Meant to Be
Title: Meant to be
Pairings: Minsu/Ximin
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Merman!verse
Length: Oneshot
Summary: They can't speak to each other, can't communicate at all. But that doesn't stop them from loving each other.
A/N: For cerinityks, my sado <33333 Cause we always talk about merman verses and I couldn't help coming up with one kkk
Changmin is the sole merman in the entire Mediterranean. He never lived in a place more than a day or two, preferring to spend his days roaming and exploring. However, he would often return to his home island, which he would always find by instinct. Until one day at twilight, he hears foreign music with a smooth, undulating beat drifting from the coast across the sea.
Enthralled, he leaves his familiar island to swim to the source of the faint music. Pretty soon he reaches a small beach just a few meters wide. He sees a crowd sitting on the sand with bonfires made here and there for warmth and light.
Before he draws close enough for the light to reach him, he withdraws, hiding behind the rocks. Peeking out, he spies the audience seated some on blankets, others on the sand. A few musicians stand off to the side playing the tabla, tambourine, laouta and other instruments he couldn’t distinguish. There was a singer as well, but what captured his interest was the dancer.
He wore a vivid red, short vest and loose, flowing pants of the same color. He was barefoot and seemed to dance as smooth as the water itself. His hips moved, arms and fingers flexed in fluid motions. Never a sharp jerk or turn but constantly flowing, like a wisp of a flame ever-turning, like grains of sand sifting through fingers, he danced without pausing.
The fire illuminated his skin in a tan glow. His eyes were dark, but perhaps that was the night reflected in them, the sea, the stars. His lips were plump and wet, occasionally his tongue would flick out and moisten them. Every time he gyrated his hips and spun, a yell would come from the audience.
Changmin stuck rooted to his spot. For the first time in his life he wanted to listen to more, more. But all too soon the performance ended amidst loud applause as the fires were put out and people dispersed to go home and sleep.
Changmin also had to rest, but he did not want to swim back just yet. Swimming around the coast, he found a small cove only a few feet wide, sealed off on either side by large, steep cliffs with a small cave at one end. The only way to reach it from shore was a steep descent from the cliffs above. It was here Changmin made his new home.
From then on, night after night Changmin would come and hide behind the rocks, listening to the music, looking at the dancer. Once the music would fade and the fires die in their embers, he would swim to his cave where he’d lie down, looking up at the stars, curling and twisting his fingers and wrists the way he saw the dancer do. He’d sing and mouth the songs to himself, feeling the strangeness of the words as they rolled off his tongue, liking the way it sounded.
One night, as Changmin sat on the rocks looking out to sea, a movement from the corner of his eye catches his attention.
It was the dancer. He only wore white pants, his chest and feet bare. At first all he did was pace up and down. His hands would reach his hair as if in agony and he would stand looking out towards the sea, the full moon overhead. Then with a sigh he would drops his hands heavily at his sides.
The waves would splash against his toes, as if in comfort. The dancer is obviously upset and troubled, but Changmin is too afraid to approach.
He decides to wait until next time.
The next night, Changmin decides to be a little bolder and as the dancer performs he draws closer, keeping his head above the waves. At one point, the dancer’s eyes shift from the stars to the sea. He catches Changmin’s eyes and Changmin sees the look of surprise as the other’s eyes widen for a moment before being masked again.
At the very end of the performance as the dancer searches the waves once again, Changmin dives under with a splash of his tail.
Later on that night the dancer again appears at the cove. This time he sits on the sand, knees bent with his head in his hands. As the dancer sighs and lifts his head, he gasps. Right in front of him was the familiar face he saw not long ago.
Changmin bites his lip. He wants nothing more than to swim up and comfort the dancer, soothe away the worry in his eyes until it’s replaced with the confidence he felt when the other was dancing. He chooses instead to act slow. Drawing closer and closer, first his head out of the water, then broad shoulders, chest, waist.
The dancer stays rooted to the spot, eyes never leaving the other’s. But right before Changmin’s scales come out of the water, something seems to snap in the other’s eyes and he jumps up and runs, never looking back.
For the next few days there is nothing. The dancer does not appear on the beach but during his performances he always darts a glance over at the water nervously, as if seeking out the strange yet familiar face he saw once before.
Finally one night, the dancer comes again to the cove. He notices the small cave and walks over and sits. And he waits...for what, he isn’t sure but he knows the answer will come soon.
After a while Changmin surfaces above water a few feet away, ready to head in and go sleep. He lifts his head to the mouth of the cave and freezes. He and the dancer stare surprised at each other. Just as Changmin makes to dive under and disappear altogether, the dancer reads the fear in his eyes and stretches out a hand saying something in his language.
