Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The tinny echo of water flowing enters Hongjoong’s ears. Vague hums of uttered words and sloshing water reverberate.

“Mn…” Joong groans. He hacks and coughs as he blinks his eyes open, trying to piece together what the hell just happened. Everything’s blurry at first, nothing but smeared shapes and hazy outlines. Somehow, he’s laying down.

“Drip. Drip. Drip.”

Hongjoong’s nose scrunches.

“Drip. Drip. Drip.”

It tickles, the steady drop of water square on his nose.

He opens his mouth again in an attempt to speak, but another violent hack ejects itself instead. His throat throbs with a stinging, scratchy pain. The smudged daze around him starts sharpening, materializing into things. Well, sort of.

It’s dark, wherever it is. The only source of light seems to be something shifting up above.

“Drip. Drip. Drip.”

Then there’s that. The water drip.

Hongjoong looks up above to see just exactly what’s going on. What the hell is leaking? For a second, he sees it, but he can’t really comprehend. He asks himself: why does the ceiling look like water?

“Drip. Drip. Drip.”

Joong tries to examine his surroundings, hoping it’ll shed some light on the situation. He considers that maybe he’s dreaming.

Slowly, the captain sits up to assess everything.

Then, he thinks he’s definitely dreaming. In front of him - much like above him - appears to be water. A wall of water. It doesn’t make any sense. How can there just be water? Standing vertically like some kind of divide? He swears that he can see something shifting behind it, but he’s far too disoriented to trust his eyesight in that moment. Feeling the floor below him, it feels… Dry? Like ground. Solid, dirty ground.

His head whips around, suddenly remembering that he’d been with two other people. Seeing Yunho and Jongho passed out beside him assures him that he is, in fact, not dreaming. His heart sinks upon realizing it.

“Wake up,” Hongjoong croaks out, shaking Yunho. “Wake- wake up.” He coughs and sputters a bit as he tries to stir the other.

“Mn…” “What happened?” The others groan, sluggishly coming to life.

“Where… Are we?” Jongho asks when he rises into sitting. His mouth drops open as he observes their surroundings. “What the-?”

They’re surrounded by walls of rock and water. Craggy stalagmite frames the water much in the manner a door would be framed, and a floor of dry earth sits beneath them.

“It’s like some subaquatic air chamber,” Hongjoong replies. “At least, that’s my guess.” He looks out through the ceiling again.

“How far down do you think we are?”

“I have no idea,” Hongjoong frowns. He turns to poke Yunho (who’s still laying on the ground), “Hey- Yunho. Do you smell anything? Hear anything?”

The canis rolls onto his side to face Hongjoong and frowns, “I smell salt water. I taste salt water. Do you know what I hear ?”

Joong’s shoulders sag, “Salt water?”

“Salt water,” Yunho says dejectedly. He stays prone on the ground.

Suddenly, something shifts in Hongjoong’s peripheral vision. His eyes dart to one of the water walls, but he doesn’t quite catch it. The same thing happens again, the catching of a slight silhouette at the edge of his vision. Unfortunately, he misses it again.

Worry stabs him in the chest when he realizes: they’re not alone.

“Guys, do you see that?” Hongjoong asks.

“See what?” “I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.”

A flash of color darts across a water wall yet again, and this time Hongjoong sees it. It’s slender and blurry, but it’s there. It’s there, and it’s coming to get them.

Another sliver of a silhouette joins the first one. Then a third and a fourth. They circle around malignantly, as if they know they’re causing distress. Hongjoong tries to follow them, but they start swimming swiftly. The already obscure shapes become almost indiscernible in the murky depths, and the seeds of worry inside of the captain begin blossoming into full blown panic.

“There’s definitely something there,” Jongho says.

Yunho sits up, trying to follow the things, “Is it gonna eat us?”

“I dunno,” Hongjoong says. The three shrink back toward one another, cowering as far away from the water walls as possible. More and more colors swirl around them, like a predatory whirlpool, until finally, one of the water walls erupts with sound.

“Splaash!!”

The trio all wince, holding onto one another for dear life as the walls explode with noise. Hongjoong squeezes his eyes shut out of reflex, dreading what fate is to become of him.

“Splish!” “Splaash- splaaash!!” “Splash!”

One after the other, those things, whatever they may be, burst into the air chamber. It feels like eons until finally, the echoes stop bouncing around the tiny space.

Hongjoong opens his eyes hesitantly, shocked when he’s faced with not some hideous sea creature, but a man. A tall, statuesque, fair-skinned man with wet, slick hair and stern eyes. Joong glances around and he realizes they’re surrounded by people who look similar. Tall. Pale. Angry and wet. They all wear similar outfits - snug fitting clothing in dull colors. Some don belts with sheathed blades, others hold tall tridents upright. At first, Hongjoong thinks it’s strange. Then he makes the connection - these people are matching because they are in uniform. They’re armed officers of some sort.

He notices one other thing they all have in common: little fleshy slits on their necks. Hongjoong thinks, they sort of look like…

Gills.

They’re gills .

These are aquatic people.

The light turns on in Hongjoong’s brain, and things start making more and more sense. However, his contemplation is cut short when the most senior looking of the bunch steps forward and speaks.

“Good. You’re up,” The man says coolly. He’s got long hair, half-tied in a topknot of sorts. The golden trident in his hand is almost as tall as he is, and it’s encrusted with twinkling jewels and glass.

Joong isn’t sure if the look of displeasure on his face is a conscious one, or if the guy just looks angry naturally. He decides that it’s hardly a detail worth reflecting on - given that he fears for their lives and everything.

Hongjoong braves replying, “What- what’s going on?”

“We’ll be asking the questions here,” The leader replies. He spins the massive trident in a skillful flourish before pointing it threateningly at Hongjoong. “Speak out of turn again, and you die, human.”

The captain opens his mouth, ready to spout out his instinctual response, “I’m sorry”. However, he prudently shuts it before accidentally uttering a sound and getting himself skewered. Instead, he nods in understanding (as do the others).

“Very good,” The leader nods. He wrinkles his nose, remarking, “What in poseidon’s name is that stench?”

“I think it’s wet dog, sir,” Another one of the aquatic guards comments, pointing at Yunho with their sword.

“Ugh- never mind that,” The leader scoffs, “You, human. Tell me what it is the Coalition is planning!” He shouts demandingly.

Hongjoong’s face scrunches with bafflement,“I’m sorry, what-?”

“Don’t play dumb! You think just because we’re aquatic we didn’t notice your ship entering our atmosphere? What are you planning?”

“Me? I’m not planning anything! It’s the truth. I- We're not with the Coalition I promise you that. We stole that ship- it’s not even ours.”

“How dare you insult our intelligence with such falsifications. If you insist on spinning lies, then I shall have to persuade you to speak truth,” The man snaps, and one of the guards rushes to Yunho’s side. They grab the canis and drag him toward one of the water walls. One of the guards roughly ties a cloth around his face, not only blinding him, but blocking his nose, mouth… Everything.

“Wh- What are you doing?” Hongjoong asks, eyes wide.

“Let me ask you one more time,” The leader says, ruthlessness boiling beneath his dark eyes. “What are you doing on my planet?”

Using the inquiry as a cue, the guard holding Yunho grabs a fist full of the humecanis’s hair and shoves his face into the water wall. Yunho lets out a yelp, and he flails. Water splashes everywhere. His hands shoot up to the guard’s grip, but he can’t peel their hands off.

“Wh- No! What’re you doing?!” Hongjoong jumps up toward Yunho and reaches out. The needle sharp point of a trident grazes him, stopping him in his tracks.

“He can come up when you answer the question,” The leader tells him.

“Wh- B- N-no, please-“ Terror closes around Hongjoong like an iron maiden, needles of dread slowly sinking into his body. “Please I- I promise we didn’t mean anything. We crashed here! We were- were running away…” He trails off as he watches Yunho’s struggling limbs go slack. Bubbles float up from his head. “Y-Yunho?”

Without warning, the guard holding the canis pulls him out. It’s a mere instant. Yunho hacks and coughs, gasping desperately for air.

“Yunho-!”

Before Hongjoong can get out another word, his friend’s face is plunged back into the water.

“No- No wait, please! Take me instead!” Hongjoong says insistently, meeting the furious eyes of the leader with an intense gaze his own.

“You are not the one making demands, now tell me why are you on this planet?” The leader snarls.

“We stole a Coalition ship,” Joong tries to keep his voice steady, calm. “We ran, but they caught up with us. This was the only place to get them off their tail. It’s the only place they wouldn’t follow us.”

Yunho’s let out again. His loud splashes and pained gasps echo across the chamber.

“Please sto-“ “Splish!” He’s plunged right back in, as is the dagger of worry piercing Hongjoong’s heart.

“I am being completely, one hundred percent honest,” Hongjoong insists, tears welling up in his eyes.

The leader looks at Joong contemptuously and snaps again. This time, a guard grabs Jongho. They drag the youngest over to another water wall and posture to do the same thing. The kid resists a bit, but a sword pressed to his back quickly quells his rebellion.

“No! No- what are you doing?!” Honjoong cries. He wonders why the hell people of authority never believe him. Does he look like a liar? Is it his tone? “Take me- for fuck’s sake take me !”

“Well, if you insist,” The aquatic man shrugs nonchalantly and snaps. A third guard balls his fist up in Honjoong’s long hair and guides him roughly to the wall in front of them. Someone swaddles his face in a ratty cloth that smells like must and seawater.

“You can let them go now,” Joong says, teeth gritted as pain stings the back of his head.

“I never agreed to that,” The leader replies frigidly.

“Wh-“ “Splaash!”

