Work Text:
Prologue
For centuries, humans have told stories and legends about mythical creatures. Sightings of mermaids at sea, centaurs caught clopping around the streets, the howls of werewolves during a full moon, and many more. Some have laughed it off, how could these creatures exist? I won’t believe it until I see it, they say, clinking their glasses together at the round table. These stories were made to frighten children, parents warning them not to stay outside at night for too long. They couldn’t possibly exist in this world.
What humans didn’t know is that these creatures do, in fact, exist. They walk among them in disguise, camouflaged in the crowds. These beings do visit the human world every so often, buying from stores and walking through parks and beaches like everyone else. The human world was a tourist spot to them, where they could live as normal people for just a moment. But eventually, they return to their home — an island several miles from the coast where mythical creatures lived (mostly) in harmony, only accessible to those who cross the bridge invisible to the human eye. A bridge only mythical beings could see.
______
There was loud knocking coming from Doyoung’s door. He sighs, sitting up from his coffin shaped bed and rubs his eyes. Who could be knocking at this time? Barely anyone visits in the afternoon.
He steps toward his bedroom window, opening it carefully so he could see who’s at the door without stepping into the light. He sees the silhouette of a man waving to him from down below, his wings enlarge his shadow and glow in the sunlight. Doyoung squints, he hates it when things look too bright under the sun. It could blind him.
Luckily, the area near his front door was shaded, the winged man standing under the sun, waiting for him to come down. Doyoung is too tired to take the stairs. Instead, he transforms into a bat and flies out the window, landing under the shade.
“Are you ready, Doyoung?” The man smiles at the bat.
Doyoung transforms back to his original form before answering. “Taeyong, why did you wake me up? You know I hate it when you do this.”
“I know. Just wanted to make sure you’ll be ready for later.”
“…Remind me again, what’s later?”
Taeyong’s shoulders drop. “Have you forgotten already? The New Year’s Eve yacht party!”
Ah, right. The yacht party. Doyoung remembers. He doesn’t understand why Taeyong would want to celebrate New Year’s Eve on a yacht with humans when he could hang out with his woodland creatures in the forest. The creatures here don’t really celebrate New Year’s, but it’s better than possibly being found out by humans and having knives and pitchforks being pointed at you.
But perhaps one night in the human world wouldn’t hurt.
“Why exactly do you want to go to this party? We’re not even invited, and there’s humans!” Doyoung shudders. “Remember what Kun said? We’re not allowed to interact with them unless necessary.”
“We’re not there to interact with them,” Taeyong says. “We’re there for the free alcohol! And fireworks!”
“I thought you hated fireworks.” Doyoung grabs his umbrella leaning on the side of the wall. “Because, you know, air pollution. Aren’t you against that?”
“That is true. But I’d like to see them just once.”
The two walk away from Doyoung’s castle. Taeyong’s wings reflect the sunlight onto the tree trunks as they stroll around the forest. Doyoung opens his umbrella and holds it up, preventing any sunlight from hitting his skin.
“Why are you still carrying the umbrella?” The fairy asks, his wings fluttering. “Is the sunscreen the witch made for you not working?”
“It’s working wonderfully, actually.” The vampire replies. “This is for extra precaution.”
They approach the shore of the island, waves creep onto the fine sand. Taeyong looks to the distance, the silhouettes of tall buildings from the human world seem so tiny from afar. It could fit between his fingers.
“Why did you bring me here?” Doyoung adjusts the umbrella in his hand.
“Because we’re not the only creatures going to that party.”
Doyoung’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean? Who else are you bringing?”
The fairy smirks. Doyoung realizes why he brought him to this specific part of the island. The clear water almost reaches his shoes, and he hears mermaids singing close by.
“…No! No no no! Absolutely not!” He gestures to Taeyong, his eyes about to pop from his sockets. “Do not tell me you are inviting-“
“YUTA!” Taeyong shouts at the sea, hoping the mermaid hears him.
Doyoung pinches his nose. Of course. He thinks to himself. Of course Taeyong has to invite the one creature I cannot be normal around.
The singing abruptly stops. He sees a mermaid leave its group and swim towards the shore, its black tail disappearing under the water. It takes a while until it reaches the beach of the island. Taeyong waves him over, the creature swiftly approaching the shore. Its tail propels it faster and faster until…
Splash!
The fairy and the vampire step back, Doyoung successfully staying dry by protecting himself with his umbrella, and Taeyong using his wings to lift himself above the ground so the water couldn’t reach him.
