Chapter Text
A warm breeze brushed against Jungkook’s cheeks and over his cracked lips, tasting of salt and sunshine. Birds sang and screeched somewhere in the distance, mixing with quiet noises he’d never heard before as sun soaked into his skin and the large, flat rock beneath him, hot and soothing. His throat was parched; uncomfortably so. Ocean waves murmured in his ears, lapping against a shore somewhere nearby, so different from the waves he last remembered…
His body tensed, heart suddenly racing, throat deathly dry as he remembered dark storm clouds eclipsing the stars and sheets of rain splattering onto the boat deck, his dad grabbing him by the shoulders, tone urgently serious as he told Jungkook to get below deck and stay there.
But Jungkook hadn’t gone below deck. He’d hid just below the top of the stairs, watching his dad and his sailing partner, Namjoon, as they’d struggled to keep the sails steady, tugging at ropes uselessly, the waves growing more and more aggressive and the booms swinging wildly. Everything was dark but for the flashes of lighting cracking through the sky. Jungkook had felt paralyzed by fear, the rain and the howling winds scaring him, the panicked look on Namjoon’s face making his heart sprint. And then, his dad yelled something about rocks up ahead, “brace yourselves!”, and the boat hit something hard and unyielding, the impact throwing Jungkook against the stairwell, his head hitting the wall. He could hear wood creaking as the boat shuddered. He felt something wet on his ankles; the boat was filling with water.
He tried to scramble above deck, but the boat was lurching aggressively and his head was throbbing from where it hit the wall. The water around his ankles rose to his waist, sloshing and churning, and he could feel the hole in the ship’s frame trying to suck him through, a reverse current wrapping hold around his unsteady legs. He heard his dad screaming his name, but then Jungkook was suddenly underwater, the current so much fiercer and meaner than he’d thought, tugging him in every direction until he couldn’t remember which way was up. His lungs were burning, his breath jostled out in tiny bubbles as the current shoved and pulled, and he tried to remember his dad’s swimming lessons, but the water was so dark and so, so cold, his heart desperate for oxygen, his limbs useless against the waves. His energy was fading fast, his lungs about to give up, his consciousness blacking out around the edges. The last thing he remembered was something that felt like arms wrap around him, warm and sturdy, tugging him down, down, down…
Jungkook snapped his eyes open, squinting against the bright sunlight. His whole body felt sore, but his clothes were dry, stiff from salt. The rock he laid on must have bordered the water, because he felt it lapping at his feet. He cleared his throat, wincing at the painful scratch. He tested his arms and legs. Exhausted, but functional.
“Dad?” he croaked. He tried glancing around, still disoriented. His head still throbbed a bit. “Dad?” he called again, a little louder.
There was no response, but something was gently placed into his hand: a large shell filled with water. Hands were suddenly at his back, coaxing him into a sitting position. He closed his eyes and sipped at the water, cool and quenching, his sips turning into desperate gulps.
“Not too fast,” a voice warned. It wasn’t his dad, or Namjoon.
Jungkook turned his head to find a boy about his age, caramel-skinned and practically glowing in the sunlight, his eyes the most gem-like, piercing green Jungkook had ever seen. His hair was blonde, wind-tossed and a little curly at the ends. For some reason, he was standing in the water, only his torso visible.
The boy offered a tentative, closed-lipped smile, just a squishing of the cheeks. His eyes were bright and curious, but noticeably cautious.
Jungkook glanced around. They were in some sort of lagoon bordered by supple palm trees. He was sitting at the edge of the water, cerulean blue and crystal-clear, a white-sanded beach not far to the side, a jungle just beyond it. There was nobody else in sight. Just Jungkook and the boy.
“W-who are you?” he asked, voice cracking from the salt in his throat. The boy blinked at him.
“I’m Taehyung,” he said easily. “Sorry about your boat. I saw it hit the rocks, and I brought you to shore so you wouldn’t drown.”
Jungkook stared. “H-how? The waves were so…”
Taehyung bit his lip, the wariness in his eyes sharpening, but he just shrugged. “I’m a good swimmer.”
“Did you see my dad?” Jungkook asked hopefully. “Did you rescue him, too?”
Taehyung shook his head, lips turning down. “Um, no, sorry. I didn’t find anyone else.”