Changmin sees his eyes begging at him. Biting his lip, he draws closer. The dancer says something softly, offering a meek and apologetic smile and shifts to make room for Changmin to sit next to him. He sees a flash of sadness in the other’s eyes and how the other still doesn’t want to get out of the water. Changmin shakes his head. The dancer frowns pats the spot next to him insistently, hand slapping against the wet rock.
Silently, Changmin lets his tail fin peek out from under the water. He looks up at the dancer, notices the other’s surprise. For a moment nothing happens, then a smile spreads across the dancer’s face. Again he motions to the spot next to him and nods.
Cm hesitantly heaves himself out of the water and sits next to the dancer. Unknowingly, the scales on his fins brush against the dancer’s bare leg and the other shivers but then sees the worry in Changmin’s eyes. He shakes his head and offers another smile. Pointing to himself, he says slow and clear, “Jun-su.”
He motions to Changmin. In his native language, Changmin pronounces his name. The conversation that followed was a silent one, read through eyes and movements.
Junsu wondered how Changmin had come here. Changmin motions across the sea to the island on the horizon and cups a hand over his ear signifying the music he was drawn to. Then to the dancer’s delight, Cm started to twist and dance much like the dancer himself- weaving his wrists and arms, everything almost identical except for his tail which only flapped.
Junsu’s eyes seemed to shine. Although the two couldn’t speak, they seemed to understand perfectly. Their conversation carried on late into the night until with a jolt, Junsu realized he had to head back. He offers one last smile and a wave of his hand before jogging off across the sand. From then on, night after night, the two would then meet at the small cove and talk until dawn.
Changmin slowly learned about Junsu and his love for dancing. He was orphaned at a young age and poor. One day, a man approached him and promised him money and a roof over his head if he would work for him in return as a servant. The man was the richest in the village. But also the cruelest. Junsu showed Changmin the faint scars on his back from the owner’s whip and Changmin could only imagine the things that owner did to Junsu.
He learned that Junsu was getting more and more frustrated over his boss, who has by now taken away all joy he felt before. Dancing in front of all those dark, lustful eyes was hard enough, but each night having to endure his owner afterwards was too much. He wasn’t sold as a prostitute but night after night at the hands of his boss he felt like one. He felt broken, dirtied, misused. Whenever he was sure his owner had fallen asleep next to him, he would slip out to the beach to clear his mind a little.
On sad nights, when the abuse and emotions were too much Changmin would hold Junsu as the latter would weep silent tears that would drip down his cheeks onto the taller man’s shoulder. On happier nights, Junsu would sing in his native language while the two would dance- Junsu on the beach, Changmin in the waves. They’d skinny dip afterwards, whooping and splashing each other and having fun.
Then one night, Junsu grew curious to the world under the waves. With a smile, Changmin took him gently by the wrist and after taking a deep breath both dove into the underwater world illuminated only by the moon. Never letting go of the other’s hand, Changmin pointed out the different fish, the underwater plants- even sponges grew there to be harvested. It wasn’t as colorful as coral reefs in other seas but it had its own Mediterranean charm.
After a few minutes the two resurface, Junsu breathless. He struggles to climb back onto the rocks, arms shaking, and Changmin heaves and helps him up. Junsu collapses onto his back, taking deep breaths to get air back into his lungs.
Changmin sits next to him patting his arm, looking down at him. Slowly, he leans down and lays a gentle, tentative kiss to the side of Junsu’s mouth. Junsu seems to freeze, breath hitching. Cm continues laying feathery kisses over Junsu’s cheeks, nose, jawline, never his lips. Silently, tears come to Junsu’s eyes since he’s never experienced this kind of gentle love. He sits up and looks at Changmin’s confused eyes.
He reaches up to cup a hand on Changmin’s face. Eyes never leaving Changmin’s, he leans in to kiss him. Changmin gasps in surprise, entirely new to these feelings and this experience. Slowly Junsu coaxes Changmin’s lips apart and his tongue roams over lips, teeth, their tongues soon touching, probing, exploring.
Changmin groans, seeing stars behind his closed eyes. He feels something pressing against his side. His lips part from Junsu’s and Changmin looks down at Junsu’s naked form to his erection. Curious, his fingertips gently glide over the length and then the tip, watching as Junsu jerked and quivered, then moaned at the feathery touches.
Emboldened, Changmin presses kisses from Junsu’s neck to his collarbone, nipping down his shoulders, chest, abs, to his erection. The first kiss pressed on the tip makes Junsu cry out. Suddenly his eyes fly open and his hands push Changmin’s shoulders.
