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lettersfromaphrodite · 11 months

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[9.54]

―pairing : Bang Chan x fem!Reader ―genre : angst + fluff ― content warnings : merman AU, strangers to lovers, ⚠️ mentions of death because reader almost drowns. mentions of murder. don’t read if you don’t feel comfortable with it ⚠️ ―word count: 4.350 ― prompt : WHAT IF mermaids are the women thrown off ships because of the common belief sailors had about having a woman on the boat being bad luck? And mermans are boys thrown off the ship for various different reasons? As they sink to the bottom, legs tied together, they start to change slowly until they can breathe and use their tied up legs to swim - legs which eventually would turn into a fish tail. They drown sailors in revenge, luring them in by singing in their husky voices still stinging from the salt water they breathed.

― notes : this fic looks familiar?it is! I’m reposting ALL my works on this brand new blog and therefore please, bear with me! as always, my new askbox is always open and feedbacks are always welcome 💌

«Some of my men,» the Captain’s lewd voice spat, lifting your chin with the hilt of his sahrp sword, «are saying that you bring bad luck. What do you have to say about it?» the never-ending mumble of the pirates made you feel nauseous. You were able to stand on your feet just because you were roughly tied up to the mast, but exhaustion was starting to cloud your senses since you couldn’t remember the last time you ate or even drank some water. Sailing in the middle of the sea during summer was dangerous, especially if you were forced to stay out in the open every day. You didn’t answer to his question, both because the words were dying in your sore throat, and also because you silently vowed to yourself that you’d never spoke to the pirate crew that sinked the harmless ship you were travelling on and took you as a prisoner. You were the only one they decided to take as their prisoner, and contrarily to your expectations, they never did anything to you; they simply tied you up and left you there, probably waiting for you to die due to the unbearable heat.

If you had to be honest, you surprised yourself as well for your unexpected resistance; besides feeling incredibly weak, you never completely collapsed; instead, you lost count of how many days you spent with your body tied up to the ship’s mast. No one among the pirates had ever tried to approach you, they’d settle for staring at you from a safe distance, nervous and uneasy gazes locked on your frame accompanied with low mumbles which you obviously couldn’t hear.

Today, the sun was up high in the sky and surprisingly enough, they all decided to gather on the deck and suddenly acknowledge your presence, making you feel nervous but also making you feel as if your blood was boiling with sudden rage. You were tired, you were thirsty and hungry and on top of all, you were scared; you heard many rumours about pirates and all of them made you shiver in fear, so you didn’t know what to expect now that they decided to act up on their status.

«I feel magnanimous today, I will let you choose.» the Captain slowly walked around the mast while playing with his sword, pondering about the suggestion of selling you to the first brothel they’d eventually found next time they landed. «You can become a prostitute, or let the sharks eat you.» his victorious grin was contraposed to your cold glare. You knew that pirates never said the truth, and you also knew about the superstition they had; apparently, having a woman on a ship brought incredible bad luck. That’s why, with incredible struggle, you managed to gather all the saliva remaining in your mouth just to spit it on the Captain’s obnoxious face.

Needless to say, few moments later you were surrounded by the crew shouting animatedly while two pirates were tightly binding your legs together by tying a large rope around your ochre coloured gown while another one was making sure you stood still; not like you had any strength to fight back. You simply stood there, manhandled like a ragdoll, wondering how much time it would take for you to suffocate; your eyes glanced to the rock placed next to your feet and neatly tied at the rope around your lower body and judging by that, you were sure it wouldn’t take too much.

Rage mixed with despair filled your senses as soon as they made you wear a pirate coat filled with smaller pebbles – too large for you, and way too heavy; despite the anger which was boiling in your veins instead of blood, you were too weak to react in any kind of way. You scoffed, silent tears threatening to escape your eyes, as you had to gather all the strength you had in order to bear the weight of a countless number of heavy pebbles hidden in the coat’s pockets; they really wanted you to drown as quickly as you could, and they weren’t doing anything to hide it. The skin of your wrists burned as one of the pirates that was tying up your legs few minutes ago, was now tightly binding your wrists together, not caring about the few droplets of blood escaping your bruised and irritated skin.

«Any last words?» the Captain spat from behind your shoulders, and you tried to ignore the loud yells of simply throwing you at the sea. It would have been stupid to hide the fact that you were scared and you didn’t want to die like this, but what could a young lady do on a pirate ship? You couldn’t fight or ask for help, you were definitely helpless and still, the whirlwind of confused emotions in your heart slowly began to dissipate, clearing your mind on what your soul really longed for.

“Revenge,” was all you could think about; you didn’t know how that silent hope could ever be fulfilled, but it was everything your soul asked for in that very moment; and so, all it took was a harsh push for you to fall into the cold and salty water, the weight of the rocks quickly bringing you towards the bottom of the sea.