A bubble of panic flared in Jungkook’s chest. He was stuck on an unknown island with a stranger and no idea where his dad was. It was like losing his mom at the grocery store, but infinitely worse. But he remembered the exercises his dad taught him before they set sail, things to do if you’re in a survival situation, so Jungkook took a few deep, calming breaths and thought about what to do, the boy watching him from the waters.
“I need to find my dad,” Jungkook said firmly. He decided he’d think of it like a special mission, an adventure, like the heroes in his Sunday morning cartoons. He could pretend it was fun, not the least bit scary.
“Ooh, I can help!” Taehyung said enthusiastically. “I live here, so I know the island really, really well. I can show you all the coolest parts on the way.”
Jungkook thought for a second, then nodded. “Okay.”
Taehyung’s eyes widened excitedly. “Okay! What’s your name?”
“Jungkook.”
“Can we be friends, Jungkookie?” Taehyung asked, cheeks glowing. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a new friend.”
Jungkook blinked for a moment, slightly unprepared for this stranger’s sunniness and enthusiasm. But he was pretty and nice, and Jungkook decided he liked him and wouldn’t mind a new friend. “Okay,” he agreed. Taehyung clapped happily, the water around him splashing.
“Why are you in the water?” Jungkook asked. Taehyung’s face tightened a bit. He looked down, long eyelashes brushing his cheeks, wringing his hands shyly.
“I’m worried you won’t want to be friends anymore if I show you,” he muttered. Jungkook frowned. He didn’t know what was making Taehyung look so miserable, but he didn’t like it.
“Show me what?”
Taehyung glanced up at him, worrying his lip. His eyes searched Jungkook’s face for a long moment, and then he took a deep breath and put his hands on the rock, pulling himself up onto the empty space. Jungkook gasped.
Taehyung hadn’t been standing in the water; he’d been swimming. He had a long tail where his legs should be, scales wet and glistening in the sun, sparkling in shimmery shades of purple that flashed green at certain angles as his fins flicked nervously. He was like the creatures Jungkook sometimes read about in stories about pirates and adventure and Peter Pan.
“Oh,” Jungkook breathed, eyes wide. “You’re a… a mermaid.”
“Merman, actually,” Taehyung corrected. “Well, a merperson, I guess. My brother Yoongi always says you shouldn’t let society label you.”
Jungkook blinked stupidly. “Wow,” he murmured in awe. He couldn’t stop looking at Taehyung’s tail; it was beautiful, like a million tiny gemstones glowing and twinkling in the sunlight. Taehyung watched him, the nervousness fading from his expression.
“You’re… you’re not scared of me?” he asked quietly. Jungkook’s eyebrows drew together.
“No, why?”
Taehyung shrugged, looking down at his tail as he flicked his fins in the water. “Most humans think we’re monsters. That we’re scary, a-and evil.”
“I don’t think you’re scary,” Jungkook said honestly. “I think you’re nice. And your tail is pretty.”
Taehyung’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Jungkook’s cheeks felt warm. “Yeah.”
Taehyung smiled for real, big and bright, radiant like the sun. Some of his teeth were slightly sharp and pointy, and Jungkook noticed two sets of gills on his neck behind his ears, but he didn’t feel afraid. Taehyung was sweet and nice and would help him find his dad.
“Can I touch it?” he asked shyly, looking back down at Taehyung’s tail.
“Sure,” Taehyung said easily. Jungkook gently ran his fingers over the scales. They weren’t rough, like he’d expected, but cold and smooth like glass, unbelievably delicate, almost feathery, beneath his fingers.
“That tickles!” Taehyung laughed. Jungkook giggled in return.
“Sorry,” he said, smiling for the first time that day.
Taehyung leaned back against the rock and closed his eyes against the sun, his fins still tracing patterns on the surface of the lagoon. “So, how do we find your dad?”
Jungkook thought for a moment. “If someone crashes, you’re supposed to find parts of their boat that washed ashore and search nearby areas.” He thought again. “And maybe my dad has a flare.”
“A flare?”
“Yeah, you know, kind of like fireworks?”
Taehyung opened an eye and tilted his head in confusion. Jungkook blinked at him. “Have you never seen fireworks?” Taehyung shook his head. “It’s like, um… you shoot these little rockets into the air, and they explode into a bunch of pretty colors. Like a rainbow of falling stars.”
