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svtntntn · 4 years

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part of your world (2/2)

little mermaid!au

inspo: the little mermaid, both the disney version and the classic fairytale but make it somewhat similar and different at the same time

a/n: a long overdue piece

you long for life above the surface and get your wish when you make a deal with the infamous witch of the sea

[ part one ]

——

"The First Kingdom's economy is built upon the sea it lives by. For years, the source of income and wealth here has relied on fishing and creating inventions using hydraulic power." Soonyoung drones about the history and economics of the First Kingdom but you're barely listening to him and he knows it.

You wobble on your two feet as the ground changes from bumpy, embedded stones to the familiar warmth of the grainy beach sand, your grip on Soonyoung's hand being the only anchor keeping you upright as your eyes focus strictly on placing one foot in front of the other. His other hand holds your shoes for you as your face contorts in fascination of the different textures, his eyes darting between you and the street in front of you both in order to properly guide you around town. He stays on the main street's stone and mortar road while you drift off into the sandy edges of the beach.

The baby steps you started with have definitely improved since the day you washed to shore, your coordination becoming much more easier to manage and balance at the same time. The amazed smile on your face doesn't slip by unnoticed by Soonyoung, who watches you with a matching wide smile.

You'd be walking alongside Chan but given his role as king-to-be in less than a month's time, he was commanded to attend a strict schedule with his mother and father.

So much for fulfilling the sea witch's bargain.

You shake your head at the thought of becoming trapped by the evil witch and glance up at your surroundings, taking in the fresh air and the open stretch of land around you, reveling in the sights the water could never give you. There's a putrid scent in the air and you squint as you sniff around, noticing a man standing at the end of the nearby pier, his body bent over a large barrel off the end of the dock.

You smack Soonyoung's shoulder repeatedly and point in the mystery man's direction, your hits becoming more and more aggressive once Soonyoung snaps out of his reverie. "Huh?"

You make an 'X' with your arms defiantly and motion the man dumping but the more time you try to explain the situation, the more time is wasted. As he tries to comprehend your actions, you're already rushing over to the pier, your bare feet scratching against the worn wood of the docks.

You yank the sleeve of the man dumping waste into the water, pulling his arm back from pouring the barrel of waste into the ocean. "What the—excuse me, Miss! Let go of me!" He sets the basin down on the ground in disgruntlement.

He starts yelling at you as you try to argue back, narrowing your eyes at him as you mime through the motions of an argument with him, his voice overpowering the lack of your own. Soonyoung reels you back and quickly placates the man for a moment, a meek smile on his face.

"Excuse me, sir! Sorry, I apologize for her—she can’t.... you know?" Soonyoung makes a talking motion with his hand, before whispering to the townsperson. "She lost her voice not too long ago—it's a very fragile situation, really. Her voice before though?" He scrunches his nose fondly before shaking his head, "I actually couldn't tell you." He deadpans.

You smack his shoulder and point at the nasty waste barrel, "but sir, if you could please stop dumping your shop's waste into the oceans, that would be much appreciated. The ocean is not the place to throw such foul items away, it'd be much better if you're able to throw it away by the proper waste and recycling site. Please sir, for the good of the country! For our economy, for the creatures living below us! You wouldn't want to be feeding your family poisoned fish, would you?"

The man grumbles and carries his barrel off the docks, giving you a dirty look once he passes you. You keep your head held high and avoid him, relaxing only when the townsperson leaves you and Soonyoung alone on the pier.

"(y/n)," Soonyoung tips his head back in resolve and lets out a deep sigh, "you can’t keep going up to people and stopping them from trashing the waters." He mutters to you, kneeling down and carefully putting your shoes on for you. You two begin walking off the pier and starting for the main street into the marketplace, waving to the kind men and women manning their stalls and bow in respect to them. "Some people aren't as kind or obedient to the kingdom's rules."

You give him a mean glare as you hasten your step, making Soonyoung trip over the cobbled streets as you basically drag him by the arm, "(y/n)! (y/n), slow down! Why are you so mad? It's just not as strictly enforced as other laws, there's other issues going on in the kingdom."

You desperately want to shout at him—how the environment is crucial to our basic living, how would you like it if people just dumped waste on your bed or in your food—but you can't.

Your feet come to a complete stop as Soonyoung catches himself from falling over, unlinking your arms to cross your own across your chest. He slowly catches his breath before turning to you, "Hey, turn that frown upside down."