Changmin looks up at Junsu’s worried face as he shakes his head back and forth, trying to hide his erection with his hands, ashamed. He didn’t want the other to touch him, touch the places his owner touched him and humiliated him.
Changmin smiles gently and cups Junsu’s cheek with his hand and kisses him softly. With his other hand he pries Junsu’s hands away from his erection and wraps his own fingers around it and tugs.
He feels Junsu whimper in the kiss and only presses his lips against Junsu’s more forcefully as his thumb moves over the slit of Junsu’s erection, spreading the slick wetness over the tip then down the length. He fingers Junsu’s entrance but doesn’t push a finger in, understanding Junsu’s sudden violent jerk against his body. Not yet, not yet. His hand goes back to wrap around the length and tugs up and down until with a loud cry, Junsu arches his back and comes in Changmin’s hand.
Junsu pants, trying to catch his breath. Through lidded eyes he sees Changmin bring his stained hand to his face, look at it curiously, then through dark eyes lick his hand clean, never breaking eye contact with Junsu. Junsu gulps, then decides it is his turn.
He pushes Changmin down so the other lies on his back. Changmin pouts, wondering what Junsu was going to do. He gently blows in Changmin’s ear, twirling his tongue in the shell. He grins as Changmin shivers under him, arms moving to grab his shoulders. Junsu moves to place sloppy kisses on his neck, his chest, leaving marks everywhere to match the ones Changmin gave him. Junsu reaches his navel and flicks his tongue in, feeling Changmin jerk, arching his back high at the contact. He sees the other’s mouth open in a silent gasp and grins as he presses kisses all over the other’s abs.
Once he gets to his waist though he stops, hesitates. Changmin, smiling gently and encouragingly, takes one of Junsu’s hands and lets him run his fingers lightly over the area where scales turned to skin, the most sensitive part of his body apart from his tail fin.
Junsu continues running his fingers up and down around Changmin’s waist, feeling his body quiver and shudder. Changmin flicks his tail fin up above the water, water droplets glistening on his scales and fins.
Curious, Junsu lets his hands trail down the scales of Changmin’s tail down to the tail fins. He traces the outline of each with his fingers, then lets his entire hand trail lightly, teasingly over the fin, loving Changmin’s moans and light gasps. Suddenly though, he’s filled with an indescribable sadness.
No matter how much the two love each other, it will never work.
Looking up into Changmin’s eyes, Junsu can see the other has sensed it too. With a deep breath, Junsu suppresses that thought and slides up Changmin’s body to lay another deep, bruising kiss against his lips. Their cheeks are wet from tears and salty water.
Junsu is first to break away this time. He sighs and leans his head against Changmin’s shoulder. Changmin’s arms protectively wrap around Junsu’s body, pulling him close. He sighs softly in Junsu’s ear then lays a kiss there.
They spend the rest of the night looking up at the moon and wishing things were different.
The next day at sunset, Changmin is restless. He hears the arguing over at the beach as the owner yells at Junsu, undoubtedly over the mysterious marks on his skin that can’t be hidden. Junsu stays silent, taking the abuse with a grim face. Changmin wants to go over and stop the owner but knows he will be killed, if not by the owner then by the audience who were mostly fishermen with nets.
During the performance, Changmin makes the mistake of moving too close to watch Junsu’s performance. One of the people in the crowd notices him and soon there’s a scramble for a closer glimpse at the man who wouldn’t come out of the water.
One person has a net and before Changmin can snap out of his frozen fear, the net is thrown and he’s entangled. The more he thrashes, the more the net seems to bind him tighter. When Changmin can’t move he can’t breathe, when he can’t breathe panic kicks in. At this point, even Junsu’s yells seem distant to his ears.
Changmin starts screaming. The people now tug and pull the net to shore and all gasp in one uniform breath as they see Changmin’s form, tail thrashing violently. Some prod at his tail, now ash green instead of deep, vibrant green.
Changmin’s suffocating, being on the shore for so long, immovable. In one last attempt, his yells soon go up in octave and pitch until soon it isn’t a human’s yelling but the shrill shrieks of a dolphin. That stops the crowd around him as the men yell and cover their ears from the piercing screams, their eardrums bursting at the sound.
Junsu takes that moment to act.
Shoving the other men aside as they are preoccupied bent over, fingers digging in their ears and eyes shut tight, he makes his way to Changmin and with a fisherman’s knife cuts through the ropes.
The man who owned the net cracked open one eye to look at the situation and lets out a strangled yell, pouncing on Junsu, trying to stop him from tearing the precious net even more. Junsu throws him off and finally frees Changmin.
Changmin barely notices; he couldn’t even maneuver out of the net. His voice is sore and hoarse, he’s stopped yelling and now his breath comes out in rough, wheezing gasps.
