Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Courting goes surprisingly naturally, the two falling into rhythm without fault and working together on most of their daily tasks. It’s more than Taehyung would have even asked from his old pod, who would have relegated him solely to intellectual or den activities. With Jimin, Taehyung feels like he sees him as an equal despite their obvious difference in strength and power.

Jimin encourages him to do hard tasks like hunting and trusts him to succeed. If Taehyung doesn’t, Jimin is there to help, never criticize. And Taehyung is grateful for it, falling for Jimin a little more each time he offers to take Taehyung to do a daily task or just wade around the reef together. He’s learned simply being close to Jimin is his favorite activity and it seems like Jimin would agree.

Slowly, Taehyung starts spending more time in the other’s den, spending late nights talking and Jimin guarding when he dozes off. The den is nice, well-worn from years of use. It;s much more spacious with a portion that's larger and contains carved out shelves, many of which proudly display some of Taehyung’s gifts. The larger portion even has a space of unescaping air at the top, which reveals a pretty sitting area full of stalactites.

The smaller portion is a room where Jimin sleeps and keeps his long-time collection of waterproof blankets, pelts, and fluffy materials. Often, Jimin will let him nap there during the day or hang around the den for fun with Heureum or squid, but Taehyung always makes sure not to disturb his sleep. While he discovers that sirens do sleep less than mers, he also finds that they are more nocturnal.

Being awake more during the day has mostly been Jimin’s choice so he could match Taehyung’s schedule more, something that he had both preened over and scolded. As much as it made his heart sing, Jimin needed rest.

Eventually throughout the day, Jimin will go off to patrol and Taehyung will either choose to stay or go with, but after being woken up by Jimin to watch meteors (much to his enjoyment), today he feels more sluggish. He takes the bed, curling up for a nap as Jimin takes off, promising to be back soon.

Although, when waking up about 20 sun degrees later, Taehyung finds no sign of Jimin’s arrival back. Feeling less tired, he takes to cleaning up some of the scraps that drifted into the den opening and continuing his art carving on one of the shelves. Jimin loved the first one and gave Taehyung free reign to make more.

Though with more time, a strange feeling lodges in his throat like algae. For someone so efficient, it’s taken more time than necessary, unless… unless Jimin encountered some sort of problem. The thought has Taehyung grabbing a weapon and leaving the den in a rush, preferring to be safe than sorry.

With more dulled senses, he can’t track Jimin so well, relying on an idle Heureum to lead him when Taehyung offers him a sniff of Jimin’s dagger. He hopes the shark understands when he starts leading Taehyung off to the side of the reef closest to open ocean. The direction worries him - the open ocean has never been safe, not even for the most capable.

By the time they reach an area where rocks and coral peters off into plain sand and grasses, Heureum turns back and Taehyung thanks him with a pet. He knows the shark hates going past the reef. Though, now alone, he has no clue where to go. The water is less clear here, lending only about forty paces of visibility.

He grips the dagger in one hand and calls out, uncaring of what might be here with the siren “Jimin hyung!”

The sound travels through the water, reverberating a little and falling flat against the murky blue. Taehyung moves forward, ignoring the few fish schools he disturbs. Listening for something, he hears a low rumble muffled from the right. He was right, open ocean.

Biting back the fear, he goes towards the sound, waiting for some clue and getting almost nothing but sand, blue, and burning sun. Remembering Jimin’s lessons, he keeps low, protecting his stomach and surveying in front.

When the sight of lionfish pattern breaks through, Taehyung breathes in relief, pushing his tail to move faster towards the other. It’s Jimin’s back, mostly hiding something in front of him, but not the traces of blood in the water.

The sight leaves Taehyung panicking, could it be Jimin’s? Is he alright? Without knowing, he speeds forward, only stopping when he learns the answer. The blood isn’t his, but it is mer blood. The red cloud oozes around where Jimin is holding a mer by the throat.

The mer, tail deep blue and almost familiar, sputters a response to whatever Jimin had said before, “You’ll regret it if you kill me, we have a whole group of hunters more than capable of killing you.”

Taehyung shudders at the words, moving forward against the freezing fear taking over. Blood, the same shade that had leached from him when he lost everything. When he was torn from his home and mutilated before his peers, when he ripped his skin to escape. Blood and it's everywhere. It’s around him and in his head.

It’s covering his sight, touching his skin where the scars sting in pain like they’re fresh.

“I asked you where you got this scale,” Jimin growls, but the sound is too distant. Taehyung can’t hear the siren. It’s just red. He chokes.

The sound of rasping is enough to have Jimin snapping around to strike before he sees the shuddering figure of Taehyung lingering not ten meters away. The look on his face is not one Jimin has ever seen before, not even when they first met and Taehyung feared for his life. No, the hollowness of his eyes looks like the expression of a siren gone mad with bloodlust.

Only, Jimin recognizes the trigger as fear. He goes still, still enough for the other mer to violently push him back and land a gash on his arm. Jimin hisses and turns to restrain the mer, the same one who had one of Taehyung’s emerald scales in his grasp, a tracker.

“Taehyung,” he calls desperately after the other. “Taehyung it’s okay, I won’t hurt you, please listen.”

The plea only makes Taehyung shudder harder, pale skin wracking before the Taehyung eventually darts off, back towards the reef. The dark green of his scales fading into the murk behind him. Jimin curses, but sharpens his focus when the mer he’s holding speaks.

“That’s him,” the mer whispers, resuming his struggle against the siren. And Jimin knows he promised Taehyung not to bring harm to any mer unless there was danger to them, but right now he firmly believes there is no greater danger than letting this mer swim free. The moment he does, the tracker will alert whoever is looking for Taehyung, likely his old pod, to his location.

When Jimin slashes through the mer, he feels no remorse, only wild instincts warning him of danger to his mate. He will let no one get close to Taehyung with poor intentions again. Jimin sniffs away the blood in the water, simply tossing the lifeless mer aside and swimming further out to look for evidence of more trackers.

Jimin searches quickly and thoroughly, hoping to get back to Taehyung as soon as possible and soothe him. Anxiety gnaws at his insides with the thought that Taehyung may fear him with the same fear he’d had upon their meeting. It hurts him to think that Taehyung might look at him with those dark, scared eyes again, breaking what trust they’ve gradually built.

A more logical part of him argues that it was likely fear of the moment not of him, but he can’t help the thoughts. He’s a siren after all, what doesn’t fear him besides the brave little mer?

Not finding anything, he turns back, biting cuts into his cheeks and pushing his tail to go faster. After that, Jimin feels more uncomfortable leaving Taehyung alone in the reef unguarded. Even if Taehyung is strong and capable of defending himself, against the right enemy or a number of them, he’s unsafe.