He tries to pull the corners of your lips into a smile but you refuse to budge, "(y/n), c’mon." You shake your head and close your eyes, the pout on your lips making Soonyoung bite his lip in disbelief. "Ok, there’s not much I can do personally considering this is not my kingdom, but I'll talk to Chan about the waste and the dumping. Maybe he can enforce stricter laws and their consequences."

Immediately, one of your eyes opens and peeks at him, scanning him up and down to call his bluff. Soonyoung gives you a smile and starts walking along the street, turning around and finding you frozen to your spot with your pinkie finger reaching out towards him. "Pinkie promises? What are we, in grade school?"

You narrow your eyes towards him and he sighs deeply, capturing your pinkie in his and falling down on one knee in front of you in grand fashion, "I, Kwon Soonyoung, promise to talk to Chan about the unforgiving, despicable acts of waste mismanagement going on in the kingdom by the sea. If I fail to do so, I am at the mercy of (y/n)'s silent, yet deadly wrath. So help me," he winks up at you and you shake your head with a smile, nodding to the agreement of his promise to you.

You ignore the way your heart races at the slightly embarrassing but genuine and grand fashion of Soonyoung's theatrics, not even caring who is staring at you two in the street.

Soonyoung pulls your interlocked fingers to his lips but you pull your finger out of his before he can kiss your hand. "Happy now?"

He stands up and brushes the gravel off his pant legs before reaching for your hand again, "Ready to circle back? Chan's probably waiting for us."

"5, 6, 7, 8—stop! Keep your form straight and proper, remember to engage your center, Chan. Don't puff your chest out so much, relax your shoulders. No, press them down!"

Another crack of a cane against the ground reverberates through the courtyard, distracting you from your solo adventure around the castle. You begin to peek into the courtyard of the castle's garden from a window, using the ruffled curtains to hide yourself from view.

Chan's arms are wrapped around a young woman you've noticed with him before, one of his many tutors everso ardently by his side. Another woman—this time, a much older woman sternly looks on at the two with a sour expression, her wooden cane deftly smacking the ground before she shouts at the pair—or Chan, moreso.

You watch Chan and his tutor move in sync, watch them move with such grace and control, skating all over the courtyard in one fluid, continuous motion. It was as if they were swimming, flowing through the water with such poise and elegance you've only witnessed when you were down below.

"Ah, etiquette and dance lessons.” Soonyoung's voice shocks you, causing you to jump behind the curtain and nearly knock over a porcelain vase off its pedestal. You clutch the vase close to your chest and stare at Soonyoung. "Not fun when your teacher is nearing death and smacking you with her cane every two minutes. Chan's gotten it easier considering she strikes the ground instead of him."

You raise your eyebrow and Soonyoung points to the woman past the glass pane, the same woman that's been reprimanding Chan. "That’s Miss Kwon, Chan’s dance tutor. She's more like a crazy dragon lady though."

You hear the same surname and try to draw a line between the elderly woman and him.

"No relation, I would know," Soonyoung promises, a curious smile on his face as you let go of the curtain. He mimics an old lady voice along with her mannerisms, making you shake your head. "What were you peeking here for? You've danced before right? Don't tell me you don't know how to dance…" You don't make any sort of movement or denial. "Wait, you have never danced before—how?"

You slowly shake your head, shrugging as you peep through the curtain again and stare at how the woman and Chan float around the open garden, how their moves effortlessly flow together.

Suddenly a hand is wrapped tightly around yours and you're pulled into the empty foyer of the castle, the newest pair of shoes Chan purchased for you squeaking against the floor.

"I'll teach you, don't worry. I won't yell as loud as she does." He winks, unbuttoning his jacket and rolling up his shirt sleeves. You awkwardly tug at the hemline of your borrowed dress, the length concerning you as you yank it lower.

"(y/n), let me." Soonyoung brings you close to him and ties his jacket around your waist, covering you modestly before straightening his own posture and grinning at you, "ready?"

Soonyoung takes your hand in his and places your hand on his shoulder, gently wrapping his other hand around your waist. You immediately tense up being so close to him, preparing to move when he does but he freezes, waiting for you to relax. "Don't be so stiff—dancing is all about letting the music carry you, letting the song move you. Don't think about it too much."