The mermaid fondly giggles at them. A familiar sound in Doyoung’s ears. He lifts his umbrella up, and his eyes meet the mermaid’s.
“Fancy seeing you guys here again.” His deep, sweet-sounding voice causes Doyoung to melt instantly.
There he was. The most beautiful creature Doyoung has ever laid his eyes upon.
He lays on the shore, sweeping his wet hair out of his face. Droplets of seawater travel down his long, raven black hair cascading just a little past his shoulders, to his bare chest, glistening in the sunlight. He was quite muscular, propping his toned arms onto a nearby rock on the beach. He had the most charming smile that could light up the entire island, and an enchanting voice, more mellow and soulful compared to the other mermaids’ voices.
Doyoung has seen many creatures and beings in the centuries he’s been alive, but none of them were as perfect and gorgeous as Yuta.
“Hi, Doyoung.” Yuta greets the vampire pleasantly. “It’s surprising seeing you here while the sun is still out.”
“Yuta…” He fails at hiding his smile when he says his name. “I would have come later, but Taeyong dragged me here so…it’s nice…seeing you.”
“So, what’s up?” Yuta moves to sit on the shore, his black tail matching his hair, making small waves in the water.
“Do you want to go to that party?” Taeyong asks him.
“You mean, the yacht party you were talking about before?”
“Yup, that’s the one!”
Yuta ponders. “It sounds fun, I guess. But what exactly are we going to do about…” He raises his tail, his fingers stroking his prominent scales. “This?”
“Ah, don’t worry about it.” Taeyong rubs his hands together. “I can turn it into legs for tonight.”
Curious about Taeyong’s magic, Yuta agrees to let him do it. Taeyong grabs a handful of fairy dust from his pouch and sprinkles it over his tail. In a matter of seconds, his tail sparkles and turns into a pair of legs. Yuta holds the rock, balancing himself as he slowly stands up.
Doyoung gets a better look at his figure, his gaze trailing down from Yuta’s beautiful face, down to his broad shoulders and collarbone. He goes lower, taking in his chest, to his stomach and hips. He sees Yuta’s v-line and-
Oh my god. He’s completely fucking naked.
“Oh! Sorry!” Doyoung quickly positions his umbrella in front of him, blocking his view before he could accidentally stare at his private part. “Uh…Taeyong...”
“Woah.” Taeyong, on the other hand, was staring right at it, shamelessly. He turns to the flustered vampire. “It’s quite big.” He raises his eyebrows at him.
“Shut up and get him pants or something!” Doyoung whisper-shouts, punching him in the shoulder. “You’re embarrassing him!”
“I don’t think he’s the one that’s embarrassed, Doyoung.”
Yuta curiously looks down at his feet and wiggles his toes, still getting used to his new legs. He cautiously takes a step forward, feeling the sand underneath his feet. It’s a good feeling, he digs his toes in. He never knew what the ground felt like while having feet. It was a new experience for him.
Yuta laughs, taking another step and balancing himself. “Why don’t you guys take off your shoes on the beach?! This is amazing!”
Doyoung peeks from his umbrella, watching Yuta play with his feet on the sand. He’s cute.
Taeyong extends his hand to him to catch him if he falls. “As much as I would love to see you this excited all day, we have to get you some clothes.” Taeyong gets more fairy dust, plays with it in his hands, then stretches it until it forms a towel. “Here, wrap this around your waist.” He hands it to Yuta. “Or maybe Doyoung could-“
Taeyong screams when Doyoung jerks the umbrella towards him, threatening to hit him with it. He flies up where Doyoung couldn’t reach him, transforming into a flying golden speck out of fear. He slowly descends and returns to his original form, a human-sized fairy with equally-sized pink wings. He keeps his distance from the vampire, wanting to live to attend the party. “Come with me, Yuta. I think I can lend you an old suit.”
Yuta follows Taeyong’s lead back into the forest, holding onto the towel around his waist. He turns back to Doyoung. “I’ll see you tonight!” He waves at him.
Doyoung waves back, and once they disappear into the forest, he sighs. Great. Wonderful. I’m going to have Yuta naked in the back of my mind tonight. He thinks to himself.
And tomorrow. And the day after that. And the decade after that.
He runs his hands through his hair, attempting to stop himself from spiralling. But all he could think about was Yuta. Even his name was gorgeous. It’s unfair how perfect he is with that smile and that voice and that hair and that body-
You’re doing it again, Doyoung. Focus.
He takes a deep breath. He closes his umbrella as the sun sets, and walks back to his castle.