Hongjoong doesn’t get the privilege to respond before being shoved into the water. Following the splash ensues the strange, wet quiet of flowing liquid around him. The cold, salty water stings his eyes, and he squeezes them shut. It’s a strange, disorienting sensation, to have one’s head under water while the body is completely dry. His arms flail around, grazing water and rock in hopes of finding something to brace himself on. The hands holding him in place are steady and strong. No matter how hard he tries, he’s powerless to pry off their grip.

He’s held under for one second, then two. Three, four… Ten, twelve… Fifty and a minute. That’s when he starts feeling lightheaded and agony knocks on his chest. He feels sick and weak, like he’s going to pass out any second. Water enters the wrong pipe, and he gags.

That’s when he’s tugged back.

Cacophanous splashing combined with barked inquiries and pained coughing fills the chamber. Everything echoes so loudly, it’s hard to distinguish anything. Joong swears he can hear yelled curses and Yunho whimpering, but those dull in comparison to the question spoken into his ear.

“Now, tell me. What is the Coalition planning?” The leader asks.

“I- Iunno,” Joong slurs.

“Hm. I see it’ll take more to break you. Again!”

“Wh-“ “Splassh!”

The entire process repeats once again. Hongjoong manages to close his eyes on time, but it’s a miniscule consolation. Though he tries to hold his breath, what little he has ejects itself soon after he’s submerged. His own reflex to inhale betrays him, making the wet cloth cling to his nose, suffocating him. All too soon that sickening blackness beckons him under.

Then he’s pulled out again.

“What are the coalition’s plans?”

“I’m- Don’t know. I don’t-“

“Splaash!”

More than anything - the pain, the borderline consciousness - it’s the uncertainty that causes Hongjoong to panic. His chest heaves, desperate to take breaths, and his limbs flail once again in a hopeless attempt to wrest himself free. How long will he have to endure this? What about the others? He needs to know that the others are okay. And what happened to Wooyoung? Is he already dead?

How long has it been?

Why does it feel so, so long?

He’s yanked out yet again.

“Good on you for being conscious,” The leader comments facetiously. “Now: what are the coalition’s plans?”

“Wha… Woooyoun...g- he-?”

“Splaash!”

Dread compounds, and Hongjoong feels his body shaking violently. His throat burns upon the accidental inhalation of water. The world around Hongjoong dulls, and he’s certain he’s seconds away from passing out.

Then he gets pulled out again.

This time, however, is different.

Hongjoong wishes he could understand what’s going on. All he knows is that, somehow, he’d gotten thrown onto the ground. He limply paws at the sopping cloth covering his face until it manages to slide down. The world spins, and sickening nausea paralyzes the confused captain.

He hears yelling and makes out the blurry forms of a few guards. At the corner of his vision, he makes out the stocky shape of Choi Jongho. Jongho fights off three guards, kicking and punching wildly. Their slender bodies go flying, some even getting sent back out into the water. Orders are bellowed and guards run around frantically, trying to subdue the berserk human. All the while, Hongjoong rolls onto his side. Salt water sears his throat as it rises with the bile he coughs up.

“Enough!” The leader shouts, brandishing his trident. Strangely enough, the guards stop. Jongho, however doesn’t. He grabs the nearest one, winding his arm back to toss them into the water.

Suddenly, a strange noise drones through the chamber. It’s a sweet sounding high sound, like an instrument. No, Hongjoong realizes, glancing up at the leader. It’s a voice.

“Du-du-du… Du-du-du… Du-du-du...”

The man’s voice is shockingly airy. It traces the high notes delicately, just barely grazing the ear. Hongjoong half wonders if he’d lost his mind. Of all things for this guy to do, he’s singing? It’s almost humorous to the captain until he hears the soft thump of someone hitting the ground behind him. Eyes darting to where Jongho had once stood, he sees the other knocked out cold.

Did he really just lull Jongho to sleep?

“Wh- What happened?” Hongjoong utters. “What’d you do to him?” His voice is raspy from being so scratched up. Another wave of dizziness washes over him, but he clenches his fists and holds on.

“You know damn well the power we hold.”

“The… Wha-?”

The leader is apparently displeased with Hongjoong’s ignorance, and he positions the tongs of the trident right at the captain’s throat. Honjoong tries to scramble back, but he bumps into Yunho’s unconscious body.

“You came here for us, didn’t you? Playing stupid won’t fool us.”

“Stu- wha-? I,” Piecing words together is hard. “I…” Hongjoong takes a deep breath, bracing himself as another wave of nausea crashes over him. “Iunno what you are talking about. I jus’ crash landed on this planet.”

“Humans spent centuries attacking the siren people. How many times must we show our power for you to understand you cannot win?”

“I…” Hongjoong blinks until his vision stops making everything look double. “Hol’ up,” He raises a hand. “What’re you talking about? I didn’t hear any… Any siren.”

For just an instant, the leader’s resolute expression falters, and he lowers the trident just a smidgeon, “Wh… Are you serious?”

“I… Yes. Very serious. I am very serious,” Hongjoong replies. Clarity gradually makes its return to his body as the haziness dissolves. “I didn’t hear any sirens going off.”

“By poseidon,” The man gasps. “They’ve sent complete buffoons.”

Hongjoong doesn’t have the time to take offense to that, because seconds later more loud splashing rings out in the chamber. A slender figure emerges through the liquid barrier, his pretty face painted with worry. Behind him, an infinitely less graceful figure fumbles through the barrier. The poor sucker practically trip over their own feet due to the gentle push of the threshold.

It takes a shamefully long amount of seconds for Hongjoong to realize he knows that sucker.

“Wooyoung?” The captain gapes.

“Chief Kawa!” The stranger says to the leader - chief, apparently.

“San! What is the meaning of this?! Can’t you see we were in the middle of something?!”

“Chief, you need to stop. There’s a misunderstandi-“

“うるさい-!” Chief Kawa yells in a strange language.

The other one pleads (or at least, it sounds pleading),“お願いします-“

The two start going back and forth in the completely unheard of language. Their expressions and tone communicates the tensity, an exchange of rage and desperation. Hongjoong quickly gives up his attempt to follow it, more curious as to what the hell Wooyoung is doing there of all places.

“Shit- are you okay?” Wooyoung rushes over to the half-dead trio. Yunho’s eyes flit open, but one can barely call his state consciousness. Jongho winces as he comes to from all the noise.

“Uh, are you okay?” Hongjoong returns the question. Wooyoung actually looks… Fine. Wet, but fine. Still, seeing that he’d come here with an aquatic person makes him suspicious.

“Huh? No I’m- I’m fine,” Wooyoung answers. In the background, the two yelling aquatic humanoids continue their back and forth. Neither seems to be backing down.

“Wh- You’re fine? How are you fine?! Look around us-“ A gravelly cough scraps out of Hongjoong’s throat for a second, “-I- we’re I don’t even know where we are. We’re, like, under water and- and you- you disappeared.” If their lives weren’t in imminent danger, Joong would consider killing Wooyoung himself for just wandering off. “Where the hell were you?”

“I, um, I may have wandered,” Wooyoung replies sheepishly. “But I did meet an inhabitant of this blue planet.” He gestures toward the young humanoid who’d entered with him. Hongjoong watches him argue with the chief. There’s a passion in his tone and a resilient determination in his posture.

“And who, exactly, is your new friend?” Jongho asks, perching himself up on his elbows.

“Um, his name is San, and he’s a siren - that’s what they’re all called. Sirens.”

“Wait- what?” The light flickers on in Hongjoong’s mind. Sirens. That’s what the angry chief meant when he was talking about sirens - not emergency alerts and loud noises. His memory works at a snail’s pace piecing together what the angry man had said to him. “Humans spent centuries attacking the siren people” - their people. “A siren?”

“They’re an aquatic humanoid race- which you probably figured out,” Wooyoung informs them. “They’re amphibious, but they feel safer under the sea after years of invasions and attacks. They also kind of hate humans and think we’re GC.”

“Yeah. We got that,” Jongho says flatly.

“Yeah, um, sorry about that. You guys look rough,” Wooyoung frowns. “What happen-“

“ Don’t wanna talk about it,” The youngest crosses his arms and pouts. He turns his head away definitely as if to say “I’m done with this conversation”. It’d be cute to the captain if there wasn’t about twenty other things on his brain.

Hongjoong picks up where the other left off, asking,“So, wait, how did you meet this guy- San, right?”

“Yeah,” Wooyoung replies. “I just followed his voice. It was almost like a- okay, this is gonna sound really strange, but-“

“Like a trance?” Jongho finishes the other’s thought (apparently forgetting that he’s too mad to talk to Wooyoung).

“Exactly. I mean, his voice is beautiful, but these people-” The rogue human’s eyes stray to the two still arguing fiercely. “-it’s different than that. It’s a part of who they are, somehow. They have this power to draw people in. Maybe it’s the frequency their voices sing in or something, I dunno.”

“So you found him… Where? In the woods? We didn’t see signs of anyone,” Hongjoong says.

Wooyoung shrugs, “His voice guided me to some clearing with a freshwater pond. He damn near killed me, too, but we, um, we got over that. They’re pretty sheltered here, taught to kill humans on sight. But, he’s different. He’s kind and I think he wants to understand humankind. So, he’s trying to convince them to let us go.”

“いやらしい-!” The chief’s voice bellow.

Shouts ricochet so violently in the small chamber, it’s nearly deafening. All eyes in the room shoot to the arguing pair. Hongjoong looks just in time to see the chief step forward and lift his hand.

“Smaack!!”

The sound is so sharp it makes even Hongjoong hiss in pain. San reels back and stumbles onto his feet. His face darkens into an expression of bitter resentment, but though his eyes look wet he keeps the tears at bay. His fingers graze the red, angry mark left on his well chiseled cheek.