“Ooh!” Taehyung said delightedly. “I wanna see fireworks someday!”
“Okay, I’ll show them to you,” Jungkook said proudly. “When we find my dad, we’ll take you home with us and I’ll show you fireworks and my comic books and my rock collection.”
Taehyung looked at him for a moment, then glanced away. “Maybe,” he said softly. He smiled, tiny but genuine. “You’re really nice, Jungkookie. I think we’re gonna be great friends.”
“Me, too,” Jungkook said. They smiled at each other, warm in the sunlight, and Jungkook was no longer afraid.
~~~
His head still hurt and his body ached with dehydration, so he decided to rest in the warm safety of the lagoon and regain his strength for the remainder of the day, the nearby trees offering shade as the sun shifted across the sky. Taehyung kept him company, making trips to refill his shell with drinkable water and collect strange fruits of all different colors and textures.
Taehyung was kind, and his company kept Jungkook calm. His voice was deep for someone their age, but soft and soothing as he chattered about the island, telling Jungkook about all of the cool things he wanted to show him. He even helped distract Jungkook from his worries by showing off cool tricks with his tail, flicking water in arcing droplets that caught rainbows in the sun.
As evening approached, Jungkook’s head was starting to feel better, his throat no longer desert dry. He sat on the rock next to Taehyung, eating some of the weird-looking fruit that tasted like candy and watching the sun set in the distance, the balmy air cooling by a few degrees. He could see stars beginning to twinkle at the edge of the sunset. It was nice. He didn’t often feel this kind of tranquility back home.
It was quiet, peaceful, just the chirping songs of jungle birds settling down for the night, the soft breeze ruffling through palm fronds, water lapping at the rocks, Taehyung’s quiet chewing and gentle breaths beside him. Even with his father missing and no foreseeable way home, in that moment, Jungkook experienced true contentedness for the first time.
“What if we never find my dad?” he asked. His whisper nearly disappeared in the gentle sounds of the ocean, but Taehyung heard him, wiping fruit juice from his lips and facing Jungkook with serious eyes.
“Don’t worry, Jungkookie. I’ll look really hard. We’ll find him together, I promise.”
Jungkook believed him. “Okay,” he murmured with a tiny smile. “Thanks, Tae.”
Taehyung’s face lit up at the nickname. He opened his mouth, but a sharp whistling sound interrupted him. Jungkook turned his head quickly, just in time to catch a smoky trail shooting upwards into the sky.
“A flare!” he gasped, scrambling to his feet. “It must be my dad!”
Taehyung looked up just as the flare exploded into a shower of bright pink sparks, lingering in the dusky sky before they slowly began to fall. Jungkook strained on his tiptoes, letting out a small whimper of frustration.
“It’s too high, I-I can’t see where it came from –”
Taehyung slid from the rock and disappeared with a faint splash, his purple tail speeding away under the water and around the bend of the lagoon.
Jungkook was suddenly alone. He sat back down, tucking his knees to his chest as he craned his neck to watch the flare slowly dissipate, trying to memorize its exact location in the sky and the origin of its trail where it vanished over the jungle treetops. Jungkook stared into the trees for a moment. The shadows suddenly seemed dark and taunting, full of unknown sounds, the approaching night feeling much scarier than before. Jungkook took a deep breath. He felt a tiny bit afraid, with Taehyung gone. The silence began to feel suffocating. Jungkook didn’t like feeling alone, especially in the dark.
A splash startled him. Taehyung appeared in the water beside him, tail swishing excitedly. “I saw it! I know where the flare came from!” he said proudly. “It’s right over this cove on the other side of the island, just a couple days away. It would be even faster if you took a shortcut through the jungle, but…” He shrugged. “I can’t take you that way. Obviously.”
Jungkook’s eyes filled with tears of their own accord. He was relieved to have Taehyung’s confident smile back. The knowledge that his dad was safe and nearby suddenly overwhelmed him. He scrubbed at his eyes with his fists, annoyed at the way he felt his lower lip tremble.
“Oh no, Jungkookie, what’s wrong?” Taehyung asked, hoisting himself back onto the rock. Jungkook exhaled, a bit shaky. A hand touched his cheek, and he looked over at Taehyung to see him staring at his own finger, a tear perched on the top, observing it curiously before putting it in his mouth.
