Arabian | noun

♦sitting together and talking with friends during sunset; evening conversation

 

---

 

Taehyung is so happy he thinks he could cry on the spot if he just tried hard enough.

He knows it's baseless. They are not friends, barely more than acquaintances to be brutally honest. And yet. It's been three weeks. He's just... thanks gosh Jeongguk seems okay. 

That's why it takes him a hot minute to remember how he was about to fall into the water like two seconds ago. He is literally held upright only by Jeongguk's arms alone at this point. 

Wow, that's... they're being pretty close. Taehyung in a sharp breath and scrambles to get back onto the pier. He is not a prude, he swears. But with how shy Jeongguk has been all the time, how reluctant to get just a little too close to him, can you really hold it against Taehyung to be shocked? Funny how this time it's him who pulls away first, and not Jeongguk.

"Uhm, hi."

Where did his eloquence go? Get a grip, Taehyung! 

"I mean, are you okay? Did something happen?"

Jeongguk gnaws on his lip and sinks back into the water, looking away.

Cute.

"...It's nothing."

Taehyung nods and smiles. Just to be sure though, he asks, "So you are not hurt or anything?"

That's what gets the other to look back at him. With a curious little tilt of his head, Jeongguk watches him for a moment as if he's trying to decipher a puzzle.

"Were you worried about me?"

"So what if I were?!"

Another one of those long looks. Taehyung has the distinct feeling of Jeongguk peering right inside of him with these incredibly dark eyes of his. It's unnerving. And still he can't even start to feel afraid. Not of Jeongguk, never.

Then, a little secretive smile tucks at the corners of Jeongguk's mouth. 

"You are very strange, Taehyung."

Taehyung harrumphs. Granted, he has no clue how old Jeongguk is. How age works for him. But right now he's just being a brat.

"Well, excuse me for caring."

He nudges his foot against Jeongguk's shoulder before he can catch himself and misses the way he barely flinches.

That's when he remembers something.

"Oh, ." Taehyung at his lip. "I haven't brought a book with me today."

He stopped doing so a few days ago. Books are heavy. Especially when the summer heat begins to settle in and you need all the space in your bag for water bottles. Who could've guessed he'd meet Jeongguk today, after almost a month of absence?

"That's okay." Jeongguk smiles again. "You can just talk about something else."

Taehyung doesn't need to be told twice. But after a moment, he falters. He's been talking about so much stuff in Jeongguk's presence before he had the idea with the reading. Yet he never asked what it is that the other wants to hear from him. In hindsight, he feels pretty dumb. Did Jeongguk even bother to listen to his long rants?

"What, uhm... what do you want me to talk about?"

Jeongguk turns in the water, mighty tail breaching the surface bit by bit before disappearing again. Taehyung doesn't try to hide his staring. The other luckily can't see it while he swims over to the side and— and hoists himself up and out of the water until he sits on the pier. What.

Taehyung's jaw drops. Not only because Jeongguk has an absolutely mouthwatering body - which Taehyung caught on by now - but because this is by far the furthest he's gotten out of the water. Like, ever. Jeongguk has never sat onto the pier before.

There is also a lot more of his tail exposed than usually. Taehyung doesn't know where to look. There are too many options. And with that cheeky pose now, leant back on his arms, ripped stomach and chest on full display, it doesn't make things better. Because like that, Taehyung has a clear view on the intricate body chains spanning his chest and shoulders. Thin sparkling lines of silver.

Taehyung gulps. This is way too much appeal for one living being. He can't cope.

Wait, what was the question again? Did he ask something?

Don't be a creep, stop staring...

He looks down at his hands.

"Tell me about yourself," Jeongguk suggests. "Why are you here?"

He furrows his brows. "Wait, do you mean, like, here or here here?"

The other shrugs. 

So Taehyung starts at the beginning.

 

"...Because to be really ing honest? Art is tiring," Taehyung declares, feet idly splashing in the water. It's afternoon now. He may have omitted some parts and then gotten carried away on others but what's new?

Jeongguk is still sitting on the pier and listening. He nods for Taehyung to continue so that's what he does.

"All forms of art are tiring. In every way. Dancing, singing, acting, writing and drawing... it consumes your whole damn heart and mind and soul, and it's not something you can switch off like a day job. You carry it with you like a second skin. And lately my skin has gotten too tight, I guess. So I came here."

"So, you are an artist?"

Taehyung ponders it for a moment. Explaining the concept of idols to Jeongguk might be a tricky thing. Besides, if it comes down to it... isn't he an artist? Isn't that what it all boils down to? He nods slowly.

"Yeah, I guess you could say so."

