Chapter 13

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To his surprise, Taehyung fell asleep after this as well. Simply closing his eyes and dozing off. Jungkook certainly was jealous, considering how bad his sleep had been recently. Riddled with nightmares and fever dreams. At this point, he really didn't feel like going to sleep anymore.

It was a pest.

"We're here." This time Taehyung didn't startle out of his sleeping state. Instead, he tiredly blinked at Jungkook, looking a bit disoriented for a second before he seemed to realize where they were. It had to be midnight by now.

The streets were mostly empty aside from a few drunk kids who probably went to the same college as Jungkook. How much he wished he could be one of them. Just drinking and hanging out, not giving a shit about anything.

Taehyung seemed to notice him staring off into the distance and moved next to him, looking at him questioningly.

Jungkook sighed. "It's nothing."

The boy certainly didn't look like he believed him, but he didn't ask. How could he after all?

"Fuck, I'm tired." Jungkook dropped his wallet and phone onto his desk before moving to the wardrobe to pick out some clothes to sleep in. He only realized that Taehyung hadn't followed him to his room when he had already finished changing.

It was a little weird since Taehyung had been following him around basically every second since this whole thing had started and the only time he hadn't felt like he was being watched twenty-four-seven had been when he'd been sick. So where was Taehyung now?

He found him in the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bathtub, his feet dangling in the water that was slowly filling the tub, looking really pretty. And also really naked.

Jungkook stayed by the door, where he would only see the boy's back and ass. It wasn't like the siren cared too much about privacy and Jungkook had seen his fair share of ass. The image wasn't too shocking.

"What are you doing?"

Taehyung turned around to look at Jungkook, then he pointed at the bathtub. Yeah right. He wouldn't talk.

"Gonna take a bath?" Jungkook changed his question. Actually, it wasn't surprising. The boy had taken a bath almost every day since he had come here, so why would today be any different?

Taehyung nodded, moving his feet a bit, pulling them through the water. Jungkook wondered how they felt in comparison to his tail. From what Jimin had said Taehyung hardly ever left the ocean, so running around with feet had to be really unusual for him.

"Do you need anything?" Jungkook offered because that was what he had been doing these last couple of days. Trying to keep the siren that had decided to live with him at bay. All of this even when he was really tired and all he wanted to do was go to sleep.

Taehyung shook his head, reaching down into the water. For a second Jungkook wondered whether it was warm or cold. It seemed to change depending on the siren's mood. Maybe there even was a reason for it.

He sighed. It was slightly inconvenient that the only way they could actually talk was by using Jimin, who lived more than an hour away.

"Good. If you don't need anything I'll go to bed." Jungkook was about to leave, but something about the way Taehyung glanced around made him wait in place instead. Because Taehyung looked like he wanted to say something when he turned back around again. But of course, nothing left his mouth.

Instead, he slipped into the bathtub that was already half full. Jungkook stayed. He'd never watched Taehyung change. So he stayed there by the door, leaning against the frame.

He knew Taehyung was aware of his presence. The boy seemed to have rather heightened senses and it was pretty obvious that he hadn't left yet, even if Taehyung seemed to be completely focused on the bath.

But before he could watch Taehyung change into the creature he really was they made eye contact and Jungkook suddenly felt like he had to look away. So he did. Because he really didn't want to anger Taehyung.

After a couple of seconds he glanced back into the bathroom to find Taehyung back to the way Jungkook always found him here. With his tail loosely hanging over the edge of the bathtub, his hands clawed, fingers black, eyes that piercing grey and empty.

As always, the eyes were the most unsettling thing about his whole appearance. The lack of pupils really made Jungkook's skin crawl every single time he saw him like this.

He watched as Taehyung extended one of his clawed hands and... gestured him to come closer. Jungkook hesitantly did, now that Taehyung no longer was naked.

And for the first time since they had left Jimin's and Yoongi's place, he realized that things were probably going to get better now. As long as he did what Taehyung asked of him, showing him what living as a human was like, he wasn't going to get killed. This was the safest he had been for days.

Once he was close enough for Taehyung to reach him if he had wanted to, the siren glanced around, searching the corners of the bathtub for something. And he found it.

He handed Jungkook the bowl he had used quite often to help keep Taehyung hydrated while he had been home sick. This was the first time Taehyung was initiating it though.

Jungkook looked at the bowl, then at Taehyung before hesitantly taking it. Where Taehyung had held onto it he noticed soft claw marks on the plastic. Once again Jungkook was left to guess how ridiculously sharp those things had to be.

"You want that grade A service, don't you?" Jungkook sighed, looking at the bowl and then at the small digital clock that was standing next to the sink.

God, it was two am already. It was even later than he had assumed in the first place.

The siren next to him expectantly looked at him and Jungkook couldn't say no for a lot of reasons.

