"When I was younger Dad always said that everything I would need could be found right here." Chanyeol explained to the small group following him into his father's office, left untouched since the day of his 'death'.

The four ushered themselves in after the photographer, crowding into the room in a desperate attempt to not miss a thing.

Mrs. Park quickly found herself a chair, it was an overwhelming feeling, being back in the very room a loved one had spent so much time in before their untimely disappearance. She couldn't address her husband's fate as death any longer, not now that her son knew the truth.

His father was still out there, somewhere. Living, breathing, getting on with his long life unable to return home.

It was heartbreaking. A man having been forced out of the comfort of his home by a demanding source threatening to bring it harm if he didn't comply, it hurt. Even now after all these years. The wound is still raw.

It was inevitable, she concluded.

The boy needed to know his history. She couldn't allow herself to run from the truth any longer and now that Chanyeol knew, the weight was gone but the burden remained.

How much of his future had she been left out of?

As she cast her eyes around the room, the very room that had taken her husband from her bedside for months on end, she understood. It was always held in such high regard to him, she merely deemed it a place of privacy, a man cave if you will.

And yet, all this time. He was leaving it to his son.

A sharp pain attacked her heart, tears filling her eyes as she tried to compose herself.

Swallow the lump.

Shift yourself comfortably.

Pay attention to your son.

She chanted over and over again in her mind as her body shook in realization. The happy life she dreamed her son to have, no longer existed. Her hopes and prayers were left unheard.

Her husband had warned her, and spoke of it constantly. And yet she remained stubborn, headstrong in believing that her prayers would be enough.

But her words were overshadowed by destiny - the fate of the Gods. They held a course for Chanyeol, one created long before his birth. She knew first hand that they left no room for error. Chanyeol was going to follow the course set out for him, whether he knew it or not.

Her heart ached, her vision spinning.

This is her punishment. This is the consequences for falling in love with a God.

"There is so much in here..." Baekhyun's curious voice pulled her back from her thoughts. "Did he ever mention how you would be able to find the thing you were seeking?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Chanyeol, the boy already preoccupied with sorting through a couple boxes in the corner of the room. Mrs. Park eyed them suspiciously, she couldn't recall a time where Chanyeol's father had left any of their belongings packed once they moved into the house. To her, it was a strange sight.

"He said that everything I needed would be in this room..." Chanyeol repeated his earlier words, a grunt escaping his lips as he juggled two different boxes.

Sehun began clearing the table of various paperwork, he collected them neatly and set them down on the desk in the far corner, directly opposite the crowded boxes.

"...and everything would reveal itself to me when it was necessary." he finished, dumping the boxes onto the table. His eyes travelled around the room, no doubt amused by their faces.

Mrs. Park remained neutral, blinking back the tears in her gaze. She couldn't afford to crack right now, it was too soon and not at all the right time.

"So you just know?" Baekhyun wondered, taking his spot next to Chanyeol. His brightly lit gaze focused on the boxes, his eyebrow raised in question. "Do you even know what's in it?"

"I don't need to know what's in it," Chanyeol clarified, chuckling to himself as he watched Baekhyun's head snap back to look at him. "I just know where I can find it."

"So you don't exactly know what it is, do you?" Suho wondered, like Sehun and Mrs. Park, they weren't entirely sure what Chanyeol meant by his words.

"Yeah right now I need this." Chanyeol explained, reaching into the box. There was a moment of rustling before finally he withdrew a watch, unlike the one currently on his wrist, this one was silver in colour and didn't have a brown leather strap keeping it fastened to his arm. "It has a magnetic clamp that will make it easier to wear."

"You wore down the leather on your old one so much that I had to get it replaced so often..." Mrs. Park spoke, although her voice didn't have any depth to it.

She instantly gained attention, the boy's watching as she slowly pulled herself up from the chair. Suho (who was closer to her) rushed to her side, holding her arm as she struggled to stand.

Chanyeol watched slightly confused, mind no doubt whizzing with questions as to why his mother's mood had shifted so suddenly. As far as he was concerned, she had made her peace with the room long ago. Perhaps coming back to it after all this time could have affected her in some way?

"I just need some air," she waved their worry off. "I'll go outside and come right back!"