 

Back at his new home, Taehyung faces a dilemma he didn't see coming. Or more like, he gets pulled into said dilemma. As much as Yoongi and him hate Jimin's latest purchase, as much all of them want to find the right spot for the cursed soap bottle. So what goes down when Taehyung gets home is this:

His two landlords are pulling at the soap bottle and it looks like one second away from falling to the floor and shattering into countless pieces. Yoongi snarks 'ketchup' and Jimin shrieks 'soap' every few seconds.

It doesn't take a genius to understand what's going on. The endless fight between appearance and purpose. And guess what's gonna be Taehyung's role? The big decision-maker. 

The curse of being the third guy in a two people flat - you have to make all the decisions and risk offending someone.

Ugh.

So they spend the entire dinner discussing if the ketchup-labelled soap bottle belongs in the bathroom or kitchen. Taehyung doesn't contribute all that much to the discussion though, given how he has to stop himself from smiling like a fool. 

Jeongguk is back!

Jeongguk is back, and they talked, and he's gorgeous, and, damn!

"...Taehyung? I'm right. Say that I'm right, come on," Jimin urges.

Taehyung can't even remember who argued for what. And seriously, he doesn't care. Like, at all. He's got more important things to ponder.

So he decides to cut the whole thing short.

"In my opinion you are both wrong. It's got a grape picture so we should put wine in the damn thing."

He is met with twin inrcedulous stares and the next moment gets a lump of rice thrown in his face.

"Yah, you dumb idiot, that's not even remotely close to-"

Jimin doesn't get to finish his sentence before Taehyung bursts into loud laughter.

 

That night, Taehyung dreams of glittering silver chains in the ocean. Of secretive sparkles hidden in a deep sea trench and a greenish-blue glint around it. Of water currents so far away from the sun they run molten black.

He is swimming through the empty ocean, with nothing but that nameless silvery glitter guiding him, jingling every now and then. Sometimes he spots it to his left, sometimes to his right, most of the time straight ahead. It never strays far. Almost as if it wants to stay close to him. And amidst it all, Taehyung finds he is not afraid. Maybe because feelings and emotions in a dream are generally a fickle thing. Even so it's astonishing. How he is so far down no animal dares to follow, no plants can grow there. Completely alone in that everlasting blackness. And yet he feels perfectly safe. As if there is no way anything could happen to him.

He wakes up with a warm tingle all over him and the faint sound of silver bells in his ears.

 

The next day Taehyung indeed does bring the promised book. He is back to his usual high spirits, making his way to the pier with bouncy steps. Maybe to some of the locals he's being way too obvious but who cares?

He is just so damn eager to see Jeongguk again.

Secretly hopes that maybe, and if only a little bit, the other is looking forward to it too.

But.

As he sits there, heavy Harry Potter book in his lap and slowly munching on his breakfast, no Jeongguk comes.

He waits til early afternoon. Starts skimming the whole book and reading his favourite parts as he's already at it.

But Jeongguk stays away.

With a hollow feeling in his chest Taehyung has to give up his wait eventually. He heads back and wonders if his Jeongguk-deprived mind made up the whole encounter yesterday.

He comes home to a way too quiet Jimin.

Taehyung frowns. Something is not okay.

"Jiminie? Everything okay?"

Nevermind he is certainly Not Okay himself after getting dumped by Jeongguk - or waking up from a very vivid 24 hours-dream. He's not sure which one is worse.

Anyway. Back to the other problem. The one of Park Jimin staring at his phone and not giggling like usual.

"Oh, hey Taehyung-ah." 

He sounds as distracted as he looks.

(One day Taehyung will get him to also use nicknames. But for now, the fisherman is still too stuck up about housing a famous K-Pop idol.)

Taehyung sneaks closer, pushing everything Jeongguk in the furthest corner of his mind. Now he could easily peer over his friend's shoulder and see what's on his phone. But that's not half as funny as making Jimin talk.

With a cheeky grin he pokes the older in the side.

"Yah, tell me, tell me! What's going on, hm?"

A long-suffering sigh is his answer. And then,

"Hey, did you know owls have legs?"

Taehyung shrugs. "Uh, I guess?"

"No, like. Long legs. I mean- look."

He shoves his phone into Taehyung's face.

"Look at this ! Owls laying down should not look like that."

Taehyung squints at the screen, then gulps.

"...This is a cursed concept."

 

Taehyung is more reserved the next day. Cautious to not expect too much.

Or maybe... he should not expect anything at all. 

That second time of Jeongguk's absence stings in a different way than the first. He can't tell if it's worse or not. Just... different. But one thing Taehyung does know for sure: there is a certain limit to how much he can take.

So he doesn't skip down the pier. Doesn't grapple for the book in his bag even before he rounds the corner of the old huts the way he did yesterday.

Having less hope means the bitter taste of disappointment will be bearable.

 

On the other hand—

Taehyung hesitantly peeks around the corner to their secret spot. His eyes take a moment to get used to the sudden change from sunlight to shadow. He blinks a few times, until there are bright spots of blue and green swimming in his vision. Then the picture clears and he sees a mighty tail glistening in the summer sun, blue and green. 

