Work Text:
Taehyung sighed as the mermaid in front of him begged with her head down.
“Please… spare me… I-it was a force of habit, I swear -”
Taehyung held up a hand, cutting off the mermaid’s plea. His face softened but his eyes remained stern. “Violetta, you know the rules. I granted you a thinner nose and thicker lips, just as you’d requested of me. All you had to do in return was to match the beauty of your face to the beauty of your actions.”
Violetta sobbed, eyes red and face crumpled. “Can’t you grant me a discount? A reprieve? We’ve known each other for nearly 3 years now- can you not spare an old friend?” She swam forward in desperation, and Taehyung scooted backward, away from her prying hands.
“That was the condition- the moment you broke it, the spell was reversed and you are indebted to 2 years in the dungeon- two changes to your body, two years in captivity.” He snapped, losing his patience.
Taehyung had tried his best to make his magic as good and well meaning as possible- instead of giving merpeople near-impossible conditions just to keep their wish, he modified it just enough that he could use the rule to make them better mer. More wealth to at least one philanthropic donation per day, a singing voice in return for time spent every week serenading infants having a hard time sleeping in the nursery.
Of course, it could not just be any condition- it also coincided with the mer it was to be given to. The mer with a daily donation requirement would be lazy and unwilling to do any work, and the mer with the performing requirement would have stage fright.
He wished he could grant everything freely, with no payment in return. Alas, it was not how his magic worked- as a Sea Witch, his abilities were not as straightforward or with such range as, say, the King’s Trident.
“Please..” Violetta whispered one more time before two glowing gold threads shot up from the sand underneath them. She screamed as each thread wrapped around her wrists, yanking them behind her back. She thrashed in protest, tail swishing up the tan sand and her long hair billowing around her head in the water.
And with a final sobbing scream, the threads glowed and Violetta disappeared.
Taehyung rubbed his temples, a headache already forming from the experience. He hated sending merpeople to the dungeon, but it was the rules.
Magic had a price.
He turned back to his work table to organize his potion ingredients again, Violetta’s transportation to his cave having interrupted him. Taehyung looked at the open vial of unfertilized fish eggs, pouting when he realized he had lost count with the distraction. He poured all of the eggs back into the bowl and started counting again.
The cave sat in silence for a good few hours, Taehyung making good progress on his inventory. He may not have been the most popular among the Sea Witch community for his rule modification, but he was a damn good Sea Witch anyway. His potions were unrivaled, and his spells never failed- the community liked to think him weak for sparing his merpeople clients, and maybe he was. But he wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
His rules had also made him a closer friend with the merpeople, and he often found himself with a visitor or two once in a while.
Taehyung was 378 pieces into counting his spider eyes when a yell sounded from the cave entrance. He quickly counted the last 27, closing the container and storing it on the shelf in relief.
Spider eyes were rare- since they were land creatures that rarely strayed near the ocean, Taehyung had to make pretty hefty payments and risky visits to get a hold of them. But they were important- spider eyes were a main ingredient in many of his largest potions, with purposes such as making a pet animal talk or give a supernatural power. Of course, these potions were rare to be requested- not many merpeople or animals had the guts or nerve to deal with the condition that came with it.
A call of his name drew closer to the entrance of the cave, the merman in question swimming closer in excitement. Taehyung let a fond smile slip onto his face as a brunette merman, complete with a beautiful red tail, approached.
“Tae!” Jungkook called once again, speeding to the witch and barreling into his arms. Taehyung laughed brightly, hugging the merman tightly and they spun around in a whirlpool of bubbles.
“I’ve missed you!” Taehyung grinned as they separated.
Jungkook was one of Taehyung’s closest friends. At first, it sounded absolutely preposterous- Jungkook was the son of the King, making him a prince. However, he wasn’t a crown prince by any means- that honor went to his older brother, Namjoon. Still, a royal merman prince was not expected to be best friends with the resident Sea Witch.
“I’ve missed you too, Tae.” Jungkook said breathlessly, winded from, no doubt, swimming at the highest speed possible to Taehyung’s cave. Taehyung snorted.
“I thought his majesty the King was inviting suitors to the castle to visit.” He teased, knowing that it was the absolute last thing Jungkook wanted to talk about. As predicted, the merman groaned tiredly and slapped his hand on his forehead.
“It was terrible, Tae- imagine, 5 different mermen coming to stay at your palace just because they want to marry into your fortune and reputation.” He huffed, red tail swishing as he sat atop Taehyung’s work table. He was suddenly grateful that the spider eyes were the final piece of inventory he needed to complete.
“Hard to imagine when I don’t live at a palace.” Taehyung quirked the side of his mouth up. “Or don’t have any wealth… or reputation.”
Jungkook smiled broadly. “Well, that’s why I said to imagine , Sea Witch.”
“Now, don’t go asking impossible things of me, you know I don’t have that kind of creativity-”
“I know you did not just say you had no creativity, potions-maker-”
“Potions are recipes-”
“That you conveniently create and tweak-”
“Not by that much-”
“Anyways,” Jungkook interrupted smugly, ignoring Taehyung’s playful glare. “You know my father would be stoked if you accepted his offer to live at the palace. He’d give you a bigger room than mine and provide you with more ingredients than he would if Namjoon asked.” He snorted. “I still can’t believe you’re his favorite- over his own two sons.”
Taehyung grinned happily at the complaint. As a Sea Witch, he did not grow up with parents- although they had the same anatomy and tails as merpeople, they possessed the magical arts and most Sea Witches were unwilling to teach a child from birth how to use them. Instead, babies were abandoned at nurseries and the witches there taught everything they knew.
Most of the Sea Witches at the nurseries rarely spent quality time with the infants as they grew, instead just taking on the roles of teachers and meal-givers. Taehyung has never known a father nor mother, but Jungkook’s parents had filled up the hole more than enough.
As soon as Taehyung was of age at 16, he was released to the rest of the ocean with commands not to come back. He had wandered around lost, searching for perhaps an abandoned human ship or even an old mer village to take shelter in. He had been extremely fortunate to come across a beautiful, spacious cave. The only problem was that it was extremely close to the royal palace of Atlantica- a city where Sea Witches were most definitely not welcome.
He had wandered out in the middle of the night, searching for any potions ingredients so he could hone his skill somewhat- he had to start somewhere, so Taehyung had set out immediately after settling in. After scouring a long-abandoned manticorn cave, he had reappeared happily with old horns, ready to be grinded into a powder.
However, a sad whine had interrupted his excited celebration. Taehyung had swam quickly toward the sound, horrifically surprised to see the vision of an injured dolphin- it looked like it had been severely attacked by something with undeniably sharp tools or body parts. He had whimpered when he realized one thing- the dolphin would be able to get away alive if it wasn’t here underwater . If he remembered his many lessons from the nurseries, one interesting fact was that dolphins needed air- they could not breathe underwater.
And without a moment’s hesitation, he had swiftly, but gently, coaxed the whining dolphin into his arms. With a strain in his arms, he had heaved the dolphin up toward the surface. The manticorn horns in his grasp slipped out of his hands.
It had been a long, hard swim- the dolphin was considered small, but was still relatively much bigger than Taehyung, the blue-gray creature dwarfing his struggling form. He had found a nearby surface cave and quickly swam toward it, thankful that this side of land was unvisited by humans. He had placed the dolphin near the cave, with shallow enough water that the dolphin could still swim around but also pop up for air.