Panic quickly flooded in your senses as you were fighting yourself and your resistance by trying to hold your breath as long as you could. Survival instinct had the best of you for a split second and when you noticed that no matter how much strength you used, you couldn’t move your legs nor your arms, you panicked even more, bringing your tied up hands to your throat and holding it in a in a silent prayer for you to be able to resist more, even if your lungs were burning from the desire and the need to breathe and your chest was hurting for the same reason. You squeezed your eyes as your vision began to blur, thinking that that was it; it was really your last moment, when you felt a harsh and unexpected tug on your wrist; you quickly opened your eyes, just to see a young, handsome boy with blonde hair dancing in the water staring at you with worried, yet gentle eyes.

Despite the thought that flashed into your mind, you didn’t have enough time to question him about how did he manage to swim so deep in the open sea without feeling the need to breathe and why was he shirtless, because said stranger quickly kissed your lips, his left hand holding your wrists while you could feel his right forearm pressing your body towards his by pushing on the middle of your back; you started to panic once again, when you feel him breathing some air into your mouth, giving you a little more time to breathe.

As quickly as he kissed you, he parted from your lips just to swim towards your feet, and as you saw a long indigo fishtail elegantly swaying in front of your eyes, you thought you were already dead and probably hallucinating while you were waiting for your next life. The blonde boy’s face appeared in your sight once again, and even if you felt incredibly lighter, the ropes around your legs were still preventing you from swimming.

«Take this off,» he said with a husky voice as he hugged your waist and gestured towards the pirate coat filled with heavy pebbles, and you were about to breathe out all the air he breathed into your mouth in shock because, how could he talk underwater?

He must have understood what you were talking about because he giggled, his eyes turning into two small crescent moons and dimples framing his smile. «I’m a merman,» he simply explained, before turning serious once again, «and you really need to take this off, unless you want to sink.» you furrowed your brows, feeling your throat starting to burn once again; this time, the pain confused you.

Your throat burned, your lungs did too, but it was a little different from before; you watched as the boy quickly cut the ropes around your wrists with the tip of the golden harpoon he was carrying around and let him help you taking off the pirate coat. You watched at how quickly it sinked to the depths of the sea, thinking that it could have been you.

Only because you finally looked below you, you finally took notice of the length of the harpoon that the merman was holding in his right hand, and the fact that the rock anchored to your feet was now gone; you owed your life to this nameless boy which was still holding you tight to his body, and silently hoped he would help you resurface and look for a ship so that you could get some help going back home and somehow trying to rebuild your own life after this terrifying experience.

You felt a weird and uncommon stinging sensation on the skin of your neck but you didn’t question it, instead, you gently tapped twice on the merman’s collarbone, as to silently say that you were running out of oxygen once again, when he simply looked at you with a bright and excited smile.

«It’s time! You can breathe, now!» he glanced at your neck, his expression was so gentle and cheerful that you almost believed him and tried to breathe underwater.

«What!?» you creaked, your voice rough and husky and your throat sore; realizing what you did, you immediately brought your hands to your mouth, looking at the boy – which was still giggling, his cheerful expression in stark contrast with your extremely alarmed eyes; if you weren’t so scared, you would have payed attention to the fact that your voice actually came out clearly instead of being absorbed by the water.

«Look,» he said, turning his head to show you his neck; you were about to touch the small gills he had on his skin, when your hand blocked in mid-water as he spoke once again, «you have them, too.» your hand flew on your neck, to find out that he was indeed right. You had two gills on each side of your neck, they were small and easily hidden by your hair since they were positioned towards your nape, but it was all it took for you to trust the blond merman enough to try and inhale a deep breath.

«I can breathe,» you mumbled, your eyes wide and surprised, «I can breathe underwater!» you exclaimed, a mixture between excited and scared.

«You’re turning into a mermaid.» the blonde boy said, and your eyes widened the size of the full moon. «I’ll explain to you later,» he quickly glanced to his left, «all you have to know for now is that your tail will soon look like mine,» he briefly detached from you just to quickly spin in front of you, before hugging you close once again. «and that we have to leave, the sharks are coming out for dinner.» he said, with a final wink. You let the boy – which introduced himself as Chris, take you away and teach you how to properly swim without moving your legs, contrarily to what you always did.

Two months later from your first encounter with Chris, you both were sitting on some rocks erupting from the sea, enjoying the warm morning breeze. The ochre dress you were wearing the day you’ve been thrown overboard had now started to cling to the skin of your legs at the point it seemed to merge with it, and the ropes seemed to be as well. You glanced at Chris, leaning on the rocks while supporting his weight on his hands while his head was thrown back and his tail was slowly moving up and down with languid and repetitive movements, occasionally splashing some water around with his tail.

He looked incredibly handsome, and you couldn’t help yourself but wonder why even when he saved you, he decided to stick around to the point where you spent every day together; Chris was gentle and careful, patiently teaching all he knew about living under the sea and you meticulously listened to him, managing to have fun as he helped you adapt to your new life.

