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Sirens had never scared Hongjoong. 

Of course there were things that frightened him, there was plenty out there on the open sea that gave him the creeps, made him want to run and tuck tail, but sirens? Sirens weren’t one of those things. And the reason for that was quite simple. 

Hongjoong, just like the rest of his crew, did not care for women at all. Not once had there been a woman – neither human nor siren – who had been charming enough to convince him otherwise or make him doubt where his preferences lay. 

And whilst most pirates he knew feared to be taken by sirens more than they feared even Davy Jones himself, Hongjoong and his crew sailed through infested waters without a second thought, returning each time to tell tales of the creatures that brought even the most savage pirates to their knees. Which, in turn, gave him and his crew a certain air of authority. 

Little did his fellow pirates know that the people they all looked up to, admired and praised were nothing but a crew of queer men that were sailing the open waters solely to live in peace. 

At least that was one of their reasons. Of course Hongjoong did not just have a love for handsome men, but also for bountiful treasures, and that love had been the deciding factor in becoming a pirate. But even though they were safe from the gallows as long as they sailed the open waters, death was still trying to grip them in its terrible claws. 

“All hands on deck! Take in the sails and prepare for a bumpy ride!” 

Crossing waters infested with sirens still didn't scare Hongjoong, but the storm they were caught in, now that was a different story.

Leaving the harbor while the sun was shining and the sea was calm, none of them had expected to end up in the middle of this horrendous storm that tried its best to destroy their ship and bind it to the bottom of the sea forever. By now it was too late to turn back. Hongjoong knew they'd only be safe if they made it to the eye of the storm, but in their current state he wasn't sure if they'd make it much further at all. 

“I SAID TAKE IN THE SAILS!” 

“We're trying, for fucks sake!” 

Just before Hongjoong could complain once more, they were hit by a blast that nearly capsized the ship. The captain held onto the steering wheel with all his might, hardly able to countersteer, but somehow the ship didn't sink. Not this time at least.

“We can't take much more of this! Y'all better start praying that Neptune will have mercy on our souls!” 

It pained him, knowing he couldn't do anything more to keep them alive except holding onto the steering wheel and praying, and he caught himself wishing the sea would take him and have mercy on his crew. All six of them were the closest he had ever had to a family, and if it meant saving them and the ship, Hongjoong would gladly give his own life. 

He hadn't spoken that wish out loud, but he had thought it over and over, wishing the sea would take him as a sacrifice so the others could live on, and apparently, his prayers had been heard. 

A wave higher than anything he had ever seen broke over their ship, so powerful that Hongjoong had no way of holding on. The shock alone was enough for him to let go of the wheel, and he found himself engulfed by the ice-cold sea and a devastating silence only seconds later. He was still conscious, and the urge to take a deep breath became more overwhelming with each second, but… where was the surface? 

He tried to open his eyes, but the saltwater burned too much for him to keep them open for long, so he swam towards the glimpse of light he had seen. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reach the surface. And how could he? There was a raging storm out there, with waves that reached higher than any ship he had ever seen before, and even if he managed to break the surface, he wouldn't be able to stay up long enough to catch his breath. 

So Hongjoong accepted his fate and stopped struggling, opening his eyes fully, no matter how much the water burnt. He couldn't even make out the direction he would have to swim in, and the little bit of light he saw was too far away to reach it with the last of his strength. This was it. This was his end. 

He could hold on a second longer with the remainder of the air he still had in his lungs or just give up and let the sea claim him. Was it worth it to hold on for a few more seconds? Where would he end up? Would he end up in Davy Jones’ locker? 

Hongjoong hadn't lived an honest life, he had done a myriad of bad things, had stolen and plundered and lied and betrayed, but at least he had never taken a life. Maybe that was enough to save his soul? 

His consciousness was slowly fading, his view became blurrier by the second, and if he hadn't known he was dying he would have sworn there was someone swimming towards him.

Wouldn't it be ironic if the sirens took me after all? 

It was his last coherent thought before he decided he had held his breath long enough, opened his mouth to let the water take him completely. He fell unconscious a moment later, feeling himself wrapped up in a warm hug, and he relaxed, letting himself slip further into the sweet embrace of death. Whatever came next, Hongjoong wasn’t aware of, but in what he thought would be his last moments he felt calmer than he had in a lifetime. 

***

Opening his eyes once more felt like a sheer damn miracle. The sun was high up in the sky, warm and almost blinding, and if it hadn’t been for the pain in his limbs, he would have assumed he was dead. 

“Ughhh my head… I feel like I've been drinking for three days straight. Where the fuck am I?” 

Disoriented and exhausted, Hongjoong heaved himself off the ground, trying to figure out what was going on. He was on some kind of island, that much was clear from the sand underneath him, and the shallow water lapping at his feet, but other than that… 

“Could be anywhere. But I survived the storm. I don't know how, but I'm alive. Or am I? I am, right? Or is this the afterlife? Being stuck on some godforsaken island?” 

Of course no one answered him, and after looking around for a while to figure out where he was, Hongjoong was none the wiser. What had happened to his ship and his crew? Did they survive as well? Were they still out there, or had the sea taken them?

He was tired, hungry and extremely thirsty, and he knew he had to explore the island soon to find some drinkable water, but before he could do that, he needed to get rid of the sand that was sticking to him. He felt rotten and disgusting, and if he started his trek like this, he would end up with more than one nasty sore spot. 

“Ugh, I hate sand. It always gets everywhere. How is it in my ass crack?” 

Instinctively, he took off his clothes and left them on a large stone to dry, then went back into the water to properly wash himself. The cold water felt good and soothed his aching skin, and Hongjoong noticed he had a terrible sunburn from laying at the beach for god knows how long. He decided to swim into the open just a little further so he'd be able to fully submerge himself, letting out a sigh when he noticed how the water gradually became colder the further he swam. 

