Chapter Text
"So you're bringing a human home? You know you're meant to go to their home Tae, they can't fuck you down here," Jimin said, drifting alongside his friend on his back. "I'm not sure how you're expecting to pull this off but you've got balls I'll give you that,"
"Shut up Jimin," Taehyung swam down to the sea bed. He scanned it closely to look for the familiar rounded leaves of a medicinal seaweed against the rocks and sand.
Namjoon hummed. "He's kinda right Tae, why are you doing this for him? He might not want to sleep with you after he knows,"
"He doesn't want to sleep with me!"
Small clumps of sand fell through Jimin's fingers as he raked his knuckles along the seabed. "I doubt that, you're handsome and humans are like, obsessed with sex,"
"You say that like merpeople aren't," Taehyung snickered, darting forwards at the sight of the plant he was looking for.
Namjoon held the bag open for him as he plucked each leaf from the small bush. "Do you actually want to fuck him TaeTae?"
He paused, clutching a bunch of bare stems. "I... I don't know. I didn't think about it. It's not like I know what I'm doing anyway,"
It was silent as Taehyung finished harvesting the plant, the thin fibrous leaves collected in his palm leaving the baron stems behind to wash away with the tide.
"You what? Taehyung you do know how to have sex right?" Namjoon uttered.
He shyly shook his head. "It's fine, I'll learn eventually. It's normal not to know until you do it!"
Jimin shrugged. "Maybe but it's time already, you can't not fuck him just because you don't know what you're doing. Is that enough for the potion?"
The bag was half full of rounded leaves, a specific species of plant that was very common on the terrain. It was practically a weed, rooting itself in all crevices around rocks, the lime coloured leaves glowing against the grey rubble. "I think so," He nodded.
"Great then let's go," Jimin cheered, grabbing his arm and pulling him along in the water. Taehyung flinched at his speed and flicked his tail quickly to try and keep up.
"Where are we going?"
Jimin turned his head to grin widely at him. "You'll see,"
The swim was short and full of Taehyung's whining as he was pulled across the terrain down into the town. They weaved through a brief alleyway and came out at a family store front.
Taehyung's fathers store. It matched closely to his uncles, the content mirroring that of the surface. Rustic shelves shoved full of human books- unfortunately unlike sea books that survived perfectly well on the surface the human books were just copies of popular and educational texts. Not that Taehyung ever noticed they weren't real or that there was a difference at all, he hardly looked at them.
His only use for his father's store was for free or discounted textbooks for his studies when he had books the larger city library also stocked.
"Why are we here?" Taehyung questioned, pushing open the door and swimming inside. His father was in the backroom and the store mostly empty due to the time of day.
Namjoon took his arm and guided him up and through a small nook in the building. "We don't want you to not have fun because you don't understand sex so we're going to teach you. If you still don't want to after that then it's up to you, right Jimin?"
Jimin gave an affirmative nod and Taehyung squirmed. "Why!? I'm fine guys, it's not like I need kids or anything,"
"So you're saying you've never had any interest in it at all?" Jimin asked pulling a book from the shelf.
"Well..." Taehyung trailed off. Of course he had thought about it but having no experience or clue on human anatomy meant his imagination couldn't go very far.
He'd heard lots of his classmates back in school would sneak to the surface before they were allowed, to experiment, usually alone and sometimes with eachother. Jimin had been one of the first, sneaking around to slip up onto the rocks and prodding others to try it themselves.
Taehyung never had the heart to break the rules and had no real motivation to do so. It wasn't like he was in a relationship as some of his classmates were, eager to move their bond to the next level even before they were technically allowed.
Sometimes he felt as though he was the only person who didn't know how it all worked but he knew napping through sex education probably didn't contribute well.
Still, there were those he found attractive and felt something towards but he never had an option to act on those feelings before.
Idols sometimes caught his attention with their perfect features and bodies, the way common jewellery glittered against their smooth skin made his mouth water and his fingers twitched with temptation to feel it for himself. Not that he would ever be close enough to fulfil his feeble celebrity crushes. He was over them anyway.
He wondered briefly how Jungkook would look in such jewelery, somehow imagining him without clothing, however regular it was for his day to day life, it felt more intimate with Jungkook, the knowledge that humans viewed nudity as private weighing on his mind.
Soon an open book was shoved in front of his face. He wrinkled his nose seeing two graphic labelled drawings of genitalia. He wasn't completely clueless, he knew sex organs were involved and he knew they were ugly. They learnt about fish in biology after all.