Funny enough, you lived together into one of the countless underwater small villages populated by mermaids and mermen; some lived in the relict of old sinked ships, while others opted to live in underwater caves or houses built from corals. Needless to say, Chris’ dramatic behaviour suggested him to live in the relict of the ship that threw him overboard, and he asked you to live with him.

«It’s going to be easier for you to adapt to your new life.» he had said back then, not like you had any reason to refuse his offer. You didn’t regret it not once, since Chris was the kind of friend you always wanted to have. Your eyes curiously glanced at Chris’ wrists, noticing that some indigo scales had grown there as well in a rather curious pattern; somehow, they seemed to recall a rope. Your hands acted pretty much by themselves; as your eyes travelled on Chris’ long indigo fishtail, your fingers caressed one of the soft, pink flesh spots between its scales.

«I can’t wait for my tail to be complete,» Chris’ hoarse voice said, and your eyes met his; he offered you a gentle smile, his head tilted to the side as he remained in the same position as he was before, unbothered with your touch – on the contrary, enjoying it.

«Nevertheless,» you mumbled, secretly wondering if your throat will ever stop burning, «It’s beautiful.» your eyes focused again on the tail’s scales which thanks to the sun, seemed to shine in a somehow greenish colour which made it seem even more enchanting.

«I’m sure yours will be even more beautiful than mine.» Chris smiled, reaching out to hold your hand right above his fish tail. You blushed, adverting your gaze and feeling incredibly uglier compared to him: you were in the middle of your metamorphosis, therefore your legs were still slowly turning into a fishtail, and your dress was ripped and clinging to different part of your skin as a second, unwanted skin; Chris explained that all it took were six months, and then, you would have been completely ultimate your metamorphosis into a mermaid.

«Chris,» you mumbled, briefly thought about all the times, as a kid, you stared at the sea wondering if all the legends about mermaids were true, just to find yourself slowly becoming one. Chris hummed, his blonde hair now almost completely dry. «What happened?»

«I’m not really sure, either.» he confessed, «some say that it’s our desire of revenge that triggers the metamorphosis. All we know is that one moment we’re sinking towards the bottom of the sea, and the other we’re sinking ships.» he chuckled, before adding a quick

«I’ll show you, sooner or later.» in answer to your confused face; you simply nodded at him, before asking him how did he become a merman since you were driven by the desire to know him better but also, to hear his mesmerizing voice for as long as you could. Chris never let go of your hand, playing with your fingers as he told you about how he left his village in order to become a sailor, just to be thrown off the ship two years later with the false accusation of being a thief.

«What saddens me, is that I never got the chance to confess to my beloved one.» his voice said, looking at you with eyes as warm as the sun itself. Even if you felt a strange sensation of jealousy creeping into your soul, you decided to ignore it. Chris was handsome, funny, caring and gentle; it was obvious for him to have someone he loved.

«I’m sure she would have said yes.» you sighed, wishing for a second to be the one who held his heart even now that his life had completely changed for good.

«She didn’t even knew I existed» Chris chuckled, shaking his head, «She was the only daughter of a famous merchant in our village, and I was the blacksmith’s son.» you listened how Chris kept looking at you with a mischievous gaze as he provided you the description of a girl which not only looked exactly like you, but was also living the replica of your life. «I gave her a pin once, when we were kids.» the colour drained from your cheeks, remembering the scene of a young blonde kid handing you a white orchid pin during a festival, when you were around seven years old. Back then, the boy claimed it brought good luck, and that you were the prettiest among all the young girls so it had to be yours; since that day, you wore it every day. «It was a white orchid. She always wore it, even if she probably forgot about me during the years.» your heart was hammering into your chest, and with slow and calculated words you asked him the only question which really mattered, the only one able to dissolve your doubts; you took a deep breath, and asked him where he was from.

«Velia.» he answered, and suddenly, you were in a loss of words. Chris not only came from your village, but also was the little boy that many years ago had provided you with your lucky pin, the same one that the Pirates had snatched away from your dress. «I’ll give you an even better present.» Chris smiled, and you answered with a shy nod.

Chris’ unexpected confession made a whirlwind of emotion erupt in your soul, you never imagined that he silently had a crush on you for all these years but deep down, you were sure that you could return his feelings with the same intensity. Both of you had all your lives in front of you, and you knew that Chris had so much love to give and he deserved just as much, maybe even more.

That morning was the most the two of you have talked. The salty water you breathed while drowning still burned your lungs and you found it sometimes difficult to talk; this is why the two of you created a personal language mostly composed by hand gestures, which allowed the two of you to communicate and have infinite conversations without feeling your throat sting.

