(This story is loosely based off of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid. It is my sort of reindition of it, and I apologise for how bad it may be. Comments and constructive criticism are appreciated. Disclaminer: I own no one, and I do not own the original story this is based off of) XOXO ♥

on the morning of the seventh day if you fail to complete this task then you will cease to exist. Do you still want it boy, is one man worth all this?"

The early sunlight comes down

A blinding force that reminds me of you comes down

At last my eyes that lost their way Cry cry cry

-Baby Don't Cry

Joonmyun stood near the sea eyes glistening as he stared out at the blue he once had called home. He missed it, and he knew the sea missed him as each wave that crashed against the shore pulled at him to try to drag him back. 'I cannot go back,' Joonmyun thought sadly 'but one day I will return.' Joonmyun smiled, a smile filled with sadness and knowing. The cry of the ocean seemed louder that night as if it knew exactly what Joonmyun meant by his return. Joonmyun turned away from the oceans sorrowful cry, unable to handle the pain it brought to him.

With each step that Joonmyun took it felt as if knives and daggers were piercing his skin, ripping at the flesh. It had been part of the price Joonmyun had to pay to become human, if only for a mere six days, to see the prince he had fallen in love with. The prince was a tall handsome man, with glowing gold locks of hair that Joonmyun had fallen madly in love with when he had saved the prince from drowning after he had been thrown from his ship in a terrible storm. Joonmyun had wanted to be with the prince after that and had gone to seek out the dreaded sea witch for help. The price he had to pay to have a human soul and body was terrible, he was unable to say who he really was, he couldn't even tell the prince he had saved him, for his voice would stop working and cut out when he tried and he faced unexplainable pain, but Joonmyun had smiled "if only to be human and be with the man I love I will do anything, I will take anything.". The sea witch had smiled in return, an ugly but knowing smile "unwise my child. Your choice will only bring you pain and sadness my boy. But if it is what you want, then so shall it be. You have six days my boy, six days to get the prince to fall in love with you without speaking of who you really are. And on the morning of the seventh day if you fail to complete this task then you will turn into foam and cease to exist. Do you still want it boy, is one man worth all this?" The sea witch had asked, seemingly almost merciful in giving Joonmyun a way out. "For he whom I love more than everything, I would dare do anything." Was Joonmyun's response. And with that the deal had been done. Joonmyun had been granted six days as a human, six days to get the prince to fall in love with him so he could live happily as a human; six days that if he failed he would die.

Joonmyun walked on, his mind filled with these thoughts. He was on his sixth day to convince the prince, his last day, but he knew it was futile. The prince had fallen in love with a beautiful princess with whom he was now engaged. And as much as it made Joonmyun happy to see the man he loved happy, he felt pain in his heart knowing he would never have the prince. "Joonmyun!" Joonmyun turned at the call of his name to find none other than the prince coming towards him. "Hello my prince." Joonmyun greeted, bowing as the prince stopped beside him. "Joonmyun how many times must I tell you to call me Wufan? You are my friend there is no need for formalities anymore." Wufan smiled, placing his hand on Joonmyun's shoulder. Joonmyun felt his whole body heat up from the contact, and a blush form on his cheeks. "Yes my pri... I mean Wufan." Joonmyun smiled in return. "So Joonmyun you are coming tonight right? To toast my marriage on the royal ship would be a lovely thing for Luhan. She says she love the sea. I can't believe I will be marrying the dark haired beauty that saved me that night." Wufan sighed, and Joonmyun smiled sadly. The moment Wufan had later eyes on the beauty Luhan he had been entranced, he was so sure it had been her who had saved him the night he almost drowned. 'But it was me!' Joonmyun wanted to scream, but every time he tried how throat would close up and he would begin to cough madly, causing people worry for his health. "Wufan there is something I must tell you." Joonmyun tried but Wufan held up his hand to stop him. "I know we haven't known each other for long Joonmyun, but for some reason I feel connected to you. We've become friends and I really want you there tonight siting on my left hand side and Luhan on my right. I want you to be my best man Joonmyun at my wedding. It would make me so happy if you would." Wufan told him, smiling sincerely.

