Chapter Text
“Does he like it?” Hongjoong asks, his voice sounding nervous as he looks between Seonghwa and a certain marine hermit crab exploring a brand new tank. “Please ask him what he thinks of it. I’ll change it if he doesn’t like something about it.”
Seonghwa smiles at him, hands pausing on the towel he’s folding at Hongjoong’s kitchen table. He steps closer, feet padding against the hardwood floor until he reaches the carpet, and he moves past the shorter male to get a better look. He bends over, aligning his face with the 30 gallon tank Hongjoong has set up for Leroy in his home.
Well. Their home.
Once the two finally got on the same page things progressed quickly. The bond between them flourished, and Seonghwa’s merman grew leaps and bounds in such a short amount of time. They couldn’t believe how much holding themselves back from one another had been hurting his progress.
But they couldn’t blame each other for doing so. Neither of them knew to the degree at which the distance stunted the merman’s growth. They obviously had their ideas of how holding themselves back was affecting them both, but they couldn’t have known just how deeply their connection ran. And all of that was behind them.
They tried to take things slow.
At least, that’s what they told themselves.
They had already developed routines and intimacy in a friendly way. They were already physically attracted to one another. So, trying to take things slow was not easy. Being destined mates, and all. It was like an unspoken fact that breaking up wasn’t really on the table.
But it didn’t matter, because they were absolutely smitten with one another.
Only a few months passed before they had moved past the general dating they were just trying out and delved into a world of deeper intimacy and love together. And it wasn’t but a few more months later when Seonghwa’s lease needed to be renewed, and Hongjoong made the suggestion they move in together–since they were destined mates, he reasoned. And no one could argue with that.
During this time Seonghwa had finished tank training and had moved to sea training. He made extraordinary progress, and outperforms any Mer-Person Hongjoong has ever worked with. It makes Hongjoong proud to see Seonghwa improving. It makes him happy to see the man proud of himself as he masters his abilities. And it makes him proud he gets to take that merman home every day and spend the rest of his life with him.
And now that they’re together as a couple, and have finally taken the step to move in together, Hongjoong decided now is the perfect time to move Leroy into his home, completing their little family.
“Let me talk to him,” Seonghwa says, eyes glancing around the tank until he locates him, following the hermit crab with his eyes.
Hongjoong watches them, gnawing at his bottom lip between his teeth as he awaits the verdict. He had set up the crab’s tank in the living room and had taken his time trying to make everything perfect. He had a partner who could hear any complaint the crab could make–he needed to make sure Leroy was well taken care of. Because he knew the crab would have complaints, if their first interaction was an indicator.
“He likes it,” Seonghwa says with a smile, and Hongjoong can see it in the reflection on the glass. “He says thank you.”
“Tell him I said you’re welcome,” Hongjoong replies, eyes focused on Seonghwa rather than the crab.
He can’t help it. He is so enamored with Seonghwa.
He adores everything about him. In both forms. He finds himself often losing focus, unable to keep his attention on the tasks at hand whenever Seonghwa is around. It’s something that he keeps trying to work on, especially with training. Seonghwa distracts him so much, but their proximity helps the merman. It’s a confusing bond to navigate at times, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.
His eyes linger over Seonghwa’s form. He admires the man’s smile in the reflection of the tank, eyes following the crab as he moves around, checking out everything Hongjoong has added to make the tank more like home. He admires the other man’s slender form, which he knows is lean and beautiful. His eyes move lower, taking in the curve of his ass–an ass Hongjoong has grown quite fond of over the past few months.
Seonghwa is gorgeous, and part of the reason is because of his merman genetics. Mer-People tend to have longer and leaner bodies. They have broader shoulders with thin, fit waists and long lines of rippling muscle that Hongjoong could only ever dream of having.
Sometimes it makes Hongjoong second guess himself. Seonghwa is so gorgeous, Hongjoong feels like he pales in comparison. No matter how many times Seonghwa tells him he had been attracted to him from the moment he laid eyes on him and that he will always cherish the time they spent in Mokpo even before he had made the realization they were destined mates, and before his merman had alerted him of the fact, Hongjoong still feels like Seonghwa deserves so much better than him.
But it’s days like these, when Hongjoong doesn’t have work, and he and Seonghwa are at home, their home, with Hongjoong working on some sort of research or project while Seonghwa tidies up the place–usually Hongjoong’s mess–that he knows Seonghwa wouldn’t have it any other way either.
