sadly, today was the day mark's friends were leaving...

"don't be sad hyuckie!" chenle said, lifting donghyuck's head. "we'll see each other soon!"

donghyuck hummed before lowering his head again.

noticing his behaviour, mark wrapped a hand around his waist to comfort him, which worked.

"i'm sorry, but we'll have a chat with donghyuck for a minute." jaemin said pulling odnghyuck of mark's grip.

donghyuck found himself facing jaemin and jeno in the kitchen.

"we were very happy to meet you donghyuck. these days have been really cool." jeno said smiling.

"yes! and also, we wanted to thank you a lot, donghyuck." jaemin continued.

"to thank me? what for?"

the couple exchanged a look.

"we don't know where you come from or how you ended up here, but you did, and you managed to bring happiness into mark's life. his family background is messy, and when hanging out with us, he's always alone, like i have jeno, chenle has jisung, but mark didn't have anyone..."

"however, he is happier right now. and that's thanks to you. so, we needed to thank you." jeno finished.

donghyuck smiled before engulfing the two boys in a hug, the skin ship not causing him problems anymore.

"i really like mark. he's so kind with me... he really takes care of me well, and i am so happy he was the one who found me. i... i think i love him..." donghyuck confessed.

"GUYS!" chenle yelled from the other room.

"don't worry donghyuck. he likes you a lot as well. you're precious in his eyes." jeno smiled before going back to the others.

"so... yeah, let's go." jisung said patting mark's shoulder.

mark ruffled chenle's hair and high-fived jeno and jaemin.

donghyuck hugged the boys, one after the other, not forgetting to thank jeno and jaemin again.

he then got to mark's side, leaning in his touch as they were both standing outside the door, waving at their friends.

they looked like a couple there. well, actually, more than a simple couple, they looked like a happy couple, a one in which each person sees the other as home.

ψ

"you want to go for a swim?" mark asked donghyuck.

the merman nodded, taking off his shirt and opening the window of mark's room before jumping from there inside the pool, scaring mark.

once he saw the merman happily playing in the water, he put on his own swimming trunks and jumped in the pool from the window as well.

donghyuck and mark had fun in the water, playing like children until thunder resonated in the grey sky and cold-water droplets fell from the heavy clouds.

they continued playing despite the bad weather until the rain got heavier.

"shouldn't we go in?" mark asked over the noise of the droplets against the salted water of the pool.

"why?" donghyuck raised a brow.

"the rain is cold. we're going to be sick." mark explained.

donghyuck smiled and raised one of his hand, moving it in a circular motion, and soon, no water fell on mark and donghyuck. actually, it was still raining, but donghyuck had created what seemed to be a water shield above the pool, preventing the cold rain from falling on them.

"woah!" mark exclaimed amazed by what the merman could do. "how can you do that?"

"rain is water. and i can control water. it's the particularity of mermaids." donghyuck explained.

"you're truly amazing." mark said, looking at donghyuck.

the merman chuckled. "i know."

"and you're beautiful." mark added.

donghyuck blushed. "t-thank you..."

mark swam towards him, engulfing him in a hug.

"i am the luckiest person on earth to have found you..." mark whispered. "you're so precious. i'd like to keep you forever..."

well, this comment made donghyuck remember one thing...

he had nine days left above the surface. nine only.

this rule obligating mermen to go above the surface for one month was seriously the stupidest thing ever.

but what was even more stupid was prohibiting them to go back above the surface after... this was nonsense.

how could donghyuck see mark again?

did that mean that donghyuck has only nine days left to spend with mark before disappearing and never coming back?

he couldn't do that.

jaemin and jeno had told him how much mark had changed with him. he couldn't leave him this way.

and for a short instant, donghyuck really wanted to be the king to change that rule...

"princess?" mark asked worriedly. "i'm sorry, i shouldn't have said that. i know that you don't want to stay here. i know you're willing to go back to your world. i'm sorry..."

mark didn't expect donghyuck to burst into tears, but as soon as he heard the younger's cries, he brought him to a place he could stand without drowning in the pool and carried him bridal style as the merman was muffling his cries with mark's neck.