“It tastes like the ocean,” he said in surprise. Jungkook chuckled wetly, baffled.
“What, do you not know what tears are?”
Taehyung cocked his head. “Tears?”
Jungkook blinked at him. “You know, like crying? It happens when you’re sad or scared sometimes.”
Taehyung furrowed his brow, thinking. “I don’t think merpeople cry. When I feel sad, my chest hurts, and my eyes kind of prickle. But that’s it. No tears.”
“Maybe merpeople do cry, but you can’t tell because you’re underwater.”
Taehyung looked intrigued by the idea. “Maybe.”
The sun slipped more fully beneath the ocean, more stars beginning to greet the night, and it was quiet again, but Jungkook wasn't scared anymore. It was weird having a friend like Taehyung, someone he felt so safe with. People, especially strangers, usually made him anxious. Taehyung made Jungkook feel different. It was nice.
Jungkook yawned. The rock was getting hard and uncomfortable, so he clambered down towards the beach, Taehyung following in the water. “Do merpeople sleep?” Jungkook asked.
Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Duh.”
Jungkook splashed water in his direction, Taehyung ducking with a giggle. “That’s weird. Where do you sleep?”
“Underwater, obviously,” Taehyung said, watching as Jungkook settled down into the sand, still faintly warm, like a blanket fresh from the dryer, but scratchier.
Jungkook frowned. “Oh, okay. I guess, um, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” He didn’t like the idea of sleeping by himself, not with the jungle behind him full of strange creatures and noises, but he was determined to be brave.
“Don’t be silly,” Taehyung said. He swam out of the shallows and pulled himself halfway onto the beach, his tall still partially-submerged, pillowing his hands under his head and turning onto his side to face Jungkook. “I’m not gonna leave you alone. That would be scary.”
“Thanks,” Jungkook said gratefully. He laid down, mirroring Taehyung’s pose. “But, um, I thought you said you have to sleep underwater.”
Taehyung shrugged, his plump cheeks squishing even more against his hands. “Dunno. My dad says we’ve evolved. We have gills still,” he said, pointing to his neck, “but I don’t think we really need them. As long as we’re not fully out of the water for too long, it’s fine.”
“Cool,” Jungkook said in awe. Taehyung was so cool. And pretty. And nice.
Taehyung shrugged again and closed his eyes. “Let’s sleep. And tomorrow, we’ll go find your dad.”
“Okay,” Jungkook agreed. He closed his eyes, focusing on Taehyung’s soft breathing, the gentle waves of the sea lulling him unconscious.
~~~
The sun woke him the next day, and they started their journey, Taehyung swimming parallel to Jungkook as he walked along the beach. Taehyung was enthusiastic, pointing out clouds congregated in cool shapes, sometimes popping underwater to describe the exotic fish and rock formations he passed.
Jungkook liked to hop between rocks as Taehyung talked, holding his arms out for balance as he walked, enjoying the way the sun felt on his face. Taehyung told him about his two best friends, Seokjin and Jimin, also mermen. Jungkook thought it was cool that a whole world full of merpeople existed under the ocean, something he’d only thought possible in movies and fantasy books. He wondered if they were all as pretty and kind as Tae. Jin and Jimin probably were, if they were Tae’s friends.
Taehyung also described the city of merpeople near the island, the way they carved their civilization into the natural underwater cliffs and wove accessories out of seaweed and made shells into jewelry. Jungkook scrunched his nose when Taehyung said they ate raw fish, but Jungkook had seen his dad do that once – something called sushi – so he supposed it wasn’t that weird. He liked hearing Taehyung talk, and he wished he could see the world he was describing. It would be cool to be a merman like Taehyung, even for just a day.
And when Tae asked about Jungkook’s life, he found himself opening up easily, something that almost never happened with people he didn’t really know. But Taehyung made him feel special, made him feel heard, so Jungkook told him about his parents, about their little house in the suburbs, about the lighthouse he could see from his window and what a television was. Taehyung listened raptly, asking all sorts of questions, and it made Jungkook feel like someone interesting, no longer just the shy kid at school who sat in the back and never raised his hand.