Joonmyun felt his heart wrench at the princes words. With a nod and a small smile Joonmyun agreed to be there for Wufan. He could never deny the man he loved his happiness, no matter how much it hurt him. And even though Joonmyun knew he wouldn't make it till the wedding he still assented to being Wufan's best man. "Thank you Joonmyun. You are a good friend." Wufan praised, giving Joonmyun's shoulder a light squeeze before moving and disappearing down the hall. 'Please don't marry her,' Joonmyun thought as he watched Wufan walk away 'please my prince. I love you'. A stray tear slipped down Joonmyun's cheek as he watched his love, his hope and his life walk away from him.

It was a chilly but clear evening for the party the prince held, and everyone there was in high spirits. All except Joonmyun. Currently he was standing in the room he would be occupying for the night on the ship before the wedding. An object in his hand had all his attention as he looked over the blood red dagger. His brothers, Jongin and Sehun, had come to him the night before bearing the dagger and begging him to take it. "We got it from the sea witch. She told us that if you were to stab the prince through the heart an let his blood run down your legs you could return to us a merman. You will not die." Jongin had explained frantically as he had passed Joonmyun the dagger. "What price did you must have to pay to get this?" Joonmyun had asked worriedly, he knew first hand that when bartering with the sea witch you always had to give down thing in return. "We gave her our necklaces." Sehun had piped in and Joonmyun gasped. Those necklaces Sehun spoke of had been important to the two mermen; it was the last gift their mother had ever given all of them before she had died. "Thank you my brothers, but I don't think I can use it." Joonmyun explained sadly as he the necklace that lay just under the collar of his shirt. "Please brother," Jongin pleaded "please do not leave us and die for some human. Please Joonmyun." Jongin had cried and Joonmyun felt his heart pull at his brother’s tears. Reaching his hands out Joonmyun took the two boys extended hands. "I love you dearly my brothers, but until you understand what it is like to love someone with all your being the way I do my prince then I know you will not understand my choices." Joonmyun had explained with a sad smile. "I love you both very much. Please do not forget me." Joonmyun bid farewell, but not before slipping off his own necklace and placing it in Jongin's hands. "Goodbye my brothers." And with that both Jongin and Sehun had slipped tearfully back into the sea.

Joonmyun slipped the dagger back into his cupboard. He knew his brothers meant well when they had brought him the dagger with a way out, but he also knew they didn't understand what the love he was feeling for the prince really was. 'They have each other, they will be alright." Joonmyun thought to himself in some form of comfort for his brothers. A knock on his door startled Joonmyun out of his thoughts. "Joonmyun," Came Wufan's voice "is everything alright?" The prince asked. "It is, everything is alright my prince." Joonmyun called back. "Joonmyun may I come in?" Asked the prince, and when Joonmyun gave his consent did Wufan enter. "Joonmyun please call me Wufan." Wufan asked of him an Joonmyun smiled. "I am sorry Wufan, I know it bothers you. But you are my prince and I feel that I should address you so." Joonmyun replied, causing Wufan to frown. "We're friends Joonmyun it's alright if you drop the formalities, it would be nice to have someone just call me by my name instead of being referred to as the prince all the time." Wufan commented. "Well then for you I will do so, Wufan." At this Wufan smiled. "Thank you Joonmyun." Wufan said as he pulled Joonmyun into a hug.

Joonmyun tensed at the contact before calming and allowing himself to be overwhelmed by Wufan, if only for a little while. "I don't know what it is about you but you give me this calming feeling. I feel as if I've known you for a long time, that we are connected somehow." Wufan confessed, and Joonmyun could only offer a sad smile in return. Pulling back the prince looked a little flustered, one hand rubbing at the nape of his neck. "I really do mean it Joonmyun, you've become so important to me." Wufan continued. "And you too I, Wufan." Joonmyun told him, bringing a smile to the prince's lips. "Tonight is my last night as an unmarried man and I think you and I should go out and enjoy my party." Wufan said. "Yes we should go out and enjoy it." Joonmyun offered up and the prince laughed, a beautiful sound that Joonmyun hoped to never forget. "Yes, let us go and enjoy. Let us go and dance." Wufan exclaimed. And that night Joonmyun laughed and danced with the thought of death in his heart.*

The first rays of the rising sun broke through over the horizon, and Joonmyun watched as the beautiful sight unfolded. Joonmyun smiled as the early suns light came down, it always reminded him of Wufan; strong, beautiful, powerful, delicate and pure. It was almost overwhelming to Joonmyun how closely related the golden sun and the golden prince were. Joonmyun clutched at the dagger the he was holding in his hands a little tighter. The sea witches words ran through his mind "...on the morning of the seventh day if you fail to complete this task then you will cease to exist. Do you still want it boy, is one man worth all this?" It was as if she was right there with him and saying it. "Yes he is." Joonmyun whispered, the wind taking and carrying his words. "Joonmyun?" A voice that was all too familiar to Joonmyun called out. Joonmyun spun around to see Wufan standing on the deck looking at him through tired eyes.