He wasn’t going to do much for this party, Taeyong suggested it on a whim, and he assumed it was only the two of them going. But now that Yuta is coming, Doyoung decides he’s going to put in a lot more effort than he initially intended.
____
Doyoung heads over to Taeyong’s cottage dressed in an all-black tuxedo, complete with a bow tie and black dress shirt underneath. His hair was styled, a few strands fell on his forehead. He strides through the forest, hoping that he wasn’t overdressed for the occasion. Taeyong did mention that it was a formal event, on a fancy yacht out of all places. Doyoung hopes he doesn’t stand out too much, anxiously touching his neck and feeling the bite marks that will soon disappear once they cross the bridge. He intends to keep his mouth shut around the humans, afraid of his fangs causing suspicion. The magic on the bridge only removes some signs of being a mythical creature, his teeth being a part that he is responsible for hiding. At least the bridge keeps their abilities with them in the human world. It is a risky game to play, but it is necessary for them to protect themselves from any possible danger.
Doyoung sees Taeyong petting his animals in front of his cottage, and his worries of standing out goes away. He finds his friend wearing a red velvety suit with silver jewels lining the lapel, and a black turtleneck.
“And I thought I was overdressed.” He murmurs to himself. “Taeyong, I thought we weren’t supposed to stand out.” He says, eyeing the bright suit.
“What? I can’t wear this? I don’t think the humans will care.” Taeyong replies, putting his pouch of fairy dust inside the pocket of his suit.
“You’re going to draw attention!” “I’m already wearing it so it’s too late!”
The two friends bicker, Taeyong defending his choice of fashion with his life. They keep going until Taeyong catches a whiff of Doyoung’s perfume. “Oh my god, are you wearing perfume?”
“Yes, why? Is it bad?” Doyoung sniffs his tuxedo jacket, self-conscious about the scent being too strong.
“No, it’s fine. It’s just, you never wear perfume. Where did you even get it?”
“Bought it a while back. Tonight was the perfect opportunity to use it.”
Taeyong flashes him a knowing smile. “Speaking of which,” He walks into his cottage, calling someone from inside. “You can come out now, Yuta.”
Doyoung holds his breath as Taeyong opens the door.
Yuta steps out, wearing a dark grey suit with a white button up. He had his hands in his pockets, his unbuttoned suit jacket sways as he approaches Doyoung. His hair was pulled back and tied in a half-ponytail, his bangs falling on the sides of his face. There were glittery white bobby pins holding it in place, contrasting his black hair. Taeyong most likely gave him those to complete the look.
He was stunning.
“What do you think?” Yuta asks, giving Doyoung a playful twirl, showing off his outfit.
“You look great!” Doyoung compliments him, his breath being taken away as he admires him. What the hell? He thinks. He’s dressed better than me and Taeyong combined. He’s hot, I mean, what?
“Glad to know the suit fits nicely on you.” Taeyong joins the two of them. “Now let’s go. There’ll be free champagne!”
They walk towards the bridge, Taeyong grabs Yuta and Doyoung by their arms and lifts them off the ground, his wings holding their weight. Yuta enjoys the ride while Doyoung complains. “Hey! Put us down! They’re gonna see your wings!”
“Don’t worry about it!” Taeyong reassures. “I’ll put you guys down when we’re near the end.”
The bridge was a long walk, but Taeyong flies them through most of it and sets them down after a while. They reach the end at a secluded part of a city. They all take a deep breath and step off the bridge. They were in an alleyway, looking back to see the entrance of the bridge camouflaged as a dead-end. Doyoung looks at Taeyong, his wings disappearing off his back.
“Let’s party boys!” Taeyong slings his arms around him and Yuta, walking towards the road. It’s only when they reach the busier part of the city that Taeyong calls for a taxi.
Doyoung stays silent the whole ride, letting Taeyong do all the talking. He’s visited the human world more times than Doyoung has. He’s more experienced at getting around without having to fly.
While Taeyong makes small talk to the taxi driver from the shotgun seat, Doyoung leans back on the passenger seat beside Yuta. He watches the buildings and billboards pass by, shining colourful lights through the car windows. He clicks his tongue, he wasn’t the most fond of bright lights.
“Doyoung, look!” Yuta taps his shoulder and points at the buildings on his side, showing an excited grin like a child riding through the city for the first time. It was adorable.
Doyoung hates bright things, but perhaps he’ll tolerate it for tonight.
The taxi drops them off at their destination, Taeyong wishing the driver a Happy New Year. The three of them stare at a big yacht docked near the beach, almost half-packed with people. The lights flash towards the sky, loud music blasting and waiters passing drinks around. This excites Taeyong, and he pulls Doyoung and Yuta’s arms towards the entrance.
