Save My Stone Cold Heart (1/1)

Story 8: PG-13, Fluff, 3470w??? y so many, merman!Junhyung, lots of incorrect myth incorporations pls don't kill me (who decided to make so many greek gods/godesses? why are there so many variations to their stories? why are they so confusing?) anyways not really even close to the plot of the story. NOT A LITTLE MERMAID AU! OKAY?         ~Yoseob awoke, as he would most days to the sound of the ocean. Waves after waves washed over the cold grey that was now his body. It had been a long time since he had seen anything other than a vast seashore, smelled anything other than the salt water that stained his stone body wet. He’s been here for years, moss and algae growing along his feet. He wakes up, like most days, to a storm. The gods are always angry recently, toying with the lives of the humans never being enough to satisfy them after all these years. Giant hands of water splash onto him from every direction, chilling him to his core. The sun is not even peeking over the clouds to help dry him off. “Give me a break” Yoseob mutters glumly, he had thought today would have been a good day. It had felt like a good day while he was dreaming, it had felt like something special was going to happen today. Yoseob had thought maybe he could finally see someone today, maybe a few fish or a boat in the distance, he had hoped for something to deter him from his stagnant life. Maybe he should’ve been careful about what he had been hoping for. Lightning strikes down to the ocean a few miles away, the water retaliating madly as it sends tidal waves followed by bigger tidal waves up at the sky. Poseidon hates looking weak in front of Zeus, it infuriates him like no tomorrow. “Why are they always fighting so close to me” Yoseob whispers, feeling the water around his feet stir and knows that Poseidon’s disciples are listening. They’re always listening; it’s a pain truly. “You might as well just come out and talk to me if you’re going to spy” He says bitterly knowing that they won't, they never do.  Two eyes peek out, black wet bangs matted to porcelain skin staying above the water hesitantly. “I won’t bite, not like I even can” Yoseob rolls his eyes, watching in amusement when the quiet merman pulls himself up from the safety of the dark rivets of water below and sits clumsily on the rocky edges of the land Yoseob is imprisoned on. Yoseob startles when he sees the long thick hair tied up in a ponytail, dripping seawater onto the other’s muscular back. The merman’s shiny cobalt blue tail splashes in the water with a look of amazement sparkling in his eyes. “I’ve never been above the surface before, my dad would kill me if he found out” He looks back over his shoulder at Yoseob and smiles slightly, his eyes narrowing in mirth. “Why are you here then?” Yoseob asks, heart stuttering in his chest. This is the longest conversation he’s had with someone other than himself in over ten years! He’s starting to get clammy around his hands; trying to become more rigid than he already is so he appears casual. “Well, you just seemed lonely” The merman murmurs, turning his head back around so Yoseob can’t see his face. But he can still see the wild cotton candy pink that has turned the other’s ears from creamy beige to a field of cherry blossoms. The sight has Yoseob taking in a sharp gulp of air, eyes closing when a sudden wave crashes into both of them from above. When the water clears, the merman is no longer sitting in front of Yoseob and only small seaweeds that look up at him in fear shrink along the uneven rocks by the water’s edge. Yoseob keeps his disappointed sigh inside because really being lonely isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. ~ Junhyung pines silently in the sandy planes of the seabed, staring up at the ripples of water that shine with sunlight in longing. He opens his mouth; about to sing softly when suddenly someone bumps into him from behind. “What are you doing here princess? Did you think no one would be able to hear you out here?” Dongwoon snickers, eyes mischievous as he swims fluid circles around Junhyung. Junhyung is Poseidon’s son, he doesn’t have to take this kind of crap from anyone but Dongwoon likes teasing him because he knows that Junhyung won’t do anything about it. He’s the only son in a family full of daughters and he’s the sole person from the royal family who’s got a subpar voice. So this, the teasing, it’s common. Usually Junhyung would be willing to spar with Dongwoon, fire back and make jokes until they both got too mad or burst into a fit of giggles. Either way the fights always end after that, today though… “I’m not in the mood, barnacle” Dongwoon stops laughing and settles down on the sand beside him, his periwinkle tail nudging against Junhyung’s. “What’s wrong? Did I go too far? You are a princess though!” “A prince!” “Same difference?!” Dongwoon wraps an arm around Junhyung’s shoulder, letting their heads sit together for a moment before he pulls out half of a small pearl shell from the sand and sets it atop Junhyung’s head. “My pretty princess, won’t you tell me what is troubling you?” Junhyung glowers half heartedly, never able to keep up his angry persona when looking at Dongwoon’s innocent face. He’s practically a giant baby, an evil, good looking, and unfairly muscular baby. But a baby nonetheless, and Junhyung just can’t handle his wide smiles. They’re seriously lethal on the cuteness scale. “Is it lover boy again? The one you keep trying to talk to?” Dongwoon wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, coming closer to Junhyung’s bemused face and laughing brightly when his long blonde hair tickles at Junhyung’s ribs. “I hate you, why don’t you braid this thing?” Junhyung grabs a handful of the long golden locks and throws them back at Dongwoon’s face. “Stop changing the subject, just go up there and talk to him! I’ll totally go cause a commotion at the king’s palace, your father will be too busy to even notice you’re out of his waters” “That’s not the problem, I already talked to him and made a fool out of myself! I got seaweed tangled in my hair and then just ran away before he could see, I’m seriously losing my skills” “You had skills?” “Don’t you remember Hara?” “Who’s Hara?” “Never mind” Junhyung sulks pitifully, worriedly biting at his lip when he sees Yoseob looking out sadly at the ocean from above.  He knows how lonely the boy must be, he never gets any company and he’s stuck up there all alone. Junhyung wants to spend all his time with him; he wants to help him somehow. ~ “Hello” Yoseob’s eyes widen when he sees two brown irises emerge from the water, the familiar black hair swaying in the soft waves around them. It’s a good day today, the sun is out and Poseidon seems to be in a sweet mood if the soft waves are anything to go by. “Hello” he replies wistfully, it’s already been days since he last saw the merman. They’ve been talking frequently, sometimes for hours, sometimes for less but it always has Yoseob feeling warm inside no matter how windy that day is. “How have you been?” Junhyung asks him, grimacing when Yoseob looks at him sadly. How else would he be? Stuck up here in the middle of the ocean. “I mean, seen anything interesting lately?” Junhyung redirects quickly, smiling when Yoseob replies with a no. He climbs out of the water, tail drying up in the sun and separating into two legs as Junhyung stands. Yoseob blushes a deep crimson when he realizes Junhyung isn’t wearing anything, trying to keep his focus somewhere above waist level. Then Junhyung is pulling something out from behind his back and putting it over Yoseob’s head. The pink and white pearls create crystals from the light of the sun on Yoseob’s stoned skin. There’s a tiny carved fish wrapped around a circular stone at the middle of the necklace, weighing it down and spinning until Junhyung rests it firmly against Yoseob’s chest. “Something interesting right? For you” He grins happily, gums showing and eyes thin crescents before he’s waving goodbye, diving back into the water and disappearing with a flick of his tail. Yoseob smiles in excited bliss before it fades, and all he feels is sad. Like a lump of stone. ~ There’s one day where Junhyung is sitting by Yoseob’s feet as they both stare out at the sunset in awe, and Junhyung asks, “What is it that you want Yoseob? More than anything else?” Yoseob considers for a while and keeps his eyes on the horizon as he says, “To travel the world, to see many new things” Junhyung