And with a final check on the animal to make sure it would be okay, Taehyung had raced back to the place where he had dropped the horns. Behind him, the dolphin had whistled in grateful appreciation.
But when he returned, his carefully selected manticorn horns had disappeared. He had sniffed in upset disappointment, sad about the fact that he would have to go back to the cave with empty hands for another day.
His sadness had not lasted a full two minutes before Prince Jungkook stepped out from behind a nearby rock, horns in his grasp. He had confessed that the King assigned him to look after the new Sea Witch near the palace, just to make sure Taehyung had not meant any harm. He also admitted that he had witnessed the whole scene with the dolphin.
Within the hour, Taehyung was eating dinner with the royal family and was warmly accepted since then.
“Not my fault I’m so loveable.” He answered back to Jungkook teasingly. His best friend laughed.
“Yeah, you are.”
Taehyung pretended that his face wasn't gradually turning pink, the heat traveling from his cheeks to his neck as he blushed from the compliment. That was one other thing- apparently, being a close friend to the prince of Atlantica was not a good idea for his emotions. He had developed a humiliating crush on the younger merman over the course of their developing friendship.
Namjoon had noticed 4 months after Taehyung had first visited the castle, but had promised not to tell his younger brother.
“Be careful,” the crown prince had warned Taehyung softly, “Jungkook likes to fall easily. As much as I love my brother, I also don’t want you getting hurt.”
Well… Taehyung had heard the warning, but it didn’t mean he listened- because 6 years after their meeting, Taehyung had fallen hopelessly in love.
It wasn’t like he was going to show it- he treated his love like a characteristic of himself, instead ignoring it and focusing on all the time he spent with the younger merman. Taehyung knew it wasn’t going away anytime soon.
He could not entertain any ideas of being with Jungkook either- although he would have been accepted happily by the King and Queen, the royal subjects and Atlantican citizens would not have taken kindly to one of their precious princes courting a Sea Witch- no matter how close a friend he was to them.
And this was assuming Jungkook would return his love at all- with many royal and noble suitors visiting the palace, the young prince was bound to fall in love with one of them soon. Taehyung had seen some of the suitors while visiting the palace- nearly all of them were handsome, polite, and smart- products of the training and grooming the mer nobility tended to put their children through. All in all, every single suitor was a perfect match for Jungkook- all Jungkook needed to do was choose.
“...Tae? You okay?” Jungkook asked, a worried crinkle to his nose. Taehyung cleared his throat awkwardly when he realized he’d been too lost in his thoughts to comment on the prince’s compliment.
“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” He answered, berating himself on the stutter. “It’s just been a long day- you remember Violetta?”
Jungkook’s eyebrow raised. “The mermaid that asked about the beauty enhancements?” Taehyung nodded tiredly.
“She broke her condition.”
Jungkook winced in sympathy. “I guess you had to deal with a crying mermaid today, then?” He glanced a look at the organized shelves. “And today’s inventory day.”
Taehyung shrugged his shoulders. “It is what it is- just a very unfortunate coincidence.”
Jungkook frowned for a moment before his eyes brightened with a pure light. “Come visit the palace today!” He pleaded, his hair flowing around his head at his bouncing excitement. “You can get more comfortable sleep for a night and I could really use your help with the suitor thing too.” The prince’s mouth formed a pout.
Taehyung pressed his lips together, eyes immediately averting from the mer’s cute expression. “I just organized- I should probably start working on some potions soon…” He trailed off at Jungkook’s determined face.
“I’ll ask the chef to make that kelp soup you love so much!” He enthused. “I’ll make sure the suitors won’t bother you- and Namjoon told me today he missed seeing you around lately.”
That was the final coral on the reef- Namjoon acted as Taehyung’s older brother as much as the crown prince did for Jungkook- hearing that Joon was missing him was enough to convince him. Jungkook’s hopeful face did not play a part in his decision- not at all. (He ignored the small part of his brain singing “liar!” loudly.)
“Fine.” He sighed. “You go ahead, I’ll tidy up the cave a little before coming to dinner.”
Jungkook whooped in victory, floating off of Taehyung’s work table and flipping in a dramatic circle. “Bye Tae!! Meet you there!” He was out of the cave before his sentence was finished.
Taehyung smiled softly against himself, feeling endlessly endeared by the younger merman. He stared at the rest of the untidy cave before he got to work.
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It had taken nearly an hour to clean up the cave. Taehyung groaned tiredly, knowing it was more than likely halfway through dinner at the palace now. He quickly zipped from the cave making his way through the paths leading to his destination.
“Tae!” A voice called, swimming after him. Taehyung slowed down marginally and allowed a bright red-headed merman to catch up.
“Hobi.” He brightfully grinned, staring to speed up again now that the merman was caught up. “How have you been? Yoongi doing well?”
Hoseok was a palace messenger, tasked with delivering royal announcements and letters to important places around Atlantica and its surrounding cities. That was why Taehyung was not worried about swimming at top speed at the moment- Hoseok could swim faster than he ever could, with his strong and agile tail.
“He’s been doing okay.” Hoseok flashed a smile at Taehyung’s direction. “He told me that a certain someone requested another certain someone’s favorite meal for dinner tonight.”
Taehyung bashfully looked away, dutifully ignoring Hobi’s bright laughter. Yoongi was the head chef of the royal palace- he and Hoseok had met when Hoseok was given a small letter by the King to be given to Yoongi. They had continued to meet secretly for months after, before Jungkook had found out and given them his blessing to be together openly.
“I may be late to dinner as of now.” Taehyung huffed, pushing his tail to go slightly faster. Hobi sped up too, keeping up with the fast pace with no problem.
“You go on then.” Hobi snickered. “Yoongi won’t be happy if you come late to drink cold soup.”
“Yoongi loves me.” Taehyung snarked back, laughing with Hoseok as the red-haired merman flipped around to swim back as they approached the large palace.
Taehyung determinedly swam past the guards in the front, who let him in with a dismissive wave. He raced through the open halls on his way to the dining area, waving to other staff that he had gotten close to over the course of his friendship with the royal family.
When he barreled through the entrance to the dining hall, he suddenly shifted to a stop at the sight in front of him. The royal family was sitting in their normal places, King Orion at the head of the table and Queen Chin-Sun sitting at his left. Jungkook sat to the left of the Queen, and Namjoon sat on the other side of the King. Taehyung’s normal seat next to Namjoon and across from Jungkook was empty, as usual, but there was a stark difference here compared to his past dinners. Next to Jungkook, and filling up the next 5 spaces down and across the dining table, were 5 handsome men eating dinner.
The suitors.
Everyone at the table turned at his hasty entrance, and Taehyung cleared his throat at a few of the hostile glares from the suitors- it was obvious that Sea Witches were not accepted well in most noble families- the citizens were perfectly fine with interacting with him, but not many mer of nobility treated him with kindness.
“Taehyung!” The King exclaimed joyfully, spreading out his arms in a jovial welcome. “We’ve missed you- I trust that you’ve made good progress in tidying up your workshop?”
Taehyung let a genuine smile lift onto his face and he swam forward with his hands clasped together. He took his seat next to Namjoon and one of the suitors, flashing Namjoon a grin at his apologetic face.
“I actually finished- it was why I ended up late to dinner.” He sheepishly confessed. “I apologize for that, by the way.” He eagerly took a bowl of kelp soup offered by the Queen gratefully. “Thank you, Queen Chin-Sun.”
