The stranger allowed himself to be dragged into the store, the small bell located on top of the door frame jingled as the two of them stepped into the establishment with bright smiles on their faces.

Chanyeol already knew his way around, letting the boy's wrist go as he directed himself towards the counter where a middle aged man stood gazing back at him in confusion. The newbie used the situation to his advantage.

His eyes drifted throughout the building, black and white checkered tiles were laid out on the floor in an otherwise seen as satisfying pattern. On either side of him were two long dark oak painted counters with glass cases showcasing the beautiful treats just waiting to be eaten. Towards of the front of the store, along the front window was a ledge seating arrangement, with silver legs and red cushions. An modernised cash register was placed facing with its back to him, a clear upgrade from the antique looking contraption placed on the boarding shelf space behind the main counter in which Chanyeol was standing at currently. A large chalkboard hung from hooks screwed into the wall behind the shop owner, it held words and prices that the stranger couldn't decipher due to it's swirly penmanship. The store was beautiful on the eye and the scent of the freshly baked good was pleasing on the nose too.

"Mr Jung, candy floss head over there is new in town. He won't be staying long but I had to bring him here to taste your goodies before he's off back to the mainland!" Chanyeol beamed, beckoning with his hand to the newbie.

The pink haired boy was snapped out of his admiring of the bakery to focus back on the topic of conversation: himself.

"Hello, I'm Baekhyun it's a pleasure to meet you!" He smiled reaching across the counter to happily shake the baker's hand. "Chanyeol has not stopped telling me about your store, he seems quite adamant when I told him I wasn't sure the difference between macaroons and croissants."

"Strange don't you think Mr Jung?" Chanyeol chuckled, unable to keep his eyes off the strange boy he had spent so many hours with. However, when he didn't receive a response from his favourite person on the island Chanyeol was forced to tear his eyes away from pink hair. "Mr Jung?"

The man stared hard into Baekhyun's eyes, they had shaken hands for a brief moment before the baker had pulled his away. "What's your business here?"

Baekhyun remained silent for a moment, the shock of the man's harsh tone rendering him speechless. "I-"

"He's here looking for a friend he has lost contact with, what's with the sudden interest?" Chanyeol wondered, his eyes narrowing as he watched Mr Jung act strangely before his very eyes. "Mr Jung you look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Croissants and macaroons was it?" The baker questioned turning his attention to Chanyeol as he stepped out from behind the cake and muffin counter. He crossed the white and black tiles, his shoes clicking against the floor as he avoided all contact with Baekhyun who had unintentionally been in his way.

"Yep!" Chanyeol's chipper voice broke the seemingly tense atmosphere, Baekhyun letting out a sigh of relief when he saw the town local sending him back a wink. "Make sure to pack enough for three people Mr Jung, if you wouldn't mind."

"Three?" Baekhyun asked, raising a brow in confusion.

"For your friend too, if he's been living on the island he must know about how good the treats are here. Mr Jung makes everything here from scratch, his working space is divided upstairs and in the basement." Chanyeol explained with a interesting flare in his eye, Baekhyun took note of the obvious interest his tour-guide had in this bakery.

"So what have you two been up to this morning?" Mr Jung wondered having already packaged the treats in the bakeries labeled boxes, Baekhyun catching a glimpse of the white rectangular shape tied together with a pastel green ribbon.

"We got to talking last night at the party then we went home." Chanyeol fibbed, throwing a glance into the stranger's direction. Baekhyun's lips were pressed into a thin line as he attempted to hold back a laugh, he was well aware of the dangers the locals spoke about in regards to Mountain Peak so he didn't expect nothing more than a lie to slip through Chanyeol's lips. "Isn't that right Baekhyun?" The boy's lips pulling up now that Chanyeol finally knew his name. 

"Yep!" the pink haired tourist stated with a broad smile breaking out onto his lips, he approached the counter watching with bright eyes as Mr Jung prepared the last moment touches on their treat boxes. Chanyeol didn't even flinch when he felt soft skin wrap around his arm, he tossed a glance down and noticed Baekhyun's nimble fingers resting calmly against his bicep as his eyes were trained on the box of deserts. "How much do we owe you?"

