Archive of Our Own

The thing is, Yoongi had a rough week. Well, not rough as in horrible accidents or terrible days, more as in stressful as hell.

First, he had to deal with that werewolf who actually tried to convince him into, somehow, creating a potion that would make him less hairy and... well, that just won't work on werewolves. Then that goddamn salamander wasn't happy with the service he received and almost burned his whole house down. Not to mention the problem with the dragon egg which Yoongi thought was not, in fact, a dragon egg but just a fancy rock. And then it hatched.

So yeah, rough week. That's why, when Taehyung proposed a fun day out Yoongi agreed. He hasn't seen the pixie in ages, not to mention Jungkook, so he was more than happy to tag along with the two, even though it was mostly going to be him being a thirdwheel. At least he was out of his house.

Taehyung had insisted on going to the new aquarium that opened in the city and Yoongi guesses there could be worst places where they could be. Walking in a warm place with dimmed lights, staring at fishes in huge tanks? Not so bad.

“Look!” Taehyung exclaims, pointing at a tank “There's a shark!”

“Yeah, Tae.” Yoongi sighs “We're in an aquarium. They're to be expected.”

Taehyung points a finger at him and pixie dust flies everywhere at the movement “You need to stop being annoying.”

“You need to stop getting overexcited over avery single animal you see.”

Taehyung scoffs “I don't get overexcited fo- oh my God, an octopus!”

Taehyung runs off to yet another tank, Yoongi sighs and Jungkook follows his boyfriend with a shrug. Leave it to a human to try and keep Taehyung under control.

Yoongi follows the two boys until Taehyung stops in front of one of the main tanks, huge and filled with different types of exotic fishes, swimming lazely in the water, hiding behind some of the rocks that were put in the aquarium, a turtle hovers a bit above the other fishes.

Taehyung and Jungkook are pointing and chatting about some of the fishes, chuckling to themselves, so Yoongi takes his time in admiring the animals. He has to say, this tank is real huge, incredibly tall, too. And there are some fishes that he can't even recognize, colorful and beautiful, there are even seahorses and- that's not a fish that's a fucking human face.

Yoongi blinks. The face is still there.

There's... there's a fucking human in the tank. Right in front of him.

It's a boy who looks to be around his age, maybe a bit younger, staring at him with his nose pressed against the glass of the tank, red hair waving in the water.

Yoongi raises a hand and waves. The boy waves back. He's... he's got claws. Actual claws.

That's when Yoongi finally notices that there are gills on the boy's neck and, honestly, how did he miss the freaking tail?!

“That one looks like you.” Taehyung says, pointing at an ugly looking fish, who just lays still at the bottom of the tank. Jungkook rolls his eyes.

“I do not look like that.”

“Sure you do, you got the same nose.”

“Fishes don't have noses.”

“Guys.” Yoongi clears his throat “We might have a problem.”

Jungkook turns to him with a frown “What's wrong, hyung? What are you starin- that's a mermaid.”

Taehyung hums “Technically, it's a merman.” he says “But who gives a shit about gender anyway?”

Yoongi licks his lips, still keeping his eyes on the mermaid “An argument I fully support, Tae, but we're missing the bigger point. There's a mermaid. In a human aquarium.”

Taehyung gasps and pixie dust falls from his lilac hair “Oh shit, we need to get him out of here!”

The mermaid frowns and tilts his head to the side then, suddenly, a kid bumps into Yoongi.

“Mommy, look!” the little boy shouts “There's a mermaid!”

The mother of the kid stares with wide eyes at the mermaid, who smiles at her and waves with his hand. More people seem to have taken notice of him and are crowding around the tank, taking their phones out and recording him. Someone starts taking pictures and at the flashes of the cameras, the mermaid flinches and squints his eyes, quickly moving away from the glass and swimming back.

“Okay, we need to get him out.” Yoongi sighs and holds out his hands “Quick.”

Jungkook and Taehyung both grab his hands and Yoongi closes his eyes, pictures the face of the mermaid, tries to recollect as much details as possible and when he opens his eyes again, Yoongi is standing right on top of the tank that just a second before they were standing in front of.

They're all inside what looks like to be the reserved area where the staff feeds the animals, the smell of chlorine so strong it makes Yoongi's nose twitch. A few steps before him, Yoongi can see the water of the tank, so all three of them rush to the edge of it.

“We need to make him see we're up here.” Jungkook says “Suggestions?”

“Wait.” Taehyung gets on his knees and leans forward until his head stands over the water, then he starts to aggressively ruffle his hair, a huge load of pixie dust falling from his hair and ending on the surface, floating there.

Taehyung snaps his fingers “That didn't work.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes and gets on his knees as well, then he dips his hand in the water and as further down as he can, until it's up to his shoulder. He starts moving his hand around, hoping to catch the mermaid's attention.

“Maybe we could call for him?” Jungkook suggests “You think he'd hear us?”

“We don't wanna let the staff hear us and rush in.” Yoongi replies, lowering his arm further down, his cheeck now touching the water.

Then something grabs his hand, something warm. Yoongi raises his arm and, once is hand is out, he sees another one holding his own. This one has claws and stray scales on the skin.

Slowly, the mermaid's face is out of the water, red hair sticking to his forehead messily.

Yoongi looks at him for a moment, the mermaid staring right back with wide eyes and parted lips. It takes Yoongi a moment to snap out of it.

“We need to get you out of here.” he says, the mermaid nods “Just hold my hand. Guys?”

Taehyung grabs his free hand and Jungkook holds on his forearm, Yoongi closes his eyes again and thinks of his home.

He opens his eyes again and they're in his living room. With a drenched mermaid on his carpet, flicking his tail around and ruining it completely.

Yoongi lets go of his hand and sits back on the floor, taking a deep breath and letting the dizzyness fade away. Moving with three people is fucking tiring, he forgot about it.

The mermaid starts flailing around until he manages to roll over on his back and sits there, leaning on his elbows, he looks around confused before his eyes land on Yoongi again.

“This is my house.” he says, the mermaid frowns as if to ask why are we here “You were in a human aquarium, you can't be there. People can't see you, they can't know.”

The mermaid opens his mouth, almost as if he didn't even think about that, and nods. Yoongi notices his gills opening and closing frantically, so he turns to Taehyung “Go in the kitchen, there are some rugs there, get them really wet and bring them to me.”

“On it.” Taehyung gets on his feet and runs to the kitchen.

“What were you even doing there?” Jungkook asks “Like, how did you get there?”

Suddenly, the mermaid's eyes narrow and his cheeks flush, he opens his mouth but then he closes it again, grimacing. Yoongi frowns.

“Well?”

The mermaid rolls his eyes and points at his throat.

“You can't speak?” Jungkook asks, he nods “That's- weird, don't mermaids sing?”

Taehyung comes back from the kitchen, holding two wet rugs, they're still dripping water, he gives Jungkook one and he kneels beside the mermaid and gently puts the wet cloth against the gills. Jungkook does the same and the mermaid sighs, eyes fluttering close for a moment. When he opens them again he gives the two boys a thankful smile.

“What's your name?” Taehyung asks.

“He can't speak.” Jungkook says “Maybe we can get him a piece of paper, he can write, yeah? Can you write?”

The mermaid nods and then looks at Yoongi.

“What?” Yoongi asks, the mermaid points at his hand and gestures him to move closer.

Yoongi gets on his knees in front of him and holds out his hand with a frown. The mermaid grabs it and turns it around, so that Yoongi's palm is facing up, he then puts the pad of his fingers against it and starts moving it against Yoongi's skin.

