Chapter 24

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Jungkook sighed when he felt the familiar sand under his feet as he followed Taehyung to the beach. He couldn't believe he had let himself be convinced. It was just like always. One gaze that looked almost innocent on Taehyung and Jungkook let himself be swept away.

Maybe he was just stupid. There wasn't any other explanation for it, if he was being honest. This was clear stupidity and yet he did it again and again. Maybe he deserved it if, at one point, Taehyung were to decide to drown him.

Like so many times before he sat down by the rocks where Taehyung had first pulled him out of the water. Jungkook could still remember that night so vividly. Probably because of all the times he had dreamt about it since then.

Over there was the rock Jungkook had woken up on. His knees still hurt at the memory of them scraping over the stone when he had tried to run away. Right next to it was the spot Jungkook had emptied his stomach from... it was funny how that had been both only and already a little more than a month ago. It just felt so distant and close at the same time.

The siren was still with him, which had made it one of the longest months in Jungkook's life, but at the same time, he had a hard time believing it had already been that long. Jungkook knew close to nothing about Taehyung aside from the fact that he had a way friendlier brother who had found himself a human and was actually trying, unlike Taehyung.

Also he liked eating humans.

Jungkook watched as Taehyung stripped out of his clothes, his pale skin almost white in the sunlight. He wondered why that was. Jimin's skin had been relatively normal. With almost something of a sunkissed glow, but Taehyung was deadly pale, almost like a ghost.

He didn't even know such simple things. Taehyung knew exactly what Jungkook did all day long, what his life consisted of, and probably a frighteningly lot more because Jungkook tended to ramble a lot when he was talking to Taehyung.

He quickly lifted his hands up to shield his face when Taehyung jumped into the water, splashing it everywhere. Jungkook looked around, taking in the area. This was new, actually. Usually they only went to the beach when night time had already come around.

Probably to conceal Taehyung or maybe Taehyung preferred hunting in the dark. No matter which one it was... right now it was the middle of the day. Admittedly it was quite cloudy and rainy, which meant there wasn't going to be anyone at this beach which wasn't even that well visited on an average day, but still, it was day.

Not that it really made a difference to Jungkook. Whatever Taehyung was doing right now was his thing and Jungkook wasn't going to rack his brain over the question if Taehyung could pull humans into the ocean in broad daylight without being seen. That was not a place he wanted to explore with his mind.

After one last glance at the part of ocean Taehyung had disappeared in he pulled his phone from his pocket to read some of the notes he had started to intentionally take pictures of just so he could read them while Taehyung was keeping him at the beach.

Focused on the task at hand he barely noticed when Taehyung's head poked out of the water again. Just ten minutes after he had left, which was not the way it normally went. Usually he was gone for at least three hours and, if Jungkook was unlucky, even closer to six.

So when he heard the familiar drag of scales against the stone as Taehyung pulled himself back onto proper ground, it took Jungkook a couple of seconds to combine both the fact that no, this couldn't have been three hours, and 'Taehyung is back' in his head.

"What- Are you... already done?" Jungkook couldn't stop his eyes from moving down for just a second. Taehyung's body was perfectly toned. Strong muscles, probably because of the fact that it was very likely he wrestled sharks in his free time, but at the same time he was petite.

Especially with his glowing skin and long hair falling into his gray eyes that made him almost look like an angel. Maybe aside from the claws and scales that left scratches on the stone they scraped across. Fucking scary.

But Taehyung shook his head, his wet hair sticking to his forehead, pearls of water slowly dripping down the sides of his face, looking way to fucking good. It was ridiculous. This was the kind of in water attractive commercials always tried to sell while no one ever actually looked good with wet hair... aside from Taehyung at least.

"Okay? Why are you here then?" Jungkook asked, a little nervous now. Unusual behavior was never good with Taehyung...

But then Taehyung stretched his clawed hand out towards Jungkook... and Jungkook realized he was holding something. "Here." Jungkook felt a little weird when Taehyung smiled at him again. Especially with all the sharp teeth and claws.

He just didn't know how to react. So he just hesitantly reached his hand out, not sure what to expect, when Taehyung dropped the thing into his hand. Surprisingly careful with his claws.