Seeing the other men starting to come out of the stupor, Junsu roughly grabs Changmin and lifts him by the underarms and half-drags, half-pulls him towards the waters, trying his best to run with the heavy load.
With the first waves that hit his fins, Changmin is suddenly revived. The ash green turns vibrant again.
Blinking his eyes and regaining consciousness, Changmin suddenly scrambles and jumps from Junsu’s arms deeper into the water. He suddenly halts, remembering Junsu, turning to face him. Junsu yells at him, waving his hands telling Cm to go off now, before the other men catch him.
The louder and more forceful Junsu yells, kicking and throwing sand at Changmin, the more Changmin doesn’t want to leave. However, the other men are already running towards the water, approaching him fast.
Changmin takes one last look at Junsu’s eyes and his own eyes widen. Junsu’s eyes were hard, saying, “Leave. And don’t you ever come back.”
With hurt eyes, Changmin turns away and dives under. He doesn’t stop swimming until he reached his island. He didn’t dare turn around to see what the men would do to Junsu, but he imagined all sorts of horrible things that awaited him, all for helping him out.
And it was true, once the crowd of men caught up with Junsu, they started yelling at the dancer, some jabbing and kicking him for letting such a treasure escape from their hands.
They all went home disgusted, not caring for the rest of Junsu’s performance. They spat at him, saying they will never come back again and guarantee they’d make him a laughingstock.
The anger and fury in the owner’s eyes were indescribable. Junsu swallowed, knowing full well the punishment afflicted on him this night will be worse than any before.
That night, Junsu’s agonized yells sounded through the entire village. No one cared, no one gave heed. The windows of each house were shuttered tightly closed, the people deaf to the servant’s cries.
The next day, Changmin returned to the beach. All night he was haunted by screams of pain and hurt that echoed to him across the waves. At the first hint when the black sky turned a hazy purple, he couldn’t stand it anymore and started swimming at full speed.
He reached the shore when the skies overhead were gray. No one was on the beach. At least at first. Changmin squints his eyes, making out a form lying on the sand, the waves lapping over it every now and then.
Dread fills him as he swims over to the face-down body. The back was littered with red welts, bruises, blood smears, all tell-tale signs of beatings and whippings. Changmin shivers, looking at the long gashes running from the shoulders all the way to the tailbone.
With great effort, hands shaking Changmin turns the body over noting the arms and legs were wounded and gashed just as badly. Changmin gasps. It was indeed Junsu. His skin felt cool to the touch. His face was gray and pale, eyes were closed. His lips were slightly parted, smeared with dried blood at the corners.
Everywhere Changmin looked down Junsu’s front, there were bruises, gashes, wounds. Even the pants Junsu wore were tattered and ripped. Changmin fights down a sob as he lightly shakes Junsu, calling the other’s name softly over and over.
He lowers his head until his forehead touches the other’s. He closes his eyes wearily and takes a deep breath. Once he forces his eyes open he dives into the water, taking Junsu away with him before anyone comes.
He resurfaces at the cove and drags Junsu upon the rock they first sat, where they first met. Here he becomes frantic, his calls turning from soft whispers to commanding loud wails. Still Junsu wouldn’t budge.
Changmin places his ear to Junsu’s lips. Faintly, he could hear the other breathing, but it was barely detectable. Junsu was barely conscious, soon will be gone altogether.
Finally Changmin breaks down in sobs, lasting long from when the sun climbed high in the sky until finally dipping back into the horizon. He hugged Junsu’s cold body to him.
Tonight there would be no music, no dancing. The owner would undoubtedly find another slave to abuse in time, but it would never be the same. Changmin looks out at the blood-red sun on the horizon, watery eyes enraged.
Closing his eyes, he summons his concentration with all his might. Down at the beach a huge wave gathers, towering in height. Soon it roars and thunders across the beach, ripping the sand away and flooding the village a few yards further inland until it is reduced to rubble.
Changmin stays where he is seated upon the rock, caressing Junsu’s still form. His eyes never leave Junsu’s face, one of his hands always on the other’s heart. It wasn’t meant to be in this lifetime...
Finally when Junsu seems to breath his last and his heart echoes its last beat, Changmin bends down and lays a kiss on the frozen lips. He looks up at the night sky, thinking of its constellations.
He recounts the memories on that small cove where he spent his short but treasured time with Junsu. He starts to smile, tears glistening on the edges of his eyes as he could see the images coming to life again before him.
Slowly, Changmin’s and Junsu’s forms begin to dim, then disappear. Overhead, two stars suddenly shine brighter than the others, stars in the constellation Aquarius.