"I'll come with you." Baekhyun suggested, eyes already locked on Chanyeol. When the photographer turned to look at him Baekhyun offered him a small smile and a nod, he gently patted him on the arm before rushing next to Mrs. Park.

Suho watched the two of them leave the room, his lips remaining closed. There were so many things he wanted to say to his fellow merman, but none of them would be able to be said in the presence of other people. Regardless of the fact that Chanyeol was a demigod and Mrs. Park had dealt with members of their species before, it didn't matter. Neither of them knew the consequences of Baekhyun's prolonged stay on the island, Suho had people he cared for here. He built a life for himself and as much as he loved Baekhyun, he wasn't ready for him to destroy it.

"Whatever you're thinking about, I'll handle it." Chanyeol's deep voice pulled him back from his thoughts.

Suho turned to look at the boy only to see him staring back at him with such intensity that it had a lump form in the merman's throat.

"Chanyeol I care about you, I do but you need to understand that you won't be able to handle the rage that will come when they realise that Baekhyun isn't returning home. They're not like you guys, they lose all communication with each other once someone leaves for land-"

"Babe he took down two gigantic monsters, what could possibly be worse than that?" Sehun wondered, genuinely sounding curious. Chanyeol too waited for Suho to explain but the merman just couldn't find the words.

His fingers instantly moved to his left cheek, a former mark that no longer burned his skin. Chanyeol immediately perked up. "The mark," he said, his words surprising Suho. "what does it mean?"

"You know about our mark?"

"I saw it when Baekhyun was in the water, I asked him about it but then Mum started talking and we dropped the topic. What does your mark mean?"

"Maybe you should sit down baby," Sehun whispered, approaching his boyfriend with hesitant steps. "this is going to be a complicated story but you'll be able to tell it just like you told me."

"I can listen," Chanyeol nodded his head, seemingly trying to make himself believe it. "don't change topics. Try and keep it consistent throughout, it's easier to follow then."

"I'll try." Suho agreed, and a nod of support from Sehun made him settle. He took a deep breath, his cheeks burning at the heavy weight of eyes coming from across the room. Chanyeol had taken a seat on one of the stools in the room, Sehun choosing to stand right next to his boyfriend. "Okay so you know how Baekhyun and I are from the same pod?"

"Pod? Like dolphins?" Chanyeol questioned, earning a nod in return from both Suho and Sehun.

"We're from the same clan or family, we were born with these blue marks and thus birthed our name the Blue Mooners-"

"That is a terrible name." Chanyeol shook his head.

Suho felt his shoulders sag as he turned to his boyfriend, Sehun wore a bright smile, his shoulders squared and his eyes shining.

"I said the exact same thing!"

"We're getting off topic!" Suho rushed to keep Chanyeol's attention, the photographer meeting his gaze almost immediately.

"Sorry sweetheart." Sehun apologized, kissing his boyfriend's forehead.

"The mark symbolizes our origin, it's our identity, our ticket between the land and sea, a marking that proves exactly which pod we belong to. Think of it as a family crest of sorts!"

Chanyeol dipped his head, shifting himself on the stool. His hands were stretched out in front of him on the table, fingers interlocked. His attention was drifting from Suho's eyes, to his hair, to his lips and chin and back again. His process of keeping himself anchored in conversation working, for now.

"The Blue Moon pod frequently travels through your island's waters and most of the time your island is where we send off our kin to undertake their first transformation from sea to land. It's customary that every merman transforms at least once in his life, depending on the situation they can decide on whether they choose to leave the pod behind or not. I arrived on the island five years ago, my cover was a tourist so I fit in with a few people passing through on a cruise. I tried to forget the memories I made when I went back to the sea but it took a lot out of me to willingly put this place behind me, which is why in those four years that passed I began making plans to come to land permanently. My position within the pod couldn't have been something I could just leave behind one day, preparation had to be made..."

"I remember addressing the pod, telling them that I had decided to move onto land. I quickly found out that I was the first merman to return to the surface after just over twenty years, so my decision was met with some conflict. Baekhyun's father is our leader," he said looking at Chanyeol now, the boy perking up slightly. "he realised that my position within the pod could be replaced. But the reason I'm getting so nervous about Baekhyun being here is because-"

"He's afraid that Baekhyun will want to come ashore." Chanyeol sighed, the effect of Suho's words wearing him down.

