Changbin Au - Tumblr Posts

delacyrose224

1 year ago

Part of Your World

Pairing: merman!Changbin x reader

Genre: Fluff, small amounts of angst

Word Count: 8.6k

Warnings: Mildly suggestive, brief mentions of blood/pain

Author's Note: Song of the day is Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid! Here it is @bluejutdae, the merman Binnie fic that no one asked for...but in all seriousness, this was so fun to write and I have a soft spot in my heart for this Binnie.

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The waves lap against the shoreline, the dull roar of the ocean echoing off the rocks. You breathe deeply and let out a giant sigh. This. This was what you needed…time alone, time off, time out. A break to reset your mind, rethink your goals, and time to figure out where to go next.

Stress had been eating away at you for entirely too long. You weren’t quite happy with your job, but you didn’t know what you wanted to do instead. You had made friends but not any that felt truly significant in your life. Your parents had graciously lent you their beach house, the one you had spent every summer growing up going to. Even in the two days since you had arrived, you had already felt more clear headed. Each day was the same-wake up without an alarm, make a cup of coffee, read on the porch, walk along the beach, make lunch, read some more (on the beach) and then relax on the couch until dinnertime.

You had arrived at the ‘read on the beach’ portion of your day yet again, which maybe was your favorite. You had picked a lighthearted romance to accompany you today, which felt only appropriate for your surroundings. The beach was quiet this afternoon…probably because you had come in the off season, the weather not quite warm enough for bathing suits yet. Nevertheless, you were excited to start your new book and enjoy the sounds of the ocean in the background. After a few chapters, you find yourself nodding off in your chair due to just how relaxed you are.

You wake to the sound of the surf crashing against an outcropping of rocks not too far away from you. The book you’re reading falls to the sand as you stand up, squinting down at your watch to see what time it is. 7:43 already?! Sure enough, on the horizon you can see the sun starting to dip beyond where the skyline meets the water. As you’re looking out, you suddenly see a flash of something that almost looks metallic glinting in the waning sunlight, just beyond the outcropping of rocks. You move forward until you’re on the edge of the shoreline. Maybe you made it up…what would be reflecting sunlight like that at this time of day? Right before you give up and head back to your house, you see it again. Something reflecting the sun, brighter than the top of the water.

This time, you start to walk out towards the object. Maybe someone lost something valuable and you could retrieve it and help them out. Before long, you’re up to your waist in the water, your shorts waterlogged. Undeterred, you go further, and before long, you’re treading water near the outcropping of rocks, looking for whatever this mysterious object is…but you see nothing. You swim around to the other side of the rocks…still nothing. By this time, the sun has crept most of the way beyond the horizon and you’re starting to shiver. You had worn a sweatshirt to keep warm from the occasional breeze, and it’s become heavy with water and is starting to irritate your skin. As you turn to swim back towards the shore, your body suddenly is lifted up by a wave and on the way down, you scrape your arm against the rocks. You gasp in pain, pulling it towards you to see how badly you’re hurt. What you don’t see is another wave coming your way. It pulls you up again and crashes down, pushing you under the water. You fight to make your way back to the surface, but the force of the wave leaves it unclear which way is up. You twist your body around, finally gaining traction, when there it is again…a metallic glint of something, this time under the water. And…it almost looks…pink? That’s the last thought you have as the current slams your body into the rocks and you float into unconsciousness.

—-------------------------------------

You wake with a start, coughing violently and spitting out what feels like liters of water. Your lungs and throat burn from all the salt and it’s difficult to catch your breath for a minute or two. You eventually sit up and notice it’s now completely dark outside. How long have you been unconscious? As you sit trying to gather yourself, you hear what sounds like faint humming coming from the water…more specifically, from the outcropping of rocks. You get to your feet unsteadily, warily walking towards the water, but not close enough to touch the water. It’s definitely humming…and it sounds like a man’s voice? You can’t make out the words, if there even are any…and just as your feet are starting to touch the edge of the ocean, you hear a large splash directly behind where you know the rocks end. It’s too dark to see anything, but you take that as your cue to gather your items, go back to your house, and go to bed.

You sleep later than you have in a while after your scare, and you spend the next few days avoiding the beach. You have no idea what you heard (surely there was not a person humming in the middle of the night?), and the giant splash also remains a mystery. Maybe it’s better to just forget about what happened. Maybe you should just move on…so you decide to finally brave the beach again, this time staying away from the water and sticking to your beach chair to read.

The afternoon goes by uneventfully, and you’re about halfway through your book when you get a couple of notifications on your phone. You pull the device from your bag and see a text from your friend Caroline asking how your mini-vacation is going. You smile to yourself as you pull up the other notification, and your smile immediately drops as you see a weather alert for an incoming storm that is supposed to have high speed winds and the potential to develop into a tornado.

You start to put everything back into your bag to leave when you notice another figure further down the beach. As the figure draws closer, you see it’s a man that seems to be around your age, maybe a little younger. He’s dressed in oversized clothes, a holey white shirt almost reaching the knees of his equally holey black pants. He looks lost in the clothes more than seeming it’s a look he’s trying to achieve, and as he comes closer, you see that his face also looks lost. You debate asking if he needs any help, but before you decide one way or another, he notices you and heads your way.