A comfortable silence fell around the two of you, and Chris never stopped gently running his fingertips on your still bruised wrists, the action making you feel as butterflies were soaring in your stomach; if Chris ever saw your skin erupt into goosebumps anywhere his fingers touched, he never mentioned it.

Therefore, you and Chris spent your morning on the rocks when, as soon as you heard another mermaid’s chant, he quickly lead you away. «It’s not time, yet.» he said, and you trusted him without questioning him further.

One year had quickly gone by and both you and Chris had completed your metamorphosis; your tail was dark orange, its scales would show golden reflections according to the light, dark orange scales also grew instead of the bruises on your wrists and, no matter what you said, Chris would continuously shower you with compliments which you immediately returned. You and Chris managed to make many friends – some that already completed the metamorphosis and some you just recently rescued from drowning, but still, Chris was the only one you spent the most time with; over the time, you naturally became a couple, even if nothing special changed in your relationship dynamics.

The two of you had always spent your time together so the only thing that you added to the mix were the kisses and more intimate touches. Sometimes, you’d lose yourself in his warm brown eyes, thinking how much you loved him and how you owed him your life.

You knew that you would have changed even without Chris’ help, but his presence helped you to face the metamorphosis with a little more courage – which you probably wouldn’t have had, if you were to face this all alone.

«Remember that excellent present I was talking about back then?» Chris asked with a wide grin and you nodded, knitting your brows in confusion, «Come with me.» Chris said, as he led you to the surface while holding your hand; you realized quickly that it must have been a special occasion, since he used his voice to express his thoughts.

Both of you keep the verbal exchanges at minimum; since you found out that your throat would never stop burning.

«It’s the salt water we breathed while drowning,» Changbin – a merman which turned many years before the two of you did, quietly explained to you few months ago. On his wrists, he had dark blue – almost black, scales matching the colour of his long tail, but unlike you and Chris, his scales enveloped his arms and part of his torso almost in a spiral way, making you wonder about how painful and horrible his experience must have been, «It will never stop stinging, reason why our revenge will always be as brutal as our death.»

You followed Chris as he diligently sat on some rocks erupting from the sea, gesturing towards a small group of mermaid sitting on the shores far away from you; some had their tail partially immersed to the water, while some were completely resting on the hard surfaces of the rocks. They all seemed to be waiting, but you still didn’t know what for, since the horizon was completely clear. As the mermaids saw you and Chris, you all waved at each other since you were friends; you were surprised to learn how everyone – unlike the human world, was genuinely sweet towards each other.

«I hope you’ll like it.» Chris’ lips whispering against your ear made it appear as his husky voice was dripping honey, and as your eyes saw a familiar Pirate flag on top of a ship, which was slowly coming your way, you froze up in fear, tightly holding to Chris’ hand; he quickly hugged you close to his body in the silent attempt to reassure you. You didn’t understand why Chris would have thought that seeing the ship of the people who threw you overboard could ever be considered a gift, when suddenly, the mermaids started singing.

It was a mesmerizing chant, and you immediately understood why it drove men insane by slowly hypnotizing them to the point they lose their will; as a mermaid, you knew the pain of using your voice and so, you realized what Changbin meant all those months ago. Part of each mermaid’s soul was filled with the desire of revenge towards the ones who choose such a brutal and despicable death for them, and so, no matter how their throat burned in the process, their husky voices would sing marvellous and hypnotic songs just to lure them in the water in a deadly trap.

From the distance, you saw how the pirates started to throw themselves off the ship, and that’s when Chris signalled you that it was time to get underwater once again; you were completely new to this, since Chris always led you away as soon as you’d hear a mermaid chant, but no matter what, you could have never imagine what you were about to see.

Underwater, there were at least a hundred mermaids and mermen skilfully armed with harpoons or smaller knives, and as soon as the pirates fell in the water, they’d swim quickly, plunging themselves at the pirates with the precise goal to kill them in the most brutal way they could, so that they wouldn’t have any occasion to trigger the metamorphosis and turn into mermen.

Chris kept holding you tight as the two of you assisted to that massacre, close enough to catch every detail but far enough not to get involved with the pool of blood that was quickly expanding in the water; your eyes casually caught the action that made your heart feel at ease once and for all. Changbin and Hyunjin – whose tail was probably the prettiest since it was a pastel light blue, were respectively sinking an harpoon and a short blade into the Captain’s chest, and as you saw him writhing in pain as he breathed out all the oxygen he had stored in his mouth, you breathed a content sigh, your silent wish for revenge was now fulfilled thanks to your friends.

As soon as the group made sure that no one from the pirate crew managed to survive, you all quickly swam away, knowing that sharks had a very sharp sense of smell and no one wanted to get in their way in the middle of a hunt.

Once you were back home Chris kissed you, the unexpected sensation of such an intimate gesture making you smile against his lips, pulling him even further to your body and swirling once or twice in the middle of water as you did so. Despite the salty water that constantly surrounded the both of you, Chris’ lips held an inexplicably different flavour. His kisses tasted like home, like you finally found peace.