First and foremost, the most obvious. The guy was dangerous. Even if he felt a little safer now that he had gotten answers that didn't change anything about that.

Secondly... he was not just dangerous... he was also very pretty.

And thirdly, the reason Jungkook had the hardest time coming to terms with. Those times Jungkook had done this for him he had looked at peace and comfortable... and Jungkook liked that.

Yes, this siren had almost killed him, but Jungkook was the type who enjoyed seeing other people enjoying themselves. Even if they were creepy creatures from the bottom of the ocean.

"Alright, alright. You owe me though." Jungkook moved to collect that mini bathtub again, which he hadn't even bothered putting away properly in the first place. Instead he had just pushed it into the corner of the bathroom because Taehyung would use it again anyways.

Time passed quickly as he filled it with water. This time Taehyung was the one who moved his tail in there. Jungkook had learned from his mistake. He wasn't going to touch Taehyung's tail again.

Once he was done he moved to sit on the edge of the bathtub, his back facing Taehyung. Yes, he was in reach of Taehyung's claws... even turning away from him, but he was fucking tired and he had long stopped caring.

His head was a mushy mess and he was just going to make sure Taehyung was all comfortable in his mini bathtub and then he could finally go to sleep.

"Your tail looks really cool. It's creepy as fuck, but just looking at it... it's nice." Jungkook muttered as he emptied the bowl for the nth time. "Being a siren must be cool. Not worrying about anything. Being this strong. And also free." Jungkook continued, watching Taehyung's tail twitch. It made him a bit anxious because he knew that if Taehyung wasn't careful he could unintentionally... or even intentionally move too quickly and touch Jungkook... and he already knew all too well how much that hurt.

When he turned to look at Taehyung his head was laying down on the edge of the bathtub and he was curiously watching Jungkook. Something about the way he looked at him right now... felt a lot nicer than usual.

Maybe it was just Jungkook's sleep-deprived brain messing with him, but Taehyung's face looked a lot softer right now. Which was weird to say with all the sharp angles in his features... his sharp, piercing gaze. But something felt different.

"Sorry. I'll have to stop now. My arms are falling asleep right now." Jungkook sighed, putting the bowl down. He was really tired. His eyes kept closing on their own and he really wanted to get some sleep.

But Taehyung didn't let him. Instead, he moved to sit up in the bathtub, the water spilling over the edges of the bathtub as he did. "Stay."

Had Taehyung just said something? Because Jungkook was pretty certain his mouth had moved, but his tired brain barely registered it. Stay. Did Taehyung want him to stay?

Could he suddenly talk after all? Why would he suddenly talk now after they had just visited his brother for that exact same reason?

His voice sounded nice though. Soft, but deep. A bit rough around the edges, but in a soothing way. Wow, he was really putting too much thought into that one word.

"You want me to stay?"

Taehyung nodded, pointing at the floor next to the bathtub before expectantly looking back up at Jungkook.

Jungkook sighed but did as he was told, sitting down by the edge of the bathtub. It was a bit weird. Taehyung had never shown any interest in whether Jungkook was there or not, aside from when he was being spoilt because Jungkook was way too good-natured.

Taehyung grinned, luckily a pretty human-looking grin. Jungkook was certain he would have gotten a heart attack seeing Taehyung's sharp teeth again. The siren moved closer, leaning his head onto the edge of the bathtub right in front of Jungkook... and then he just stared.

It was like he was taking in every small detail of Jungkook's face. And Jungkook couldn't look away, Taehyung's face just had that effect on him. Even with how scary those empty eyes were... something about him seemed to constantly keep drawing Jungkook in. Like he was getting put under a spell.

Which kind of made sense now that he knew that Taehyung was a siren.

He startled out of his thoughts when one of Taehyung's clawed hands came into view. Yeah, those things were scary enough to rip him out of whatever effect Taehyung had on him.

The boy sat up and reached out and everything inside of Jungkook made him want to recoil, move far away, because they really, really scared him, but he didn't. Why he wasn't sure, but he didn't.

Instead, he held his breath as Taehyung put one of his hands on his cheek. He could feel the claws resting against his hair, forehead and ear. And it really was an unnerving sensation. But nothing happened. Taehyung just slowly traced his clawed fingers over Jungkook's face, that unreadable expression still on his face.

And then he just pulled away without another word and made himself comfortable in the bathtub again. Jungkook just stared dumbfoundedly. The ghosts of Tae's claws still on his skin... almost like he could still feel them there, but he knew they weren't anymore.

"That's... do you want anything else or can I go to sleep now?"

Taehyung just waved him off and something about that really annoyed him, but he took it as his permission to go.

He'd finally be getting some sleep.

A/N

Just going to leave this here and let you guys do the talking... what do you think was going on in Taehyung's brain this chapter?<3