It takes Yoongi a second to understand what he's doing.

J I M I N

“Jimin?” Yoongi looks at him “That's your name?”

He nods excitedly, smiling, then he looks at Taehyung.

“I'm Taehyung! That's Jungkook and he's Yoongi.” Taehyung points at Yoongi and, in doing so, moves the cloth away and almost slaps it against Yoongi's face “Sorry.” he puts the wet rug back against Jimin's neck “Jungkook is a human, but he's cool, he's my boyfriend!”

Jimin nods, seemingly really focused.

“Yoongi-hyung is a warlock! He's super strong! And i'm a Pixie, look!” Taehyung ruffles his hair and pixie dust falls on Jimin's shoulder, who looks at it and smiles widely, body shaking a bit as if he's laughing, but no sound comes out.

“Maybe we should get him on the couch, so that he can explain what's going on.”

Yoongi looks at Jimin, still wet, then at his couch. That's... that's gonna be ruined. And it will smell of fish.

Yoongi sighs “Yeah, do that.”

Jungkook grabs Jimin's arm and puts it around his shoulders, he and Taehyung manage to lift him up from the floor and put him on the couch, Jimin's tail flicking up a little when he finally sets himself in a comfortable seating position.

“We should get him some paper and a pen.” Taehyung says.

“There's some in my studio.” Yoongi replies quietly and Jungkook leaves the living room to get them.

Yoongi rubs the bridge of his nose, still feeling a little out of it. Fuck, he must be out of shape if he's that tired after barely two movements. He slowly manages to get on his feet, legs shaking a bit, and he drags his body to the armchair, sinking heavily in it and letting out a sigh of relief.

When he opens his eyes, Jimin is staring at him with his brows furrowed in what looks like concern.

“I moved us here.” Yoongi explains “From the aquarium, with my magic. It takes strength out of me.”

Jimin bites at his bottom lip and looks down.

“Not your fault.” Yoongi says, Jimin nods but still won't look at him.

Yoongi finally gets a closer look at the mermaid. He must be from the open ocean, or just the sea, jugding from his gills and scales. His tail is long and strong, of an almost pinkish color, but it's gradient, going from white to silver to the most pinkish shades. His fins, though, Yoongi swears they're fucking pearlescent. 'Cause a moment they look grey, but the next one they're of a soft and pale pink and that's messing up with his head. Jimin scratches at the fin he has on both of his forearms, it looks smooth to the touch. Yoongi has never met many merpeople, that's sure. They tend to stay in their waters, never really keen on interacting with other species, wary of land magical creatures, so the fact that he has one so close to him is peaking up his interest.

Jimin suddenly looks up and their eyes meet, Yoongi quickly looks away. Jungkook comes back with papers and a pen, he puts them on Jimin's lap and Jimin grabs the pen.

“Okay.” Yoongi says “Let's start with the basic. Where do you live?”

Jimin quickly writes on the paper, then holds it up.

BUSAN

“I'm from Busan!” Jungkook exclaims, Jimin claps his hands happily.

“Okay, what the hell are you doing in Seoul then?” Yoongi asks “Most importantly, how did you even end up in a fish tank?”

At that, Jimin's smile disappears and he clenches his jaw almost painfully. He starts writing again, this time angrily, when he's done he holds the paper up once more.

I GOT CURSED

“Well, shit.” Taehyung mutters “How?”

SEA WITCH

“What a bitch!” Taehyung exclaims, Yoongi massages his temples, he feels a headache coming “Why did she curse you?!”

Jimin starts writing furiously, bottom lip tugged out in concentration and a serious frown on his face.

SHE WAS OBSESSED WITH GETTING A MERMAID TO LOVE HER AND SHE CAME TO ME. I REJECTED HER, SHE CURSED ME.

“Okay.” Yoongi says before Taehyung can say anything, 'cause he sure as hell looks like he has a lot to say “What kind of curse?”

CAN'T GO BACK INTO SEA WATER, I'LL DIE IF I TRY. STOLE MY VOICE SAYING AT LEAST SHE WAS GOING TO GET SOMETHING FROM ME.

Yoongi nods to himself “I guess that's also one of the reasons she wanted to mate with a mermaid.”

“What do you mean?” Jungkook asks.

“Merpeople can give benefits to their lovers. The ability to breathe and speak underwater. Some can even allow humans and other creatures to speak to the sea.” Yoongi looks at Jimin “You can do that?”

Jimin nods.

“Guess that's what she wanted from you, then. But the aquarium?”

Jimin writes again.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT AN AQUARIUM IS. I OPENED MY EYES AND I WAS THERE, THE WATER TASTED BAD AND THE FISHES WERE BORING.

Yoongi can't keep the snort to himself, but he tries to hide it with a sudden fit of cough. Jimin smiles a little, so Yoongi guesses he didn't get fooled.

“Wait.” Taehyung looks at Jimin for a few moments “You can't go back home? You'll die if you try to get into the sea?”

Jimin swallows and what can only be grief flashes on his face, he puts the pen down and starts smoothing his hands along the scales of his tail.

Yoongi feels something tightening in his chest. He might be a warlock, but he's not heartless. This curse is cruel, evil. Merpeople are too attached to their oceans and seas, they don't just belong there, they're part of it. Ripping a mermaid out of their sea, that's almost a death sentence.

“I'm sorry.” Yoongi mutters, Jimin shakes his head, as if to say that it's fine.

“This is-” Taehyung looks at Yoongi and- oh no, Yoongi knows that look.

“Don't fucking cry, Taehyung.”

“But it's- it's so sad!” Taehyung's bottom lip start to quiver and his eyes well up, pixie dust floating around him “He must be missing home so bad! You have to do something!”

There it is. Yoongi groans “No, Tae, please.”

“You're the only one who can help him!” Taehyung squeezes angrily the cloth and water dribbles down Jimin's neck “You have to break his curse so he can go back home!”

“Do you have any idea of how fucking hard that is? Sea witches are assholes, okay? Their curses are tricky!”

“So what, we leave him to die on land?! You know that merpeople can't stay on land too long!”

Jimin suddenly starts waving his hands in front of his face, then he remembers of the pen and writes down again.

I'LL BE FINE

“No, you won't.” Jungkook tells him firmly “What will you do? You can't live amongst humans, you're... well, you're a fish!”

“Jungkook!” Yoongi hisses, throwing a glare at him “Don't fucking call him that, he's not just a fish. Show some respect, he's older than you'll ever be.”

Jungkook's shoulders sag down and he turns to Jimin with a grimace “Sorry.” Jimin shakes his head and smiles “All I meant was, well, you don't have legs. You can barely breathe out of water, so you're not gonna be fine.”

Yoongi knows Jungkook is right. Jimin is a mermaid, a sea creature. Even if they put him into a pool Jimin would die, that water is almost poison for him. Fuck, couldn't he be a freshwater mermaid? That would've made everything so much fucking easier.

Yoongi gazes at Jimin, takes in the already tired expression, the way his scales seem to be less shiny, his skin drying and gills frantically opening and closing under the wet cloths and- fuck, it's just heartbreaking.

“Okay.” Yoongi stands up from the armchair “Okay, I'll make something up and break the curse.”

Jimin's eyes widen and he opens his mouth to say something, clearly failing, so he scrambles for the pen but Yoongi stops him “No, really, I can't just let you fucking die on my couch. I'm good at breaking curses, I'll manage something. For now we just need to get you in some water.” Yoongi nibbles on his bottom lip for a few seconds “Okay, Taehyung you go in my garden and just- fucking make me a pool, can you do that?”