Jungkook couldn't get himself to look away from them until Taehyung had pulled his hand all the way back. Only then did he look down at his own hand. At the surprisingly large shell Taehyung had brought him. It was one of those curling in on themselves. Going by the weight in his hand it was empty of a living animal.

Hesitantly Jungkook brought his finger up to brush over the shell's exterior, the rough surface similar to the rocks he was sitting on, just a little less chaotic. Actually following a certain pattern.

"Uh-" He had no fucking clue what to make of this. "What... is this for?"

He looked back at Taehyung, who was mustering his face closely. When Jungkook looked up at him, he nodded in his direction. "It's yours."

Now Jungkook was just completely lost. Why?

"Uh... thank you?" He watched as Taehyung furrowed his brows, seemingly displeased, before slipping back into the water without a word. Jungkook wondered if maybe he had done something wrong? Was this something sirens communicated with? Had Jungkook just disrespected Taehyung again?

And then, just a few minutes later, Taehyung's head popped up again. And Jungkook got handed another shell. And then another. And another. When Jungkook had about five different shells lying on the flat stone to his left and Taehyung seemed to grow more agitated and frustrated by the second he decided to call for help from the one person he knew who could maybe answer his questions.

Jungkook
Jimin I need your help

Jungkook
This is getting kind of creepy and I'm not sure if the fact that I keep getting more and more shells from Taehyung means I'm about to get sacrificed

Jungkook
And I'm fucking terrified

Jungkook
There isn't some sort of siren tradition that you gift your victims with shells, is there?

Jungkook
Please translate the siren here because I don't speak it and aaaaah

Jimin
Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft

Jimin
Omg Tae is bringing you shells?!

Jimin
I'm cackling

Jimin
I'm sorry I can't translate

Jimin
That's not siren behavior

Jimin
That's all Tae and it's funny af

Jimin
But if I had to interpret it... I'd take the wild guess that no it doesn't mean he wants to sacrifice you

Jimin
After yesterday I'd see it as maybe an apology?

Jimin
Taehyung knows humans like shells and these types of things

Jimin
I think he's trying to be nice and make you happy?

Jungkook
Kinda hard to believe tbh

Jungkook
But yeah... I guess that wooould make more sense than some sort of sacrifice

Jimin
On that topic

Jimin
You know Tae was here all day yesterday and I know pretty much most of the stuff that happened now

Jimin
Maybe it would be good for you to establish some rules with him

Jimin
Because to you they might be obvious, but they aren't to him

Jimin
He doesn't know your limits so this kind of stuff can happen

Jimin
I think he would be willing to listen right now

Jimin
Sit down with him and tell him your boundaries straight to his face

Jimin
Your okays and hard nos

Jimin
If he's not willing to work with one of them he'll probably tell you that straight up too, but it's good to establish some mutual understanding

Jimin
Because I know he has been trying these last weeks

Jimin
He's really trying not to make you too uncomfortable

Jimin
And that seriously means something

Jimin
Don't be that scared of him and talk to him. Don't exactly be respectless but you don't have to watch every word you say okay?

Jungkook
Idk

Jungkook
He is scary

Jungkook
But I think I will try to establish my boundaries with him

Jungkook
I can try

Jimin
Good<3

Jungkook
Also

Jungkook
I kinda snapped at him yesterday

Jungkook
I was drunk and said a couple of rlly disrespectful things

Jimin
And you're alive:) Take that as reassurance that you can talk to him, okay?

Jimin
And if you said something you didn't mean... maybe apologize?

Jimin
Honestly that's up to you but I just really hope this will work out for both of you

Jungkook
Me too:/

A/N

Guys this story has reached 50K words and with that is officially longer than siren! Also this is somewhat of a turning point in the story~

Anyways to celebrate all that I thought I'd do a little something and I hope maybe some people wanna do it. I wanted to ask if maybe we wanted to make a small fanart special. I recently commissioned a artist to draw Tete for me and I think I'll attempt drawing him too and I'd love if some guys of you tried to.

I wanna make a small chapter just with fanart of Taehyung because I love seeing him if ya'll get that! Is anyone down for that and wants to try? I'd also link whatever social media you want under the drawing so people can find you! I just thought it would be kind of nice!

Maybe it will flop idk akjsddfsadh I'd shower everyone who participates with love slkafshdf

But now aside from that I also plan posting another chapter today and it's loooong so look forward to that!