They find comfort in each other. They can just be together, feeling completed with just the other person’s presence. They balance each other out. They fall into place together almost perfectly.
And when Hongjoong looks at his lover he is so thankful for everything. He is thankful for Professor Kim for answering his questions and keeping a line of communication for things down the line. He’s thankful for his job, for having pursued something that brought them together. He is thankful for San, for having the merman be there to support him and Seonghwa whenever they needed it. He is thankful for Wooyoung, for talking sense into him when he had been so lost. And most of all, he is thankful for Seonghwa. He couldn’t have imagined anyone else. Seonghwa is his other half in every sense of the phrase.
“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says, pulling Hongjoong from his thoughts of adoration for the man.
The dark haired merman turns around, looking at him with suspicious eyes. “Were you staring at my ass?”
Hongjoong stutters a bit, trying to come up with an excuse. He doesn’t know what is more embarrassing: explaining that he had been staring at Seonghwa’s ass for some time, or explaining that he had been doing so affectionately with thoughts of how lucky he is to be dating him–the owner of said ass.
“H-How did you know?” Hongjoong manages, because there is no use trying to make up an excuse or deny. Seonghwa had caught him red handed.
“I-I just–”
“Leroy to you, didn’t he!” Hongjoong says, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. He glares at the crab, who he cannot converse with, but he hopes the crab can infer what his dark gaze means.
“He might’ve let me know,” Seonghwa replies, and Hongjoong groans.
“How am I supposed to admire my boyfriend in my own home without judgment if Leroy keeps snitching on me,” Hongjoong says, plopping down on the small sofa adjacent to Leroy’s tank.
Seonghwa’s eyes light up with a wide smile. Hongjoong pouts at him, because this isn’t the first time Leroy has snitched and he knows it won’t be the last. He is going to have to find a way to level with the crab if they’re going to make this living arrangement work.
“It’s okay,” Seonghwa says, heading for the spot on the couch beside Hongjoong, only to toss a leg over his hips and settle himself in the blond’s lap. “You can admire me all you want. I don’t mind.”
Seonghwa places his hands on Hongjoong’s chest. His fingers lightly graze over the collar of Hongjoong’s t-shirt before they tug at it. The blond’s hands settle on Seonghwa’s hips, and the merman relaxes in his hold, pressing his weight onto Hongjoong’s lap as he glances from the blond’s eyes to his lips.
“I welcome it, actually,” Seonghwa adds, and Hongjoong smiles as he leans in.
Seonghwa’s hands leave Hongjoong’s chest as their mouths press together. It’s a soft, gentle kiss, but the dark haired male’s hands deepen in by curling one around Hongjoong’s neck while the other cradles his jaw. Their lips press together lazily, just enjoying the heat of each other's mouths as their tongues slide lightly against one another before pulling not even an inch apart, noses brushing intimately before they’re pressing in for another kiss.
Seonghwa presses Hongjoong back against the couch, fingers curling in the short hair at the nape of his neck, nails dancing teasingly across his scalp that draws a content sigh from Hongjoong’s lips between them. Seonghwa swallows it, arching his back slightly to align their chests together, and roll his hips lightly against Hongjoong’s.
Seonghwa is wearing jeans. Hongjoong is getting progressively more annoyed with them the longer Seonghwa sits in his lap, giving him only faint swivels of his hips as Seonghwa licks into his mouth. His hands want to feel his lover’s skin, but the rough barrier of jeans won’t allow it.
He slips his hands to Seonghwa’s hips, pressing thumbs over his hip bones before he feels his way around the man’s waist, taking advantage of the way Seonghwa’s jeans gap against his lower back to press his palms inside and lead the other’s hips over his own. The taller man gasps against Hongjoong’s mouth, and the blond only presses deeper into his mouth, hands cupping Seonghwa’s ass in a way he knows drives the merman crazy.
“Hong–Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says, pulling away. “Leroy.”
“Fuck’em,” Hongjoong replies, breathing hotly against Seonghwa’s jaw as he begins trailing warm kisses against the other man’s neck.
“You may be unable to understand him, but I can,” Seonghwa says, giggling lightly at the sensitive kisses against his neck.
“Fine,” Hongjoong says, pulling away. “Up.”
