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As much as he loved doing it, Joshua couldn't host another exchange student. The one from last year almost made him quit his job (though he ended up doing that anyways), and the year prior just made him downright exhausted. Since he just joined a new law firm, he needed to make the best impression he could.
In addition to that, his home was pretty humble — he had a spare bedroom, but it still felt too cramped to hold an overzealous college student from abroad.
So, you could imagine his surprise when a striking man showed up on his front doorstep, looking like a fish out of sea.
"But I never sent in an application…?" Joshua asked, his eyebrows furrowing to morph his expression into something along the lines of confusion.
The man could only give a nervous smile in response, not sure what else he could do. If Joshua didn't want him to stay, then he'd probably have no choice but to fly back to his home country.
Joshua put his hand to his forehead, massaging his temples as he thought. After a few moments of contemplating, he beckoned the student to come in.
He looked around in wonder, as if he'd never seen a house before. Joshua didn't think his home decorating skills were that good, but if his skills amazed some undergrad kid from thousands of miles away, he was more than satisfied. He tried to stay minimalistic with his decor; his friends called him frugal for it, but oh well.
"I'm Joshua Hong," he put his hand out for a handshake. "You probably already knew that, though."
"I'm Wen Junhui," the taller man took the handshake, giving a shy grin and a bow. "I'm from China, and I'm studying marine biology. And yes, I already know your name. I'm not really sure how my application didn't show up on your end."
Even if he did get an email of some sorts about Junhui showing up at his house, he still didn't apply to host him. He knew it must've been a mistake made by UCLA themselves, but he didn't want to go through all the hassle of trying to find a new host for the student.
Joshua was always known as a gentleman by his close friends and peers, a selfless man with a tender heart who welcomed anyone into his home. Quite obviously, this made him a little oblivious — but he wasn't stupid. He was still a personal injury lawyer, after all, and he was fantastic at winning his clients' cases.
Along with that, he decided to open his home to college students from abroad just a few years after he graduated college himself. He took a study abroad year in Korea during his sophomore year, which gave him the idea to host other students just like his younger self once he had a career going.
Since they were just standing around awkwardly, Joshua took his luggage and brought it to the guest room. There were still a couple trinkets left behind from the last exchange student, but there was plenty of space for Junhui to make it his own.
Joshua looked at the empty walls, reminiscing at the memories he shared with the other exchange students. He didn't want to do this again — at least not for a few years, he needed a break — but he didn't have it in his heart to leave Junhui out in the wilderness that was Los Angeles.
Plus, Junhui was one beautiful man. As annoyed as he was with the entire ordeal, Joshua couldn't stay upset at that face for too long.
He was sure that, aside from his beauty, Junhui would be a wonderful guest in his home. He put aside all the negatives for now (along with Seokmin's voice in his head, telling him it was a stupid idea to house the student) and exhaled slowly, preparing himself for what could be either the best or worst semester of all time.
Speaking of Junhui, he crept up from behind Joshua to jumpscare him. It worked, because Joshua thought his head touched the ceiling from how high he jumped in the air.
"Jesus, you scared me!" Joshua pressed his hand into his chest, feeling his racing heartbeat. "You're mischievous. Noted."
Junhui giggled and jumped on his brand new bed, feeling the soft cotton underneath his body.
"How old are you, anyway?" Joshua questioned, acknowledging that Junhui definitely had a youthful energy about him that he hadn't felt since his own years in college.
"I'm twenty-two, how old are you?"
"Oh, I'm thirty," Joshua scratched his head, feeling a little shy revealing his age. He didn't know how he felt about it at the moment, but he certainly wished that he was twenty-two again. He remembered the feeling of not having any obligations other than schoolwork at that age.
The silence hit them abruptly after that, not really knowing how to save the conversation from there. Junhui moved to his luggage to start unpacking, and Joshua took that as a sign to leave him be.
"Alright, well I'll be in the living room if you need me!" Joshua waved, closing the door.
"Aren't you gonna give me a house tour?" Junhui cocked his head, taking his attention away from the neatly folded clothes packed in front of him.
The slightly shorter man opened the door back up, grimacing at how bad of a host he was already. It wasn't like he hadn't done this before, why was he slipping up now?
"Of course I will," Joshua replied, "I must be a bit rusty at this hosting thing. Shall we?"
Joshua showed Junhui around the house, giving a run-through of all the places he could explore during his sixteen-week stay.
"Please, help yourself to anything in the fridge or pantry. Don't touch the strawberries, though, those are all mine."
Junhui just blinked at Joshua, inhaling the grape Capri-Sun he already stole from the fridge in his hand.
"I'm just kidding, you can have anything you want. I wouldn't want you to starve, even if that means eating my favorite strawberries," Joshua nudged Junhui, laughing at his own teasing. "Just don't go overboard, obviously. I want to eat too."
"I don't really like strawberries, it's okay," said Junhui plainly.
"More for me then!" exclaimed Joshua, walking out of the kitchen and moving to the last stop on the tour, which was his own bedroom.
The room was very neat and minimalistic, sort of like the rest of the house. It was exactly what Junhui had expected from a millennial lawyer. "This is where I like to chill when I'm not in the living room," explained Joshua. "If you ever need me for something, you can always come to me. Even if I'm working, I'll be here for you."
"Thanks," bowed Junhui, feeling warm and welcomed in his new home — even if it was an extremely sudden change for Joshua.
"Of course," Joshua smiled gently, directing them out of the bedroom and back into the living room. "I won't bother you now, I'll let you settle in. How do you feel about me getting Chinese takeout for dinner?"