Along the way, Taehyung showed him how to find edible plants in the tide pools. He pointed out the sea urchins and tiny fish hiding behind the rocks. Jungkook felt like he could watch the pools forever, could listen to Tae’s voice forever, lost in their own little world.
They slept on the beach again that night, then started off again in the morning, already feeling like a routine, comfortable and familiar. Jungkook felt so free, so happy, with the sun on his skin and the vastness of the ocean and the way Taehyung made him laugh; not the quiet, hesitant laugh he usually gave to others, but something from deep in his belly that made him feel alive.
“I wish I had legs,” Tae commented idly that afternoon. They were sitting on the beach having a lunch of fruit and strange underwater nuts that tasted vaguely like almonds, watching a couple of dolphins play in the distance, something Jungkook thought only happened in zoos.
“Why?” Jungkook asked. “Your tail is so much cooler.”
He loved Taehyung’s tail. It was so strong and beautiful, a natural extension of Taehyung himself. Jungkook liked the way it looked purple one minute, then flashed green the next, and the way it moved so gracefully in the water, like it was part of the tide as much as it was part of Tae.
Taehyung smiled shyly. “You think so?”
Jungkook nodded, biting into his fruit. “Yeah. A tail is way cooler.”
Taehyung hummed, popping a not-almond into his mouth. “Maybe. I wish I could run, though, and climb the rocks, like you can. I wanna know what that feels like.”
Jungkook was quiet for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. “Yeah, I guess running is pretty fun. I wish I could breathe underwater like you, though. That’s so awesome, like a superpower!”
Taehyung laughed. “I guess it is pretty awesome,” he admitted. Jungkook nudged him with his shoulder, and Tae nudged back, and Jungkook felt happy.
~~~
They reached Jungkook’s father on the afternoon of the third day. He was walking along the beach like usual, describing to Taehyung how to ride a bike, when something in the distance made his steps slow. He squinted; it almost looked like a person… no, two people? One of them tall and broad with pink-blonde hair he could see even from far away, just like Namjoon’s hair, and the other figure looked like –
Jungkook was running, the figures growing clearer as he closed the distance. “Dad!” he shouted. The second man turned, dropping the bundle of sticks in his hands and sprinting towards Jungkook, and it was his dad, Jungkook found his dad, and he let him pick him up and hold him tight, like he used to when Jungkook was just a toddler. He was too big for it now, but he didn’t say anything, because it made him feel safe and loved.
“Jungkook,” his dad breathed. He set him down, putting his hands on Jungkook’s shoulders and kneeling in the sand, his eyes roaming over Jungkook's features. “Are you hurt? How did you find us?”
“I saw the flare,” Jungkook said proudly. His dad smiled, ruffling his hair.
“That’s my boy.”
“And Tae helped me, too,” Jungkook added, looking around, face falling slightly. Where was Tae? He’d thought he was following right behind him.
His dad frowned. “Who’s Tae?”
Jungkook finally spotted him. He pointed towards the water, his dad following his gaze to where Taehyung hid slightly behind a rock, his body submerged so just his face hovered above the water. He looked nervous, and Jungkook remembered what he’d said when they first met: how humans thought merpeople were monsters, unnatural.
He turned back to his dad. He couldn’t quite read his expression, but he knew he’d seen Taehyung’s tail beneath the shallow water. “He’s really nice,” Jungkook continued quickly. He needed his dad to understand. “He showed me where to find the best fruits, and he showed me tidepools, and he said we’re friends and made sure I was safe.”
His dad’s expression softened, glancing back at Tae. Jungkook exhaled in relief. Maybe his dad didn’t really understand, but he didn’t look upset, and that was enough for Jungkook. His dad patted his shoulder.
“Tae sounds very nice,” he agreed. Something was a bit off in his voice, but Jungkook didn’t push it. His dad stood, and Namjoon approached from behind him, his wide, dimpled grin making Jungkook giggle automatically.
“Jungkook!” Namjoon exclaimed, reaching out for a high-five, then yanking Jungkook close and scruffing his hair. “You nearly gave your dad a heart attack, you know that?” he joked, grinning as Jungkook squirmed in protest and tried to escape his hold. “Don’t go disappearing like that next time, eh? We have lifeboats for a reason, you know.”