“Ahh, this feels good. If I only had a bottle of rum now…” 

Hongjoong closed his eyes for a moment and put his head under water to wash the sand out of his hair. However, when he came back up and opened his eyes his heart nearly gave out. 

“Fucking hell, what the fuck! You scared the shit out of me!” 

Right in front of him a man had appeared, and upon seeing him so suddenly, Hongjoong had definitely peed himself a little. Lucky for him, he wasn't wearing any clothes right now. 

“Did you survive the storm, too? Which ship were you on?” he asked, but judging by the angelic looks of him he seemed to be some kind of royal. He had long, well-groomed black hair that still looked lovely even when it stuck to his face, his skin was clean and without scars and his eyes… they certainly were captivating. To Hongjoong, they looked like shining onyx stones, and he couldn't help but be immediately mesmerized by his dark gaze.

However, something was strange about him. So far, the man hadn't said a single word. 

“Cat got your tongue or something? Can you not speak?” 

Finally, the man shook his head and pointed at his throat, showing off the faintest scar to make Hongjoong understand. 

“Ah. You're mute. Okay, good. I can work with that. We'll figure out how to communicate. Come on, let's get you out of the water. You're probably soaked by now.” 

Hongjoong took the man's hand and dragged him towards the shore, however… At some point it felt a little weird. Why wasn't he trying to get on his feet? Could he not walk either?

“Dude, come on, help me a little. Don't be weird, we really gotta– OH SHIT!” 

When he turned around in the shallow water to look at the man again he nearly suffered a second heart attack, stumbling backwards and crawling out of the water as fast as he could. In front of him was no man lying in the water, but a goddamn siren.  

“Oh God! Leave me alone! Go away!” 

Hongjoong was back on land, right now not caring in the slightest that he was covered in sand again, nor that he was completely naked, instead keeping his eyes fixated on the siren. Granted, if it weren't for the pink fishtail and the gills that were gracing the skin above his ribs, Hongjoong would have considered him beautiful, but like this… this was a goddamn monster! 

“I said go away! You're not enchanting me with your song!” Hongjoong yelled, and for some reason the siren raised an eyebrow at him, pointing at his throat again before he simply rolled onto his back in the shallow water, wiggling his tail. Why was he acting this cute all of the sudden? 

Whatever he was doing, Hongjoong didn't understand it one bit, and he also wasn't sure if he wanted to. He had seen some of these monsters before, but until now it had never been a male one. The one reason he hadn't been scared of them. Now that he knew there were male sirens, too.. Well, it changed things. 

Hongjoong was still sitting in the sand, utterly dumbstruck, when the siren turned back around, once again pointing at his throat with an annoyed glare. And then it clicked. 

“Oh… Ohhh! Right, you're mute. Haha, oh that's just rich, isn't it? A mute siren… you're useless then, aren't you? Can't even sing your stupid song to lure me in! Now go away! I'm not scared of you and you won't get me! Leave! I don't want you anywhere near me.” 

When he saw the siren's hurt expression, he almost felt sorry for making fun of him, however… No. This was a monster! He was just here to lure him into the depths of the sea. But then.. Why hadn’t he just pulled him in when he had been in the water? It would have been easy. He could have just killed him right there, and yet he hadn't. 

Hongjoong watched as the siren turned around and went back into the water, looking visibly defeated, and all of the sudden he started to feel really bad. Even if this was a monster, there had been no need to insult him. And so far, the siren hadn't actually posed a threat to him either. 

“Ya! Wait! I'm sorry! That was rude of me! You're not… it's not… you're probably better because you're mute! I'm just… you're scary! I know your kind. You kill sailors. So… yeah. I can't just trust you! But I shouldn't have insulted you. I'm not– I'm sorry.” 

He wasn't entirely sure why he cared that this monster had looked so hurt, but no matter why, insulting him hadn't been necessary. Especially because Hongjoong really didn't want to be mean, not even to a creature he didn't understand. His soul was kind, even if he had done bad things throughout his life, and he didn't like being cruel. 

The siren turned his head again, still not looking too happy, and it made Hongjoong feel even worse. How had he managed to hurt a monster's feelings? Maybe the guy wasn't as bad as he had thought? Or maybe that was exactly what he was trying to achieve. Appealing to his compassion so Hongjoong would be an easier target? 

But he had been naked in the water just minutes ago, what could have made him an easier target than that? 

“Okay, listen. Stop looking at me like a beaten up puppy. I already said I'm sorry. Just.. Why are you even here? I just wanted to wash that goddamn sand off and then find something to eat. I literally almost died a few hours ago and I haven't even fully comprehended that and… you being here is just a bit much. So, how about you go and do whatever sirens like to do, and I will wash up and find some food, okay?” 

Whatever it was, one of the things he’d just said apparently made the siren really happy and motivated, and with a big smile and a flap of his pink tail he turned around and swam away. 

His behavior confused Hongjoong, but now that he was gone, he could at least wash himself properly and put his dried clothes back on. 

***

Hongjoong spent quite some time exploring the island, and to his luck he found a few puddles filled with halfway drinkable freshwater fairly close to the beach. However, even though the flora on this island was lush, he hadn't seen a single goddamn animal he could have killed and eaten, and unfortunately he wasn't very good at identifying edible plants either. 

“I need to find something I can store water in… and a book on what plants I could eat. But apparently I'm the first fucking human that has ever set foot on this godforsaken island.” 

Defeated, he went back to the beach, hoping he could find a way to catch some kind of fish at least, and his mind immediately returned to the siren. The sun was slowly setting and Hongjoong had thought about him at least a dozen times by now. Not only did he still feel bad for being rude to him, but he also wondered what that creature was like and why it had been here in the first place. So far, he hadn't even tried to lure him into the water or harm him in any way, not even when he had taken his hand to pull him to shore earlier. It would have been so easy to drown Hongjoong, but all he had done was try to communicate. Somehow, the picture of sirens in his head differed wildly from what this one had shown him so far, and for reasons he didn't understand, he had the wish to meet him again. 

