Title: Maybe, Maybe Not
Pairing: Baekyeol
Genre: angst/ mermaid au
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1600
Summary: You always want the things you can't have. 
 

Baekhyun doesn't understand what all the hype is about. He doesn't understand why having legs is suddenly considered "cool" because honestly, what can you do with legs that you can't do with a tail? He doesn't understand why lungs are suddenly in while having gills is considered old fashioned and why talking with fish and crabs and other marine species is no longer a valued skill. 

But mostly, Baekhyun doesn't understand why Chanyeol wants to be human. He doesn't understand why his boyfriend of 57 years has suddenly decided that under the sea isn't quite as nice as under the stars. Its more under the smog and pollution, Baekhyun thinks bitterly as he untangles a fin from a lump of plastic near the coral reefs. 

The little mermaid had it easy; exchanging your voice for legs? That's an easy deal. But times have changed, and the little mermaid is now just a puff of sea foam in the large expanse of ocean and becoming human is becoming more and more popular. It would have been too strange of dozens of mute people suddenly started appearing on the streets of coastal cities so the price had been changed.

To become human, a merperson would have to exchange not only their fins for legs, but also their memories. 

***

The swim towards shore was excruciatingly silent. Baekhyun swam a little behind his boyfriend, staring at Chanyeol's retreating figure, trying to carve it into his memory. His boyfriend's tale was a glimmering blue, sparkling and dazzling under the tinted green water. The sunlight's dazzling reflection only added to Chanyeol's ethereal beauty, illuminating the red wisps of hair that floated around Chanyeol's head. 

It had always been like this, Baekhyun realizes as they near the beach. Chanyeol in front, always adventurous, always daring with Baekhyun behind him, cautiously swimming against the current. The water is warmer near the surface and Baekhyun gasps when he finally breaches the water, turning his gills off for the moment. He has to squint up here where the sunlight is blasting at full force and there is no water to mute the bright rays. 

He turns to look at Chanyeol again and finds the other merman staring at him, head cocked to the side in thought. Baekhyun gazes fondly at the taut muscles in Chanyeol's arms and the milky white skin that's glistening wet before his eyes move up towards Chanyeol's face.

Chanyeol has a strong jaw, though its covered by a layer of baby fat. Round, almost fish like eyes that glow gold and crinkle closed when he laughs and teeth that even sharks envied. Right now however, he wasn't smiling. He was staring at Baekhyun with furrowed brows and Baekhyun had to resist the urge to paddle over and smooth the wrinkles away. Instead, Baekhyun looked down towards the ocean floor which looked forever away.

"I'll forget you." Baekhyun looks up and Chanyeol looks down. So in sync.

"I know."

"But we'll meet again," Chanyeol tries and Baekhyun lets out a dry laugh. Its quite ironic considering he's half submerged in water. 

"Maybe," he shrugs but he's shaking inside and he knows Chanyeol knows it too. "Maybe not."

Chanyeol closes the distance between them with a few, short powerful . Soon, they're underwater again, Chanyeol lithe body curled around Baekhyun protectively. The filtered sunlight reflects on their fins and casts rainbows through the water and Baekhyun tries to capture the moment. Their moment. 

"I'll always love you though," Chanyeol gurgles and Baekhyun slowly pops one of the air bubbles that struggles to rise towards the surface. "My brain might not remember you," Chanyeol patted his chest awkwardly, "But my heart will."

Baekhyun can't help but laugh at his boyfriend's cheesiness, and he's glad they're underwater because Chanyeol can't see the tears leaking out of his eyes and dissolving into the water around them. 

"I will," Chanyeol murmurs and he looks at Baekhyun seriously. 

Instead of answering, Baekhyun pulls away slightly and reaches into the small pouch he had around his waist. "Was I not enough?" he mutters quietly as he fiddles with the seaweed woven straps. He isn't quite sure he wants to know the answer. 

"It was never you," Chanyeol breathes out, small bubbles dancing out of his gills and streamlining towards the surface and now Baekhyun sees that Chanyeol's golden irises are surrounded by red. Chanyeol's crying too. "People want things that they can't have. And as a merman, I can never have feet Baekkie." Baekhyun cringes at the use of the familiar pet name.

