"Do you think he's ok?" San asked while staring out over the lake.

"Yes, I'm positive he is still just as fine as when you asked us five minutes ago." Yeosang sighed. "Would you pay attention and help us finish please?"

"Sorry, sorry." San ran over to help Jongho hammer a few stakes for their tents into the ground. "He's just been gone for sometime now..."

His friends exchanged a playful smile before returning to their work.

San knew he was being silly. Wooyoung was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. But there was something about the way he just swam off without a backward glance that made San's heart ache.

Is that what would happen when they reached the ocean?

Before he knew it, San was using the collar of his shirt to dry his eyes.

Yeosang stopped working once more and moved to stand in front of him. "Sannie..." He twisted his lips to the side for a moment and San knew he was about to get one of those 'brotherly love' talks. "Have you told him how you feel?"

That was not the question San was expecting. His eyes grew wide and he could feel himself getting flustered under his friend's inquisitive gaze.

"I'll take that as a no." Yeosang grabbed the back of his neck with both hands and sighed. "San... What are you doing?"

"I don't know anymore, Sangie. This is all such a mess... But I do know I want what's best for him, and if that means having to let him go... then I will."

"But what about your happiness?"

San stepped forward to pull the older into a hug, which prompted Yeosang to wrap his arms around San's shoulders. "I'll find happiness again if I need to. And I'm always happy knowing I have my brother looking after me."

"Oh shut up." Yeosang mumbled, then pushed his nose into San's neck.

"Have you told Jongho how you feel yet?"

Yeosang tensed and tried to pull away, but San hugged him tighter to keep him there. "You are not turning this around on me. Our situations are completely different."

"I'll make you a deal. We have all weekend, so let's make it our goal to not leave until we both confess."

The older sucked in a breath, then nodded once. "Deal."

After they broke apart, the three of them finished setting up their campsite. Jongho had brought two tents, which they spaced out for some privacy, and things needed for a campfire.

San was in the process of digging a hole when he heard a loud splash come from the lake and a bright, "Sannie!"

He dropped them small shovel and immediately ran to the shoreline.

Wooyoung beamed as he dragged himself into shallow water. His long tail swished behind him, stirring up the water and dirt around it. But even with the water getting murky, San could see that his scales were already a more vibrant shake of purple and red.

"How are you feeling?" San asked as he rolled up his pants. He hissed when his toes first touched the water. It was colder than he remembered... but he forced himself forward so he could crouch in front of the merman.

"Wonderful! It's strange and different, but beautiful too!" Wooyoung's smile grew as he spoke. "The fish aren't as friendly, though."

San laughed, loving that the fish were a concern to Wooyoung. "Well they aren't used to having other things in their home. Plus humans come here to go fishing and will sometimes paddle board or canoe, but it's too cold for us to stay in the water for very long."

"What's a paddle board?" Wooyoung looked over his shoulder as if he was searching for one.

"It's, um, something we stand on to float in the water."

"You can stand on water?" The merman's mouth opened in wonder and looked down at his tail.

"Not really. It's complicated." San laughed nervously, then shivered.

Wooyoung let out a little whine as his eyes fell on San's reddening legs. "San..."

"I'm f-fine. But really, how are you feeling?"

"Refreshed, in so many ways. It feels amazing to be able to swim and stretch out. And my gills!" Wooyoung sighed happily.

That's when San realized he hadn't really been able to interact with Wooyoung much in this form. He bit his lip and shyly reached forward to touch the merman's neck right below his gills.

It looked so unnatural, the way the four gills sliced his neck open on either side. They started just behind his ears and curved down to each side of his neck.

Wooyoung shivered at his touch but didn't say anything.

"Ha-" San stumbled over his words when guilt started to claw at his throat. "Has it hurt you to breathe above water?"

The softest smile tugged at Wooyoung's lips. "I've been just fine, I promise. But I think you need to get out of the water, you're shaking."

Now that the merman pointed it out, San realized his entire body was trembling. It was late enough in the day that the area they were in was shaded, so that didn't help. But... "I don't want to leave you." He said in a tiny voice.

Wooyoung's eyes grew round with adoration and he rolled himself over, using his elbows to prop himself up, and studied his tail.

It swished back and forth experimentally, the s tarted to glow.

"Woo? What are you doing?" San stood up and looked around. His heart started to race at the thought of someone noticing the glow, especially when it enveloped the merman's entire body and shined brighter.

Both Yeosang and Jongho ran over, calling out to find out what was happening as San back peddled out of the lake.

Soon all three of them were staring with open mouths as Wooyoung appeared before them in his human form, wearing the shirt San had lent him all those months ago.

The merman clapped his hands before running forward to jump into San's arms.

They spun in circles, laughing and crying, and sent a spiral of water around them from Wooyoung's feet.

No words could express how happy San was right now. Feeling Wooyoung against him like this was something he had been dreaming of for so long.

When he started to feel dizzy, San stopped spinning and they hurried back to shore where Jongho was the next one to give Wooyoung a hug.

"that was incredible!" Yeosang said, his eyes still wide in shock. "But are you going to be alright?"