You nod and shake out your nerves, staring down at your hand in his, already knowing your palm must be drenched in a nervous sweat before you feel a hand tip your chin up, "Don't look at your hands or your feet, just keep your eyes on me. I'll guide you."

Soonyoung slowly instructs you to move one leg back and you do as he says, taking another step back with your other foot once he shifts towards you. The multitude of simple directions guides you around the foyer, your hair swaying to and fro to the melody of the silent song Soonyoung sings.

His eyes are a deep set brown shade, full of warmth and comfort, you think to yourself, mindlessly staring into the dark orbs. Everytime you sway to the right, his face is lit by the pure rays of sunlight entering from the high windows of the foyer, his eyes sparkling with specks of orange around his pupils.

You're so focused on his eyes that you don't even register the change in Soonyoung's next set of instructions, nearly face planting on the stainless, pristine tiles. Reflexively, your hands scramble to reach out in front of you, waiting for the impact but you open your eyes and realize Soonyoung's arms are safely clasped around your waist.

"You're safe, (y/n). I got you." Soonyoung chuckles, bringing you up to your feet. "Let's try that again. This time, don't get distracted, okay?" The soft look in his eyes nearly hypnotizes you again but you nod feverishly and readjust your frame.

You avoid his eyes this time as you concentrate staring at his ear instead, your mind solely listening to his voice and the different directions carrying you all around the room. Soonyoung snickers at your intense staring contest with his ear, giving you one last instruction before pausing in the center of the room. "This last move is simple, I'm gonna lift you up into the air. All you just need to spread your arms wide, got it?"

He slowly moves his hands down and you tense up, immediately smacking his hands off of your waist, "I'm not going to try anything, (y/n)! What, are you ticklish?"

You give a warning glare as Soonyoung keeps eye contact with you, "I got you, I got you. These hands aren't going anywhere else. I’m not gonna let you fall, I promise."

You purse your lips and hold out your pinkie to him, smirking when he rolls his eyes and winds his own pinkie tightly around yours, "Have you no faith in me, (y/n)?"

Before you know it, you're floating in mid-air as Soonyoung's strength suspends you up above his head. He tells you to spread your arms wide in the air like a bird and you can't help but laugh at the mere thought of acting like so.

You are—yet, were as opposite as a bird as you could be.

As you're suspended in mid-air, you can't help but think that it feels like one of those moments you dreamed when you were younger, the ones that your friends gushed in between lessons when they talked about the stolen moments with their crushes—the moments where their breath was taken aback and their heart stopped and felt like it was going to explode all at the same time.

Soonyoung sets you down on your feet and his hands linger around your waist, his eyes stuck on the amazed smile on your lips, "That wasn't so bad was it?"

——

The bell tolls loudly in the background as a gavel hits the base of its platform, the beat echoing into all corners of the grand chamber as the chatter and cacophony dies down. "Everyone, everyone—thank you for your input and I truly do appreciate your feedback in appearing here today. But I'm afraid because there is no unanimous decision, we will have to reconvene in a day's time. Please stay safe and recharge and refuel before you leave the premises."

Chan keeps a poised and regal demeanor even as the older political heads grimace and sneer silently at him, painting a faux smile on his face as they filter out the room. He can already imagine the curses and insults they're chanting in their heads as they leave, wanting nothing more than to retaliate back at them.

Several figureheads on his side shake his hand and promise their allegiance to him and his future agenda before they leave the room, giving Chan assurance as well as room to breathe and relax—just slightly.

The minute the last of the politicians leave the room, Chan collapses and sits back in his chair, slouching and stretching his limbs. At the sound of the chamber doors opening and closing, Chan peeks one eye open before shutting his eye closed again, "Jeonghan, I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

"I'm not talking politics with you, I'm already drained from that three-hour session." Jeonghan groans as the young king-to-be lazily yawns, mumbling incoherent words under his breath. "So who is that girl hanging around you and Soonyoung?"

Chan turns his head in an awful attempt to avoid the royal but Jeonghan nudges him in the leg, "I asked around and people are saying you found her on the beach? In the ocean?"

"You come all the way from your kingdom to ask me about (y/n)?"

Jeonghan isn't even surprised with the slip-up of the mystery girl's name, smirking instead. "(y/n), (y/n)... that's a nice name. Very uncommon around these parts."

Chan opens one eye when the door to the conference chamber is pulled open but relaxes when he notices Soonyoung's figure race to Jeonghan. "Jeonghan! I'm surprised to see you here, all the way from the Fifth Kingdom. When did you arrive here?"

