Archive of Our Own

"Hyung! Hurry up!"
"Slow down, Guanlin," he shouted back. He walked after his younger cousin who was already climbing the big, slightly bold rocks in the water before stopping on a flat one where he was able to stand comfortably.

"Be careful! Don't slip!"
"Wow, look at that great view," Guanlin awed with his hands on his hips, completely ignoring the other's worry.

Seongwoo tentatively moved next to him. He had to admit, the way the warm orange sun was reflecting in the light blue water was truly stunning.

"I'm so happy we are going on vacation here. It's gonna be awesome."

The older smiled at Guanlin's excitement and clapped him on the shoulder.

A warm breeze messed up his hair and his initial reaction was to rearrange his locks but he realized that this had to be the charm of the sea. His family decided to spend their vacation here, far away from their usually posh and proper life in Seoul, to escape the unrelenting rules of perfection. Here, no one would judge him for a bit of chaotic hair.

Seongwoo inhaled in the fresh smell of the sea. He didn't remember the last time he had been able to breath such clear air.

Suddenly, he heard something moving in the water and looked down to find the source of the noise.

Probably a fish or something, he thought.

"Hyung, let's go swimming tomorrow."
"Ah, do you wanna get all the girls with flashing your non-existent abs, Guanlinie?" he laughed and poked his cousin's stomach.

The younger blushed and stuttered out messy sentences of denial but Seongwoo knew better.

Guanlin embarassedly walked away and Seongwoo continued laughing at his red face.
He heard something splashing in the water again and when he turned around he managed to see a long tail, way too big for any average fish anyone would expect near a beach.
The scales were of a light blue, slightly greenish colour, mixed with a rich gold, mainly on the sides. The tail was fascinating, he was sure he had never seen something like that ever before.

Seongwoo shook his head. Even whales could accidentally lose themselves on the beach, who knows what the thing just now actually has been. He quietly followed his cousin. However, his thoughts couldn't stop revolving around the beautiful combination of blue and gold.

At night, when his family had already been long asleep, he tossed and turned in his bed. Why didn't the memory of the fish-like creature leave his mind? Concluding that any attempt on sleeping was futile, he stood up and moved to his balcony which faced the sea side. He leaned against the railing, eyeing the peaceful view in front of him. Their housing was right at the beach. It was a private one, solely for the people staying in this street. He was able to see soft waves clashing against the rocks where he had been with Guanlin earlier. His gaze was fixed on them, not moving a second. He sighed and decided to put on his shoes to run outside to the place again. He stared down at the water, the exact same spot as a few hours ago.

After a few seconds, the young man hit himself. What had he expected? That the thing would be there all the time, waiting for him to return and to get stared at?

As if, he thought and frustratedly ran a hand through his hair, I'm pretty damn stupid.

He was about to turn around and go back to his residence when he heard it. The splat in the water again. He hastily looked around and indeed, there seemed to be something big moving a lot in water, small waves floating on the surface. He crouched down and cautiously moved forward to be able to take a closer look.

The lamp post a few meters behind him was the only thing giving him any kind of light, he was barely able to see anything properly but when a human face slowly emerged, he let out a scream and fell back on his butt, nearly slipping off the rock. The person? fish? inhuman creature? hastily swam away and Seongwoo quickly stood up as fast as he could without falling.

"Hey, wait! Don't go!"

The water stopped moving and there was no sight of anything. For a short moment, he thought it was already too late until he saw the head reluctantly come up from the water again.

He gasped when he saw the full face of the creature in the glimmering light. He was beautiful, even in the half-darkness. His flat hair was of a dark shade of blond, his eyes were dark pits that seemed to hold him captive and those thin lips that were of a natural pink colour.

"You-you are not human, are you?" he wondered, mouth hanging open. The boy was frowning at him, obviously not trusting Seongwoo.
"I don't want to hurt you, I swear! I-I come in peace. You don't need to be afraid of me," he held up both of his hands, showing the other that he had no weapons with him, "You can come closer."

He gestured for the water man to move towards him, hoping he would understand.