The books were almost all illegible, copied out in strange human lettering he struggled to interpret but luckily his friends were more well versed. Namjoon was anyway, Jimin followed closely after, repeating the last words of his sentences with enthusiastic nods.
Courtesy of his friends his knowledge was soon expanding with all sorts of graphic details he didn't care about.
After some pressing they decided to focus on male anatomy only, saying that is was easier and he wouldn't be able to manage female. He pouted but agreed, unable to argue and not really caring when he only had one person in mind anyway. Other humans didn't seem appealing to him at all, it was Jungkook, that one guy on those posters or no one.
He was taught about hormones, foreplay, staying safe.
But mostly, he was taught the messy and crude anatomy of what everyone was encouraging him to do with the innocent human. It looked gross and embarrassing.
"Why would anyone want to do that?" He questioned, fixated on the diagrams laid out before him. Was this how Jungkook felt learning about sea life? Scrambled incoherent messages in old books that needed to be translated to make sense.
For something supposedly in merpeoples nature it seemed very convoluted. What was so good about sex that everyone thought it should be his top priority on land?
"Because it feels good, come on," Namjoon hummed, dragging him up another floor towards stacks of magazines where he pulled out one. "This is porn, real sex isn't like this but it'll give you an idea,"
The glossy pages were smooth against his fingers as he flipped through them, heat pooled in his cheeks as he saw the lewd images inside.
Skin coloured ink filled the pages, only broken by tight black underwear that highlighted the mans likely photoshopped bulge. His skin stretched around defined muscles, the pale complexion accentuating each dimple in his flesh.
It was nothing he hadn't seen before really but the way the man was framed, glistening with sweat, his expression dark with a suggestive smirk that ingrained in his mind.
A tanned hand blocked his view, clumsily pushing against the paper to flick it to the next page. Taehyung gulped.
Now that was something he hadn't seen before. A close up of the same man, long fingers wrapped around his hardened base, his cock, long and dripping into his palm, the black fabric pushed down to stretch around his thighs.
"And- and that goes in you?" Taehyung asked, grateful for the cool water that submerged his heated cheeks.
Namjoon chuckled. "Or you could fuck them, depends what you and your partner is into, either way it will feel good,"
He nodded slowly, reaching timidly to flick between that page and the last. Would Jungkook look at him like that? Holding that?
Heat and guilt pooled in his stomach creating a strange concoction that he wasn't quite comfortable with. The thoughts were so appealing but simultaneously the Jungkook he knew invaded his thoughts, the naive excitement that lit up his face when he learnt something new, those wide smiles he gave in response to short words of reassurance. How could he picture him in such crude ways and keep a clean conscious?
"Well? Are you going to fuck him? Balls in your court TaeTae," Jimin cooed, flicking through a magazine of his own.
"I don't know... I want to I guess but I don't think he does, he really hasn't given me any signs. Also he's my friend! I shouldn't think of him like that,"
Jimin snickered. "Trust Tae to befriend a human and make it all complicated,"
"What signs are you looking for?" Namjoon questioned, peering down at the pictures himself.
Taehyung paused, thumbing at the corner of the magazine. "He hasn't asked me for anything like that,"
His friends laughed and he frowned. "What?"
"Come on Tae, barely anyone is so direct. We can teach you those things too don't worry. Picking up humans is an artform,"
Taehyung rolled his eyes, slumping back against the shelves and focusing on the magazine in his lap.
"We mean it! We can help you,"
Taehyung hummed dissmively and pulled another magazine into his lap that asked more questions than it answered.
The front page showed another man, a curvy blonde human who wore lacy frills and confusingly a pair of cat ears. On closer inspection Taehyung saw a tail peeking around by his foot.
He learnt more about the particular tendency to dress as land animals seen as cute.
Jimin rushed off with a flick of his tail and swam back with what appeared to be a children's book in his hand.
Taehyung watched curiously as he opened the first page, revealing a mammal. Each page revealed a different animal, he cross checked with the magazine, seeing how they altered the animal traits into something perceived as sexy.
One page in particular stood out to him. The cartoon bunny took up a while page, smaller varieties of different colours. He thumbed the black one, eyeing the enlarged front teeth and floppy fur.
It reminded him of someone.
