It reeks of fish.

Taekwoon spends his days scrubbing seagull crap off of boats. He didn't enjoy it but he needed to make a some cash. He didn't like the summer sun, the cloudless skies, and he certainly didn't like the ill-scenting fish odor. It bothered him throughout the day. He thought he would get used to it the first day of work. But it was already the middle of summer, and yet the smell was a punch to the face. Today was the same as any other tiresome day, scrubbing each boat until not a single speck of poop is on it. The heat today was hotter than yesterday, and that only made the stench even more worse.

He put in strength in cleaning the surface of the boat and ridding it of bird feces. The sweat dripped down his forehead and it also trickled down his back. He thought about how he was spending his summer. He wasn't with his friends playing soccer, he wasn't there for his best friend Hakyeon to annoy, and he missed just sleeping in. He used this shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Another fun day in summer...

--

Hongbin liked watching him from afar. That's not creepy right? He's so handsome. So much better looking than the other boys. This isn't stalking him right? To Hongbin, being a merman wasn't easy. None of the other mermen were cute and they had to stay hidden until they die. It was tiring work. And these days, the water aren't as clean as it was back in the days. A merman gotta stay clean. Hongbin leaned against a large rock that peeked out from the sea. He supported himself with his arms and was hidden from the view of humans and it was the perfect spot for looking at Taekwoon. Accept, he was a bit too far away, but if he gets any closer, surely someone will spot him. He kicked with his blue tail in frustration.

Hongbin stared at Taekwoon's legs. He envied how beautiful his legs were. They glistened in the sunlight and was muscular. Hongbin didn't necessarily wanted to become a human, but it wasn't that he liked being a merman either. But he definitely knew that he liked Taekwoon. Maybe it was only for his looks because he's never spoken to him before, but he just had this weird feeling whenever he sees him. If only I could get closer...Just a little bit... Hongbin checked his surroundings before making a move.

He extended his arms slowly to get off from the rock beneath him. Left. There was only an almost empty boardwalk. A few stores and restaurants were lined up side by side with very few tourists and inhabitants walking around. Hongbin could see only bare tables from cafes and pizzerias and shops with filled racks of t-shirts and knick knacks. Barely any people... all about a few hundred yards away. Right. He saw the ocean. A blue calm blanket with gentle waves washing up the shores. Foam reached dry sand and came crawling back to its mother sea. No boats in sight. I guess its safe. Maybe I can get behind one of those boats.

Hongbin pushed himself away from the rocks and ducked into the water. He was a few feet underneath the surface of the ocean and secretly swam towards one of the boats near the dock. He peeked out his head from the water so only his eyes appeared. His hazel brown hair slightly cover his eyes and he swept them back. He looked around incase there was anyone who could see him. Hongbin had to make sure no one could see him. Mermaids were kidnapped back in the past and who knows what they did to them. Hongbin didn't want to find out. He went underwater once more.

He sped up his pace a bit. Hongbin reached one of the boats and hid behind it. Taekwoon was about a hundred feet away. Ugh. I hope this isn't stalking. Hongbin watched the sweat drip down his perfect nose. His eyes traced his sharp jawline and down his figure. He was hot, literally hot. The weather was so warm that he could feel the water start to boil. The sun scorched his shoulders and when Hongbin placed his hand upon the boat surface, he felt the searing pain of the surface that was kissed by the sun.

"Mommy! Look! A mermaid!"

Hongbin ducked back into the water.

--

Taekwoon finished cleaning one boat only to clean another. He walked towards the next boat waiting to be cleaned. It was a nice boat; a decent boat for few people. He climbed on the boat to start cleaning its floors. Before he started to clean he walked around the bow to see what else he had to clean. Taekwoon walked along the railing of the boat. Something caught his eye in the water. It gently swayed and he saw something glisten in the water. It looked like a fish.

It was probably a fish but it didn't look like any kind of fish he's seen before. In the water, it was a blur of a bluish green, brown, and a peachy color. Does it have arms? He tried to lean closer. Is it a person? Should I help...? His face inched closer to get a better look of the mysterious figure in the water. But Taekwoon lost his balance and could feel the gravity pull him down to the blue sea. . . . . .

He felt the water closed around his body and he saw the dark and light blues. But that wasn't all he saw.

--

Hongbin couldn't say anything. How did this happen? All he wanted was to stare at his never-going-to-be-boyfriend. Well, he was staring at him, but he was right there. The Jung Taekwoon was right there in front of him. He didn't have time to clean himself, do his hair, or throw on his best pearls-- That's not the point Hongbin. He's right here... He sees you. Then it hit him. Taekwoon has seen him, You're a fish and he's a human. This wasn't supposed to happen. No. He is gonna tell everyone. He's gonna tell everyone about the existence of mermaids.

The same thing is going to happen as the past. They're all going to be captured, put into circuses, museums, who knows when they're going to start eating them? We're gonna go extinct and it's all gonna be my fault. But maybe, just maybe I can fix this.

"Uhhh." Is that all you can say Hongbin? Apparently, it was enough to push the panic button for Taekwoon.

Taekwoon's eyes widened and his arms started flailing. Probably to get away from the sight of Hongbin.

"Wait a minute!"

Taekwoon started to swim up to the surface, trying to escape from Hongbin. And Hongbin--of course had to go after him. He didn't want the extinction of mermaids to become a reality. Taekwoon broke the surface and gasped for air. Hongbin immediately followed and placed his hand on top of Taekwoon's mouth. What a great first impression...

"Please, don't say anything... about this."

Taekwoon muffled something that sounded like "Let me go!"

"Do you promise not to scream or do anything that will cause attention?"

He nodded his head and Hongbin eventually decided to free him. Taekwoon's eyes still filled with a bit fear and Hongbin waited for him to calm down. It also gave Hongbin time to process everything that had happen.

"So...Um," Hongbin scratched the back of his head. "Sorry for... everything."

Taekwoon rubbed his eyes as if he was trying to awake him from a dream, "This is a dream right?"

"Sorry...If you need a minute I can--"

"What are you?"

And that was the beginning of a long journey in Hongbin's life.

--

Finally finished with this... Sorry I took so long.to finish. I was busy with school. But yay I hope you like the first chapter~

I wanted to do a mermaid AU because I was watching a drama called Surplus Princess. It's really funny, so I recommend it to you guys!