It’s only when he’s back in the boundaries of the reef that he smells the faint scents of more mers, blood running cold in his veins. He races towards the shared den where he senses Taehyung is and breathes in relief when he notices the smell is farther off on the other side of their crescent.

It gives him some comfort knowing Taehyung chose to go to his den (their den he hopes) in his fear rather than hiding away on his own. The relief is short lived as he forgoes comforting Taehyung to get the other hostile mers away.

Jimin doesn’t want them getting any closer and sensing him in the reef unless they already have. If there are well-trained trackers they likely have found out, but that also means they likely smell the presence of a siren, too.

Jimin can only hope they aren’t prepared to handle a siren, as he swims towards them. Though, he can make out at least twelve distinctive scents, so it will be a challenge. But, he’s fought more than twelve and come out with some of his worst scars.

He has the advantage now, being able to mask himself and lure them to a small extent at first. His call isn’t as effective on mers, but he can control them for a little while. Hopefully enough to convince them to leave, a command that takes a while on mers.

Jimin won’t attack them if that’s Taehyung’s will, despite every vein in him hoping for bloodshed.

Something feels off the closer Jimin gets to the source of the mers. From what he can tell, they seem to be arranged in a circular formation as if guarding something. Or preparing something. Sending out some imperceptible sound signals into the water, he hardly gets feedback on what it might be.

It’s either good for him if they are distracted or bad if the thing can somehow harm him or Taehyung. What other choice is there but to go? He weighs the options, stopping off on a high rock to assess the situation, he considers telling Taehyung where he is and thinks better of it. Should there be any violence, he doesn’t want him to have to see it.

The best option may be luring them from afar now before approaching and either directing them away or fighting. The group still hasn’t moved, why haven’t they? Any group of mers near a siren wouldn’t stick around. If they know he can lure them, why be sitting ducks?

Jimin takes off from the rock so he can find a closer point where his song can carry, but he can remain out of sight. He settles himself 15 meters away next to a walled rock that will help direct the sound.

Taking a deep breath, Jimin releases the melancholy song meant to freeze, checking that their positions haven’t moved as he does so. The reverberations tell him they haven’t, so he proceeds towards the group.

Only when he gets into eye-shot, the mers rush him. Jimin halts his song in an instant. It didn’t work. Why didn’t it work? He changes tactics in an instant, no time for wondering, just becoming ready to defend.

Jimin clears his mind and reassesses his strategy. He’s faster, so he darts off away from whatever they were surrounding and away from the reef. He’s not taking the chance on them guarding a weapon.

From the looks of it, there are twelve, all with the same blue toned tail common among mers and likely common in Taehyung’s old pod. Though, he can only sense eleven in pursuit of him.

He finds a rock to push off of and waits for the right moment, catching it just at the time a single mer comes ahead of the pursuit formation unguarded. It’s likely a mer trying to prove himself to the rest, so the arrogance may make him rely more on his direct attacks, thus leaving him vulnerable to quick strikes in vital areas.

Jimin uses that to his advantage when the mer does go for a spear attack immediately. Jimin grins, predictable, pushing off the rock to dodge and land a strike to the mer’s stomach, enough to incapacitate him. Blood fills the water and suddenly his thoughts turn more instinctual, less clear, like a shark in a frenzy. Holding it back is only so fruitful.

Behind that one is another who tries to back up, guarding himself with the spear, so Jimin grips the spear, too, using it to pull the other forward. With the forward momentum, he slashes his tail along the other’s side, making more blood spill in the water around them. It must alter their visibility some, but for Jimin, he still senses the next one approaching.

“The chains!” Jimin hears a voice yell as he moves on to the next, landing a blow before retreating for an advantage with how the others have gotten too close. As he begins to back off, he feels a cold grip latch around his arm and zeros in on the chain now attached to his wrist. On the other end in a long metal rod to keep him from approaching the holder.

Human tools. They have human tools. From the chains and bars to the bits of rubber in their ears, Vaguely, he realizes why the song didn’t work; they blocked out sound enough that his song couldn’t get to the required volume.

Jimin pulls harshly, trying to dislodge it from the grasp of the three mers on the holding end, only budging them a little. After one pull, he whips around to land a gash on a mer attempting to restrain his other arm for a chain. The moment he does, a chain slips around his neck.

He chokes, reality striking him with the loss of breath. If he can’t do this now, they’ll find Taehyung. For the first time since he found out what fear was, an emotion a predator should never feel, Jimin feels the debilitating chill of it.

His neck is yanked violently to the side as more mers rush to restrain his neck, the remaining three slip one around his wrist in his panic and all three chains pull taught at a shouted order.

Jimin lets out a strangled yell, pain shooting down his arms and spine when they begin dragging the leads back towards where their circle was set up. Struggling, he pulls against them, but finds it futile against seven individuals holding him. Still, he manages to slow their trip.

It’s only when they reach the same area that Jimin realizes what they were guarding. He sucks in a painful breath. Nestled between two rocks is a shark cage of the kind he’s seen humans use for diving. One big enough to fit himself inside, which seems to be the goal as they drag him farther forward.

The sight has him fighting even harder despite losing strength fast. Air loss is building in his muscles making them weaker and slower.

“He got three of us,” a voice reports. “Incapacitated another.”

“He was able to get four of you before you could restrain him?” a more angry voice calls, likely the one that waited behind. “How weak you are.”

Jimin is forcefully shoved into the cage before the chains finally drop. The cage door closes too fast for him to stop it, focusing on gripping his neck and gasping for a deeper breath through the bruising gills. He smells his own blood in the water.

“I apologize, sir, we’ve never had to face a siren of his ability before.”

Jimin curses internally, searching for something to help him, some solution. Only, he’s dragged from his plans as the neck chain pulls taught and he’s pulled to face an unfamiliar mer, the one that stayed behind. The coward.

“Not so strong now are you,” the mer laughs, a man with an empty grin. He’s much older, maybe in his late fifties and carries the jewelry that often shows leadership in a pod.

Jimin thinks this must be him, the man who forced Taehyung from the pod for not mating him. Jimin can tell why, there is no kindness in his voice, his eyes, only a consuming greed in the dark pits. Rage fills his every pore seeing the mer, causing him to lash towards the bars and land a spine in the other.