Junhui's eyes lit up so prettily that Joshua believed he was looking at pearls. "That would be amazing, thank you so much!"
Right before Joshua ordered the food on his phone, he told himself that maybe this arrangement wouldn't be so bad after all. It would only be a few months, and he often enjoyed the companionship of an enthusiastic exchange student in his home. Junhui didn't seem like he was going to get in Joshua's way at all, which was the perfect reassurance for the latter that everything should be smooth sailing from here.
𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
It was far from smooth sailing. The waves were so choppy that Joshua felt like he was about to fall overboard.
Junhui wasn't that much of a problem — he was still polite and did his part in keeping the house tidy — but there was something off about him that Joshua couldn't exactly pinpoint.
In the past three weeks, Joshua noticed Junhui's class schedule was inconsistent. Obviously, as a college student, classes aren't the same every day of the week. That wasn't the issue. The issue was Junhui having an 8 AM on Monday one week and not having that same class the next Monday.
Junhui also refused to talk about certain things, which was fine because he doesn't necessarily owe Joshua explanations about certain topics, but he did wonder why Junhui wouldn't let him talk to his parents over the phone.
Is he even supposed to be with me? Joshua constantly repeated in his head, worried that the police were going to show up at his doorstep and accuse him of kidnapping some random person. It wasn't his fault that Junhui showed up and pleaded his case that he was an exchange student, was it?
It bothered Joshua so much that he needed to talk to someone about it. Someone that he could trust wouldn't call him crazy.
"Hey, Joshua!" Seokmin exclaimed, sitting down at the table Joshua was at. "How have you been?"
Seokmin was Joshua's best friend from high school. The amount of confessions and discussions they've had throughout their fifteen years of friendship meant that Joshua had absolutely nothing to worry about.
"I'm okay, just tired. Did I tell you I'm hosting another exchange student?"
"I thought you weren't going to do that for a while. What made you change your mind?" Seokmin inquired.
Joshua brought him up to speed with the entire situation — Junhui appearing on his doorstep, the inconsistencies with his schedule, and his general odd behaviors.
"Hmm," Seokmin paused to think, "he just sounds like an odd kid."
"But that can't just be it, right?" Joshua frowned, taking a sip out of his lukewarm coffee.
"Well have you spoken to him about it yet?"
Joshua looked out the window, feeling a bit sheepish to answer. "…No."
"Usually you're so good at being assertive when shit like this happens, Shua. It's not like you to hesitate like this." The concern melted into Seokmin's voice, especially with the use of the nickname. He was right — Joshua was great at putting his foot down, a trait he'd had since he was young but improved on during his time as a lawyer. Joshua wasn't sure what possessed him to act so reserved when it came to Junhui.
Joshua shrugged, taking another sip of his drink. "I don't know, I guess I wasn't sure what to say to him. Maybe I'll talk to him about it over dinner tonight."
"Good, that should help clear things up for you two. The biggest part of hosting a student is communication," Seokmin wisely stated. He had never hosted an exchange student before, but as a biology teacher, he dealt with difficult students all the time.
The two friends continued their café brunch date, catching up on both important and unimportant events in their lives, before they eventually went their separate ways. It was a Saturday, so both Junhui and Joshua had nothing planned, making it the perfect day for Joshua to finally confront him.
Joshua drove home, trying to imagine all of the things he would say to Junhui.
Have you been lying about being a student? No, that was too forward.
Is there something you've been keeping from me? No, that sounded too much like what a parent would say.
I noticed that your schedule is a bit irregular, and you won't talk to me about some really important things. Could we talk? That sounded the best to Joshua.
He arrived home, expecting to talk with Junhui immediately. "Jun, could I talk to you for a sec?"
Junhui yelled from the bathroom, muffled by the sound of the closed door. "Give me a couple minutes, I'm taking a bath!"
A bath? At noon? It wasn't totally out of the ordinary, but because Joshua was already suspicious of Junhui, he thought it was extremely strange. He brushed it off for now, too focused on what he would discuss with him.
He took a few moments to put his things down anyways, changing into some comfier clothing and charging his phone in his bedroom. When he walked out of his room, he saw something out of the corner of his eye in Junhui's bedroom. As soon as he walked towards the room, Junhui came out of the bathroom.
"What were you doing in front of my bedroom?" Junhui asked, shaking his hand through his hair to dry it out. More importantly, he had no shirt on and just a towel around his waist, leaving little room for imagination. Joshua gulped, though he did his best to keep his composure.
"N-Nothing, just waiting for you. Sorry, I'll let you change," Joshua moved out of the way to let Junhui in his own bedroom.
Holy shit, Joshua swore to himself, the image of Junhui's bare torso stuck in his mind. Focus, Joshua, focus!
It was totally unethical for a host to develop a crush on a student (at least, that's what Joshua assumed), but he felt completely drawn to Junhui in a way he had never felt before.
A few minutes later, Junhui came out of the room, this time fully clothed. "Hey, Joshua. You wanted to talk about something?"
Joshua looked up from where he was zoning out. "Oh, yeah. It was just about your class schedule."
"What about it?"
Is this even worth bringing up? Joshua thought to himself. No, don't doubt yourself. I need to make sure he's even legally supposed to be here.
"It just seems kind of… irregular? You leave at different times each week. Your Wednesday molecular biology class has been both in the morning and in the evening, which makes zero sense."
"Sometimes I skip class," Junhui said candidly, shrugging. "Are you gonna track me on Life360 or something?"