Taehyung smiles so hard his face hurts.

"Now look who came back."

Jeongguk pops his head out from under the pier.

"...Hello, Taehyung."

— it makes the surprise even bigger and a lot better.

 

Taehyung can't help the silly grin. He half-heartedly kicks Jeongguk's shoulder, aware that a part of him is pissed and hurt and quite a few other things because of the other's absence. But that part dwarfs in comparison to the bone-crushing relief he feels at the mere sight of that silly big fish.

Before he can completely forget about the loneliness and lingering aftertaste of disappointment though, Taehyung asks,

"Where were you?"

Jeongguk keeps quiet for a long time.

That's okay. It's something Taehyung is getting used to - the waiting that is. He needs to give Jeongguk enough time to sort out himself and maybe gather enough courage. People don't change overnight. And considering how Jeongguk behaved at their first encounter, maybe that's what Taehyung needs more than anything: patience.

When Jeongguk does reply, his voice is wavering first until it gets steadier with each word.

"I... had to test a theory."

"And?"

"I was right. But also wrong."

Taehyung tilts his head. "O...kay?"

Jeongguk swims a little lap in the space between the piers before coming to a stop right in front of Taehyung.

"It's nothing, don't think about it."

Taehyung waits a bit longer but as nothing more is added, he gives up. Gets out the book he's been carrying around way too often by now.

"Okay. You ready to finish this series once and for all?"

He waits for Jeongguk to nod and then gets started.

 

Now here is the thing: Taehyung is naturally curious. As a kid it was like, his default setting. So if anyone asked he was probably touching, sniffing, eating or questioning stuff with no remorse. Today he is a grown-up and has learned to tone down the sudden urge of touching everything he doesn't know. But that thirst for answers is still there.

Here is another thing: Taehyung also knows the definition of personal space and that it's inappropriate to push for something others are not willing to reveal freely. Being a renowned idol means among other things that he underwent merciless training for years. One thing that got drilled into him were manners. If you are facing the cameras of national tv your manners can't be anything less than on fleek.

It's not exactly difficult to put two and two together in the case of Jeongguk and his taciturnity. The lad obviously does not want to talk about himself or his kind - preferably ever.

Which is a problem.

Because even if Taehyung never so much as breathes a thought in the direction of Jeongguk about his non-human nature it doesn't mean he's not dying to know.

He is.

He wants to learn more about Jeongguk so so bad.

But every time he opens his mouth to ask something, anything - "Are there more like you? Do you have magic powers? Can you permanently live underwater? What's your personal deep-diving record? Are your gills, like, sensitive? Can I touch your tail? Were you born like this or did you get cursed or something? ...Just what exactly are you?" - the weeks and months and years of strict training with Mrs. Cheong kick in and his mouth snaps shut on its own accord.

(Taehyung always thought it to be a bad joke for Mrs. Cheong to bear that name for there was nothing gentle about the way she taught the trainees. Nothing.)

So whenever they meet and Taehyung doesn't get to ask his many answers, he dies a little bit inside.

And he's got plenty chances to struggle like that. After his second disappearance, Jeongguk is back to visiting him every single day at the pier.

Which, if you leave aside the fact that Taehyung has 101 unanswered questions, is nice. Not because the acquaintance of that strange guy is the best inspiration he had in years. But because he genuinely enjoys his company.

Is the other being eerily quiet most of the time and sometimes not saying a single word except for 'Hello Taehyung'?  Maybe so. However, it's not an uncomfortable kind of silence he radiates. Taehyung finds himself into that air of calm otherworldliness. Of leisure hyper-focus. He's not quite sure how to name it, can't put his finger on it. All he knows is, that it's gentle. He doesn't feel threatened by Jeongguk even though he literally has zero idea of what he's capable of and if it would be common sense to be terrified to his guts or not.

Jeongguk's presence is grounding in a way that has something in Taehyung settle whenever he arrives. At the same time his very existence demands attention without asking for it. Taehyung always knows where he is, even when he gets too engrossed with the book he's reading from and Jeongguk silently shifts from one side of the pier to the other. After spending weeks together he's gotten tuned in on Jeongguk's whole being. Could probably point at him with eyes closed no matter where he is.

It's a special aspect of their relationship, something Taehyung has mulled over more than just once at night. He's experienced bonds and friendships where he'd like to say he got tuned in on the other well enough to always find them in a crowded room. But honestly, in these prior cases it would often be more of a question of spotting a familiar tuft of hair, picking out a certain laugh among dozens of people or something alike. Not feeling someone's presence, as weird as it sounds.

It's a nice thought.

It also does a whole lot of nothing with helping Taehyung's case of losing his remaining brain cells about suffocating his many questions.