The pirates hat threw you overboard had met their terrible fate, the same as many other men, and you were happy with the thought that they wouldn’t be able to harm anyone else.

Chris held you tight, placing his forehead against yours. «I love you,» he said for the first time, ignoring the pain in his lungs. «I love you too,» you mumbled right back, gently placing your hands on his cheeks, as the end of your tails swirled around each other’s.

all works © lettersfromaphrodite

Do not modify, repost, translate or plagiarize my stories. I only publish my works on tumblr & AO3.

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jisungsdaydreamer · 1 year

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No Man’s Land

«GENERAL M.LIST» · «NAVIGATION» · «TALK TO ME» · «TAGLIST»

SYNOPSIS After a disastrous shipwreck out at sea, Changbin should have died. But you saved him.

Pairing: Changbin x gn!reader Genre: mermaid au, pirate au Warnings: swearing, slightly suggestive, violence, death, nudity but not sexual World Count: 3.6k

P.S. ♡ If you like my work, please consider giving me feedback in the form of reblogs, comments, and asks! ♡

Changbin is accustomed to the folk law of sea creatures, monsters with tentacles and suckers that rip the skin clean off your bones. When he’d first set sail with a captain whose lucrative business involved bloodshed, cannon fire, and rare visits to dry land, Changbin was fifteen. All he possessed were the tales his grandfather had received countless times. A sword was always strapped to his hip, but it was some time before he learned how to use it. Piracy is a crime punishable by death. But Changbin doesn’t intend on getting caught.

It’s the stories of creatures half-human, half-scaled, that Changbin can recall in greater detail. Shivers ripple through his body as he recounts the brutal cruelty these beings are capable of; known to prettily coax ships to the rocks. Some say they physically transform for each victim, your own personal siren, beautiful and nigh uncatchable in the water.

But the tales are not of much concern at the present minute, as the ship is hosting a rather bloody battle between the crew and those that have swung aboard, uninvited.

“Changbin!”

The warning almost comes too late, but Changbin turns, carving his sword into the man’s waist. A fatal red seeps into the clothing around the deep wound, mouth wide and breath punched. The man falls back, his dead weight hitting the hard deck.

There’s not much time to relax before another opponent chooses Changbin to pick a fight with. Changbin’s aim is weak when holding a pistol, and he desperately hopes the man aiming at him is just as poor. The bullet clips Changbin’s arm, a flesh wound that doesn’t cause much discomfort. And that’s particularly useful, because his attack is a surprise to the man he charges at. He could take an arm or a leg, but a blade through the left of his chest is something Changbin finds kinder, when ending a person’s life. Not that he’s ever had it happen to himself.

Changbin’s sword is slicked with crimson as he withdraws it from the torso. Sweat trickles his neck and back, as he discovers flames that lick up the stairs to the raised deck which holds the wheel. One of the vast sails has just caught alight, and despite the endless water surrounding them, it will be difficult to put it out. Steering has been abandoned in favor of fighting off the enemy, and Changbin’s judgment tells him the ship is careening towards a reef just barely visible above the ocean’s glassy surface.

He’s forced to scale the splintered wood to the side of the stairs in order to reach the wheel, but even then, he’s burnt from the heat. Alas, Changbin is too late. The belly of the ship crunches, shredded by the unforgiving rocks, and any effort to stop the consequences are rendered fruitless. Changbin’s limp body is catapulted forward, his hip slamming into the outer edge of the vessel as he is thrown over the side.

Changbin’s vision is blurred when he cracks his eyes open. It’s uncomfortable. Changbin is used to sleeping in rough conditions on the ship, but this doesn’t compare. Attempting to roll to the left jabs more sharp rock through his thin shirt. Wincing, Changbin moves to sit up instead, but soon wishes he didn't. Desperate eyes scan the surrounding water, but there’s nothing but a few floating planks and barrels. If anything was burning, the flames have been extinguished and everything is oddly still. The ship is gone and Changbin’s heart lurches at the possible whereabouts of his home.

The next sight his eyes are troubled by has him grabbing for the sword on his bruised hip but his hand clutches at thin air. Instead, a small dagger is drawn and thrust out defensively in front of him. Changbin sees that you look frightened, but the stories he has heard of mermaids has his fingers tighten around the handle of the blade. Your head bobs up again, and Changbin draws his legs further into him. He’s defenseless if you decide to drag him into the water.

He’s breathing heavily now, eyes never straying from the source of his fear. You curiously circle the rock he’s made residence on, coming a little too close for Changbin’s comfort. It’s a pathetic attempt, but he still wrestles off his one remaining boot and launches it at you. The pulsing waves make good cover as you duck. You seem more curious about the wriggling of his toes rather than his efforts to keep you away.