Hongjoong removes his hands and taps Seonghwa’s hips, giving them a light squeeze before Seonghwa is hauling himself off of Hongjoong’s lap. Once he’s standing, Hongjoong slaps the pretty ass in front of him, and the other yelps, glaring at him and then nodding toward the tank, indicating Leroy may be saying some choice words about Hongjoong’s unashamed behavior.
“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says quietly, and the blond laughs.
“You’re too irresistible,” Hongjoong replies, standing up behind him.
Seonghwa rolls his eyes as he makes his way toward their bedroom, Hongjoong following closely behind. Once they’re in the privacy of their room Hongjoong wraps his arms around Seonghwa’s body from behind, stopping the other from moving any further away from him as he stands on his tippy toes and presses a kiss to the back of Seonghwa’s neck.
The taller man turns around in his hold and wraps his arms around Hongjoong’s neck, pressing his lips against Hongjoong’s in a simple kiss before he’s pulling away.
“You’ve got to be better to Leroy,” Seonghwa scolds him.
“You’re the one who sat in my lap,” Hongjoong replies, looking at him defiantly. “What do you want me to do? Not touch you?”
“You know what I mean,” Seonghwa replies, rolling his eyes.
“We’ll get a privacy curtain for him or something,” Hongjoong says, throwing an offhand idea out there, but his minds is too preoccupied with Seonghwa to elaborate any further. “For right now,” he says, smirking at Seonghwa. “Lose the jeans.”
He pulls away from Seonghwa and moves toward the bed that is still unmade from when they had awoken that morning. Hongjoong rids himself of his shirt before he sits down on the edge of the bed on his side, and reaches into his bedside table for a bottle of lube.
He hears the rustling of clothing being taken off behind him, followed by a dip in the bed as Seonghwa climbs over. The larger man is seated on his knees behind him, body curling around Hongjoong’s form as he wraps one arm around his shoulder, fingers tracing over Hongjoong’s naked chest, while the other arm reaches for the waistband of Hongjoong’s sweatpants.
He can feel the other’s unclothed chest pressing against his back, as well as the way his arousal weighs against him as Seonghwa settles closer, his warm breath rolling over Hongjoong’s sensitive ear. A shiver runs down Hongjoong’s spine as Seonghwa nips at his earlobe, knowing it is sensitive.
“Take these off, please,” Seonghwa whispers, dipping a finger beneath the fabric of his sweats.
Hongjoong breathes a small laugh before he stands, pulling out of Seonghwa’s grip to rid himself of his remaining clothes. As he slips them off his body Seonghwa leans back against the pillows, legs spread as he watches Hongjoong through hooded eyes as he languidly strokes his cock. He looks so pretty like this, waiting for Hongjoong with lust filled eyes. Hongjoong doesn’t know how he could have ever resisted the merman before.
Once he’s out of his clothes he crawls over Seonghwa, settling between his parted legs and kisses him once more. His hands trail up and down the other man’s smooth thighs, loving the whimpers Seonghwa releases and he swallows each one.
“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa moans, and Hongjoong gives him one more kiss for good measure before he’s leaning back on his heels and reaching for the bottle they’ve left to the side.
Seonghwa whines when Hongjoong circles a single finger around his fluttering hole, his lips turning downward in a needy frown at the blond’s teasing. Hongjoong presses in, and Seonghwa’s pout fades as he focuses on the feeling, brows knitting together in pleasure as another finger is added. Hongjoong watches him, eyes lost between his beautiful expressions of pleasure and the way Seonghwa trembles and clenches around the digits he is pumping in and out of him.
Ragged breaths leave Seonghwa’s parted lips as Hongjoong takes his time, moans slipping out between harsh pants and Hongjoong keeps going until he’s whining and whimpering for him, asking in a sweet mewl for Hongjoong to stop teasing him.
Hongjoong obliges, removing the fingers to instead stroke his own hard cock that has been neglected. He bites his lip as he aligns his cock with Seonghwa’s entrance, pressing it teasingly against him as he leans over the merman, holding himself up with one arm at Seonghwa’s side.
“Please,” Seonghwa whimpers, riled up and just wanting release, craving for Hongjoong to give it to him.
Hongjoong pushes in, cock sliding past the rim as he slowly fills Seonghwa. He grips the other’s knee, pushing his leg wide and they both groan as the movement makes things impossibly tighter.