It's seriously distracting him. Taehyung has the distinct feeling his reading quality suffers under his mental restlessness. And that's. Not good.

What if he reads so bad Jeongguk no longer wants to come? What if his reading skills plummet into the eighth circle of hell because he just can't ing concentrate? 

So yeah, Taehyung is worried to lose Jeongguk as result of his progressively y reading. Having met Jeongguk is easily the best and most exciting, hell, most intriguing thing that happened to him in Nakseongdae. Even though technically he still has no idea who or what Jeongguk is. But alas. He can feel the dude's aura or whatever. That must mean something, right?

Jeongguk is special to him.

The two of them might be barely more than strangers if he'd ask anyone else but clearly they don't know .

They passed the point of strangers and mere acquaintances long ago.

To put it frankly, losing Jeongguk would hurt. And probably catapult Taehyung back into the dark hole he was in before he came to this town. (He expertly ignores that specific thought.)

So Taehyung does what he does best: he frets. Goes as far as to practice reading out loud in his room until one night Yoongi knocks at his door and tells him to shut the up.

With all this in mind, Taehyung feeling like he is one hair width away from scaring off Jeongguk forever, imagine his endless surprise when one day (it's a Tuesday. Taehyung will forever remember it happened on a Tuesday) Jeongguk asks him to teach him how to read.

"You, uh, what?"

Taehyung tries and fails to blink past his massive confusion.

Jeongguk fidgets where he sits on the pier. Little twitches shake his tail as he fiddles with his hands - not hands but more so claws, as Taehyung realised after weeks - while resolutely not looking anywhere near Taehyung's direction.

He's nervous.

Taehyung stares.

Why is he the one who's nervous? It doesn't make sense.

"I, uhm. I want you to- I mean, maybe, could you? Teach me, I mean. How to read."

Taehyung thinks he might be staring at Jeongguk for half an hour. Which, in his opinion, is a solid and appropriate reaction.

"Huh," he says again and scratches his head.

Wow. Who would've thought? Maybe his reading skills haven't become crappy beyond recognition, then. Which, again, weird. He could've sworn...

Jeongguk huffs, fin splashing a little out of the water as he crosses his arms. 

"You don't have to- nevermind. Forget it."

And.

No way in hell will he forget.

He shakes his head, apologies already tumbling from his lips.

"No, sorry, I was just. You caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting you to ask me something like that, sorry. I know it sounds dumb. I, hm."

Taehyung shifts and tries to peer at Jeongguk's expression somehow.

"You really want me to teach you?"

Finally Jeongguk looks at him. Bites his lip and gives a timid nod before looking away again.

"Okay. I don't know if I'm any good but I'll try my best," Taehyung vows. "Tomorrow I'll bring a new book, and if things go well we can finish this one together, okay? Once you got the hang of it."

"Okay," Jeongguk mumbles and then, without any kind of goodbye, slips off the pier and into the water.

Taehyung beams.

 

That evening, he doesn't fret about his reading skills.

Instead he wonders why he always gets a greeting but never a goodbye from Jeongguk. Wonders if it means something or if he's getting paranoid.

He sits on his bed, in the twilight (pretending it's dark and silently cursing at summer for making th nights short because for his current mood night would fit way better) when Jimin walks past, then backtracks. Taehyung has a tendency to leave his door open. Which might be one of the reasons why Yoongi was so pissed at him reading out loud. But it's an important part of his mental self-care, okay? An open door makes him feel like part of a family. Like he is not alone and threatening to fall back into that limbo.

Before Jimin gets a chance to open his mouth, Taehyung puts another piece of yuja in his mouth, chews, cringes and does a full-body shiver before stating,

"I don't have answers."

"Uh, okay..." Jimin eyes him suspiciously. Which, to be honest, is fair. "Then I guess I'll leave you to your... evening affairs. Of staring at nothing while peeling yuja in your bed. That's, uh. Have fun."

He gives a hesitant wave and then slinks away.

Jimin is going to tell Yoongi and then the older will judge Taehyung so hard tomorrow during dinner. He just knows.

He mindlessly pops in the next slice, whole face scrunching up. Why is he even eating this ? He doesn't like yuja. Or anything sour in general.

...Would Jeongguk like yuja?

Would he say him goodbye when Taehyung brought a yuja?

Wait. Where is the connection between those two things? The ? Time to get some sleep.

 

The next day when Taehyung arrives, Jeongguk is waiting for him under the pier. Taehyung has just sat down, feet dangling over the edge and into the water when the other nips at his big toe. Again. Taehyung almost kicks him in the face for a second time.

This better not get a regular thing. He likes his toes.

(And Jeongguk's face but he's not going to admit that out loud anytime soon.)

"Yah, seriously, how about a normal greeting?"

Jeongguk grins at him.

Cheeky brat.