Wooyoung lunges to the other’s side, “Are you okay?” His attention turns to the chief, and he scowls, “What the fuck is your problem?!”

“What is my problem?” Indignation seeps from the chief’s tone. “My problem is that you have tainted one of the tribe’s most bright, formidable warriors- someone I liken to a younger brother.”

“I what?!”

“You’ve ruined him.”

Hongjoong glances at the chief, then at San, then at Wooyoung. His pupils do that same dance a few times before settling on Wooyoung skeptically.

“Wooyoung,” He asks in a low voice, “What did you do?”

The other human gasps with contempt,“Wh- Are you serious ? I didn’t do anything except talk to him - oh, and almost get drowned.”

“Tainted, Wooyoung. He said tainted.”

“Why does it matter what I did, anyways?”

“So you did something ,” Hongjoong insists.

“Stop,” San cuts the two off before Hongjoong’s imagination gets too elaborate. He turns to the chief again, “You’ve heard my piece.”

Chief Kawa has none of it,“What I have heard is that this human has seduced you with his disgusting lies. You’ve always been a delinquent, but this, San? Having relations with a- a human ?”

“Whoa- whoa-!” Wooyoung’s hands raise defensively, “I- That’s-“ He talks to Hongjoong over his shoulder, “-that’s an exaggeration. It sounds bad-”

“And what if I did?” San spits back, standing upright again.

The expression on Hongjoong’s face is a cross between complete disappointment and the urge to kill Wooyoung. He doesn’t know what siren society rules are, but he’s fairly certain it’s frowned upon to fuck them on sight. At least, that’s what he’s managed to figure out using context clues and, of course, the murderous intention of their captors.

Wooyoung burns up, flushing with guilt and probably humiliation. The captain thinks he deserves it, but that’s a lecture for later. When they’re not being held at tridentpoint.

“So now you won’t even speak in our mother tongue? You-“ The chief turns his trident onto Wooyoung, “What filth have you spewed into this boy?”

“Yes, Wooyoung,” Jongho asks vexedly. Apparently he’s part of the interrogation squad now. “Why don’t you tell us what you ‘spewed into’ him?” He glowers.

“I feel like I’m being shamed here!” Wooyoung says. It’s definitely nowhere near what the chief wants to hear, and he thrusts his trident menacingly. It catches the fabric of the human’s shirt, but luckily it’s just a warning. For now. “Shamed for something I- I didn’t do!”

The hume turns his attention to the chief again, “Look, I get it. You guys don’t like humans. We’ve done some pretty shitty stuff, but we are not here to take your shit, okay? And- and San is his own person. He can think for himself! If he thinks humans are all awful, that’s fine, but let him reach that conclusion on his own instead of threatening him.”

“How dare you try to tell me how to raise up my brethren,” Kawa hisses.

“Y’know, you’re no better than the Coalition,” Wooyoung says defiantly.

“ Excuse me? ” The statement offends the chief so greatly, he lifts his overhead as if in preparation for another thrust - a fatal one.

Joong is a mere observer. He doesn’t know if Wooyoung is really stupid, if he’s got a plan, or if he’s just faking it. Whatever it is, it gives the man the confidence to look that chief straight in the eye.

Unwaveringly, he speaks again, “It’s true. Kill first, ask questions later - or never. You don’t give a shit about anyone but yourselves, and you just assume your way is the superior way. You’re no better than the scum you so desperately want to disassociate yourself from. Actually- you’re worse. You’re nothing more than a bunch of savages.”

For a second - just one tiny, quick second - the chief looks affected. His visage of anger wavers, and regret swims behind his eyes. However, stubbornness wins over. Fury once again clouds the chief’s eyes and he grips his trident tightly.

“If it is savagery you insist upon, then it is savagery you shall receive!” He shouts, lunging toward Wooyoung.

The glint of light against the trident’s tongs blurs in Hongjoong’s vision. He wants to stop it, but his body is still wrecked from deprivation. Powerless dread fills him to the brim as he does the only thing he can: watch.

“No-!” San yells all of a sudden. The siren throws himself in front of Wooyoung quickly and throws his harms out. The chief immediately freezes, eyes wide with pique and bafflement.

“Get out of the way,” Kawa roughly commands.

“No,” San protests.

“Get out of the way,” The chief demands again.

“No.”

“Why are you being so stubborn for the sake of some humans? You have known them for mere hours.”

“It’s not about that. They’re- they’re right. We can’t just go around killing everyone on sight. How does that make us better than them? And- and maybe I- I want to know them better,” San bites his lip nervously.

Kawa shifts to get another angle on the trident, but San mirrors him. The chief shuffles over only to have his movement matched again.

“You’re really not going to move?”

San just shakes his head.

“San, I don’t want to do this.”

“Then don’t,” San replies insistently - begging. “Just let them go.”

“And what about you? A traitor who gave away the siren’s most precious gift to a human?”

(Joong and Jongho stare daggers at Wooyoung’s back.)

“I had to.”

(Joong and Jongho stare even more daggers at Wooyoung’s back.)

“And I shall have to kill you, whether or not I let them go. It is my duty to protect this planet, and I cannot allow you to poison any of your peers with your- your soft heartedness.”

“Why? Why?”

“Because that’s how we’ve protected our planet and our people for all these years. I advise you again: stand down ,” The chief’s expression softens slightly. It occurs to Hongjoong that he genuinely doesn’t want to kill the other siren. He wants San to step back, to let things be as they normally are. In his own way, the judgmental bastard is begging, too.

“No,” San resists. “These people are innocent. Why can’t we let them leave? We are not the only ones victimized by the Coalition.”

“And let them tell all their little human friends that the sirens have gone soft? That we’ll let them come and go as they please?”

“They won’t tell anyone-“

“We won’t.” “Not a soul.” “I promise!” “Nobody will even believe us, really.” The humans chime in.

Kawa scoffs,“And you trust them?”

“Can’t we just give them a chance?”

“Chances do not assure the security of a people, San.”

“And cold blooded murder does?”

“We appear to be at an impasse,” The chief says coldly. “You leave me no choice.” He pulls his trident back. All San does is brace himself, and the humans in the chamber all wince as they see the trident thrust forward, straight for San’s chest.

“Wait!” Wooyoung yells this time.

Chief Kawa stops again - it’s almost as if he wants to be stopped. In spite of everything, he’s looking for an out, for some way to twist the situation without compromising his society’s doctrines.

“You said he’s like your brother,” Now it’s Wooyoung’s turn to step between the trident and the person in front of it. “Do you really want to kill him?”

“Wooyoung, don’t worry about it,” San murmurs to the human.

“No- No I will worry about it because unlike these crazies, he actually listened to what I had to say. Admittedly, not before

Trying to kill me.”

San adds, “And- and he actually listened, too. He- he even apologized. He admitted that humanity has… Done terrible wrongdoings. But that was years ago.”

Chief Kawa looks at the two, absolutely livid. Shockingly, he finally draws back the trident, standing it upright next to himself. Jaw locked with an expression of disgust, he doles out his sentence:

“Very well then,” The chief says clippedly.

“Wait, what?” “R-Really?” Everyone exchanges looks of surprise.

Kawa continues, “You-“ He jabs a finger at Hongjoong and the crew, “-get the hell off of my planet. And you,” His tone drops when his gaze meets San’s. It’s steeped in defeat, “Since you seem so enamored with man, you can enjoy living like one.”

“What?” San asks confusedly.

“I can’t allow someone impure to swim amongst our kind- someone who’s had relations with a human and allowed them to live. However… The man is right. I do not wish to kill you. That’s far too light a sentence for how greatly you’ve compromised us. You’re banished to the island.”

“Wait- you’re exiling me?”

“When you leave this air cavern, you will leave this sea and never return. Of course, to my knowledge you’re rather fond of that little rock. Alone.”

San opens his mouth to protest, but he snaps it shut. Once again tears well up in his eyes. He doesn’t let them fall, though. He doesn’t show weakness. On the contrary, he stands up even straighter than before. He even puffs his chest up.

“Okay,” Is all San says in response.

“Okay?” The young siren’s calmness only further spurs the chief’s pique. “ Okay? ” He grips his massive trident with white knuckles. “You’ve committed a serious of heinous, treacherous atrocities, utterly shamed yourself and been banished from all you knew, and- and all you have to say for yourself is okay ?” He lets out an angry puff of air and spits bitterly, “Have fun living the rest of your days out alone on that muggy rock.”

“He won’t be alone,” Hongjoong pipes up. Shakily, he gets onto his feet and walks over to the other two. “He’ll be coming with us- I mean, if he wants to.” He gives San an inquisitive look.

In the small time he’s known the siren, San has literally put his life on the line. He stood up for his beliefs and for complete strangers. Sure, blindly trusting someone can be stupidity, but it’s also indicative of optimism, hope, and most of all: a kind, pure heart. In Hongjoong’s book, that’s a winning combination.

The chief fumes in silence for a few moments, harsh disapproval written all over his face.

“So be it,” He grunts, “The only life sentence I can think of that would be worse than exile would be a life among man.” He wrinkles his nose, as if he’d smelled something rotten. He turns to the water wall behind him, “Now get out of my sight and off of my planet! If you ever venture near the sea again, you will be killed immediately!”

With that remark, he parts from those in the chamber, calmly walking through the threshold of gas to liquid. His form blurs and smears with the shifting waters, and soon it disappears into the murky depths. The guards disperse with their leader, leaving San and the four humans alone in the strange place.

San turns to Hongjoong, and asks with a small, meek voice, “Did you really mean what you said?”