“Sorry, Namjoon, sir,” Jungkook said sheepishly. Namjoon winked and chucked him under the chin. Jungkook finally glanced around; indeed, there was a lifeboat pulled onto the beach, a little worse-for-wear but intact. A hasty campsite was assembled a few feet up the beach; it looked like they’d managed to salvage a few blankets and some food rations, likely already stored in the lifeboat. He saw a package of flares near Namjoon’s knapsack; only one was left.
“We’re gathering supplies for our campfire tonight,” his dad said. Jungkook noticed the pile of sticks on the ground, dropped in haste. Some of them even looked like scraps from their boat.
“I’ll help,” Jungkook said immediately. His dad squeezed his shoulder.
“That’s alright, son, Namjoon and I have plenty of manpower between the two of us. Go and keep Tae company, tell him thanks for bringing you back.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “But be careful. He’s… he’s not one of us. We don’t know the life he’s used to, or what he wants, so be vigilant. He could be dangerous. I just want you to be safe, okay?”
Jungkook frowned. He didn’t like the way those words made him feel. Jungkook knew Tae wasn’t like that. His dad didn’t know Taehyung at all, didn’t understand that he was the most beautiful person Jungkook had ever met.
But he didn’t want to upset his dad, so he nodded in agreement. “Sure, okay, Dad.”
His dad nodded back and returned to the camp, picking up the fallen wood scraps, and Jungkook ran back to where Tae waited. Taehyung moved out from behind the rock, but only slightly, his gaze still flicking anxiously towards the campsite.
“I told my dad about you,” Jungkook said reassuringly. “He’s glad you helped me.”
Taehyung bit his lip, looking down. “Is he… does he…”
“He doesn’t think you’re a monster,” Jungkook said firmly. Taehyung looked up, and Jungkook didn’t like the tightness around his mouth, not one bit. He wanted Tae to smile.
“C’mon, let’s go explore some more! I bet we can find parts of the boat washed up!”
Taehyung smiled, a tiny, hesitant thing, but it was enough for Jungkook. He grinned back and started off along the beach, Taehyung waiting a moment before following, swimming in slightly deeper waters than usual. Jungkook ignored the way Namjoon stared as they passed.
~~~
Every day, Jungkook’s dad and Namjoon kept watch for boats, waiting for someone to pass by close enough to rescue them. They only had the one flare, one shot at flagging another ship down, and it had them on edge, but Jungkook distracted himself by hanging out with Taehyung. They met each morning further down the beach, far enough from the campsite that Taehyung’s smiles were radiant and unrestrained.
They explored along the beach, looking for shells and cool rocks, buffed smooth by the ocean and shining in rainbows of colors. They played games in the water, trying to see who could make the biggest splash or hold their breath the longest. (Taehyung always won). Sometimes, they raced, Jungkook running along the beach, sand hot on the soles of his feet, Taehyung darting through the water beside him. He knew Taehyung sometimes let him win on purpose, but he didn’t say anything. Taehyung even let Jungkook hold onto his shoulders as he swam them out into deep, clear waters to see brightly-colored fish and coral reefs. Jungkook ducked his head underwater, the salt stinging his eyes, but it was worth it to see the magical world under the ocean, especially when his uncomfortable squinting made Taehyung laugh in the special, genuine way that made Jungkook’s tummy feel fuzzy. Before he knew it, a week had passed, then two, then a month, time blurring into a combination of sunny days and Taehyung, the idea of being rescued fading into a tiny itch that Jungkook happily ignored.
Sometimes, after his dad and Namjoon were asleep, Jungkook would sneak out of camp to meet Taehyung down the beach. They'd sit together on the sand, shoulders brushing, and watch the stars, their hands clasped. A couple of times, Tae's thumb brushed over Jungkook's knuckles, and it made him shiver. Sometimes, the sky was too vast, so Jungkook would turn his head to watch the stars reflected in Taehyung's eyes.
Sometimes, they’d just lay on the beach or the boulders in the water, watching the clouds. Some days, they didn’t say much, content in each other’s company. And others, they’d laugh at shapes in the clouds and talk about things Jungkook normally wouldn’t tell anyone else; his hopes, his dreams, what he wanted from life. Things he’d only just begun to think about, new and a little scary.