He howls in pain, which gives Jimin at least some satisfaction, before righting himself to yank the chain forcefully. “Stupid siren,” he mutters. “Do you know why you’re in the cage?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jimin sees the mer give a signal to someone and a sharp pain shoots across his tail. A spear, he thinks. Jimin grits his teeth, willing his face to remain impassive against the pain. He’s lived as a monster himself, he knows they thrive on fear. Never will he let his fear be known to the likes of them. Even as more of his blood stains the ocean.

When Jimin doesn’t respond, simply choosing to meet the cold eyes of the leader, the other scoffs. “We’ve always wanted to slaughter a siren for the pod. Make an event of killing one of our natural enemies, the same ones who find so much joy in terrorizing mer pods.”

Then, the empty face moves closer, “We’re going to kill you. But before we do that would you care to tell us about the mer staying here?” He shakes the chain. “And don’t play dumb. We know he’s here.”

He’s too far from the cage now to land a proper blow, so Jimin takes the bait for a more verbal battle. “I think you know the story of the mer here considering he escaped from you,” Jimin seethes. And the other lets out a cruel laugh.

“Been spewing his lies to you, too huh? Is that why you haven’t killed him, yet.” The mer grins, something Jimin can only describe as sleazy malevolence on his face. “I was wondering why a siren would tolerate a mer, but he must have tried to seduce you, too.” He waves his hand around in a circular gesture. “Must have been good entertainment to be worth sparing him this long. He does have a pretty face, afterall.”

At the insinuation, something in Jimin’s mind snaps. He lunges the remaining space forward and scratches through the bars, pulling along the three restraining mers into the bars with the motion. He smiles when he lands a gash across the mer’s face, causing him to release the neck chain and fall back. He grips his eye and screams out.

Jimin takes the new freedom to get a good grip on the bars, pulling two with as much force as he can muster and bending the metal gradually. He grunts at the harsh material, lamenting how slow it is to pry them apart.

“Knock him out,” the leader yells, still gripping his eye. And Jimin lets go of the bars in time to dodge a blunt rod coming towards him. In the process, he misses the one from behind and crumbles to the floor of the cage.

His ears ring loudly, a pulsing pain taking over his head and clouding his vision. With the next impact, it’s all black.

The blur of fear and instinct eventually fade out when Taehyung returns to the den, making himself lie down and breathe deeply. His hand clutches at the necklace desperately for something to hold onto.

It takes a while before he’s able to process through his reaction, what he saw. He’d never experienced an episode of total disconnection like that, where he was unable to think clearly or hear Jimin’s voice.

It was like something other than himself had taken over, covering his consciousness in a blanket of panic to the point where he can hardly remember it. He mostly remembers the vague emotions that still simmer below his skin like electricity, ready to pop.

The warm bedding does little to remove that discomfort. He never wants to feel that out of control again. But, he feels he’ll have to.

One of his first full-fledged thoughts is that Jimin hasn’t returned yet. Though Taehyung has no clue how long he’s been like this, it must have been long enough to make the absence suspicious. And with the presence of a mer, there is reason to be scared.

While Taehyung didn’t recognize that mer in particular, with the way Jimin had been interrogating the mer, he thinks his pod must have finally tracked him down.

Taehyung wants to scream, he wants to cry and sink into the blankets like this was a nightmare. As soon as he found a safe place, finally as soon as he could rest his heart, Kyungho comes for him again. Truthfully, to Jimin, Taehyung had left out just how bad being with Kyungho had been. The leader had never given him a free moment, always trying to get him alone. Taehyung knows coming to find him probably with the guise of getting an escaped prisoner is another opportunity for him to get Taehyung under his clutch.

He never deluded himself about what being locked away would mean in the pod, Kyungho also oversaw prisoners. A violent part of Taehyung he’s rarely felt rears his head and Taehyung wants to kill him.

For the first time, he doesn’t check that impulse. But could he really do that if need be?

The second he no longer feels too shaky to swim properly, Taehyung extricates himself from the bed. He wants to hurry, find Jimin, help him, and make sure he’s okay. Even more so than he’s scared of Kyungho, Taehyung is scared of what the pod might do to Jimin.

In the backpack he made for Jimin, Taehyung packs his small weapons and some seaweed wraps. Before leaving the den, he equips two spears. The only issue now is he has no clue where to go. He curses his lessened den mer instincts once again, feeling like he can’t even protect his mate (hopefully mate).

But the anxiety has his tail moving faster than it ever has, taking even breaths for the sprint pace ahead as he starts towards the far reef edge. Only, he slows when he sees a large shadow, the one of the boat.

He considers ignoring them, not caring about anything other than finding Jimin before he rethinks. They may have his location, so Taehyung diverts towards the research boat, hoping for a hint.

“Taehyung!” he hears the voice of Jungkook yell when he approaches and the sound is strained, unlike the usual cheerful calls. He bites his lip and surfaces next to them, already feeling uneasy dread pooling in him like a whirlpool.

“Taehyung!” Jungkook’s voice turns to relief at the sight of his head by the boat’s edge. “There are mers hunting Jimin.”

For a moment, it’s like the ocean stops all current at the news, Taehyung feels wild with something unknown.

“Where,” he coughs the word for them, trying to make the sound known.

“Over on the far side of the reef closer to the docks,” Namjoon tells him, but panics when he sees Taehyung about to dash off. “Wait!”

“Taehyung, they have human weapons and a cage,” Seokjin jumps in before he can leave. The feeling only grows, blinding him to reason. The overwhelming urge to help Jimin quells his fear, but the news has him pausing. “Some of the mers negotiated with the people at the dock to get tools to hunt the siren, we wanted to warn you.”

“Jimin,” Taehyung chokes, the devastation must show on his face because the three give him equal looks of sympathy.

“Don’t just go off without a plan,” Namjoon reasons with him. “We want to help and we think we came up with something that might work, especially if they’ve caught Jimin.”

Taehyung waits for them to explain the plan, adding his own insight and making slight changes until it’s one that sounds reasonable enough to work. And if not, the three promised to do whatever it takes to help get Jimin out safely. So, with that, Taehyung takes off to the group, knowing the boat will follow shortly behind.

He feels no hesitation to approach the moment he smells Jimin’s blood in the water, just rushing forward and finding the horrifying sight of Jimin unconscious in a cage. He’s bleeding obviously from the tail and looks limp from head to toe. His heart breaks inside him, tiny pieces ripping him apart.

“Hey!” Taehyung yells to distract the mers gathered around the cage. It works, as they all turn, excitement, danger, and greed in their eyes like he’s their prize catch. Most noticeably, Kyungho turns around.

The fear creeps in, making Taehyung feel weak for a moment before he convinces himself to hold strong. Jimin needs help. His friends are on their way to support him.