The movement triggers a sharp pain to the right of his forehead. The dagger has dropped from his hand, teetering on the edge of the stone, but before Changbin can reach it, the blade is swallowed by the ocean. He clutches at his temple, and as he withdraws his palm, blood mixed with water drips down his wrist.

“I’m sorry about that. You’re heavy and the sea is rough.”

You are much closer now, clinging to the rock on his left side with your hands, and it’s difficult for Changbin to mistake the regret in your sparkling eyes. The rest of your body past your bare shoulders is concealed within the inky waters and your dark hair cascades in waves around your delicate features.

“I pulled you onto the rock,” you continue as Changbin stares. “Because you can’t swim, can you? That’s why you sail on those big wooden arcs.”

“Ships.”

It’s the first word he’s spoken to you, and it seems apt for the situation he’s in.

“Ships,” you repeat, locking the information away.

He doesn’t correct her— Changbin’s a strong swimmer— but it doesn’t seem important now. He has far greater concerns. “Where is my ship?”

“Sunk.”

“And the men?”

“Sunk with it.”

You don’t hold an ounce of remorse, just inquisitively tilting your head. Your lack of sympathy reminds Changbin that you are a creature that isn’t human; you might as well be from a far-off land.

“Why did you put me here?”

It’s accusing. He should have died with his friends, not alone on a fucking rock. Changbin knows you both are in the middle of the ocean, he’d seen the maps a few days prior. They were sailing into open water.

“Because I found you.”

“There were plenty of men you could have captured,” Changbin bites back.

He’s not frightened of you anymore; he’s just incredibly pissed off. Stupid fish. Why couldn’t you have just left him to die?

“But I didn’t want them. I wanted to keep you,” you emphasize.

“Why?” He shakes his head.

“Because you’re beautiful.”

Your answer flushes his cheeks with color. He had expected a reply to run more along the lines of, ‘because I think you’ll scream the most when I rip you from limb to limb’ or perhaps, ‘you’ll taste the nicest when I wrap you in seaweed and feast on your flesh.’ You smile at his embarrassment, an emotion you’re probably unaware you have caused him to feel. No one has ever called him beautiful before.

“Are you a pirate?”

So apparently we’ve moved on, Changbin thinks. He shifts a little in your direction, and with the unparalleled view of his very own siren, he is secretly astounded with your beauty. It’s delicate in a fragile way, bringing a certain sadness to him.

“My ship’s gone, the crew… I’m just a man on a fucking rock now,” Changbin speaks in defeat.

He lays back on the jagged stone, heavily sighing and staring up at the clouds floating by.

“A boy.”

Changbin’s eyes harshly target you. Your eyebrows are raised in question to his challenging frown.

“I’m nineteen,” he states defensively.

“Is that old enough to be a man?”

He doesn’t miss the sharp gleam of your teeth. You could probably rip him to shreds, but he doesn’t think that will happen, now that you’ve called him beautiful.

“I think I’ve had enough life experience to merit me a man.”

“Oh,” you reply.

“How old are you?”

“I don’t know,” you retort with a shrug.

It’s off to see such a human gesture on something that Changbin knows is swimming around with a tail. It’s as though you can read his mind, flicking your lower half through the opaque water before coming to rest on his other side. He sits up.

“Why do you slay your own kind?”

The fighting. You’re talking about what happened between the two vessels. Changbin’s memory is fuzzy, and he accounts it to the knock his head received. The enemy ship must’ve gotten away unscathed, unless it’s wrecked like his own and lying beneath him. You were watching then.

“We had to protect the cargo,” He eventually replies.

“The shiny coins and pretty rocks?”

You smile in appreciation, and Changbin is certain you’re innocent to the worth of the stolen treasures. They wouldn’t be as good to you, as you spend your life solely below the surface of the sea.

“You’ve seen them?”

“Yes, I went down to have a look while you were sleeping. Your ship has holes in it, I don’t think it will float anymore.”

“No,” Changbin sadly shakes his head.

“Where have you been on your ship?” you ask, genuinely taking an interest in the stranded boy.

“Everywhere.”

You laugh, and the sound makes Changbin want to move closer. His grandfather’s words still ring in his head, the most malicious predator wears beauty as a mask, beware of the sealed splendor that inhabits the ocean, Changbin.

“You can’t have been everywhere.”

He’s going to die anyway, why not let it be at the hands of his own siren?

“Even if I haven’t, there are thousands of ships; man has conquered the ocean,” Changbin replies with assurance.

Your smile drops, fingers slipping from the side of Changbin’s rock, and you create space between you both. You float as he shuffles down, feet dipping into the water. When you make no move towards him, Changbin lets his legs hang over the side. The water is cool.

“You’re naive, pirate,” you speak in such a harsh tone, Changbin finds it difficult to accept that those words have come from something so lovely.

“My grandfather slayed a monster of the sea, it was forty feet long,” He challenges.