Joshua hadn't considered that Junhui could just be a chronic class skipper. "No, I won't track you. Sorry, I just thought—"
"It's all good, I probably need to make it to class anyways. I guess I'm just slacking off 'cause it's my last semester before I graduate."
The conversation ended there, the room much more tense than before they talked. Joshua went to the kitchen, face burning with embarrassment as he struggled to actually have some sort of discipline with Junhui.
Junhui just followed behind him like a baby duck following its mother, clearly hungry for some food. "Soooooooo, what's for lunch?"
Joshua couldn't tell if Junhui was just egging him on or if he was being genuine. He — as Joshua learned throughout the past few weeks — had quite a talent for being frisky.
"I'm not hungry," Joshua replied, leaving the kitchen to hopefully get Junhui off his back.
"Well I am," Junhui crossed his arms.
"You know where everything is. Help yourself."
Joshua felt like he was being too harsh, but he was tired of feeling responsible for Junhui. A part of him considered contacting UCLA to tell them to send Junhui to another host, but he just couldn't send him away like that.
His mind reeled back to the object he had seen in Junhui's room. An antique handheld mirror that was laid out on his bed, which was a peculiar item for Junhui to have brought over. Perhaps Seokmin was right. He was just an odd kid.
𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
A week later, the waves began to calm down. Junhui seemed to have been attending his classes — he spoke nonstop about his microbiology professor, who was apparently an asshole — and Joshua had his mind focused on a difficult case, which surprisingly ended up relaxing him more than anything.
Most of all, the two of them began to have meaningful conversations with each other, beyond topics like food and college. They were finally beginning to bond, just like Joshua had done with his previous students.
"Okay, stop hogging up the water!"
There was still one issue. Junhui had an odd fascination with water, which wouldn't be a problem if Joshua's water bill wasn't skyrocketing.
Other than that, the currents flowed wonderfully.
Today, they were planning on going out to eat for hotpot. Joshua figured that Junhui missed the taste of home, and it was incredibly easy to get tired of eating In-N-Out every week. It was also the one month anniversary of Junhui appearing on Joshua's doorstep. Joshua thought about that day nearly everyday.
"Does my outfit look okay?" Junhui asked, coming out of his bedroom to ask Joshua about what he was wearing. One thing about Junhui that Joshua noticed is that his fashion is always a priority.
He wore a light blue flowy silk dress shirt that fit his body perfectly, along with some dark slacks to match. His skin almost looked iridescent.
Joshua swallowed, attempting to get himself together. "You look great."
Junhui giggled at the compliment, shyly scratching the back of his neck. For someone with the beauty of a thousand songs, he sure was bashful about it. "You do too."
Joshua certainly wasn't expecting any form of compliment back. He was just wearing a pair of jeans and a loose button up, a lot more casual than his typical lawyer attire. Junhui hadn't really seen him wear anything normal around the house other than pajamas, so knowing that he still looked just as good in informal attire did something drastic to his brain.
Without any further ado, they left for the restaurant. Joshua had to drive Junhui around, since he couldn't drive in the USA.
"Have you ever had mala xiang guo?" Junhui asked, reading over the menu.
"No, but I've always wanted to try it," Joshua looked up from his own menu, observing Junhui curiously look through all the options the restaurant had to offer. There wasn't only hotpot there, though Joshua was looking forward to the interactive dining experience. Maybe he'd have to give it up for Junhui, which he wasn't even that mad about. "Do you not want hotpot?"
"I do, but," Junhui hesitated, finally taking his nose out of the menu, "maybe you'd want to try something new. I've tried so much of your American food, and I'd wanna see your reaction to one of my favorite foods."
Joshua noticed that Junhui had become a lot more timid within the past week. The blush on his cheeks spread across his face, and he seemed nervous to even admit this to Joshua. Now he definitely had to try this dish. "I'd love to try it. How do you pronounce it again?"
Junhui lit up, a relief visibly melting over him. He was so ecstatic to share about his food, his culture, that it made Joshua adore him even more. Joshua almost forgot that he only had three months left with Junhui, and then he'd be back in China, living a life of his own again.
They ordered two mala xiang guos.
𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
After that night, they only continued to grow closer. Junhui would come with Joshua on his shopping sprees, and Joshua would stay and help Junhui make dinner at home when Chinese takeout just wasn't hitting the spot anymore.
It was week six of Junhui being in Joshua's house, and they both adjusted to it perfectly. It was like Junhui had always lived there.
Sometimes, Joshua would catch Junhui at a bad time when he's doing schoolwork on his bed. Sometimes, Junhui would catch Joshua at a bad time when he's making a phone call to a client. They'd still come back to each other later if they needed something, without any fuss between the two.
There weren't even waves anymore. It was a lazy river.
One of Joshua's favorite things about Junhui currently was his hobby of net-making. He had apparently come from a long line of fishermen, so he learned how to create nets and macramé designs from a young age. In his free time, he enjoyed knotting string together, in all different colors and sizes, as gifts for Joshua. It gave the house a nice coastal vibe.
He'd stumble across Junhui weaving together thin ropes around the house, almost as if out of habit. While watching TV, while laying in bed, while mindlessly walking around the house. It was endearing for Joshua to watch Junhui become so comfortable doing the things he loves around him.
Another pastime they had with each other was playing board games. Joshua had grown a collection from the exchange students he had previously hosted, and Junhui was no different. Junhui brought home a xiangqi set one day, and Joshua was completely hooked on it. It was similar to English chess — which Joshua was already decent at — except they played on the points of the grid, as opposed to the insides of the squares. Countless nights were spent with them playing over and over again, to the point where Joshua started to get too good for Junhui to bear.