Hongjoong nods, “I did. Oh- I haven’t even told you my name. I’m Hongjoong, and you’re more than welcome to join us. I- Please, do. You don’t deserve to be alone on a tiny island for…” He looks pointedly at Wooyoung for an instant, “What you did. But, um, we can talk more about that later. Right now I’m more concerned about something else.” He cranes his neck, inspecting the ceiling of water above.

“How do we get out of here?”

“Land! Precious land!” Yunho crumbles onto the dry sand on the beach the second he can. His tail wags furiously, splashing water everywhere. “Oh god, I never thought I’d see you again. I love you.” Jongho’s in a similar state of ecstasy, doing sand angels next to him while cackling like a drunk.

San and Wooyoung walk side by side toward the treeline, laughing at the other two. Hongjoong opts to lag a bit behind. He lets the two crazies roll around in jubilation, his mind roaming idly. Clear thought hasn’t quite returned to his oxygen deprived head, and he can’t focus on anything for more than a few seconds. Once again, another day passes by where he heads to bed in such a drastically different place than he’d woken up in. In the span of hours, they had (once again) evaded capture, avoided fatally crashing, discovered a (technically) uncharted planet, almost died, and made a new merman friend. It’s enough to boggle the lucid mind, let alone Hongjoong’s drowsy one.

In the time they’d been underwater, the sun had sunk from its peak in the sky. Now, it languidly dips beneath the horizon, scarlet and orange rays stretching across the surface of the deep azure ocean. The sight is breathtaking, not unlike a dream Hongjoong vaguely recalls. However, gazing upon the ocean feels different. Or, at least, gazing upon that ocean does. Above the gentle waves, it looks so serene. Who would ever guess beneath the expanse of glassy peaks and valleys lives an entire civilization? (A rather inhospitable one at that!)

A salty breeze rolls gently across the beach, and Hongjoong keens at the sensation. Air . Fresh, blowing air. He didn’t know he’d miss it so much. Even the processed air of the starship sounds romantic to him. He can’t wait to get the scent of salt out of his nose.

“Alright, guys. That’s enough,” Hongjoong says when he finally reaches the two rolling around in the sand. He lightly kicks Yunho in the side, urging the two up with a few more jabs. The group - now five! - set off into the forest toward their ship. Yunho chatters on about how he doesn’t think he’ll be able to smell anything for days, and San talks about how one doesn’t really “smell” underwater in the same manner.

Hongjoong smirks, managing to catch Wooyoung slightly behind the others. He sneaks up on the other, grabbing him by the back of the neck.

“So…” Joong says quietly, so only Wooyoung can hear.

“Uh, what’s up? You’re scaring me,” The younger man chuckles sheepishly.

“D’you have fun?”

“Huh?”

Hongjoong nods explicitly toward San (who, thankfully, has his back to them).

“Wait-” Wooyoung gasps, “What?”

“Did you have fun ‘tainting’ him?” Joong leans in even closer, grip tightening on the dripping collar of Wooyoung’s shirt, “Was it worth almost dying?”

“I- I didn’t- Nothing like that happened!”

“So the chief was just making it up? And San, too?”

“I don’t know what the hell they were talking about. It- They made it sound worse than it was,” Wooyoung replies. Hongjoong can see the flush creep up the other’s neck, and he laughs.

“And what exactly was ‘it’?” Hongjoong needles, poking Wooyoung’s side. The other yelps loudly, jerking away. That gets the other’s attention, but it doesn’t spell a stop in their harassment.

“What’s Wooyoung yelling about?” Jongho asks.

“Hongjoong’s being mean!” Wooyoung whines, moving to cower behind the (freakishly strong) youngest.

“Wh- Hey!” Jongho bats him away, “I don’t wanna hear any complaining from you. I’m still mad at you!”

“Mad at me? For what?!”

“You got laid while we got waterboarded .”

“I- I did not get laid!” Wooyoung protests.

San blinks confusedly, “What is he talking about? Who laid down where?”

“Are you serious ?” Jongho gapes incredulously.

“Um- yes?”

Hongjoong chuckles, “It’s a- a human phrase, I guess. Don’t worry about it.”

“Wait- Wooyoung got laid?” Yunho chimes in later than anyone else. “What did I miss?”

“You were out most of the time- thank god,” Hongjoong responds before turning his attention to San again, “But seriously, if, um, if it’s not too scandalous to say: why did your chief go on about, um- ‘relations’?”

San’s shoulders heave with a heavy sigh, and he explains, “Sirens have the ability to, well- okay let me put it simply for humans. There’s something called the Siren’s Kiss. It’s different than an ordinary expression of affection. Through various biological processes, it allows the recipient to breathe underwater temporarily - well, a humanoid recipient, anyways. It’s absolutely forbidden to talk to humans, let alone give them such power. Our aquatic dwellings was one of our few advantages when we were frequent targets for attack. Granting the Siren’s Kiss would compromise us greatly.”

A massive, mischievous grin stretches across Hongjoong’s face, ear to ear. He glances at Wooyoung and wiggles his eyebrows until the other breaks the eye contact embarrassedly. Hongjoong gets it, he does. San had shared something out of perceived necessity. That’s not what Hongjoong finds so funny. What really humors him is seeing sly, sharp, confident Wooyoung so damn bashful about it. Really? Over a “kiss”?

“So, like, if a siren kissed a human every day- like all the time, would they basically be able to live underwater, too?” Yunho asks. San giggles a bit at the silly question (leave it to Yunho to come up with such a hypothetical).

He answers, “Well, technically, yes, but I imagine human bodies aren’t equipped to deal with underwater conditions. One of my tribe’s elders told me that it used to be a common trope in love stories, though.”

“ Love stories? ” Hongjoong smirks, playfully kicking Wooyoung from behind. “You have to tell us more.”

San does just that, and the five lapse into a happy medium as they hike back to their ship site. Whether it’s a front or genuine fortitude, Hongjoong admires the siren’s strength. He’d been exiled from his home, forcefully isolated from everything he knew and loved. Yet he still has the strength to smile, laugh, and welcome four total strangers into his heart.

He’s strong, Hongjoong decides, and he’s going to be alright.

San gasps when they approach the crash site. Pale smoke still floats up from their hull, but it’s much less thick and odorous than before. The hull glows with regeneration, already look much better than before. Little holes of metal fill in, the hull slowly creeping into completion.

“I’m gonna check the computer, see how progress is,” Yunho says, striding over to the boarding console.

“First dibs on the shower!” Jongho calls, running in after the canis as the ramp lowers.

San’s too busy ogling the combat freighter to acknowledge anything else going on around him. He circles the thing nearly a dozen time, occasionally daring to reach out and touch the hull. Wooyoung follows, probably pointing out all the different specs and features of the starship. San grew up underwater, so he’s probably got a lot to learn.

Hongjoong, however, stays back. He strokes his chin and studies the freighter carefully. Something about it bothers him, but he can’t figure out what. It’s in good shape, save for the damage it’d just taken. It fills their needs perfectly. He couldn’t ask for more out of a ship, really. The exterior is plain. It’s fine, but…

Then he notices it:

“Hey, San!” Hongjoong calls the gawking siren over.

“What is it?” San asks, approaching him.

“This might seem like a funny question, but… Is there any, like- any plant or something really pigmented we could use to, like, paint a ship.”

“To paint metal?” San’s brow furrows in thought. “I can think of one or two plants, but why?”

Hongjoong nods to the side of the ship emblazoned with the Galactic Coalition identifier: KQ F3LL4Z.

“You guys thought we were with the Coalition,” The captain remarks. “While being with the GC can make for good cover in some places, I imagine it’ll cause us more trouble in the long run. You guys aren’t the only ones in the universe who they’ve pissed off, I’m sure.”

“So you wanna paint over it?”

“Yup.”

“What’re you gonna put?”

“I’m… Gonna feel that out,” Joong shrugs. “As long as we don’t scream Coalition Douchebag everywhere we go, I think we’ll be fine.”

“Alright, well, follow me. There’s a species of black shrimp that feed off the bottom of a nearby pond that we can go to. Plus we’ve got some terrainial seaweed that crops up, too…”

Hongjoong and Wooyoung follow San into the surrounding forest. The last hours of daylight are spent collecting as much kelp and shrimp as they can fit in their pockets. After multiple trips, San says they should have enough to cover GC identifier, and they get to work making dye. The work is arduous and messy, and Hongjoong almost regrets taking on the task so late in the day.

A few hours and a ruined government issued bucket later, they have paint. At this point, the only light guiding Hongjoong is the moon and the light filtering out of the cargo bay from the loading ramp. He’d managed to scold Wooyoung into finally taking a shower and resting, but San wasn’t having it. Even though Joong’s eyelids feel like they’re weighed down by lead, he’s determined not to lose their battle of wills.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to paint it?” San asks with a chuckle. He stands aside, watching Hongjoong stain a broom with paint.

“I got this,” Hongjoong insists.

“Are you sure? I could definitely reach higher-”

“I said , I got this!” The captain fires back. He’d gotten to know San a little better during their paint expedition, and he can honestly say he’s a fan. The siren has an undeniable, effervescent charm to him. Even though he behaves cutely and banters with the best of them, beneath his soft exterior is a formidable intensity.

“If you say so.”

“I do!” Hongjoong laughs, laying down the first thick, scraggly line of paint. He’s pretty sure his skin will be stained for a week (not to mention his clothes), but he doesn’t care. Something about painting over the Coalition’s neatly stencilled, official moniker with his own shaky hand is incredibly satisfying.

The captain lapses into quiet concentration for a few minutes. He stands on his tippy toes to start the next letter. That one’s quick, but he knows the next few will be a bit harder. Even without sunlight, the island still feels hot and muggy. Joong swears he feels steam rising from the ground beneath him. Sweat drops down his brow and between his shoulder blades.