The creature only stared at him with a sceptical expression which made him a bit uneasy. His face didn't look as unapproachable as the other made it seem to be like, right?
He suddenly swam towards him reluctantly but at the same time curiously. It seemed like he was floating in the water like they were made to fit each other. In the dim light, he was able to see a strong looking back and the long colourful tail following where usually a human would have two legs. He gasped in shock and rubbed his eyes, not sure if he was dreaming. He even pinched himself, just to be sure.

"A merman?"

The creature surfaced again and Seongwoo felt all air leaving his lungs as he was able to see his face more clearly now. He was even more stunning up close. He was able to see a little mole under his left eye and the long pretty eyelashes gracing his glowing face. His long neck led to broad looking shoulders. Seongwoo was sure he would seem tiny next to the other.

"Wow, you are beautiful," he whispered to himself. The merman cocked his head to the side in confusion. It looked simply adorable and a soft smile appeared on Seongwoo's lips. Seeing him smile apparently made him more trustworthy as the merman smiled right back at him.

Seongwoo was astounded. It was so pure and innocent, he couldn't help admiring the beauty in the water.

"You don't actually understand me, do you?"

The other frowned again and hesitantly raised his hand out of the water to put his thumb and forefinger together. He raised his hand higher for Seongwoo to see and looked at him with an unsure expression.

"You mean, you understand me a bit?"

The merman smiled and nodded his head in relief. Seongwoo couldn't help the grin on his face as well.

"But you can't speak?"

The other's smile dropped and he shook his head.

"Oh, well. That's okay. I can talk for us. My name is Seongwoo and yours?"

The other looked at him helplessly and he felt like kicking himself again.

"Right, you can't answer. Sorry."

The water creature smiled apologetic and shyly rubbed his nape.
Seongwoo couldn't help admiring the delicate features of the other. While his eyes were sharp and expressive, his cheeks were round and looked squishy. A stark contrast to the rest of his face.
They simply took in each other's appearances for some time, both not uttering a word. He felt the merman's eyes moving from his hair to his face, down to his clothes. They lingered there for the longest time and an adorable confused expression appeared on his face again.

Now it was Seongwoo's turn to rub his nape in embarassment. He had totally forgotten that he still wore his pajamas. Worse of all, he wore the ones Guanlin gave him. They were a mix of a bright neon pink, green and yellow with some English gibberish written all over them. His cousin gave them to him because he wanted him to become swag or something. He only wore them because he knew it would make Guanlin happy.

"Uh, I usually don't dress like this...," he tried to defend himself and gestured towards the fabrics.

Suddenly, he felt how a yawn took over his face. His eyes started watering and he realized his limbs started feeling a bit heavy. He rubbed his eyes tiredly before facing the merman again.

"Wow, I don't know anymore if I'm dreaming or not. Maybe I'll wake up and it has all been my sad fantasy," he sighed, "I should probably head back..."

He stood up and the merman's eyes followed his every movement.

Seongwoo opened his mouth but quickly shook his head at himself.

"Even if this is just a dream, I gotta make sure: Are you gonna be here tomorrow? I want to see you again."

At the unsure expression of the other, he felt like he needed to say more to convince him to come again.

"At night! When it's dark. No other humans, just me. No pressure, though. I would just-," Seongwoo ran a hand through his hair in frustration again. Not only did he leave behind all his stress and responsibilities in Seoul but also his suave way of talking.
"I'd love to be able to spend more time together. With you."

After a short moment, the merman nodded meekly. An automatic smile appeared on the human's face.

"Great, good night."

He waved and the merman shyly raised his hand in confusion and copied his action. Seongwoo laughed at the cute reaction and went back to his room. The moment his head hit the pillow, he went off to dream land, a blue-golden hue layering over the motions he saw in his sleep.

The next day, he sat on top of the same rock. It was in the middle of the night just like yesterday but he didn't care. He nervously fidgeted around. He woke up at noon, wondering if he had dreamed about meeting a merman or not. It felt real and surreal at the same time, Seongwoo honestly didn't know anymore. The only way for him to find out was to come again. This time, he actually wore more decent pajamas.

He heard water splashing and there he was again, his merman. Seongwoo smiled, finally knowing that it was indeed reality.

"Hello, there."

He raised his hand in a greeting and the other copied him yet again with a bright smile on his lips.