Taehyung frowns “I can- I mean, I can't make you a pool but I can give you a ditch?”

“Good enough, let's go.”

Jungkook and Taehyung lift Jimin up again, dragging him to the garden, following Yoongi who opens the doors for them.

Yoongi's garden is the best place for this, it is huge enough for an improvised pool, he'll just hope Taehyung won't make his vegetable garden sink down as well, 'cause he needs those ingredients.

Once they're outside, Taehyung and Jungkook put Jimin down on the grass, the mermaid curls his tail to himself and looks around in awe. Yoongi's chest swells a bit with pride, 'cause it took him a lot of magic to have that garden. Half of the plants and flowers in it don't even exist in Korea, some shouldn't even be blooming at this time of the year and those are the ones Yoongi loves the most.

And now... now Taehyung will make a ditch in his beautiful garden.

“Jungkook, you go in my storage.” Yoongi says “You'll find a golden urn on the upper shelves, get it to me, don't spill the water inside. I'll take care of his gills.”

Jungkook nods and hands his wet cloth to Yoongi, then walks back inside the house. Yoongi sits down next to Jimin, who's keeping one cloth on his neck, Yoongi puts his gently on the gills and squeezes it a bit, to let more water come out.

Taehyung, on the other hand, takes his shoes off and starts walking to the spot he chose, kneeling down on the grass.

Yoongi notices Jimin's curious look “He's a pixie, land to him is what the sea is to you.”

Jimin's lips part slightly and he nods, looking at Taehyung. The pixie takes a deep breath and presses the palms of his hands against the ground. Immediately, flowers start sprouting around him and pixie dust gathers around his body, glowing softly. Then, the ground starts sinking down.

Yoongi hears Jimin's gasp of surprise as the grass sinks down and down, a ditch quickly forming in front of Taehyung, expanding to left and right in an oval shape.

“Make it deeper than longer.” Yoongi says “I don't have that much space after all, but at least Jimin will be able to swim.”

“Gotcha.” Taehyung replies and, after a few seconds, Taehyung stops enlarging the ditch and focuses on making it deeper “This looks good enough.” he says and the dust stops glowing, Taehyung stands up and cleans his hands against his jeans, he turns to them with a huge smile “I made it real deep, you'll love it Minnie!”

Jimin mouths a thank you and Jungkook comes back in the garden, carrying an urn.

“Okay, you two keep his gills wet, give me this.” Yoongi grabs the urn once Jungkook hands it to him and he walks to the ditch.

As Taehyung said, it is nicely deep and actually pretty large, he guesses it's better than a tank.

“What's inside that urn?” Jungkook asks “It looks like plain water.”

“It's the payment I got from a Banshee ages ago.” Yoongi says as he starts to tilt the urn forward and water comes out of it “This urn is connected to her pond, the water comes directly from that and it's endless.” The water starts coming out faster and harder “It's also drenched with the magic of the Banshees who live there, making it perfect for water creatures. It should be better than normal water for him, should even strengthen him.”

The water at this point is coming out of the urn in violent waves, quickly filling the ditch. Yoongi is actualy glad he gets to use this, he felt bad in leaving such an amazing item just sit there in his storage.

The water glimmers of it's own light, a beautiful golden glow to it that is caused by the Banshee's powers, it smells of lavender and moss. Once the ditch is completely filled, Yoongi tilts back the urn and puts it down, then gestures at the others “Come on, let's get him inside.”

Jungkook and Taehyung carry Jimin to the pond and let him sit on the edge of it. Jimin carefully dips his tail in it, almost as if he doesn't trust it (Yoongi can't exactly blame him) but as soon as his fin touches the water, Jimin exhales softly and quickly jumps inside the water, disappearing inside of it.

He emerges after a handful of seconds with a smile stretching his lips, eyes wide with wonder. He flicks his tail happily, splashing water, and he claps his hands before he starts diving.

“I think he likes it.” Jungkook says and Yoongi nods.

“He does. I'm a genius.” Yoongi smiles to himself “Thanks for the help, I'll take care of him from now on.”

“You think you can break the curse?” Taehyung asks him as he starts putting his shoes back on.

“All curses can be broken, maybe this one will be tricky but I'm sure I'll manage.” Yoongi shrugs “You two go home, it's getting late already.”

“We can come check tomorrow? To see if you need help?” Jungkook suggests and Yoongi nods at him.

“Sure thing kid.”

Two hours later, Yoongi starts regretting his decision.

Here's the thing: sea witches are fucking assholes. And Yoongi would know about assholes, he's a warlock, warlocks ain't exactly nice. Sure, Yoongi himself knows he's not a bad person, hell he's one of the few warlocks who don't go around sprouting dark spells as if they were checking the weather- but still. Warlocks are nasty pieces of shit. The difference is that sea witches are just fucking evil. And their curses are tricky and well thought out, one misstep and Yoongi could actually find himself with a dead mermaid on his conscience.

Yoongi scratches his head, his scalp has been stinging ever since Taehyung decided to dye his hair in this icy blonde that Yoongi is beginning to hate. He sits on the grass a bit more comfortably, legs crossed and one of his grimoires open on his lap. He sends a quick look at the homemade pond, Jimin swimming around with a little smile. Sometimes he dives underwater and doesn't come out for a while, mostly he just floats around, occasionally flicking his tail to splash the water.

Yoongi looks back at his book and starts fidgeting with the silver pendants around his neck, twisting them between his fingers. Yoongi is good at curses. Well, he's good at casting curses, that means he's good at breaking them, too. This particular curse is a bitchy one. Being cursed out of your own element means that the curse has some binding involved and, most importantly, the witch must have had something of Jimin to do said binding.

“Hey.”

Jimin looks at him and starts swimming to the edge of the pond until he's in front of Yoongi. He puts his elbows on the grass and tilts his head to the side, chin dipping in the water.

“The witch, did she take something of yours?” he asks “A jewel, something that belongs to you.”

Jimin nods and points at his head.

“She has your hair?”

Jimin nods and then bites his bottom lip, looking for the pen and paper that Yoongi put beside him on the grass. He grabs them and starts writing down.

SHE RIPPED IT OFF

“Bitch.” Yoongi mutters “Okay, that means I'll need something of yours, too. Something stronger than hair.” Yoongi puts the grimoire aside “Okay, listen to me, here's how the situation is. Basically, your curse didn't exactly take you away from the sea, instead the witch bound you to land.”

Jimin frowns.

“That's a problem.” Yoongi says “You're a creature of the sea and she bound you to land, that's gonna mess up with you. We have to make this quick, the more you stay on land the quicker you could die.”

Jimin's eyes widen and Yoongi sees the color drain from his face.

“Ah, no no, calm down.” shit, he's bad at this “It's not like you'll die tomorrow. Forreal, with this water you're in you'll be fine for a while. Let's say- well, at least two months? You should be fine for at least two months, and I'll probably need less time to break the curse.”

Jimin nods slowly but Yoongi can see that he's not convinced. He doesn't blame him, this must be scary as hell for him.

“I won't let you die.” Yoongi says and he tries to sound as convincing as he can “I wouldn't do that. That's why the sooner we start the better, mh?”

Jimin gives him a tight smile and Yoongi nods at him “Okay, well. I need something of yours, something more- oh. Could you give me a scale?”

The reaction Jimin gives him is- well, not the one he expected. He wouldn't have been surprised if Jimin got angry at him, sad, maybe scared? But no, Jimin simply flushes so hard and fast that Yoongi almost chokes on air.