“Well, congratulations on your progress, Taehyung.” The mermaid smiled warmly. “Perhaps you can have two workshops- one here in the palace as well.” Her eyebrow raised conspiratorially. The King laughed loudly.
“Wonderful idea, my love!” He announced. Taehyung’s eyes widened as he met Jungkook’s amused eyes across the table. King Orion continued to talk. “We have a long-time abandoned Sea Witch workshop here, from when my Great Grandfather had one work for him. We can give the workshop to you, Taehyung.”
Jungkook stared at Taehyung meaningfully across the table. “You know it would be rude to refuse a generous offer from the King of Atlantica.” He pushed, taking pleasure in Taehyung’s reddening face.
Taehyung sighed silently. “I’ll love to, your Majesty.” He accepted- it was an amazing offer. The only reason he was hesitant was because then Jungkook would spend much more time with him. Although Taehyung would absolutely love the idea, he knew that his feelings would be outed in no time with frequent visits. If Namjoon and Yoongi had noticed right away, what was keeping Jungkook from finding out?
A suitor spoke up, with dark brown hair and striking blue eyes. “Our family also had a generation of Sea Witches in our history.”
Taehyung tensed immediately, already knowing where this was going.
“They resided in our dungeons. Is that where your Sea Witch will be?” The merman’s handsome face asked innocently, the incriminating implication of the question shining behind his eyes. Taehyung knew exactly what the mer was trying to say- Sea Witches were to be locked up and seen as property.
Jungkook’s eyes darkened in anger before Namjoon shot him a glare- even though the princes most definitely had greater influence and power than any other nobles, it was not a good look to attack another mer of high class. Taehyung saw the younger prince struggle to tamp down his anger.
However, Jungkook didn’t need to fight for Taehyung’s honor- the Queen was there to hear it.
“Well young man,” She started pleasantly, although Taehyung could see the heat behind her expression and tone. “Taehyung here has spent nearly 7 years with the royal family. Although I am very sure your family’s dungeons are lovely and absolutely comfortable, my family is not quite as kind to our prisoners.”
The suitor bowed his head in appreciation for the compliment to his family.
“Our Sea Witches have always been treated as friends and with respect- Taehyung’s new workshop, in actuality, resides near our dear Namjoon’s own workshop.” Chin-Sun smiled politely. Taehyung knew the suitor would be out of the palace by the next day.
The conversation at the table continued on, the interruption from the suitor left behind. Taehyung ate his kelp soup slowly, his appetite low but not wanting to waste food that Yoongi had gone out of his way to make. The dinner flowed on to its end, the suitors speaking up in attempts to show off their intelligence or their wealth. If Taehyung had to hear another mention of the sizes of a seahorse army, he was going to throw up the minimal kelp soup he had managed to digest.
And as soon as he thought he had finally made it through the horrid dinner sitting next to a bragging suitor himself, one of them spoke up. An orange-haired merman, who’d simpered over Jungkook all evening, gasped, bringing his hand to slap on his bare chest.
“Prince Jungkook, how in Atlantica did you know my favorite meal was kelp soup? I’d be so sorry to your chef if he had to go through all the trouble to make it for me, since I was to come to dinner today.” The merman pouted, jutting out his lip in an effort to look cute in front of the tired prince.
Namjoon coughed lightly into his fist to cover up his chortle at the assumption- Taehyung knew the crown prince was aware of exactly why kelp soup was on the table tonight. Taehyung himself hid his laughter at the annoyance that started to show itself on Jungkook’s face.
Jungkook opened his mouth, no doubt to snap at the orange-haired suitor, when King Orion spoke up.
“Actually, young Jasper, kelp soup is also a favorite of our dear Taehyung’s too! The soup was for his visitation, but I do find myself happy and relieved you also treasure this decadent meal.”
Jungkook snapped his mouth back closed, and pursed his lips at the carefully constructed words that left the King’s lips. King Orion had said exactly what Jungkook had undoubtedly also wanted to say, but in a more subtle and discreet way.
Taehyung ignored the strong stares he got from the suitors as he rose up from the table, noticing that everyone was done eating.
“Thank you, royal family and visitors, for dining with me tonight.” He announced formally. “I’m afraid I’ve had quite a tiring day, so I must retreat to my rooms early tonight.”
At the approving nods of the King and Queen, he spun around quickly and sped to where his bedroom was. He felt Jungkook’s stare at his back, knowing the prince wanted to follow him to spend some quality time. However, Taehyung knew Jungkook had to stay with the suitors until they all retired to bed- they were his guests after all, and the suitors weren’t going to just go to sleep now that Taehyung had left.
He could already hear the orange-haired suitor’s piercing laughter screeching down the halls.
Taehyung rubbed his eyes sleepily, turning into his bedroom and floating down onto the bed. Today had been too stressful for him- he had expected a hard inventory day, but not everything else. He snuggled his head down and closed his eyes.
And just as he was about to drift off to sleep, a soft knock sounded at the door that separated his room. He groaned and blearily opened his eyes again.
“Come in.” He called, upset at the interruption. He gasped as Queen Chin-Sun gently opened the door.
“Taehyung.” She gave a soft smile, shaking her head as he immediately floated off the bed again to bow. “You know there’s no need for that- I’ve been asking you to stop bowing for 5 years now.” She quirked an eyebrow at him. “What do I need to do to get you to stop?”
Taehyung laughed. “Maybe when you stop being Queen- but even then, I’ll make sure to bow.”
Chin-Sun scoffed. “Or maybe you’ll stop bowing when you finally become my son-in-law.”
Taehyung froze.
She raised her eyebrows at him. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed- both you and Jungkook are beautifully connected to each other- it’s practically a fated match.”
Taehyung snorted. “I may love him, but don’t be so sure about him returning those feelings- he’s had plentiful crushes as of recently and there’s a suitor out there that he’ll fall in love with soon anyway.”
Chin-Sun smiled sadly. “I’m afraid I’ve raised him to be plenty hopeful and full of dreams- perhaps it is my fault he cannot see what has been swimming in front of him for the past 6 years.”
“Of course not.” Taehyung shook his head adamantly. “You’ve raised Jungkook to be an amazing, wonderful merman- I’m honored to be able to call him a friend. After all, his open heart and mind is what led me to you.” He blinked. “Perhaps he just does not consider me a possible suitor.”
The Queen tightened her lips and she sighed. She swam forward and gently took Taehyung’s head into her arms and hugged him warmly. He returned it.
“And perhaps he does not consider you a suitor, but he would be a fool not to.” She whispered into his hair. “And you’ll always be my son, no matter what.”
She kissed the crown of Taehyung’s head tenderly. “Good night, Taehyung.”
“...Thank you, Chin-Sun. Good night to you as well.”
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“I’ll bring you back a seashell.”
“You don’t have to-”
“And an unweathered rock. I know you like those-”
“Really, this is unnecessary-”
“And some abandoned crab shells for your potions, I think you mentioned needing them-”
“Jungkook.” Taehyung laughed. “You’re leaving for 3 days, not a whole year. You don’t have to bring me back a gift- just come home safe, that’s all.”
The prince huffed, tail agitatedly moving as he sat on Taehyung’s new work table, set up in the workshop the King had granted to him. Jungkook determinedly crossed his arms.
“You know what? Just for that comment, I’ll bring you back the largest seashell I can find on the shore.”
Taehyung amusedly looked at the prince. “You know you’re not supposed to be near the shore, anyway- the human kingdom might catch a glimpse of you.”
“But the seashell -”
“No.”
