All That Glitters is Not Gold (BTS X Reader)

Chapter 12

I felt the heavy weight of warm hands pressing on my chest then a pair of soft lips against my own, forcing a breath into me. I felt a bubbling up in my throat then turned to the side, coughing heavily, salty water spilling from my mouth onto the muddy bank. I collapsed backwards, keeping my eyes closed and trying to calm the racing of my heart and my heavy breaths.

I heard a devastated sob and a high sweet voice call my name. I opened my eyes and saw a familiar bubblegum pink head above me. His beautiful dark eyes were spilling crystal tears that were dripping onto my face and his plush lips were set in a miserable frown. I struggled to give him a small smile as he gathered me in his arms, pulling me into a tight hug.

I heard a cough from somewhere behind me. "Sparkles, give her room to breathe," Hoseok said, his voice dry and slightly irritated.

Jimin ignored him and his arms tightened around me. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice filled with worry. "I was so scared."

I pulled back a little and looked around, struggling to wrap my mind around why I was sitting on the bank, soaking wet. "I don't... I don't even know what happened. What's going on?" I asked, my voice filled with curiosity.

"Um... I think... I think I can help explain that," a deep voice that I didn't recognize said from behind me.

I turned to see a head of bright blue hair and scooted closer to Jimin. "You! You tried to kill me!" I exclaimed, moving as far away as my seated position would allow. My mind flashed with the memory of falling into the water and seeing the flash of bright blue hair right before my lungs gave out.

The blue haired man shook his head frantically, his eyes wide in horror. "No! I promise I didn't! You freed me from the reeds. When you fell into the river, I pulled you out," he said.

"Freed you...?" I started to question then remembered the bright blue tail. "Oh my gosh! You're... you're a siren!" I remembered the grip around my ankle and the beautiful voice that surrounded me below the water. "You tried to drown me!" I struggled to get to my feet, wanting to get as far away from him as possible.

Jin hurried over to, resting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Calm down sweet girl. He is telling the truth," he said, his voice gentle as though he were trying to calm a skittish horse.

Jimin nodded his head, a movement I could feel from my position against his surprisingly firm chest. "As much as I hate to agree with Wings on anything, he's right," he reassured me.

Jin kneeled next to me. "You fell into the river. By the time we got to you it was too late, but he pulled you out of the river. He's the one who saved you," Jin explained.

I turned to the blue haired man and he nodded in confirmation. "Why would you save me? Don't all sirens murder people?" I asked, confused on what had happened under that water.

The blue haired man sighed but gave a quick nod. "Normally yes, but your kind also doesn't normally save us. You saved me, so I knew the right thing to do would be to return the favor," he replied, his voice soft.

"What happened?" I asked, still confused on the events. "The last thing I remember was something grabbing my ankle. Then... then I heard the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard."

"Yes. You were grabbed by a siren, but I... I saved you," the blue haired man replied. "The sound you heard was the Siren Song. It lures people into giving up and ultimately their death."

I nodded my head and waved for him to continue. "So how did you save me?" I questioned, still not sure what was happening. I let out a shiver, a combination of the cold water and the fear that was racing through my veins now that the adrenaline had worn off. I felt Jimin's arms tighten around me and I snuggled closer to his warmth. I heard a low growl from Hoseok, but ignored it.

"After you helped me, I saw you fall in the water. You seemed to be okay, but then I saw you start to struggle. I saw the... the siren who grabbed you. I kicked his hand and he released you," the blue haired man took a deep breath before continuing. "I brought you to the surface and pulled you out of the water."

"I thought you were dead," Jimin wailed. "Your lips were blue and you weren't moving."

I patted the arm that was wrapped tightly around my waist. "I'm okay Jimin," I said, trying to reassure the distraught fairy. I struggled to stand and Hoseok rushed to my side, attempting to help me to my feet. He knocked Jin out of the way and I saw the glare the angel sent his way. "Thanks Hoseok."

Once I was on my feet, I took my first real look at the blue haired and my mouth dropped open in shock. He was so incredibly handsome that I wasn't sure I was looking at a real person. His bright blue hair fell over his forehead in damp strands. He had a perfectly straight nose and eyes the color of dark chocolate. When he stood up, he was several inches taller than me, slim but extremely fit. My eyes traveled down his body. He was wearing a shirt the same color as his hair and loose black pants. Pants? "Wait... if you're a siren then why do you have legs? And clothes?" I asked then wanted to slap myself at how thoughtless the question sounded.

The blue haired man looked down at his clothing and gave a dry laugh. "Well once I'm on land, my tail automatically turns to legs," he replied. He held up a chain with a silver starfish on it. "This charm is enchanted to make clothes appear when I step on land. Wouldn't be good for me to wander around naked now, would it?"

I blushed at his words and I could feel Hoseok tense up where he stood at my side. "Back off Bubbles," Hoseok snarled out, his voice dark.

Jimin snickered at the nickname. When I turned to him, his face went blank and he looked down at the ground.

"My name is not Bubbles," the blue haired man said, directing a glare at Hoseok. He turned to me. "May I know the name of the lovely maiden I have rescued?"

His deep voice sent chills down my spine and I could feel my face getting hot. "It's Y/N," I replied.

The blue haired man held out a hand, which I took. He rubbed the top of my hand with his other hand. "Well Y/N, it is indeed a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he replied, his voice flowing over me like a warm shower. "I am called Taehyung, but you may call me Tae."