So when he reached the beach, he caught himself looking out at the glistening sea, actually hoping to find a glimpse of the siren. And as if it was the most natural thing for the creature to do, there he was, sitting right by the shore… waving at him.

“I must be out of my goddamn mind. I've lost it. This is a fever dream.” 

Despite every last bit of sanity he still had inside him telling him that he shouldn't get closer and run instead, he still waved back, slowly making his way back to the shore. 

Upon getting closer to him, Hongjoong noticed that the siren was holding up a fish, proudly showing it off, and it made his heart flutter and his stomach rumble. So.. he had actually brought him food. The reason he had been so excited earlier was because he had been able to help. That was kind of cute. 

“Wow. Um, thank you! I don't know what to say. I hope you don't just want to feed me so I taste better once you decide to kill me after all.”

The creature looked at him in disbelief, and before Hongjoong could raise his arms to tell him it was a joke, he had thrown the dead fish right in his face.

“Yaaah! I was just joking, come on! No need to be mad. Thanks. I mean it. I'm starving.” 

Hongjoong picked the fish up from the ground and looked at it from all sides, wondering what kind of species it was. He had never seen a fish like this, but he simply assumed, since it didn't have any kind of shiny color, it wouldn't be poisonous to eat. And even if it was, he'd rather die with a full stomach than starve to death.

“I'll find some wood to make a fire. I'll be back, then we can grill it, alright?” 

The creature seemed confused, then mimicked an eating movement before pointing at the fish, and it made Hongjoong chuckle.

“Yeah. I will eat it. But not raw. Humans don't eat raw fish. We cook it. You probably don't know what that is. I'll show you. I'll be back, just wait here.” 

Hongjoong left the fish on the beach before he quickly ran back to collect a bunch of dry twigs and a few crunchy leaves before making his way back to shore. The siren was still sitting there, looking even more confused when Hongjoong started assembling everything. 

“Yeah, I know, confusing. But you'll see why I'm doing this in a moment.” 

He took two fitting pieces of wood that were suitable to start a fire, and after a good while of rubbing them together, he managed to get the one twig lying in the sand to burn. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the creature crawling closer, and even though he considered telling him to stay away, still a little scared of him, he didn't deem it necessary. After all, he was apparently really fucking slow on land. 

“This is called fire. Don't touch it, you'll get burnt. It's hot,” Hongjoong explained before throwing the burning stick into the pile, closely watching the creature's reaction when it all lit up in flames. 

He would have expected him to show fear or confusion, maybe even try to move back into the water, but he seemed solely mesmerized. The fire beautifully reflected in his dark eyes. Hongjoong could see the flames dancing in them, mirroring every last little move. It was beautiful, and while the siren stared into the fire, Hongjoong couldn't stop staring at him. 

He only snapped out of it when he turned his head away, looking down at the fish that laid close to Hongjoong in the sand. It was a little funny how he pointed at it and then at the fire, and Hongjoong nodded.

“Yeah. Exactly. That's how you do it. See?” 

The fish got impaled on a longer stick that he’d put aside earlier, and he stuck it right into the sand, making sure the fish wasn't close enough to burn immediately. 

“It takes a few minutes and then we can eat it. That's how humans prepare their food. Hey, um… I know you can't talk, but do you– do you have a name?” 

Hongjoong still wasn't entirely sure what he was doing here, casually chatting with the creature every single sailor knew to avoid, but he wasn't that scared anymore. At first he had been, but the more he thought about it, the less dangerous he seemed. He’d even brought him some goddamn food which slowly started to smell like absolute heaven, so maybe, just maybe this one was an exception. 

The siren nodded to his question and started writing a few letters into the sand, reminding Hongjoong once again just how terrible his reading skills were. Since he never had the opportunity to go to school – he had grown up piss poor – he had never learned how to read, and the rest of his crew hadn't been of much help either. By now he was able to understand some of the letters, but it always took him a while to figure it out. 

“Okay. The first one, I know that. That's an S, right? Yeah, so it's S-A… No? Not an A? EO then? Okay so S-E-O.. ng? Seong… I don't know that one. That's one of the hard letters, I don't know the hard ones.” 

He looked over to the siren with an apologetic look, but apparently, he wasn't judging him at all. Instead, he tried to mouth the missing part, and after several failed attempts to guess it, Hongjoong managed to figure it out. 

“Hwa? Is it Hwa? Alright, so your name is Seonghwa. That's a really nice name. I'm Hongjoong. It's– it's nice to meet you.”

The siren nodded, giving him the cutest smile and flapping his tail, flinging a lot of sand around in his excitement, and the rest of Hongjoong's fear melted away in that moment. Seonghwa was so damn fucking cute. 

For a while, the captain stared at him, unable to hide his smile, until the siren pointed at the fish. 

“Oh, right. Yeah it should be done by now. Would you like to try it?”

Seonghwa nodded, watching closely as Hongjoong took the fish away from the fire, giving it a moment to cool down enough so he could touch it. He carefully peeled the skin off of it to reveal the cooked meat underneath, pulled out a small piece for Seonghwa.

“Careful, it's still a little hot,” he warned as he gave it to him, smiling encouragingly when the siren looked at it in confusion. 

Hongjoong opened his mouth a little when Seonghwa bit into the piece, utterly delighted by the reaction that followed. Apparently, he enjoyed grilled fish a lot, already making grabby hands for another piece while he was still chewing on the first one. 

“Well, glad you like it.” 

Despite being hungry enough to eat at least three fish by himself, Hongjoong shared his meal with Seonghwa, feeling somehow happy about how much he enjoyed this. 

“Do you think you can bring me more fish soon? I can't seem to find anything edible on this island. It would help to keep me alive until I find a way to get away from here.”

Seonghwa agreed, not hesitating before he wriggled back into the water a moment later, which made Hongjoong giggle. He had in no way intended for him to leave right now, but he definitely didn't complain. After all, he was still hungry and the fire would probably burn long enough to cook another one. 