“What? What's wrong, why are you blushing like that?”

Jimin shakes his head and starts patting his face then he tries to hide underwater but Yoongi is faster and grabs his wrist before he dives.

“Hey, calm down, just tell me what's wrong.”

Jimin heaves a sigh and slowly reaches for the pen and paper.

THAT'S A PART OF ME

“The scale?” Yoongi asks, Jimin nods, skin still flushed “Yeah but I need it because of that. I need something of yours, something that beats your hair.”

Jimin writes again and when he's done he almost throws the paper at Yoongi before he retreats a bit in the water so that only his eyes are out.

WE GIVE A SCALE TO OUR MATE AS A DECLARATION OF LOVE

Well, shit. Of course they do. Fucking mermaids and their cheesy ways of declaring never ending love.

“Oh.” Yoongi clears his throat and looks at Jimin, who's blowing air out of his nose, making bubbles in the water “Well- I'm sorry but a scale would be the best thing you could give me. Unless you want to give me one of your claws, but that must hurt like a bitch.”

Jimin looks at him for a while, then he dives underwater. Yoongi guesses that's a no. But Jimin resurfaces and he gets back to the edge of the pond with his fist close to his chest. He looks at Yoongi with a pout then holds out his fist and unclenches his fingers. On the palm of his hand there's a single pink scale, gleaming gently under the moonlight. Yoongi takes it carefully and Jimin is back at hiding his face behind his hands.

“Thank you.” Yoongi smiles at him “I'll make good use of it. Sorry if I took your scale virginity, I guess.”

Jimin glares at him and flicks angrily his tail, splashing water at Yoongi and actively drenching him. Yoongi sighs and spits out some water.

“I deserved that.”

Jimin nods and swims away.

Yoongi starts working on the potion immediately. He could've went for a spell, but that would've been to risky and he doesn't know enough of mermaids to be sure he wouldn't put Jimin in actual danger. A potion is better. A longer process, maybe. But definitely better.

The potion is divided in two steps: the first one is making the base of it then let it set. The second one will require some more work and actual magic, but he'll think about it when it's time.

For now, he starts with grinding some petals of aster and garlic. Then he boils some myrrh, filters the liquid and puts it in a pot, letting it simmer. He adds the grinded aster and garlic and lets it rest once the water turns into a lilac color and smells sickeningly sweet. He adds leaves of thyme then starts looking for leaves of acacia. He's pretty sure he has them already in a jar somewhere. Once he finds them he takes two and minces them as finely as he can, then he adds those as well. Finally, Yoongi takes Jimin's scale and lets it fall in the potion. Yoongi then leans on the pot and inhales deeply the fumes, his head spinning for a moment. The next step... well, he won't tell Jimin about it. Yoongi spits in the pot, his saliva tinted of the colors of the aster petals, of a deep purple. Immediately, Jimin's scale melts. Yoongi rubs the back of his hand on his mouth, drying the spit off his lips. The craft of potions has never been an elegant one.

Yoongi then moves the potion into another glass jar and quickly shuts it close with a cap, then he takes it carefully in his hands and walks back to the garden.

Jimin sees him and swims to the end of the pond.

“Here.” Yoongi says, holding the jar out for him “Put it at the bottom of the pond, it won't float. It has to stay there for a week.”

Jimin nods.

“We're not done after that, there are other things to do, but we'll think about those when it's time.” Yoongi gives Jimin a small smile “Are you hungry?”

Jimin smiles back and nods.

“I'm pretty sure I've got some raw fish in my freezer.”

The mermaid flicks his tail and nods with more enthusiasm and Yoongi chuckles, already making it's way to the kitchen.

It's past midnight when Yoongi finally gets something to eat after almost gagging at the sight of Jimin just ripping the head off a raw fish and Jimin looks like he's about to fall asleep right there where he is, with his chin propped on the grass and his body floating midwater.

Yoongi taps him on the shoulder and Jimin opens an eye “Get to sleep, I'll see you tomorrow morning.”

Jimin yawns ans pushes himself off the edge of the pond and in the middle of it.

“Jimin?” Yoongi calls “I'll get you home, okay?”

Jimin stays still for a moment before he smiles, this time a bit more genuine than the others, eyes disappearing and cheeks looking fuller. Then he dives underwater and Yoongi gets back inside his house.

Jungkook and Taehyung can't seem to get enough of Jimin and for the next days they keep showing up at Yoongi's house (uninvited, may he add) and spend the afternoons at the pond.

“You're shitty company, hyung.” Jungkook tells him with a shrug “He'd be bored out of his mind if it weren't for me and Tae.”

And as much as Yoongi feels like jinxing Jungkook's ass for it, Yoongi also knows he's right. Jimin looks happier when Jungkook and Tae are around, Taehyung makes flowers bloom and lets them float in the pond around Jimin. Jungkook cracks jokes after jokes and Taehyung laughs 'till there's pixie dust everywhere and Jimin of course has fun. So Yoongi lets the kids have their fun.

When evening comes and it's just Yoongi and Jimin it's mostly uneventful. Yoongi keeps an eye on the potion everynight, asking Jimin to bring it up for him, then they eat by the pond.

Yoongi is not a stupid, he knows Jimin isn't happy here. More than once he catches the mermaid staring at the night sky, tracing the stars with his eyes. He also knows why he looks so miserable when he does: mermaids are supposed to sing in the night. Jimin can't.

It's the fourth night of the week when Yoongi can't take anymore of Jimin just staring longingly at the sky.

“How does it work in the sea?” he asks, Jimin blinking at him surprised “I'm curious. We know jackass about mermaids, you people are good at keeping your stuff secret.”

Jimin swims to him and grabs pen and paper.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?

“You live in packs or something?”

Jimin frowns.

WE AREN'T WEREWOLVES WE DON'T HAVE PACKS. WE LIVE IN CLANS.

Yoongi shrugs “Basically the same thing.”

Jimin scoffs and writes down angrily.

IT IS NOT.

Yoongi grins at him “Don't get your panties in a twist, I was just asking. What's the difference, then?”

CLANS HAVE A HISTORY, HONOR AND PRIDE. THERE ARE CLANS WHO ARE ALLIES, OTHERS WHO ARE ENEMIES. EACH CLAN OWNS A PART OF THE OCEAN AND SEAS.

Yoongi nods “Tell me about the abilities. 'Cause it changes from mermaid to mermaid, right?”

FROM CLAN TO CLAN

Oh, that's new “Tell me more. Like, how does it work?”

Jimin shrugs.

I DON'T KNOW EITHER, THE SEA BLESSES EACH CLAN WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES. SOME HAVE MORE, SOME HAVE LESS.

“You can speak to the sea, right?” Jimin nods “How does it work?”

There's a flash of a smile for a second, then Jimin writes.

I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT, IT JUST WORKS. I KNOW HOW IT FEELS AND IT'S LIKE SPEAKING TO SOMETHING THAT IS FAR FAR AWAY BUT THAT IS ALSO HOLDING YOUR HAND AT THE SAME TIME. IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

“Can you speak to the sea now?” Jimin looks down and shakes his head “I'm sorry.”

Jimin shrugs, then he writes again.

AREN'T WARLOCKS DANGEROUS?

“Damn right we are.”

Jimin squints his eyes.

YOU DON'T LOOK DANGEROUS

Yoongi rolls his eyes “No, I'm just nice. But I'm dangerous. You know-” Yoongi gestures a bit “Dark magic and all that shit. Your potion is dark magic, too. Everything I touch is dark magic, that's just how it is.”