He heaves a sigh of relief and steps back, satisfied upon completion.

“Hey, San,” Hongjoong asks. “Are you sure about this?”

“Hm?” The siren wakes up from whatever daze or contemplation he’d fallen into.

Joong glances at the other over his shoulder, “Coming with us. Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel pressured is all. If you want to stay here-”

“No,” San says sternly. “I’m not gonna just live my life in one place just because it’s familiar.”

Hongjoong frowns, “Do you have a family? Loved ones?”

The siren falters a bit, but he eventually nods, “I… I do. But there’s no doubt word has gotten out about my transgressions. Tribal families are communal. Yes, I have birth parents, but we’re all together from a young age, so I imagine everybody is pissed now. Maybe one day I can face them, but for now… I’d bring nothing but shame. Anyways!” He claps in a sudden attempt to lift the mood, “I’ve always wanted to see more of the universe out there. I’ve only read about it. I mean- a siren going on a starship! That’s like something out of that story book. You know the one?”

“The one about the Treasure, yeah?” Hongjoong asks, a wide grin blooming on his face. Even sirens had their own version of the story?

“Yes! The great adventurer and his crew. Of course he was a privileged recipient of the siren’s kiss, and they went on all kinds of adventures,” San sighs happily. “Man, stories like that are so great. The ones that feel big, like a huge journey. I remember hearing it and thinking that I- that a siren like me could do-”

“Could do anything,” Hongjoong unintentionally finishes the sentence.

San pauses for a second, but thankfully he’s not offended by the interruption. He smiles and nods in agreement.

“Exactly,” He finally looks at the ship after its completion and scans its new name a few times. “A. T. E. E. Z. Uh-teez- ATEEZ? What does that mean?” He asks Hongjoong.

“A is the first letter of our alphabet, Z is the last. So it’s like… A to Z- and everything in between.”

“Hm. What made you think of that?”

“To be honest… I didn’t really think? It just kinda came to me,” Joong shrugs. “It just felt right , but it fits, doesn’t it? I mean, we’ve got a humecanis, an ex-GC spec ops trainee, a junker - that’s me, some kid who basically has super strength, and, well, now we’ve got a siren. Not to mention our…” Hongjoong bites his tongue before he casually drops their coalition prisoner. An ill sensation wriggles up his spine just thinking of the guy. He would almost rather endure water torture again than have to deal with PO Prettyboy.

“Hey!” Jongho shouts from the loading ramp. He looks clean and cozy in his boxers and undershirt (the closest thing he can manage to pajamas in their circumstances). “You guys coming in or not? Dinner’s ready.”

“Yeah!” “We’ll be right in.”

A happy buzz resonates throughout the kitchen as the crew of (newly rebranded) ATEEZ digs in. Jongho made kimchi soup, scrambled “eggs” and rice - with, of course, a side of seaweed salad.

Hongjoong was the last to finish showering. Though the gentle jets of cool, purified water felt mostly nice, he couldn’t help recalling the sensation of being drowned over and over again. He turned off the jets no sooner than he’d rinsed off the last suds of his soap.

“Did you pick a room yet?” Hongjoong asks San as he takes a seat at the table.

“A- a room?” San blinks at him confusedly.

“Yeah. I mean you’re gonna be here for awhile, and there’s plenty,” The captain elbows Yunho next to him, “Come on, man! You didn’t show him the rooms? You’re a bad host!”

“Wh- I’m sorry!” Yunho replies sheepishly.

Jongho defends him between bites of steamed egg, “We were sort of busy putting the infirmary back together. If I recall, a certain someone went in there and apparently unleashed a tornado.”

“I- I was gonna get to that,” Hongjoong reels back, cheeks flushing embarrassedly.

“I don’t think you guys have even properly introduced yourselves to San,” Wooyoung remarks. He (of course) had taken the seat right next to San. Hongjoong glances at the ex-GC trainee with a lopsided grin. The guy’s awfully attentive to their new friend. He kindly opts to keep his thoughts to himself, though (for now).

“Oh!” Yunho starts, “Well, I’m Jeong Yunho! I’m from a crappy Earth colony far away from here,” His tail wags genially, “I grew up with Joong here, and I guess I’m, like our pilot?”

“You’re the best at it, yes,” Hongjoong gives Yunho a pat on the shoulder.

“I’m Jongho,” The youngest introduces himself. “The normal one.” (San giggles at that.)

“Not even close,” Wooyoung laughs.

“And I’m Hongjoong. Leader or captain or whatever,” Joong says with a shrug. “If you need anything, ask me, okay?”

“Right,” San replies. He turns to Wooyoung with a dimpled grin, “And I know you.”

“Yeah you two seem to be very well acquainted,” The captain’s gaze practically bores lasers into Wooyoung.

“Well, I did meet him first!” San replies innocently.

“Is it normal for sirens to give their ‘kiss’ to people they’ve only just met?” Jongho asks dryly.

“I felt it was necessary,” The siren answers with calm grace. Even though he hadn’t even been addressed, Wooyoung’s cheeks and ears burn up.

More little “introduction” bits are rattled off as time passes. Jongho mentions that he really likes singing and had exceptional marks in school. San mentions that though sirens historically weaponized song, he likes it recreationally, too. Yunho tells him stories about living on dusty, dry land, and Wooyoung talks about how he’d only heard about sirens in books. It’s funny, Hongjoong thinks, the things people find ridiculous. To many, a humanoid capable of living amphibiously and breathing underwater is ridiculous. To San, the idea that humans would genetically engineer themselves to have tails is borderline batshit.

Conversation runs on for awhile, and food gradually disappears until only about one serving of anything is left.

“That reminds me,” Hongjoong says hesitantly, “There is one more person you… Probably should meet? Like- just once, though.” He tells the siren. San tilts his head curiously but follows along without question when Hongjoong puts the last of the food onto a tray.

“You sure you wanna go down there again?” Wooyoung asks. “I mean- I could do it. You gave him his breakfast.”

Joong shakes his head, “No, I’m the captain. Feels like it should probably be me who introduces the two. You can give him the tour when I’m done.” He posits, throwing the other a bone (read: an excuse to hang out with the siren more).

Hongjoong nods toward the stairs down and leads San to the first level. The siren looks a bit puzzled but doesn’t really say anything. Joong isn’t sure exactly how to prepare San for the prisoner. He has no idea what state Seonghwa is in or how he’ll behave.

The captain decides to give it a try, “So, you know how we said this ship was stolen from the GC?”

“Uh- Yeah,” San responds.

“Well, we may have accidentally brought one with us.”

“Brought one- one what?”

“A, uh, Coalition officer.”

“I’m sorry- a what?”

“A Coalition officer,” Joong says again. “You know, um. Black coat. Tailored eerily well. Oppressive- rude.”

“You, uh- I’m sorry let me get this straight,” San’s brows furrowed in thought, “You stole a ship and… Accidentally brought a Coalition officer on board?”

“We didn’t bring him on board. He stowed away.”

“He snuck on.”

“Yes.”

“How did he sneak on?”

“Listen- I know, it sounds ridiculous, but I promise you it was insane when we were leaving that jail-”

“Did you say jail?”

“Don’t- don’t mind that, um, the point is it was crazy and chaotic and- and he’s sneaky.”

“Okay, well, that’s fair. Coalition officers are thoroughly trained to my knowledge. They probably didn’t let this thing go without a fight.”

“They did not,” Hongjoong nods affirmitively. “Of course, being that he’s with the GC and all, this guy- our, um, our prisoner- he’s not our biggest fan. So, we, um, you know-”

San chuckles and holds up a hand, “Don’t worry. I am not passing judgment on you for rightfully imprisoning a Coalition officer. My people just kill them on site- or, well, torture them. Then we kill them.”

“Right.”

“My point is, I trust you more than I trust anyone wearing one of those uniforms. Maybe it’s naive and unfounded- we haven’t known each other long, but…” San shrugs, “I dunno. I trust you. If you wanted to do something weird, you’d have done it by now. So, if you feel like you have to keep this Coalition guy locked up, I believe it.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Hongjoong replies. He feels a weight lifted off his shoulders that he didn’t even know was there. He, unlike the GC, doesn’t actually enjoy imprisoning people. He would be happy to let Seonghwa go. Ecstatic even. But that would mean endangering his crew, not to mention whatever collateral damage there could be in the fallout.

Suddenly, the captain remembers something, and he lets out a chuckle, “Y’know what’s funny?”

“Hm?” San grunts.

“He was the one who said we would all die if we came here,” Hongjoong mutters. Though it could look like kindness to an outsider, in reality it was more to save his own skin than anything else - Joong’s pretty sure of that.

“Huh, really?”

“Yup. He begged us to turn back. Said we’d all die. I, of course, did not trust him, and… We damn near did, I guess,” He turns to flash a grateful smile at San, “We would’ve if it wasn’t for you.”

San shakes his head, “It wasn’t me who saved your asses- not really. It was Wooyoung. He…” The siren looks down pensively, like he can’t really describe what he wants to. “He’s different.”

Part of Hongjoong wants nothing more than to pry in that moment, but he’s just met San and isn’t as inclined to tease him. Yet. Plus, unlike Wooyoung who acts all tough but is actually impish, San seems genuine. He’s just been ripped away from everything he knows, and in part he’d done that (at least in part) because of Wooyoung. That means something . What - Hongjoong doesn’t know. But it’s something.

“So are you,” The captain decides to keep the other human out of it.

“Maybe so,” San shrugs. The two reach the bottom of the steps, and Hongjoong gestures to the brig just across the cargo hold.

“Wait,” The siren says all of a sudden.

“What is it?” Hongjoong asks.