Pairings: Minsu/Ximin
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Merman!verse
Length: Oneshot
Summary: They can't speak to each other, can't communicate at all. But that doesn't stop them from loving each other.
A/N: For cerinityks, my sado <33333 Cause we always talk about merman verses and I couldn't help coming up with one kkk
Changmin is the sole merman in the entire Mediterranean. He never lived in a place more than a day or two, preferring to spend his days roaming and exploring. However, he would often return to his home island, which he would always find by instinct. Until one day at twilight, he hears foreign music with a smooth, undulating beat drifting from the coast across the sea.
Enthralled, he leaves his familiar island to swim to the source of the faint music. Pretty soon he reaches a small beach just a few meters wide. He sees a crowd sitting on the sand with bonfires made here and there for warmth and light.
Before he draws close enough for the light to reach him, he withdraws, hiding behind the rocks. Peeking out, he spies the audience seated some on blankets, others on the sand. A few musicians stand off to the side playing the tabla, tambourine, laouta and other instruments he couldn’t distinguish. There was a singer as well, but what captured his interest was the dancer.
He wore a vivid red, short vest and loose, flowing pants of the same color. He was barefoot and seemed to dance as smooth as the water itself. His hips moved, arms and fingers flexed in fluid motions. Never a sharp jerk or turn but constantly flowing, like a wisp of a flame ever-turning, like grains of sand sifting through fingers, he danced without pausing.
The fire illuminated his skin in a tan glow. His eyes were dark, but perhaps that was the night reflected in them, the sea, the stars. His lips were plump and wet, occasionally his tongue would flick out and moisten them. Every time he gyrated his hips and spun, a yell would come from the audience.
Changmin stuck rooted to his spot. For the first time in his life he wanted to listen to more, more. But all too soon the performance ended amidst loud applause as the fires were put out and people dispersed to go home and sleep.
Changmin also had to rest, but he did not want to swim back just yet. Swimming around the coast, he found a small cove only a few feet wide, sealed off on either side by large, steep cliffs with a small cave at one end. The only way to reach it from shore was a steep descent from the cliffs above. It was here Changmin made his new home.
From then on, night after night Changmin would come and hide behind the rocks, listening to the music, looking at the dancer. Once the music would fade and the fires die in their embers, he would swim to his cave where he’d lie down, looking up at the stars, curling and twisting his fingers and wrists the way he saw the dancer do. He’d sing and mouth the songs to himself, feeling the strangeness of the words as they rolled off his tongue, liking the way it sounded.
One night, as Changmin sat on the rocks looking out to sea, a movement from the corner of his eye catches his attention.
It was the dancer. He only wore white pants, his chest and feet bare. At first all he did was pace up and down. His hands would reach his hair as if in agony and he would stand looking out towards the sea, the full moon overhead. Then with a sigh he would drops his hands heavily at his sides.
The waves would splash against his toes, as if in comfort. The dancer is obviously upset and troubled, but Changmin is too afraid to approach.
He decides to wait until next time.
The next night, Changmin decides to be a little bolder and as the dancer performs he draws closer, keeping his head above the waves. At one point, the dancer’s eyes shift from the stars to the sea. He catches Changmin’s eyes and Changmin sees the look of surprise as the other’s eyes widen for a moment before being masked again.
At the very end of the performance as the dancer searches the waves once again, Changmin dives under with a splash of his tail.
Later on that night the dancer again appears at the cove. This time he sits on the sand, knees bent with his head in his hands. As the dancer sighs and lifts his head, he gasps. Right in front of him was the familiar face he saw not long ago.
Changmin bites his lip. He wants nothing more than to swim up and comfort the dancer, soothe away the worry in his eyes until it’s replaced with the confidence he felt when the other was dancing. He chooses instead to act slow. Drawing closer and closer, first his head out of the water, then broad shoulders, chest, waist.
The dancer stays rooted to the spot, eyes never leaving the other’s. But right before Changmin’s scales come out of the water, something seems to snap in the other’s eyes and he jumps up and runs, never looking back.
For the next few days there is nothing. The dancer does not appear on the beach but during his performances he always darts a glance over at the water nervously, as if seeking out the strange yet familiar face he saw once before.
Finally one night, the dancer comes again to the cove. He notices the small cave and walks over and sits. And he waits...for what, he isn’t sure but he knows the answer will come soon.
After a while Changmin surfaces above water a few feet away, ready to head in and go sleep. He lifts his head to the mouth of the cave and freezes. He and the dancer stare surprised at each other. Just as Changmin makes to dive under and disappear altogether, the dancer reads the fear in his eyes and stretches out a hand saying something in his language.