“Even for a second?” Jungkook pouted, turning his big eyes to stare at Taehyung. And who was Taehyung to say no to that face?
“...Only one second.”
“YES!”
“And this is only because I need some more seashell powder for my potions. “ Taehyung clarified grumpily. “Only go up there if you see a shell to grab in the first place.”
Jungkook nodded enthusiastically, but then startling as a loud horn blew throughout the palace. “Time for me to go, then.” The merman shyly said, leaning forward to hug Taehyung.
Taehyung returned the hug as tightly as he could. “Don’t die out there.”
Jungkook left with a promised “I won’t!”.
And he was gone. Taehyung sighed and went back to his work table. He brought out different ingredients for a type of healing potion, one that the palace healing wing was running out of. Jimin and Jin, the healers that resided in the palace and the city respectively, were always in need of potions for their patients. Taehyung always helped out Jin, who was in the city and did not have connections to a potions master or Sea Witch. On the other hand, Jimin had the help of Namjoon, both of them living in the palace giving them an advantage.
But this time, Namjoon had left with the party to go near the seashore with Jungkook. There was something about a large army of stingrays stalking around the humans, so they had to check it out. Taehyung had offered to make the potions Namjoon was going to miss for the healing wing.
He carefully measured out the different ingredients, dropping them into the black cauldron with ease. He worked in silence for the next hour, letting the magic do its work as he kept a close watch on it. The smell of the potion started to take on the smell of land aloe, which was Taehyun’s cue to quickly vial it up into jars to prevent the magic from mixing it more.
At the sight of the finished potion, he looked around the workshop in boredom. What now? He had not been offered any new deals lately, and those with active conditions had, fortunately, seemed to be following them- he hadn’t had to send a new mer to the dungeons since Violetta.
Now that Jungkook was gone and couldn’t keep him company for the next 3 days, Taehyung was stuck with tweaking potion recipes for the entirety of the time until he came back. He stayed happy with the fact that Jungkook was going to bring him many seashells, as the prince always stayed true to his promises.
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The past three days, simplified in the shortest way possible, were dreadful for Taehyung. He had gotten, unfortunately but luckily, used to Jungkook’s frequent visits even before he had a workshop in the palace. But ever since he set up the workshop given to him by the King, Jungkook always stopped by whenever he was nearby (which happened to be quite a lot).
Jungkook’s presence brought energy and excitement whenever he was there, and Taehyung found himself often missing the prince as he sat in the quiet workshop, both in the palace and in his cave. Of course, this did not mean he was alone- although the King and Queen were busy with other matters, he was able to visit Yoongi and Jimin often for their residency in the castle. Hoseok also showed up frequently, his messaging getting faster by the letter, and Jin stopped by oftentimes to pick up potions Taehyung made. So overall, he wasn’t lonely- he just felt the emptiness that Jungkook’s absence left.
He organized the shelves in the palace workshop for what felt like the thousandth time, but he couldn’t help it. Jungkook was coming back home today , at any given minute now. Taehyung was nervous and anticipated, his brain too jumbled up to focus on recipes or to make conversation with the others. Instead, he had retreated and found different ways to occupy his hands while he waited for his love to come back.
Oh Orion, he was only gone for 3 days- and despite the short time, Taehyung felt like Jungkook had been gone for a year. He was acting like his partner had gone out to an inter-sea war when all he’d done was go deal with some pesky stingrays.
He took out some empty jars and placed them out on the work table, hoping that Jungkook was able to find a seashell- he didn’t need much, but the powder he already had was used up nearly all the way making healing potions for Jimin. Apparently, the guards and warriors of the palace got many more injuries than he had previously thought.
A horn sounded loudly through the palace, echoing on all the walls, and Taehyung’s nerves shot up. They were here.
Immediately leaving the workshop behind, he swam quickly toward the entrance of the palace to meet the party, meeting a fast Jimin on the way.
They approached the entrance to find a small party of warriors, unharmed with Namjoon and Jungkook leading the group. An excited laugh bubbled up against his wishes, coming out of his chest.
Jungkook caught sight of him and immediately barreled toward him, the merman’s tail moving extremely fast with pent up energy. “Tae!” He laughed, hugging the Sea Witch. Taehyung hugged back with all his might.
The rest of the party split up, warriors going back to their living residencies to rest and Jimin dragging Namjoon to spend time wherever they were headed to. Jungkook turned to Taehyung, an exhilarated grin present on his face.
“Do you want to go to your workshop?” Jungkook’s tail energetically swung back and forth, and Taehyung glanced at him suspiciously.
“Sure, Kook.”
They made their way to Taehyung’s workshop, Jungkook regaling the tales of the journey and what had happened. The team of stingrays were just looking for trouble, so the party had to talk them down and threaten them with dungeon time before they finally agreed to stay away from humans.
“And the sands near the human shore were breathtaking , Tae-” Jungkook continued to ramble as they entered the workshop. “There weren’t a lot of large seashells but there were more than enough small ones that were perfect for your potions.”
Behind Jungkook’s back, he pulled out a small brown bag and handed it to a wide-eyed Taehyung. Taehyung opened the bag to see it filled to the brim with many white seashells and other land rocks.
He laughed in surprised delight.
“I can’t believe you found so many!” He exclaimed, zipping to his work table to start grinding them. He poured out a small amount onto the table and started to grind with his pestle as Jungkook approached behind him.
“And Taehyung, I need to tell you something.” Jungkook gushed, his cheeks puffed up in obvious enthusiasm. Taehyung nodded, paying attention but still grinding the shells. “There was a human boy.”
Taehyung’s grinding slowed down by just a little before he gathered his wits and continued.
“Really? He didn’t see you, did he?” He asked, worry bleeding into his tone. “Because that would be quite a large problem.”
Jungkook grinned. “He didn’t see me.”
Taehyung sighed in relief.
“But I saw him, Taehyung, and I honestly believe I fell in love.”
The pestle stopped moving.
“What?” Taehyung whispered, not turning around to look at the prince.
“You should have seen him, Tae! He had the most gorgeous hazel eyes and his hair was a light brown- the way he laughed and played around in the water with his land dolphin! He was quite possibly the most beautiful being I’ve ever laid eyes upon.” Jungkook sighed dreamily and gazed into the shells Taehyung had stopped grinding, no doubt reminiscing his memory.
Taehyung swallowed and tried not to pay attention to his heart breaking to pieces with every description. Jungkook had gotten crushes before, but it was never this strong- and most importantly, never on a human. How was Taehyung supposed to compete with a human when he could barely measure up to the palace suitors?
“And he was wearing beautiful clothing, and looked ethereal as he had fun in the water.” The prince persisted. “But then a butler had come to fetch him.”
No.
“Taehyung, I think he’s a prince .”
The pestle fell from his hands. Jungkook rushed forward in concern, scrutinizingly looking at Taehyung to check for injuries. Taehyung softly patted him away.
“No worries, Kook.” He smiled, hiding the pain that wracked through his chest. “I just remembered that I need another tool to collect the shells, and Jimin borrowed them yesterday.”
Jungkook straightened up. “I can go get it from Jimin if you want.”
Taehyung winced. “No, I can get it. You just came home from a mission, you should rest.” He paused, wondering if he could take saying the next sentence. “And your human prince sounds lovely.”
Jungkook smiled his oh-so-bright, beautiful smile that cheered Taehyung up even with his circumstances.
“Alright then, see you later, Tae!” He brightly wished, before turning around to swim out of the workshop.