Joshua was certain that he was beginning to fall in love with Junhui. He was such a kind, outgoing human that it was impossible not to. On top of that, he was ethereal. It was hard for Joshua to even believe that he was human.
He wasn't sure if Junhui had felt the same, though. After all, they still had a student-host relationship. Naturally, Joshua wasn't going to act on his feelings. He wanted to wait for Junhui to make the first move, if he really was in love. That was, to Joshua, the most responsible thing to do.
One night, Junhui didn't come home at his normal time. He had a late class on Thursday nights, and would come back at around 8:30. However, it was 9:30, and he still wasn't home. Joshua knew that Junhui was his own person — an adult college student, even — but he felt responsible for him as his host. If Junhui got into trouble, that would partially be his fault. Mostly Junhui's, but still partially Joshua's. He wanted to make sure Junhui was safe, but he didn't have his location. Maybe he should've considered tracking him on Life360 after all.
He decided to call Junhui. He didn't care if he seemed like a helicopter parent, he just wanted confirmation that Junhui was safe. Time was ticking, and he couldn't wait any longer.
"Why won't he pick up?" Joshua panicked, attempting to call Junhui again. He ate a few strawberries, eating his nighttime snack while he paced around the kitchen.
For the second time, the call went through to voicemail. Joshua put on his slippers, grabbed his bag and his keys, and decided the only other way to find him would be to drive all around Los Angeles until he found Junhui somewhere.
Just as Joshua was approaching the door, the door was unlocked and opened. Junhui entered, his hair damp and a towel in hand. He also had a different pair of clothes on than what he had on when he first left for class.
"Junhui, don't scare me like that!" Joshua teasingly hit his shoulder. "Where were you? And why are you… wet?"
"Night swim," Junhui explained rather quickly, ending the conversation at that. He went to the bathroom and shut the door. He essentially said, 'no further questions, Your Honor.'
As Junhui walked by, Joshua noticed that shimmer on his skin again. He wasn't sure if he just had an intense skincare routine or if he genuinely had something going on that he wouldn't tell him about. Nevertheless, that was a mystery for another day. Joshua was tired and wanted to sleep.
The next day, everything was back to normal. A typical Friday. Junhui left at 9 AM for his first class, and Joshua left shortly after for his shift at the office. Joshua had learned to stop offering Junhui rides to class, who insisted on taking public transportation or walking to campus. He wanted to experience the city as if he really lived there, he claimed.
"I'll see you later!" Joshua waved Junhui out of the house. He shut the door, and went directly to Junhui's room to do some snooping. He felt awful invading his privacy, but he also felt that he was definitely keeping something important from him. Once he had actual evidence, he'd then be able to confidently confront Junhui. As a lawyer, evidence was his best friend. Without it, he was just a regular public speaker, yapping out of his ass.
He wasn't even sure what he was looking for exactly. Sex toys? Contraband? Incarcerating information?
Walking in, everything was kept extremely neat. Red flag number one. A college student — even one at the top of the class — could never keep a room so tidy. Not even a speck of dust was on any of the surfaces. Joshua wasn't sure if he should be proud or suspicious, so he decided to be both.
The second thing he noticed was how little school material there actually was. Junhui had a laptop, but very few notebooks or writing materials anywhere. The desk in his room seemed to be barely used for schoolwork, only macramé patterns.
The icing on the cake was all of the shells, pieces of coral, and rocks that he had decorated his room with. Joshua had so many pieces of the puzzle that was Wen Junhui, he just wasn't sure how they all fit together.
To his luck, Junhui came right back into the house at the exact time Joshua was leaving his room. "What were you doing in my room?"
Joshua took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. He was going to confront Junhui, for real this time. "You've been hiding something from me. I'm not mad. I just want you to come forward so we can work this out."
"Pfft," Junhui nervously tsked, "I'm not hiding anything. I need to get my laptop and go to class, can we talk about this after?"
"No," Joshua put his foot down. He remembered what Seokmin said about him being good at being firm. Even if he had a world-record-breaking crush on Junhui, he needed to make sure he was an honest man. Pursuing a liar wouldn't be very wise. "We need to talk about this now. About you keeping things from me. About you not letting me talk to your parents. About your… noticeable obsession with water. None of it makes sense to me, so please humor me and connect the dots for me before I lose my goddamn mind."
Junhui's face flushed. He had no excuse to leave now, not even class. He literally admitted to skipping class before, so there was no point in trying to make it seem like he was studious. "F-Fine… but don't make fun of me, or call me crazy…"
"I won't make fun of you or call you anything, Junhui," Joshua said softly, "I just need to make sure you're safe and that you're in the right hands."
Junhui closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact. "I'm… a siren. A merman, if you will. I need to be in the water at least a little bit each day, or I'll lose my ability to turn back to my siren form. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I was scared of what you might think."
Joshua's eyes widened, but not in disdain. In wonder, curiosity. "So… can you sing?"
Junhui looked flabbergasted, yet had a total sense of relief about him. Joshua wasn't mad. He wasn't even scared. Instead, he asked a question that Junhui assumed had the most obvious answer ever. "Yes," he laughed, "I can sing very well."
"This is the coolest thing ever," exclaimed Joshua, examining Junhui up and down for any signs of gills or other stereotypical siren attributes. "I knew I had a feeling something was up with you. Is that why you went to the beach last night?"