It was one of those days. Taehyung was sprawled next to him on the beach. His hair had turned even blonder from his time spent with Jungkook above water, and Jungkook thought it made his eyes greener, his skin even more golden. But he also knew there wasn’t a color in the rainbow that Taehyung wouldn’t suit.
The clouds were sparse, just endless blue sky shining down on them. Jungkook sighed happily, tangling his fingers with Tae’s in the sand. He’d quickly discovered that Taehyung loved simple touches, hugging and cuddling and holding hands, things that Jungkook had never really done with anyone. He figured it was a merperson thing; back home, Jungkook didn’t see much physical affection. Even his parents didn’t hold hands in public.
Maybe it was just a Taehyung thing.
“I can’t wait for you to come home with me,” Jungkook said, blinking up at the sky. “I’ll show you my favorite cartoons on the TV, and my mom’s rose garden, and maybe my dad will buy us fireworks!”
Taehyung was quiet. Jungkook turned to look at him. Tae’s eyes were still closed, but his mouth looked sad.
“… I don’t think I can go back with you, Jungkookie.”
Something panicky clenched in Jungkook’s chest. “What? Why not?”
Taehyung sighed, opening his eyes, the sky reflected against their green.
“I don’t think it would be safe,” he said slowly, chewing the words in his mouth. Jungkook knew he was serious when he talked like that, soft and thoughtful. “People will think I’m a monster. They’ll stare at me.” He closed his eyes again. “I’d miss my friends, and my parents, and the ocean.”
Jungkook felt his stomach plummet, because Taehyung was right. Over the weeks, Jungkook had allowed himself to forget that he and Tae came from opposing worlds, that they had two completely different lives outside of their happy bubble on the island. His dad had finally warmed up to Tae, even inviting him to share meals at the campsite, a certain fondness in his eyes when he watched the boys whisper and laugh to each other. But Jungkook knew most people wouldn’t understand, and that Taehyung would be all alone back in the human cities, far from his home and his friends. It made him sad, and it made him angry, but most of all, it made his chest ache, right where his heart was.
He was silent for a minute. “Well, then, I’ll come back. When I’m older. I’ll buy a boat and come back and visit.”
Taehyung looked at him again. “Okay,” he whispered, his cheeks squishing up into a smile. “I’d like that.” He looked down at their hands interlocked on the sand, playing with Jungkook’s fingers for a moment. “I’ll be right back,” he said, scooting off the beach and into the water, tail flicking behind him as he disappeared.
Jungkook watched a wispy cloud float by. Logically, he knew he’d have to leave the island, leave Taehyung. But he didn’t want to. He liked it there. Sure, he missed his mom, and his dog, and the view of the lighthouse from his room, but he didn’t miss the hectic flow of people, the smells of the city, the nerves he felt going to school every day and trying to fit in. Here, with Taehyung, Jungkook finally understood what it meant to feel free, to feel understood, to feel appreciated and… loved?
The thought stirred something warm in Jungkook, like the sun blazing against his skin, but sweeter, softer. Jungkook wasn’t exactly sure what love meant, or what it felt like. He loved his parents, obviously, but with Taehyung, it was… different.
With Taehyung, Jungkook felt like the best version of himself. Sometimes, when Taehyung looked at him, Jungkook felt something fluttery in his stomach and heat flushing up his neck. It was like Tae’s gaze could see straight through him, right to the core of who he was, looking like he treasured what he saw. All Jungkook knew was that he wanted to see Tae smile, make him laugh, talk about their thoughts and dreams and favorite things. And he wanted it forever. He wanted Tae forever, something that felt confusing and overwhelming because he knew he was too young. But he felt it. He knew.
He’d never really had a true friend back home, but he figured this was what having a soulmate might feel like: a lot of comfort, a lot of happiness, and a lot of something he thought hovered just on the edge of love. Even if Jungkook wasn’t sure what that meant.
Taehyung came back after a few minutes, settling back on the sand next to Jungkook, dripping with water and smelling like the sweetest parts of the sea. He held his hand out. A shell rested in his palm, big enough to cover part of his fingers. It was pale lavender, like Taehyung’s fins.
“Do you know what purple means?” Taehyung asked. He smiled softly when Jungkook shook his head. “Purple is the last color of the rainbow. It means I’ll trust and love you for a long time.” He took Jungkook’s hand and placed the shell inside, gently curling Jungkook’s fingers around it. “I’ll wait for you, Jungkookie.”