"what's wrong donghyuck?" mark asked softly, caressing his cheek.

donghyuck pulled out his head from mark's neck, allowing the human to see his face.

the boy was gorgeous. even while crying. he was perfect.

"m-mark..." donghyuck mumbled.

"yes princess?"

and donghyuck said the sentence he thought he would never pronounce.

"...i need to find the trident."

ψ

"mark! i'm back!" youngsu's voice called.

mark got up to his feet, being careful not to wake donghyuck who had fallen asleep on his shoulder while watching a film.

both boys had agreed that it would be impossible for them to enjoy the few days they had left having to hide. so, mark would explain donghyuck was a friend who had difficulties with his parents and that mark had offered him to stay with yongsu and himself.

"hello yongsu, how was your trip?" mark asked, helping his uncle with the luggage.

"interesting but tiring. we found lots of..." he stopped mid-sentence when he saw an unknown boy sleeping on the sofa "...things."

mark stood next to him, realising why he had stopped abruptly. "oh, yeah..."

"boyfriend, huh?" youngsu raised a brow, eyes on the boy sleeping on his sofa wearing only one of mark's shirt and some boxers. "i see you had fun." he added motioning the boy's hickey filled neck.

mark blushed. "n-no. he's just a friend." well, mark would like them to be more than that...

"a precious friend then."

mark rubbed his nape "yeah..."

"is he staying over for dinner?" yongsu asked taking a look at his wristwatch. it was almost 7:00pm, time to cook dinner.

"actually..." mark started not looking at his uncle. "can he stay with us for a bit, please? his situation with his parents is kind of complicated and he needed time far from home."

"oh. is it that serious?"

mark fidgeted with his fingers while nodding.

"okay then. he can stay with us. have you given him my bedroom to sleep?"

mark shook his head. "he sleeps with me."

"okay. i'll go prepare dinner. we're eating in an hour approximatively. you guys have time to shower if you want." yongsu was leaving towards the kitchen but stopped when mark called his name. "yes mark?"

"please, don't ask him to talk about his life too much. he'll... have problems telling you."

yongsu nodded. "don't worry, i'll let you cut my speech if i'm going too far."

mark walked to donghyuck, who was snoring cutely in the same position mark had left him. mark passed his hands under the merman's thighs, lacing the boy's arms around his neck and laying his sleepy head on his shoulder.

he walked up to his room, donghyuck still asleep, and attempted to lay the boy down on his bed, but the sleeping boy refused to let go the boy carrying him.

that's how mark ended on his bed, with a sleeping donghyuck clutching on him like a koala. donghyuck's breathing was steady and it felt warm and soothing against the skin of mark's neck. mark took this opportunity to admire the boy in his arms.

this creature was really perfect.

"i don't know what i did to deserve you coming in my life..." mark mumbled caressing the boy's head. "it has only been days, and i'm already head over heels for you." mark spoke gently to let the beauty sleep peacefully without being disturbed.

in the end, mark had awoken donghyuck for dinner. they had eaten with yongsu who had cooked fish for donghyuck's greatest pleasure. dinner had gone well, donghyuck had been silent, listening to mark and his uncle's bickering.

after dinner, yongsu had gone to bed due to his tiredness because of the trip, leaving mark and donghyuck alone.

they had decided to go to sleep as well; even if donghyuck has slept a big part of the afternoon, he was tired, and mark was as well.

"i'll go prepare a bath for you." mark said to donghyuck who was sitting on his bed.

"a bath?" the merman raised a brow.

"yeah, for you to sleep. or do you prefer the pool?"

donghyuck rose to his feet, and caught mark's hand which was about to open the bathroom's door. "i prefer sleeping with you." he said with a smile.

mark smiled back at him before pulling his shirt off and getting under the covers, donghyuck by his side.

"you don't mind me sleeping here?"

mark switched off the only source of light of the room and wrapped his hand around the merman's waist to pull him closer. "of course not, princess. i like when you're sleeping with me."

donghyuck smiled and cuddled more into mark's bare chest, leaving an innocent kiss on his muscular torso before drifting to dreamland.