They line up along with the humans, Doyoung trying his best to act as casually as possible. He looks towards the front of the line, people handing envelopes to the bodyguard, unclasping the velvet rope to let them in.
“Taeyong, wait! Will we even be let in? We don’t have invitations.” He whispers to Taeyong.
“Don’t worry.” He pulls out three envelopes from inside his suit. “I’ve got it covered.”
Of course Taeyong would make fake invitations to this party for free alcohol. Doyoung rolls his eyes. I wonder if they’ll be convinced.
They reach the front of the line. Taeyong hands the bodyguard their invitations. Doyoung straightens his back, wanting to appear calm. The bodyguard scans the invitations, making eye contact with all three of them. Doyoung’s heart races, what if they are caught?
The bodyguard unclasps the velvet rope and gestures to them to come in.
Doyoung lets out a sigh. That was close.
“Let’s have some fun.” Taeyong says, the waiter handing him a drink. He roams around the boat in search of food. Yuta looks around, and spots the upper deck. He takes the stairs to go up and see a better view of the night sky.
Doyoung is so overwhelmed by the lights and sounds that it takes a while for him to notice that his friends had gone in separate directions. In his confusion and mindless wandering, he realises that big fancy parties like this aren’t his thing, and that he’d rather be on the island.
He steps back and accidentally bumps into a human. “Ah, sorry.” He turns to apologize. He pauses, taken aback by how tall and intimidating this human was. He had a broad frame and strong features, his blonde hair slicked back. He wore a dark blue suit with a satin dress shirt that was slightly unbuttoned, revealing his collarbone. He looked like he was in his mid-twenties.
“My bad.” The man said, his voice smooth as honey. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, I-“ Doyoung clears his throat. “I need to look for my friends.” He bows to the stranger and heads off, keeping their conversation short. He cannot risk talking to humans for too long.
Doyoung spots Taeyong eating food and drinking. He’ll be fine. He thinks. I’ll go to Yuta instead.
Doyoung goes upstairs, slightly fewer people chattering among their groups on this deck. He spots Yuta leaning on the balcony, holding a champagne glass and twirling it in his hand. He’s about to approach him when suddenly, a human starts talking to him. A woman more specifically, a very attractive one at that. She tries talking to him, but Doyoung can’t read her lips from afar. Is she trying to make small talk?
He goes closer, subtly enough for Yuta and the woman to not notice him. He hears a part of their conversation.
“Where are you from? I’ve never seen you around here.”
Yuta doesn’t answer, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with her.
“Oh, you’re the shy type? Wouldn’t expect that from someone with a face like yours.” She gets closer to him, the tone of her voice getting softer and deeper, almost like a whisper.
Yuta takes a few steps back, keeping his distance from her. But the woman doesn’t take the hint, inching towards him as he moves away. Yuta keeps his mouth shut, trying to ignore her advances in hopes that she’ll leave him alone. Yet, she continues to pester him, sizing him up.
Doyoung could tell how uncomfortable Yuta is. He had to say something.
He strides towards them. “Hey, um,” He looks right at the woman, his voice stern. “It doesn’t look like he’s interested.”
The woman turns to him and stares him down. “And who are you? His boyfriend?”
“No,” Doyoung is a bit surprised at how she referred to him as Yuta’s boyfriend, but he keeps his composure. “Just a friend looking out for him. I think you should leave him alone.”
The woman looks to Yuta, his eyes on the floor. It’s obvious that he is completely disinterested in her, his gaze lands on Doyoung instead. She rolls her eyes at them.
“Fine…” She groans, bumping Doyoung’s arm as she saunters away. “Fucking party pooper.”
Doyoung makes sure she’s out of sight before he turns to Yuta. “Humans,” He hisses. “Never fail to disappoint.”
Their eyes meet, and Yuta beams at him when he knows the woman is gone. “Thank you,” Yuta chuckles. “I didn’t know how to tell her to go away without hurting her feelings.”
“Oh, Yuta,” Doyoung places a comforting hand on his shoulder. “When someone is making you uncomfortable, it is your feelings you should prioritise.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Yuta holds Doyoung’s hand, squeezing it as if he was thanking him again. “What would I do without you?”
His words and touch makes Doyoung’s cold heart flutter, failing to suppress his giddy smile as he pats Yuta’s back. They both stare off into the distance, the ocean view from the yacht stretched far, a dark sea that will soon reflect the color of the fireworks at midnight. Unfortunately, the sky was almost empty of stars due to the already lit up city.