They beamed at each other and Seongwoo felt like that simply for that smile, four hours of sleep in total were completely worth it. He sighed in contentment and leaned back on his hands, facing the starry night.

"Ah, it's a beautiful night sky today," he said and closed his eyes for a moment. The merman followed his gaze but decided to go back to looking at him instead, a soft grin on his lips.

"It's different from my other life in Seoul. Do you know Seoul?"

It didn't surprise him when the other shook his head.

"It's so much different than here. More busy, no beach, no water. You would hate it," he snorted, "When I'm there, it feels like I have the burden of the world. I'm the heir of everything my parents have built all their lives. I've been trained to take over the company one day. I'll be responsible for hundreds of employees, and with them, I'm responsible of their families as well. I have to do well or else they will lose their jobs and their existence. I'm just 21, most people my age meet up with friends and enjoy their youth. They can meet up any time and hang out. Sometimes, I just want to belong to them. I want theses and annoying professors to be my main problems in life. I know I am extremely privileged, I love my family but - it often feels like a burden to be me," he ended his thoughts quietly.

The merman looked at the human worriedly, seemingly picking up on the shift of the mood even if he wasn't able to follow his thoughts.

"Ah, now I'm just ranting," he stopped himself from spilling more unnecessary words and looked at the water creature.

His lips were slightly turned upwards in a comforting manner. His eyes showed a youthful innocence he was used from when Guanlin was a bit younger.

"You didn't understand anything I said probably. It's okay, I just need to rant it out to someone. Even if you don't understand me, at least you listen," he sighed. He decided to change the topic. He didn't come here to pity himself. His parents gave him some precious time off to recover from all the stress he had to face. He should use it carefully.

"Do you want to hear more about Seoul?"

And that's how they started to meet every night.

Every night, at 3 A.M., he would get out of bed to walk down the way to meet his merman in his pajamas and flip flops, a new topic or a new tale ready to tell.
He would think of something to share with the other when he went out with his family, quietly asking himself what the other would want to hear. He tried to find stories the other might be able to understand. It ranged from everything to anything. Sometimes, he talked about family outings or his family in general. It seemed like the merman liked his cousin in particular.
Sometimes, he would talk about a book he enjoyed reading or some food he liked.
One day, he wore a shirt with a cat on it - thanks to Guanlin and him saying something along the lines of 'You are like a cat, Hyung'. The water creature kept staring at the animal in fascination.

Seongwoo laughed at the big eyes he would make.

Cats and water would never work, he had said and formed an X with his arms as he shook his head. The merman pouted and Seongwoo had cooed at the sad expression. He had felt like running off to steal the neighbours' cat for his merman but didn't think they would actually appreciate it. Seongwoo had tried to find other topics to distract the blond. It wasn't hard to find something new to talk about.

It seemed like he never ran out of topics. And the merman? He always listened to him diligently with a small smile on his lips, like the mere fact Seongwoo would just tell him anything brought happiness to him. They mainly communicated through Seongwoo interpreting the other's expressions and movements. There seemed to be a mutual understanding between them, even if they had never exchanged words before, he felt like no one had ever been able to actually get him as much as the merman did.
He was not used to people listening to him rant about anything. He felt like he could just let out all of his pent -p frustration. In his parents' company, he was supposed to be the one being level-headed and rational while all he wanted to do was to throw his never ending ringing phone against a wall.

Every morning, he would wake up, wondering if he had imagined or dreamed the merman but he always returned every night to their meeting spot.

And the beautiful merman, whose name he still did not know, would always be there, patiently waiting for him and his next story. He never seemed to grow tired of listening to him. Seongwoo did not know how that was possible, he grew sick of his own voice pretty fast.

There were also moments, when they simply looked at each other. He would be sitting on a rock, looking down to the other while the merman would be propping his head on his hands as he leaned against the same rock. There was something strangely comforting about just simply enjoying the silence around each other. No unnecessary words were needed between them. They would spend hours just looking at each other or appreciating the night sky together.