“Thanks for the seashells!” Taehyung weakly called. Tears ran hot behind his eyes, threatening to escape and break the mask he’s been wearing for 6 years.
6 years .
Of course, he never had a chance in the first place- against nobility with their wealth, intelligence, and roguish handsomeness, he had always paled next to the suitors that came for Jungkook’s hand. And now that Jungkook had fallen in love with a human prince? Taehyung wasn’t even in the same realm to be considered.
With blurry eyes, he swiped the half-ground seashells into an empty jar and placed it as far away from him on the table as possible.
While Jungkook was collecting seashells he had promised to give to Tae, he had seen the love of his life.
He sucked in a sharp breath to try and regulate his fast breathing and he dashed straight out of the workshop. It held too many memories.
With a whimper, he raced the halls, ignoring concerned calls of his name as he felt his tail burn from the fast and sudden speed. Left, left, right, left. He followed the familiar path to Namjoon’s room and burst open the door.
Inside, Jimin and Namjoon were seated close on his bed, casually conversing and exchanging miniscule, soft touches and glances. Even with his wrecked emotions, Taehyung couldn’t help but feel proud that Namjoon had finally started to gather the courage to make a move. The pair looked up at his arrival, and Taehyung was hit with the notion that he was interrupting a special moment.
“I-I’m sorry.” He gasped. “I forgot you were going to spend some time together, I thought Namjoon was going to be alone- not- not that anything is going on, it’s just-” A sob escaped him and Jimin immediately swam to him and gave him a hug.
“I don’t know what’s happening,” Jimin whispered softly. “But I understand, Taehyung. I’m here if you ever need me.”
Taehyung cried and crumpled into Jimin’s arms. Namjoon appeared behind them and gently ushered them back to the bed. Jimin whispered affirmations and comforting words to him, rubbing his back and never losing contact with the Sea Witch.
They stayed in the same position for a while as Taehyung’s sobs subsided to an occasional hiccup. Silence followed as Taehyung struggled to gather his thoughts.
“I love Jungkook.”
It was a simple, true statement, but it was the first time he’s admitted it out loud like that.
Jimin sucked in a breath. “Tae…” He started.
“I know, Jimin.” Taehyung sighed. He looked at Namjoon’s concerned face. “Joon…” He closed his eyes. “Did you know?”
He opened them again to see a confused expression plastered on the crown prince’s face. “That you loved him? I’ve known for a long time now, Tae- you know this.”
Taehyung shook his head furiously. So Namjoon didn’t know about the human prince. It was a relief- although he knew that there were no “sides,” he felt at peace knowing that Namjoon hadn't known and just left him to find out on his own.
“No. About the human prince Jungkook saw during the trip.”
Namjoon paled. “He saw what -”
“He’s in love , Joon. With a human. With a human prince .”
“Taehyung.” Namjoon delicately said. “They can’t be together anyway- Jungkook’s a merman and his… crush lives on land. There’s no possible way.”
Taehyung took solace in the small fact and stayed quiet for the rest of the night, even during dinner.
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
Taehyung ground at the seashells with force. After last night’s events, he was slightly mollified with the fact that Jungkook could not spend time with a human- after all, humans were known to not believe in merpeople and other “mythical creatures”. He focused on grinding the seashells until they were fine enough to be used in his potions.
He’d taken the seashells back to his cave, deciding to work on them there and spend some time away from the workshop. The Sea Witch sighed and stretched his arms out before placing the now-full jar of seashell powder onto his shelf of ingredients.
Suddenly, his magic flared to life, singing and anticipating an incoming customer. He tensed- the magic was strong this time. Whenever a mer came to him seeking a deal or help, his magic always seemed to sense it before they even came into view. From the feel of the magic this time, the request was going to be something big.
“Tae?”
Taehyung gasped at the sound of Jungkook’s voice echoing down the walls of the cave.
“...Jungkook?” He whispered horrifically- why was he here to strike a deal? In the 6 years they’ve known each other, Jungkook has always been content with what he had. He was the last mer Taehyung expected to visit him for a request.
Jungkook swam into view, looking as bright and happy as always- however, a tinge of nervousness settled into his movements, by the way the tip of his tail quivered and his hands wrung themselves together. The prince knew that Taehyung was aware he was here for a deal- they’d been friends for so long, it would be a surprise if he didn’t know about how Taehyung’s magic worked.
“What are you here for?” Taehyung stiltedly asked, eyebrows furrowed together. Jungkook took a deep breath.
“I want to be human.”
What?
“What? Jungkook-”
“I know it sounds crazy, but the human world has always interested me, you know this, Tae-”
“But at the expense of your mer life?”
“And seeing the human prince just made me realize that life on land may fit me more.”
Taehyung sputtered. “Jungkook, this is madness. Just because you saw a human, you’re willing to give up your kingdom? Your parents, Namjoon?” The “and me?” was silent. “You have to sit and think about what you’re giving up before you go and chase after something new.”
“I know what I’m losing.” Jungkook snapped. “But even as a child, I’ve always been adventurous and wanting to go near the land. The prince was just the last coral in the reef-”
“The prince doesn’t even know you, Kook! You’re a stranger who, what a coincidence, the humans would love to poke and prod at!” Taehyung hissed angrily.
“Stop trying to protect me, Tae. I can do that just fine on my own.” The prince huffed.
“Not when you’re making reckless choices such as this-”
“I love him-”
“You’ve seen him once .”
Jungkook pursed his lips in anger. “I’m here as a requesting customer. You can’t turn me away.”
“I can’t.” Taehyung admitted mournfully. “But I can try and talk you out of it.”
“Why can’t you support me on this? Isn’t that what a best friend is supposed to do? I just want to live my life happily, Tae.” Jungkook vented. “You have the chance to make my life better- so why can’t you?”
Taehyung stayed silent, holding back the cry that was building up. “You know there’s a price.”
“A condition, yes.”
“...When do you want it done?”
“Right now.”
Taehyung flared out in anger, his tail thrashing under him at the stress. “Jungkook, you can’t turn human now- what about your parents and Namjoon?”
“I can visit them.” Jungkook dismissed. Taehyung saw that he had his eyes set on his goal. He knew that the prince would regret everything later on, but for now, Jungkook saw his goal as the most important thing at the moment.
“...Just remember that I warned you, okay?” He stressed to the prince.
Jungkook snorted. “You know I’m always careful. Thanks for the warning though, I guess.”
There was a long period of silence before Taehyung sighed. The thought of Jungkook wanting to become a human just for his love was enough to convince him- he’d lost. All he could do now was to hope that Jungkook kept himself safe.
“...Let’s see what your condition will be.”
Taehyung swam slowly toward Jungkook and set both of his palms onto the prince’s shoulders. A golden thread of energy emitted from his palms, travelling down the length of the prince and reaching up into the hair until Jungkook was covered. One end of the thread separated from the rest, and Taehyung touched it with a heavy heart.
Exchange a tail for legs, gills for lungs.
Severity of the spell is extreme.
Dungeon time if broken is 10 years.
Taehyung’s breath hitched.
Condition…
His heart shattered.
No contact with oceanic life.
He let go of the thread with a painful gasp. Jungkook stared at him worriedly.
“Taehyung?” He emphasized, reaching forward to touch him. Taehyung jerked away and the prince drew back, a hurt look in his eyes. “What’s the condition?”
Taehyung looked back at him with frightened eyes. “Are you absolutely sure you want to do this, Kook?”
Jungkook nodded. “I see it as my next step in life. Tae… what’s the condition?”