The look on Kyungho’s face is vile, the greed and lust in the one open eye. The other he can tell was scratched harshly, Taehyung recognises the claw marks as Jimin’s and preens. But when Kyungho moves to approach, it quickly turns to a cringe.

“Don’t even think about touching me, Kyungho-ssi,” Taehyung snarls, baring his teeth and holding the spear in a defensive position. He forgoes all proper titles to the man who deserves none. Kyungho’s eyes flash with amusement, probably thinking Taehyung is the same untrained and weak mer he used to be. He thinks Taehyung won’t - can’t - use it. Taehyung huffs.

“Don’t you think you’ve played this stupid game long enough, Taehyung,” Kyungho huffs, not ceasing to approach. Taehyung hears a boat approaching somewhere close. “Just come back to the pod, stop pretending you’re at all capable of being on your own.”

“I lived here. I can care for myself perfectly fine, so you need to leave.”

Kyungho actually laughs, “What, because you seduced a siren into helping you? Please, Taehyung. Impressive even for you but not unexpected given your history.”

“Let him go, now,” Taehyung growls, uncaring about the insinuation.

“You don’t make orders here,” Kyungho growls back, still approaching, but more slowly. Taehyung watches him carefully. “That siren is going to be taken back to the pod and killed for what he’s done.”

“He’s done nothing.”

“He scarred my face and killed four mers,” he says, stilling his approach uncomfortably close to Taehyung, but he doesn’t want to retreat. Jimin’s lesson replays: don’t show weakness to the enemy.

“Because you entered his territory and provoked him first. I’ve seen you do worse to those who came into pod territory, under your rules he was defending himself,” Taehyung recites, gaze challenging. “But I guess rules only apply when they suit you.”

“What are you implying?” Kyungho seethes, glaring at Taehyung with the full venom finally being seen. Taehyung can’t imagine how much he must have hurt the man’s pride to have rejected him. Then to have escaped after the trial, Kyungho’s like a child who lost a toy. Paired with the deranged mess of his hair and the one eye shut from the scratch, he looks less terrifying. He’s the same pathetic mer who lords his power over others.

Taehyung smirks and waits. “That you’re a corrupt liar.”

“You better know your place,” Kyungho starts, reaching a hand forward to grip Taehyung’s wrist, only Taehyung doesn’t let him. As soon as he makes contact, Taehyung lunges forward to nail him in the solar plexus. While Kyungho is reeling back, Taehyung takes the opportunity to punch him straight across the face.

The whole reef feels the strength and anger of the impact, making even the bravest fish hide and the water turn choppy.

He’s proud if for a moment before the other mers, seven it seems, turn on the defensive, racing to him. Taehyung darts off to where the three promised to leave the boat, a distance enough to not raise suspicion.

Though, the distance proves difficult to outpace the others. Taehyung pants and pushes himself farther, a feat he would never have been able to do months ago. A younger him wouldn’t believe he’d be racing so many hunting mers.

The boat comes into view lacking the three researchers in black suits. Namjoon had only asked that Taehyung get them to chase him enough to lead the mers to them, from there they had tools to restrain them. Taehyung figures they must be hiding and diverts his path to the rocks near the ship.

He feels the forward wake of one of the mers catching up dangerously close behind him. The mer reaches for the tip of his tail and Taehyung ducks down suddenly, escaping and giving a black-clad figure time to reveal himself from behind the rocks.

Taehyung recognizes the angered face of Seokjin from behind the strange masks, who lifts up a large metal rod. In the next instant, a net shoots out and captures the tailing mer. The action doesn’t shock Taehyung so much as it does the other pursuing mers, who pause in their motions. From more rocks on the side, Jungkook and Namjoon emerge fast, sending their own nets flying. They manage to catch five of the remaining mers in the nets.

Taehyung doesn’t notice when the last one rips straight towards him, landing a gash on his chest and pushing him back into a sharp rock. Taehyung hisses at the way they dig into his back, before another mers’ face is in front of his own, sharp teeth bared.

He doesn’t flinch, he’s faced a siren head on after all, an angry mer is nothing. Taehyung pushes against him using his tail as a pushing point on the rock and forcing him back. Sparing a glance at Seokjin, he sees him reloading the net gun and decides to hold the other off long enough.

Using the blunt end of his spear, Taehyung knocks the clawed hands back. It’s slower, though, and the mer manages to get a grip on his upper arm, a harsh grip that has more blood seeping in the water and, in turn, rising nausea in his stomach. Taehyung can only bite down his fear, twisting around to force the other’s wrist to a bad angle and making him let go.

In the moment he does, Taehyung uses all his force to push the mer towards the net gun where he finds Seokjin ready to fire. He just gets out of the way in time for the net to entangle the mer.

He’s breathing fast, overexerted and needing to get back to Jimin as soon as possible. He sees his own blood in the water around him and palms the cut on his chest lightly, glad when he finds it isn’t too deep. So, he gives the signal for two of them to follow on the boat, leaving Seokjin to guard the trapped mers. They all wrangle around on the floor trying to cut through the tight cord and failing, but should they succeed, Taehyung trusts Seokjin will trap them again.

Without further thought, Taehyung darts back off towards Jimin and Kyungho. He forgets his own exhaustion and pain, pushing himself further and finding a similar scene to what he left.

Relief floods him when he can make out the slight open slivers of Jimin’s eyes where he lies. Though, the sight of Kyungho so close to him brings a different fear, the mer holding the chain tightly as he waits.

A look of utter disbelief passes over Kyungho’s face at seeing Taehyung come back uncaptured. “Where are the others?” he rages at Taehyung, transferring his anger at them to Taehyung for being able to escape.

“I’ve learned a lot living here and taking care of myself,” Taehyung replies easily, throwing the other’s past words at him. He hopes Kyungho falls for the insinuation that Taehyung was able to fight them off, using the bleeding gash as evidence.

Truthfully, Taehyung still doesn’t think he could fight that number of mers on his own, but Kyungho doesn’t need to know that. He doesn’t have to know that it wasn’t just a new form of strength Taehyung has gained that allowed it, but what used to be his weaknesses.

Without a trusting, soft heart, Taehyung never would have made the close human friends he did, who were willing to help against the will of their town. He never would have gotten close to Jimin the way he did, who would be willing to teach him.

It gives him pride in being utterly himself, for the first time since he was cast away. He’d like to show Kyungho he’s not weak, never was. But, for now, he needs Kyungho to have no suspicion of how Taehyung escaped.

Kyungho scoffs, “You? You want me to believe that you fought off seven mers.”

“What more evidence do you need, they aren’t here are they?”