"When the soon-to-be-crowned king calls for a very important meeting with all the royal figureheads in the surrounding area, you simply have to answer at his every beck and call." Jeonghan teases.

"Was Seokmin here?" Soonyoung murmurs quietly whilst distractedly glancing out the window towards the ocean. He spots on you walking along the shoreline, splashing the water with your feet and dipping your fingers into the crystal clear water.

There's a small smile on his lips that only Jeonghan notices, to which he slyly takes a peek out the window as well.

"Seokmin wasn't, actually—he mentioned something coordinating his kingdom's festivals or something of the like." Chan sits up and runs a hand over his face, "you worried about him? Worried he’s doing a terrible job?"

"The Third Kingdom's three-day sun festival started yesterday." Soonyoung notes fondly, ignoring Chan's questions. He pauses and glances off into the distance. "You should send some flowers over, that’s what your father did last year."

"I will." Chan affirms before checking his agenda and glancing at the time. "I have five more minutes before I have to head down for another meeting, so please let me be." He closes his eyes in an attempt to rest before another storm of politicians and advisors hound his ear till lunchtime, but his royal guest and best friend continue their ramblings.

"People have been gossiping around town and in the castle about her, that she must be one of those ocean lovers or something. Like those people, 'one with the sea.'" Jeonghan raises his hands to quote the rumors and shrugs, "but I heard that she's the reason that there is a new bill on anti-dumping laws in the ocean? About how there's going to be a new task division focused on cleaning the toxic waste from the sea? Is that true as well?"

Chan stirs in his chair, but Soonyoung cuts in with a look towards Jeonghan. "The toxic waste is something that's been on the kingdom's list of reforms for ages. And people shouldn't be gossiping about her, end of story. She's just another person like you and me, a person shipwrecked from her home and trying to find her way back."

"Back to the sea, exactly what everyone's saying! Don't you think it's suspicious that she always focused on the ocean? Walking on the beach, cleaning the waters, protecting it? What if… what if she's a siren? A mermaid of some sort!" Jeonghan devises, tapping his chin with his finger. "Remember those myths your mother used to tell us, Soonyoung? When she used to read to you and Seokmin and I? What if—"

"What if what? She’s going to lure us to our deaths? Kill us as we sleep?" Soonyoung scoffs, "Han, those were fantasies, those were children's stories. They’re not real. (y/n) doesn’t have a tail, she doesn’t have a voice to kill us with, she doesn’t even need her voice to seduce you or me or anybody—she could probably do it on looks alone! She's definitely not a siren, she can't be a siren."

Soonyoung freezes when he realizes what exactly he just said, his eyes stuck on Chan as he waits for some sort of teasing or reprimand from him and Jeonghan.

But to his surprise, Chan's eyes open and merely check the time before excusing himself to another meeting and Jeonghan raises his hands in surrender. He looks out the window one more time and notices you sitting in the water, serenely still as your legs point straight in the direction towards the sun, your dress damply clinging to your skin.

The long fabric flounders out past your feet while the rest cling to your legs and upwards, giving Soonyoung an illusion of you as those childhood creatures, those fantasies he forgot about long ago.

You couldn't be, there was just no way.

It's only when you stand up and start to walk back to the palace on your human legs does he shake himself out of the thought.

——

You wave to the drifting boat as you stand on the wooden pier with Soonyoung by your side, watching Chan sail off onboard a ship to a neighboring island just around the corner. Another one of his kingly duties in maintaining international connections and treaties meant he was going to be away from you.

Meaning another week with Soonyoung by your side.

Not that you could complain about him anymore, nor did you want to—he was by your side more often than Chan and that was something you had to be careful about.

The stipulations of the sea witch's agreement said you were to marry a prince of a royal degree, which was something Soonyoung definitely did not retain.

Unless there was something he wasn't telling you.

But how could he be a prince if he spent literally every waking moment with you—where were his royal duties, his army of diligent assistants and servants by his sides? His booked schedule with chamber meetings with far-off royals and politicians and figureheads of different kingdoms?

Where?

You shake your head as you direct your questioning gaze towards the ship and back to Soonyoung, silently asking him why he wasn't accompanying his best friend on the ship.

Soonyoung seems to read your mind and shrugs, "I don't like ships. What? I can't not like something?"