"That's barely the tip of the iceberg Chanyeol, I just told you things about my own story. I can't even begin to describe the amount of responsibilities Baekhyun has as the next leader, he has a lot of expectations placed onto his shoulders and the more time he has on land the more nervous his father is going to be."

A weight on his shoulder had Suho's head tilting upwards, his gaze meeting Sehun's harsh one. "You have to tell him everything."

"The Blue Moon pod no longer has many members," Suho swallowed the lump in his throat. "our leader is growing old and his decisions are being questioned by the elders. The only way to ensure our pod's survival is an arranged marriage between Baekhyun and another pod's future ruler, the combination of the pods will help strengthen our people and it will expand our boundaries."

"What does expanding your boundaries have anything to do with this?" Chanyeol wondered, his head tilting.

"Like humans we don't like others on our land, we get defensive, go to war. It's how we lost so many of our people before. This marriage would help strengthen our army, save us."

"So even the ocean has its problems huh?" Chanyeol scoffed, his eyes finding one of the windows overlooking the town. "Can't say I'm surprised."

"...I'm sorry dude.." Sehun whispered, approaching his best friend. He gently placed a hand down on Chanyeol's shoulder, the photographer wrapping his own around it. Both of them knew what Sehun was apologizing for, Suho left to wonder the countless possibilities.

For a moment, things were peaceful.

For a moment, Sehun was merely a presence meant to comfort his best friend.

For a moment, Suho was able to relax now that Chanyeol had some idea of the extent of responsibilities Baekhyun possessed.

For a moment, they just sat there wallowing in the silence, the crashing waves from the beach just background noise.

For a moment, they were given the opportunity to just be.

Even though it was just simply a moment, it was one they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

Chanyeol stood up from his stool, the hand on his shoulder falling as he ran out the door. There was a terrible feeling twisting the pit of his gut, his adrenaline pumping making blood pump directly into his ears. His breath got caught in his throat as he propelled himself through his home, slamming doors and opening gates. It didn't take him very long to get into the centre of the town, his gaze locking on the fountain he had scheduled to meet Baekhyun at a few days ago. The fish appeared to be blinking back at him as he ran towards them, their gazes wary and anxious. The water shooting from their mouths, trembling, trickling down their fins like it had a mind of its own. Chanyeol's eyes remained on the fish until he passed the fountain, the harbour gates greeting him like an old friend.

He heard the faint bang of the doors closing behind him, the metal clanging together once he passed through them creating a barrier between him and the island. He rushed through the lines of boats, some simple row boats, others large fishing vessels. He disregarded them all, his vision narrowed on the section his father's boat was located. He almost ran over on his ankle twice, but the pain was dulled in the desperate haze fueling his system.

"Chanyeol!" The scream remained, carried through the air for only him to hear. "Chanyeol!"

"Will you shut the up, he can't hear you, we're miles away from that house!" A new voice, unfamiliar to his ears, threatened the screaming figure.

"Baekhyun sweetheart just do as they say okay? We'll be just fine!" His mother's voice now appeared, her tone soft and sweet like she used whenever she spoke to Chanyeol about his nightmares.

"No this," Baekhyun's voice was clearer now, no longer blissful and carried through the air from miles away. Now they were so close, just around the corner from this boat. "Do you really think that I'm going to do what you say when you're wielding something like that?!"

"Right now is the worst time for you to take a page from my son's book!" Mrs. Park hissed, though her tone wasn't laced with venom. "He has a sword, Baekhyun!"

"I don't know why you're fighting so desperately my Prince, I am merely trying to bring you back home." The same voice from earlier spoke, his voice still unfamiliar. "Your father decrees it and I must follow my King's words."

"What part of 'I made a promise' do you not understand? My father knows that I keep to my word and that I will return home eventually, why must he demand that I return now, knowing that I've never defied him before?"

"Because before you never came to land, you've passed the scheduled return point therefore I was brought in."

"Lies!" Baekhyun cried. "My father gave me a week which has not yet passed!"