You smile tentatively as he draws closer. “Are you okay?” you ask.

“...me?”

“Well, I don’t see anyone else wandering down the beach. You know it’s about to storm, right?”

“I didn’t know, exactly…but I kinda figured. The clouds don’t look too happy,” he replies, brushing his damp bangs out of his eyes.

“Are you lost or something?” The man’s eyebrows raise to meet his hair, eyes going wide.

“Kind of…it’s a long story. One that you probably wouldn’t believe most of anyway,” he says, shyly rubbing the back of his neck.

You cross your arms over your chest, unimpressed. “Try me.” He grins in return, the smile lighting up his whole face.

“I would, but I’m a little more worried about where I’m going to wait out this storm.” The man grimaces as the sky, as if on cue, starts to drop large raindrops onto the sand.

You could invite this stranger into your home to wait out the storm…but he’s a stranger. But it would be cruel to leave him in a storm, right? Before you have time to think any more, the raindrops become more steady, leaving cold rivulets down both of your arms.

“What’s your name?” you ask.

“Changbin. Yours?”

You tell Changbin your name in return, and just as you begin to ask if he wants to wait out the storm with you, the rain turns into a full=--out downpour.

“Follow me!” you yell over the storm, quickly grabbing your bag, slinging it over your shoulder and breaking into a jog towards your house.

Changbin struggles behind you. Not only is his clothing slowing him down with how baggy it is, but he’s running as if…as if he’s never run a day in his life, you notice. It’s baffling to you, but without thinking, you reach back for his hand to make sure he’s able to keep up with you and knows where to go.

The two of you arrive soaked on your porch, dripping everywhere. You dig around in a storage box for towels and you hand him one. Changbin watches you as you place the towel around your shoulders and quietly copies you as you wring out your shirt and try to dry your hair. This baffles you as well…how does an adult man not know how to run properly, and then needs prompting to dry off with a towel? Nevertheless, you unlock the front door and go inside, with him following closely behind you.

“You’re not like a serial killer or something, right?” you suddenly blurt, turning to face Changbin. He lets out a giggle and shakes his head at you.

“I have never killed anything or anyone in my life, and I wasn’t planning on starting anytime soon.” You let out a relieved laugh, though you aren’t completely sure about him yet.

You show him to the guest room and tell him you’re going to change clothes and that he can do the same, just borrowing some of your brother’s old clothes.

You both emerge a few minutes later, you in a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, Changbin in gym shorts and a black tee that almost looks too tight as it hugs his very defined chest. Not that you noticed or anything. Ahem.

He follows you this time to the living room and you motion for him to sit on the couch as you go into the kitchen and make the two of you a cup of tea. Just as you hand him a mug and sit down beside him, there’s a bright flash of lightning and following that, the power promptly goes out.

Without warning, Changbin grasps at your hand, nervously gripping it. Your other hand reaches for his wrist and pats gently, reassuring him.

“Changbin, it’s fine, it’s just the power. I have some candles somewhere around here…let me find them.”

He says nothing in reply, but his grip doesn’t ease.

“...that requires you to let go of my hand,” you say gently. Changbin clears his throat and lets out a nervous chuckle.

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay…I’ll be right back.”

You get up and feel around for your side table that has a drawer, knowing there are candles inside. After bumping your hip into both an armchair and another table, Changbin loudly protesting that you should just come back and sit down to stop from hurting yourself, you finally find the correct table and gather a few candles along with a lighter. You place them around the room, putting the last one on the table in front of the couch. As the light illuminates his face, you notice Changbin looking amazed. He slides from the couch onto his knees, face even with the candle.

“What, have you never seen a candle before?” you laugh, but he shakes his head slowly, eyes still trained on the flame in front of him. He suddenly seems to realize what he’s admitted, looking up and locking eyes with you.

“Who are you? What’s your story I won’t believe?” you muse aloud, half to yourself.

Changbin stands and situates himself back onto the couch and pats the seat beside him.

“I think you’re going to want to sit for this…”

—--------------------------------------

“So you’re telling me…you’re a merman?!” you whisper-yell, though no one is around to hear you except Changbin. He nods.

“And you’re a human because…?”

“Because my brother found a spellbook, and he wanted to help ‘cause he knew that I’d always been fascinated by the human world, so he cast a spell and now I’m human. That’s why I was wearing those clothes when you found me.”

You sit, mouth slightly ajar from all the information you’re trying to process at once.

“What are the parameters of the spell then? Aren’t you supposed to give up your voice or something?” Changbin cocks his head at you, looking like a confused dog.

“Why would I have to give up my voice, how would that be helpful?” You wave off his question impatiently, motioning for him to continue explaining.

“The problem is, I don’t know what the parameters are…and neither did Hyunjin when he did the spell. He’s not exactly a sea witch or anything. So I guess I’m just making the best of it while I can…I want to experience everything that I can!” He gets louder as he gets more excited until it looks like he’s about to bounce out of his seat. It makes you smile.

“Well…for starters, you can stay here in my brother’s room. Unless you figured out something else?” Changbin gives a small shake of his head. “I don’t know how good of a tour guide to humanity I’ll be, but I can try.” His smile makes his eyes crinkle.