Wooyoung nodded from where he was tucked into San's side. "I think so! Being able to swim like that really recharged me. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stay like this, but the fact I can change is a good start!" The merman looked at the large over San's shoulder. "How long are we going to be here?"

"All day tomorrow and Sunday, then most of Monday. I asked for it off so we could have a little more time." Jongho said.

Wooyoung sucked his lower lip into his mouth and hummed. "I wonder if I'll be better by then."

San's forehead creased and his eyes flicked to Yeosang. His heart hurt when he started to think about having to say goodbye so soon.

Then the merman tightened his grip on San and pressed his nose to San's neck with a whine so soft San knew only he heard it.

He took that as a sign to change the subject. "Who's hungry?"

"Me!" Wooyoung said immediately. "What are we having?"

Jongho waived them over to the fire pit he had finished for San. The crackling fire called to San and he hurried over to sit in front of it, loving how much it heated up his chilled body.

They all watched as Jongho placed a metal grate over the flames, then started placing sausages on it to start cooking them. He also pulled out some slabs of beef while Yeosang started tearing off pieces of lettuce so they could have wraps. They also heated up a container of rice, using the flames to warm it through.

Once again, Wooyoung marveled over the meal and how much he loved the flavors humans could make. His favorite part was how he could make everything himself, which also led him to trying to steal more meat for himself whenever he could.

Which led to him him slowly reaching forward with his lips pushed out in a pout, acting as if the others couldn't see him. He'd retreat with his prize just as slowly, then stuffed it in a lettuce wrap before devouring it.

San couldn't help but watch everything the merman did with the shyest smile. He loved how easily Wooyoung fit in with them, but he also stood out so much in his own adorable way.

And the best part hadn't even happened yet.

When Yeosang pulled out some marshmallows, Wooyoung's eyes absolutely sparkled when he watched them turn a golden brown.

Yeosang handed the stick over, then walked Wooyoung through how to make a s'more.

At first Wooyoung watched his every move, but he quickly became distracted with poking the marshmallow. When a section came away on his finger, he cried out and held his finger out to San. "What happened?!"

"You're fine." San giggled and shook his head. "Marshmallows are sticky. Try it."

Wooyoung glanced at his finger, up at San, then back at his finger again before sticking it in his mouth and sucking on it for a second.

San could see the exact moment that Wooyoung realized he liked the sugary treat. He started to bounce in place, then tore more chucks of the marshmallow away, licking his fingers to get everything off them.

Both Jongho and Yeosang stopped what they were doing to watch Wooyoung devour the treat before they started roasting more marshmallows for Wooyoung.

They spent the time talking about nothing or answering any questions Wooyoung had for them. Right now they were geared around the area, what camping was, and anything he could think of pertaining to camping.

He shared that merfolk did nothing like camping. The ocean was too dangerous for them to sleep anywhere but their own pod or at another pod's home.

"What makes it so dangerous?" San asked with a thick voice.

"Mostly sharks. The bigger ones stay deep in the ocean and that's where we make our homes." Wooyoung fiddled with his fingers. "There are stories of sea creatures bigger than we could ever imagine, which honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. There is so much about the ocean that even we don't know. Mother Atargatis protects us, though, and we follow her guidelines to save safe."

"Mother Atargatis?" Yeosang leaned forward. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"She was the first mermaid and our guide to everything we know. She gives us strength and is someone we can turn to if we need strength."

"The first mermaid... Oh!" Yeosang sat up and looked at the others. "I think I read something about her once!"

"What?" Wooyoung gasped.

"To us she is a myth. I was doing some research on ancient gods and goddesses from other countries for school once and I came across her. I think she was an Assyrian Goddess." Yeosang hummed and looked up at the sky. "The goddess of... the moon, water, and femininity! So that makes sense!"

"Wow, Sangie, I can't believe you remember that." San teased. He hardly remembered anything from his school days.

His friend blushed and purposefully didn't look at Jongho. "Well, I found that unit really interesting."

Wooyoung leaned into San's side and gazed into the fire. "I can't believe there's something that actually connects us."

San hummed and kissed the side of his head, then let out a big yawn.

Jongho copied him and stretched his arms over his head. "Yup. I hear you there." They all chuckled. "So, um... since Woo is human right now..." He cleared his throat and rubbed his foot against the ground. "Do you want to sleep with me in my tent Sangie?"

The older's blushed intensified and he sputtered over his words for several seconds before succumbing to a nod. The two of them decided to avoid the awkwardness by cleaning up the campsite and shooing San and Wooyoung off to their tent when they offered to help.

San didn't fight them. He happily pulled Wooyoung behind him to the tent closer to the water and sighed happily when they laid down at the same time.

Wooyoung was quick to press his entire body against San's, nuzzling in and pressing soft kisses against any part of San's skin he could reach. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Youngie. God, I missed this so much." San tightened his grip on the boy.

He never wanted to let Wooyoung go.

Never...

Could he actually take the merman back to his home? San was starting to doubt he had the strength to do it. He knew it would be so painful. And he was a selfish person...

He didn't want to say goodbye again.