Jimin nods slowly, as if he's thinking about it, then he gets back at writing.

DON'T WARLOCKS LIVE IN THE WOODS?

“Well, we used to. We kinda evolved, woods are shitty to live in. There are bears there.” Jimin smiles, his shoulders shaking with what must be a silent laugh “Warlocks don't have covens so we just kinda mind our own business. Some are assholes, some are less assholes. I'm the less asshole.”

SO WHAT DO YOU DO?

“What, for a living?” Jimin nods and puts his chin on the palm of his hand “I solve problems. People come to me, they tell me what they need, I help them out if I can. Also all kinds of magical creatures, they pay me either with money or with gifts. Like the water I used for your pond, I got it from a Banshee who asked me to let the man she loved live longer.”

Jimin's mouth opens and his eyes widen, Yoongi chuckles.

“Yep, I can do that. But it's a trick, you know? I can cheat death only so much, I gave him barely two more years. Banshees can sense when the death of a loved one is coming so she was desperate. She just wanted more time, I gave her that. But when the time will come again, there won't be much I can do.”

Jimin starts writing again and Yoongi leans in to read.

YOU MUST BE REALLY LONELY

“What?” Yoongi frowns “Why would you say that? I got friends.”

Jimin shakes his head and writes again.

EVERYONE ASK THINGS OF YOU BUT DOES ANYONE ASK YOU IF YOU NEED HELP?

Yoongi looks at the words written hastily on the paper for a while, letting them swim in his head. Of course people don't ask him if he needs something, he's a warlock. An old one. He doesn't need people to help him.

That's what he's always been telling himself.

“I don't need anything.” Yoongi finally says “I have everything I need.”

Jimin sighs, as if he doesn't believe him, he writes once more.

ONCE YOU GET ME HOME I'LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU ASK OF ME

Yoongi arches an eyebrow “Anything?” Jimin nods “I could ask you for something awful.”

I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU

“I could ask you to give me yourself.” Yoongi says without thinking, just because he likes to tease the mermaid. Jimin smiles.

THEN YOU'LL HAVE ME

Yoongi snorts and shakes his head, then he gets back on his feet “I guess I'll have to bring you home quickly, then.”

It's the end of the week.

Yoongi has the ingredients for the second step already prepared and Jimin is waiting for him at the pond. He hides in the pocket of his jeans the dust he's already spelled, kept in a leather sack, and joins Jimin at the pool.

“Okay, are you ready?” he asks, Jimin nodding whilst keeping close to his chest the jar with the potion. During the week it turned into a greyish color, which is good. The lighter the color the better.

Yoongi looks up at the sky, already darked and an half moon shining above their heads.

“So, it's probably gonna taste like shit.” Yoongi says with a sheepish smile “Can't do much about that. That potion will help you start getting connected to the sea again, that's why I needed that scale. You drink it all at once, all of it.”

Jimin nods and uncaps the jar. He gives the potion a sniff and his nose scrunches up in distaste.

“Just drink it, don't think of the taste.”

Jimin looks at the potion for a few seconds before he takes a deep breath and starts chugging down the liquid.

Whilst Jimin is busy with that, Yoongi gets the sack out of his pocket and tilts it on his hand, letting the black dust fall on his palm, he clenches his fingers in a fist and looks back at Jimin.

The mermaid drinks the last drop and puts the jar on the grass, lips turned down in a disgusted grimace.

“Look at me.”

Jimin immediately looks up and, as soon as their eyes meet, Yoongi opens his hand and puts it under his chin, then he blows the dust in Jimin's face. The mermaid closes his eyes in a reflex but he still inhales the dust and he starts coughing, holding onto the edge of the pond as he tries to breathe through it.

“You're okay, it's gonna pass soon, just hold on for a moment.” Yoongi says, holding on Jimin's wrist so that he doesn't try to dive underwater just yet. Finally, Jimin starts breathing normally again and when the mermaid looks at him his eyes are bloodshot and there are tears already falling down his cheeks.

“Sorry about that.” Yoongi says, raising a hand and thumbing the tears off Jimin's face “But you had to inhale that and, trust me, it would've been hard to do it by yourself. But you did well. The dust is-” Yoongi pauses “Well, you don't wanna know what exactly it is, but it's for your voice.”

Jimin blinks.

“She stole it from you, I'm giving it back to you. It's a spell, it brings back things that are wrongly taken. When you'll be in your sea again your voice will come back to you as well.”

Jimin's face lights up in a smile that, honest to God, is downright blinding and the mermaid pulls himself up out of the pond and throws his arms around Yoongi's neck.

“Shit, wait, I'm gonna fall and I'm a shitty swimmer!” Yoongi holds Jimin back, trying to stay onto the ground, the mermaid's tail flicking against the water “I don't know if you're trying to strangle me or if it's because you're happy.”

Jimin pulls back a little and slaps him on the chest, still smiling widely. He mouths a thank you and slides back inside the water.

Yoongi grins at him and nods “You're very welcome.”

The final step of the potion is the tricky one. It's not the potion per se what worries him, but some of the spells he'll have to cast. This one is the one that breaks the curse and unbinds Jimin from land, finally giving him the right to step back inside the sea. That alone will take him at least two weeks of work, three days to prepare the potion since the ingredients have to rest a lot, then each night Yoongi will have to put spells on the potion. After those two weeks, the final ingredient will have to be added and- well, Yoongi doesn't want to think about it yet.

During these days, Yoongi finds out something about Jimin: he's a fucking brat.

The mermaid takes a liking in splashing him when Yoongi is focused on the spells for the potion. Each night Jimin flicks his tail, splashing water everywhere, leaving Yoongi a drenched mess.

“Yah!” Yoongi exclaims one night as he tries to dry his hair with a towel “You pull that shit again and I swear I'll put a crocodile in your pond!”

Jimin arches an eyebrow at him and writes.

I'D KILL IT IN A MATTER OF SECONDS

“Bullshit.”

TRUST ME, I WOULD.

Yoongi pauses “Then I'll put two crocodiles.”

Jimin splashes him again.

Yoongi also finds out that Jimin gets bored easily if he doesn't pay attention to him.

Yoongi will be busy tending at the potion, making sure everything is okay, then Jimin will start swatting his hands against the water until Yoongi finally gives up.

“What?”

I'M HUNGRY

“You just ate.”

I'M STILL HUNGRY

“Tough shit.”

I WILL SPLASH YOU

“Do that and see where that takes you.”

Jimin pouts.

YOU'RE MEAN

Yoongi sighs “What should I do, mh? Play with you?”

Jimin smiles at that.

“What? I'm not playing with you! Also, what do you mean with playing?”

YOU GET INSIDE THE POOL AND I TAKE YOU DOWN TO THE BOTTOM

Yoongi splutters “Yah! Are you trying to drown me?! I'm not playing with you now, Jimin, I'm busy.”

But the thing is, Jimin is bored. And sad. And he misses home. That's why Yoongi makes the biggest mistake of his life.

“Holy shit, you actually have a mermaid in your garden.”

“He's fucking pretty! Look, he's so pretty!”

“He's adorable. I wanna pet his tail.”

Yoongi sighs “Jin, you get anywhere near his tail and he'll probably rip your hand off.”

“He is seriously so pretty.” Hoseok says again, pointed red ears flicking in interest on top of his head “Can I chat with him?”

“Sure.” Yoongi gestures at them to follow him and they get to the pond.

Jimin keeps himself far from them, half of his face hidden under the water and his eyes narrowed.