The Sea Witch swallowed. “No contact with oceanic life. Consequence is 10 years.”
The prince stilled. “...Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure- my magic does what it wants. I’m sorry.” Taehyung bit his lip. As much as he hated making Jungkook happy, he couldn’t help but feel reassured that his love wasn’t going to leave at that very moment. But he’d underestimated the mindset Jungkook was in.
“...I’ll do it.” The prince hesitated, then nodded his head confidently. “I accept the condition.”
Taehyung gaped. “Jungkook-”
“My decision as a customer, Tae.”
Taehyung closed his eyes in defeat.
He went to work making the potion, trembling hands on autopilot as they grabbed numerous ingredients, including the spider eyes and the seashell powder from Jungkook’s seashells. He measured the ingredients in a foggy daze, his magic leading his hands in what to do.
He was thankful that the magic knew what to do- he felt like he was in a state of shock and wouldn’t have been able to do the potion otherwise. On the other hand, he wished he didn’t know how to make the potion in the first place- then Jungkook would be able to stay here, home, with him. But then Jungkook would have stubbornly searched out another Sea Witch’s assistance, whose conditions would be impossibly worse than just staying away from oceanic life.
The potion heated up in magical energy, his characteristic gold color simmering in the smooth purple liquid. It was done- potions used in deals never took long, no matter how complicated it became.
He felt Jungkook’s eyes on his back as he measured the right amount into a vial and covered the top with the palm of his hand. Taehyung turned around slowly, eyes down on the sand underneath him.
Jungkook’s hands came into view, cupping his face and forcing the witch to look into the merman’s eyes. Tears brimmed Taehyung’s eyes and he had to push them back as much as he could.
“Thank you for doing this, Tae.” Jungkook whispered. “I’ll miss you.”
Taehyung couldn’t help but feel an underlying bitterness rise in his chest- 6 years of close friendship, gone, just because the prince wanted to explore land and marry a human prince. He supposed Jungkook never actually wanted to be tied down to the ocean. To him.
“I’ll miss you too, Kook.” An “I love you” stayed unspoken and unheard. “Let’s get this done.”
Once Jungkook’s soft hands retreated from Taehyung’s face, the Sea Witch breathed in.
“I call upon the magical forces of the ocean, born and learned deep within me.” Golden threads appeared out of the sand, rising up and flowing in the open water. “I am here to strike a deal.”
At his words, the golden threads looped themselves around Jungkook’s wrists and held him in place.
“In exchange for human legs, loss of gills, and a life on land, comes the condition of no contact with any oceanic life. Consequence is 10 years in captivity… and reversible only by deathly matters. Jeon Jungkook…” Taehyung’s words faltered. “Do you accept the condition and required consequence?”
The merman in front of him looked into his eyes. “I accept.”
With a final strong bite of his lip, Taehyung sent magical energy into the potion, charging it up. “I, Kim Taehyung, grant your wish.”
He lifted the vial to Jungkook’s lips, watching in despair as the prince drank it up.
Jungkook screamed, the strangled sound piercing through Taehyung’s heart. The witch looked away as the prince’s beautiful red tail split into two human legs. The sight wasn’t something he could stomach, no matter how many transformations he’d seen in the past. This was Jungkook .
And suddenly, the screaming stopped. Taehyung looked back to see the prince’s gills receding into his skin, closing up and leaving clear and unblemished skin in its place- Jungkook couldn’t breathe underwater now. The golden threads holding the former-merman’s wrists shot up from the sand and pulled Jungkook out of the entrance of the cave and brought him to the surface so he could breathe.
Taehyung sobbed, bringing his hands to cover his mouth and nose. Jungkook was gone.
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
Silence plagued the cave, the peaceful atmosphere in the water only interrupted by Taehyung’s gasps. What had just happened? He should have fought harder, or even tried to convince his magic to give a leaner consequence and condition.
But he knew it was useless. When Jungkook had his eyes on something, he struggled to listen to reason and other perspectives. He was determined, but Taehyung also wouldn’t have had the heart to turn Jungkook away. His magic was also extremely stubborn- once it found a condition and consequence, it was near impossible to sway the gold energy.
He’d been able to change one thing- usually, his spells were permanent and non-reversible. This time, his desperation allowed him to add another rule to the spell- if Jungkook were to come to near-death, his condition could be broken and the spell could undo itself with no consequence.
For Jungkook’s safety, Taehyung hoped he never saw him again.
A shout sounded from the entrance of the cave and he quickly wiped his eyes in an effort to rub away the redness.
“Taehyung? Are you here?? Please say you’re here.” Namjoon’s panicked voice roared down the walls of the cave. Taehyung startled and swam forward to meet them in the middle.
“I’m here, Joon!” He called out, cursing his voice when it cracked slightly from the strain. A large number of people streamed in.
Namjoon came in first, looking mussed up and in a terrible state, followed by a worried Jimin. Yoongi and Jin came next, Hoseok slightly ahead of them. The King and Queen appeared last.
Taehyung felt an overwhelming guilt and regret bubble in his chest. Namjoon swam powerfully towards him.
“Tae. Did Jungkook pass by here?”
“...Why?”
The crown prince groaned and rubbed his face into his hands. “There was a really big argument during lunch. Father… wanted to bring in more suitors after the last group was sent home with no progress.”
Behind Namjoon, King Orion winced and swam forward gracefully.
“All I wanted was for Jungkook to find someone. Namjoon has Jimin, and I know that Jungkook may have felt lonely without a loving partner.” The King clasped his hands together. “I was not aware of his… infatuation with a human boy.”
Taehyung’s breath caught. King Orion had always made safety of merfolk a main priority during his reign- humans were on the top of the predator list, with their fishing nets and large ships. Jungkook’s love for a human would never be taken lightly or kindly by the King.
“Jungkook… He got angry with Father’s disapproval of connecting with the humans and he stormed out. We checked his rooms, your rooms, my rooms, the workshops, and the entire palace before we realized he may have stopped by at your cave.” Namjoon sighed. “Taehyung, was he here? Is he here?”
Taehyung’s breathing sped up as a panic swelled inside of him. He bit his lip harshly before answering.
“He left.”
Yoongi, noticing his tone, swam forward suspiciously. “He left where?”
A long pause followed.
“To the human world.”
Loud and painful hisses spread throughout the group, frustration and shock building exponentially. Namjoon leaned forward and gripped Taehyung’s forearms in fear.
“You mean he swam there, right? He left to go and take a three-day trip to the shore where his human was. As a merman .”
Tears began to rise in Taehyung’s eyes again, grief welling up. “No. As a human.”
Namjoon cursed and Queen Chin-Sun cried out in misery. Horrified expressions covered the party in the cave.
“H-he made me a deal.” Taehyung pleaded. “My magic can’t just turn away deals like that- as long as the client agrees to the condition and consequence, I can’t do anything to stop it. I couldn’t do anything to stop it. To stop him.” He hiccuped in anxiety. “I… please don’t hate me for doing it.”
Suddenly, Taehyung was encased in strong, loving, familiar arms.
“We don’t hate you, love.” Queen Chin-Sun rubbed his shaking back. “Jungkook’s decision was just that- his decision and his alone, most likely done in the heat of the moment. Your magic is powerful, but it has rules- rules that you must follow. No blame is set on anyone today.”
Taehyung quivered. Jin stepped up and placed his hand softly on Tae’s shoulder.
“What was the condition?” He asked, almost inaudible.