It didn't take long until Seonghwa was back with two more fish and a starfish, which Hongjoong sure as hell wouldn't eat but if Seonghwa wanted it grilled, he would of course do it for him.

They shared their meal in silence, and Hongjoong noticed how happy and content the siren seemed while eating, honestly finding it cute. Especially since he apparently ate quite a lot. 

Being stranded on a deserted island definitely wasn't ideal, but at least with the creature close, he wouldn't go insane from loneliness. 

“You know, Seonghwa… most pirates fear the sirens. I was scared too when I first saw you. But now… you seem really nice. You even brought me food. So tell me, is your kind dangerous?” 

Somehow, Hongjoong hadn't expected Seonghwa to nod, but he did so immediately, opening his mouth to reveal a set of sharp looking fangs that could most definitely rip him apart. Like this, he looked way more threatening and it gave Hongjoong a hard time not to move away. Still, he stayed put, not wanting to hurt the creature's feelings after he had been so open with him. 

“Wow, alright. So you hunt and eat humans?” 

Again, Seonghwa nodded, but this time he lifted his hand, pointed at himself and then shook his head no. 

“Oh. So your kind does, but you don't? Is that it?” 

Seonghwa seemed to think for a moment before he tried to explain, gesturing at his whole body before shaking his head again, then imitated someone singing and nodded. It took Hongjoong a second to understand what he tried to tell him, but then it finally clicked. 

“Ahh! Only the female sirens eat humans?” 

Seonghwa made a gesture that made him understand it was almost correct, then he mimicked several things again that Hongjoong understood as singing, grabbing and giving, and that was the final clue. 

“Okay. I think I get it. So, the women hunt and then bring the humans to the men to eat? And the children, I assume?” 

This time, Seonghwa nodded, looking a little proud of what he had just explained, but Hongjoong wasn't sure what to think. It made sense, in a way, it was just the food chain, just like humans hunted fish, the sirens hunted humans and still…

“Will you try to eat me at some point?” Hongjoong asked blatantly, but the way Seonghwa looked at him, all shocked and a bit insulted, he believed it when he shook his head no. He then lifted his hand again and touched his chest right over his heart, pointing at Hongjoong after before reaching out his hand for him to take. 

“You… you like me? Love me? But why? What are you saying?” 

Seonghwa sighed, then started to act out a full scene that initially didn't make much sense to Hongjoong, so he spoke out loud what he saw, giving Seonghwa the possibility to correct him if he was wrong. 

“Sailing… Ship? What's that… storm? Okay… suffocating. No? Uh– drowning? Me? Me drowning? Oh… you… wait, are you telling me that you saved me?”

When Seonghwa nodded, Hongjoong was completely perplexed, unable to comprehend how that was even possible. 

“So I wasn't hallucinating when I saw someone swimming towards me. It was you. You were there. But– but why? And did you see what happened to my crew? Are they alive?” 

Seonghwa lifted one finger before touching his heart again, after that lifting two and then just shrugged. 

“You saved me because you like me and you don't know what happened to my crew?” 

Again, Seonghwa nodded, but it made little sense to Hongjoong, still. He would have loved to know if his crew was still alive and his ship intact, but as long as he was stuck on this island, he wouldn't figure it out. As for Seonghwa saying he liked him… 

“Okay, but you don't know me. You basically just met me. Why do you say you keep saying you like me?” 

A sudden spark appeared in Seonghwa's eyes, and Hongjoong could hardly follow when the siren started to gesture wildly again. 

“Slow down, slow down! Okay wait. Ship… My ship. You swim? Looking for…? Me? I don't get it. Why were you looking for me?” 

Seonghwa shook his head, repeating some of the gestures until Hongjoong had halfway figured it out. 

“You saw me on my ship and you followed me? Is that it? But why did you do that?” 

When the siren suddenly scooted closer and reached out his hand, Hongjoong involuntarily jerked back, but when he saw how sad Seonghwa suddenly looked, he scooted closer to him again.

“Sorry. I'm just… you gotta give me time. I'm not scared of you, it's just– sorry. Please, just do what you wanted to do.” 

Seonghwa nodded, again reaching out his hand until his fingers fleetingly touched his face. His skin was much colder than Hongjoongs, but his touch felt warm in a different way. And somehow this touch and the way he looked at him made Hongjoong understand. 

“You saw me and fell in love with me.” 

Seonghwa pulled his hand back and nodded, waiting patiently for Hongjoong to react. It took him a moment to sort the thoughts that were now flooding his head and he was glad that the siren didn't expect an answer right away. He found it cute, very much so, and Seonghwa was stunningly beautiful, but he was also not human. He was a predator, his kind killed and ate humans, and that was something Hongjoong had quite a bit of trouble with. And while he believed him that his feelings were honest, he wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it himself. 

“Look, Seonghwa… you saved my life and I'm thankful for that, but I hardly know you. And we can barely communicate. You're… you're beautiful, and-and really cute and I can see you're caring, too. But you're also not human. I don't know what you expect from me right now. I– why don't we figure out a way to communicate properly and then get to know each other a little better for now, hm?” 

It was obvious that his words had hurt Seonghwa, but he kept his composure and nodded, even trying to force a smile. And somehow, knowing that this creature was hurting pained Hongjoong as well. He felt for him in a way, he simply couldn't yet tell where these feelings would go. 

“Hey. Come on now, don't be sad. I'm– I'm willing to give this a chance, even though we're gonna have quite some logistical issues. But, I mean… it's not even that unreasonable. I spend most of my life on my ship anyway. I could have them build a bathtub for you so you can always be on deck with us. Would be funny, right?” 

He was glad that Seonghwa's mood lit up again, and he couldn't deny that it was intensely cute how the siren flapped his tail whenever he got excited. However, for Hongjoong, the thought of his ship was a rather bitter one right now. 

