three days passed quickly.

quicker than donghyuck expected at least.

in the blink of an eye, donghyuck was on his 29thday above the surface. in less than 24 hours, the boy would be able to go back under the sea, with his own people, where he truly belonged.

since their confession, mark and donghyuck had been glued together, never leaving the other's side, and sometimes stealing kisses.

donghyuck was happy. he truly was. but as the same time, he couldn't hide the disappointment he had knowing perfectly that he wouldn't be able to see mark again.

donghyuck had exchanged flying fish with renjun during the past days. he had told him about how he was feeling. he told him about their kiss. he also told him about the hickeys. well, donghyuck was madly in love with the human, and it wasn't hard to notice.

mark and him had continued their researches about the trident. however, they had found noting relevant. this object could be anywhere on earth. and considering donghyuck had only hours left, he couldn't travel around the world hoping to find the trident.

however, the idea of not going back under the sea after 30 days did cross his mind. this would mean donghyuck will be condemned to live above the surface, and, in this way, be with mark more... but, donghyuck knew perfectly he didn't belong to this world. he had renjun down there, and he couldn't abandon him...

why were mermaids' rules this awful?

well, the real question was why did humans steal the trident?

once again, everything is humans' fault.

honestly. they have everything they want up there, so why bothering stealing the symbol of royalty of another people?

mark and donghyuck had days and nights looked for more information about it.

mark had told donghyuck about museums, a place in which old object are presented. they had searched on the internet – which donghyuck didn't know as well – the different exhibitions all over the world. but none of them had a thing to do with the stolen trident.

donghyuck was seriously losing hope.

every day, he approached more his deadline.

youngsu and him had talked again about mermaids, but none of the things mark's uncle would say interested donghyuck.

actually, it scared him more than anything else.

how could a human being know this much on a people that is supposed to be mythical?

what scared him even more is talking to him while knowing perfectly that if he was busted, he would be captured. yongsu was a chaser, and donghyuck was his prey in disguise.

"princess? what are you thinking about?" mark asked, going out of his bathroom with a towel covering only his lower body.

donghyuck who was having negative thoughts pushed them aside to admire the man he loved so much.

"are you okay?" mark approached the boy on the bed, and caressed his cheek.

donghyuck nodded smiling.

mark smiled back and got to put his pyjamas on. he came back and snuggled inside the bed, just next to donghyuck. the merman immediately cuddled in the human's bare chest, feeling good. the atmosphere was tense but silent.

"when are you going to leave tomorrow?" mark asked after a while.

he knew perfectly this would let to tears, but these words had to be said. by either donghyuck or mark. one of them had to bring that topic up. and donghyuck felt relieved that mark did, because he didn't feel like starting himself.

"probably in the morning." donghyuck replied flatly.

"this means our last moment together is right now..."

donghyuck nodded, tears slowly yet painfully forming in his eyes.

"let's enjoy it then." mark pulled donghyuck so that the mermaid was laying on top of him. without so much difficulty, mark sat against the headboard, carrying donghyuck with him and sitting him on his thighs.

"please smile princess." mark ask caressing the boy's waist.

"how can i smile when i know i will lose you?"

mark's eyes watered at those words, but he didn't let any tear fall. he had to be strong. strong for donghyuck.

"you won't lose me princess." mark smiled. "i will always be here." he put his hand over donghyuck's chest, just where the heart is located. "and you, donghyuck, will always be here." mark finished, patting his own chest.

"b-but... we won't see each other..."

"donghyuck, my princess... we will find a way. i can come to the ocean, so that you don't have to go above the surface." mark explained.

"you can't breathe underwater... and... i live in the depths..." donghyuck started sobbing again, careful not to let any tear fall on his body so that he won't transform.

mark sighed. he knew everything would be difficult for the two of them from now on, but he couldn't really do anything...

"be my boyfriend, princess. this way, we will be linked." 

donghyuck nodded. "yes. i'll be your boyfriend." 

mark bent to plant a delicate kiss on his forehead, rocking the boy in his arms. 

"m-mark?" donghyuck raised his head to have an eye contact with the human.

"yes?"

donghyuck took his necklace off and placed it around mark's neck.

"take my necklace. and keep it with you. this way, you'll always have a part of me with you." donghyuck swept away his tears with his shirt. mark took the shell pendant of the necklace and opened it, revealing the picture of a happy donghyuck and his best friend.

diverting his eyes back on the crying beauty, mark pulled him closer to his chest and hugged him tight.

"donghyuck. you can't imagine how much i love you." mark told, looking right in the merman's eyes. "i'm sorry we couldn't find the trident. it hurts me so much to know i will have to let you go..."

donghyuck was about to lower his head but mark prevented him to do so by cupping his cheeks.

donhyuck's eyes wandered between mark's glossy eyes and his tempting lips, and after seconds of hesitation, he gave in. donghyuck crashed his lips against mark's, the older boy responding to the kiss immediately. it would be one of their last kisses. and it was killing both of them just to think about it.

both boys started crying again, while kissing, making donghyuck transform almost instantly. mark secured the merman on his lap as the kissed like there was no tomorrow, because, for them, there wouldn't be any tomorrow...

mark and donghyuck falling asleep in each other's embrace, mark's legs entangled with donghyuck's red scaly tail, their arms around their lover's torso, and faces inches apart.

it was the end. the end of human mark and merman donghyuck, but none of them wanted to accept that idea...

ψ

donghyuck woke up, his eyes hurting because of all the tears he had let go out of his eyes the night prior.

he sat in the bed and looked around, sad not to see mark next to him. shuffling around, he noticed a piece of paper on mark's pillow. taking a closer look, donghyuck understood it was a letter. a goodbye letter...

donghyuck, my princess

you came into my life so suddenly, i didn't know what to think at first. you appeared in my life, making me question a lot because of your specie, and honestly scaring me.

but after that, we talked more, we got closer.

i was no longer scared of you... i was amazed by you.

you truly made me happy. remember this time to ate a raw fish in front of the fisherman?

i was so happy to teach you things about my world. and well... i started to like you. i felt the urge to protect you. i didn't want anything to happened to you.

i remember that day i spat all the salted water on you at the café. i felt so bad knowing you were going to transform in public. and the same happened when we were with the boys.

i don't know what you did to me donghyuck... are mermaids able to do sorcery? because you clearly did something to me.

your innocence is making me go cray.

your beauty is making me go crazy.

your actions are making me go crazy.

everything about you is making me go crazy.

i fell in love with you donghyuck. i did, even if i knew we would have to part ways.

please, know that you will always be in my heart, and that i will never forget you.

you brought too much sun in my dull life for me to forget you...

i'll keep and cherish your necklace, it will be my only proof of your stay above the surface.

i'm very sorry donghyuck. when you'll read this letter, i'll be at jaemin's. i left early this morning because i knew perfectly that if i had stayed, i wouldn't have let you leave. i'm sorry. i know it will hurt you, it hurts me as well, but this way, it will be easier for both of us to part. i told my uncle you would go back to your parents since the situation was better.

donghyuck, you changed my life.

thank you so much for having accepted me during this whole month.

it was, by far, the best month of my life.

please, stay safe under the surface.

i love you my princess.

your human boyfriend, mark