"I am not talking about your father," the new voice explained, low and almost dangerous. "He may be your King but to me he is weak! The person I answer to is the King of the Seven Seas. He requests that you be brought back sooner and therefore I must fulfill his request."

"You know there is just something about understanding the meaning behind the word 'no' that just makes me so happy," Chanyeol spoke, stepping out from behind one of the boats. "I respect people when they say that they don't want to do things that make them feel uncomfortable."

"Who are you and what right do you hold to interfere with this business?" The man spoke, his words dripping with venom. Chanyeol was finally able to get a good look at this guy, his hair was dark and his eyes were such a deep blue. He wore ripped jeans and a flowing white shirt, an outfit he could recall Jongin wearing a couple times throughout their lifetime.

"You kind of just kidnapped my mother-" Chanyeol explained, indicating with a leveled hand to his mother who seemed surprised by his appearance.

"She was not who I am here for!" The man scoffed, waving his hand as if dismissing Chanyeol's very existence. "She is free to go!"

"And what about him?" Chanyeol wondered, watching as the man worked to get his mother's hands freed of... was that seaweed?

The merman sniggered to himself, a snort escaping from his nose. Their gazes met once Mrs. Park's entanglement was destroyed, the poor woman running back up the boardwalk to put as much distance as she could between herself and her kidnapper.

"Oh I see what's happening here!" The man chuckled, walking back over to Baekhyun who scowled at his presence. "You see sir, this pretty face here has been lying to you from the very start!" The man dramatically held his wrist to his forehead, Chanyeol wondered if they had Shakespeare in the ocean. "He is not exactly who he claims to be."

"And who exactly does he claim to be?" Chanyeol questioned, momentarily surprising the newcomer. "Since you seem to know exactly what is going on here, why don't you explain to me who I believe this man to be."

"He told you that his name was Byun Baekhyun and that he was visiting the island to find a friend of his, his parents moved around a lot and they were waiting for him back on the mainland which is why he would have to leave soon." The man smiled, his frame straightening upwards as if waiting for Chanyeol's praise.

"Dude you missed out on all of the information," Chanyeol managed a laugh. "he's the merman prince of the Blue Moon pod and he's expected to marry your King in order to prolong his race and expand his army, right? I'm still a little fuzzy on the details, so much to wrap my head around but you get it right?"

"I also the water from your body on Mountain Peak too." Baekhyun supplied his own input into the conversation, his lips curling up at the edges as Chanyeol finally spared him a glance.

"Oh yeah!" The photographer clicked his fingers, slowly walking closer to the two of them. "I almost completely forgot about that time, it felt so weird!"

"Oh and we can't forget the time when you heard my song."

"It was really nice," Chanyeol spoke directly to Baekhyun now, the two of them lost in their own world. "all that was missing was harmony."

"Wait, you sang him our song?!" The merman gasped, his entire attention switching to Baekhyun giving Chanyeol the perfect opportunity to click his new watch's button and watch the sword spring to life.

A harsh hit from his elbow sent the handle of the sword directly into the palm of his hand, his arm already in the process of coming up so that once he had gained enough momentum he could direct his hit directly to the merman's jaw.

The hands holding onto Baekhyun's shoulders slipped off, sending the boy straight into Chanyeol's chest. The photographer quickly managed to balance them, supporting just enough weight to get Baekhyun behind him. He could feel the heat of his merman's forehead pressing between his shoulder blades, a silent but noticeable 'thank you'.

"What the hell is going on here?" The unfamiliar male shouted, stomping his foot on the ground like a child. "Who the hell are you?"

Poseidon's son.

It was on the tip of his tongue, a second it would take to deliver the blow and another for it to register.

But Chanyeol wasn't the type of person that would show his upper hand so soon, that would come later in a more pressing situation. Where the benefits of it could be reaped and the satisfaction of seeing more people register his lineage could be achieved.

Perhaps he was thinking too far into the future, running through possible scenarios. Ones that might not even come true, but the daydreams were expected.

"Just an average islander," Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders, raising the sword when the guy tried to get closer. "with a bit of a temper."