“I just wish I knew if my crew is still alive. They're my family, you know? God, I hope they made it. I wanted to keep them safe..” 

Seonghwa crawled closer until he was sitting right next to Hongjoong, gently wrapping his arm around him and resting his head on his shoulder. It was definitely a comforting gesture, and Hongjoong let it happen, actually glad that he wasn't alone right now. 

“Thank you, Seonghwa.” 

He reached out his hand to rest it on Seonghwa's tail, and even though the feeling was unusual, it wasn't unpleasant at all. 

They sat there in silence while Hongjoong thought about what he could do next, but since the sun was slowly setting, he started to feel tremendously tired. 

He wasn't sure how cold the night would be and since he had nothing but his clothes to warm him, Hongjoong knew he should have gotten up to find more firewood. However…

“Seonghwa? You're not drying out on land, are you?” he asked, glad when he felt the siren shake his head. 

“Good. I'm so exhausted I want to sleep. Would you mind keeping me warm for a few hours while I rest?” 

Seonghwa didn't reply, but instead pushed Hongjoong down into the sand until he laid half way comfortably, then joined him a moment later. He pulled him close, his gentle but strong arms firmly pressing him against his body, and it made Hongjoong sigh comfortably. What a lovely feeling it was to be held like this, especially because it was the very first time someone did. 

“I think I could get used to this…” 

***

During the next few weeks, Hongjoong scouted almost the entire island in search of something that would help him get away from here, but unless he could figure out how to build a boat himself, he was majorly fucked. 

Seonghwa had followed him around the island, always waiting close to the shore until he returned, and just like that, they had built their own little routine. It was nice, not being alone in this godforsaken place, but as much as he enjoyed his time with the siren, he still really wanted to leave. Being on this island, or generally on land for so long, simply didn't feel right, and he longed to be out on sea again, exploring new places and finding treasures. 

They were sitting on a large stone close to the shore, the sun was slowly setting, and Hongjoong had taken off his shoes so he could dip his feet into the water, just like Seonghwa did with his fin. Watching the sunset with him was lovely, but it only made Hongjoong long to be back on open waters even more. 

“Do you think you can find a boat for me? Any kind of boat? I'm about to lose my mind, Seonghwa. This whole island… I need to get away from here. I want to go back out there and explore again. Preferably with you by my side.” 

Seonghwa reached out his hand to stroke through Hongjoong's hair, looking at him apologetically, but he had already figured that it wouldn't be possible for him to find a boat that easily. They were stranded in the middle of nowhere, and unless some kind of ship would pass by the island anytime soon, he'd be stuck here until his very last day. 

“Ah, it's fine. Don't worry about it. At least I'm alive. And I'm not alone. I like spending time with you, you know? I just wished we could be somewhere else.” 

Hongjoong smiled at him gently, taking Seonghwa's hand into his own before he went back to staring at the open sea. Communicating with the siren had become easier the longer they ‘talked’, and by now it was enough for Seonghwa to give him a certain look to make him understand what he wanted to say most of the time. Still, Hongjoong longed to have an actual conversation with him. And Seonghwa seemed to wish for the same. 

“Tell me, Seonghwa… how do you talk to the other sirens? Isn't there some kind of sign language you could teach me? I know we have our thing going on, but I still would love to hear the stories you'd tell.” 

The question seemed to amuse Seonghwa, and he promptly shook his head and then pointed at his forehead. 

“Telepathy? Then why don't you do that with me, too? I would love that! Then we could finally have a real conversation!” 

Even though Hongjoong felt intense excitement for a second, Seonghwa's sad expression dampened it a moment later. Apparently, there was a hitch somewhere. 

“Not that easy, huh?” 

The siren shook his head, then pointed at his tail and then on Hongjoong's legs before gently squeezing his hand. 

“Wait. Do you mean you could– okay, are you saying you can turn humans into– into one of your kind? Is it possible?” 

Seonghwa nodded, apparently not daring to look into Hongjoong's eyes, so the captain reached out his hand, grasping his chin to make him look right at him. He seemed a little perplexed about the sudden reaction, but Hongjoong had deemed it necessary. 

“Seonghwa. Seonghwa. Why the fuck didn't you tell me that earlier?” 

Now, the siren seemed even more perplexed than before, looking at Hongjoong utterly dumbstruck. And he couldn't have blamed him even if he wanted to. 

After all that Hongjoong had said in the beginning, about how everyone was scared of sirens and whatnot, it only made sense that Seonghwa hadn't considered telling him that this was a possibility, but by now… 

“Seonghwa. I'm stuck here on this desolate island. My ship is gone and my crew is probably dead. You're– God, that's so fucking cheesy, but you're all that I have left. So, considering my two options, the first one being staying here and eventually dying of fucking boredom, or the second one which would be coming with you and being able to explore again, well. You tell me which one sounds better.” 

Hongjoong paused for a moment to give Seonghwa time to think, but in his opinion, there wasn't much consideration needed. Especially because there was something else that now factored into his decision. 

Seonghwa had already confessed his feelings for him a while ago, and now that Hongjoong had had the chance to spend quite a lot of time with him, he realized that he had started to develop feelings for the siren, too. During his explorations of the island Hongjoong had always missed him, and he had caught himself looking forward to spending the evenings with Seonghwa by the beach, sharing a meal and just talking to each other. He had sometimes even joined him in the water for a swim, trusting him with his life completely, since Seonghwa had proven that he meant no harm even when Hongjoong was completely helpless. He was kind and caring and so very gentle… and Hongjoong really liked him. 

“We could be together then, you know? Like, really together. I thought about this a lot and– like this, I mean… we could make it work, I'm sure. But wouldn't it be easier if we weren't separated by the fact that you live in the sea and I live on land? Mostly, at least?” 

Apparently, Seonghwa still couldn't comprehend what Hongjoong was saying, so he reached out his other hand too, cupping his face and smiling at him lovingly.