It's enough to make Taehyung think that he's not as shy as he always seems.

Until he gets out a sketchbook and broad-tip marker and watches Jeongguk pulling himself onto one of the side piers - powerful muscles shifting, not that Taehyung is staring. A safe distance of at least two metres away from him.

Huh.

He scratches his head.

"I mean, I guess we can try like this but really it would probably be much easier for me to teach you if you were... y'know... a little closer."

Jeongguk gnaws at his bottom lip, eyes the distance between them. Settles for moving a total of one hand-width closer. Very effective.

Taehyung sighs.

Okay yes, the guy's painfully shy. This is going to be a challenge.

"Alright." He takes a deep breath. "We will start with the most fundamental thing, teaching you the alphabet." He tugs off the marker's cap with his teeth and writes one single letter all over the page, then flips the sketchbook around. "This is 'A'..."

 

Jeongguk, it turns out, is a diligent student. After the first day Taehyung can say as much. He is serious about learning.

A small, embarrassing part of Taehyung also likes the undivided attention of the other. A lot. A Jeongguk lounging on the pier or in the water and listening to the stories he reads is one thing, Jeongguk staring at him with an intensity that borders on piercing is something else entirely. As if he doesn't want to miss a single thing Taehyung says.

He secretly enjoys being subject of such razor-sharp focus.

A predator's gaze, another part of him supplies. Yeah, he'd call that the voice of reason.

He doesn't know what to make of it.

 

That evening Yoongi is being away without telling anyone where and why. Highly suspicious.

It means Taehyung and Jimin are having dinner together without him and that means Jimin picks something to serve for dinner he wouldn't dare put on the table if his boyfriend was here.

Among the usual stuff, this time there is also a plate with oysters waiting for Taehyung.

He scrunches his nose.

"Yeah, no. No way."

"Aw, come on, don't be such a baby."

Taehyung splutters. "A baby?! I don't understand who could come up with that inane idea in the first place! Seriously, look at that. Who could possibly look at that glob of sea snot and be like 'oh man I bet this tastes ing delicious with some lemon juice'. Like, how about no? Why? What's your ing problem, dude?"

"You haven't even tried yet."

"That's because these things are technically still alive!"

Taehyung is vehement. He is not going to drink a living mussel thing. Ever.

No ing way.

 

"I told you to go slow!"

Taehyung retches again. "This is horrible! You are horrible. I hate this so much."

"You are such a wimp."

Taehyung turns away from the sink long enough to narrow his eyes at Jimin. "Spend three years of dance training under Mr. Lee's thumb and then we'll talk again, dude."

"Eh, how hard can it be?"

Nothing can ever get closer to a declaration of war than this.

"...You did not just say that."

 

As revenge for that unjustified statement - actually no, petty revenge is just a convenient coincidence - Taehyung steals one of Jimin's trays out of the kitchen. Then, before they can start their second lesson, he asks Jeongguk if he could fetch beach sand from somewhere. (If there was a beach anywhere close by Taehyung would go himself, but alas.)

Jeongguk gives him a questioning look but does as told. He's back not even a minute later, both hands holding a clump of wet sand.

"Is that enough?"

Taehyung tells him to put it on the tray, then shakes his head.

"We need enough to cover it," he explains.

So Jeongguk dives back down again. And again and again, until there is a pile of slowly drying sand on the tray.

Taehyung nods. "Yeah, that'll do. Thank you."

He smiles at Jeongguk but the other is quick to look away. Taehyung shrugs. Whatever.

If Jeongguk doesn't want to come close, he'll have to find creative ways of teaching him the letters. He starts going through the next set of letters with him until the sand has dried. Taehyung smooths it out until the tray is evenly covered and then pushes it over the pier towards Jeongguk.

"Okay, remember yesterday's letters? I'll show you how to write them and then you try with the sand. Sound good?"

A little nod from Jeongguk, understanding flashing in his eyes.

Taehyung grins. Aside from the whole thing being an idea he genuinely thinks will work well for them, using sand also means to bring something to their lessons Jeongguk is familiar and comfortable with. Double win.

 

It works.

It works way better than Taehyung imagined. He's so damn proud of his student.

There is only one thing worrying him. How is he supposed to teach Jeongguk to read an actual book without literally looking over his shoulder and guiding him through it?

 

Jeongguk is a natural and he is jealous. Taehyung certainly did not learn the whole alphabet in less than a week. So maybe he pouts as he keeps throwing random letters at the other and Jeongguk writes them with his finger in the sand, first the capital letter and then the small one without messing up once. Sue him. Yeah, he is miffed about it. 

But at the same time he can't deny how eager he is for Jeongguk to read his first sentence. He figured with how the other clearly is an adult - of whatever magnitude - they don't have to start off with extra big letters or stuff. A children's book with font size just above average will do. That's why he brought one of his absolute favourite books and kept it in his bag everyday, for whenever he deems Jeongguk ready.