A sly grin blossoms on the siren’s face, “You said he thinks you were all gonna get killed, right?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“I’ve got an idea,” San’s eyes glint with mischief, and Hongjoong recognizes that, maybe, just maybe, San isn’t as innocent as he seems.

The second the door to the brig slides open, muttered curses sound out from down the line of cells. San fights with his face, willing it into a menacing scowl. His pace slows from a trot into a steady, deliberate march. Slowly, he approaches the cell.

Inside it, a fit blond struggles with… Something. He fingers the edges of the doors, murmuring softly to himself. It takes him a few moments to notice the figure looming over him. When he notices the siren’s presence, he freezes. The prisoner’s eyes go wide, and he backs away slowly. That’s how he remains: silent and gaping.

San takes it upon himself to speak first, “Hello, intruder.” He tries to look as intimidating as possible, fixing his gaze on the other like a predator does their prey.

At first, the prisoner doesn’t say anything. He just cowers silently as if standing really still and being really quiet will make the siren go away.

“We’ve already dispensed of your brethren. Unfortunately, they weren’t at all helpful in explaining why the hell the Coalition thought it was a good idea to stop here.”

“That’s- that’s not true,” The prisoner mutters. There’s strain in his voice - he’s trying to keep it straight, but it wavers slightly.

“You dare question me?!” San bursts forward, gripping the bars and sticking his face between them menacingly. The petty officer shrinks back but, unfortunately, he doesn’t start crying. Not yet, anyways. It’s sort of a goal for San. He’s eager to see just how tough this GC guy is.

“This is a grave misunderstanding,” The prisoner replies.

“That’s exactly what they said, too,” The siren scoffs. “Our questioning methods with them were far too lenient. I’m certain with you we won’t make the same mistake.”

“No, please- You must understand. I- We would never come here, the Coalition.”

“No? The Coalition branded ship that I’m standing in says otherwise.”

“This ship was stolen by criminals- fugitives. I was taken prisoner. I am not one of them.”

“Have you ever drowned, Officer Park?”

“I- How did you know my name?”

“They say it’s a cold, lonely sensation. One filled with agony and pain- however, the good news is that many say they feel at peace once they give up. There’s a certain zen aspect to giving yourself over to the tides- Of course, you won’t be given the luxury of death’s sweet release.”

“I swear to you, we - the Coalition - would never enter this planet’s atmosphere. We know better than that. We respect the independence of-”

“ Respect ?!” San bangs a fist against one of the bars, making a loud metallic clang echo throughout the small jail. “You respect us? The only reason you all stay away is because we’ve killed you countless times. Yet, somehow, it’s never enough!” The siren snarls. Overall it’s a fairly convincing performance, as far as he’s concerned.

The platinum blond shrinks back even further into the corner of his cell, “I promise you don’t have to do this. Let me take this ship away, you will never hear from us again.”

“You must think I’m an idiot to let you get away.”

“I think you- you may have the propensity to be merciful.”

“Ah, yes, letting you fly back home unscathed after a successful reconnaissance mission - that’s mercy?”

“No, but- but realizing that we can be better than our forefathers - that we don’t have to do what they did - that is mercy.”

San pauses for an instant. That was… Actually really good of him to say. He makes a mental note: the pretty blond is good with words. He probably could’ve made it in politics. The siren wonders why he’d opted to be a GC thug of all things. After all, the guy has a nice face and decent people skills. He probably could’ve done lots of things.

He internally pushes the thoughts away. Contemplating human nature is great and all, but making a blackcoat cry is way more entertaining. At the end of the day, complexities aside, the guy aligned with the wrong crowd. For that, he at least deserves a little bit of harassment.

“My kind of mercy,” San responds, “Is a swift, painful death. But you’re not getting that. Unless… You beg for it.”

“What?”

“I said: beg for it.”

“You want me to beg for my life?”

“You’re right, that’s silly,” San laughs. “Beg for your life and apologize.”

“A-apologize? For what?”

“For the wrongdoings of those before you, and the inevitable wrongdoings of those to come.”

“I’m not going to do that.”

“Then perish,” San makes a move to open the cell.

“Wait- wait- wait!” Seongwha sticks a hand out defensively (like that’ll help him).

“Oh?” The siren quirks an eyebrow.

“Wait, I’ll-” The blond lets out a puff of air, “I’ll do it.”

“You’ll do it?”

“I’ll… Apologize.”

“You’ll apologize and…” San deliberately makes the other fill in.

“And- and-” The officer’s eyes cast to the ground, and his voice gets soft, “Beg.”

San claps happily, a grin across his face,”That’s a good human!”

“But you promise you’ll let me leave, right? Leave alive and- and in one piece,” He glances at his wrist.

“You can take your little tin can and get the hell off of our planet,” San says. He smiles widely, “Now, I can clearly tell intellect isn’t your strong suit. Given that you’ve been locked up here by your own people, I’m inclined to assume you’re the lowest of the low.”

Seonghwa scowls at that. San can just see the rude remarks just pushing at his lips, asking to be released. But the guy’s got some good self-restraint. He keeps quiet and lets San continue.

“I’ll make this easy for you,” The siren says, “All you have to do is repeat after me. Can you do that?”

Seonghwa nods.

“I said: can you do that?” San insists.

“Yes,” The officer almost growls.

“Very good! Now, say, ‘My name is Officer Park Seonghwa’-”

“It’s petty officer,” The blond mutters.

“Excuse me?”

“I- My rank is- it’s- nevermind.”

“That’s what I thought,” San says pointedly. “As I was saying: ‘my name is Officer Park Seongwha’...” He trails off to let the other mimic him.

“My name is Officer Park Seonghwa,” The blond grumbles.

“And I apologize profusely for the atrocities committed by my Coalition forebrethren...”

“And I apologize profusely for the- the atrocities committed by my Coalition fore...brethren…”

“I acknowledge that compared to the siren master race I am but an insignificant cuckold...” San’s pretend authoritarian mask almost breaks at that. Luckily, he keeps it together.

“I acknowledge that compared to the… Siren master race I am but an insignificant… An insignificant-” Seonghwa’s voice shrinks to an almost indiscernible murmur, “-cuckold.”

The siren smirks to himself, “If I am lucky, this gracious, divine creature will spare me my life…”

“If I am lucky this gracious, divine creature will spare me my life,” The officer says the words “gracious” and “divine” like they’re disgusting curses.

“Now this is the part where you maybe throw in some, like, ‘please don’t kill me’ statements. I’ll let you improvise here.”

Seongwha glares at the siren, but those nasty thoughts he’s so clearly thinking don’t get verbalized. Instead, he does as he’s told.

“Please don’t kill me,” The officer says flatly.

“Wow. That is not convincing. Ought I escort you to the submersion chamber right now-?”

“Please, don’t-!” Seonghwa suddenly clamors up to the bars with urgency. San grins with satisfaction and waits for the other to conintue. The blond takes a deep breath before trying a more impassioned request for mercy, “Please, please, please don’t kill me. I- I-” It clearly wounds the guy to beg for his life, which makes the entire affair way more funny. “I beg of you.” Seonghwa finishes with gritted teeth.

“I’ll take it,” San says dismissively. “Now - don’t worry, you’re almost free - repeat again: ‘I will never step foot on this planet again’...”

“I will never step foot on this planet again.”

“And I swear to warn my cohorts of the same...”

“And I swear to warn my cohorts of the same.”

“Because I know better than to spurn the merciful siren, San…”

“Because I know better than to spurn the merciful siren, um, San.”

“I also confess…”

“I- I also confess- how much longer is thi-”

“Did I say you could speak out of turn!” San snaps.

Seonghwa winces and complies, “I- I also confess.”

The siren smirks, “That Captain Kim Hongjoong is superior to me in every way.”

“That Captain Kim Hongjoong is superior to m- Captain Kim- Kim Hongjoong is- is…” Seonghwa’s eyes go wide with stupefaction, and he gapes at San.

From down the hall, a low voice echoes: “Wait- wait add sexy.”

Seonghwa starts sputtering, “Wh- What the hell- what is-”

The very captain in question starts striding down the hallway, his voice growing with each step forward, “Or should I say handsome?”

San chuckles, “I think ‘in every way’ implies appearance, too.”

“Yeah, but I feel like the looks adds, like, an extra layer of humiliation, you know?” The captain grins as he arrives in front of Seonghwa’s cell, dinner tray balanced carefully in his hands. “What do you think?” He asks Seonghwa pointedly, his eyes swimming with amusement.

Seonghwa’s wide eyes alternate between San and Hongjoong. Pink tints his ears and cheeks as he visibly searches for something to say.

“Aw, look,” Joong snarks as he sets the tray on the door slot. “He’s so happy to see me, he’s speechless.”

“You,” Is all Seonghwa manages to get out.

“What about… Sexy?” Hongjoong asks San rhetorically. “How’s that sound? Captain Kim Hongjoong is sexy- wait, I don’t want you to say that.”

“You- you- you’re alive?” Hwa asks in wonder.

San just pouts, “He didn’t cry, though.”

“Yeah, I guess expecting him to cry is unrealistic,” Hongjoong replies. “He would need a heart to display that much emotion.”

“You- you’re with a siren?” Seonghwa gapes.

“Yep!” Hongjoong exclaims. He slings an arm over San’s shoulder, “And he’s our new bestest friend! I say ‘our’ because we all got out alive.”

“In one piece!” San adds jubilantly.

“No. That- that can’t be- he is a siren . You’ve had contact with a siren.”

“His powers of observation aren’t very astute,” Joong tells San.

“You idiot- he’ll drown you in your sleep!” Seonghwa exclaims.

San had taken Petty Officer Park Seonghwa for a typical GC douchebag before. But the blond’s statement rubs him the wrong way, and his loathing deepens ever so slightly.