He struggled to see much of a resemblance between most of magazine shots and real animals he was shown but couldn't help but draw a connection between the soft rabbits and Jungkook. The way his front teeth would poke out when he grinned and his messy black hair fell over his forehead. He didn't need fake ears to imagine them flopping down over his cheek bones.
He wondered briefly how Jungkook would look in such lewd bunny outfits and threw the magazine across the room with a blush.
Another long lecture led them to the shore.
They spoke on the way, teaching Taehyung lots more things. Blushing means he likes you, laughing too much means he likes you, looking at your body means he likes you.
It was a lot to take in. But the main thing they ingrained, if he takes you home then he wants to fuck. The thought caused his stomach to coil.
Naturally their excitement for him led to a plan.
Taehyung needed to deliver these ingredients and they wanted to meet their friends human so they would go together.
Everything was as usual, they pulled themselves up onto the secluded bay, Taehyung shivering as his skin dried into two human like legs. Jimin helped him pick out a new but similar outfit from the available clothes and they headed up to the book shop.
It was nerve wracking to go accompanied by his friends.
He trusted them with everything he had, they knew everything there was to know about him but he definitely could not trust them if public. The joy they would revieve from embarrassing him in front of his new friend he knew would be too big for them to resist if the opportunity arose.
He held the bag of leaves in his hand, it was still slightly damp in his hands and the salty scent of the plant was strong, providing comfort as he pushed the door open. "Be nice," He whispered to the two men giggling like idiots behind him.
"Gontae!" They cheered rushing up to the older man. He smiled and offered them a drink, disappearing to the backroom.
Taehyung let out a small sigh of relief, smiling at the sight of Jungkook at the table watching him. As per his memory his eyes were wide and dark, sparkling with curiosity, hair damp from heat and falling in thin stands.
He placed the damp mesh bag on the table. "The plant you needed,"
"Thanks, Taehyung," He gently tugged the bag towards him to look at the contents, the luminous leaves had dulled significantly out of water and had congealed into one mass. "You're such a big help, I can't thank you enough," There was that big smile again, the one that now reminded him of a bunny.
"It's no problem," He smiled, relaxing into his presence and eager to see what books were laid out today.
Their moment of peace was disrupted as louder chattering filled the quiet space, his friends emerging from the backroom with steaming mugs of tea.
Seeing them out as humans was strange, sure he'd seen them briefly on his first shift but here they looked fully integrated.
"You know them?" Jungkook asked quietly, wide eyes flickering between him and the others. His shoulders were slightly raised, muscles tight.
As fully integrated as humans they were, they didn't fit in with the gentle rustic bookshop he had learnt to associate with his soft spoken uncle and the quiet journalist.
They fitted better with the mass of humans outside, chatting and shouting with grand gestures and loud laughs.
Taehyung wet his lips watching Jungkook's reaction to their presence. "Um yeah, they're my friends,"
On cue they turned to them and rushed over, Namjoon placed his mug on the table, crouching on the floor beside Jungkook and Jimin pulled up a chair, slumping onto it with a sigh. "Hello! I'm Jimin and this is Namjoon," He pulled an arm around Taehyung's shoulders. "You're our TaeTae's new friend right?"
Jungkook gave a small nod and Taehyung noticed him gulp.
"We don't bite," Jimin cooed.
"Yeah I know I just uh, I'm not great with people," Jungkook uttered, his pale fingers coiled around the handle of the bag.
Taehyung reached out to pry his fingers off of the fabric, putting his palm in it's place. "They're just being nosey, ignore them,"
Jungkook's cheeks dusted a light pink as he nodded. "I don't mind, they're your friends afterall,"
"Yeah and we want to meet him," Jimin frowned, taking a sip of his tea. "What's your name?"
"Jungkook," He said softly, his thumb tracing the skin of his friends hand soothingly.
It made Taehyung let out a relaxed sigh, the sensation ticklish against his hand.
"Why do you come here so often, huh? It's kinda weird," Namjoon asked crouching beside them.
"Joon!"
"What? It's true!"
Jungkook shook his head. "It's okay, I know it's weird. I just really like mythology,"
"Oh yeah? How come?" Namjoon pried.
He shrugged and shifted his gaze downwards to where he was toying with Taehyung's fingers. "I don't know, as a kid hearing about it it always interested me. As I got older I got into journalism and started looking into it more... Now I find whatever I can and write about it," His eyebrows knitted in thought and his posture relaxed slightly as he spoke.