“Tell me the truth,” Kyungho hisses, dragging the chain cruelly, “Or I kill him now.”

Taehyung growls, “What version of the truth do you want?”

The boat approaches close enough to notice.

When making the plan, Taehyung had assured the humans that Kyungho would not pursue Taehyung himself, he would likely opt to wait behind and let the others work. Which also means, he didn’t know the humans weren’t on his side, having communicated with the rest of the siren-fearing town instead. When he sees the human boat, Kyungho grins.

“I suggest you just give up, you don’t want to fall prey to human weapons like this one do you,” the mer flicks his head to Jimin. The siren only shifts a little in his rest.

Behind Kyungho, Jungkook and Namjoon hop into the water, carrying the net guns with them and approaching Kyungho. The mer turns to nod at them, pleased.

Taehyung draws Kyungho’s attention back, “I don’t fear you or them. No one hurts my mate.”

“Mate?” Kyungho barks out a laugh. However, Taehyung sees Jimin stir more in the cage, quietly raising himself and sending Taehyung a heart wrenching look. It’s all he’s wanted for someone to see him with that much love in their eyes. “You’re the same stupid den mer you were before. Sirens are creatures with no heart, you’re only his easy entertainment.”

“The only truly heartless creature I’ve ever known is you,” Taehyung tells him. He grips the necklace and sees Kyungho’s eyes fall down to it in shock.

Taehyung can’t let his eyes stray too much to Jimin and alert him to the siren’s awakened state. But, he does notice how Jimin pries apart the bent metal to make a hole for himself. Next, allowing Jungkook to come snap the chain around his neck using human tools.

When it’s large enough, Jimin slips through and moves to linger behind Kyungho, as if waiting for Taehyung’s go ahead. “And I can only hope, for the sake of every hopeful being out there that no more follow.”

Kyungho’s anger shows in the strained veins of his forehead and neck, “You little.”

“You should turn around,” Taehyung supplies, ready to turn the control over to Jimin. “For your own sake.”

Kyungho gives him a look before whipping his head around and freezing in shock. Taehyung understands the feeling of coming face to face with an unrestrained siren, but this time he knows the fate will be much worse for Kyungho than his own.

Taehyung spots the shark-like stare on Jimin’s face, the one when he knows he’s found his prey, his satisfaction for the hunt. He loves that look. Though, Jimin must not even warrant Kyungho as being worth a chase, only striking out a killing blow and staining the water crimson.

And rather than turning choppy, everything is eerily still in the ocean. Taehyung believes it’s something like peace.

Only worthy opponents get a chase, so Jimin treats him like a pest, tossing his body aside and shaking his claws clean of the blood. Taehyung looks away for that, not feeling brave enough for more bloodshed. While he sees violence as a last resort, there’s no way he wants Kyungho to go back to the pod and hurt another the way he hurt him.

So for now, Taehyung hums knowing his mate is protecting him. Knowing Jimin is alive and well, they both are safe in their reef, evil being taken as bottom-feeder food. He sings for happiness when Jimin begins rushing towards him, catching his mate in a tight embrace.

“Hyung,” Taehyung whispers.

It’s suddenly the safest place in the world in his arms, despite the sharp spines keeping distance from him and the teeth behind lips that smile so sweetly. It’s all Taehyung ever wants to see, the way Jimin’s eyes disappear and then close fully when he leans forward to kiss him.

Plush lips meet his own and he hums into the touch, reaching to grasp silky strands of hair between his fingers while still holding the other close. His mate, his mind supplies when they break apart and look at each other.

One of Jimin’s hands has moved to clutch the side of Taehyung’s face, claws tasting protectively over his skin. “You’re injured.”

“So are you,” he shoots back, worry taking over.

Jimin gives him a sharp look, “where did they hurt you?”

“Only my chest, it’s surface level,” he assures. “What about you?”

“Just my tail really it’ll heal,” Jimin tells him, too, knowing the concern is well reciprocated. Jimin rubs the worried lines between Taehyung’s brow softly. When he looks to the other, he only finds love in the blue eyes and the light, but possessive touch, so he can’t hold it in.

“I love you,” Taehyung tells him, meaning it more than he thought possible. It feels like second nature to say, as easy as swimming. “I was so worried.”

Shock fills the siren’s eyes before transforming into a crescent smile and something like relief. Jimin’s grip turns firmer when their lips meet again. Taehyung chases him when he pulls back, but Jimin stops him with his voice. “Me, too. I love you, Tae.”

Taehyung turns into his hold, moving to hug Jimin again, wanting to feel as close as possible. He holds the siren harshly. Jimin is so impossibly warm in the cool ocean.

They stay like that a while, only breaking apart when Jungkook and Namjoon approach from behind them. They seem to have shed any and all wariness at being around a siren after having seen the tender moment.

Instead wonder, excitement even, takes over Jungkook’s face while he observes Jimin’s sharp features from up close. Jimin gives the two a smile, gesturing to the surface so they can speak. Taehyung surfaces, hand firmly in Jimin’s own and watches the humans take off their masks to speak.

“Thank you for helping us,” is the first thing Jimin tells them, making the two gape a little. “You helped me protect him.”

“You don’t need to thank us,” Namjoon tells him sincerely. “Any friend of Taehyung’s is a friend of ours and you’ve proved your kindness to us.”

“They weren’t after me,” Jimin supplies, squeezing Taehyung’s hand. “They were after him.”

Confusion takes over the humans’ faces. Jungkook speaks first, “Was that your old pod, hyung?”

Taehyung just nods, figuring he’s reached his limit of surface speaking with how much his vocal cords burn. The two give twin looks of sympathy.

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Jungkook says and Taehyung can feel the weight of his words. He must have filled in most of the blanks on his own. Shaking his head, he looks to Jimin.

“Over,” he sounds in a strained voice. It’s done now, he’ll be okay here. Jimin smiles warmly at him as though matching the sentiment.

“Where did the other mers go?” Jimin sounds the question, “I still sense them, but they feel unmoving.”

“Sirens can sense from that far away with such detail?” Namjoon wonders at the question, the funny research side coming out again that makes Taehyung huff in amusement. Humans must really know little about them.

Jungkook is quicker to respond to the actual question. “We’ve got them restrained in nets not far from here. If I’m not wrong, Taehyung had another idea for them.”

Taehyung nods, ready to go towards the mers, anxious to get them out of the reef for good. Jimin sees his eagerness and moves to take off, “We’ll meet you over there.”

Both humans nod, prompting Taehyung and Jimin to take off towards the rest of the mers. They still haven’t detached their hands, as though loathe to let one another go. Taehyung doesn’t mind, letting him go right now would be the last thing he wants.