“What's wrong, hm? Did you not expect me to say that?” 

The siren shook his head, and Hongjoong noticed he was close to tears. He didn't look sad but rather overwhelmed, so he decided to give him some time to comprehend, simply holding his face and stroking over his soft cheeks. 

It took a good while before Seonghwa managed to get himself back together, but when he did he took both of Hongjoong's hands into his own, giving him an almost pleading look. 

“Yes, Seonghwa, I mean it. I do. I.. I really like you. Imagining spending the rest of my life with you is a pleasant thought. So, if you still want me–” 

Before he could even finish his sentence, Seonghwa nodded vigorously, almost forcefully squeezing Hongjoong's hands. His face went through several different emotions before it got ultimately stuck on being happy and touched, and the captain couldn't hold back a giggle. 

“Good. So… would you like to kiss me, fishboy?” 

For a mere second Seonghwa seemed to consider slapping Hongjoong for calling him fishboy, but the invitation to kiss him was apparently enough to overlook his loving insult. 

So when he saw Seonghwa coming closer, Hongjoong leaned in too, closing his eyes and waiting for their lips to touch. The sensation was a little different from the kisses he had shared before – Seonghwa's lips being significantly colder than his own – but it felt amazing nonetheless. 

He couldn't help but notice how much his opinion on the siren had changed in such a short amount of time. And maybe that wasn't so bad. Hongjoong had always been a very open person and even though he knew sirens were predators to humans, he didn't see a single reason why he should actually judge them for it. After all, Seonghwa hadn't even considered harming him once, quite the opposite. Even now, during their kiss, he made sure not to hurt him with his sharp teeth, being so careful and gentle that it almost made Hongjoong cry. No one had ever kissed him like this, so full of love, so caring, and it was right in this moment that he realized his decision was a good one. He would stay with Seonghwa for the rest of his life, and he would be happy by his side. 

“Wow… Seonghwa, that was wonderful,” he sighed absently as they broke their kiss, slowly pulling the siren close to hug him tightly. Seonghwa returned it a moment later, and the strong arms around him made Hongjoong feel so utterly loved he wouldn't have been able to describe it in words. 

“Tell me something, Seonghwa. If I come with you, will they accept me there? Even though I'm human? And once we're there… you'll stay with me forever, right?” 

Seonghwa nodded against his shoulder, and when he slowly let go of him, there was something in his eyes, something that told him that there was more to his answer than he was able to tell. 

For quite some time, Hongjoong simply looked into Seonghwa's eyes, trying to understand what he would be saying if he could talk, but he couldn't figure it out. 

“Okay I don't know what you're trying to say. Give me a hint?” he asked, but apparently, this was nothing easy to explain. He seemed to think for a long time, ultimately just reaching out to touch Hongjoong's chest right above his heart. 

“My heart? What about it?” 

Seonghwa shook his head and then touched his own chest, too, before he started to gesture something that Hongjoong barely understood. He figured it had something to do with their relationship, but since his partner didn't look very worried, he simply smiled and waved it off. 

“I'm fine knowing you'll stay with me for now. Just tell me what you want to tell me once you've turned me, alright?” 

Seonghwa looked a little frustrated for a second but then his expression went back to being happy, and he took Hongjoong's hand back into his own. 

By now the sun had set and the stars were starting to show up above them, so Hongjoong turned his head upwards to soak in the view. Maybe he'd miss the stars every now and then, maybe he'd miss sailing a ship, but being with Seonghwa made these problems seem small. Everything he needed sat right next to him anyway. 

“Hey, Seonghwa? I told you that I like you earlier. I think that's not entirely true. I think… I think what I really feel for you is… love.” 

***

Hongjoong spent his last night on dry land cuddling up to Seonghwa at the beach, and for the first time since they had met, he woke up still curled up in his arms. Usually, Seonghwa had always left to go back into the water at some point during the night, but this time he’d stayed until he woke up again, and somehow it made Hongjoong feel good. 

“Good morning, gorgeous. Sleep well?” he asked, but judging by the bags under Seonghwa's eyes he hadn't slept at all. 

It made him feel a little guilty that he obviously was the reason for his lack of sleep when Seonghwa shook his head, but since this would be the last night he would have to spend at the shore, he figured it was quite alright. 

“So… what do you think about one more grilled fish before we leave this shithole for good?” 

Of course he didn't have to ask twice since Seonghwa really loved food and Hongjoong laughed when he saw him hurrying into the water a moment later. He would definitely miss seeing him struggle to move on sand. 

It didn't take long until he returned with quite the catch, and Hongjoong had merely managed to start a fire by the time Seonghwa presented him the various fish he’d caught for their meal. 

“Wow, you really wanna treat me for my last supper as a living person, huh?” he joked, but Seonghwa didn't seem to find it funny and hit his arm for that comment. 

“Ouch, hey come on. It was a joke. But from tomorrow on, I have to get used to raw fish, so.. I think I deserve a treat today.”

Seonghwa pointed at Hongjoong and mimicked eating before grinning at him broadly, and that, on the other hand, Hongjoong didn't find too funny. 

“I'm not gonna eat humans. That's not happening. Not funny!” 

This time it was Seonghwa who laughed, even though it was completely silent, and it only took a moment for Hongjoong to start laughing with him. Okay, maybe that was funny. Or maybe Seonghwa's happiness was simply contagious. 

They ate together at the shore one last time, and Hongjoong enjoyed every single bite to the fullest. A memory came up all of the sudden and Hongjoong thought about the food Wooyoung had cooked for them, kinda wishing he'd be able to taste it one last time. His friend had been a wonderful cook, and the longer he thought about him and the rest of the crew, the sadder he got. So he took Seonghwa's hand and let out a sigh, looking longingly towards the horizon. 

“I wish I could see them one last time, Seonghwa. My crew, I mean. They were my family. Leaving here without knowing what happened to them… I know it's unlikely that they're alive, but I just– I hope they didn't end up in Davy Jones’ locker, you know? We weren't necessarily good people.” 