The shell was cool and smooth against Jungkook’s palm. He felt his heart beating in his chest, and when he looked at Taehyung, something inside of him shifted, something important, something permanent. He brought the shell close to his heart and clutched it tight.
~~~
It all ended a few days later.
Jungkook was sitting at the edge of camp, finishing a cluster of fruit that looked like grapes but tasted like oranges, when Namjoon gave a shout from his lookout post. A bright pop! startled the jungle birds as Namjoon released the last flare, the early-morning sky exploding with a shower of magenta sparks.
Jungkook stood and looked out to sea. His stomach plummeted. There was an unmistakable object on the horizon, a commercial fishing boat that was growing closer and closer with each passing minute. Jungkook knew he was supposed to feel relieved, but he found himself wishing the boat would turn around and never come back.
His dad and Namjoon were frantically packing their sparse campsite, excitement bright on their faces. “Time to go home, Jungkook!” Namjoon called to him with a thumbs-up. Jungkook smiled back distractedly. Where was Tae? The sun was already a quarter-way up the sky. He was usually waiting for Jungkook at the beach by now.
He waited, an anxious feeling acidic in his stomach as his eyes scoured the beach for any sign of Taehyung, the rescue ship approaching determinedly. He felt the weight of the purple shell in his pocket. Surely, Taehyung would come in time… right?
Jungkook sighed in relief when Tae finally appeared, but the boat was just a few minutes from reaching the shore, the panicked feeling in Jungkook’s stomach churning uncomfortably.
“Sorry I’m late, Jungkookie!” Taehyung said cheerfully. “I had to help my mom with the kelp garden, and –”
“A boat is coming,” Jungkook blurted. Taehyung’s mouth snapped closed. “We’re leaving today. Now. In a few minutes.”
Taehyung blinked at him, his face falling even as he forced a supportive smile. “Oh,” he said quietly. “You finally get to go home.”
Those words felt weird, somehow. Jungkook’s throat was too tight to respond. He threw his arms around Tae, dropping to his knees in the shallows, water soaking into his trousers, but all he cared about was Taehyung, his best friend, who hugged him back just as fiercely. Jungkook squeezed his eyes shut and willed himself not to cry. He had to be brave.
“I’ll come back, Tae,” he whispered. “I promise, I’ll come back.”
Taehyung squeezed him tighter. “Okay,” he whispered back. “I’ll miss you, Jungkookie.”
Jungkook exhaled shakily and buried his face into Taeyhung’s neck. His pants were uncomfortably wet, and he could hear the splashing of oars growing closer, a lifeboat sent to bring them to their rescuers, but Jungkook couldn’t let Taehyung go. They clutched each other close, Taehyung half-submerged in the water, Jungkook still on his knees, so close that he could feel Tae’s heartbeat. He didn’t know if he could let go.
But then, Jungkook’s dad was calling, and Taehyung’s arms gave him a final squeeze before pulling back.
“I won’t forget you,” Jungkook said seriously.
“Me, neither,” Taehyung said back.
Jungkook hesitated for the briefest moment before lurching forward to press a kiss against Tae’s cheek. Taehyung blinked at him, his hand touching the spot in bewilderment, a rosy blush creeping over his skin that Jungkook had never seen before.
Jungkook’s dad called again, more urgently, and Jungkook finally stumbled to his feet, backing away slowly, his eyes still on Tae. The merman smiled at him. Jungkook could tell it didn’t reach his eyes. He still tried to smile back, even as his eyes burned with the effort of trying not to cry. He waved goodbye, then turned, running towards the lifeboat where his dad waited.
As they rowed towards the main ship, Jungkook scanned the beach for Taehyung. But he was gone.
Jungkook bit his lips harshly, his hands clenching the side of the boat. He vowed to come back. No matter the challenges, no matter how long it took, Jungkook was bound by a promise he swore to never break.
He boarded the rescue ship and sailed towards the horizon, watching the island until it faded from view, his chest hurting even more than he’d expected, feeling like the boat was taking him in the wrong direction. Away from home.
~~~
From their rock in the lagoon, Taehyung watched the boat sail away into nothing but a memory. And he discovered that merpeople, too, could cry.