But, his tail is still strained from earlier, so Jimin naturally takes on a slower pace, having noticed his exhaustion. Taehyung is grateful for it, letting the other lead.

When they reach the group of struggling and cursing mers alongside Jimin, Taehyung sees relief in Seokjin’s eyes. The human holds up a thumb in a signal, Taehyung assumes the signal means none escaped in this context.

“Everything in me is screaming to kill them, Taehyung.” Jimin confides when they come to linger in front of the mess of mers.

“Don’t please, hyung,” Taehyung asks, punctuating it with a kiss on Jimin’s cheek. The blush it brings is cute. “They were just under orders. Besides, we need them as messengers to never come back here again.”

“It’s hard, but I won’t, I promise,” Jimin tells him, but still lets out a sharp sound to get the attention of the mers. It’s a testament to how much Jimin respects him and Taehyung clutches his hand harder.

On seeing the siren uncaged, they begin panicking wildly and flail in the nets. “They have ear plugs in, if we can get them out I can lure them to be still and listen to you. My song has to be uninhibited to work or it affects the sound waves.”

Taehyung agrees, moving to pull the rubber from the mers ears alongside Jimin. Seokjin catches on and helps with the remaining two until all are at mercy of the call. Taehyung watches in wonder as Jimin sings his beautiful tune and the seven mers all still their movements. Even Seokjin, now being able to watch the call without being the subject of it, watches on in wonder.

When he’s finished, Taehyung takes over their attention, all their eyes trained on him. “Kyungho is dead,” he starts, seeing the ripple of horror move through them.

“You are to go back to your pod and vote on a new leader, someone just of any mer kind who will see all as equals deserving of respect. I’m staying here in this reef. You are to go back to the pod and never return. No others are to try and come and find me or try to harm Jimin, these people, or me ever again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” they all respond, voices far off as they are forced to comply.

He continues, “You are to let Jung Hoseok and Min Yoongi know of my exact location and that I am safe. Let them stay or leave if they so wish, as is the same for any other mer wronged by your leadership.”

“Yes,” they fill at his pause. And Taehyung takes that as good enough assurance to untie them. Jimin and Seokjin help undo the nets, cutting through the rope and leaving the mers to get up and wait for the final permission to leave. Jimin gives it to them in the form of song, sending them off towards the open ocean and leaving the reef secure once again.

He watches their tails disappear with a faint hope that the next time mers enter the reef, it will be the friends he’s missed so much. But for now, he has Jimin and the three humans who are all regrouping at the deck of the boat. Jimin had thanked them all again and promised to help them should they need a favor.

Namjoon took the opportunity to request an interview with him on sirens, which Jimin reluctantly agreed to so long as the human didn’t publish it for other humans to see. Taehyung understands the hesitance considering how new knowledge may change the way people hunt sirens. Luckily, the humans readily agree, more looking to learn for knowledge’s sake.

“Would you like any medicine for your injuries or medical wrap? I’ve been trained in a hospital, so I could help wrap you, as well.” Seokjin asks the pair, showing the small ship medical kit.

“I would appreciate that,” Jimin says. “I was never taught healing.”

“I can teach you if you like?”

“I would like that. I want to take care of Taehyung the best I can.” The three humans coo a little, seemingly forgetting they are speaking to a siren and agree. Jimin huffs a laugh and Taehyung can hardly contain the happiness he feels at the most important people to him truly getting along. He senses no hostility from Jimin or fear from the humans, only a content acceptance of friendship.

Taehyung sits on the boat, tail swishing in the water as Seokjin wraps his chest, answering all of Jimin’s questions as he goes. Then, he moves on to doing Jimin’s tail, a concerning cut that’s already beginning to heal considering his enhanced healing. Taehyung watches the wrapping too so he can learn should it need to be replaced.

Tiredness eventually has the two waving the humans off, who promise to come visit in the next few days. Taehyung gladly follows Jimin’s lead to the den where Jimin urges him to rest in the bed. By the way Jimin’s motions are still quick, he can see the remaining concern in the other, but he knows they’re both safe for now, so Taehyung reaches to grab his wrist.

“Rest with me,” he requests, tugging lightly on the other.

“I want to keep watch,” Jimin replies cooly, but his eyes show how tired he is.

Taehyung widens his eyes in a way he knows Jimin finds cute if the blushes are any clue. “Please? To help me recover.”

“My being here will not affect your recovery speed.”

“But it will affect my mood, so please,” Taehyung asks again and he knows Jimin’s weakened resolve breaks when he moves to lie down beside him. Their bodies fit together perfectly, making a shared space of warmth in the small room. Taehyung loves the way they fit together so perfectly as he rests his head against Jimin’s neck.

“You’re so manipulative,” Jimin sighs, pulling Taehyung close and resting his arms over his waist. They land protectively over the back of his bandages in a grounding touch. “Are you sure you’re not the siren?”

Taehyung laughs, “You don’t have to stay.”

“I wouldn’t want to quell your mood, would I?”

“Jimin hyung,” Taehyung says.

“Yes?”

Taehyung looks up to see the weary eyes of the other, likely much more tired than he was making himself out to be. “I love you.”

His eyes slip shut before he sees the other’s face, but he hears the words in the voice like a song clearly, “I love you, too.”

The heartbeat in his ears and the sweet words lull him slowly to sleep. It’s the easiest he’s ever slept.

“I’ll handle finding food today,” Jimin calls as he leaves the den for the third day in a row and it makes Taehyung frown. A little over two weeks has passed since they sent the mers from his old pod away and while Jimin isn’t any less attentive, he’s become almost over-protective.

Taehyung appreciates the sentiment to a certain point because while he knows it shows how much Jimin cares, he also wants the mutual responsibility back to how it was. He’s no less capable than before, plenty able to find or catch food (though it may take more time than Jimin). And he feels just as comfortable traveling anywhere around the reef.

Though, he doesn’t say anything when the other leaves the den besides well wishes, instead taking to some of the tasks he was hoping to get done anyway, namely moving his remaining belongings over to the den - their den.

A quick and mutual conversation decided they would share the den equally and Taehyung had started moving all his things into the shared space. Luckily, it’s big enough that nothing is cramped between their things and Taehyung has started making use of the air portion for general storage. Similarly, he’s continued his engraved art in accented areas around the den.

It feels like a place he can call home, especially when he finishes moving and arranging the last of his things into the space. Something tells him the homely feeling may be more linked to the siren he’s sharing it with than the space itself.