Baekhyun remained silent by his side, the heat of his gaze burning holes into Chanyeol's face. Still, the taller remained focused on the task at hand. He didn't dare take his eyes off the merman who had kidnapped both his mother and Baekhyun, even as the guy jumped off the pier Chanyeol gave it a few minutes before he felt comfortable enough to retreat his sword.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, his arms settling against Baekhyun's waist.

"I'm fine," The merman nodded, leaning his head forward. His lips curled upwards when he felt Chanyeol's forehead press against his own. "Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for calling me." The photographer spoke, his voice remaining low. "Did you know him?"

"No." Baekhyun admitted, breathing harshly through his nose. "I haven't dealt with many from his pod... so you know now?"

"Suho explained the tip of the iceberg, apparently there is a lot more I have to learn huh?"

Baekhyun's giggle pulled a grin on Chanyeol's lips, the smaller nodding against his forehead, his hands coming up to wrap around the latter's shoulders. "About yourself, about the ocean.." he paused, making sure that he held Chanyeol's attention as he spoke the next few words. "About me."

The photographer's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening as he watched as Baekhyun's lips formed into his rare smirk. Before he could speak about it, perhaps demand him to explain himself for the subtle hint the arrival of three familiar figures had him huffing out a breath of protest.

"What the hell happened?!" Suho wondered, his shout particularly pulling Baekhyun out of Chanyeol's embrace. "Why did you run out so fast?!"

"We got kidnapped." Mrs. Park shrugged her shoulders, completely discarding the three newcomer's shocked expressions.

"There is no way that you would be that chill about getting kidnapped!" Sehun shrieked, looking at Mrs. Park before his eyes found Chanyeol. "Dude!"

"I think I'm starting to get used to the new way of life." Mrs. Park admitted, nodding her head. "Oh Suho darling, close that mouth of yours your jaw is going to start hurting!"

"Dude where the hell have you been?!" Chanyeol deadpanned, blinking at Jongin whose head snapped to look up at him.

"Getting away from the crazy, obviously. Dude what the hell have you been doing in the few hours I haven't seen you?"

"Dude it's been days!"

"He was there when you were asleep, so technically he's seen you. You just haven't seen him." Baekhyun explained, offering the giant a tight-lipped smile.

"So let me get this straight..." Suho interrupted the staring duo, the two of them snapping out of their haze to look at him. "you got kidnapped by your future husband's follower and somehow Chanyeol was able to hear you screaming for him despite the distance between you?"

"That's it in a nutshell." Mrs. Park nodded her head, turning to look at her son with a smile on her lips. "It amazes me too, thinking how easy it was for Chanyeol to find us."

"I don't remember being put in a room for you to find," Baekhyun teased, instantly getting the photographer's attention. "how did you know where to find me?"

"You wouldn't have believed me even if I tried to explain it." The boy admitted, his hands finding their place back around the merman's waist. Baekhyun didn't say anything as Chanyeol embraced him, placing his forehead against the curve of Baekhyun's shoulder. They remained in that position for a moment before Baekhyun gently ran his fingers through Chanyeol's hair, the action ultimately rendering the taller defenseless.

"Try me." he whispered, his voice challenging. Chanyeol pulled away just enough to look the merman in the eye, Baekhyun met his gaze unblinking. "Tell me."

"Your voice was carried over to me by the wind," he explained before chuckling quietly to himself when he realised how stupid Baekhyun must think of him. "I just followed, although I did suspect that he would bring you to the harbour, not as many people around here unlike at the beach."

"You're telling me that you heard my voice in the wind?"

"I know," Chanyeol chuckled. "how crazy it sounds. I warned you but you-"

"No I believe you," Baekhyun pushed him away, his fingers gripping into the fabric of Chanyeol's shirt to keep him close. "what is surprising to me isn't the fact that the wind carried my voice to you. I'm surprised because you came for me."

"Why wouldn't I?" Chanyeol wondered, his brow raising in question. "You sounded frightened and I just wanted to make you feel better I-"

"Chanyeol." Baekhyun prevented him from speaking, his fingers working to creep back into the threads of Chanyeol's hair. "It's okay, I'm okay. You saved us more than once this past week and I knew that you could do it again, I'm just sorry that I put your mother into such a situation."