“I get why you came up here first,” Doyoung sighs. “It’s more peaceful up here looking at the view.” He looks at Yuta, meeting his eyes, as if he was staring at him for a while. “What are you doing? The view is over there.” He gestures towards the sea.
“I know,” Yuta rests his cheek on his hand, his elbow leaning on the balcony of the yacht. “I’ve seen this view enough, needed a change of scenery.” He smirks at Doyoung.
The flustered vampire slaps his shoulder, giggling. “Are you crazy?!” They both laugh and return to admiring the view. Doyoung nervously licks his lips, overthinking what Yuta said. Was he flirting? Or just joking around? Fuck, I haven’t felt like this in centuries. He thinks to himself. I don’t remember feelings being this confusing.
“You know what’s crazy?” Yuta talks first. “That was the first time I’ve had a human approach me in…” He uses his fingers to count, but gives up halfway. “God knows how long. It was definitely before boats had motors and they were still made of wood.” He grips the balcony of the yacht. “Look at how advanced they’ve become.”
“Do you miss it?” “Miss what?”
“Luring sailors, like the olden days?” Doyoung's voice sounds exaggerated.
Yuta snickers. “Was it really that long ago?” He’s amazed how he’s survived for centuries without being killed somehow, mostly because the oil spills and pollution from the human world don’t reach him back home on the island. He was safer there.
He ponders on Doyoung’s question. “It was fun the first couple times, all I had to do was sing and they would turn their boats around just to find where the voice came from.”
Doyoung couldn’t blame the sailors. If he heard a voice as ethereal as Yuta’s, he would jump off the boat and swim in its direction, risking his life to find him.
“But then…” Yuta’s expression becomes gloomy. “Me and others would swim too close, and they’d shoot at us. They’d throw nets and harpoons, yelling at how our bodies cost a fortune, desperate to bring at least one of us back to shore, alive or dead.”
He sips from his champagne glass. “We kept our distance from then on. Then, throughout the years, they dumped all sorts of shit in the ocean. Trash, chemicals, oils. They were killing so many creatures, and we were suffering trying to save them.”
Doyoung starts to regret asking the question, this is the first time he’s seen Yuta so serious. He downs the rest of the champagne. “So yeah…” He spots a waiter and places his empty glass on the tray as they walk by. “Humans suck.”
Doyoung nods in agreement. Neither of them, nor the creatures who inhabit the island, missed being hunted and killed for money or proof of their existence.
They don’t speak for a while, the waves caress the side of the yacht. The two of them are quiet and peaceful compared to the boisterous and tipsy humans, talking about New Year’s resolutions that they will most likely give up on.
Until Yuta breaks the silence. “How about you?” He redirects the question to Doyoung. “Do you miss drinking human blood? Scaring them?”
“Not really. I’ve gotten used to drinking substitutes from the witches brew. They make many delightful drinks. Blood orange juice is infinitely better than real blood.” Doyoung says, wishing to go to his castle and have a drink of it. “It’s not like drinking their blood kills them, it just turns them into vampires. And I’d rather not create more company for myself and the island.”
Yuta listens intently, nodding as Doyoung continues. “But just like you, I was hunted. One night, a town of humans found my castle and burned it down while I was away. I came home to ashes and torches and pitchforks. A couple of them tried to stab a stake through my heart.”
Silence falls over them again. They both wonder what could have happened if Kun and the rest of the nymphs didn’t find them and bring them to the island. Would they have been alive today?
“…Do you want to get out of here?”
Doyoung turns to Yuta, his shoulder leaning against him. Their faces were so close together, Doyoung could almost feel Yuta’s loose bangs brush his face.
“Wait, right now?” Doyoung tilts his head in confusion.
“Yes, it seems like you and I don’t want to be around humans tonight.”
“What about Taeyong?”
The two of them glance at the lower deck, finding Taeyong having a rather pleasant conversation with the man Doyoung bumped into earlier that night. They could see Taeyong enjoying his company, his hand lightly touching his arm as they chatter the night away.
So much for not interacting with humans unless necessary. Doyoung shrugs his shoulders. Taeyong wasn’t really the best at following the rules anyway.
“Never mind, he’ll be fine. He knows how to get back.” Doyoung smiles at Yuta. “Let’s go.”
Yuta naturally takes Doyoung’s hand, his heart races as Yuta leads him past the groups of people. They head downstairs, passing by Taeyong and the man, eavesdropping on a bit of their conversation.
“What brings you here, Johnny?”
“Eh, not much. Just an excuse for free drinks. You?”