“Jimin, these are my friends.”

Jimin doesn't move.

“They're gonna play with you.”

Jimin immediately swims to them with a huge smile on his face. He props his elbows on the grass and lifts himself up a bit, waving at them.

Jin clutches his chest “He's so fucking cute, oh my God.”

“He smells good, too.” Namjoon muses and Yoongi slaps him on the neck “Rude!”

“Don't even think about it. Hey, Jimin.” Jimin turns his attention to Yoongi “If he tries to bite you, you're allowed to drown him.”

Jimin nods and gives him a thumb up. Seokjin coos at him, kneeling in front of Jimin.

“Oh my God, I want to adopt him.”

“He ain't a pet.” Yoongi groans.

Hoseok shushes him and points at himself “I'm Hoseok, a fox. I have a tail, too.” he says before he turns around and wiggles his butt, his red tail flicking left and right. Jimin grabs his pen and paper.

CAN I TOUCH IT?

“Sure you can.” Hoseok turns around to face Jimin again and sits down with his legs crossed, grabbing his tail and putting it on his lap “There you go, have fun with it.”

Jimin carefully caresses the fur of Hoseok's tail and his mouth hands open.

It's so soft, he mouths and Hoseok laughs “I'll take it as a compliment.”

Yoongi decides to leave them be, so he goes back to the potion he has put in a corner of the garden and sits down. He grabs the ladle he left inside the ceramic pot where the potion is resting and starts stirring it. The color looks okay, a pale blue, and the texture seems allright, too.

He feels someone sitting beside him and when he looks up he finds Namjoon smiling at him.

“I can't believe you asked me to come here with this sun.” he says “Do you want me to turn into ash?”

Yoongi rolls his eyes “You're not gonna burn to ash, Namjoon.”

“What if the ring you gave me stops working?”

“Ain't gonna stop. And if it does, hey, one less annoying vampire to take care of.”

Namjoon fakes a laugh “You're hilarious.” Namjoon sends a look at the pond behind them “He's real fucking pretty.”

“He's a mermaid, they're supposed to be.”

Namjoon hums “And are you supposed to be attracted to him?”

Yoongi stops stirring the potion and frowns at the vampire “What are you talking about?”

“You're attracted to him.”

“I'm not blind.”

“No, Yoongi.” Namjoon smiles “You're attracted to him. Your heart goes fucking havoc when you look at him. I can hear it, remember?”

Yoongi scoffs and gets back at stirring his potion, a little too aggressively maybe “Then get your ears checked, 'cause you're turning deaf.”

“Wait... are you fucking blushing?”

“Shut up.”

“Holy shit, you like him.”

“I don't like him, Joons, stop it.” Yoongi lets the ladle fall in the pot and sends a pointed look at Namjoon “Seriously. I'm- I mean, I care about him, he's kind. He's kind and something shitty happened to him, but I don't like him. Not like that.”

Namjoon doesn't say anything for a while but, eventually, he sighs “Whatever you say, Yoongi.”

“Guys, check this out!” Hoseok shouts, Yoongi and Namjoon turning around at the same time and paling when they realize what is going on.

Hoseok has Jin's wrist in his hand, keeping him from running away, and strands of grass in his free hand right under Jin's nose. And Jin looks like he's about to sneeze.

“Jimin!” Yoongi shouts “Get under water!”

Jimin frowns but immediately dives in the pond, Namjoon is already trying to sprint back inside the house, but it's too late. Jin sneezes hard and there's a literal explosion of fairy dust hitting them so hard they they fall on their butts.

When Yoongi opens his eyes, his entire garden is covered in sparkling pink dust. Jimin's pond is covered with it, too. Hoseok, on the other hand, is rolling around laughing like a maniac, Jin rubbing angrily at his nose.

“You fucking prick!” the fairy shouts, Hoseok laughs harder.

Jimin slowly comes back to surface, looking around in confusion and picking at the dust that floats on the water.

“You're gonna clean this shit, Hoseok.” Yoongi says, walking to the fox. He turns to Jimin and the mermaid stares at him for a few seconds before he snorts and starts slapping his hand against the water, mouth open in what must be a laugh.

“Are you laughing at me?” Yoongi asks and Jimin flicks his tail “Why are you laughing, what-”

Oh, right. He's covered in that goddamn dust as well. Yoongi sighs.

“Hoseok, I am about to jinx you until you die.”

It's a full moon tonight and Jimin seems restless. He keeps swimming around the pond, flicking his tail every minute, staring at the sun as it slowly sets.

Yoongi asks him what's the matter with him and Jimin just writes:

YOU'LL SEE

When the moon finally rises, Jimin points at it with a smile and swims to the middle of the pond. He stays there and closes his eyes.

Yoongi sits on the edge of the pond, wondering what this whole fuss is about but then- God, then he sees and he swears he stops breathing.

Jimin's tail starts fucking glowing under the water, painting it with pink hues. His own skin is glowing in gold, his scales light up and Yoongi can see that there are so much more than he thought, some trail from his nape down his back, others scattered along his arms and smaller ones on his cheekbones, glowing silver like pearls and- and fuck, of course he's attracted. How can he not?

Jimin is just beautiful. And he knows that he's supposed to be, mermaids are just supposed to be beautiful. But to be this attracted, to feel something tugging at his chest and screaming for more, to just reach out and touch, he's not supposed to feel like that.

Jimin opens his eyes and looks at Yoongi, arching an eyebrow and smirking at him.

“What?”

Jimin wiggles his eyebrows and Yoongi rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, you're really pretty Jimin, no shit.”

Jimin nods, satisfied and cocky in a way so unnerving that Yoongi can't have Jimin win this so easily.

“You're more than pretty.” he says, grinning at him “You're breathtaking.”

Jimin blushes so violently that Yoongi has to keep himself from snorting, the mermaid dips his face in the water until only Yoongi can only see his eyes.

“You know, you do that everytime you're embarassed. It's cute.”

Jimin blows bubbles.

“That's cute, too.”

The mermaid then flicks his tail, trying to splash Yoongi, but only a few droplets of water reach him.

“Your potion is almost done, you know?” at that, Jimin starts swimming to him “It won't be long now. A few days at most, then I have to add the last ingredient and let it rest for a day or two.”

Jimin stops once he's in front of Yoongi.

“After that, you'll be home.” Yoongi says, forcing a smile “You'll be back in your deep waters.”

He expects Jimin to smile. Maybe to clap his hands, he does that when he's excited. Instead, Jimin gives him this blank stare, his mouth set in a firm line. Yoongi frowns.

“Aren't you happy?”

Jimin nods.

“Then what's with that face?” Yoongi grins “You'll miss me?”

Jimin nods again. Yoongi's smile falls off “Why would you miss me? You'll be home.”

Jimin shakes his head and takes Yoongi's hands in his, claws grazing the skin. Jimin holds Yoongi's hands then leans down and kisses them. First the back, then each nuckle, he does this with both of Yoongi's hands.

“What are you doing?” Yoongi asks, barely managing a whisper.

Jimin lets go of Yoongi's hands only to put his on the ground. He lifts himself up until his face is merely inches away from Yoongi's. Jimin looks at him for seconds before he leans in and kisses Yoongi's left cheek, then his right cheek, then his forehead and, finally, his lips. It's barely there, just a soft touch, but it's there. It's there and Yoongi knows he won't be able to ignore it. Not now, not ever.

Jimin pulls back and lowers himself in the water, looking at Yoongi with a small smile.

And Yoongi knows.