"The person that put my mum into any situation isn't you Baekhyun," the hold on the merman's waist tightened. "You didn't know that they would take you and that you would be with her at that time. None of this is your fault."

"You have to put the blame on someone," the merman giggled. "I don't mind it being me."

"I don't," he declared, firmly. "I don't blame you. If I was to issue blame on anyone I would blame my dad for placing us in this position in the first place."

"Chanyeol.." Baekhyun began but was incapable of finishing.

A loud ringing forced both of them to the ground, their bodies crashing into each other along the harbour decking. Chanyeol's body cushioned Baekhyun's fall, the impact of the added weight momentarily stunned him, knocking the breath out of his lungs. But the pained filled gasp coming from the merman's lips instantly pulled him back into reality, he pushed himself up with his arms wrapping around Baekhyun's head to keep him protected.

"Now that isn't a very nice thing to say about the man that granted your birth.." A figure claimed from directly in front of them. His voice was deep and held a sense of authority even Chanyeol felt obligated to acknowledge, something he learned to avoid doing when he was middle school. "Where is your respect?"

"Who exactly am I supposed to be respecting?" He wondered, blinking up at the sparkling figure before him. The person was encased in a golden glow, an image so bright that it caused the photographer to narrow his eyes in hopes of protecting his sight.

The figure scoffed, arms crossing against its chest. "Why your father of course! How could you blatantly claim that he's the reason for your mother's kidnapping?"

"He met her, had a baby with her, the baby wanted to keep the merman on land, thus forcing his people to attempt to get him back. What are you not getting?"

"Everything, apparently." The figure shrugged their shoulders, a chuckle escaping their lips. "Well I apologize on his behalf then, it's nice to finally meet you Chanyeol."

"Yeah you too crazy glowing ball of light."

"Oh right!" The figure laughed, a click echoed through the enclosed space and then the bright light was gone.

Chanyeol rushed to help Baekhyun onto his feet, the merman's eyes remained tightly closed. A quick glance behind him allowed Chanyeol to see that his friends were all laid on the ground, equally stunned just like Baekhyun had been.

"Oh don't worry about them, they'll be fine." The voice spoke, pulling Chanyeol's attention. It was a blonde haired man, Mediterranean in looks but boxer in build. He was wearing denim shorts and the most hideous Hawaiian themed shirt Chanyeol had ever seen (and he had the pleasure of greeting a LOT of tourists), the first few buttons were opened exposing his tanned skin. He was attractive, but not exactly the photographer's type.

"Since you already know who I am, can I ask who you are?"

"Well that's not a nice thing to say to your own cousin, can't you see the resemblance?"

"Not really, pretty sure I would recognize someone from my mother's side." Chanyeol deadpanned, blinking at the newcomer. "You seem to know that I haven't seen my dad or his side of the family so I'm obviously not going to see the resemblance."

"You're quite direct, aren't you?" The man chuckled, seemingly surprised by Chanyeol's actions. "I'm surprised that you aren't cowering by my feet right now."

"You're like two monsters and a kidnapping too late," Chanyeol admitted, offering up his most genuine (read: fake) smile he could muster. "If you're my cousin from my dad's side that means that you're a God. Regardless of who you are, I could genuinely care less. If you want someone cowering at your feet you can find it somewhere else because you won't get it here, from me or my family."

"Woah woah woah, relax man." The God rushed to apologize, throwing his hands palm side up. "I didn't mean to get you so heated! I like how protective you are over everyone, it makes this so much easier!"

"Who the hell are you?" Baekhyun wondered, finally allowing himself to steal a peak at the man before him. "What the hell was that?"

"Oh and the little merman is here too, this is perfect! Hello Baekhyun, my name is Phoebus and I've come here to talk to my cousin so if you would please excuse us-"

"Phoebus?!" Jongin shrieked, his eyes blown wide. "Are you really Phoebus?"

"Did your mother even love you to give you that name?" Chanyeol wondered, unaware that he was speaking his thoughts aloud.

His small family stared at him in shock, their jaws hanging open. Jongin remained the most shocked out of each of them, the sides of his hands pressed firmly against his mouth. "He didn't mean that!"

"No I did," the tallest explained, blinking up at the God in front of him. "Nobody should ever be given the name Phoebus in this day and age..."