Changmin sees his eyes begging at him. Biting his lip, he draws closer. The dancer says something softly, offering a meek and apologetic smile and shifts to make room for Changmin to sit next to him. He sees a flash of sadness in the other’s eyes and how the other still doesn’t want to get out of the water. Changmin shakes his head. The dancer frowns pats the spot next to him insistently, hand slapping against the wet rock.
Silently, Changmin lets his tail fin peek out from under the water. He looks up at the dancer, notices the other’s surprise. For a moment nothing happens, then a smile spreads across the dancer’s face. Again he motions to the spot next to him and nods.
Cm hesitantly heaves himself out of the water and sits next to the dancer. Unknowingly, the scales on his fins brush against the dancer’s bare leg and the other shivers but then sees the worry in Changmin’s eyes. He shakes his head and offers another smile. Pointing to himself, he says slow and clear, “Jun-su.”
He motions to Changmin. In his native language, Changmin pronounces his name. The conversation that followed was a silent one, read through eyes and movements.
Junsu wondered how Changmin had come here. Changmin motions across the sea to the island on the horizon and cups a hand over his ear signifying the music he was drawn to. Then to the dancer’s delight, Cm started to twist and dance much like the dancer himself- weaving his wrists and arms, everything almost identical except for his tail which only flapped.
Junsu’s eyes seemed to shine. Although the two couldn’t speak, they seemed to understand perfectly. Their conversation carried on late into the night until with a jolt, Junsu realized he had to head back. He offers one last smile and a wave of his hand before jogging off across the sand. From then on, night after night, the two would then meet at the small cove and talk until dawn.
Changmin slowly learned about Junsu and his love for dancing. He was orphaned at a young age and poor. One day, a man approached him and promised him money and a roof over his head if he would work for him in return as a servant. The man was the richest in the village. But also the cruelest. Junsu showed Changmin the faint scars on his back from the owner’s whip and Changmin could only imagine the things that owner did to Junsu.
He learned that Junsu was getting more and more frustrated over his boss, who has by now taken away all joy he felt before. Dancing in front of all those dark, lustful eyes was hard enough, but each night having to endure his owner afterwards was too much. He wasn’t sold as a prostitute but night after night at the hands of his boss he felt like one. He felt broken, dirtied, misused. Whenever he was sure his owner had fallen asleep next to him, he would slip out to the beach to clear his mind a little.
On sad nights, when the abuse and emotions were too much Changmin would hold Junsu as the latter would weep silent tears that would drip down his cheeks onto the taller man’s shoulder. On happier nights, Junsu would sing in his native language while the two would dance- Junsu on the beach, Changmin in the waves. They’d skinny dip afterwards, whooping and splashing each other and having fun.
Then one night, Junsu grew curious to the world under the waves. With a smile, Changmin took him gently by the wrist and after taking a deep breath both dove into the underwater world illuminated only by the moon. Never letting go of the other’s hand, Changmin pointed out the different fish, the underwater plants- even sponges grew there to be harvested. It wasn’t as colorful as coral reefs in other seas but it had its own Mediterranean charm.
After a few minutes the two resurface, Junsu breathless. He struggles to climb back onto the rocks, arms shaking, and Changmin heaves and helps him up. Junsu collapses onto his back, taking deep breaths to get air back into his lungs.
Changmin sits next to him patting his arm, looking down at him. Slowly, he leans down and lays a gentle, tentative kiss to the side of Junsu’s mouth. Junsu seems to freeze, breath hitching. Cm continues laying feathery kisses over Junsu’s cheeks, nose, jawline, never his lips. Silently, tears come to Junsu’s eyes since he’s never experienced this kind of gentle love. He sits up and looks at Changmin’s confused eyes.
He reaches up to cup a hand on Changmin’s face. Eyes never leaving Changmin’s, he leans in to kiss him. Changmin gasps in surprise, entirely new to these feelings and this experience. Slowly Junsu coaxes Changmin’s lips apart and his tongue roams over lips, teeth, their tongues soon touching, probing, exploring.
Changmin groans, seeing stars behind his closed eyes. He feels something pressing against his side. His lips part from Junsu’s and Changmin looks down at Junsu’s naked form to his erection. Curious, his fingertips gently glide over the length and then the tip, watching as Junsu jerked and quivered, then moaned at the feathery touches.
Emboldened, Changmin presses kisses from Junsu’s neck to his collarbone, nipping down his shoulders, chest, abs, to his erection. The first kiss pressed on the tip makes Junsu cry out. Suddenly his eyes fly open and his hands push Changmin’s shoulders.