"Yeah, I was starting to dry out a little bit," he rubbed at his smooth skin. Joshua hadn't noticed until now, but Junhui didn't have any hair on his arms or legs. It turned out that his shimmery skin was natural after all. Joshua reached out to feel his arm, only just now noticing the slightly unnatural texture to it.
"Woah," Joshua gasped, "I'm jealous."
Junhui laughed shyly, his rosy cheeks making an appearance. He wasn't expecting this kind of a reaction, though a part of him knew he'd be just fine. Joshua was nothing but kind to him. He was more upset to leave Joshua eventually, though maybe he didn't have to.
"What else can you do?" Joshua lit up like sunlight breaching through waves. He completely forgot that Junhui had class to attend, and that he had to go to work. He'd be fine if he called in sick for just one day.
"I can lure people with my singing, I can read minds, and I swim with a tail," Junhui explained, never actually talking about his powers to anyone before. Back home, he was told not to speak with humans. This was just his form of rebellion, he supposed. "And, uh, if it wasn't obvious already, I have a human form too."
Joshua let out the prettiest set of giggles that Junhui had ever heard. If Junhui didn't know any better, he would've assumed that Joshua was a siren too. "I'm just glad that it wasn't anything serious. Not that this isn't serious, but I thought that maybe you'd say that you weren't actually attending college or something and you appeared on my doorstep out of nowhere."
Junhui shifted his eyes, as if he had more to say. "Well…"
…
"I was right!" Joshua exclaimed, covering his mouth in shock. If anything, he was more surprised about the news that Junhui was a fake student than he was at the news that Junhui was a mythical creature. His instinct told him that something wasn't right about Junhui's schedule from the beginning, but his stupid infatuation kept him from actually discussing it with him.
Joshua was going through a moral panic. How would he be able to do his job if he ended up with a crush on a client, or worse, a defendant? Would he stall with the investigation because of foolish feelings? If he couldn't even confront Junhui, what made him think he could confront a jury?
The best and worst part of it was that Joshua didn't see himself having a crush on anyone else. It was good because at least his job wasn't on the line, but it was bad because he was crushing on someone that not only was a supposed exchange student but also lied about it.
"What are you doing here, then? Not that I mind. It's just…" he trailed off.
This was the part that Junhui didn't really want Joshua to know. If he wasn't even going to college, then Joshua would have every reason to kick him out. It was a breach of trust.
Junhui pondered in that moment, standing in the living room he had called his for the past six weeks. All the memories he had made with Joshua so far.
He'd watched movies he'd never even seen before, cuddled under a warm blanket for the very first time, and ate tons of takeout with Joshua at the coffee table in front of the couch. He had a few awkward moments with Joshua during the first week or so, but they blended together so quickly that those occasions didn't really matter to them. He found a new home away from the Pacific Ocean, one that he was scared to let go of; like a hermit crab being forced to move into a new shell.
What Joshua didn't fully seem to grasp was that Junhui didn't share the same human experience as he did. It was one of the reasons why he found his way onto land. He didn't care about marine biology, that was just common knowledge for him. He craved to learn more about what it was like to be human.
Junhui took a deep inhale, something he also grew accustomed to when living on land. His gills had virtually no use. "I got swept away from my family in a current. I sang, and sang, but my siren song wouldn't even reach them. So I just kept swimming forward, day and night, until I came across this land. It was always my dream to be independent from my family, but I didn't expect that day to come so soon."
Joshua frowned, taking Junhui's hands to rub circles into them and comfort him. It was something Joshua did regularly, so it didn't bother Junhui at all. He felt safe with Joshua, his touch lingering beneath his skin.
"How were you able to find me?" Joshua asked, a tenderness to his voice. It contrasted from much earlier, when all that came from his voice was concern for Junhui. He may have put his foot down, but he didn't stomp.
"That's the thing," Junhui started, "I don't know. I felt drawn to your home, as if I was the one being lured. It was strange, but I listened to it. And now, here we are."
Joshua finally sat them both down on the couch, tired of standing in the middle of the room. "Do you want to try and track your family down? I'm sure you miss them a lot."
The careful consideration from Joshua was something that Junhui genuinely loved about him. He was so accommodating and welcoming, yet also had all the guts to ask to go find Junhui's family even when he didn't ask for it. His kindness made Junhui weep pearls for tears. Joshua simply hugged him, giving him the space to let out his internal withheld feelings.
Junhui didn't know why he was crying — he wasn't sad, he was thankful. He was more than happy to have Joshua in his life. Whatever his parents told him about humans being monstrous was totally erased by Joshua's complete and utter generosity towards him. He knew there was a reason that, by fate, he made it to Joshua's door.
"No," Junhui finally responded, his voice hiccuping from the tears, "I want to stay here, with you. I like it here a lot. I hope that's okay with you."
Joshua tearfully smiled, cupping Junhui's face and using his thumb to wipe away at the stunning, polished pearls forming in his eyes. "I'd love that, Junhui. So much."
Junhui grinned widely, and Joshua saw the same mischievous man he met on day one. Mischievous, but also joyful, kind, and downright beautiful. Joshua had never met another man like him.
"I'm so excited to see more of this world," Junhui said happily, "I've always been so curious. I'd watch people near the beaches of Hainan and get so fascinated with their behavior."
Seeing Junhui get so excited over something Joshua had taken for granted was something so heartwarming to him. He hoped he could make all of Junhui's human wishes come true, to take him anywhere he desired and to teach him the small ins-and-outs of being human. Even the little irritating things, like getting stuck in LA traffic. Junhui already learned that the hard way on the way to their hotpot dinner.