Hongjoong moves slowly, holding himself above the other as his hips roll, knowing exactly what the other man likes. Seonghwa wraps his legs around him, hips lifting off the bed grinding upward to meet each Hongjoong’s thrusts, whining loudly as their bodies meet perfectly, making his head spin with pleasure.
The dark haired male reaches up, hands wrapping around Hongjoong’s body, wanting to feel every bit of skin he can get his hands on. Hongjoong knows he wants to feel more, he knows his body craves it, and Hongjoong does too. Each thrust is accompanied by sinful moans and blissful expressions. He can feel the way Seonghwa tightens around him, clenching around his cock as he savors every moment they’re connected.
His movements speed up, causing loud, uncontrolled cries to leave Seonghwa’s parted mouth. Hongjoong remains impossibly controlled, each thrust calculated and precise as he watches the man below him unravel. Hongjoong curses under his breath when Seonghwa drags his nails along his back, palms pulling him close after, followed by whines of wanting more, give him more, come closer, Seonghwa needs it.
The blond allows himself to lean forward, elbows pressing into the mattress on either side of Seonghwa’s head as he runs his fingers through the man’s dark hair and angles his face to kiss him. It’s a sloppy, messy kiss that is nothing like the gentle ones they had shared earlier, but they’re too lost in each other to care.
Hongjoong pulls away from the searing kiss to press his face into the crook of Seonghwa’s neck. He grits his teeth, hips thrusting faster, each drag of his cock driving them both mad with pleasure. Seonghwa’s cock is trapped between the heat of their bodies, and Seonghwa throws his head back, crying out for Hongjoong until he’s coming unraveled, releasing with a high pitched whine of the blond’s name.
Hongjoong follows not far behind with the press of his hips flush against Seonghwa, releasing inside, overwhelmed by the sinful noises Seonghwa makes right by his ear, breathless and wet, and the way his body clenches around him.
They stay like that, Seonghwa holding onto Hongjoong tightly, not ready to let him go. Hongjoong lets him, and takes the opportunity to mouth at his neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses along the sweaty skin that has Seonghwa tilting his head to allow him more access.
The dark haired male trails fingertips lightly up and down Hongjoong’s back, basking in the comfort the blond brings him. Seonghwa craves his touch, and loves to just feel Hongjoong in any way he can. He can't get enough, and Hongjoong is willing to give all he can.
“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong calls as he finally pulls away, sitting up between the other man’s legs. “I hate to say this, but I’m pretty sure Leroy heard everything.”
Hongjoong laughs when Seonghwa holds both hands over his face, hiding behind them at the realization that Hongjoong’s small, one bedroom home on the island is probably not large enough to conceal his whiny moans. The blond leaves the bed, heading to the ensuite bathroom to grab something to clean them up. He slides back into bed, wiping the other down who is still mortified at being so loud where the crab can hear them.
“What are we going to do?” Seonghwa asks, looking up to Hongjoong for answers.
“We could move,” Hongjoong says, shrugging. “If we had a bigger place we could put Leroy as far away as humanly possible from our bedroom.”
“Move?” Seonghwa asks, eyes widening at Hongjoong. “For a crab?”
“For you and the crab,” Hongjoong explains. “And for me…it’s a little selfish, but I also want to be able to walk butt ass naked into the kitchen without a crab judging me and getting back to you on how I’ve scarred him.”
Seonghwa giggles. “We can get him his own room.”
“Precisely,” Hongjoong says, leaning down to kiss Seonghwa’s forehead. “And maybe we can get a place with a pool or something.”
“But we have access to a massive tank at your work–plus the ocean,” Seonghwa says, tilting his head in confusion.
“I’m not trying to defile the tank,” Hongjoong says, smirking at the merman.
“Oh,” Seonghwa says, rolling his eyes. “Like we did the showers?”
Hongjoong pinches Seonghwa’s waist and the merman yelps, rolling over to get off the bed and away from Hongjoong and his little pinches.
“I need to shower,” Seonghwa says, and he glares at Hongjoong. “You’re not allowed to join unless you pinky promise you won’t pinch me again.”
“Scout’s honor,” Hongjoong says, holding up a pinky instead of three fingers of the Scout’s salute with a sincere smile.
Seonghwa only rolls his eyes and heads for the bathroom, Hongjoong trailing not far behind.