“We can’t get him back.” Taehyung replied, dejected. “The condition… he cannot communicate with oceanic life. That includes us.”
Hoseok gasped in distress. “And he agreed to do it?”
Taehyung blew out his breath. “Like Queen Chin-Sun said… I think it was the heat of the moment. But I managed to persuade my magic just enough that he’d be able to come to us if he were nearing death’s arms- the spell will be broken with no consequence.”
The Queen stiffened around him and he buried his head into her shoulder in an anguished apology.
“I’m sorry.” Taehyung whispered, and he wrapped his arms around the mermaid as she dissolved into tears.
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
It had been 1 month. One entire month without Jungkook, one month of Taehyung trying to heal from his best friend’s and love’s absence from his life. One month since Jungkook left to go and frolic with the humans recklessly, without a thought of who he was leaving behind.
And despite 30 days and nights passing, time did, in fact, not heal at all. Every day, Taehyung still felt the raging sorrow that pushed out of his chest. He did not spend much time in the palace, instead choosing to hole himself up in his cave in an effort to pull the threads together to close the ripping seams. It wasn’t working.
As if his body was on autopilot, he still managed to make potions for Jin and deal with new clients. The healing potions required seashell powder, and his heart ached every time he had to pull out the jar.
Taehyung sat, perched on his work table (don’t think about Jungkook doing the same, just don’t ) as his magic flared, burning through him.
Someone had broken their condition.
Anxiety coursed through him and he found himself hoping to Orion that Jungkook did not appear in front of him at this very moment. The last thing he wanted to do was to force Jungkook into isolated captivity for 10 years.
Gold light flashed and a large, burly merman appeared. Taehyung couldn’t help but sigh in distressed relief.
“Ymir.”
The mer looked around the cave before he roared in anger and lunged at Taehyung. Instantly, golden threads shot up from the sand and bounded the merman’s wrists down.
“Your conditions are shit.” Ymir snarled, yanking fiercely at the bonds.
Taehyung calmly swam forward. “My conditions are fit, and they are much kinder than any other Sea Witch’s. You asked for a good body, and I gave you one. How hard was it to refrain from beating anyone up using your strength? I granted you your wish not even two weeks ago.”
“I wanted revenge .” The merman growled. “Too many years of being teased and now that my body is superior? How could I just stand there and look the other way after I was bullied all my life for being small?”
“That’s what you agreed to.” Taehyung retorted. “Good body, good heart. You agreed to the terms, but you broke them. Now you must pay the consequence. Only a year, I believe.”
Ymir’s face burned red inginitationally and he opened his mouth, no doubt an insult sitting at the tip of his tongue, when a hot, flashing heat burned through his chest.
The gold threads wrapped around Ymir’s wrists also burned hot, and the merman groaned in pain.
“Sorry, sorry!” Taehyung gasped, trying to reign the wilding energy. “Magic, send him to the dungeons.”
The threads around Ymir’s wrists glowed and with a final angry scream from the merman, he disappeared out of the cave.
Taehyung panted at the pain that he couldn’t suppress anymore, the magic confused and panicking as it went haywire. Gold strands flooded around in the cave, lightening up the entire area in a bright golden glow. His tail and core weakened, and he fell to the sand with a cry. His hands gripped at the sand and the coarse grains slipped through his fingertips.
What was happening? He reached desperately for a floating golden thread, searching for answers. His fingertip touched the strand.
“Help… Please… T-Tae? Are you there?”
Cold fear shot through Taehyung. It was Jungkook.
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
It had taken 5 minutes to swim to the palace and find King Orion. It felt 6 minutes too long.
He tore through the water, gasping from the exertion, on his way to where he knew the King was- the Throne Room. Ever since Jungkook’s leave, King Orion had thrown himself into royal duties to distract himself.
Taehyung burst into the open room, interrupting what looked like an important meeting, and went straight to the King.
The merman sputtered. “Taehyung, what’s-”
“It’s Jungkook.” He gasped out. “He’s… his spell was broken, and he’s a three day’s journey away, I don’t- I need your help, please-”
The King’s eyes took on a determined glare and he grabbed the Trident standing powerfully near his chair. “Let’s go and get my son.”
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
He’d made a mistake. He admitted it.
It had been hard, for the past month, for Jungkook to live as a human. It wasn’t getting integrated into their society- Taehyung’s magic had taken care of that quite nicely. It wasn’t meeting the human prince, who’s name he didn’t dare utter anymore.
It had been hard because everywhere he looked, he was reminded of what exactly he’d left behind.
Being introduced to their King and Queen only made him miss his own parents. He’d gotten sick the first week there, and was treated to human medicine, with a taste so pungent that he found himself thinking of Jimin and Jin. Every meal at their castle had him craving every single meal Yoongi had ever prepared for him, no matter what time it was. The fast-paced horse-racing sports the humans took part in made him sorely miss the races he’d do with Hobi when they were both free. The prince even had a younger brother, and seeing them interact together and laugh made him sorely miss being with Namjoon.
Although he wasn’t allowed to interact with life at the ocean, he couldn't help but risk taking walks at the beach and feeling the crisp, salty air blow through his hair. Sometimes, he’d find a seashell and get excited, thinking of Taehyung’s reaction when Jungkook would give it to him later. But a moment after and he was dropping the shell back to the floor with tears in his eyes and a tear in his heart.
Because Taehyung had told him not to go. He’d told Jungkook that the prince would regret it and he hadn’t listened.
It made him realize how much Taehyung had actually looked out for him over the years. The Sea Witch was always there, comforting him, encouraging him in everything he did. Taehyung was… Taehyung and Jungkook’s heart squeezed at the thought that he’d hurt him with his actions.
“Why can’t you support me on this? Isn’t that what a best friend is supposed to do? I just want to live my life happily, Tae. You have the chance to make my life better- so why can’t you?”
Except Taehyung had made his life better- from the very first time Jungkook had seen him rescue an injured dolphin. From every teasing remark and laugh, to every tight and warm hug given, Taehyung had lightened up his world and kept him grounded and safe.
Bringing Taehyung back to the palace had been the first bold thing he’d dared to do in his life. Making Taehyung his friend was the second bold thing. Every interaction with the Sea Witch had made him feel light and airy, dazed from the euphoria from being in his presence.
Taehyung had given him the freedom he was seeking, even before he knew to look for it.
“You love someone.” The human prince’s younger brother quipped, sitting in front of a sad Jungkook. Jungkook was holding a small number of beautiful seashells on his palm, taken inside from his latest walk on the beach.
Jungkook looked up in surprise.
The brother, still young but wiser than his older brother could ever be, nodded at the seashells in his hands. “You’ve been bringing in seashells ever since you’ve arrived. They remind you of someone you love, and it’s definitely not my older brother.”
“I don’t… love him.” Jungkook retorted. “I just miss him, I guess.”
The human snorted. “I read enough books and attend enough royal balls to understand what love looks like. If he were to show up right now, how would you feel?”
“Happy, of course.” Jungkook looked down at the shells. “Euphoric. I’d run and give him the biggest hug and apologize for what I did. And I’d give him these shells because… he always loved the shells I’d bring home to him. I’d make sure he never feels alone, because although he has a lot of friends, I’d still find him sitting in an empty ca- room. And… I’d kiss him, perhaps.” He stopped at the words that slipped out.
This was the first time he’d honestly sat down and thought about kissing Taehyung but it felt so… normal. It didn’t sound odd like if he’d thought about kissing any other friend. But Taehyung? It felt like it was something he should’ve been doing a long time ago.