"Oh and Chanyeol is any better is it?" The God scoffed, arms crossing against his chest.

"Vehement, brightness and intense brilliance yeah, I would say my name is a lot better than the God of the Sun. Nice try Apollo."

There was a collection of gasps echoing throughout the small narrow space between boats. Chanyeol had to tighten his hold on Baekhyun's waist when he felt the merman lose his balance from the shock. Jongin on the other hand, wasn't that lucky. Chanyeol winced when he heard his best friend's body meeting the decking.

"You know who I am?"

"Your name just appeared in my head, I'm not that interested in the Gods to actually know every little detail about you. That's Jongin."

"Ah, well that explains the fainting." Apollo grinned, taking a few steps forward ultimately making Chanyeol (and therefore Baekhyun) take a few steps backward. "He seems to know exactly what I can do."

"Yes yes enjoy the inflation to your ego, I'm sure you don't get that very often now that most people nowadays don't actually remember who you are."

"Chanyeol..." Baekhyun hissed, allowing himself to slap the taller's chest in warning.

Apollo simply smiled, though the grin did appear to be forced and caused the God some sort of uncomfort. His arms dropped to his sides and a tired sigh escaped his lips. "I didn't come for a fight nor did I want to be praised, in relation to my ego I'm afraid to say that I had to put it on the back-burner for now."

"Your presence isn't surprising, I'm grateful that it's you that came and not your father. I wouldn't have been as polite to him regardless of his abilities." Chanyeol explained, a small smile on his own lips.

Apollo chuckled, his voice sounding like a melody lost to time. Chanyeol wondered if the God of the Sun would be willing to lecture in his college course, Ms. Choi would certainly have a lot of questions.

"That doesn't mean that I'm not curious, did the two giant monsters have something to do with your arrival?"

The God's head dipped, the smile slipping from his face. "You must understand that we never meant for any of this to happen-"

"You never do." Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders, his fingers tightening against Baekhyun's hips. The merman's hands instantly found the photographer's, a tight squeeze was applied to reassure the taller one that he wasn't alone. "I would appreciate it if you were to speak directly, this is important."

"The short story is that there has been an attempt on your father's life, he is currently in critical condition and the fates won't tell us anything about his well being." The God paused, his eyes locking with a being behind Chanyeol's figure. The boy didn't need to turn around, already knowing it was his mother that had drawn the God's attention. "The ocean is in ruin or will be in the future, the Gods are requesting for your help."

"Requesting?" Mrs. Park scoffed, her heels clicking against the decking as she walked up to the God. Chanyeol watched quietly as she passed both him and Baekhyun, his eyes wide as she stopped directly in front of Apollo. "Don't you dare use the very words your father said to my husband on my son, when 'requesting' something, the Gods mean that there is no objection. They expect you to fulfill their wishes whether you want to or not, so do not try to sugar-coat your words when your intentions are far from good."

Everyone watched as the woman crossed her arms against her chest, her eyes narrowed and brows furrowed as if challenging the God to speak out against her words. Chanyeol's lips formed a thin line, the young man forcing the building laugh back down his throat.

"Permission to correct myself ma'am?" Apollo wondered, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.

The silence was deafening for a moment while Mrs. Park considered it.

She dipped her head and backed off, retreating back to her position next to Chanyeol's friends who each shrink at her presence. The God cleared his throat and straightened himself up, eyes locking with his cousin.

"Chanyeol the Gods need you and even though I don't know what they'll do if you decline I can promise you that it won't be good."

"You said my father is hurt, what happened?"

Apollo shifted uncomfortably on his legs, his eyes drifting to the boats surrounding them. "That's information I can't disclose-"

"Then no." The photographer declared, shrugging his shoulders when everyone snapped their attention to him. "Tell me why I should help you? Your father practically dragged mine from this island against his will, now he wants me to help him take on a secret mission to help stop someone else taking over the oceanic throne. If Zeus wants something from me he can come to me himself, so until that happens you have your answer."

"You don't know what you're talking about-" Apollo's face had darkened, his eyes narrowed into a glare directed at his cousin.