“That’s crazy, I’m here for the same reason!”
Doyoung rolls his eyes, watching Taeyong laugh at everything the man said. It’s what he does when he’s interested in someone, Doyoung would know more than anyone else. He’s seen Taeyong become giddier when he’s in the presence of tall handsome men. He can’t blame him, but could he at least be less obvious? Perhaps it wasn’t his place to say so, Yuta’s hand gripping his was enough for him to melt.
They exit the yacht, people standing in line outside, waiting to be let in. Yuta leads him down to the beach near the dock, with small pebbles lining the shore. They walk together hand in hand, neither of them have the urge to pull away. Doyoung points to the sky, the moon visible as it gets closer to midnight.
After strolling for a while, they sit down. Yuta takes off his suit jacket, Doyoung sneaks in a few glances as he tucks his legs near his chest, holding them. A comfortable silence washes over them. They soak in the noises of the waves crashing onto the shore and the cold breeze blowing past them, a serene lullaby amidst the noises of the party and city in the distance.
Doyoung turns to Yuta, he seems so at peace, eyes closed as he breathes in. The wind blows through his hair, Doyoung catching a glimpse of his earrings and jawline. He tucks his hair behind his ear and smiles, these were the sounds of home.
“I miss the ocean.” Yuta says, his hands propping himself up. “I know I only had legs for a few hours but I miss my tail. I miss the water.”
“Well, the water’s right here.” Doyoung gestures towards the ocean. “You can swim right now.”
“And no one will mind?” He asks, carefully untucking his shirt and undoing the buttons of his blouse. Doyoung shakes his head.
Yuta excitedly takes off his shoes and socks and runs towards the water. He jumps in, splashing everywhere and laughing. He didn’t have a care in the world, submerging his entire body underwater. Doyoung watches him fondly, dissolving into laughter when Yuta goes back up to the surface, drenched hair and clothes sticking to his face and body. He almost looked like a wet dog.
“Doyoung, get over here!” Yuta calls him. Doyoung shakes his head. “It’s alright, you have fun!”
“Come on! Unless you want me to drag you over here!?”
Doyoung panics and stands up. “Okay, okay! I’ll come! Just wait!”
Doyoung has rarely been in water, the only times were to shower every once in a while, or when he’d accidentally fall in. Truthfully, he doesn’t actually know how to swim. When he encounters bodies of water, he always flies over them as a bat. He never needed to learn how to swim.
But when the mermaid he’s been crushing on for decades tells him to get in the water, who is he to deny?
He removes his tuxedo jacket and takes off his shoes and socks, feeling the pebbles underneath his feet. He loosens his dress shirt, untucking and unbuttoning it slightly for it to not constrict his movements. He approaches the water, and the waves crash against his bare feet.
Doyoung yells. “Ah! It’s cold!” He bursts into a fit of giggles, the bottom hem of his pants already soaked.
“You’ll get used to it!” Yuta takes a few steps back. “Now, come to me.”
Doyoung takes another step, hissing as his legs get deeper and deeper in the water. He was already freezing, the water reaching his knees. He powers through, submerging the lower half of his body.
He gets the bravery to splash Yuta, snickering as Yuta wipes his face from the unexpected attack. Yuta smirks and splashes him back. Doyoung lets out a dramatic gasp, the front of his blouse soaked. Both of them giggle like children as they play, oblivious to the sounds of the bustling city.
Doyoung lunges at Yuta, getting closer to make his attack, but Yuta quickly grabs his arms and attempts to wrestle him in the water. Doyoung struggles, he’s stronger than he thought. They playfully fight, Doyoung using his strength so Yuta couldn’t push him underwater.
But Yuta was skilled in the water. He lets go of Doyoung arms and instead lunges at his waist, grabbing his hips and lifting him over his shoulder. Doyoung screams, his hands lightly slapping Yuta’s back. “Okay, alright! You win! Put me down!”
Yuta sets him down, hands still around his waist. Doyoung instinctively wraps his arms around Yuta’s neck, afraid that he’d slip and fall underwater. They pull each other into a hug, giggling as their cold and drenched bodies press together. Doyoung’s heart races, and he wonders if Yuta can feel it.
Yuta doesn’t let go, relishing the moment as he holds him close. Doyoung contemplates on his next move, his mind going back and forth on whether he should say something, or let go. But Yuta’s body against his felt right , somehow. He didn’t mind it. In fact, he wanted it for the longest time, but he never thought it would happen.
Bang!