Now it's Saturday and he thinks they are good to go. If Jeongguk can be persuaded of a tiny bit more... proximity.

"Okay, so."

Taehyung slaps his hands on his thighs, then subtly wipes them. He is not nervous how this will go. He isn't!

Maybe his voice sounds a notch too enthusiastic to be on the right side of realistic as he declares, "Let's try something new."

His copy of the first volume of "The 39 clues" written by none other than Rick Riordan himself is quickly pulled out, eyes now equal parts expectant and insecure on Jeongguk.

"I brought this book for you to try reading a story on your own. It should be easy enough to get started, I hope. If not I'll find something better."

Jeongguk nods, brows furrowed. As if he's waiting for the twist. 

Dammit, is Taehyung being that transparent?

He scratches his neck, bites his lip, wipes his hands again. "So, uh, for me to guide you through it and keep an eye on the text too, I guess you'd have to, well. Uhm. Come... closer?"

Gosh. Where did his backbone go?

Taehyung gulps.

 

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

 

Jeongguk gives him a hard stare as he tries to figure out the lie behind the words, the hidden trap.

Why does the human needs him to come closer? How much closer? Was that the big goal all along?

He stares and stares, mind running a mile a minute. He can see Taehyung sweating, notices his rising uneasiness the longer the silence drags.

His entire body is tense to a point where not even his fins move with the unrelenting drag of waves but are like stiff blades in the water. 

Taehyung wants him to get closer. Close enough to read the book together.

Part of Jeongguk scoffs at himself. It shouldn't be a difficult decision after how much time they spent together in which Taehyung never tried anything funny. He's safe with the human, his gut even confirming it for once.

But.

Seokjin's fins cut off, Seokjin's blood spilling into the ocean in billowing clouds of red until his skin has turned grey, Seokjin unconscious for weeks...

"Don't ever trust humans, Jeongguk-ah."

His vision clears and he sees Taehyung trembling. Feels tiny ripples of the movement lap at his tail where the water is shaken from the human's legs. Jeongguk pauses, and only then notices his own bared teeth.

Control.

Taehyung is still holding up the book.

Jeongguk takes a deep breath, gills fluttering along. Easy, he whispers to the sea, to where water has started to crawl up his tail against every law of physics. Easy, he tells himself, hands uncurling from where they've balled into fists, talons close to breaking skin as his fingertips tingle.

That particular human is no danger to him. And it's about time to prove that point to himself. He will sit next to Taehyung.

And if the human so much as moves wrong, he'll rip him to shreds.

After a little eternity of silence Jeongguk nods. But doesn't make a move. If Taehyung wants them to be closer then he'll have to come over himself.

He must've come to the same conclusion as he slowly scoots to the edge of the pier and around, towards Jeongguk, bag dragging over the wood. When he's close enough for Jeongguk to feel his body heat, he stops. 

"Is, is this okay?"

His voice is soft and hesitant. It doesn't fit Taehyung.

"Should I- uhm, am I too close?"

Jeongguk's eyes widen. He's asking him if he is comfortable.

What was that about ripping someone to shreds? The tension seeps off him, water slipping back where it belongs as everything in Jeongguk goes soft.

Who is he even kidding at that point? He doesn't fear Taehyung. No, quite the opposite, he likes him a little. Maybe a lot.

"...It's okay. Now tell me what that book is."

Taehyung's face transforms from one of hesitance to undulated joy. He gives that blinding smile to Jeongguk, everything else forgotten in an instant as he starts off his ramble.

"Okay, so this the start of an actually really long series. Like, it has multiple seasons. A ton of people have written on it but it's really good."

Taehyung's gestures are wild and sweeping as usual. Jeongguk almost gets hit by an arm more than once. The irritating thing is, he finds he wouldn't even mind.

"So basically there is that huge and super rich and powerful family, with several branches and members like everywhere. And it's like the most powerful family in the world, and that for centuries except most people are not aware of it."

Jeongguk watches him drone on and on about the story and smiles. Happiness looks good on Taehyung.

 "-And there are those two siblings who are part of the family but legit have no idea just what their family is. And then their grandma dies and sends the relatives on a deadly scavenger hunt all over the world and it's super exciting and you never know who to trust and also get super intriguing history knowledge spoon-fed with the plot and- wait, I shouldn't tell you this. You gotta read it yourself. Here."

He s the thin book into Jeongguk's hands.

Jeongguk weights it in his grip. Considers his next move.

"You have to open it."

Oh. Right. 

He knew that.

The book opens easily and Jeongguk can't help but thumb at the pages, paper turning easily. Nothing sticks together. It's so unlike the books in his cave. He loves it.

"Okay, you can skip that page," Taehyung instructs him," and that one too. Yeah. Now start at the top. Go as slow as you need."