Seongwoo took a liking to astronomy and would sometimes break the silence by pointing out constellations. He once had jokingly pointed at his three moles under his right eye and tried to tell the other that it was similiar. The merman had silently gawked at him with a slightly opened mouth as he had looked at the moles. He hesitantly had reached out towards his cheek but realized he was about to touch a human and took back his arm immediately. It had shocked not only himself but also Seongwoo. He had felt a bit awkward afterwards, not knowing what to think of the merman's action. He wouldn't have minded if the other would have touched him. He actually had wondered quite often what if would feel like to touch the blond. His skin looked smooth and soft, would it feel like that as well? He often thought about just reaching out to him.

However, especially after his reaction, Seongwoo didn't want to really try since the other might misunderstand him or start being afraid of him because of a sudden touch. So, no matter how often his fingers were twitching to reach out, he kept his hands only to himself.

Even though they have met so often already, he would be stunned at the other's dazzling beauty everytime. He was absolutely breath-taking. Seongwoo wished he would be able to see his merman fully by daylight. He was sure the dim lamp post barely was able to show him in all his gorgeousness. And he still remembers the blue and gold mixed in an artistically unique way. Sometimes, he thought about taking a picture but he felt like this creature was something so precious to him, no picture could do him any justice ever. Besides, the risks of someone finding out about the merman would be way higher if he were to take a picture. He wondered, though, what his family would say if they knew he always met up with a merman. Did the world actually know merpeople existed?

He actually wondered so much about the merman's species. Where does he go after their little meetings? What language did he speak? Did he ever feel cold since he never wore a shirt? What was living in the water like? How are merpeople born?
But despite his general curiosity for the world of his merman, there was just one question he desperately wanted an answer to.

What is your name?

Seongwoo knew it was useless, though. One night, he brought a pencil and sheet of paper with him, hoping the other could write but he only hissed and swam away from him when he saw the thin and sharp thing in Seongwoo's hands. Needless to say, that attempt was futile.

It was sad to know that the other was so afraid of a lot of human made things, as if he was used to humans hurting him and his kind with all of their inventions. Talking to him was probably already considered dangerous but Seongwoo never really dared to question it, afraid the other might realize as well and never return.

Luckily, no matter how often he brought weird objects with him, the merman would be cautious until he realized it would put no harm to him.

At the 11th night, he brought his phone along to play some music he liked. He couldn't help singing along, barely registering how his lips moved along to the lyrics. The merman clapped into his hands excitedly with the biggest smile Seongwoo had ever seen on his face. His dark eyes were hidden by his closed lids as he swayed along the melody. He made Seongwoo understand that he loved his singing. He felt touched and appreciated by the encouragement, his parents never understood his passion for singing and merely saw it as a plain hobby.

The next night, the blond would use his hands and open his mouth to gesture singing. Seongwoo laughed at the other's lovable reaction. He opened his mouth to sing along to whatever song would come on his playlist. The creature excitedly splashed with his tail and did something akin to laughing. It sounded a bit like he was choking and was barely able to breath.

It was easily the most lovely sound in Seongwoo's ears.

So from that night on, they would meet up at 3 A.M., wave at each other, he would sing a song for his merman and tell a new story. They simply enjoyed the presence of the other. Even if they couldn't communicate properly, it felt like they still were able to understand each other perfectly.

When Seongwoo returned to bed after their meetings, he shook his head at himself, knowing full well he was falling more and more for his merman.

"Daniel, where are you going?"

The merman turned around to his brother Jisung who looked unhappy to have caught him going out at this hour yet again.

"You aren't meeting the human again, are you?"

The younger lowered his face in shame. He could hear his brother huff. He hadn't been excited about it the first time he found out his youngest brother was sneaking out to meet some random human.

"You know better than that. It's dangerous!"
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I can't help returning to him."
"Father would have your head if he ever found out you have been secretely meeting a human every night the last few weeks!"

In moments like these, Daniel wished he would have been more careful with his secret meetings, so his older brother wouldn't have noticed. He shook his head, Jisung would have known sooner or later. His brother had always looked out for him a lot. Of course, he would have noticed if he weren't home for a few hours in the middle of the night.

"Then please help me to hide it."
"Daniel!"
"Jisung, please," his voice was barely above a whisper. He turned to his brother with a desperate expression. "He makes me happy."