He finally unravels the strings and pulls out a small necklace. The string is made of woven seahorse hair and in the middle, theres a small fin. Baekhyun gives Chanyeol a faint smile. The fin is a jade-like green, the same color as Baekhyun's. 

"To remember me by," he jokes and Chanyeol clutches at the string, gazing at Baekhyun with a fondness that Baekhyun wants to both rip off his face and kiss away. Baekhyun gently takes the necklace away from Chanyeol's clinging hands and ties it around the milky neck himself, turning the necklace this way and that critically until he's finally satisfied. "You should go now."

Chanyeol stares up towards the coastal city's distant silhouette and nods slowly. He pulls Baekhyun closer and closer until they're moulded together, lips pressed against each others. What starts off as soft soon becomes desperate until Chanyeol is nipping at Baekhyun's bottom lip and Baekhyun's mouth opens willingly. Chanyeol's tongue darts in and he swallows for a second all of Baekhyun's fears and misery and takes it for himself. His hands are silky smooth under the water and placed on Baekhyun's hip and lower back, pulling the smaller male closer and closer. 

Baekhyun pulls away suddenly and even under the water, he's flushed a pretty pink. A pretty coral pink thats the same color as his mother's fins and Chanyeol looks away.He turns away and he can't look back because if he does, he knows he'll stay. With powerful of his tail, he's off propelling himself through the water towards the rocky beach. He distantly hears Baekhyun calling out, voice muffled by the water. 

Don't forget me. 

***

Its been twenty years and Baekhyun is near the surface of the water again. Unlike before when he thought the air was chilling and biting, now the gentle winds above the water is calm and laughing. 

He's lulled into a sense of peace by the waves, lapping at his neck as his head bobs alone in the green ocean. Below him, a school of fish are going off towards their first lesson and near them, merchildren are racing around the coral reefs, their laughter sounding like the chatter of dolphins. With a small sigh, Baekhyun turns and swims towards the shore. Its nighttime and the city is restless, bright lights gleaming through the air, piercing through the smog and to the heavens where the stars looked on cheerfully. Nearing the beach, Baekhyun paddled around the shallow water, playfully splashing a few seagulls which wandered too close and sang. 

He just sang short melodies from the sea, until those notes turned into the wailing, mourful cries of mother whales whom lost their children to whaling ships. Its been twenty years and Baekhyun still hasn't forgotten.

He quiets down when he hears the distinct paddling of feet near the beach and he ducks underneath the waves, hoping the darkness and the foam will keep him hidden. He stays like that until he hears a voice so familiar his heart aches. 

The voice is rich and deep and Baekhyun chuckles, little air bubbles gurgling up the surface as he realizes the man is talking to himself and he can taste the salt from his tears in the water. 

Suddenly the water is splashing and he's shaking around, tumbling from the movement of the water and he tries to dive back into the depths of the ocean. His wrist is immobile as another hand captures him and he thrashes and squirms, trying to get him to let go. 

Finally he stills when the oxygen floods his lungs fully and he's dizzy from too much air and he looks up.

Chanyeol still looks the same, sharp jaw covered in baby fat. His eyes are still round, but they're brown now with flecks of gold in them and Baekhyun can see those pearly whites. 

Baekhyun is frozen, staring into the eyes he lost twenty years ago and he stares back, gazing at Baekhyun with an intensity that scares him.

"I know you," he whispers and Baekhyun whimpers because he's not ready for this pain to come back but he can already feel the jabs from puff-fish in his heart and the shocks of electric eels in his veins. 

"I know you," Chanyeol whispers again, eyes furrowed in confusion and once again Baekhyun resists the urge to smooth the wrinkles down. Chanyeol's hand isn't smooth like it was ears before under the water, but its warm and its comforting and its what Baekhyun knows. But at the same time, Baekhyun doesn't know anything.

He's always been the one to remember while Chanyeol forgets. 

"Maybe," he whispers before slithering out of Chanyeol's grip and deeper into the ocean. "Maybe not."

Story via Tumblr | LJ