“What happened to being better than our forefathers?” The siren says, fists clenched at his sides.

“That was before I knew the company you decided to keep,” Seonghwa huffs. “I guess you’re just the same savages you were a thousand years ago.”

“Thudd!!”

San hits a bar again, this time hard enough for the sound to bounce around the entire jail a few times. He feels fury gurgling inside his guts, and he snarls:

“You oughta be on your hands and knees kissing his ass-” He nods to Hongjoong, “-because the only reason you’re actually alive is because of him right now.”

The captain reaches out to reassure the other,“San-”

“Wow,” Seonghwa breathes out bitterly, “Threatening me? Really not helping your case here.”

San grips the bars in his hands in a vice like grip, just venting his anger into them for a few seconds. When the peak of the wave passes, he drops his hands and lets out a sigh. Humans are complicated, he thinks. Some are gracious and intriguing. Others vile and bitter. He thought for an instant that maybe, just maybe the GC officer had a little more to him.

Guess not.

“San,” Hongjoong whispers, “Why don’t you let me wrap up here? Go find Wooyoung and have him give you the tour I mentioned.”

The siren stands down.

Wooyoung. A tour.

Sounds good.

San nods in agreement, leaving the brig in a huff. He doesn’t look back to see Hongjoong’s soft, caring expression, and he doesn’t notice the indentations his grip left on the metal of the bars.

Hongjoong shakes his head and scoffs, “Incredible.”

Seonghwa rolls his eyes, “That you’d endanger yourself by cohabiting with a siren? Yes, that is incredible-” He takes a bite of egg, “-incredibly stupid.”

“Y’know you really had me going for a second.”

“Hm?” The petty officer grunts as he slurps down soup.

“That ‘better than our forefathers’ bit- that was good. You even had me convinced for a second,” The captain frowns. “I almost thought you meant it.”

“That’s because I did,” Seonghwa says frankly before taking a bite of rice.

Hongjoong narrows his eyes at the other skeptically, “Like hell you did. You just called him a fucking savage.”

“He just threatened my life.”

“Because you provoked him to!”

“I did no such thing,” Seonghwa replies calmly - he’s always so calm, it’s infuriating. Hongjoong’s not an angry person either, but he can’t help feeling like an active volcano in the presence of the PO’s arctic aura.

“You said he’d drown us in our sleep.”

“And who says he won’t? Seriously- you expect me to believe that you just skipped down to the beach, showed them how much moxy you and your little crew have, and came back with a new bestie?” Seonghwa lets out a wry laugh.

“You don’t know what happened,” Joong spits back, irked just thinking about his experience.

“Exactly right. I don’t know what happened, so I have to rely on my intelligence, education, and basic logic to discern what’s going on. Using the intellectual tools at my disposal, the most likely conclusion I can reach is that sirens loathe humans, and he’s gonna kill you in your sleep.”

“You could’ve used a third of the syllables to say exactly what you just said,” The captain grimaces at the other with distaste.

“I’m sorry did my big words confuse you?”

“Oh my god- please just finish eating so I can go,” Hongjoong huffs.

“Nobody’s forcing you to be here.”

“We’ve gone over this.”

“If I didn’t find the sight of you so viscerally revolting, I would eat slower just to spite you.”

“Well I’m so glad we both share the same cosmic repulsion to one another. Now eat ,” Hongjoong huffs.

“You’re just angry because I’m right. You do trust too easil-”

“Eat,” Hongjoong cuts the other off indignantly. It’s that second that he swears he’s not getting prisoner food duty ever again. He won’t allow it.

Thankfully, the prisoner seems just about as done as Hongjoong does, and he finishes his meal in fast silence. Maybe if he knew that San had laid his life on the line for them, he’d understand why Hongjoong trusts him. But that’s none of his business. Petty Officer Prettyboy’s opinion has about as much value as a rat’s ass, anyways.

The captain scowls as he watches the other finish his meal. He’s fairly convinced that, in the right light, when he squints his eyes just so, he can make out a pair of devil’s horns under that perfect platinum blond hair.

“And this is the kitchen-slash-living-area,” Wooyoung makes a grand gesture out into the open space. He watches San gasp yet again. The ship is pretty nice in Wooyoung’s opinion, but his reaction pales in comparison to San’s. The siren walks around slowly, eyeing everything in wonder. He reaches out to let his fingers graze every surface - aluminum, steel, synthetic wood, the durable nylon blend of the couch. Everything is fascinating and exciting and new to him.

Something about watching that, about seeing the stars twinkle in someone’s eyes over the simplest of things, makes Wooyoung’s heart glow.

“What kind of food do you eat?” San asks, rubbing his hands all over the polywood table like it’s made of shag carpet.

“Uh- All kinds of stuff,” Wooyoung answers with a chuckle. “I mean, right now it’s all military flash frozen, pre-planned stuff. They stocked it pretty good. Basic stuff I guess like rice and kimchi and kelp - like what we had. Sometimes eggs or chicken. Seems like the GC liked stocking dry rice. I don’t blame ‘em, it’s easy and cheap. Uh… I mean there’s, like, cereals and, um, vegetables and fruits. What did you eat?”

“Take a guess,” San says.

“Fish?”

“Fish. And seaweed and kelp- we had rice, too! Though I’m fairly certain it’s not like what you call rice. There’s ancient grains and we had some fruits- aquatic of course. Did I mention fish?”

“You know what, I don’t think you did,” The two share a few laughs before it dies down.

“C’mon,” Wooyoung waves San over. “Let’s get you a bedroom.” The mention of a room prompts San to bounce out of his chair and trot giddily toward his guide.

“Is it true what the captain said?” San asks.

“Is what true?”

“About there being plenty of room for me? Like- like I can get my own room?”

“Huh? Of course. Would he lie about that?” Wooyoung leads the other down the hallway.

San smiles ear to ear; it’s authentic and adorable, “I just- I’ve never had my own room. I- I can’t imagine. Like a whole room for me to sleep in alone?”

“Really? Wh- Yes.” Wooyoung knows it’s common for people to have to share rooms. Where he’d come from, whole families lived in a room. They’d do whatever they had to to survive, it wasn’t that big of a deal. However, hearing that the other lived like that was strangely peculiar to him. Wooyoung just assumed that sirens were somehow… Different. He never thought of how, just figured that they are. Maybe they have more in common with other humanoids than they insist they do.

“Whoa, that’s so cool. Everything is communal where I live- lived,” The siren says, deflated ever so slightly.

“Well, the shower here still is. I mean- I think the captain’s got his own- lucky bastard. Our setup is fine, though. I… I hope you like it,” Wooyoung says, leading San down the hall where the rooms are.

“I like what I see so far,” San says casually.

Wooyoung can’t help but take pause. He’s spent his fair share of time behind many bar counters in his post-trainee years. He has been on both the receiving and giving end of flirtation and, to him, that sounds like textbook flirtation. But… Sirens don’t flirt the same way. Right? More importantly: why does that matter right this second?

“Good to know,” Wooyoung responds, nonchalant. “So, here’s the hall where most of us stay. The common area sort of is like the middle of the two halfs. Captain’s quarters are on the other side. So here’s Jongho-” Wooyoung points to the closest door, “-and Yunho-” He taps a door one away from the first, “-and this is me.” He taps the door second from the last.

“Is there a difference in any of them?” San asks.

“Not the normal ones, no. The captain’s quarters are nice, but obviously taken.”

“So, wait- you all just left him alone on the other half of the ship?”

Wooyoung lets out a laugh, “Wh- I guess. You make it sound so bad.”

“What did he do to deserve being all by his lonesome?”

“Stop- we didn’t-”

“Is he a loud snorer.”

“God, I hope not. Wait- do people even snore under water?”

“Trust me, they do ,” San snickers. “It sounds more like bubbles though. You know sound does carry more in water.”

“Yikes.”

“And we’re actually really good at hearing.”

“Yikes.”

“Eh. We learn to deal with it.”

“Well, if you want more quiet, we can check out the rooms on the other side of the hall. They’re literally all the same, anyways,” Wooyoung shrugs.

San doesn’t respond with words. Instead, he walks past the human and presses the touchpad to open the door at the end of the hall. It slides open with a soft hiss, and the light automatically illuminates, painting a massive block of light in the hallway. Wooyoung scrambles to the other’s side as he steps in.

The layout is exactly the same as his room (and all the other regular crew quarters). On one side, there’s a built-in bed with wardrobe storage all around and a reading light above. It’s a surprisingly decent size - two people could probably fit in it comfortably. Opposite the bed is a wall with a hanging desk and a bolted down stool. A little HUD projector console sits on the desk - probably intended for little GC worker-bees to use for correspondence or inventory detailing. A window shows the world outside on the wall opposite the door.

“Whoa…” The siren gasps as he walks in. The room is by no means impressive - maybe three by three meters. But, to San, it doesn’t matter. The siren excitedly paces straight to the window. “I can see space outta this thing?”

“Well, when we’re in space, yeah,” Wooyoung says. “Which should be any minute. I’m pretty sure the captain wanted us off this planet, ASAP. I think that’s where Yunho is. Oh- But, don’t worry, there’s a blind so you can sleep without light coming in.”

“I’ll take this one,” San says with finality.

“Huh?”

“This room,” The other turns to the human, a little smile on his face. “I’ll take this one.”

“Oh- Um, you sure?” Wooyoung asks.

“You said they’re all the same, right?”

“Well, yeah, but this is the first one you saw. You don’t even wanna see the others?”

“Why would it matter?”

“I dunno,” Wooyoung shrugs. “The feng shui? The ‘energy’? You’d get more quiet past the kitchen, you know.”