-
They’ve made it a habit of spending the weekends on the water. San and Wooyoung included.
It was a few months after Seonghwa and Hongjoong made it official that San approached Hongjoong with a question, telling him it was super important and he needed Hongjoong’s clinical, unbiased opinion.
They sat in Hongjoong’s office after hours, all other employees gone for the night when San finally admitted to liking Wooyoung.
San spilled the beans, mouth moving ninety miles per hour as he explained to Hongjoong how they had been friends for years, and they worked together, and he wasn’t sure if that was allowed, but he likes Wooyoung, and he knows they aren’t destined mates, but he’s made living and working on land and at sea work all these years, he could possibly make having a relationship with Wooyoung work–couldn’t he?
That’s where Hongjoong’s opinion was necessary. San wanted assurance from Hongjoong that he could make this work with Wooyoung before pursuing the office assistant / patient coordinator. Hongjoong had more experience, and even if they were destined mates, most of the other precautions he needed to have a successful interspecies relationship could be met. At least San hoped.
Hongjoong only laughed, because it seemed so obvious to him.
He knew San and Wooyoung had been dancing around each other for years. He knew they both had some underlying fear about being together, knowing from their jobs the rate at which a relationship like theirs would be successful, or typically, unsuccessful. They relied on their friendship, accepting that to be as far as their relationship would ever go, even if it was pretty obvious to everyone they wanted more.
No matter how much Wooyoung pretended like he didn’t. Hongjoong knew.
So once he was done laughing, he finally told San that he had learned to facilitate a relationship with a merman, and that it was he and Wooyoung who were the ones telling him not long ago how to do it, so San should be perfectly capable of navigating one of his own. He told the green eyed merman he was a strong merman that was very in tune with the ocean, and that even if they were not destined mates, San would be able to find balance between the land and sea like he had been for years.
And ultimately, he trusted San. He trusted Wooyoung. He knew it had been years of the two dancing around each other. San had eyes for no one else, and the likeness of him ever finding eyes for anyone else was extremely low.
In his opinion, they were already a perfect pair.
They started a relationship soon after that night, and Hongjoong and Seonghwa made it a point to invite the other couple on their weekend excursions out to sea, allowing them all to be together and to bond where San and Seonghwa could be happy, combining their two loves.
That is how they find themselves now, at least Hongjoong and Seonghwa. The four went out about a half mile offshore in Hongjoong’s boat like they do most weekends. San and Wooyoung have already made it into the water, and have been below the surface for quite a while.
The destined pair are sitting off the end of the boat, feet dangling in the water, basking in the sun that’s shining through the clouds on the pleasant, early summer afternoon. The merman hasn’t made it into the water today, and Hongjoong is beginning to grow curious as to why.
“Are you going to take a swim?” Hongjoong questions, nudging the merman’s sweat soaked body that is glistening under the warm sun.
“Maybe not today,” Seonghwa replies, and Hongjoong tilts his head in confusion, leaning back on his arm.
“Why not?” Hongjoong asks, because it's unlike Seonghwa to pass on a swim.
“If I’m being honest,” Seonghwa says, leaning forward to look at Hongjoong. “They’ve been down there for quite a while…and they haven’t even bothered to see why we haven’t joined.”
“You don’t think–”
“I wouldn’t put it past them,” Seonghwa says, cracking a smile and Hongjoong grimaces.
“But the water doesn’t call to you? Your merman doesn’t feel called to it?” Hongjoong asks, not wanting to dwell on the thought of San and Wooyoung doing not so innocent things below the surface in a pocket of air San has conjured.
Seonghwa scoots closer, his shoulder rubbing against Hongjoong’s as he settles beside him. Hongjoong looks up at him curiously, waiting for Seonghwa’s answer. He is always asking if the merman is alright, encouraging him to take a swim or accompany San for a few days with their clan. He does this as a rehabilitation specialist, and Seonghwa’s lover.
“The sea isn’t the only thing that calls to me,” Seonghwa says, brushing his body against Hongjoong deliberately once more.
“Your merman isn’t calling you home?” Hongjoong questions, always curious about how the merman is feeling.
Seonghwa smiles at him, a genuine smile that Hongjoong loves oh so much. He can’t help but smile back, meeting the blue eyes he’s fallen in love with.
“It
is
calling me home,” Seonghwa says, and Hongjoong’s eyes soften. “To you.”