“I’ll repay you by teaching you how to swim properly,” he chuckles.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, um…well…I kind of saw you the other day. You almost died!” he exclaims, hands gesticulating wildly. “You need to be a strong enough swimmer to save your own life.”

“You mean the day I passed out and washed up on shore? Wait a minute…was that you?!” Changbin nods sheepishly. “I went out in the water because I saw you! Your tail! It was reflecting the sunset so beautifully…” A blotchy flush starts to work its way up his neck towards his face.

“But you almost died! Forget my tail…”

“Did the current wash me back up onto shore? I don’t remember anything until I woke up on the beach,” you muse, trying to recall what might have happened.

Changbin shakes his head again. “I…I grabbed you once you fell unconscious and pulled you back onto land,” he says quietly. “I couldn’t watch you die, no matter what any of my brothers say about the human world.”

Before you’re fully aware of what your own body is doing, you find yourself on the couch beside him enveloping him in a hug. His arms find their way around you, mirroring your actions.

“Thank you,” you whisper, tears collecting on your lash line. He pulls you in even closer somehow, his warmth burning through your clothes.

“Hey, hey…no crying! You’re here, right? I told you, I wasn’t going to let someone die on my watch. Especially not a girl as pretty as you,” he laughs. You look up at him, and you can feel heat emanating from your face that has nothing to do with the hug. “But like I said…I’m teaching you how to swim properly so I don’t have to worry about you when I’m not around.” You give a small nod, wiping the remnants of your tears away.

—--------------------------------

And so the days pass, Changbin staying with you and learning bit by bit about the human world. You take him grocery shopping, introduce him to ice cream, and show him everything you find comforting about the small town you used to vacation in. You point out the community theater you used to perform summer musicals in, go to the local coffee shop to get your favorite vanilla latte (Changbin finds that he is partial to their hazelnut latte), and take walks along the shoreline at sunset. It’s on one of these walks that you find yourself asking him more about his brothers.

“Chan is the oldest, and he acts like it…super mature, super dependable. Minho’s a little older than me, but he’s kinda off in his own world. Loves animals. Then Hyunjin is next after me, he’s the one who turned me human. Jisung is the next youngest, he’s always hanging out with Minho. He’s very talented at music. Felix is the literal embodiment of sunshine and bubbles, you’d love him, everyone does. Seungmin is a menace, but very funny. And Jeongin’s the baby, but we all know he’s the one who’s really in charge.” You laugh at this, enjoying watching him explain his family dynamics. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“What’s your family like?” Changbin is so earnest, it takes you aback.

“I mean, nothing that exciting. I’m decently close with my parents, and I have a younger sister. We don’t talk all the time, but we don’t not get along. There’s not much to say.”

“So why are you here then? At your summer house…alone?” You stop walking and he does the same, still looking at you.

“Work’s been…hard. Not even the job itself, but I just moved again and I’m still getting used to everything. I needed a break, so I came here. Where everything is familiar. Well, it was until you came along.” You nudge his shoulder playfully, but he looks thoughtful.

“Did I ruin your break?” he asks.

“What? No, no, of course not!” You shake your head vehemently.

“You can tell me if I did…I am staying in your house and taking up an awful lot of your time.”

You shake your head again. “No, really, it’s fine…honestly, you’ve made it better. If I had been alone the whole time, I would have gotten way too into my head and it would have been a mess. I’ve enjoyed showing you what it’s like to be a human…well, at least what it’s like to live my life.”

“I love it! Your life is so…cozy? I’m not sure that’s the right word, but it feels so comfortable being with you.” He’s not sure what comes over him, but Changbin reaches out and grabs your hand, motioning you to continue your walk. You start walking again as the sun dips behind the horizon, but his hand remains with yours.

“You know, I don’t normally let strange men into my house.” He laughs. “But I’m glad I invited you in during that storm…I’ve felt comfortable too.” You squeeze his hand, and he returns the gesture.

The moon is almost full, illuminating the beach as you walk. In the distance, Changbin notices a building looming large. “What’s that?” he asks, gesturing with your intertwined hands. You follow the gesture with your eyes, realizing what it is even in the dark.

“Oh, that’s the sea turtle center! They do a lot of work during the summer, the turtles come and lay their eggs a little further down the beach. They’re actually throwing their annual charity ball in a week or so to raise funds for their summer season.”

Changbin’s eyes go wide with excitement, almost sparkling in the moonlight.

“What?” you laugh. He reaches and grabs your other hand, turning you to face him fully.

“Can we go? Are we allowed to?” You can’t think of a reason why not, so you nod. His excitement is palpable as a smile takes over his face and he shakes your hands back and forth.

“I’m so excited for you to teach me how to dance!”

—----------------------------------------------

And that’s how you find yourself in your dining room a week later, table and chairs pushed to the side to make a temporary dance floor. Changbin has one hand around your waist, the other grasped in yours. You’d been teaching him how to ballroom dance for the past hour, starting with a simple box step and working your way up to a waltz.