Changbin thinks you ought to be impressed, his grandfather was a legend. But his pride sinks as you coldly stalk him. The once pretty shimmer of your tail has taken on a darker tone. Changbin braces his hands behind him, leaning back slightly and away from you.

“I’ve seen bigger,” you finally reply with a small smile.

If Changbin didn’t know any better, he’d say your words were laced with suggestive air. It’s a manner he’s only ever heard of in the bedrooms of women he visits when making an occasional port stop. You’re either unaware of your affect or playing with him on purpose.

“Have you?” Changbin laughs, not in a questioning way, but with a genuine interest.

You swim closer back to the rock, your shoulders rising above the water for the first time, exposing your body to Changbin for the first time. His eyes traced over all of you, your delicate but strong arms, the graceful arch of your neck, the soft curves of your hips. And when Changbin realizes that your torso is bare, save for the gorgeous curls of your hair, he immediately looks away, his face colored with his sudden bashfulness.

It is not as if Changbin has never set eyes on someone’s naked form, but the gorgeous creature in front of him is no human- no, you are ethereal, exquisite, a kind of loveliness unknown to man. Looking at you feels new, somehow; you are only a fantasy, a being of old sailor tales, and up until now, everything about you was a mystery to Changbin.

“You and your ships have barely explored the surface,” you state, amused, as you rest your chin upon your forearms, propped up on Changbin’s small, probable death, a stone island. “There’s so much more.”

You’re kindly smiling now, friendly demeanor in place of whatever manifested a short time before.

“More?” Changbin speaks without thinking, leaning closer to share the secret.

“I could show you.”

Changbin shakes his head with a shy smile, looking down and observing the way his legs swing back and forth in the water. He should feel cold, but he doesn’t. Changbin doesn’t have time to go exploring with you, his life on the rock must come to an end soon; he has no drinking water, no food, no nearby shore.

“Will you sing to me then?” you ask quietly. “I heard you before the fighting. You have such a pretty voice, will you sing to me, pirate?”

Changbin indulges the bewitching mermaid and recites an old song his mother used to sing to him. You are so enthralled, requesting that he repeat the tune and then sing a new one. By the time he’s finished, Changbin’s voice is tortured with thirst. You are laid partially on the rock, tail dipping in and out of the water as you praise him for such a wonderful performance.

“Your eyes look like the deep ocean,” you keenly observe. Changbin has never heard of a more poetic way of describing his murky brown eyes. “It’s one of my favorite places.”

He’s tired now, hungry and possibly a little sunburnt. With his eyes closed, Changbin is free to imagine himself anywhere he pleases. The sun is still beating a warm glow in what he believes to be late afternoon. And Changbin can’t seem to envision himself anywhere but here, on a rock in the ocean, with a sea creature for company. A beautiful one. Changbin’s glad that they haven’t exchanged names, because hearing you say his might in fact be a massive obstruction in his plan of not getting attached and wanting to stay. Learning yours would swell his heart.

You are lovingly gazing at him when he opens his eyes. He’s had time to think and he’s made his decision.

“I’d like to see. Will you take me there?”

Changbin is slipping down the rock before you even confirm your answer. Your eyes are bright with joy, excited that the boy would accept your offer. You’ve never been this close to a pirate, or a human, for that matter. And now, your heart flutters because you get to hold him again. He’s not asleep this time.

Once he’s fully submerged, your arms wrap Changbin’s torso, pressing you into him. He’s not expecting you to be so gentle, conscious of the fragility of his body as you cradle him away from the inevitable danger of the rock.

“You can’t swim, I’ll hold you.”

Your smile almost makes Changbin want to confess he can’t be yours. There’s no hope for him, Changbin understands that. And maybe this won’t be such an awful conclusion. He’d imagined his life to come to an end at the tip of a blade, sea air spraying his face, not in the arms of a creature who inhabits the ocean he sails. Changbin almost wishes his grandfather could be here to witness the ‘monster’ he’d painted into his grandson’s young mind. To see that you’re not a ruthless predator, not a vicious, inhuman monster. You saved his life.

“Are you ready?”

And now, you’re unwittingly going to take it from him.

Changbin’s lips fall to yours. It’s a surprise for you, because it’s a soft pink. Warm. Their noses brush as the angle transforms, and the boy presses his mouth to the corner of yours. The laugh that escapes is musical, and you squeeze his injured hip.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s a kiss,” Changbin breathlessly explains.

Your eyes dart over his face, absorbing the boy’s striking features, and you playfully tug at the end of the black scarf tied around his head.

“What’s it for?”

The mermaid smiles innocently, questioning about a subject that he’s never been asked to analyze before.

“It— it doesn’t really have a purpose.”

He’s not going to delve into the logistics, because all Changbin can think of is to explain a kiss like that is love. The situation doesn’t need to last longer. He’s ready to go with you now.

“Then why do you do it?”