"You're like a real life Ariel!" Joshua joked.
"Who's that?" asked Junhui. It still hadn't really clicked to Joshua that Junhui had a lot to learn in pop culture as well. The concept of Junhui not knowing 'Part of Your World' killed Joshua just a little bit.
Joshua laughed in adoration, pinching Junhui's slightly puffy cheeks. "Maybe we should watch The Little Mermaid tonight. I think you'll really love it."
The moment was so vulnerable, yet so peaceful. A gentle breeze along a coastline. A promise from Joshua to Junhui, to love him and house him in this new stage of life. A promise from Junhui to Joshua, to love him and bring change to his otherwise stagnant routine.
They stayed like that for a while, holding each other comfortably on Joshua's couch. Their couch. At one point, they both fell asleep there, holding each other softly. No such currents could separate them.
𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
At week seven, they had their first kiss. It was at the beach, on a day where Junhui really just wanted some saltwater on his skin. Sometimes the bathtub just got too uncomfortable for him and his ginormous tail.
His tail, it was magnificent. Joshua had seen it in the privacy of their own home, but it was completely different when Junhui was in an environment that he had grown up in. He could only see Junhui from afar — he didn't want to be too close to other people, where they could see his unhuman features — but he still glowed, leaving Joshua breathless.
As he got closer to land, Joshua was able to spot him shifting back to his human form. The long, singular, light blue appendage changed to two pale legs, matching the rest of his body.
"Having fun out there?" Joshua beamed, his eye smile visible even with sunglasses on.
"So much fun," he started, "but I'd enjoy it more if you were actually out there with me. Your skin is going to burn out here!"
Joshua took his sunglasses off to meet Junhui's eyes without any tint blocking his view. "I'm wearing sunscreen, actually. It'll all come off if I go in the water, and then I'll burn." Now, Junhui was suffering at the expense of Joshua's teasing. How the tables had turned.
"Could you just come in for a few minutes? I'll go far, so nobody can see when I let my tail out." Junhui's pleading was too good. Joshua couldn't say no.
He also really did want to go in the cold ocean water, he just wanted to tease Junhui for a moment. He finally understood why Junhui enjoyed being so playful around him.
When Junhui had led them way past the shoreline, he transformed back into his siren form. Scales lined his body to match the shiny blue tail of his, and he had translucent fins up his arms and back. His face didn't change — he remained angelic as ever — but he did have that shiny, unnatural glow about him. Like highlighter on his cheekbones.
"I can't believe this is who I get to spend my life with," Joshua held onto Junhui, who was keeping him steadily afloat. He looked Junhui up and down multiple times, smiling ear to ear.
"You pervert!" Junhui laughed.
"We haven't even kissed, what makes you think I'm perverted?"
The two clung together so the waves wouldn't separate them like they did with Junhui and his family. Joshua vaguely remembered Junhui saying that the water could be just as deadly as it was beautiful, but what he truly couldn't forget was Junhui vowing to keep him safe from whatever currents may come.
The skin-to-skin contact was new for them. They hadn't actually been this close before, and it felt like the ocean water drew them intimately closer. The two were already close enough to connect their lips.
Junhui leaned forward just slightly, and he embraced the sweet taste of Joshua's lips.
Nevermind. That sweet taste was actually gross. Junhui immediately repulsed and leaned back to question Joshua.
"What happened? Am I a bad kisser?" Joshua panicked, looking for signs of disgust on Junhui's face. Joshua didn't have much experience to begin with, but he didn't think he was that bad.
"No, you have… something, on your lips. Tastes bad."
"Oh," Joshua huffed out a short laugh, "it's sunscreen. Sorry about that." They both giggled in each other's arms and continued to kiss anyways, ignoring the terrible taste of the cream on Joshua's lips. It did make them feel soft and moisturized, Junhui would give him that.
It felt good for them to kiss like that. Joshua surrounded by the comfort of Junhui, and Junhui surrounded by the comfort of home.
It took a few minutes for them to stop practically making out in the water. They couldn't keep their hands off each other, though their touches were sensual and gentle, not sexual. All their pent up love for each other that had built up within the last few weeks was finally able to be released in a more intimate way.
Junhui pulled away, and Joshua swore he could feel his gills on his abdomen gasping for oxygen under the water. "So… now can I call you perverted?"
"No!"
𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
At week eight, Joshua caught Junhui eating his strawberries late at night. It was the simple things that started to catch up with them, since they didn't have to worry about a nonexistent class schedule anymore. Junhui could lounge around as much as he wanted, but it was Joshua that still had to clock in for work everyday.
Joshua got home from work to a nice dinner made by Junhui. Since he stayed at home all day, he started to pick up cooking. The smell of the jjajangmyeon hit his nose as soon as he stepped in the house, an automatic relief washing over him in waves.
He cleaned up after dinner, and the rest of the evening was spent at his desk reviewing paperwork. Usually Junhui would check on him at some point if he stayed in his room for too long, but he didn't this time.
The TV was on, and it sounded like he was watching an action movie. Something about movies fascinated Junhui. Joshua couldn't tell if it was because he hadn't seen many movies until now, or if he genuinely had an interest that was more than just recency bias.
Either way, at around 12 AM, Joshua needed to get to bed. He wanted to say goodnight to Junhui, who was still in the living room. He was able to tell where Junhui was now just based on his footsteps alone. Junhui didn't pass by his room to get to his own bedroom, meaning that he still had to be out there somewhere.