“The timing of this feels so weird,” he laughs as the two of you step together. You giggle as you fall off balance and out of step with the 1-2-3 timing.

“It does at first, but when you get it right, it feels like you’re floating across the floor,” you sigh dreamily. “The closest we’ll get to flying.”

A soft smile works its way onto Changbin’s face, and he repositions himself to start the dance again, pulling you even closer to him than before.

“Let’s try again,” he says.

“Are you sure? We’ve been at this for an hour, we can take a break.”

He squeezes your hip gently in response. “I’m sure…I want to fly with you.”

Your head falls to his shoulder at this remark, hiding your face from him. “Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?” His voice rumbles through his chest, the vibrations making their way to where your forehead meets his shirt. You shake your head, still hiding your face. “Look at me…please?” he pleads, voice laden with the beginnings of worry.

You lift your head slowly, your eyes finally meeting his gaze.

“You’re okay?” You nod. “Why did you react that way?” You swallow nervously, picking at your fingernails. You can practically feel your face getting blotchy with embarrassment.

“What you said…that’s why I reacted that way.” Changbin raises an eyebrow, still not quite comprehending. “It’s…it’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me. And I’ve only just met you.” Your breath hitches at the realization, and you’re shocked by the sudden tears swimming in your eyes.

“Hey, hey…there’s no need to cry, pretty,” he places his hands gently on the sides of your face, rubbing his thumb where an errant tear had escaped your lash line. His kindness causes more tears to make their way down your cheeks and he simply stands there in the silence with you, wiping them away as they come. After a few minutes, he tentatively reaches for your hand and brings you over to the couch, where he lays a blanket over you once you’ve sat down.

You start to protest, but he quiets you by telling you he’ll be right back. He pads off to the kitchen and returns ten minutes later with a mug of hot chocolate that he extends to you. “Be careful, it’s hot,” he warns, gently placing it into your open hands.

You look at the swirling mini marshmallows that are floating on the steaming chocolate and turn to Changbin who has sat down next to you. At the questioning look on your face, he turns playfully indignant. “Hey! I made not have ever made hot chocolate before, but I can read instructions!” You laugh, and he moves his arm around your shoulder drawing him into his warmth. “Is this okay?” He looks nervous as he searches your face for any sign of impending tears. You nod, adjusting to become more comfortable to show him that you’re fine.

Changbin draws the blanket around the both of you and turns the tv on to start a movie. You can’t help but laugh as you see that he’s chosen The Little Mermaid. Your laughter doubles as you watch the faces of disbelief that he makes throughout the movie, with loud exclamations about how life underwater is nothing like what is being portrayed.

“It’s a movie, Binnie,” you insist, still giggling.

“Huh?” He looks over at you, eyes wide.

“It’s a movie, I said.”

“No, I know that…what did you call me?”

You sit up cautiously. “...Binnie? Is that okay?” It’s your turn to be nervous. You’d never called him that, but it had just slipped out.

“I love it,” he smiles, the fullness of it crinkling his eyes into half moons. You breathe a sigh of relief, sinking back into the warmth of his hold.

Between the hot chocolate, blanket, and Changbin’s body heat, you find yourself nodding off towards the end of the movie. Changbin notices and starts drawing shapes on your arm with his thumb, hoping to further soothe you into slumber…and it works.

He smiles down at you folded into the crook of his arm, deep breaths reassuring him that you were getting the rest you needed. He cautiously leans down, careful not to disturb you, and places a gentle kiss on the top of your head. You smell like coconut and the ocean, which makes him smile.

“You deserve to be told romantic things every day,” he murmurs into the crown of your head. “Every single day.”

—--------------------------------------------

You wake to the sunrise, still on the couch, vaguely remembering that you must have fallen asleep during the movie you were watching the night before. You stretch your legs out from where they were curled into your side and realize that you are still snuggled into Changbin’s side, except his head is now on top of yours from whenever he eventually fell asleep as well. You can’t help but smile to yourself as you slowly attempt to disentangle yourself from the man next to you. Just as you think you’re going to make your escape, he lets out a muffled whine and tightens his grip around you, forcing the side of your face into his chest. You laugh, reaching your hand to slowly draw shapes on his side.

“Binnie…” you murmur softly, tracing your fingers up and down his torso. Nothing. “Binnie…” you try again, this time a little louder. As your hand hits his waist again, he twitches and his eyes snap open.

“Stop, that tickles!” he whines, burying his face into your hair.

“Good morning to you too, sleepyhead,” you laugh, but stop the movements of your hand.

“That’s rich coming from you, the one who fell asleep right before the end of the movie.” Changbin gently disentangles himself from you, and you can see him playfully roll his eyes as he stretches his arms above his head, a sliver of his stomach showing beneath his black shirt. Not that you noticed or anything.

“What time is it, anyway?” he asks. You squint over at the clock across the room.

“7:05.” He groans.

“It’s too early…why did you wake me up?” You laugh in response.

“The sun woke me up, take it up with Mother Nature.” He rolls his eyes again, but a smile plays across his features.

“Well, since we’re up, it’s a perfect time for you to learn to swim properly!” He reaches for your hand as he stands up, yanking you up with him. He’s a little forceful, making you reach out and stabilize yourself-with both your hands splayed across his chest.