The older looked at him with a deep frown for a moment and sighed before wrapping his arms around the younger.

"You know this can never work between you two?"
"I do."
"He will return to his other life soon."
"I know."
"And it doesn't stop you?"
"I never considered stopping. It's not an option."

The defiant and definite voice of Daniel didn't even surprise the older. He only sighed again, knowing whatever he would say would never stop the younger.

"You are a fool, brother."
"I can't help it. I can't stay away from him," he whispered again. He pressed his eyes together in defeat. He knew he should have stayed away from the human the first night they have met but he had been so enchanted by him. He knew he shouldn't have returned the other nights but by then, his mind has been consumed by the images of the handsome human. He was weak against his own pounding heart that told him to return everytime. Their little meetings were the highlight of his usually so dull days.

Jisung took his brother's face into his hands and they looked at each other for a few seconds.
The older could see the devotion and unconditional love in them.

"I'll cover up for you."
"Thank you!"

The younger's lips broke into a big smile. Jisung knew it was the only right decision he should have made, knowing that human was the reason for Daniel to smile that brightly. His brother excitedly wrapped his arms around him for a tight hug before swimming away to his and Seongwoo's usual spot.

It seemed like any other night. They waved at each other, Seongwoo would sing and tell him about a new fact about humans. Daniel had heard a lot of humans, saw a few coming out of the exact same house Seongwoo stayed in right now. They had those weird limbs instead of a tail. He didn't really understand the purpose of them but Seongwoo looked so good using them to go back to his building. He had looked at enough other humans to know that not everyone had his grace.

Daniel would always return from his outing with his mind full of the other. He would dream about another parallel world in which he would also have those legs, walking right next to Seongwoo. What would it feel like? Is it as enjoyable as swimming? Seongwoo said he liked dancing and he even danced for him. Would he also enjoy dancing? His human had told him about a story where a little mermaid exchanged her voice for legs. It was a deal made with the witch. Even if he knew that the story ended sadly for her, he often wondered if he would exchange his voice for legs as well if given a chance.

At the end of his daydream, he would always shake his head at himself. He was no little mermaid and there was no witch. It was useless to think of stupid possibilities that would never happen.
He knew what he had done the last few weeks had been dangerous. His kind always warned each other of the cruel humans. They didn't care about anything but themselves, letting nature and its habitants die as they themselves would live off other suffering.
However, when he first saw Seongwoo, he couldn't help thinking that not everyone can be that cruel. Not this human who would smile at him like he was his only reason to. He may not always understand him but those eyes couldn't lie. They were warm but at the same time vulnerable. Most of all, they were honest. He had been asking for nothing but a bit of his attention.
And Daniel would always grant him his time. He would simply listen to the other telling him about his trips to different cities. His favourite time, though, was when Seongwoo would sing for him.
It was when the human seemed to be the most free, closing his eyes as he moved along to the rhythm, lips forming the lyrics with the deep meanings he was barely able to understand. Seongwoo would look so at ease and peace with himself, it tranquilized him as well. He had met dozens of sirens but none of them were as hypnotizing and intriguing as this human. He was never able to get rid of his smile whenever he was around him. It seemed to be a natural reaction to him.

He didn't care if he rarely understood what the other was talking about. As long as he was able to be near the other, he felt never ending excitement and warmth flooding through his veins.

Even if they have met everyday for over a month, it felt like a way too short time.

When Seongwoo sighed sadly and avoided eye contact before returning to his house, he felt his heart stop beating at the other's next words.

"I'm going home tomorrow."

Daniel's eyes bulged. He expected the other to go soon, but not that soon. He felt panic rising in him, their time together had been way too short. He desperately wanted to say something, but outside of the water, he wasn't able to speak and underwater, he could only communicate with other water creatures.

"Tomorrow will be our last night together. I wished I could stay, but I unfortunately have responsibilities waiting for me."

The merman felt something sharp dig into his hips as he pressed himself against the rock to be nearer to him. He barely registered the pain, to busy to surpress the incoming wave of panic and hurt.

Seongwoo noticed the uneasy expression on the other's face and helplessly stared at him. If he would stretch out his hand, he would be able to touch him. However, he didn't dare to make any move.

