan,” he whispers the location of his first coastal concert. 

Jeongguk nods. “Busan,” he agrees, vows.

And then Hoseok swears he gets at least three heart attacks when a huge- wave surges forward, right to their feet, and swallows Jeongguk whole. Not even a moment later, the mer pops his head out of the water, now several metres away from the beach, and waves them goodbye.

“What the ,” Hoseok wheezes. Points at where Jeongguk has vanished, and shakes Taehyung with his other hand. “What the - did you see that?! What the just happened? Is this normal? What the ! Your man got eaten by the ing sea! Hey! Why are you so calm? Has this happened before? Hello?!”

Taehyung pats his shoulder and nods. “Yep.” He leads his best friend back to the car. “Come on, we still have a long ride ahead and I have to get up at five tomorrow.”

Hoseok doesn’t stop cursing for the next ten minutes.

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

 

One week. It's been one week since he had to let go of Taehyung. Again. Jeongguk's tail whips through the water and his claws curl into the tides. He snarls. Today is the third time already a human has gone into his waters at Nakseongdae bay. And this time, he's even thrown some garbage into the sea. Before he can think better of it, the mer is on his way. Swiftly cuts through the deep blue sea and towards the shore, until he is barely out of sight and has a tight grip on every single drop in that bay. He urges the waves to roughen up, to scare the human away. 

As soon as the intruder has stepped out of the water, Jeongguk stretches out for the thing that got thrown into the sea. With one well-aimed wave, he pulls it towards himself. And scowls at the thing now resting in his hands: an old bottle with a folded paper inside. What kind of new mockery is this?

He curls his hand around the bottle as tightly as he can, then hauls the shards and soggy paper at the human's feet with another wave.

 

He gets bottles thrown at him every day from then on.

Jeongguk is about ready to drown that guy out of pure annoyance.

 

"Hey, mister brownie man?"

Yongbok looks up from his phone and chews faster. He invited Jeongguk for lunch together, something the mer instantly forgot the name of, but it involves a lot of meat. "Mhm?"

"Is it normal that a hum- somebody keeps throwing bottles into the sea?"

"Oh, ya mean, like, bottle posts?"

"...Bottle what?"

 

The next day, when it happens again, Jeongguk is more careful with crushing the bottle. He pays more attention to the paper inside, takes it in his cave, dries it and unfolds it.

 

To Taehyung's mer:

I need to warn you about something. In secret. There might be someone watching me. Please let me explain.

-Min Yoongi.

 

He rips off the first line and puts it under one of his crowns. The hermit crab lingering close-by gets a threatening glare. "Don't you dare touch it," Jeongguk accusingly points at the little guy. The crab shrinks back into its shell.

'To Taehyung's mer'. He'll hold onto that piece of paper forever. 

Then he thinks about the rest written in that letter. If it really was written by that Yoongi, and if he indeed had something to tell him, it'd be on Jeongguk's conditions. Yoongi might not be one of Nakseongdae's vile fishermen himself yet that doesn't mean he's innocent. Jeongguk is going to be very careful around him. He still has a score to settle with that guy anyway, for backstabbing his Taehyung.

 

He waits for the disruption of a human body in the sea. Anticipates it, although in a fundamentally different way than he does whenever he waits for Taehyung. Taehyung is his lover, has been his friend first and before that an intriguing but never threatening stranger. Yoongi, depending on what happens, might as well be his prey.

Jeongguk takes deep, slow breaths as he lets his consciousness seep further into the sea. His senses sharpen as he lays in his cave and waits, claws honed, the sea's power swirling around his tingling fingertips, ready to strike. With no small amount of satisfaction he marvels at the sheer might thrumming in his grasp. He's gotten stronger over the past months.

A while ago, not too long after he'd crushed Nakseongdae to dust, he'd gone to pay Kraken another visit. The vicious mermaid had been delighted to see him. Had asked him if he was happy with the fabric from last time and needed something else by any chance, she'd just capsized a luxus cruise ship and was looking through her loot. Jeongguk had politely declined and asked her what she could teach him about becoming more powerful instead. After all, the mermaid was by far the strongest and most feared one he knew.

Since then, he's been training. And it's been paying off. So much, that when there are feet entering the waves gently lapping into Nakseongdae bay - their crashing dulled down to happy gurgles, as Jeongguk's doing, to lure the human deeper into the deceivingly calm water - it takes barely more than a flick of his wrist to snatch the human off his feet. Jeongguk doesn't need to swim a single metre to send a swift and powerful water jet into the bay. In the matter of seconds, the human is engulfed in water and gets pulled into the depths of the ocean. Shoots through the water faster than those human projectiles they used to shoot at each other's ships a few decades ago. He doesn't struggle. Can't, with how the water pressure has him in a vice.

Jeongguk uncurls from his favourite rock and waits for Yoongi.

One, two, three heartbeats later, the sea spits him out into the cave. The human comes up with a bright red face, coughing heavily. That's when he spots Jeongguk.

The mer makes a show of slinking off his rock and into the water, makes sure the human sees every inch of his strong, glorious tail, and curls his fingers slightly - just enough to send the sea roaring around them for a few heartbeats. This is his domain, and Yoongi is completely at his mercy. At least, the other seems to be aware of it, adam's apple bobbing nervously.

Jeongguk waits for the sea to calm down. Shushes it even more, until there is not even the smallest ripple left and the water surface stretches out between them in an eery stillness, smooth like glass.

"You have exactly one sentence to convince me you're not better off drowned, traitor," the mer snarls lowly.