An understanding look in his eyes, Seonghwa leaned closer to him and pressed his forehead against Hongjoong's, simply staying close until he felt better again. 

“Thank you. For understanding me. Okay. No need to ruin the mood. I'm ready. So, how does this work?” 

Hongjoong noticed only now that he had absolutely no idea what Seonghwa would be doing to him, but since the siren didn't look too worried, Hongjoong wasn't either. However, when he showed him his teeth, it became a different kind of story. 

“Wait. Stop. You don't have to kill me, do you?” 

Seonghwa shook his head, made a biting gesture and then pointed at his neck, and for a second, Hongjoong thought it was a joke. 

“Are you a vampire now or–? No seriously, are you for real? You really need to..?”

When Seonghwa nodded again, Hongjoong had to take a deep breath, reconsidering his decision for a moment. He trusted Seonghwa, of course he did, but being bitten by him still didn't sound very appealing. Especially not with his razor sharp teeth. But if that was how it was supposed to be done, then Hongjoong would endure it. 

“Well, okay. Then let's do it. Will it hurt, though?” 

His loving smile comforted Hongjoong immensely, and he was really glad when he shook his head no. 

“Alright then. I'm ready. I'll be yours forever, Seonghwa.” 

Hongjoong closed his eyes and waited for the siren to come closer, waited a painfully long time, but somehow, nothing happened. So after he felt like it slowly turned into a ridiculous amount of waiting, Hongjoong opened his eyes again, noticing immediately that something was off. 

“Seonghwa? What's wrong? What are you looking at?” 

Following the hand he pointed towards the line of the horizon, the captain was hardly able to see what he meant at first, however… 

“Wait. Is that a ship?” he asked, and when Seonghwa looked at him, visible tears in his eyes, Hongjoong understood. 

“My ship… It's my ship! It's the Aurora! Seonghwa, I– I need to.. Can you bring me there?” 

Seonghwa nodded, trying to blink his tears away, and of course, Hongjoong couldn't blame him for feeling devastated. He was excited and sad at the same time, but he couldn't just come with him without knowing if his crew was still alright. 

“Seonghwa, I'm sorry! I just need to know if they're alive! Like I said, they're my family. Just like you are.” 

He leaned towards Seonghwa and pressed a loving kiss to his lips and stroked through his hair, trying everything to reassure him that this wouldn't end just because he got his ship back. 

“Jagiya. I'll still be yours. I made a promise. I'm not leaving you. I'm. Not. Leaving. But I need to see them, okay? Please. Please, just for a moment, I–”

Seonghwa shut him up with a passionate kiss and pulled Hongjoong towards the water with him the second he broke it, but it was easy to see that he was still worried. However, Hongjoong didn't plan on abandoning him. Seonghwa had become the most important part of his life, and even if he had his ship and crew back, he'd still make it work somehow. 

As soon as they were both deep enough in the water, Seonghwa told him to hold onto his neck and started to swim, impressing Hongjoong with his intense speed. He had imagined he'd be fast, but he swam faster than his ship had ever sailed, and the captain had to hold on for dear life to not slip away. 

It didn't take nearly as long as Hongjoong had expected until they were in close proximity to the ship, and Seonghwa halted with a little bit of distance, helping Hongjoong off of his back so he could hold him above water in his arms instead. 

Now that they were close, he could see that it was indeed his Aurora right in front of him, and he wasn't able to hold back a few tears. His ship had survived, and judging by what he could hear, so had at least some members of his crew. 

“I can't believe it… Seonghwa, it's really her. It's really the Aurora. I–” 

The way Seonghwa looked at him was absolutely heartbreaking, and when the siren lifted his hand to point at the ship, Hongjoong didn't know what to say. Of course there was a part of him that wanted to go back, but if he called for his crew now, if he really got back up there, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to leave again. The Aurora had been his home for half a lifetime, and now that he knew she was intact and his crew alive… It wasn't an easy decision. And still. He had made a promise and he would keep it, not just for Seonghwa's sake but also for his own. Being a pirate was one thing when you didn't have anyone close to you, but now that he had found someone he had decided to spend his life with… 

“Seonghwa. You followed my ship for quite some time, right? Are all six of them alive? You can hear better than me, can you tell me if they're all there?” Hongjoong asked, holding onto Seonghwa's shoulders for dear life. It scared him, knowing he was in the open ocean, not because he feared to drown, but because he didn't want Seonghwa to abandon him. He knew he loved him, so he could imagine him leaving just so Hongjoong could go back to his crew. 

Still, he felt relief when Seonghwa nodded, simply happy to know that his entire crew had made it out of that horrible storm, and it was all he needed to know. 

“Then turn me now. I told you, I just needed to know they're alright. Let's go, Seonghwa-ya.” 

The siren shook his head, again pointing at the ship, and Hongjoong tightened his grip around his neck even more, shaking his head as well. 

“Seonghwa, no. I'm not leaving you. I don't want to, okay? I know I said that you turning me is better than staying on that island, but I thought about what I want and I want to be with you. I promised you we'd be together. So take me. Take me.” 

Hongjoong didn't like the way Seonghwa looked at him at all, and when he started to swim closer to the ship again, he almost started to scream. 

“No! You stupid fish, I'm telling you to take me! I want it! Turn me! I'm not leaving you! I'm not leaving! I won't! I'll hold onto you even if you'll drown me! Fuck, stop this! Please, Seonghwa!” 

Hongjoong tried to hit his back with his fists, but the siren was absolutely unbothered, steadily swimming after the ship at full speed. 

“Please.. Don't do this to me… Why are you doing this…” 

By now, Hongjoong was crying bitter tears while he held onto his partner, noticing more and more that he really didn't want to go back. He loved his ship and his crew, but the thought of not being able to spend every single day with Seonghwa anymore hurt more than anything else. 