"Oh don't worry about it," the baker chuckled, shaking off the offer with a quick wave of his hand. "it's on the house! You a new customer and a friend of Chanyeol, any friend of Chanyeol is a friend of mine."

"Oh.." Baekhyun whispered, shocked with the dramatic change in attitude. "Thank you very much!"

"It's no problem at all, now you best get going there is a storm approaching and I think you best get some shelter before it hits." Mr Jung stressed, looking Baekhyun in the eye as he spoke. The stranger nodded his head and threw one last 'thank you' in the man's direction before pulling Chanyeol back out into the village square, the tall and lanky brunette stumbled out of the building his hands filled with the bakery bags and Baekhyun's free other hand. 

"Do they allow you to eat in the library?" Baekhyun wondered, his eyes focusing on the bright white building on top of the hill in the near distance. "I'd like to eat these happily before searching for my friend if that's alright with you-" 

"But I thought we would be eating them together?" Chanyeol near pouted, although the feeling of the pink haired boy's hand in his own had him holding back a smile. 

"We can just give him whatever is left." Baekhyun decided with a nod of his head, he tightened his grip on Chanyeol's hand and attempted to ignore the various glances he got from the locals who had obviously seen Chanyeol before. 

"Woah hold on," the photographer called, pulling the boy's hand backwards as he stopped walking completely. Baekhyun -who had underestimated the boy's strength- stumbled backwards into his chest, with bright pink cheeks he turned around and stared into the taller's eyes. "first you drag me out of the bakery like I'm nothing but a bag of flour, next you tell me that you want to eat our treats alone before you find your friend. What is it that your not telling me?" 

Baekhyun's gaze instantly fell to the floor, he didn't want to admit it but he really didn't want to leave the island as soon as he was expected too. His father had warned him of coming to the island yet he was adamant on finding his friend, Baekhyun didn't count on finding a boy who seemed to have gone unaffected by his spell. "I wanted to spend more time with you before I left.." 

The silence that followed was stifling, Baekhyun half expected the grip on his hand to loosen or be let go completely. He never expected Chanyeol to hold on to him tighter, bringing him closer into the photographer's personal space. "Are you allowing me to take you out on that date you think you don't deserve?" 

Baekhyun's face lit up in a bright pink hue, he felt his heart pound dramatically against his chest (something he hadn't felt in years). "Are you willing to spend your day with me?" 

"If I'm spending the day with you I'm not bringing you to the library on our first date, let me take you somewhere special." Chanyeol declared with a broad smile on his lips, Baekhyun swore that if he stared any more he would be able to count just how many teeth were shown when the boy smiled.

Baekhyun bit his lower lip as he allowed the taller to take control, leading him back through the busy market place and towards the beach. Baekhyun's interests peaked when the boy took a sharp turn completely dodging the entrance to the golden sand, even though he hadn't visited the island that many times Baekhyun knew where the harbour was. 

"After you" Chanyeol chuckled, turning back to stare down at the pink haired boy whose eyes widened at the sight of his boat. The photographer had dropped his hand, choosing to offer it out as a stepping stone onto the vessel. Baekhyun let out a giggle before accepting it and stepping down onto the decking of the beautiful boat, he waited by the railing for Chanyeol to follow offering out his hands for the bakery bag but his offer was kindly rejected. "come on I want to show you more." 

Baekhyun followed the island boy below the deck, his fingers looped around the railing knowing that his sea legs needed some time to adjust. Stepping off the last step Baekhyun gasped at the sight before him, the boat opened out into a wide comfortable living space with a cozy looking couch placed just below a floating television strapped to a bracket on the wall. Passing the brightly lit room Baekhyun followed the photographer into the kitchen, it wasn't as fancy as the previous room but it definitely equalled it's beauty. A long stretch of black marble covered the counter, various cooking materials were dotted around the room. A standard sized cooker was risen above the ground over a bunch of drawers and cabinets, the fridge was also average sized consisting a freezer in the opposite side. From here Baekhyun watched as Chanyeol pulled out some ice cubes to go along with their glass of water. 

"I'm actually fine," Baekhyun interrupted the photographer in his actions. Chanyeol had placed the bakery treats onto the counter which Baekhyun instantly located and began unpacking it, the two boys worked together in setting up their treats being sure to leave some behind in the boxes for Baekhyun's friend. "so you own a boat huh?" 