“This one’s fine,” San replies, unshaken. “Plus…” He pauses and presses his lips together. For some reason he seems hesitant. “It’s right next to yours.”

Wooyoung opens his mouth, but he concludes that he doesn’t know what to say. Is that flirting? No, no, he deduces. He’s the first one who’d met San. He’s the one San knows the best. Of course San will want to be near him. That’s logical. San’s been sentenced to a life in this strange world, he’s entitled to cling to whoever makes him feel comfortable.

“Just knock if you need anything,” Wooyoung tells him, trying to ignore the heat prickling his ears.

“I will,” San flashes Wooyoung another dimpled grin. It makes the human glad to see the other taking everything so well, so openly.

He starts to walk out when the intercom clicks to life.

“Hello everyone this is your pilot Yunho speaking.” (“We know it’s you!” Jongho’s muffled shout can be heard from down the hall.) “We’re gonna be getting starbourne in a few minutes so I ask that you all remain seated and secure. Due to our, uh, landing gear boo-boo, jumping off might be a little bumpy? Well, anyways, hold on and stuff.”

“Click.”

San intakes a sharp breath. His grip on the window frame tightens ever so slightly, and he turns to look.

“Um, San. Word of advice,” Wooyoung says, “You should probably be sitting down when we leave the atmosphere. Especially with the damage we’ve taken.”

“Right,” The siren says curtly. The warmth he’d possessed just seconds earlier vanished, it seems.

Wooyoung wonders what happened. His heart dips thinking about it, and he wonders if the other is starting to have regrets.

“San are you okay?” He asks, venturing a step toward the other. “San, if you want to go back-”

“No, it’s not that,” San responds clippedly and shakes his head.

“You seem a little tense.”

“I know! I- I’m sorry I know I just-” The siren glances over his shoulder. He’s chewing on his lower lip anxiously, and his eyes almost have the words “help me” written on them.

“You’ve never been on a starship before,” Wooyoung realizes out loud. Of course he’d be nervous. Who isn’t shitting themselves the first time they strap in for interstellar travel? Wooyoung remembers the kids at his school used to tell all kinds of crazy stories about it. Some said that his brain would get scrambled when he left the atmosphere and he’d forget how to talk. Others told stories about how one time some traveler warp jumped, but somehow his skeleton got left behind. Wooyoung has no idea what a siren knows about space travel, but it’s probably not very reassuring.

San nods wearily in affirmation.

“Whirr… Whirr…” “Thunk!”

The ship reanimates noisily, and (just as Yunho had said) it jostles with the strain on their rough landing gear. San gasps, digging his nails into the alloy of his window frame even more deeply. He looks like a cat who’s puffed their fur up, tense and terrified.

“San, c’mere,” Wooyoung says, taking a seat on the bed. He pats the space next to him and waves the other over.

The wide-eyed siren looks over his shoulder and complies. He scurries on over to Wooyoung’s side, having no shame in scooting as close as possible.

“Lifting off,” Yunho announces over the intercom. The ship shakes again, and San balls up the sheets below in his fists. With a few more awkward jerks and joggles, the ship is off.

“We’re- we’re off the ground?” San asks, craning his neck so he can look out the window.

“Yup,” Wooyoung knows he should be a bit more reassuring, but he can’t help grinning. He’d never been with someone on their first time travelling interstellar, and it’s pretty amusing watching the siren mildly lose his mind.

“I wanna see,” The siren says.

“That’s not safe yet, but the view from here isn’t bad.”

“Right, right,” San nods.

ATEEZ flies higher and higher, and soon even the towering canopy of trees gives way to open sky. San’s chest visibly heaves with nervous breath, and Wooyoung’s afraid the guy will bite a hole through his lip at this rate. Without a word, he wedges one of his hands between one of San’s and the bed. Calmly, the human slips his hand in and laces their fingers together.

At first, the siren doesn’t quite register. He’s wound tighter than a spring, and his eyes stay stubbornly affixed to the window. However, as the ship lifts more and more, he relaxes little by little. His vice like grip on the sheets slackens, and he visibly loosens up.

“It’ll get bumpy as we enter the atmosphere,” Wooyoung warns the other in a hushed tone. San nods, still watching the sky go by. The planet’s suns had long since taken their trip to the other side, leaving little for the eye to see in the clear sky.

Just as Wooyoung said, the ship quakes as they pass through the planet’s atmosphere. San squeezes Wooyoung’s hand even harder then. It hurts so much, the human winces, but he bears it. He can tell there’s more than just a few nerves being vented into the force. There’s a lifetime of memories being left behind along with an uncertain future, too. All of it because of a chance he took on some human.

Eventually, the ship stabilizes, and the planet’s navy night sky recedes, giving way to the galaxy beyond.

Wooyoung gives the other a kind smile, “You can stand up now,” He whispers. It’s not necessary, but it feels right - like he should be quiet.

“I- I can look?” San asks nervously. His breathing has steadied which is good, but he seems tired all of a sudden - like just leaving the atmosphere of his planet had drained whatever energy he’d been holding onto since being exiled.

“Yeah, let’s see,” Wooyoung stands up and guides the other to the window. Space is far from enthralling to him, but for San? It’s his first time. Wooyoung wants him to enjoy it - at least to the best of his abilities, given the circumstances.

San presses his nose to the window, and his mouth falls open, “That’s my planet?” He points to the blue orb known as Obureru.

“Mhm.”

“And those- those are stars?” He points to the expanse of flickering, glowing specks in the distance.

“Yup.”

“Whoa.”

“Choi San, welcome home,” Wooyoung says. San just continues to gape like a kid at an aquarium - face pressed up on the glass and mouth in a constant “O” shape.

Wooyoung almost laughs - almost . He doesn’t want to patronize the other, but the sight’s almost comical. He’s seen so much space, he’s practically sick of it. All stars are to him are burning masses of gas that occasionally explode. They’re markers for navigation, and sometimes people draw shapes between them.

Not to San, though. Wooyoung wonders what they are to him. He probably didn’t see them very well under the ocean. Are they arcane and mystical? Scary? Mysterious? Fun, even?

“It looks so small,” San says, eyes still on his planet. “To think that that place was my whole world, and now it’s- it could fit between my fingers-” He punctuates the statement by pinching his fingers in front of the window. “And- and all the stars! Wow…”

Wooyoung jokes, “I’m glad space has made a good first impression on you. The star system was clamoring for your approval.”

“As they should,” San banters back, a little smirk upturning the edges of his lips. “They’ve pleased me so far. Except for that one-” San points at a star, “-that one’s flickering at me funny. The others are good, though!”

Wooyoung chuckles at the jest, but his laughter quiets.

His gaze finds San’s, and he asks, earnestly, “And… The humans? Have they made a good impression, too?”

“Hmm…” San purses his lips like he’s thinking really hard about it. “I don’t know yet.” His words are inconclusive, but he’s got a smile on his face.

“You don’t know?” Wooyoung quirks an eyebrow.

“Well, that GC guy was kind of a prick.”

“Okay- he’s an outlier and should not be factored into the- the average.”

“No?”

“No. I’ll allow you to omit him from your report. For the sake of the data, of course.”

“Oh, of course,” San chuckles - sweet music entering Wooyoung’s ears. “Well, I suppose removing that one outlier, then I’d say humans are… Pretty good.”

“Pretty good?”

“Pretty good,” San nods.

“Just ‘pretty good’?”

“Why? Did my findings disappoint you?”

“Maybe a little,” Wooyoung pouts. “Nobody likes being called just ‘pretty good’. Of course- considering the experience you’ve all had with humans before, I guess I can’t ask for much more at this point.”

“Well...” San shrugs, “Maybe one day that’ll change.” His gaze almost pierces the human. “Maybe one day I can learn to like humans or… Even love them.”

Wooyoung pretends his face - no, whole body - isn’t on fire as he answers, “Maybe. Who knows this could be the start of a- a whole thing.” He gestures vaguely.

“A… ‘whole thing’?”

“I mean- you know, sirens and humans getting along-” Wooyoung swears he’s good at keeping up appearances. Swears it. He’s great at faking genial conversation and keeping a cool, confident face in front of others. Except, this isn’t fake, is it? He wonders. Maybe that’s why it’s so difficult. Because it isn’t fake. He’s not just trying to be collected or assured to keep appearances. His conversation is authentic.

“Right,” The siren smirks.

The smile fades, and soon the two lapse into a comfortable silence. They stargaze silently, each no doubt lost in their own reflections. San leans his forehead against the glass, and his eyelids start to fall heavily.

“It’s been a long day,” Wooyoung breaks the spell of quiet. “Why don’t you go to bed?”

“Mmkay,” San mutters tiredly. “Um- How do I… The lights and stuff?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get ‘em for you,” Wooyoung says insistently. San nods sluggishly, clearly not caring to protest. He shuffles off to his bed, and Wooyoung can hear the rustling of fabric behind him.

The human gets the blinds to slide shut and turns around to hit the lights. His insides practically ignite when he sees the siren stretching languidly in his pajamas. That is to say: stretching languidly with no clothes on at all.

“Mn… This is so nice,” San sighs happily. “Dry sheets… Are nice.” He tangles himself in the blankets and shuts his eyes contently.

“Good night, San,” Wooyoung says as coolly as possible.

“G’night, Wooyoung,” The siren slurs sleepily.

The human shuts off the lights and quietly exits the room. Thoughts upon thoughts upon thoughts reel through his head when the door slides shut behind him. He can’t quite comprehend what’s going in his brain or the weird, frazzled sensation tossing around in his chest. At the very least, he can understand one thing concretely: Choi San is safe and at least a little bit happy. Knowing that, he can sleep tonight. That’s good enough for now.