Doyoung snaps out of his daze and looks up at the sky. Fireworks shoot up, coloring the sky in reds, greens, blues, and whites. Yuta notices too, and they stare at the sky as people cheer and hug each other.
“Happy New Year, Doyoung.”
Doyoung turns to Yuta smiling at him, his breath brushes against Doyoung’s lips. It makes his head spin, their faces only centimeters away. Doyoung wasn’t the kind to make hasty decisions, but Yuta had the ability to make him throw away all the logical thoughts in his mind, his heart taking over.
Doyoung shuts his eyes and leans in…
Until a hand grabs his leg and drags him and Yuta underwater.
____
The next time Doyoung opens his eyes, he’s coughing out water, his body laid on the pebble shore with Yuta’s arm under his head.
“Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I didn’t know sirens were lurking around this area.”
Yuta holds him tenderly, seawater drips from his long hair onto Doyoung’s cheeks. Doyoung’s vision clears up, and he sees that the mermaid is no longer wearing his button up, his legs have transformed back to his elegant black tail. He looks back up at Yuta, his worried expression doesn’t waver even when Doyoung is regaining his consciousness. Yuta places his hand on Doyoung's chest, feeling it go up and down as Doyoung heaves.
“Did you…” Doyoung asks weakly. “Save…me?”
“You almost drowned, Doyoung.” Yuta replies, his hand sweeping Doyoung’s wet hair away from his face. “I’m so sorry. If I had known, I wouldn’t have told you to join me. Please…don't go into the water without me, I…” He stays silent for a moment, his thumb gently strokes Doyoung’s cheek.
“I would be devastated if something happened to you. And if…I couldn’t-”
Doyoung cuts him off by cupping his cheek and pulling him in for a kiss, Yuta’s soft lips pressed against his is what he yearned for since he saw him. It’s taken decades for him to make a move, afraid that his feelings would drive the gorgeous mermaid away, but Yuta saving his life tonight showed him that he cared. And Doyoung was too impatient to wait another year to say he cared about him deeply.
Yuta doesn’t pull away. He deepens into the kiss, a breath escapes as his hands instinctively grab Doyoung’s waist. Both of them chase the high as fireworks and cheers continue in the distance. And Doyoung immediately remembers where they are, and pulls away first.
He lays back on the shore, breathless as Yuta gazes at him, surprised. He could hold the whole universe in those eyes.
“How long were you waiting to do that?” He flashes his charming smile.
“Too long.” Doyoung replies, giggling as he tucks Yuta’s hair behind his ear. They both lean in for another round until a bright flashlight shines on them.
“Hey! What are you two doing?!”
It was a human. In a panic, Doyoung transforms into a bat and flies towards the human, causing him to duck his head and fall over. Yuta splashes at the human before diving back into the ocean, water and wet sand land on his face, blinding the human as the two creatures escape.
Once they are far away from the beach, Yuta swims up, his chest above the water. He looks up and finds the bat flying above him.
“You okay, Doyoung?” The bat slowly descends, landing on the mermaid’s shoulder. Yuta pets the bat, it melts under his touch, nudging closer and resting on the crook of his neck.
“Cute,” Yuta says. “Let’s go home. I can swim us back under the bridge.”
____
It is the next morning on the island when the vampire and the mermaid see the fairy again, his hair disheveled and clothes wrinkled, it’s as if he dressed himself in the dark.
“I see you both came back without me.” Taeyong says, his hands on his hips.
“And I see you only came back at…” Doyoung checks his imaginary watch. “7am. We waited here all night for you, what were you doing?” He adjusts the umbrella in his hand.
“I’ll tell you what he was doing.” Yuta raises his eyebrows and gestures at Taeyong’s neck. “You have something on your neck.”
Taeyong touches his neck, realising he forgot to cover up a mark and quickly pulls out his pouch and rubs fairy dust over it, causing it to disappear. Doyoung’s eyes widen as it dawns on him.
“Oh my fucking god, Taeyong.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Don’t tell me you-“
“I did not sleep with him!” Taeyong shouts, covering his mouth when he accidentally tells on himself.
Doyoung’s jaw drops while Yuta laughs. “You couldn’t resist him, could you?!” Yuta points his finger at Taeyong. Taeyong and Doyoung shush him, afraid the other creatures will hear them.
“Honestly, these rules need changing.” Taeyong tries to defend himself. “It should be: don’t interact with humans unless necessary and unless they’re hot.”
“You do know that’s a huge violation of the rules, right?” Doyoung says, concerned. “Kun is not going to like this.”
“Oh, as if I’m the only one who broke the rules?!” Taeyong points at Doyoung and Yuta. “I saw you two on the beach, you attacked a human.”