Joshua organized the mess of papers all over his desk and left his bedroom, solely looking for Junhui. When he saw the refrigerator light glowing in the otherwise dark house, he immediately knew something was up.
"Junhui?" Joshua asked, walking directly towards the kitchen. What he saw when he turned the kitchen light on made him burst out into laughter.
Junhui was stuffing his face with the strawberries that Joshua told him not to eat weeks ago. He looked embarrassed, clearly trying to hide himself from Joshua even though the juice was all over his hands and face. He tucked the plastic container of strawberries behind him on the counter, as if to say 'I didn't do it.' The best part about it was that Junhui was eating in pitch black darkness, aside from the light from the open fridge.
"I just wanted to try them! They looked really good, and I was hungry," Junhui quickly confessed, wiping his hands with a paper towel.
Joshua walked over to Junhui, giving him a sleepy kiss on the cheek. "You realize I said you could have anything you wanted, right? You can eat as many strawberries as you want," he reminded him. "This is your house too, you know. We can always buy more."
Junhui gleamed at Joshua's words, remembering once again that he wasn't a student in Joshua's life anymore. They were on the same level. This was his house too.
"The actual reason I came out here was to say goodnight to you. Goodnight, Junnie," he brightly smiled, giving Junhui a peck on his strawberry-stained lips. Junhui was thankful that not all of Joshua's kisses tasted like chemicals. Joshua was just happy he got a taste of his favorite fruit.
"Goodnight, Shua!" he waved, voice muffled as he took a bite of yet another strawberry. The light was shut off, and Joshua made it back to bed. Junhui would get there eventually. He just needed to finish watching The Amazing Spider-Man first.
𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
At week eleven, Joshua shares his bed with Junhui.
Since they officially got together, they still hadn't slept in the same bed. It was more for Junhui's comfort than anything else; he liked his bed, which had a comforter with a shell pattern on it. His room was his ocean away from the ocean, filled with countless shells, fossils, and other sea trinkets he had collected overtime. In fact, half of his suitcase that he arrived with was just filled with things he had collected on his journey to the States.
So, it became a waiting game. Who was going to cave in first? Was that even appropriate, to just slip into bed with the other person without any prior negotiations?
Joshua loved checking in on Junhui to make sure he felt alright. Even though Junhui had adjusted very well to being on land a majority of the time, he still had his worries about the siren. He always said goodnight first. Not because he needed to have control, but because he usually ended up sleeping first. He also just wanted Junhui to know that he would always be there for him, even during his slumber.
Some nights, neither of them said goodnight. They would fall asleep on the couch together in the middle of a movie, their popcorn and snacks (strawberries included) still laid out on the coffee table. Movie nights were growing to be common in their home; Joshua felt like Junhui was becoming quite the critic.
Tonight was different. They actually finished what they were watching before 11. There was a downside to it, though.
"I don't think I'll be able to sleep," Junhui covered his face with his blanket, his mind racing with all of the horrifying scenes of the movie he just saw. They decided to watch a horror movie this time, which of course left Junhui shaking in his fins.
Joshua got up, taking the popcorn bowl that was full of kernels back towards the kitchen. He disposed of the kernels and placed the bowl in the dishwasher, still making sure to give Junhui the attention he needed. "You'll be able to sleep, I promise. None of it was real."
"I know it wasn't real, but it still scared the shit out of me!"
Joshua gave a cute laugh and went back to the couch to grab his blanket. "Come on, Junhui. Let's go to bed."
They both walked to their separate doorways, ready to say goodnight. Joshua opened his mouth, as if he was going to say it, until Junhui spoke first.
"Could I sleep with you?"
Joshua's face went beet red at what Junhui just asked, but he brushed off his shyness knowing that Junhui really must be petrified if he didn't even want to sleep alone. Junhui had been through plenty of terrifying things in two months, but of course the thing that really drove his nerves was a fictional movie. Typical Junhui.
"Of course you can," Joshua pouted, waving his arm in a come here motion.
Joshua's bed was much more plain than Junhui's, but still just as soft. It had just enough room for the both of them.
"So, uh, are we gonna sleep?" Joshua asked, turning his head to face Junhui's. Even the way they went under the covers was different. Joshua had his arms out, while Junhui was almost fully covered by the comforter. Joshua could only really see his eyes. It was adorable.
"Could we just talk for a little while? I'm not really that tired," replied Junhui, turning his whole body towards Joshua's.
"Sure," Joshua also shifted his position, "what's on your mind?"
Junhui shrugged as much as he could under the blanket. "Nothing, I just like hearing your voice."
The concept of a siren being attracted to someone else's voice. Joshua felt so unbelievably flattered. "Okay, Mr. Flirtatious," he joshed. "Hmm. Actually, I do have a couple things I could ask you. How'd you get a phone if you came from the ocean?"
Junhui uncovered the bottom half of his face, revealing his wide smile. "I have my ways."
"Well, what are your ways?"
"I may have used my siren song to manipulate someone into giving me a phone at the phone store."
"Junhui!"
"What? I was being resourceful!"
Now that Joshua had one of his lingering questions answered, another popped up. He supposed it was a good thing that Junhui just wanted to slow down and talk to him in bed. They could finally ask the things they needed to. "Alright, alright. What about the mirror I saw in your bedroom? What's that about?"
That mirror meant something to Junhui. It was just a handheld mirror, but there was something about it that piqued Joshua's interest. It looked like it had been underwater, the original gold plating mostly stripped away. "It was my grandmother's. She passed it down to me."