Taehyung loves living each day and coming back to sleep beside Jimin or going on trips and doing chores with the other. A young him dreamed of having a partner so caring and just happy to be around him like in the whole of the ocean they only fit with each other. Two sides of a broken shell.

Equally, he’s enjoyed Jimin’s touch, though he blushes to think about that. While they had been tactile before, now that they’ve declared themselves as mates, it’s increased tenfold. At random moments, Jimin will pull him in for a kiss, leaving Taehyung feeling weak in the best of ways. Or they’ll just hold hands when swimming in the night, fit together like a puzzle when they rest.

He loves it. He loves Jimin. Though the sudden protective behavior is something they need to address, Taehyung doesn’t want it to go on too long, but he also knew that the feelings needed some time to settle and gave it some time.

So, when Taehyung is done moving the last of his things and Jimin still isn’t back, he heads out into the reef to search for him. Heureum meets him on his path and becomes his gray shadow as he thinks. He figures Jimin must be out near the edge where some larger fish gather, the place he usually is in the evenings.

Heurum butts himself against Taehyung and he stops to play with the shark a few moments, though he pauses when he hears the swishing of Jimin’s swimming close.

“Taehyung,” Jimin greets, coming into view and Taehyung guesses he must have sensed him wandering the reef. “What are you doing over here?”

“Playing with Heureum and coming to find you,” he answers simply. Heureum shows his annoyance at the stall in playing by moving to greet Jimin, who only gives him a few comforting pets.

Jimin looks conflicted. “You didn’t need to do that, what if there was something in the reef?”

Taehyung sighs, coming closer to grip Jimin’s hand in comfort. The other looks so lovely in the dim evening light, fiery scales almost glowing. “Nothing has changed, Jimin. The reef is safe and they’re gone.”

Jimin only frowns harder, so Taehyung gives him a stern look. “You can’t keep being so overprotective like this. I understand you’re worried, but that’s not a reason for me to have to hide away.”

“You’re not hiding away,” Jimin argues, revealing he does understand the problem to some extent. “It’s just not as safe.”

“Nothing will happen, hyung.”

“But something did happen.”

“And they’re gone, never coming back. We made sure of that.”

The conflicted look only grows and Taehyung can make out something like despair in the tide blue eyes. It pains him to see, so he cups Jimin’s face with his free hand.

Jimin doesn’t give him a response immediately, instead sinking into Taehyung’s hand and closing his eyes. When he does speak the voice sounds more painful than Taehyung has ever heard from him. “But, I couldn’t protect you.”

Taehyung’s eyes widen at the admittance, the thought having never crossed his mind. He’d never felt so protected as he was with Jimin from whatever the huge ocean could bring, not even in a whole pod of mers. “I don’t want to diminish your feelings about this, but I do want to tell you that I think you’re wrong,” Taehyung breathes, voice soft, comforting.

“Without you, those mers would have just come in and taken me away, don’t act like they wouldn’t have. There would have been no fight,” he says truthfully. Taehyung may have tried, but no matter what he did, he would have been bound and dragged back to the pod.

Jimin doesn’t reply so he continues. “You fought them off despite their weapons and managed to down four of them yourself. You protected me while I recovered and gave us time to come. Not only that, you gave me the skills and courage to come find you. I’m here because of you and I trust you unfailingly to protect me just as I hope you know I’ll do the same for you, please know that. You’re so strong, so selfless.”

Taehyung’s voice trails off into one of quiet desperation, not wanting Jimin to think for a moment that Taehyung would doubt him. He realizes the strength of his grip and eases up a little. Jimin’s eyes peer into his own, looking hopefully.

“I never gave you courage that was all your own.”

“What?” Taehyung asks, thrown off by the statement.

“Taehyung, what mer would travel the ocean alone to protect their freedom or face off with a siren to save some people let alone mate with one. Who else would look their old pod in the eyes and fight so bravely,” Jimin asks, voice one of wonder and admiration. Taehyung is now the one feeling smaller, unsure under all the praise. “You’ve always been brave, no one gave that to you, that’s your own.”

Taehyung forgets his words, never having had anyone believe his soft heart could be brave. No one ever told him he was worth the word and he’d never felt it himself, only ever seeing his actions as driven by fear or impulsivity. But, Taehyung wants to believe Jimin’s words now, and with them, he wants to believe in himself.

“Thank you,” he breathes finally. “So will you trust me?”

“Yes, so long as you trust me.”

“I do, always.”

Taehyung initiates the kiss now, moving slowly and sincerely. He holds him closer and feels they’ve won another more silently battle in the journey they need to take. It feels too short when they pull apart, but Taehyung is fine with it because the first sight he sees is a warm smile.

“I think you’ll need to trust me right now.”

“Of course,” he tells him, confusion leaking into his tone. “But why?”

“Two mers are close to entering the reef,” Jimin tells him and Taehyung freezes for a moment. Could it be them?

“It might be my friends,” Taehyung says quietly, full of hope. “This would be about how long it might take.”

Jimin nods, giving Taehyung a small peck before pulling away towards the newcomers. “We’ll go see, so stick close.”

Taehyung nods, falling into place beside Jimin in the direction of open ocean, the same place Taehyung had initially entered the reef. Back then, he didn’t think he could tell up from down, but still found his way here in the weary state. He can only hope the journey treated them better, if it truly is them.

When they come closer to the edge, Taehyung makes out a voice from afar. “I see a reef, edge ahead, this should be what they were talking about.”

“You’ve said that about almost every reef.”

“But this once is a crescent, see the rocks?”

Taehyung sprints forward, causing Jimin to suddenly match his pace. He knows both those voices well, from the moment he knew his own name to the day he left, those voices were there. Wanting them to know he’s here safe, Taehyung sings, deep cadence flowing through the water.

Beside him, Jimin closes his eyes, listening to the lovely sound. But ahead Taehyung can hear the joyful shouts of Yoongi and Hoseok, their own songs forming to meet his.

When Taehyung is close enough to see them, the faces that he’s missed with a torn heart, he sprints forward, grabbing the two mates into a hug.

“Taehyung,” Yoongi pants out, “You’re okay.”

“We’ve missed you, Tae.”

“Hyung,” he says to both, sound wavering with emotion. “You’re here.”

Holding them close, he stays that way a while, ocean moving more calmly around them like it knows of the reunion happening. Only when they finally part, it’s with a scream from Hoseok.

Taehyung watches him hide behind a suddenly hardened Yoongi, eyes ever the ones of the warrior he knows ready to fight.