It was enough to silence their teasing.
“…We won’t tell if you won’t.” Doyoung lowers his head in embarrassment. “But hey, we didn’t want to be seen on purpose. Meanwhile, you were all over what’s-his-face last night, we saw that too.”
“Don’t talk about Johnny like that.” Taeyong bites his tongue after the human’s name slips out. “He won’t remember me anyway, I erased his memory. It was a one time thing.”
Taeyong takes a bit of fairy dust in his hand. “Do you guys remember what the other human looked like? Maybe I can find him and erase his memory too.”
Doyoung shakes his head. “Forget it. I’m just hoping he doesn’t remember. After what we all did, it’s best that we don’t go there for a while.”
They agree that one night was enough and the hungover fairy waves them goodbye as he flies back to his cottage to rest.
“I should head back too.” Doyoung turns to Yuta. He’s about to take a leisurely walk back when Yuta grabs his hand.
“You should come by later.” Yuta’s thumb strokes the back of Doyoung’s hand. “We have a lot to talk about.” He smirks, noticing Doyoung’s flustered expression.
“Ah,” Doyoung remembers what happened last night and licks his lips. “Right.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.” Yuta kisses his hand and winks at him before he dives into the water and swims away, leaving Doyoung standing there, stunned. He’s still in disbelief that the mermaid reciprocates his feelings, let alone kissing him in the span of one night. Perhaps it was the minimal amount of alcohol giving him the courage to do so.
The vampire turns to the forest and walks back to his castle with a spring in his step, excited to meet the mermaid later that night.
_______
Epilogue
The sunlight peeks through the curtains, hitting Johnny’s face and causing his eyes to flutter open. He wakes up, rubbing his eyes and forcing himself to sit up. He puts his head in his hands, starting the New Year with a throbbing headache and zero memory of the night before. He looks to the side of his bed, seeing a noticeable dip on the mattress. He has a feeling that someone else laid here, but who?
The thought leaves his mind when his head continues to throb. He eventually gets out of bed, checking his phone for the time and missed messages. About 15 of them were his friends and family greeting him for the New Year, and a few missed calls from his mother.
He goes to his bathroom, realising that he was only wearing his boxers. He checks himself in the mirror, ruffling his hair and getting his headband to hold it back. He splashes cold water on his face, hoping that he could remember something, anything.
But his mind was blank.
He dries his face with his towel. Upon looking at himself in the mirror again, he notices that his bare chest shimmered a little. He takes a closer look, and his eyebrows furrow. There was glitter scattered on his chest. Confused, he rubs his chest, getting glitter on his hand. He inspects it, watching it gleam on his palm. It only triggered more questions, ones he didn’t have the energy to figure out.
After showering, he dresses himself in comfortable loungewear and turns his TV on, looking for hangover medicine as he absentmindedly listens to the news. He’s getting his mug from the shelf when he hears the reporter from the TV transition to the next big news.
Johnny sets his mug down, sits on the couch, and opens his medicine when he sees the headline written in big, bold, red letters:
MERMAID SIGHTING ON NEW YEAR’S EVE
He scoffs at the headline, but continues watching out of curiosity.
“Starting off the New Year strong as a few people attending a yacht party at the beach claim they saw a mermaid on the shore.” The reporter says, flashing low quality images of mermaids on the screen that could be the thumbnail of a conspiracy video on YouTube. “It has been almost two years since the last reported mermaid sighting, let’s see what they have to say about it.”
It shifts to a man being interviewed. “Well, I wasn’t expecting to see one, but I was walking down the beach that night, and I saw these two people lying there. I yelled at them, thought they were some dumb teenagers.” He scratches his head as he continues. “Suddenly, something flies at my face, I don’t know what. Then there was sand in my eyes! But I could faintly see a tail! I swear it was a mermaid’s tail!” The man sounds more and more convinced.
It then cuts to a woman, wearing a beautiful night dress. “If I’m being honest, I couldn’t give less of a fuck about mermaids. But when I asked the one who saw it, he told me he thinks it had long black hair. And I remember seeing someone like that at the party last night.” She flips her hair, holding her clutch. “It was a man though, so I’m not entirely sure if that was him. Pretty sure he’s gay though, saw him leave with another man that night. If he’s gay or a mermaid, I don’t care, tell him my number is-“
The reporter cuts the woman off and moves onto the next story.
Johnny changes the channel and snickers, almost mockingly after hearing that news. He leans back on the couch. That’s just ridiculous. He thinks to himself.
They don’t exist.