Jeongguk nods.

"Chapter... is that an 'I'?" 

Next to him Taehyung groans. Jeongguk notices how the sound is deeper, more guttural from up close. Revels in it.

"No, that's... it's the number one. If you see similar signs like that during reading, just ignore them for now. We can get back to learning numbers another time. Alright, go on."

So Jeongguk does.

"Five... five minutes... before she died, Grace Ca- how do you say that?"

"Cahill. It's a family name."

Jeongguk nods, repeats the name. "Okay. Cahill. Grace Cahill changed her will. Her... her lawyer brought out the, the uhm, alter- alternate? Alternate version, which had been her most guarded secret for seven years..."

 

They finish the entire first and second chapter and Jeongguk's breaks between words slowly grow shorter. He preens. In a few days maybe he can read fluently!

Over time Taehyung has scooted closer until his thigh was pressing against Jeongguk's tail. Jeongguk didn't move away.

"You're doing good," Taehyung announces at the end of chapter two. Pries the book out of Jeongguk's grasp gently after claming that's enough for one day. Jeongguk lets him, doesn't even flinch when their hands touch for the briefest moment.

They call it a day, the human stretching out a hand after Jeongguk but retracting it again. Jeongguk wonders what it is he wanted to do.

Taehyung asks him if they'll meet again tomorrow - a habit he picked up after Jeongguk left him for another day. At this point he doesn't have to ask anymore, really. But the human has no way of knowing that does he? So Jeongguk just nods like he always does before plunging into the water and leaving Taehyung without so much as a warning.

He hates goodbyes.

 

"...Amy took his voucher. They walked to the... the desk together and she picked up Mr. McIntyre's lighter. 'We're in,' she told him, and she sent two mill-million... million? Million dollars up in smoke."

"Well done," Taehyung praises him at the end of their second session.

It makes something warm and fuzzy take roots in Jeongguk's chest. Makes it sprout and bloom within seconds.

It is not normal, the kind of effect the human has on him, he decides. Doesn't mind. Just gives a timid smile back and watches as Taehyung takes the book and puts it in his bag once more.

 

What Taehyung does not know is this:

In the dead of night, long after he'd given the book to Jeongguk and had him read out loud for the first time, Jeongguk has gone to his cave with the collections. The space where he kept all those intriguing human-made things he found.

All the books.

They are neatly lined up in stone-hewn nooks high enough to not get wet and low enough for him to reach when he's still in the water. Some of those shelves have taken him weeks and months on end to create where he kept pushing water against and into the stone, slowly eroding the unyielding material until the little grooves turned into compartments big enough to hold whatever Jeongguk wanted to put in there. It was monotonous work but one that paid off. Now he's got little collections of this and that in several spaces all along the pond. The two longest nooks are filled to the brim with books.

And that night he'd read all of them.

Okay, maybe that was an exasperation. But he'd at least try reading all of their titles and bring them in an alphabetical order.

Because he had to sort them for ages anyway.

Not because he wanted to practice so Taehyung would be impressed by his improvement. No, certainly not. That would be... unbecoming.

With barely more than a thought Jeongguk had a high wall of water rising, moulding and shifting, then smoothing over until it caught the moonlight falling through a hole in the ceiling. Like a makeshift mirror. It was just enough for him to make out the letters on those old, worn covers. Many of the words he didn't understand, the sound of them foreign on his tongue. But the letters itself were all the same.

The next hours Jeongguk spent swimming up and down the rows of books, mumbling to himself as he tried to decipher every title until dawn broke. And then some more. Until he could feel the pier's stilts shift under Taehyung's weight.

 

He blinks back into presence. his lips in confusion as he notes the way Taehyung looks at him expectantly.

"...Huh?"

The human's smile turns into a little smirk that's way too attractive on him to be fair. Jeongguk scowls.

"I asked if you like the story so far."

And.

That's an easy yes.

(Jeongguk would've said yes either way. It's absolutely worth the bright smile he gets from the human.)

They continue reading together - 'they', because it might be Jeongguk who is supposed to do the reading but the book series is apparently one of Taehyung's favourites. And so the human eagerly leans in, more and more with each page they master until his chin is resting on Jeongguk's shoulders and he urges him to read faster.

Maybe that's not professional of him as he is supposed to teach Jeongguk and not rush him like that just because he can't wait for the page to get flipped. But Jeongguk finds it hard to get mad at him when he's too occupied with the searing warmth spreading from where he feels Taehyung on his skin.

Also, it's endearing to no end. Listening to the human's voice turning whiny as he complains for Jeongguk to take so long with that sentence. 

(If it makes Jeongguk read even slower on purpose just so Taehyung's whines turn louder and he gets nipped in the side by him, then nobody has to know.)