“He means no harm,” Taehyung says and is cut off when he’s pulled away gently from the others. Taehyung stares at Jimin’s bared teeth before realizing he must be protective seeing Yoongi’s defensive posture. “He won’t hurt us,” Taehyung tells Jimin softly, “don’t worry.”

At his words, Jimin looks conflicted then eventually loosens his posture into a more relaxed one. Yoongi, however, continues to guard, holding a hand out to block Hoseok.

“Taehyung,” Yoongi says sternly.

“Hyung,” he responds, “Meet my mate, Park Jimin.”

“You’re insane,” Hoseok says, still behind Yoongi. “I thought they were exaggerating about the siren.”

Taehyung pushes forward, eyes unblinking. “Hyung, I love you both, but I will not tolerate you threatening or disrespecting my mate.”

“Taehyung-” Yoongi starts, voice still hardened. Taehyung cuts him off immediately.

“No,” he says. “He’s being kind in welcoming you into our reef. Please show some respect.”

The words take a moment to wash over the two. Yoongi lowers his stance, but remains tense while Hoseok comes out a little more. Taehyung understands the hesitance, but is grateful when they comply. Their gazes are hard.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Jimin says, trying to extend the olive branch. Taehyung grazes their shoulders in thanks. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Taehyung.”

“All terrible I hope?” Hoseok asks jokingly in a hesitant voice, always quick to open his heart despite the obvious fear. Taehyung thinks that's what makes them such good friends.

“Of course,” Jimin replies, turning a charming smile on them. “He told me about that prank you pulled on-”

Hoseok lets out a startled sound, “No stop I don’t actually need to know what he told you. Taehyung I'm going to kill you, you've already embarrassed us in front of your mate before we’ve properly met him.”

Taehyung melts alongside the tension, happy to see them get along better, especially when Yoongi reaches forward to shake Jimin’s hand, followed by Hoseok.

“Are you planning to stay in the reef?” Taehyung asks sometime later after he’s explained his life as of late. The other two followed by updating him on events in the pod and their own journey. At some point, Jimin migrates them all to a rock perch to sit while talking.

It seems they have elected a new leader, someone young and hopeful and since then it’s been like a weight off the whole pod’s shoulders. Despite that, Yoongi and Hoseok had still chosen to leave and look for him.

“Actually,” Hoseok starts. “We met a pod the other day that offered for us to come stay with them when they housed us for the night.”

When he says it, Taehyung feels his heart crumble a little. They’ll leave again? But at his expression, Yoongi quickly soothes him. “It’s not far from here, we can visit often.”

“I know of that pod,” Jimin agrees. “They’re close.”

Hoseok looks weary, “Yoongi and I just talked together and didn’t think we’d be able to live away from a pod. I mean of course we wanted to leave the last one, but we still want to have a life in one.”

“I understand,” Taehyung tells them because he really does. Although now he would never think about going back to a pod setting, too content to stay in the reef with Jimin and too distrustful of pods in general, there was a time where he had missed pod life. Despite everything, the loneliness and being so out of his element almost made him want to go back, but he thinks this lifestyle suits him more. And unless there was a pod that would accept his mate, he would never think of joining. “But you’ll need to tell me all about the new pod.”

“Oh we will,” Hoseok assures. “It already looked great, they had training open to all kinds of mers in different fields. I can finally learn attack skills there like Yoongi did!”

Taehyung’s eyes widen. “Oh, that already does sound a lot better than the last pod. I hope you’ll settle in well.”

“I think we will,” Hoseok says warmly. “Hopefully as well as you have here.”

Jimin sends Taehyung a soft look at that, something like pride. Taehyung smiles, starting to ask more questions about their potential pod in order to evaluate for himself where his friends will stay, but he’s left feeling confident they’ll like it there. And if they don’t. Jimin tells them they’re always welcome here.

Any remaining fear for Jimin has disappeared and by the end Yoongi is even praising Taehyung on his choice of partner. Of course, he doesn’t tell Jimin that, only letting the siren know that if he doesn’t prove to be a loving partner, Yoongi will make sure he regrets it.

Jimin returns the warning with a serious nod and a promise to be good, not that Taehyung expected anything else. And by the time the sunset has started, they are sending the pair back in the direction of their new pod with packets of food and crafted items for their new home.

“I like your friends,” Jimin tells him after they make it back to the den, thoroughly ready to eat their earlier collection.

The admission has Taehyung swimming up to hug Jimin’s back as he prepares the fish (Taehyung doesn’t like the heads so Jimin eats them for him). The spines are always surprisingly soft when not in use. “I’m glad, I was a little worried how you’d all react, especially with how tense it was. So thank you for being so open with them.”

“They’re your friends, of course I’d put in an effort. I just hope they aren’t too put off by me.”

“Are you kidding?” Taehyung scoffs. “Yoongi hyung loves you already, he told me himself. And Hoseok hyung looked ready to take you with him.”

At Jimin’s raise of an eyebrow, Taehyung matches it. “I’ve known them my whole life, trust me.”

“Never thought I’d meet so many mers,” Jimin shakes his head. He moves with Taehyung clutched on him to bring their food to their usual eating spot, a flat stone near the back of the cave.

“Never thought I’d meet a siren, but here we are.”

“Poor you.”

Taehyung huffs a laugh, taking a bite of the mackerel. “I bet you didn’t think you’d be adopting so many mers and humans when you agreed to be my mate.”

“Well actually,” Jimin says, watching Taehyung take another bite with a contented expression. “I always thought there must be many who love you, even when you came here alone.”

Taehyung blushes, feeling his heart swell. He doesn’t quite know how to express his thanks in words, so he moves to press his side against Jimin. He gets the message and brings a hand up to scratch the back of his nape.

They stay close until the night falls completely, making way for the stars to appear. Jimin leads him out into the night water to play chase in the bioluminescent algae, so with each chase the water lights up for them.

Only after a few rounds, Taehyung sees the streak of something in the sky, stopping to bring Jimin to the surface with him. They have a new ritual of bringing each other to watch falling meteor showers when they appear, even waking each other up for them. It’s one of Taehyung’s favorite things about the universe, natural flashing lights too far to believe bringing them happiness to watch.

Here with Jimin, he feels a sense of belonging. Here with squid, Heureum, and the beautiful, sweet siren. It’s so far from what he expected but much better. With that thought in his head, he surges forward to meet Jimin’s lips in a chaste kiss, grinning at the surprise he sees there and the flashing lights in his deep eyes.

Quickly, a warm, loving expression breaks out on Jimin’s face, so gently like the tide finally coming to shore. From wherever in the ocean, wherever in the world, the water meets the waiting sand as it’s meant to. It’s come a long way.