"Oh no I think I know exactly what I'm talking about, your father sent you here thinking I'm going to fold well let me tell you something. He wants to be petty and keep hiding from me that's fine but don't send someone to do his dirty work for him, let him take a bit of credit himself for sake-"

"You clearly have a death wish!" Apollo screamed, stomping closer.

Chanyeol found himself shoving Baekhyun behind him, the merman's hands pressing against his shoulder blades. If Chanyeol moved forward, so did Baekhyun, the two of them moving as one.

"I'm not going to waste my time with his messenger, you get me Zeus or the ocean falls."

Every retort or threat the God had vanished from his tongue, his confidence fading as it was obvious that Poseidon's son wasn't going to give in.

"He could destroy you..." Apollo whispered, chancing a glance at everyone. "those closest to you wouldn't stand a chance."

"Let him come," Chanyeol declared, standing his ground. "he may not be the first but he certainly won't be the last."

"You're playing a dangerous game."

"You'd do the exact same thing in my position."

Apollo offered his cousin one of the most genuine smiles Chanyeol believed him to have, the God retreating back towards the edge of the decking. "That's the thing Chanyeol," he explained, gazing at the heavens. "I wouldn't."

The God offered his cousin one last glance, a small smile of defeat decorating his lips. He bowed his head and threw his arm above his head, his feet lifting from the ground and within a second he shot upwards into the clouds. The photographer watched him go, a small smile of his own laid out on his lips. Chanyeol chuckled to himself, shaking his head before turning around to face his family.

Jongin had managed to come around at some stage throughout the cousin's exchange, his eyes still circular and mouth still hanging but at least he was getting some colour back into his cheeks! Suho on the other hand looked to have developed a strain of whatever had sent Jongin to the ground, his chest rising and falling in concerning rates. Sehun, being the ever devoted boyfriend, wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's shoulders bringing him close to his chest in an attempt to get the merman back under control. Mrs. Park's gaze remained on the sky while Baekhyun couldn't take his eyes off of Chanyeol.

"What the hell did you just do?" The merman whispered, the shock having stolen his voice.

"I might have brought the wrath of Zeus upon us all..." Chanyeol chuckled nervously, his mouth moving to form a nervous grin. "I know it was stupid but-"

"The stupid thing was thinking that you could face a God and then winning!" Baekhyun hissed, slapping his opened palm against Chanyeol's pec. "Honestly what type of luck do you have and should we try buying a lottery ticket?"

The human threw his head back and laughed wholeheartedly, trust Baekhyun to completely disregard something that his family couldn't overlook.

"Some would say that I have an attitude." Chanyeol explained, clearing his throat. Baekhyun merely rolled his eyes.

"The Gods have it coming after what they have placed your family into-"

"I think that the both of you are overlooking something important here." Suho butted into their conversation, his sudden presence making them both jump in surprise. "The ocean. If what Apollo said is true and Poseidon really was injured in some type of coup then it's important that Chanyeol try to fix it."

"Why should he?" Baekhyun wondered, a brow raised. "He has nothing to do with the ocean and never has. He lived on an island his entire life and the one person who was supposed to teach him about our way of life was forced away from him by the very man asking him for help. It's not Chanyeol's duty to fight for something he has no connection with."

"The connection is his father." Suho argued, his hands running through his hair in frustration. "He's literally the son of Poseidon which means that he has every connection to the ocean, you're right about the fact that he hasn't been taught anything about it because of Zeus but that doesn't mean that we can't teach him!"

"Oh my gosh..." Mrs. Park gasped, her eyes bulging out of her sockets. She ran towards Baekhyun, embracing the boy in her arms. "It's you, you're the one!"

"The one what?" He whined through the pain, her tight embrace crushing his lungs. Chanyeol pulled him from his mother's embrace, his arm naturally wrapping around Baekhyun's waist to keep him close.

"You're the one that's supposed to teach him about life beneath the sea! That's why you two have such a connection, oh my gosh!" she squealed, her eyes twinkling. Her hands clapped against each other, a devilish smile creeping onto her lips. "Oh my wish really is coming true!"

"And they've lost it.." Chanyeol sighed, his head slipping between his shoulders. "I knew it was bound to happen but I never expected it to be so soon."