"Good night," he whispered and went back to his residence.

When Daniel returned home, Jisung worriedly took in the sad expression on his face. He only wrapped his arms around the younger in comfort untill he fell asleep.

The next day, Daniel was still a wreck. He didn't know how to deal with the pain of losing Seongwoo already. He hadn't had time to properly prepare his heart for the human's departure. He considered not coming at all to save the heart break but the thought of losing his last chance to see him again was unbearable to him.

"Daniel."

He turned around to his brother who hid something in his hand. Jisung slowly swam over to him and raised his arms. He felt how a necklace was placed over his head. He frowned at Jisung and took the pendant into his hand. It was a glorious blue-green colour mixed with golden streaks. Exactly like his tail. He turned the pendant around. On the equally colourful background was something written on it.

He looked up at to his brother in confusion.

"It says your name in the human language. Give it to him. He must be dying to know your name."

Daniel felt his eyes burning with tears at Jisung's gesture and he wrapped the older in his arms tightly, never having felt more grateful to his brother.

"You better leave before it's too late."
"Thank you so much!"

He sent a bright smile at his brother and quickly swam to their usual meeting place, holding the pendant close to his heart. He would finally be able to tell Seongwoo his name. A radiant smile spread on his face when he emerged, coming nearly face to face with Seongwoo.

"Hey there, little fish."

A giggle left Daniel at the nickname. Seongwoo's grin was accompanied with a slight frown.

"Last time, mhm? Unfortunately, I can't stay for too long tonight," Seongwoo said and leaned towards Daniel. "I have talked to my family and told them I want to come back. They loved it here as well, they might agree on a family vacation next year. However, I promise I'll be back next year, no matter if they want to or not."

Daniel's heart beat faster at the new information. He would be able to see him again. This wasn't their very last time. It was only a temporary goodbye.

"Probably not as long as this year but I will find a way to meet you again. You see those trees all the way behind me?"

The merman looked around him to the big brown and green things he was barely able to see in the darkness. He nodded.

"In 365 days, that's when the trees lose all the green stuff and then it will reappear just like it is now, I will return to you."

Both of them looked at each other, seemingly lost in each other's eyes.

Seongwoo balled his fist before taking a deep breath. He slowly reached out to gently touch the other's cheek, afraid the other might flinch back.

But when he touched the wet skin, Daniel did no such thing. He even leaned towards the hand as he closed his eyes for a short moment.

"You are the most beautiful creature I ever had the honor to lay my eyes on. It's like I lose all air whenever I see you. I get a bit dizzy and unfocused. I wonder if you are real since you are too sweet to be a part of my cruel world. Sometimes, I still doubt my own sanity, thinking you are only a part of my fantasy. Touching you makes everything feel much more real, though," he shakily sighed, "But I unfortunately still don't know your name."

Daniel had nearly forgotten about the necklace, too focused on enjoying the gentle touch of Seongwoo. He had been craving for any kind of little contact the whole time, never daring to reach out first.
He motioned for Seongwoo to come closer to him, just like he had done to him the very first night they had met. The other leaned down, as much as he was able to.

"What is it?"

The merman pulled the necklace over his head and put it over Seongwoo's with a soft smile on his face.

The human looked at him confused and looked at the pendant before gasping.

"It's-It's the same colour as your tail. Wow, it's gorgeous, thank you," he said and smiled at the merman, seemingly very happy with the gift. Daniel made a gesture to turn around the pendant and Seongwoo followed his orders.

"Daniel? - Oh, my god. Is that your name?"

He smiled at him again and nodded. Seongwoo laughed in disbelief.

"Wow, I can't believe it. I finally have a name, unbelievable! Daniel," he said more to himself and looked at him again, "It fits you perfectly."

He let go of the pendant and diligently laid both of his hands on Daniel's cheeks. His eyes were glistening and it would have worried the merman if Seongwoo wouldn't have smiled at him, making him feel nervous and excited at the same time.

"Thank you so much. For everything."

He gently placed his lips on his forehead. Daniel closed his eyes at the warm contact, telling himself to remember every little touch they shared. Seongwoo's lips lingered for another second before he retreated and put their foreheads together. For a few minutes, they simply enjoyed the close proximity.