“Little forward this morning, are we?” he wriggles his eyebrows suggestively, causing you to break out in a fit of giggles.

“Something like that,” you concede, reaching out to sweep an errant curl off his forehead. Changbin’s eyes soften as you do so, mapping out every detail of your expression.

“You’re really pretty. You know that, right?” He tilts his head, looking at you.

“Changbin, I literally look like I just got dragged through a bush backwards, but I appreciate you trying to be nice.”

“I’m not being nice…I’m being blunt, if anything,” he muses, still cataloging your face. Though his eyes have also started to roam the rest of your body as well.

“My hair is a rat’s nest, my makeup is smeared from falling asleep…and I think I have dried drool on the corner of my mouth?!” you realize in horror, trying to wipe your face clean.

Changbin grabs your hand and stops it mid-motion, then takes over himself. Wipes the corner of your mouth with his thumb, moving to gently swipe under your eyes where your mascara has flaked. You can feel the heat emanating from your face, burning with embarrassment.

“No need to be embarrassed, pretty.” You duck your head, feeling called out. “Look at me.” You raise your head to look at Changbin again. “You are really pretty. Always. But I think this might be my favorite.” He smiles shyly at you.

“Why?” you whisper.

“Because…because you’re rested. Because you’re taking care of yourself. Because I think I might be the only person that gets to see you like this.” You nod almost imperceptibly, confirming his statement. His smile grows and he gently holds your face between his hands.

“Can I kiss you?” The tips of his ears are red as he asks the question, searching your eyes hopefully. You lean closer, your breath fanning across his full lips.

“I’d like that,” you breathe, and before you can move any further, Changbin has closed the space between you, lips slotting over yours.

You sigh into the kiss, and you can feel Changbin’s smile in return as he moves his hands from your face to your waist, squeezing and drawing you closer to himself.

What starts as very sweet and tentative quickly becomes more urgent, with your hands tangled in his curls, his moving under your shirt. A sigh escapes your lips as you feel his thumbs ghost the undersides of your breasts, and he takes the opportunity to slot his tongue into your mouth, which you welcome.

After a few moments, you both come up for air and Changbin breaks into a fit of laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing really…it’s just that I never could have predicted this would happen when I got turned into a human. I’m really gonna have to thank Hyunjin the next time I see him, huh?”

This causes you to join in his laughter, and you pull him close again to land a soft kiss on his nose.

“I guess you have to. After you introduce me, of course. Also…I believe I was promised a swimming lesson?”

“Ah yes, an excuse to see me half naked.” Changbin rolls his eyes and you swat his chest playfully. “You’ll get your swimming lesson after breakfast, can’t have you passing out on me again.” He grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers and pulling you towards the kitchen.

“One sunrise special coming up!”

—-----------------------------------------

And that’s how you end up spending most of the day in the ocean with Changbin. Your swimming skills aren’t quite as bad as he thought (you did get thrown into a rock by a wave, after all), but he’s still able to adjust your form on several different strokes. Even when you’re not doing much, it seems like he’s able to find some way to have his hand ghost along your lower back…or he finds an excuse to sweep strands of wet hair behind your ear…or he’s tightening the strings of your swimsuit ‘just in case’.

Once you notice your fingers starting to get wrinkly, the two of you collapse onto towels on the shore. You’re silent for a while, content to rest in each others’ presence. Then something you’ve been thinking about for a while escapes your lips.

“Don’t you miss your brothers?”

Changbin turns to face you, his lips forming a small pout. “Sure I do. I mean, I don’t miss Seungmin teasing me all the time or Chan’s terrible dad jokes, but generally I do miss them…yeah.”

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, studying his expression as his brow furrows.

“Why are you sorry? You haven’t done anything wrong, lovely.” He reaches his hand towards you, making a grabby motion until you reach out and intertwine your fingers with his.

“I dunno…I just feel bad that I can’t do anything to fix it or help. Maybe I should’ve been helping you research how to turn back into a merman or something, instead I’ve just been taking up all your time with silly things like dancing and swimming and showing you around town,” you huff.

“I’ve loved doing those things with you. I can’t believe all the things I used to just see in books, or from far away, I’ve gotten to do. With you.” You smile at the pink tinting his cheeks. “I get to go to a ball with you in a few days…it’ll be like that story you told me about, what was it again?”

“You mean Cinderella?” you laugh, and he nods excitedly.

“You just gotta promise not to run away at midnight and turn into a pumpkin, or whatever it was.” He leans up onto his forearms, scooting himself closer to you. “Can you do that?”

“I can’t make any promises about what happens if I’m up that late past my bedtime, Binnie.” He huffs out a laugh before swooping in for a quick peck to your lips.

“Fine, fine. I can’t wait to see you in your dress…I just know you’re going to be the most beautiful person there.” Changbin’s eyes are sparkling as he looks at you, and it makes you feel gooey inside.

“We’ll see about that.”

—-------------------------------------------

“...I told you, gorgeous.” Changbin lets out a low whistle as you come out of your bedroom and into the living room where he’s waiting. He’s wearing a three piece navy suit to match your floor length sparkly navy gown.