Changmin looks up at Junsu’s worried face as he shakes his head back and forth, trying to hide his erection with his hands, ashamed. He didn’t want the other to touch him, touch the places his owner touched him and humiliated him.
Changmin smiles gently and cups Junsu’s cheek with his hand and kisses him softly. With his other hand he pries Junsu’s hands away from his erection and wraps his own fingers around it and tugs.
He feels Junsu whimper in the kiss and only presses his lips against Junsu’s more forcefully as his thumb moves over the slit of Junsu’s erection, spreading the slick wetness over the tip then down the length. He fingers Junsu’s entrance but doesn’t push a finger in, understanding Junsu’s sudden violent jerk against his body. Not yet, not yet. His hand goes back to wrap around the length and tugs up and down until with a loud cry, Junsu arches his back and comes in Changmin’s hand.
Junsu pants, trying to catch his breath. Through lidded eyes he sees Changmin bring his stained hand to his face, look at it curiously, then through dark eyes lick his hand clean, never breaking eye contact with Junsu. Junsu gulps, then decides it is his turn.
He pushes Changmin down so the other lies on his back. Changmin pouts, wondering what Junsu was going to do. He gently blows in Changmin’s ear, twirling his tongue in the shell. He grins as Changmin shivers under him, arms moving to grab his shoulders. Junsu moves to place sloppy kisses on his neck, his chest, leaving marks everywhere to match the ones Changmin gave him. Junsu reaches his navel and flicks his tongue in, feeling Changmin jerk, arching his back high at the contact. He sees the other’s mouth open in a silent gasp and grins as he presses kisses all over the other’s abs.
Once he gets to his waist though he stops, hesitates. Changmin, smiling gently and encouragingly, takes one of Junsu’s hands and lets him run his fingers lightly over the area where scales turned to skin, the most sensitive part of his body apart from his tail fin.
Junsu continues running his fingers up and down around Changmin’s waist, feeling his body quiver and shudder. Changmin flicks his tail fin up above the water, water droplets glistening on his scales and fins.
Curious, Junsu lets his hands trail down the scales of Changmin’s tail down to the tail fins. He traces the outline of each with his fingers, then lets his entire hand trail lightly, teasingly over the fin, loving Changmin’s moans and light gasps. Suddenly though, he’s filled with an indescribable sadness.
No matter how much the two love each other, it will never work.
Looking up into Changmin’s eyes, Junsu can see the other has sensed it too. With a deep breath, Junsu suppresses that thought and slides up Changmin’s body to lay another deep, bruising kiss against his lips. Their cheeks are wet from tears and salty water.
Junsu is first to break away this time. He sighs and leans his head against Changmin’s shoulder. Changmin’s arms protectively wrap around Junsu’s body, pulling him close. He sighs softly in Junsu’s ear then lays a kiss there.
They spend the rest of the night looking up at the moon and wishing things were different.
The next day at sunset, Changmin is restless. He hears the arguing over at the beach as the owner yells at Junsu, undoubtedly over the mysterious marks on his skin that can’t be hidden. Junsu stays silent, taking the abuse with a grim face. Changmin wants to go over and stop the owner but knows he will be killed, if not by the owner then by the audience who were mostly fishermen with nets.
During the performance, Changmin makes the mistake of moving too close to watch Junsu’s performance. One of the people in the crowd notices him and soon there’s a scramble for a closer glimpse at the man who wouldn’t come out of the water.
One person has a net and before Changmin can snap out of his frozen fear, the net is thrown and he’s entangled. The more he thrashes, the more the net seems to bind him tighter. When Changmin can’t move he can’t breathe, when he can’t breathe panic kicks in. At this point, even Junsu’s yells seem distant to his ears.
Changmin starts screaming. The people now tug and pull the net to shore and all gasp in one uniform breath as they see Changmin’s form, tail thrashing violently. Some prod at his tail, now ash green instead of deep, vibrant green.
Changmin’s suffocating, being on the shore for so long, immovable. In one last attempt, his yells soon go up in octave and pitch until soon it isn’t a human’s yelling but the shrill shrieks of a dolphin. That stops the crowd around him as the men yell and cover their ears from the piercing screams, their eardrums bursting at the sound.
Junsu takes that moment to act.
Shoving the other men aside as they are preoccupied bent over, fingers digging in their ears and eyes shut tight, he makes his way to Changmin and with a fisherman’s knife cuts through the ropes.
The man who owned the net cracked open one eye to look at the situation and lets out a strangled yell, pouncing on Junsu, trying to stop him from tearing the precious net even more. Junsu throws him off and finally frees Changmin.
Changmin barely notices; he couldn’t even maneuver out of the net. His voice is sore and hoarse, he’s stopped yelling and now his breath comes out in rough, wheezing gasps.