He loved him?
The brother stood up. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts.” And with a secretive smile, the human walked away.
But it was too late. The damage was done and Jungkook had forced his eyes back to the older human prince as a love interest. They stayed together for the next month, being in a relationship feeling horribly wrong when it wasn’t with Taehyung.
His most dire mistake of all was deciding to tell the human prince of his secret.
“I have to tell you something.” Jungkook nervously twiddled with his fingers. “I’m… not quite human.”
The prince hadn’t taken it well. He had called him a monster, a creature using witchcraft to smuggle into the human world to take over and harm others. He had been partially correct.
But even with the bad reaction, Jungkook hadn’t expected the torture. They had cut him open, analyzing his blood with these… machines and conductIng tests on him to see how he would react. Although his appearance and organs had shifted to be human, his blood had remained one of a merman.
One night, it had gotten too much. They had accidentally cut an important artery, the blood gushing out of his arm and down onto the floor. Amidst the panic in the humans, Jungkook had run away to the ocean.
“...comes the condition of no contact with any oceanic life. Consequence is 10 years in captivity… and reversible only by deathly matters.”
Deathly matters. Taehyung’s wavering voice entered his consciousness and Jungkook dazedly stumbled his way to the ocean, hoping to Orion that he was close enough to death that he could communicate with the water.
He touched the water, letting out a strangled gasp when a golden thread of magic curled around his finger protectively, lighting up the darkness of the night around him.
“Help…” Jungkook heaved to the thread, hoping that he would somehow be heard. The dry sand underneath him scratched against his skin and grains slipped into his open wound. Tears streamed out of his eyes. “Please… T-Tae? Are you there?” He sobbed, crying out when the thread disappeared back into the ocean.
He laid there as his arm throbbed, along with the other numerous injuries in his body. Was he going to die? Here, as a human, with a measly connection to the ocean and all of his family, and Taehyung, days out of reach? It was the most pathetic death he could have ever dreamed of.
Jungkook coughed out wetly, blood coming up and out of his mouth and staining the beautiful sand beneath him. It had been too long. The humans were to find him at any moment, and he was to be put back into captivity. It was either that or he died right here, alone, injured, and frightened for his life.
Suddenly, a soft blue light started to glow from the water in front of him. Jungkook stared at it in awe- was this his death? His eyes felt heavy, and they weighed down with every blink. Perhaps it was time for him to go.
He closed his eyes.
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
“JUNGKOOK!” Taehyung sobbed out, horrified at the sight of a bloodied up human on the sand in front of him. He tried to swim closer, but it had gotten too shallow for him to get any closer.
King Orion wielded the Trident and a soft blue light slowed around Jungkook and lifted him up into the air and toward them. Taehyung sniffed and reached for his magic.
“Death has come, exception met. Spell may now be broken with no consequence.” His signature golden threads wrapped around Jungkook’s body, carefully avoiding the bloody wounds. With a quick glow, Jungkook’s legs merged back together and gills appeared again right above his ribs. Taehyung was glad the prince passed out, remembering the other’s painful screams with a heavy heart. As soon as the threads disappeared again, the King gripped the Trident and they transported back home.
At the palace, Jimin and Jin were waiting with potions and salves already in hand. With practiced precision, they took Jungkook back into the Healing Wing to do the best they could.
Taehyung went to his workshop in silence.
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
Jungkook’s eyes opened with a hard effort, and he saw Jin measuring up a potion from a jar.
“...Jin?” He whispered in confusion. With wide eyes, he looked down at his legs to see… no legs. His red tail moved in its place, beautiful and shining the reflected light. He laughed in awe. His tail was back and he was breathing underwater- he was a merman again.
The healer looked up in surprise. “Jungkook. You’re awake.” A smile made its way onto the older merman’s face. “That was fast.”
Jungkook flexed his arm and stretched his whole body. “I don’t feel any pain.” He noticed, perplexed. Jin nodded his head in satisfaction.
“Tae gave us some of his strongest potions. I’d be surprised if you did feel any pain- he used most of his rare ingredients.”
The prince gaped in awe. Even after all he’d done, Taehyung was still looking out for him. He felt the love in his heart swell.
“Where is he now?” He asked, sitting up abruptly. Jungkook slid off the bed and started swimming, elated that he hadn’t lost the strength in his tail. Jin rolled his eyes.
“He’s fine, just working in his workshop. You just woke up, would you sit down -”
“Thanks, Jin!” Jungkook called, and he was out of the room.
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
158.
159.
160.
Taehyung placed the final serpent scale in the large jar and the black scales fitted together. He closed the jar and placed it on the shelf behind him. He took another jar filled with shark teeth and opened it to start counting.
“Tae?”
At the familiar voice, Taehyung’s heartbeat sped up and he spun toward the entrance. Jungkook, complete with his red tail and brown hair, was hovering healthily and looking at him.
“...Kook.” He whispered, placing the jar on the table before he dropped it. “How- how are you?”
The merman smiled, a tiny thing, and swam forward slightly. “I feel great, thanks to you. Your potions worked perfectly, like they always do.”
Taehyung bashfully looked away. “I’m glad.”
Suddenly, a finger gently curled under the witch’s chin and turned his head toward Jungkook. Taehyung blinked in surprise and confusion. The light touch sent a warm chill throughout his body and he shivered. Jungkook looked into his eyes and swallowed.
“It was hell up there, Tae.”
Taehyung bit his lip in sympathy and Jungkook’s thumb traveled from the Sea Witch’s chin to the bitten lip. Tenderly, the prince pulled the lip out and it jutted out in a pout.
And suddenly, unexpectedly, Jungkook leaned forward and pecked Taehyung straight on the lips.
A still silence echoed in the room as Taehyung struggled to process what had just happened. Did… Jungkook just kiss him?
Jungkook immediately started apologizing. “Oh my reefs, I’m so sorry Tae, I promised to myself that I’d confess my love first- I swear I had an entire speech prepared, about how I found out and everything- it’s just.. You looked really pretty and your lips were pouted up and it just felt really natural to kiss you, I promise I wasn’t thinking clearly in the mom-”
Taehyung interrupted him with another kiss planted on the prince’s lips. Jungkook’s eyes widened in awe before they closed. The merman pushed deeper into the kiss, and Taehyung’s hand weaved into Jungkook’s hair, tugging softly and tenderly.
Taehyung closed his own eyes and felt Jungkook’s hand wrap gently around his waist. It felt indescribably… amazing.
They broke apart, both heaving and looking mussed and ruffled. Taehyung took in the sight of a satisfied Jungkook, with swollen lips and tangled hair. He leaned forward and pecked the prince once more.
“It took you long enough.” Taehyung teased, the smile on his face betraying his happiness.
“Sorry I was an oblivious idiot.” Jungkook quirked his mouth up. “But I promise I’ll make it up to you.” Around his neck was a necklace, holding a small pouch. Taehyung looked at it in interest as Jungkook unclasped the bag and gave it to the witch.
Taehyung opened it and inside, were 7 beautiful seashells.
“I love you, Kim Taehyung.” Jungkook confessed. “Thank you for 7 years by my side.”
Taehyung looked back up from the shells and felt his heart soar.
“I love you too, Jeon Jungkook. I’ll stay with you as long as you’d let me.”
Jungkook brought up his hand to cup Taehyung’s cheek.
“I’d have you forever if you take me as yours too.”
And a golden thread glowed.