"I'll have to go now," Seongwoo sighed, "But as I have promised you, I'll definitely be back. I'll find a way to always come back to you. I know it's a lot to ask but please wait for me."

Daniel only nodded. They smiled at each other one last time before Seongwoo returned back to his house. Daniel couldn't help staying at his exact spot, watching the other disappear from his sight completely. His view blurred and he felt salty tears streaming down his face, sobs shaking his body as leaned against the rock where Seongwoo was previously sitting on. He reached out and traced the spot where he would usually sit and look down to him, a small smile on his face as he told him about his funniest and most enjoyable moments but also darkest thoughts and secrets.

He didn't know how long he stayed at the exact same spot but when he felt the first sun rays hitting his back, he decided to go back home.

Day one of his wait had started.

Exactly 365 days later, he returned to their usual spot.
Shortly after Seongwoo's leave, he would come back, foolishly hoping to see the human. However, it was all in vain when he spent hours uselessly waiting for someone who was hundreds of kilometers away. After a few weeks, he had actually accepted it was of no use. Seongwoo had told him to wait 365 days and he would wait 365 days for him.

So, now he was leaning on their rock. He wondered if the human had changed. Was his hair longer? Did he look older? Would he have more new and exciting stories to tell? Did he still love singing and dancing? Was he able to lessen the burden of the life he had in Seoul? Daniel was curious about everything. He was too impatient, not being able to count the many days at first.

His brother had gone crazy with worry the first few days after Seongwoo's desparture. If Daniel wasn't uselessly waiting for him, he stayed home, sulking over the human's departure. Jisung couldn't handle his youngest brother being this broken but he could do nothing but hold him as he cried on his shoulder.

When the younger realized that Seongwoo surely didn't want him to be hurting this much, he tried to get himself together and started counting the remaining days diligently till it was time for them to meet again.

He had waited for hours, even as the sun started setting, he didn't move, believing in the other's promise to him. His brother had looked at him worriedly a few hours back before he went off, fearing for the worst but Daniel had hope. Used to have. He spent every single day of the year with the lingering hope of seeing Seongwoo using those legs to walk down the way to the rocks, carefully climbing them and stopping on the slightly bold, flat one.
However, he was nowhere to be seen.

Seongwoo said he would return and he would come back.
Right?

He wouldn't go back on his promise to him.
Right?

So why wasn't he there when he had been waiting for him?

His last piece of hope was clinging on the most tiny possibility of Seongwoo still coming. There was no way his words were empty. They couldn't have been. Daniel couldn't have wasted a whole year on empty vows. Seongwoo surely wasn't a human like that.

When he felt the sun burning onto his neck, he sighed disappointedly and gave up. He had to return before his father would grow suspicious.

He couldn't help snorting at his own foolishness for hoping. What had he expected? That he actually meant something to the human? He was some stupid fish in the sea while the other had a busy life in his city. He didn't have the time to waste it on Daniel. He felt a piercing pain running through his heart as breathing seemed to get harder. He suddenly felt so tired.

With a heavy heart and even more heavy laying disappointment, he turned around and slowly started submerging under the water, tears mixing with the salty sea water.

Despite the promise he gave, Seongwoo had not returned. In the end, he didn't come back to him.

"Daniel!"

He had nearly been completely underwater when he heard the familiar voice calling his name. He gasped in shock and resurfaced to turn around.

There he was in all his glory, just as he had remembered him, hair a bit darker and longer, but basically still the same as he first saw him. Windswept, slightly messy, like the Seongwoo he got to know. The human ran as fast as he could to their rock and leaned forward while panting.

"Sorry, I just arrived here. I tried my best to get here as fast as possible."

A brilliant smile broke out on Seongwoo's face and Daniel felt his heart accelerating at the smile he had dreamed of seeing again for a whole year. He still couldn't believe his human - his Seongwoo -stood a meter away from him, shock evident in his expression.

"Don't look so shocked, you didn't honestly believe I had lied about my promise, right?"

He pointed at him and threw Daniel the softest smile he had ever seen on him.

"I told you I would always come back to you."