finding yunho ❀ yunwoo

❝ two.

And then he saw him again.

The sun was rising above the horizon and the stranger was sitting on top of the same rock where Wooyoung saw him for the first time. He was approaching him but the closer he got the better he noticed that that person had a tail, the same color as his hair. It shone just as brightly and beautifully but Wooyoung had completely no time to focus on that. He knew that what he was seeing was real but the fact he didn’t want to acknowledge it made him wonder if he had been staying for way too long under the sun the previous day.

He put a hand over his mouth, trying not to let out a gasp but his footsteps brought the other’s attention to himself. He turned to look at Wooyoung, immediately getting startled at the sight of him. His eyes widened and he attempted to get away from there as soon as possible. By the time he got off the rock, he stopped and stared at Wooyoung who had his hands over his ears and was screaming as loud as his lungs let him.

He was far from civilization, no one was going to hear him. But the reason he was screaming was completely different. A few moments passed when he finally stopped just so he could catch his breath.

“Are you done?” The mermaid asked, one eyebrow arched up both in confusion and shock but also in annoyance because of Wooyoung being unnecessarily loud.

“Yes, I just thought if I screamed loud enough, I wouldn’t hear you trying to lure me in the water and kill me afterwards,” Wooyoung admitted as if it was the most normal thing. After all, he was in urgent need of sleep by this point and he kind of regretted not going back home because he could be sleeping at that moment. Then, his eyes suddenly went wide and his jaw dropped. “Wait, you can talk?”

“Of course I can,” the other rolled his eyes. “And I’m not a siren to try and lure you in. If I could I already would have because you saw too much and this is probably something I shouldn’t have admitted. I talk too much, gotta go.” He turned with his back towards Wooyoung, ready to go away but Wooyoung spoke before he had the opportunity.

“Wait!” Wooyoung got closer, leaning over the rock to look at the mermaid from up close. He didn’t know what to say nor why did he stop him. He bit on the inside of his cheek nervously, contemplating what to do shortly before sitting down.

“Come back here,” he said, patting the place the other was previously sitting on. “I’m sorry I disturbed you by coming here, I won’t hurt you.”

“You know, that’s what everyone says before hurting someone.” The stranger squinted but still turned around and got closer to Wooyoung.

“Do I look like I can purposefully do any harm to anyone or anything?”

“Okay, fair point.”

The mermaid climbed back up on the rock, getting comfortable next to Wooyoung even though the look in his eyes was showing that he was everything but comfortable because of the human’s presence.

“So...” Wooyoung started off quietly, stealing a small glance from the other. Although he was speaking rather slowly, his mind worked even slower. “You really are a mermaid?”

“As far as I know, yeah,” the stranger responded, lightly swinging his tail. “My name is Yunho, by the way.” He looked at Wooyoung and stretched his arm towards him for a handshake.

Wooyoung smiled lightly and took Yunho’s hand in his own, shaking it without minding that it was wet because of the water. “I’m Wooyoung.”

That handshake gradually became way too awkward and lasted longer than a normal one would. Why does a mermaid even know what handshaking is, Wooyoung wondered. Maybe that was a question with an answer as simple as mermaids also having manners but for now he wasn’t going to ask anything.

After they let go of each other’s hands, the two were sitting in silence for a while. Wooyoung felt himself dozing off. He was doing his best trying to stay awake. Unfortunately for him, Yunho noticed all that.

“You should go home and sleep,” Yunho stated as if it was the least obvious thing.

Wooyoung shook his head. “I live too far away to manage to get home and not fall asleep midway.” He let out a chuckle, not taking his eyes off of Yunho. He was very tired and it was obvious by the expression on his face but he found the other way too interesting to not look at him and carefully observe his features.

“Then just sleep here,” the other suggested. “On the sand, of course,” he added quickly after. “I don’t think it would be very comfortable to sleep on the rocks inbetween the bushes.”

Wooyoung only nodded. “I might.” He nibbled down on his lower lip as he looked back over his shoulder, wondering if he really should stay. The sand didn’t look comfortable and he already knew he was going to wake up with stiff shoulders and a hurting back. “Falling asleep with no one around, under the sky seems as dangerous as falling asleep while someone is watching over you,” the boy mumbled out quietly before giggling.

“So, is that an invitation to stay over or should I go away?” Yunho hummed.

“You don’t seem like you could do much harm either, so I guess you could stay if you want to. I’m not going to make you go away since this is your place.” Wooyoung suddenly got up and took his backpack off his shoulders. He opened it as he stepped down on the sand, taking out the clothes he wore at work so he could make something as a pillow. Yunho kept quiet during that time, just looking at Wooyoung while tracing patterns with his finger along the scales of his tail.

“I might stay for a bit,” Yunho decided out loud. “Until you fall asleep.”

Wooyoung nodded again and lied down on his back after he was done making his improvised bed. He looked up at the sky. “Do you come here often?” He asked.

“Are you flirting?” Yunho snorted. He got off the rock and moved on the sand as much as his body let him. Thankfully, Wooyoung was close enough. He dragged himself next to him.

Wooyoung knitted his eyebrows and tilted his head up to look at Yunho. “No? Don’t be ridiculous. I was just curious. After all, I obviously don’t meet mermaids every day of my life.”

“I’m just kidding.” Yunho lied down on his stomach next to Wooyoung, crossing his arms and propping his chin over them. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the rays of sunlight shining over his skin. “I come here a lot when it’s warm. So only around and during summer.”

Wooyoung nodded and looked up again before also closing his eyes. “Wish it was always summer then,” he mumbled out sleepily, most likely not even realizing what he was saying because he fell asleep a few moments later.