"...A mile away in Copley Square, Irina Spasky — code name Team Five — was worrying about her poison. She had loaded her fingernail injectors - her what?! - with the usual mixture, but she feared it would not be enough for this meeting. Back in the Cold War, she and her KGB colleagues used poi- poison-injecting umbrellas, or spray painted toxins on toilet seats. Those were the good old days."

Jeongguk takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, lowering the book. He's sure his eyebrows must touch in the middle with how hard he frowns because, just,  what? Fingernail injectors, Cold War, KGB, toilet seats? What even?

"I don't even know what I'm not understanding because I don't get a single thing in that sentence," he huffs.

Humans are so damn confusing.

Next to him Taehyung is doing a terrible job of muffling his laughter. "Okay, seems some explaining is due.."

Jeongguk crosses his arms, ready to sulk with all his might. And almost drops the book in the water.

One desperate lunge and then jump into the water later, Taehyung's lower half is completely soaked. Jeongguk gives him a sheepish smile, book safely in one outstretched hand as he swims in the water.

"Sorry?"

"Don't bother. We both know it's not true," Taehyung deadpans.

And yeah. Where is the lie?

When he pulls himself out of water once more, the human blatantly stares with lips pressed together. Jeongguk arches an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing, just." Taehyung vaguely gestures at him. "What are you?" Then halts, eyes going wide and hand slapping over his mouth.

Jeongguk finds he doesn't care. A few days earlier maybe he would've flinched away from the question. But things are different now. He is secretly practising to impress Taehyung, gosh. And honestly, he is touched the human didn't just assume something and started calling him terms without being sure. Consideration is not a word Jeongguk would usually think of in relation with humans. It's... touching.

For once he doesn't feel bad about exposing something about himself. With Taehyung he is safe.

"I'm a mer."

"Ah." Taehyung nods as if he just got the answer to all questions in the universe. "So... a merman, then?"

Jeongguk looks down his toned chest, then back to Taehyung. Delights in the subtle flush of red high on the human's cheeks. "Obviously."

Taehyung covers his whole face with those large hands and groans. Pretty, Jeongguk thinks.

"Ugh, this is terrible. Why did nobody warn me that you could be such a tease?"

The mer grins. 

"You wanted to ask that for quite a while now, didn't you?"

Not really a question but Taehyung nods anyway. And because Jeongguk is in a rarely good mood - around a human no less - he shuffles around until he's laying on his belly, tail languidly flopping in the water, chin rested on both hands. 

"What else do you want to know?"

 

So they talk. And for the first time it's not one-sided. It quickly develops into a new routine of theirs, Jeongguk first reading two chapters a day and making quick progress thanks to his late-night studies, then around noon they both chill on the pier and watch the sea until Taehyung can't hold in his many questions any longer and starts bombarding Jeongguk.

And like this, bit by bit the mer tells him.

Tells him the tale of how mers are children born from an impossible love - from when a star loves the sea so much it falls from the sky and plunges itself into the vast waters.

Of how, when the star (meteor Taehyung says but Jeongguk knows it as a star for it's always burning so bright when it falls from the sky) dies in the wet cold embrace of the ocean, bright flames put to sleep forever, in the same instance something new is born. A miracle, a mer.

One evening after a long moment of hesitance, Jeongguk even reveals that mers, as the almost godlike creatures they are, cannot die.

He does not tell the human about the power he holds over the sea and vice versa though. About how he can control the sea not unlike the magic in those Harry Potter books. For the sea loves its precious children and will do everything to help them and keep them safe. That, Jeongguk muses, is a conversation to be had later. Or maybe not at all. He doesn't want to scare off the one human he at some point began considering his friend.

They spend long evenings like that, talking about everything and anything. Jeongguk indulging the other with bits and pieces about merfolk secrets and Taehyung telling him all the different things running through his mind.

The sun drops into the sea more than once and they are still talking, Taehyung making an off-handed comment how Jimin is going to roast him alive for missing dinner yet not moving a single muscle to get up.

"...So I just learned that humans can fit a lightbulb into their mouth with ease but can't get it out without shattering, and- wait, you remember what a lightbulb is, right?"

Jeongguk nods. "Yeah, it's that glass thing where you put in glowworms and hang it on your ceiling at night."

"That's... cute but actually wrong," the human chuckles. "I'll get back to it in a minute. Okay, so, the point is, now that I know I have to like physically restrain myself from putting a ing lightbulb in my mouth because I wanna see if it would fit real bad, you know?"

"...Why would you do something that stupid?"

"That's exactly my problem!"

They talk and talk entire evenings away like that. It never gets boring. 

And over the course of time Jeongguk comes to accept Taehyung's apparent craving for skinship. 

It's the height of summer and Jeongguk lays on the pier with Taehyung half sprawled above him while they chat, something that wouldn't have been possible in his worst nightmares a few months before. He tugs the human a little closer and smiles.