"It was my dad's" Chanyeol explained after taking the plate of croissants and leaving the box of macaroons for Baekhyun to take, seeing how quick the taller was walking towards the couch Baekhyun rushed to grab the macaroons and follow him. "when he died Mr Jung, the guy you met at the bakery took possession of it but he allows me to come here whenever I want." 

"That's awfully sweet of him" Baekhyun admitted, talking the seat next to the boy with a smile. "was he close with your father?" 

"Quite," Chanyeol answered with a nod. "apparently my father helped him out a lot when he arrived on the island. He loved travelling but when he met my mum he settled down on the island with her, he did the odd few jobs all over the island, offering his help to whoever needed it. When he died everyone sort of blended together to make sure that my mum and I were looked after, Mrs. Lang often sends us food at the end of every week. Since my mum's the only breadwinner in the house she spends most of her time at the hospital, she's a nurse." 

"I'm sorry for your loss," Baekhyun whispered, reaching forward and clasping his fingers through Chanyeol's. The boy was surprised by the gesture at first but slowly become comfortable after figuring that it was probably just the stranger's way of showcasing affection. "what did your father do?" 

"He painted, brought people out on this very boat to see Mountain Peak from the ocean, he built furniture and sold his paintings on a stall in the market place." 

"Was it him that took that picture of market?" Baekhyun wondered, gesturing with his head towards the picture above the television. Chanyeol didn't have to give it a glance to know which picture he was talking about, instead a sad smile was the only reaction the pink haired boy received. 

"Actually that's mine, he helped me take it though. It was my first ever picture that I had taken, I didn't really get interested in photography until after he passed." 

"How long ago has it been?" Baekhyun treaded lightly, unknowing when he was crossing a line. 

"I'm unsure, time gets muffled in my head sometimes" Chanyeol explained, a flash of disappointment rushing through his eyes as he turned his gaze away from the stranger sitting beside him. "words too. My attention span is short so I often move on to other hobbies, it's complicated since no one was really able to properly diagnose me. The only major doctors we have here on the island look after pregnant women or standard sicknesses, I'm pretty sure I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was younger." 

"Really?" Baekhyun gasped, staring at the boy before him in a new light. His hands started to become clammy as he quickly took his hand out of Chanyeol's grip choosing to rest it against his own thigh instead. Things were starting to make sense in Baekhyun's head, Chanyeol wasn't the first person he had met with an interesting backstory. Of course he couldn't allow himself to jump to conclusions, he needed more evidence but judging from the sudden shift of the atmosphere Baekhyun figured that the answers to his questions wouldn't be able to be achieved. 

"Yeah, but I learned to live on with it. I offer help to anyone who needs it and music really helps me to focus so I decided to take it as a course in our college here on the island, have you ever gone to college?" 

"I wish" Baekhyun laughed, reaching behind him in order to pull a fluffily covered pillow onto his lap and happily ran his fingers through the died purple fur. "in my family things are done differently, it's too complicated to explain so-" 

"I get it, but let's just say that you could. What would you decide to do?" 

"I'd take music, like you." Baekhyun beamed, his sweet smile making Chanyeol's lips mirror their action. "Oh! And literature too, although I think I'd major in it over music." 

"You like stories?" 

"Stories, poems, plays," Baekhyun rhymed off, the sparkle in his eyes getting noticed by the photographer. "I love the story of The Little Mermaid. My father used to tell me the story every night before I went to sleep, it's a beautiful love story-" 

"Until she turned to foam in the end after her prince fell in love with a human princess." Chanyeol chuckled at the boy's facial expression. 

"Did you have to ruin my entire childhood?" Baekhyun wondered, glaring daggers at the taller beside him. "In my defense that's the old tale, Disney's version is better!" 

"Oh so a Prince Charming falling for a damsel who has no voice or flirting technique without her voice is your favourite childhood film?" Chanyeol challenged, his lips curling at the corner as he inwardly bit back a smile. "The Prince basically fell in love with her judging her looks and her looks alone." 

"She saved him from drowning!" 

"He didn't know it was her since she was singing at the time but the next time he saw her she was mute!" 