Namjoon hummed. "So you actually believe it huh?"
Jungkook nodded. "There's too much evidence for it to be fake. The more you look into it the more it all adds up, it's amazing,"
Jimin traced his pinkie around the rim of his mug. "No I understand. Taetae has always believed in it so we're used to it,"
"How long have you known each other?" Jungkook asked.
Namjoon shrugged, gulping down his tea. "Years,"
"So," Jimin started, leaning in closer. "What do you think of Tae?"
Jungkook seemed taken aback by the question and took a second to answer. "Um, I haven't known him very long but... I like him, he's sweet," For a moment their eyes met before Jungkook averted his gaze.
Jimin gave a firm nod, taking a sip of his tea. "Do you think he's hot?"
"Okay that's enough for today boys!" Gontae interrupted. "Leave them alone or get out,"
They grumbled but left to sit at a neighbouring table to watch them work. At first with curiosity, helping Jungkook pick out interesting texts that could help him, only choosing a few stupid ones to fuck with him and remaining mostly helpful.
They listened with half an ear as Taehyung translated the chosen books, sipping at their drinks whenever they needed to disguise giggles at Jungkook's reactions or the misinformation.
After a while their amusement died down. "Come on Tae we wanna hang out with you we're bored,"
"But I wanna stay with Jungkook," He huffed. The book lay open on the table, it was thick and he was in the midst of translating specific chapters which turned out to be thirty pages long each.
Their friends dedication to this human certain was odd. Who enjoys reading out loud things they already know for hours to an idiot who can't comprehend it himself? It's not like Taehyung had ever been interested in these topics before, he had barely been interested in anything before.
Other than talking to people, Taehyung had never been interested in much. Even studying, hospitality was the only option that didn't bore him to death at just the thought.
Happily content in his little bubble and his daily life he rarely saw new things, only when his friends dragged him away.
They didn't inhibit his interests or force him, usually Taehyung was excited to try new things; he just wouldn't alone, needing that buzz of energy from those around him for motivation.
But this one wasn't their doing. No, they definitely wouldn't have supported their friend spending hours with a human instead of them.
"You can see Jungkook anytime," Jimin tried. "We should go see a film or go shopping or oh I know! We should go to that little vietnamese place nearby,"
"You know about that place?" Taehyung pouted. He knew others were allowed to go to the restaurant but it was already situated in is mind as his and Jungkook's place even if theu only visited once together. He didn't want his friends going there.
"Of course we do, Mina works there. She gives us a discount!"
"You guys can go without me, I'll stay here,"
Namjoon frowned. "Tae come on, it's been ages, we miss you,"
The air was thick with silence Taehyung unable to think of a response and the other two waiting.
Jungkook closed his laptop. "You should go Taehyung, I have other things to do anyway. Spend time with your friends,"
"Are you sure? They're just being dramatic I spend all my time with them already,"
Jungkook nodded and offered a small smile though Taehyung could tell it was forced. "You always know where to find me, your friends want to see you,"
Taehyung sighed but agreed, saying a quick goodbye and allowing his friends to drag him away.
The street felt different without Jungkook by his side, Jimin and Namjoon were more confident, not slinking through corners and shadows the way Jungkook had lead him, instead they walked through the bright sun as if they owned it, some people having to shift to get out of their way as they carelessly pushed through the street.
When they reached the small shop again it was still quiet, they stood by the door to let a group of people leave.
Jimin's eyes trailed up and down one of the women as she left and Taehyung pinched his side, pushing him through the door.
The thick scent of meat and oil hit Taehyung's nose again, almost nostalgic as though he'd been visiting the restaurant for some time.
His friends sat at a table and he joined, unable to speak before Mina approached the edge of the table, leaning over it with a smirk and her long straight ponytail swishing over her shoulder. "How'd it go with that cutie the other day? Jungkook, right? I thought about asking him out but I don't think he's straight,"
There it was again, the assumptions.
"He's just a friend, I met him a few days ago,"
Her face fell into an almost irritated looking pout. "Really? He's so into you. What a waste,"
Jungkook is into him? Where do these guys get this stuff?
The crossing of these two worlds of his no matter how new one of them was put him on edge.
Surely he and Jungkook would be just fine on their own without all of these prying eyes. The expectation for then to fuck was beginning to to tire him.
"Uh, yeah... You can still try if you like," Taehyung offered quietly, he hoped she wouldn't take the proposal, regret forming the second it left his lips. Okay maybe he did want Jungkook to himself but he could still figure that out on his own.