“Me, too.” Yoongi says and he hopes it's enough.

Jimin nods and swims back to the middle of the pond, he closes his eyes and bathes in the moonlight once more.

Jimin, Yoongi finds out, is clingy. Yoongi also finds out he doesn't particularly mind.

Jimin also seems to have taken a liking for Yoongi's hands. Whilst Yoongi works on the potion, stirring it, checking it's temperature, adding silent spells, he does so sitting cross legged at the edge of the pond with his free hand in the water so that Jimin can hold it. The mermaid also likes to trace the lines on Yoongi's palm and leave kisses along the nuckles. Yoongi doesn't ask why, he doesn't care. If Jimin likes it then it's fine.

It's when the moon is out that Jimin turns downright needy. He will pout and splash at Yoongi until the warlock gives up and reaches out to stroke Jimin's hair, to which Jimin will hum in satisfaction and close his eyes with a smile on his face.

There's this one night in which Jimin grabs Yoongi's ankles and pushes his legs over the ground and into the water, ignoring Yoongi's pleads to stop, just so that he can rest his head on Yoongi's lap. Yoongi sighs and ignores the cold water that freezes him up to his knees and lets Jimin have what he wants, petting his head.

Yoongi doesn't know what it is that they have. Probably something that shouldn't even exist. Jimin doesn't belong on land and Yoongi doesn't belong in deep waters. Still, he finds it impossible to ignore the way he feels, or how soft Jimin's hands feel against his, small fingers clinging at his thumb when Yoongi is too busy with the potion to give much attention to him.

Yoongi is woken up by the loudest noise he's ever heard. He blinks sleepily, rolling around in his bed and sighing, deciding to ignore the noise and get back to sleep when the room suddenly is lightened up in white, then turning dark again. The next thunder is loud and close enough that the glass of the windows shake, a rumbling that Yoongi can feel in his own ribs hits the air like a wave. Yoongi doesn't mind storms, he likes the rain. But there's a small thought nagging at the back of his head that tells him to go and check on Jimin.

With a sigh, Yoongi gets off the bed, rubs at his eyes and leaves his room, walking downstairs to grab an umbrella. He can see from the windows that the rain is falling thick and hard. He finds his umbrella thrown on the ground at his front door, he grabs it and makes his way to the garden.

Yoongi opens the door that leads to the open space and Jimin is nowhere to be seen, probably still asleep under water. This is silly, Yoongi thinks, Jimin is a mermaid. Storms are something he's probably used to, they're even more angry and violent in the open sea. Still, Yoongi gets his bare feet on the grass and walks to the pond, sitting down with his legs crossed in front of the water, his open umbrella protecting him from the rain even though his pants are already drenched because of the wet ground.

Yoongi dips his hand in the water, waving it around a bit until he feels Jimin's hand grabbing it. Jimin's head pokes out of the water and the mermaid stares at him with wide eyes, probably surprised. But there's something else.

“Just wanted to make sure you're okay.” Yoongi says “Because of the storm.”

Jimin swallows and shakes his head.

“What?” Yoongi frowns, Jimin squeezes his hand “What's wrong?”

Before Jimin can try to make him understand what's up, another thunder breaks the sky in half, crackling and roaring in the air. Jimin flinches and closes his eyes, face scrunched up in what looks like pain, or maybe fear.

“Hey, it's okay.” Yoongi tries “It's just a thunder, you must have seen one before.”

Jimin nods, pressing his lips together.

“You're scared of them?” another nod “You usually stay in deep waters so you don't hear them, do you?”

Noisy, Jimin mouths slowly. Another thunder, Jimin tries to hide under water but Yoongi holds his hand harder and keeps him up.

“Okay, it's okay.” Yoongi lets go of the umbrella, leaving it balanced against his shoulder, then he closes his eyes and holds out his hand, muttering a simple spell under his breath. When he opens them again, it's quiet. No sound of hard rain hitting the ground, no thunders, no lightnings, just quiet. Jimin is looking with his lips parted at the raindrops that are frozen just above him and around him and Yoongi. Yet the storm is still going hard, just not where they are standing.

“It's like a bubble.” Yoongi explains “A safe space. As long as you keep touching me the storm won't reach you. Can you sleep like this?”

Jimin nods.

“Then get back to sleep. Here.” Yoongi moves so that his feet and calves are in the water “You can put your head on my legs.”

Jimin looks at him for a few seconds, damp red hair sticking to his forehead. Then he smiles and puts his hands on Yoongi's thighs, pulling himself up without letting go of Yoongi's hand. He places a small kiss on the corner of Yoongi's mouth, tail flicking, he lowers himself again.

Thank you.

Yoongi gives him a smile “Shouldn't I be the one thanking you?”

Jimin frowns.

“You're spoiling me with all of this attention.”

Jimin grins at him and shrugs before he rests his head on Yoongi's thigh, one arm circling around the warlock's waist whilst his free hand still holds onto Yoongi's own. Jimin sighs and closes his eyes, Yoongi pulls back from Jimin's forehead locks of damp hair and decides to keep it to himself of just how much energy this simple spell drains him of. He spends the rest of the night awake, feeling weaker and weaker, ignoring it, waiting for the storm to pass, occasionally pouring the pond's water on Jimin's gills.

Yoongi spends the last days dreading the moment when he'll have to add the last ingredient.

But that day still comes, because he might be a warlock but he can't stop time from moving.

He waits for evening to come, lets Jimin do what he pleases all day, not scolding him when the mermaid splashes him, not caring when Jimin bites the head off a fish right in front of him.

When Jimin is busy playing with his fingers, caressing his knucles and tracing the lines of the palm of his hand, Yoongi knows he can't keep stalling.

“Jimin.”

The mermaid looks up at him with a smile.

“I won't miss you.”

Jimin looks at him, stares until the words finally get to him, his smile falls.

“I won't.” Yoongi repeats, clenching his jaw “Why should I?”

Jimin opens his mouth to speak but no sound comes out and he clicks his tongue in frustration.

“It's useless to miss you. You'll leave anyway, so why should I care for you? I-” Yoongi swallows “I regret the moment I decided to help you.”

Jimin gasps, blinks and tries to swim away, but Yoongi grabs his wrist and yanks him back, Jimin's eyes widening.

“You're gonna leave me.” Yoongi repeats, this time louder “You don't care about me, you just wanted to get back home, you used me.”

Jimin shakes his head frantically and puts his free hand on Yoongi's knee, but the warlock swats it away, he sees Jimin's eyes turning glossy.

“You don't belong here and you don't belong with me. I can't wait for the moment you'll go back to your deep waters just so that I can finally get rid of your sight.” Jimin bites at his bottom lip to stop it from quivering and starts thrashing against Yoongi's hold, trying to free himself “Look at me.”

Jimin does, face stiff and eyes flashing anger and shame, cheeks flushed pink.

“I won't miss you, you hear me? I'll forget about you.” Jimin's eyes well up “I don't love you.”

Jimin stops moving and, finally, he cries. Tears start spilling from his eyes, falling along his cheeks and Yoongi sighs in relief, already grabbing at the vial he's been hiding in the pocket of his jeans, he uncaps it with his teeth and presses it against Jimin's cheek, the mermaid trying to move away from it, but Yoongi holds his wrist harder.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, don't move.” Yoongi whispers, watching the tears falling inside the vial and trying to ignore the look of utter betrayal on the mermaid's face “Just one second, I promise, I'm so sorry.”

When there's enough of the liquid in the vial, Yoongi moves it away and caps it again with the cork, he puts it back inside his pocket and cups at Jimin's face, swiping the tears away with his thumb.