"If you met a mermaid what would you do?" Baekhyun voiced out. His eyes went wide as he watched Chanyeol consider the possibility, his hands meeting his lips in shock. 

"Hypothetically speaking" he began with a click of his tongue. "I'd ignore her or pass her on to some other guy" Baekhyun's smile faded. "because I'm quite sure that I'm gay." 

"So a merman then?" the boy wondered, the smile back on his face as his eyebrows wiggled in the centre of his forehead. "What would you do if you saw a merman in the water just below this very boat we are sitting in currently?" 

"Probably let it be?" Chanyeol whispered, considering the option for a moment more before nodding his head in confirmation. "The merman has nothing to do with me, so why should I want to contact it?" 

"You're meaning to tell me that if you saw a merman which may I remind you is purely fictional in your universe, you wouldn't do anything about it?" 

"Merman are supposed to be ugly counterparts of the mermaids, they're supposed to wreck ships and purposely drown sailors. Why on earth would I want to associate with them?" 

"My father was right" Baekhyun scoffed, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Chanyeol with his jaw dropped. "you people really don't know the truth about their kind, do you?" 

"They're just myth and legend that our island thrives on in order to bring in tourists. Ever since that years old story we've been getting boat loads of tourists to our island all of which expect to see the exact same creature that was found here, chances are that will never happen because they don't exist." 

"Oh they exist alright," Baekhyun stated, a sarcastic chuckle masking the pain in his throat. "they just don't like to associate themselves with humans." 

"If they are real, they why not?" 

"Because you don't know the real story, you only know what certain people want you to believe and I think that's more than enough reasoning." Baekhyun explained, his voice small as his gaze fixated on the untouched macaroons on the table before them. His fingers pulled harshly against the purple fur of the cushion's protective covering, Chanyeol catching the action out of his peripheral vision. His brows furrowed as he concentrated on the boy's words, Baekhyun sounded as if he was talking from experience. Like the words Chanyeol had spoken had directly been aimed at him, he also noticed that the boy's tone of voice had become defensive as if he was protecting his own honour rather than a creature made up from myth. 

"I don't believe in a lot of things" Chanyeol attempted to right the wrong he had done and although it seemed like the stranger was listening, Chanyeol still wasn't sure. "a majority of the people on this island believe in the Greek gods, which for awhile I thought strange since we were no where near Greece or Europe for that matter until we came across some really old marble along the base of Mountain Peak. Apparently the marble was brought over from Greece when the Greeks were travelling the globe to find something that could appease their gods, my history teacher in high school told me that it was left over from a Poseidon statue that the sailors had crafted for their god of the sea. It was their way of thanking him for safe passage through the seas, I have no idea where the rest of the statue went, but the left over marble is in our town's museum." 

"So you believe in a Greek God but not mermaids who were said to have been made by him?" Baekhyun laughed, watching through half lidded eyes as Chanyeol's ears ignited red. 

"I don't know anything about him or the other gods for that matter, my friend Jongin can tell you all about them but I'm probably the last person you'll enjoy having that conversation with." Chanyeol joked, happy that he had somehow managed to balance out the tense atmosphere. 

"You know absolutely nothing at all?" Baekhyun questioned, his left brow raised. "Everyone else around you knows something, yet you seem to know nothing at all?" 

"Just the basics" Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders. "Zeus, Hades and Poseidon are the three brothers who overthrew their father Kronus and that they divided the world in three. Zeus took the heavens, Hades was left with the underworld and Poseidon took control of the sea.  That's about it!" 

"Wow, so you really do only know the basics.." Baekhyun laughed but ended up shaking his head, having expected the outcome. 

"Yep, now let's get serious here for a moment!" Chanyeol declared, clearing his throat as he reached forward and grabbed a hold of the box of macaroons. "I had a promise that I was going to show you the difference between macaroons and croissants so let me introduce you with the help of Mr Jung's treats!" 

Baekhyun couldn't help but shift himself closer to the photographer, his big eyes naturally growing wider as he listened and watched as Chanyeol explained the obvious difference between the two desserts. He opened his mouth when instructed and happily chewed on the soft pastry that was a croissant, a soft sound escaping through his throat in bliss of the unknown treat. 

His last day on land was definitely worth it.