“It feels nice,” Changbin’s voice descends in volume, embarrassed to be called out.

He looks at the length of your hair falling over your shoulders and down your back, before tracing his eyes upward again, over the strange gashes in your neck.

“Do it again,” you breathe.

He does as told, closing his eyes and melting into the last kiss he’ll ever have. You follow the only lead you have ever had and shut your eyes. It seems strange to you, to blind yourself when commencing in an intimate act. Surely you’d want to see the other person. Your mind flutters as the boy performs magic with just his lips. And you come to realize that ‘kissing’ is more to do with how you feel, rather than what you see.

Changbin is startled as you pull away, hiding your face and giggling. Your shimmering tail floats back and forth under the water beneath them, your hands still firmly holding his waist.

“What’s wrong?”

You shake your head, water droplets trickling down your neck and over your chest.

“Your tongue touched mine,” you exclaim, blushing.

It’s enormously endearing and Changbin finds himself wishing that he’d met someone like you on land. You would have convinced him not to leave, not to climb aboard the ship proudly displaying black flags. He would have a respectable job and thrive on the knowledge that everyday, you’d be home waiting for his return. He could have loved someone like you.

“I’m ready.”

You beam a smile at him before helping his arms around you. His fingers skim the hardened scales on the small of your back, tracing the gradual boundary between ocean dwelling and human.

“Hold on to me,” you whisper, the last words spoken between you both before you submerge.

The saltwater stings Changbin’s eyes. His instincts tell him to fight the hold and break the surface, but he overcomes reflex, letting you cling to him as you dive further down. You’re more powerful than he’d expected, and they descend quickly. The pressure is starting to burn, pressing down on his chest as he holds the last of his breath. Three more beats of your tail, and Changbin can’t put off the inevitable any longer. Water painfully invades his lungs, body convulsing with the onslaught before succumbing to the ocean, and the pretty creature who cradles him.

He knew he would drown, but you didn’t.

They come to a slow halt to admire the surroundings.

“Look,” you smile.

These waters are your favorite, pretty fish and deep water coral. It’s a wash of colors that most don’t get to see, perhaps that’s what makes it so special.

The boy’s head rests in the crook of your neck. You hold him away from you slightly so you can see his face, see the awe you hope his features will express. But his face is blank, eyes shuttered closed, hands no longer seeking you for guidance.

You shake him, as much as the dense water allows. The hair not trapped beneath the bandana floats around him like a halo.

“Why won’t you open your eyes?” Your voice trembles with a cry.

He can’t swim. Your hands settle a small distance away from his waist in hopes that he’ll reach out and clutch you to him again. But he doesn’t. The boy begins to drift, and you snap from your despair, taking handfuls of his shirt and dragging him into your arms.

“Sing to me,” you desperately say into his ear. “Please.”

You’ve seen men like this before, but you had accounted for their unresponsiveness to the wounds to neck or chests. They were already dead before they hit the water, thrown over the side of ships that flaunted those black sails. Your boy has no such injuries. You check, hands smoothing over his defined chest under the tattered shirt. There’s no wounds, no blood. Delicate fingers inspect his shoulders, and your frantic searching dies when you reach his neck. A distraught cry frightens the nearby fish, as they seek cover in the nearby coral. The three gashes that you have on either side of your throat are absent on his.

The boy couldn’t breathe.

“No.”

You receive odd looks from your siblings, but you pay no mind. The boy is yours; you’ll look after him.

Others of your kind have gathered around the wrecked ship settled on the ocean floor. It’s not too far from the surface, light still penetrating from above. With practiced skill, you carefully navigate the vessel’s interior, an area you’ve previously explored after rescuing the boy you now protectively embrace. The cargo he’d talked about spills over the chewed up wooden floor.

There’s not much of a current, especially as they’re sheltered within the ship’s hull. You allow his body to float down upon a bed of shiny coins and pretty rocks: a fitting resting place for your beautiful boy.

You stay with him until the waters are cold and looming with the promise of nightfall. Normally, you’d spend this time above the surface, sitting on the boy’s vacant rock to watch the sun go down. It is possible to cry underwater, and your sorrowful tears wash with the ocean.

Your lips press to his, but you don’t linger because he’s cold. The once pretty pink is now a stony blue as you run the tip of your finger over the curves of his mouth.

“Forgive me,” you plead.

One last look and you’re gone.

But you should have stayed with him though, as now the boy’s eyes are wide open. There are gashes on his neck, and he’s breathing the oxygen in the water…

«GENERAL M.LIST» · «NAVIGATION» · «TALK TO ME» · «TAGLIST»

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I wrote this years ago. I just love mermaids & Changbin!

©jisungsdaydreamer 2023 | All rights reserved. I do not condone translations or transfers of my work onto other platforms such as Wattpad, AO3, etc. Tumblr is my only platform. Acts of plagiarism are strictly prohibited.

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