“Stop crying, I didn't mean any of it, I swear. I just needed you to cry, it's the last ingredient for the potion, I'm sorry.” Yoongi can see that Jimin is still not convinced, tears still coming out and shoulders shaking in silent sobs.

“Come here.” Yoongi puts his legs in the water, sitting on the edge of the pond, and pulls Jimin to him, the mermaid weakly pulling himself up. Yoongi hugs him, legs squeezes around Jimin's tail, the mermaid isn't holding him back “I didn't mean it, I swear. I'll miss you, okay? Fuck, Jimin, I'll miss you so much.”

Slowly, Jimin wraps his arms around Yoongi's neck, forehead against Yoongi's shoulder.

“I'll miss you.” Yoongi says again, he closes his eyes “But I don't regret deciding to help you. I don't mind missing you.”

Jimin holds him a bit harder and then pulls back just so that he can brush his nose against Yoongi's own. Yoongi can't help the smile that curls up his lips “What are you acting cute for, I'm the one who said shitty things.”

Jimin sniffs hard, eyes puffy and lips pouty.

Mean, he mouths, Yoongi chuckles.

“I was a fucking asshole, I'm sorry.” Yoongi bumps his nose on Jimin's, stealing a smile from the mermaid “What can I do to be forgiven, mmh?”

Jimin's eyes drop to Yoongi's lips, his cheeks freckled with pearlescent scales, he looks back at Yoongi and kisses him again. Yoongi thinks that, at this point, he should be getting used to it, to Jimin's kisses. The mermaid has kissed him so many times by now, Yoongi swears he has memorizes the shape of his lips. But this time it's different, it's slower, Jimin presses himself against Yoongi, tugging at the fabric of his t-shirt and licks almost shily at his bottom lip. Yoongi holds him a bit tighter, his fingers grazing the scales on the back of Jimin's neck, the mermaid opens his mouth for the warlock and now Yoongi knows. Jimin tastes like sea breeze.

When Yoongi adds Jimin's tears to the potion, the liquid turns into the color of the sea water. It will rest for one day, then Jimin will be back in his deep waters.

On Jimin's last day on land, Jungkook and Taehyung come visit. They spend the day on the edge of the pond, chatting with Jimin, telling him they'll miss him, that he needs to come visit.

WHEN THE TIDE IS RIGHT COME TO BUSAN, I WILL WAIT THERE

Jimin writes, Taehyung smiles and nods “We'll be there, too.”

Yoongi has the potion in a glass that same night, sitting in his usual spot with the mermaid in front of him, looking at the glass with a blank expression.

“Ready?” Yoongi asks “It won't hurt, it won't taste of much either.”

Jimin keeps staring at the glass.

“Once you drink it we'll have to move to Busan immediately, you need to get back in your water as soon as we can, okay?”

Jimin nods and sighs, then he takes the glass and starts drinking. He gulps it down quickly, scrunching up his nose at the end.

“Okay.” Yoongi grabs Jimin's hand “Let's go.”

Yoongi has been to Busan once, he remembers the beach he visited, so he thinks of that. He can smell the sea before he even opens his eyes, can feel the sand under his feet.

The beach is deserted, the sea looks dark in the night, moonlight falling on the surface of the water like shard of glasses.

Jimin is on the ground, his tail curled up around him, gills moving frantically as he stares at the sea with wide eyes.

“Let's- here, I'll carry you.” Yoongi says, crouching in front of the mermaid. Jimin wraps his arms around his neck and Yoongi slides his behind Jimin's back and under his tail. When he feels like he has a solid enough grasp he starts standing up, huffing out a groan.

“Holy shit, you're heavy.”

Jimin swats at his chest and Yoongi rolls his eyes.

“You are, shush now.” Yoongi starts walking to the sea, legs almost shaking under Jimin's weight. Hell, he might not be in shape, but that tail is heavy as fuck.

The water is warm when he enters it, he keeps going until it reaches his hips, then he stops.

“Ready?” Jimin looks at him and nods.

Yoongi starts lowering himself down, keeping his eyes fixed on Jimin's, his fin touches the water, then his tail until Jimin's whole body is in the water.

The mermaid gasps and closes his eyes, his lips slowly stretching in a smile so wide Yoongi feels his eyes burning.

“You're okay, yeah?”

Jimin nods, still holding onto the warlock, still smiling, too lost in the pleasure of finally being home again.

“Your voice?”

At that, Jimin's eyes snap open, almost as if he forgot about that. He looks at Yoongi for a second.

“Yoongi?”

Oh. Oh, so that's how his name sounds when it's on Jimin's lips.

“Yeah.” Yoongi swallows “Yeah, that's it.”

Jimin giggles and Yoongi can't help but laugh along because, God, he spent nights imagining what this would sound like, and it's the best sound he's ever heard.

“I can talk!” Jimin exclaims, then he flicks his tail up, splashing water “I'm back!”

“You are.”

Jimin squeals in delight and lets go of Yoongi, diving in the water and swimming away, leaving Yoongi to watch as he finally gets a taste of home again.

When Jimin finally starts swimming back to Yoongi he almost jumps at his neck, squeezing him so hard Yoongi groans, water lapping at his neck.

“Thank you, Yoongi, thank you so much.” Jimin says in a hushed voice “I don't know how to pay you back.”

“You don't need to.”

“No, I do!” Jimin pulls back so that he can look at Yoongi in the eyes, sea water almost shining silver on his skin “Tell me what you want, anything you want, I'll give it to you.”

Yoongi wants to say that, really, he doesn't need anything, he's just glad this worked, but Jimin speaks again.

“You told me once, you said ‘I could ask you to give me yourself’.”

Yoongi laughs breathlessly “I- Jimin, that was a joke, I-”

“Do you want me?” Jimin cups his face “I'll give you anything. I told you, if that is what you want then you'll have me.”

Yoongi shakes his head, smiling at the mermaid “I'm just glad you can go home.”

“But- I can make you speak to the sea!” Jimin suddenly says “Would you like that? Or I can make you breathe underwater!”

“A scale.”

Jimin blinks.

“Just give me a scale.”

“That's-” Jimin frowns “Only lovers ask for scales.”

Yoongi clears his throat, ignoring the way his face heats up “Yeah, that's kinda why I'm asking.”

“Oh!” Jimin starts nodding frantically, flushing down to his neck and he flicks his tail up, keeping it raised under the surface of the water “Okay! Sure! Right! Pick one!”

Yoongi snorts “I get to pick?”

Jimin rolls his eyes “I don't know, I never gave my scales to anyone.”

“Oh, right, I'm the first.”

Jimin nods “I've never even kissed before.”

That's it, that's the heart attack that Yoongi didn't know he was going to have coming, he can feel it.

Jimin starts mumbling to himself, looking at his tail until he finally picks with his claws at one of his most pinkish scales and rips it off. He hands it to Yoongi, dropping it in his palm. Yoongi closes his hand in a fist, Jimin leans down and kisses at the knuckles.

“I'll come back, okay?” he says “It's a promise now.”

Yoongi nods before he leans down to kiss Jimin once more, tasting salt on the mermaid's lips.

“Go back to your deep waters.” Yoongi murmurs. Jimin doesn't move for a few seconds before he finally dives back in the water and swims away.

It's fine, Yoongi thinks as he watches Jimin disappear, swimming somewhere where he can't reach him.

It's fine, he thinks as he caresses with his thumb the scale in his hand.

Jimin will come back when the tide is right.