“You look amazing too,” you reply. “So handsome.” You run your hands over his lapel and then down his arms, stopping to squeeze his biceps. “Be careful, you might rip your jacket,” you smirk.

“Hands off, ma’am…this is a classy affair.” You dissolve into a fit of giggles and Changbin tries to keep a straight face but fails miserably, his own squeaky giggles echoing your own. Once the two of you collect yourselves, he offers his arm to you and you gladly accept.

Though it’s not far, you end up driving to the conservation center to save your feet from walking any more in heels than they need to. As you enter the ballroom, you gasp. They’ve outdone themselves with the decorations-the ceiling is full of twinkling lights wrapped through gauze, there are multiple tables laden with appetizers, desserts, and drinks, and the dancefloor is massive. As you walk towards an empty table, a waiter walks by and offers the two of you champagne, which you take happily. You claim two spaces and turn to see Changbin’s eyes grow wide as he sips his drink.

“It’s so…bubbly!” He exclaims, and you laugh at his expression.

“I guess you’ve never had alcohol before, huh?” He shakes his head. “It’ll make you a little lightheaded if you don’t eat anything, let’s grab some food.”

The two of you walk over to one of the many food tables, and Changbin starts loading down his plate with at least one of everything, multiple if he thinks something looks especially good. He notices you being more careful with your choices and raises his brow in confusion.

“Why aren’t you trying anything else? It all looks so good!” He lifts his own plate toward you as evidence.

“This dress is already tight, I don’t want to be bloated and it shows…or worst case, I rip a seam or something.” Your face blanches at the thought.

Changbin immediately grabs your hand and steers you back toward your table. Once you’ve taken a seat, he starts putting items from his plate onto a fork and holds it up to you.

“Try it,” he pleads with puppy dog eyes. You begrudgingly obey and he gently places the food in your mouth. It’s some sort of quiche tartlet with ham you think…or maybe bacon. Either way, it’s delicious and you can’t help the moan that escapes your lips at the taste. Changbin’s eyes light up at your delight. “See, it’s so good! I told you!”

You spend the next ten to fifteen minutes sharing Changbin’s plate with him. He takes a bite, then insists that you take the next…until you’ve had tartlets, sliders, trifles, assorted crackers with cheeses and jams, and they’re all unbelievably delicious.

“Full?” he asks, and you nod, feeling sated. “Good. You’ve got a little bit of jam…just there…” He leans in and meets your mouth with his, swiping his tongue gently over your lower lip. As he moves back, you notice his eyes have darkened. “Delicious,” he smirks as he leans into his chair. As if suddenly remembering something, he sits up closer to you and reaches over to run his hands down your sides, his mouth hovering close to your ear. “This dress shows every last curve on your body, and I love it…I’m just jealous I’m not the only one who gets to see it.”

Before you can even think to reply, he’s moved to stand by your side, holding a hand out towards you.

“May I have this dance?”

—-----------------------------------------

For having just learned to dance, Changbin is impressive. He’s able to lead you successfully through a few opening dances, and freestyles hilariously (though still on beat). The night is full of champagne bubbles, stolen kisses, and soft laughter.

You feel truly content for the first time in a long time as you slow dance, your forehead tilted and touching Changbin’s. “How are you real?” you breathe out without thinking.

“I could ask the same of you, you know.” He places a gentle kiss on your temple and sways with you on the dancefloor.

You swallow thickly as you lift your eyes to meet his. “What happens…what happens when you go back?” Changbin’s brow furrows as he considers your question.

“Maybe I don’t go back,” his answer is tentative, searching for your response. Your eyes grow wide.

“You-you want to stay human?”

Before he can answer, there’s a commotion across the room. You try to see what’s happening, even reaching up on your tiptoes, but just as a lanky figure with black hair comes into view, a silky voice travels from the stranger to the two of you, making goosebumps erupt across your skin.

“Hello, brother.”

—---------------------------------------

“Hyunjin?! What’re you-how are you-you’re here?!” Changbin splutters in disbelief. The stranger, who you now know is his brother, merely nods with a small smile on his face.

Changbin closes the space with the taller man and envelopes him in a hug that makes Hyunjin wince before he gently extracts himself. “How are you here?” Changbin repeats, still wide eyed.

“Same as you, brother. I made myself into a human…you were surprisingly hard to track down tonight.” Hyunjin walks towards the conservation center’s balcony, away from the crowd and you and Changbin follow.

“Why were you looking for me?” Hyunjin crosses his arms over his chest and raises a brow at his older brother’s question.

“Did you really not think I would find you eventually? Did you plan on being a human forever?” A snide laugh escapes Hyunjin’s lips at his own question.

At this, Changbin crosses his arms over his chest matching the man before him. “And what if I did?” Your eyes grow wide at his response and you step towards him, reaching for his hand. As Changbin firmly intertwines your fingers, Hyunjin follows the motion with his eyes, a smirk taking over his features.

“Ah yes…this must be the reason you think you could stay human.” Hyunjin cocks his head to the side, appraising you. “I suppose she is rather pretty,” he admits, reaching out and tucking a loose hair behind your ear.

Changbin steps forward, angling himself between you and Hyunjin. “Don’t touch her.”