"Is that it? It doesn't, like, possess any magic powers or something?"
Junhui giggled at Joshua's human foolishness. As much as Joshua liked to teach Junhui about what it was like to be human, Joshua himself didn't know all that much about the siren world either. Junhui just didn't talk about it all that much.
"No, it doesn't. Mirrors are like a status symbol for sirens. They represent our vanity."
"You're not very vain, though," Joshua pointed out.
"Thank you," Junhui hummed. "I try my best to break the old traditions of my family. Maybe that's why they didn't answer my calls to them in the end."
They both quieted down, sitting in that moment together. It was sometimes difficult for Junhui to process the fact that he likely wouldn't see his family again, and Joshua knew that. Then again, Junhui always hinted that his family wasn't really there for him to begin with.
The desk was still messy, and there was still work to be done tomorrow. There was always another day, on the flip side. Things would always become easier, even if they seemed difficult on the surface level.
"I think we should sleep now. I'm getting tired," Junhui yawned, drawing the covers back up over his face.
"That sounds perfect with me, Junnie."
They took a meaningful pause, before Junhui finally took his time to say it first. "Goodnight, Shua."
Joshua gave a sentimental smile. "Goodnight, Junnie."
𓂃 ོ☼𓂃
Finally, they reached the sixteenth week. To be more specific, they reached the day that Junhui was supposed to leave if he was an actual exchange student.
Sixteen weeks of chaos, confusion, bonding, and love. This was not the exact outcome that Joshua envisioned when Junhui knocked on his door, but it was the exact outcome that he had wanted once he really got to know him.
Junhui had finally made peace with the fact that he would live in LA forever. Well, maybe not forever. Wherever Joshua wanted to go, he would follow. It didn't matter where, though having a beach readily accessible was always a plus.
For someone that grew up in the area, Joshua rarely ever visited the beach. He didn't have much interest in it, not until Junhui came along. Now, they went every week. The local seagulls practically recognized and remembered their faces at this point.
Junhui's bedroom was just a spare bedroom again. Maybe it could be a place for a new exchange student one day. Now was not the time, though.
All of Junhui's gadgets and gizmos went into Joshua's room, which was now much less minimalistic than before. Joshua wasn't complaining — he needed something to spice up his life. Someone to spice up his life.
Their relationship was like water from a cold spring in the sweltering heat of summer. Refreshing.
On Junhui's "last" day of being home, they celebrated. They had a cake and everything. Even Seokmin called because he knew this day was always hard for Joshua, but he didn't expect to be told that his "student" would be having a more permanent stay.
"He's staying with you?!" Seokmin shouted over the phone. "I thought that was totally against the rules!"
Joshua explained some of it, but left out the details of Junhui being a siren. Junhui knew he would tell the world one day, but for now, he wanted to leave it a secret between him and his lover. It would only be so long before others noticed, though. Junhui didn't exactly have the best track record for being a good liar.
They spent the whole day together, walking around the streets of Downtown. They shopped, ate good food, and talked about meaningless things together, all until they felt too exhausted to do any more. Plus, Junhui needed to get home to get in the water. Joshua could tell when Junhui was feeling parched — he gets paler, even under the hot sun, and he loses his regular spark of energy. Joshua felt like he knew him like the back of his hand, and yet, he continued to learn something new about him each and every day.
Junhui appreciated how Joshua always made him feel cared for. He felt wanted when he was around Joshua. He would put aside his biggest cases and responsibilities just to make Junhui smile, even if just for a moment. Junhui now understood why his parents told him to stay away from humans. Humans weren't the monsters; they were.
After all, who but Joshua would carry him to the bathtub to make sure he could maintain his siren form?
Once they both settled down after their long day, they sat on the couch together, as they normally do. It was just their regular space to dote on each other now.
"Let's make it sixteen more weeks, yeah?" Joshua teased.
"More like sixteen decades," Junhui playfully rolled his eyes, moving closer to Joshua.
"You're not slick for moving closer to me like that."
"Am I slick for this then?" Junhui quickly and passionately kissed Joshua's lips, moving his hands to grab Joshua's waist softly. He was pretty sure Joshua made a noise into the kiss, which certainly sparked something in him.
He pulled off momentarily to comment on Joshua's lips again. "What's the problem now?" Joshua asked, licking his lips coquettishly.
"Tastes like strawberries."
"Yeah, it's my new chapstick. You like?"
Junhui grinned impishly. "Hmm… let me get another taste just to make sure."
He pulled Joshua in for another passionate kiss. They stood up, continuing to delight in each other's lips. Joshua made an attempt to walk backwards towards their bedroom while they remained attached to each other, though he just ended up hitting the wall. They both chuckled loudly, pausing for a moment to catch their breath.
Junhui held onto Joshua's body again and guided them both this time, actually leading them to the bedroom. It wasn't until they landed in the bed that it really hit Junhui. He was home. He was right where he needed to be.
It was the same for Joshua. He was already where he needed to be, but it wasn't home until Junhui showed up. Junhui was all the proof Joshua needed that sometimes, change was necessary. And sometimes, letting that strange boy into your house will completely alter your life for the better.
Having the courage to be that strange boy knocking on a stranger's door was just as noteworthy. Junhui hadn't even used his powers on Joshua. As it happens, Joshua did more of the captivating than Junhui did.
They were both stranded at sea, swept away onto a deserted island together by chance. It was there that they realized how well they worked in tandem, and off they sailed away to a land they could only dream of.