"Hm I might, he always gets his dinner here on Fridays. I'll offer my number, only if you're sure though, you can call dibs,"
Taehyung took a second to process her words. She would flirt with Jungkook. With her perfect silky hair and pretty eyes.
Jealousy pricked at him like a needle, taunting and probing. If he wanted he could tell her no. He could call dibs and say only he was allowed to fuck Jungkook.
But he couldn't. It wasn't his place.
Instead he gave her a short nod of approval and allowed the topic to be buried beneath conversation on food.
Mina called out their order and headed to the back of the restaurant beyond their view.
"You're really going to let her make a move on your guy, Tae? I thought you liked him?" Jimin pouted, toying with the well worn menu, Namjoon took his hands in his, brows furrowed in seriousness. "Yeah Tae, you know Mina is chill, she'll get it if you say no,"
He shook them off and folded his arms firmly over his chest. "I'm not calling dibs on a human. It's weird. Jungkook can make his own decision..."
"But we worked so hard to prepare you..." Jimin trailed off, menu abandoned.
"You showed me porn,"
"So ungrateful,"
The chair behind him dug further into his back as he pressed against it, eyes rolling at his friends antics. "All you said is how to tell if he wants to fuck me. I still don't know much..."
"Well what do you want to know?" Namjoon asked, smiking appreciatively as Mina emptied a tray of drinks onto the coasters.
Taehyung waited for her to leave, cheeks heating at the thought. "I uh... What if he takes me home, what am I meant to do?"
An unsettling smirk tugged at Jimin's lips, his scheming self ready to kick into action. Defensively he turned to Namjoon who laughed and nudged the other beneath the table, basking in the smugness of being chosen.
"If he takes you home," He started, head rested on his palm. "You kiss him,"
"That's what I was going to say!" Jimin interrupted, earning a snicker from Namjoon. "You make out with him, let him take the lead since it's your first time, clothes come off, boom,"
That cursed image Taehyung's mind forged of Jungkook nude resurfaced and he fought to push it back down.
"You're too crude," Taehyung decided with a huff. "Why can't it be softer?"
"It can be as soft as you want it," Jimin cooed. "But the steps will always be the same. Humans are predictable like that,"
He thought over the idea. Jungkook didn't seem very predictable to him. Something urged him to prove them wrong.
"What are human houses usually like?" He questioned. Jungkook's house must be just as interesting and unique as he is. Maybe he would have research papers and books. He could imagine a cool rustic decor that mirrored the library as Jungkook sat reading drinking that strange brown beverage his uncle liked.
Jimin shrugged. "Dry? Depends on age, gender, wealth, area,"
Taehyung deflated in his seat. How boring.
"Why do you like this guy so much anyway, Tae?" Namjoon asked softly. "You've been spending a lot of time with him the last few days. You know merpeople are attractive to humans, it doesn't take long to seduce them,"
"I don't want to seduce him... I just like talking to him,"
Jimin leaned across the table to whisper loudly towards Namjoon. "Do you think Jungkook is a faerie? Maybe it's a spell..."
Taehyung kicked him beneath the table. "I just like him! He's really nice and caring,"
A suspicious hum sounded by his ear, both mens eyes narrowed.
"I like helping him and... he's cute. Just forget he's a human for a minute, what would you guys think of him as a merman?"
The suggestion brought an uncomfortable silence to the table. It would have been unbearable if not for the clattering of silverware and sizzling of pans that emanated from the backroom.
Eventually Namjoon spoke. "Taehyung... You know he'll never be a merman right? There's no telling he'll even accept you if he knew. Historically humans haven't been the best to us,"
Taehyung gave a humourless chuckle at the mention of history.
He knew their history, every merperson did. The brutal actions of humans were drummed into all children in school, the information growing more gruesome and plain each them time the topic was breached as they got older.
At first they had been treated as divine beings, spectacles to be admired and appreciated with unearned levels of power. But as time passed humans became more cruel, experimental.
Merpeople as with all other mythological creatures had been forced into hiding until the masses forgot about them.
Was Jungkook worshipping or cruelly experimental?
Taehyung assumed the former but he wanted neither. He didn't want to be treated differently.
"He doesn't have to know,"
"If you keep getting closer to him he'll find out,"
Namjoon sighed through his teeth and nodded. "He's going to find out eventually,"