Hyunjin huffs out a laugh. “And what are you going to do to stop me? I’m the one who turned you into a human in the first place…you wouldn’t have even met her if it wasn’t for me.” His voice is dripping with derision as he looks over the two of you.

“What happened to you? The brother I know would never act like this.” Changbin sounds disappointed, and you can hear the sadness behind his words.

“The brother you know? You were always so happy to be in your own little world, daydreaming about the human world, being so close with Chan…do you even know why I agreed to help you turn into a human?” You see Changbin swallow thickly as he shakes his head. Hyunjin rolls his eyes. “Of course you don’t.”

Hyunjin gazes out at the shoreline from the edge of the balcony and lets out a giant sigh. “It’s because of the compass. It’s always been about the compass.”

“What compass?” you ask, the first words you’ve spoken since Hyunjin’s arrival. He cuts a quick glance to you and then goes back to staring at the water.

“Since Chan is the oldest, he has a compass. It’s the only thing we have related to our parents, it’s a magical relic of sorts…it can help you realize whatever your heart’s desire is. Dreams. Anyway, Chan refuses to use it, says he has his heart’s desire already, whatever that is. At some point, it would pass down to the other brothers. I knew Minho had no interest in it, he’s happy to live life the way he is. Which meant dear Changbin here was next in line.”

You look over at Changbin, and his expression is stormy. You squeeze his hand reassuringly, which seems to ground him. He steps a little closer to you and kisses your temple and runs his thumb over the back of your hand.

“How sweet.” Hyunjin’s voice is void of emotion as he watches the exchange. “As I was saying, he was in the way of me getting the compass. So I decided to offer him something he couldn’t say no to-a chance at being human. I knew he couldn’t resist, especially after he saved you…he wouldn’t shut up about it. I had picked up enough magic from studying how the compass worked to figure it out. And here we are.”

Changbin’s voice is shaky and small when he finally speaks. “So you tricked and manipulated me. Why are you here now, then? I’m sure you wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t gotten your hands on what you wanted.”

A small smile works its way onto Hyunjin’s face, one that looks like it actually may have some small sliver of kindness. “I did get what I wanted, actually. I convinced Chan to give it to me once he realized you were missing…I told him I would find you and bring you back. And here I am. I may have manipulated you, brother, but I would never leave you stranded. Pretty girl or not, you belong with us. As a merman.”

Hyunjin’s hands start to glow faintly, a turquoise that grows brighter as he begins to motion towards Changbin.

“Wait, we need to talk about this-Hyunjin, don’t-” Changbin protests, but Hyunjin doesn’t even seem to hear him. The glow has traveled from his hands and is making its way up his arms, and he almost seems to be in some sort of trance. Changbin notices as well, and moves towards his brother, reaching to grab his hands.

You move without thinking, stepping in front of Changbin and grasping Hyunjin’s hands. The turquoise glow slowly transfers from Hyunjin’s body to yours…but instead of traveling up your arms, it flows down towards your legs and feet. It feels like a million needles piercing through your skin and into your bones, and you let out an involuntary scream. The noise seems to break through Hyunjin’s trance, and his eyes widen in shock. He tries to remove his hands from yours, but they won’t budge.

“I-I can’t let go! Changbin, help!” All traces of bravado are gone from Hyunjin’s face, almost making him look like a small child. Changbin rushes behind his brother and wraps his hands around Hyunjin’s arms and pulls, but even with his added strength nothing happens.

You’ve collapsed to your knees at this point, pained whimpers escaping you every few seconds, tears streaming down your face from the pain. Changbin is on the verge of tears himsef, but he’s too afraid to touch you for fear of making things worse.

“Please just hold on…please. We’ll figure out how to fix this. We will. Promise.” His voice is small and scared, and it makes you cry even harder.

“I’m so sorry, I was just trying to help…I thought he was going to hurt you,” you hiccup. Just as you think you won’t be able to handle any more pain, the glow fades and you fully collapse onto the balcony floor. Changbin immediately rushes to you, cradling your upper half in his arms, alternating between running his hand over your hair and wiping away your tears.

“What did you do?!” he demands of Hyunjin, eyes full of fury. Hyunjin stares blankly down at the two of you in shock and just shakes his head.

Changbin turns to you as he stands, holding out a hand to help you up. “Let’s get you home, hmm?” His eyes are soft as he looks down at you. You reach up to grasp his hand, and as your fingers graze his, the needle feeling is back, but this time in your lungs.

“Binnie, I can’t…I can’t…it hurts…” you wheeze, gasping and holding your chest.

He drops to his knees immediately, hands flying to cup your face. “What hurts? What is it?” Changbin starts frantically checking you for injuries…your head, arms, torso…nothing. Until he reaches your legs. He gathers the fabric of your dress in his hands to check your legs and a shaky gasp leaves his lips. You look down and any amount of air you’d been able to gather in your lungs leaves.

Where your legs should be, there is a navy blue tail. A mermaid tail.

Changbin looks up at you, his mouth open in shock. “You’re…you…you can’t breathe!” he realizes, jumping up to his feet and rounding on Hyunjin. “What did you DO TO HER?!” he bellows this time. Before Hyunjin has a chance to answer, there’s a loud crack.