Seeing the other men starting to come out of the stupor, Junsu roughly grabs Changmin and lifts him by the underarms and half-drags, half-pulls him towards the waters, trying his best to run with the heavy load.
With the first waves that hit his fins, Changmin is suddenly revived. The ash green turns vibrant again.
Blinking his eyes and regaining consciousness, Changmin suddenly scrambles and jumps from Junsu’s arms deeper into the water. He suddenly halts, remembering Junsu, turning to face him. Junsu yells at him, waving his hands telling Cm to go off now, before the other men catch him.
The louder and more forceful Junsu yells, kicking and throwing sand at Changmin, the more Changmin doesn’t want to leave. However, the other men are already running towards the water, approaching him fast.
Changmin takes one last look at Junsu’s eyes and his own eyes widen. Junsu’s eyes were hard, saying, “Leave. And don’t you ever come back.”
With hurt eyes, Changmin turns away and dives under. He doesn’t stop swimming until he reached his island. He didn’t dare turn around to see what the men would do to Junsu, but he imagined all sorts of horrible things that awaited him, all for helping him out.
And it was true, once the crowd of men caught up with Junsu, they started yelling at the dancer, some jabbing and kicking him for letting such a treasure escape from their hands.
They all went home disgusted, not caring for the rest of Junsu’s performance. They spat at him, saying they will never come back again and guarantee they’d make him a laughingstock.
The anger and fury in the owner’s eyes were indescribable. Junsu swallowed, knowing full well the punishment afflicted on him this night will be worse than any before.
That night, Junsu’s agonized yells sounded through the entire village. No one cared, no one gave heed. The windows of each house were shuttered tightly closed, the people deaf to the servant’s cries.
The next day, Changmin returned to the beach. All night he was haunted by screams of pain and hurt that echoed to him across the waves. At the first hint when the black sky turned a hazy purple, he couldn’t stand it anymore and started swimming at full speed.
He reached the shore when the skies overhead were gray. No one was on the beach. At least at first. Changmin squints his eyes, making out a form lying on the sand, the waves lapping over it every now and then.
Dread fills him as he swims over to the face-down body. The back was littered with red welts, bruises, blood smears, all tell-tale signs of beatings and whippings. Changmin shivers, looking at the long gashes running from the shoulders all the way to the tailbone.
With great effort, hands shaking Changmin turns the body over noting the arms and legs were wounded and gashed just as badly. Changmin gasps. It was indeed Junsu. His skin felt cool to the touch. His face was gray and pale, eyes were closed. His lips were slightly parted, smeared with dried blood at the corners.
Everywhere Changmin looked down Junsu’s front, there were bruises, gashes, wounds. Even the pants Junsu wore were tattered and ripped. Changmin fights down a sob as he lightly shakes Junsu, calling the other’s name softly over and over.
He lowers his head until his forehead touches the other’s. He closes his eyes wearily and takes a deep breath. Once he forces his eyes open he dives into the water, taking Junsu away with him before anyone comes.
He resurfaces at the cove and drags Junsu upon the rock they first sat, where they first met. Here he becomes frantic, his calls turning from soft whispers to commanding loud wails. Still Junsu wouldn’t budge.
Changmin places his ear to Junsu’s lips. Faintly, he could hear the other breathing, but it was barely detectable. Junsu was barely conscious, soon will be gone altogether.
Finally Changmin breaks down in sobs, lasting long from when the sun climbed high in the sky until finally dipping back into the horizon. He hugged Junsu’s cold body to him.
Tonight there would be no music, no dancing. The owner would undoubtedly find another slave to abuse in time, but it would never be the same. Changmin looks out at the blood-red sun on the horizon, watery eyes enraged.
Closing his eyes, he summons his concentration with all his might. Down at the beach a huge wave gathers, towering in height. Soon it roars and thunders across the beach, ripping the sand away and flooding the village a few yards further inland until it is reduced to rubble.
Changmin stays where he is seated upon the rock, caressing Junsu’s still form. His eyes never leave Junsu’s face, one of his hands always on the other’s heart. It wasn’t meant to be in this lifetime...
Finally when Junsu seems to breath his last and his heart echoes its last beat, Changmin bends down and lays a kiss on the frozen lips. He looks up at the night sky, thinking of its constellations.
He recounts the memories on that small cove where he spent his short but treasured time with Junsu. He starts to smile, tears glistening on the edges of his eyes as he could see the images coming to life again before him.
Slowly, Changmin’s and Junsu’s forms begin to dim, then disappear. Overhead, two stars suddenly shine brighter than the others, stars in the constellation Aquarius.