"Wufan why are you awake?" Joonmyun questioned, he was startled that Wufan was up at this hour. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to come up for some air. Why are you awake?" Wufan questioned as he stepped closer to Joonmyun. Joonmyun took a step back as Wufan approached, bringing himself closer to the edge of the boat. "What are you doing Joonmyun?" Wufan questioned before his eyes fell upon the blood red dagger clutched in Joonmyun's small hands. "Joonmyun..." Wufan started only to be cut off. "My prince, Wufan, there is something I must tell you. For the time I have known you, I have loved you. Since I met you I had fallen for you. But my time.. my time with you is up and there is nothing I can do because you don't love me back." Joonmyun smiled sadly as Wufan reached out a hand and stepped closer to Joonmyun. "What are you saying Joonmyun? Of course I love you, you are my friend. And what time is up? I do not understand. And why do you have a dagger? What is going on Joonmyun?" Wufan questioned, he did not understand what Joonmyun was saying. "This dagger Wufan, this dagger was meant to save my life but I cannot use it because I cannot lose something that means more to me than my own life. And you say you love me but it is not in the way I have loved you since the night we met. You are beautiful and strong Wufan, and I know you will be very happy with Luhan. I know she makes you happy even.. even though you believe her to be the one who saved you." Joonmyun's voice cracked as he spoke, all his raw emotion coming to surface. "Joonmyun please, I do not understand." Wufan was near begging because nothing was making sense anymore. "It is better for you not to understand Wufan. Please know that I do love you, have always loved you and will always love you." With that said Joonmyun leaned forward an pressed his lips to the prince's, a sweet but chaste kiss.

Pulling away Joonmyun smiled at the bittersweet moment, because for one moment he had been able to have Wufan but it was also the last moment he could have him. "My heart belongs to you, but my body to the foam and my soul to the ocean." Joonmyun spoke, giving Wufan's hand a squeeze before backing up to the edge of the boat. "My time has come Wufan. I hope you live your life happily with Luhan. I hope your life is beautiful like you. I hope.. I hope you will not forget me my prince. Goodbye my prince, my love. Please live happily." Joonmyun bid, a sad smile gracing his lips as he let go of Wufan's hand and took step to the ledge. Wufan stood frozen as he watched Joonmyun step up to the ledge and stand on the edge. He watched as the beautiful male smiled one last beautiful smile, the rising sun’s rays shining off of Joonmyun setting his dark hair a glow.

Realization hit the prince as he watched the dark haired beauty fall back into the depths of the ocean. "Joonmyun!" Wufan screamed as he raced to the edge, eyes searching the depths of blue for Joonmyun. "Joonmyun..." Wufan whispered "y-you were my dark haired beauty. Y-you were the one who rescued me. Y-you were th-the one I.. loved..." Wufan trailed off as everything dawned on him, it all made sense now. The night he had been tossed from the boat he'd seen someone so beautiful and woke up to the same person, but in his haze he had thought it a girl. Luhan had met the description of his beauty and he fell for her when they were introduced because of a hunch. But now a the picture of a smiling and glowing Joonmyun stayed burned in his mind he knew he'd made a mistake. "M-my eyes had strayed from you Joonmyun, I was caught up in a fantasy that I didn't see it was you..." Wufan whispered, silent tears slipped down his cheeks marring his skin with wet trails. "I love you Joonmyun." Wufan whispered sadly to the ocean, watching as a light sea foam floated and played a top the ocean.

*This is a sentence taken form the Hans Christian Anderson version of the story, it was changed a bit to fit my story, but belongs to the original author

(I apologize for how bad this may be!!! Like yeah... I don't even know....)