You look up, still gasping and only able to draw small breaths. Blood is pouring down Hyunjin’s face-Changbin has broken his nose. You’re suddenly being picked up-Changbin is carrying you to the ocean at a jog. Once you reach the shoreline, he slows as he wades out into the water with you. Once you’re submerged up to your chest, you gasp in a large breath…the feeling of stabbing needles is gone, and you’re able to regulate your breathing.

“Are you okay?” Changbin whispers, eyes wide.

You nod as the waves lap against your arms. “I always wanted to be a mermaid when I was little.” Changbin lets out a choked laugh at your response.

“Well, for what it’s worth, your tail is also very pretty…I’ve never seen a navy blue one.” You bury your face in the crook of his neck at the compliment. “You’re getting embarrassed? After you were turned into a mermaid?! You’re awfully calm for someone who should be panicking…” You lean back in his arms, and notice he seems to be the one panicking.

You shrug. “I’m with you. Why would I panic?” you say simply. Tears gather and spill onto his cheeks.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” he murmurs into your hair.

“Nothing. I chose you. And you deserve to be chosen.”

Changbin smiles and gently lowers you into the water, still holding your hands as he leads you out to deeper waters where you can swim comfortably.

“I choose you too. Mermaid or human,” he smiles, and you smile back. “But…we should probably figure out a way to turn you back. Your family will miss you too much.”

“...I think I can help with that.” A small voice reaches the two of you, and you look back to see Hyunjin slowly wading towards you.

“I think you’ve done quite enough for a whole lifetime, don’t you?” Changbin spits harshly, and Hyunjin flinches as he reaches you.

“I have…but I think I know how this can be fixed. And not with my magic.”

Changbin raises a brow, skeptical. “Let him talk,” you urge, laying a gentle hand on Changbin’s arm.

“Thanks.” Hyunjin sends a small smile your way. “I think I know how to fix this. No magic…well, none of mine anyway.”

“So whose, then? Chan? We are not bringing him into this…though I’m sure he’d love to know what you’ve been up to.”

“Not mine, not Chan’s…yours.”

“What do you mean, mine? I don’t have any magic, you know that!” Changbin’s voice raises with each sentence, more and more exasperated.

“I think you might with the compass,” Hyunjin says simply. “I know before you weren’t that interested in it, but I think that maybe has changed.” He looks over at you knowingly, and holds out his hand to his brother.

Changbin reaches out and Hyunjin drops a small brass compass into his hand.

“How does it work?”

“As far as I’ve figured out, it’s almost like all those fairytales we read when we were kids. You just need to close your eyes and think about whatever your heart’s desire is.”

Changbin looks at you with worry clouding his face. “What if it doesn’t work?” he whispers.

“What if it does?” You cup his cheeks in your hands and meet his lips with yours.

He smiles softly at you. “No matter what…I love you.” You gasp and he laughs. “Are you really that surprised?”

“I guess not,” you laugh, capturing his lips in another kiss.

“Ahem,” Hyunjin interrupts you, motioning towards the compass in Changbin’s hands.

“Right…I guess I’ll see you on the other side then.” Changbin closes his eyes and furrows his brow in concentration. There is silence for a moment, then the compass starts spinning, slowly at first, then furiously.

You exchange a nervous glance with Hyunjin, and when you look back at Changbin, there is a golden glow emitting from the compass as it continues to spin. As you watch, the glow gets brighter and brighter, until you have to cover your face and turn away.

After a few moments, the glow dies down enough for you to look back at Changbin. He opens his eyes tentatively. “Are you okay?” he asks, and you nod. “Your tail?” You lean back to float on your back, and to your surprise, your feet breach the surface of the water instead of the tail that was there a minute before. A huge smile breaks across Changbin’s face and he leans back as well, his feet next to yours.

At the sight, he pulls them back under him, spluttering as he accidentally swallows water in surprise. “I still have feet!” he manages to get out between coughs.

“What did you think about?” Hyunjin asks.

“I just thought about things being the way they should be.” Changbin’s voice is laced with confusion. “I figured it would turn her back into a human, but I thought I would be a merman again too.”

“Maybe you should be human. With her.” Hyunjin smiles, gesturing to you. Changbin’s eyes follow the motion and light up when he meets your eyes.

“I mean, I kinda hoped…but I didn’t want to try my luck or anything.” You’re smiling so hard it’s hurting your cheeks, even though you have tears running down your face.

“I get to keep you…I was so scared I was going to eventually lose you,” you confess. Changbin closes the gap between you, grabbing your hand and leading you to shallower water where he proceeds to lift and spin you in his arms.

“You’re never getting rid of me now,” he smirks and you giggle into the kiss he lands on your mouth as he gently places you back on the sand.

You wrap your arms around Changbin and sway slowly with him under the light of the stars.

“I’m so happy I get to be with you. For as long as you’ll have me.” Changbin smiles at your statement, burying his head in your neck and placing a gentle kiss on your shoulder. “Also, I forgot to tell you earlier…”

He raises his head and looks at you curiously.

“...I love you too.”

---------------------------------

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