“Seonghwa, if you make me go back, you're coming with me! I don't care if we put you in a barrel full of sea water! You're not leaving me! Please, you can't do this to me… I love you… Seonghwa, I love you…” 

The siren halted just as they had surpassed the ship by some distance, making Hongjoong look him right into his eyes. He must have looked pathetic but he didn't care one bit, literally willing to do anything to make Seonghwa stay by his side. And when he saw the pain in the siren's eyes, he knew he wasn't willing to let go of what they had either. 

“You.. You said you love me. You said you loved me for so long, and now you have me! So why do you want me to leave if I want to stay with you? Why, Seonghwa?” 

The siren took one hand and put it on his chest again, letting his own bitter tears run down his face without shame, and Hongjoong understood. He wanted him to be with his family, and he appreciated it, he really did, but it wasn't what he wanted anymore. Now that he had the chance to go back he noticed he only wanted the siren, so he shook his head again. 

“I know. I get it. You want me to go back so they don't grieve my death any longer. But no. Either we go up there together, or you turn me and take me with you. I can tell them I'm alive, but I won't leave you. I can't. Seonghwa, I can't. Fucking. Leave you. I love you.” 

Finally, Seonghwa seemed to understand that he meant it, slowly nodding at him before looking back at the ship. It was close enough again now for them to be able to hear it if Hongjoong called, but he hadn't yet made a decision. 

“If I call for them, will you come with me? Will you stay by my side? They won't harm you, I promise.” 

There was clearly fear in Seonghwa's eyes, but he nodded nonetheless, making Hongjoong feel at least a little better again. As long as they'd stay together, everything would be just fine. 

“Thank you. Okay… then… then I…” 

Hongjoong watched as the ship came closer and still just watched when it started to pass them again. He could have called for them and had them pull him up, he could explain what had happened to him, that Seonghwa had saved him and that he had given him his heart. And then he would have to tell them that he'd leave again, because no matter what happened, Seonghwa wouldn't be happy living the life he lived. He was a siren, he belonged in the ocean and not on some ship. They could make it work, for sure, but it wouldn't be a long term solution. No, Hongjoong didn't want that for him. He wanted him to be happy. And if he only went up there to tell them that he was alive, they would have to say goodbye to him again. They had already grieved his death, and they would basically have to go through the same grief once more. 

“No. It wouldn't be right nor would it help anyone. Seonghwa, they said their goodbyes. Don't you understand? If I set foot on the ship once more, I'd have to break their hearts all over again. I want to spend my life close to you, and we can't be as close as I want us to be if I'm on the ship and you're in the water. Let me say my goodbyes now and then take me to your world. It's better that way. My decision is final.” 

There seemed to be a million thoughts behind Seonghwa's eyes, and Hongjoong could see that he was considering arguing about this again, but finally, he gave it a rest, slowly agreeing to what he said. 

The siren reached out his hand and stroked through Hongjoong's hair before he had him turn around in their embrace, holding him from behind so he could watch as his ship slowly sailed away. 

“You know, it's better this way, Seonghwa. They don't need any more grief. I'm sure they're doing just fine by now. I'll miss them and they'll miss me, but I know they'll lead a good life… Goodbye, my friends.” 

Hongjoong didn't want to keep watching until the ship had vanished completely, rather wishing to keep it in his memory the way he had just seen her. Like this, she and her crew would always stay a happy memory. 

So he turned around, facing his partner with a big smile before kissing him again, this time making absolutely sure to put every last bit of love he felt into it. Seonghwa had become his one and only, and just a moment ago he had realized that it would be his death to lose him again. He was destined to be with him, and Hongjoong really hoped they could be together for the rest of their time. 

“Seonghwa? Let's go. I'm getting cold.” 

The siren nodded, and once again Hongjoong closed his eyes, presenting his neck to him with all the trust in the world, and this time the anticipated pain actually came. However, it only hurt for a second before the feeling changed rapidly, and his whole body suddenly started to become comfortably warm. Whatever was happening, it made him feel incredibly good, and when he opened his eyes again, Seonghwa was smiling at him, the tiniest bit of his blood still on his lips. 

Can you hear me now?

For a mere second, the strange voice inside his head confused Hongjoong, but it didn't take long for him to figure out that it was actually Seonghwa, and it almost made him cry. 

“Yes… Yes, I hear you. Oh, I'm so glad, I– I love you so much.. Hi, Seonghwa!” 

I've waited so long to be able to talk to you, Hongjoong. All these years before we met I followed your ship and watched you in silence, and now I can finally tell you that I love you, too. My beautiful pirate… I'll make sure you won't regret your decision. I'll make sure you always get treated like a king. 

Even though it made him feel even warmer to hear those words spoken, Hongjoong wouldn't have needed to hear them at all. He long since knew what Seonghwa’s feelings for him were, and now that he was turning into a siren, too, he could feel it in every fiber of his being. 

“I know. I know you'll always take good care of me. My Seonghwa… we'll always be together, yes?” 

We're bound now for the rest of our lives. That's what I haven't been able to tell you. Turning a human means binding them to oneself for all eternity. You're mine forever. I hope you don't mind that now that you know. 

Hongjoong let out a giggle, leaning against Seonghwa with his full weight. Slowly, he was getting more and more tired as he felt his body changing, and he was glad that Seonghwa helped him out of his soaked clothes. Somehow, they felt restrictive by now.

“I'm glad. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. Seonghwa, I'm suddenly so tired..” 

I know. Your body is changing. It's exhausting. Just sleep now, my love. And the next time you wake up, you'll have a whole new world to explore. 

Hongjoong closed his eyes and rested his head on Seonghwa's shoulder, hardly able to hold onto the siren anymore, but it wasn't necessary to use his own strength for it. His love was there to hold him steady until the process was done, and he trusted that he would keep him safe, no matter what. After all, Seonghwa had kept him safe for so long… 

“A whole new world to explore. I think I really like that.”