You mimic his same actions and shrug your shoulders with your lips pursed, remembering back to the time you saved him and Chan when the ship underwent the dangerous storm. He didn't look like the type to refuse adventure or to have motion sickness onboard a large boat—he was there, ruffling Chan's hair and watching the sailors in merriment with his broad, toothy smile.

The same smile you saw when he danced with you in the main castle's lobby.

The same kind of smile you wanted to see at the end of the day, the kind that made you feel at home.

You're too caught up in your thoughts that you nearly miss Soonyoung's retreating figure already nearing the main street of the kingdom, bowing to passing elderly men and women and helping them carry their baskets to their open stalls.

You rush to catch up to him and take one of the handles of the large basket from him, splitting the weight between you too as the elderly woman talks about the newest products within the marketplace and all the gossip between the stall owners.

Soonyoung continues to help the townspeople setting up their stalls and opening their shops to which they pinch his cheeks affectionately and offer him their special of the day, "I-it's alright! I'm happy to help, really it's alright."

You manage to help pull him away from the kind vendor with a thumb pointing back towards the market and a smile on your lips, tugging on his arm and looping it through yours as you both wander around.

With your arm through his, him leaning close to you to explain the different products and shops within the small neighborhood, and the blushing smiles on both your lips just as people push you two closer together when passing by, anyone could think you and Soonyoung could be a young, newlywed couple.

As you two wander through town, you and Soonyoung end up back by the main road near the ocean's shores and stop to notice children skipping rocks down the water. The grey pebbles hop along the water before sinking further down in the ocean, the young kids cheering before another competes against the previous.

You and Soonyoung walk further down the street before Soonyoung goes closer to the bank and picks up a stone in his hand. "Skipping rocks is a skill."

Your attention is captured as Soonyoung fondly shakes his head with a grin.

"My mother taught me and my brother how to skip rocks, and how to get the most skips out of a single pebble." He tosses the smooth stone in his hand before sending it down the water with four, nearly five skips in its wake. "Anything you throw must be thrown with intention, focus, and power. This advice can be applied to any object, but for the sake of everyone’s health and well-being, let’s keep it to rocks on the water."

"If you intend for it to skip decently far, you have to focus on the rock skipping that far and then you wind your arm back, turn your body forty-five degrees and..." Soonyoung reenacts his own words and again, the stone skips five ripples down the path. "Your turn."

You try once and the rock breaks the surface and sinks in its one spot, the small ripple echoing out from the landmark till it fades out. You pout before grabbing a bigger rock this time, rotating it with a single hand as you focus on your well-intended target.

"Hey hey hey, it's alright. Take it slow, you’re winding your arm wrong, think of the pathways that your rock will take from location A, your hand, to location B, the water." He comes behind you and wraps his arms around your own, his body molding to your tense frame.

You can't help but think back to your dance lesson with him, his hands wrapped around yours, guiding you around the room, and just his entire being being far too close to yours. You steady your breath and relax slightly as your heart beat skips faster and faster.

Soonyoung helps you skip the second pebble in your hands and he grins, "See! Three skips, not that bad. It takes more practice... Seokmin and I—after so many days, we could get rocks to skip across this entire pond and reach the other side! We'd just stand at opposite ends and skip rocks back and forth." As you turn your head to listen better, your cheek presses against his and he then realizes how close he is to you and quickly separates himself, "ah, sorry."

His hand is still on your wrist when he pulls away and once he realizes, he sheepishly lets go, mumbling another apology. You don't respond as you stare out into the distance, your body carrying you closer to where the cerulean waves meet the sand, your toes feeling every grain of sand beneath your feet. The refreshing waves feed into your soul, the chill of the water heightening your senses and you just wish you could open your mouth and sing.

But given the current situation, you simply lower yourself and sit right where the water washes on the sand, bending your knees and resting your head on them. Soonyoung apprehensively sits down next to you, removing his shoes and pushing them aside, "so… any reason you love the water?"

You look at him blankly. "I-I mean… you're always here: by the shoreline, by the water's edge, and you always turn up here on the shore. Don't you hate the one thing that separated you from your family?"

That was my own choice, you think. You press your lips together and shake your head, wrapping your arms around your legs tightly and staring up at Soonyoung in question.

He picks at a water-logged branch on the sand, picking at the thin, fraying stalks, "I don't hate the sea exactly, I just… My mother—she was on a ship visiting her own mother, my grandmother but... the ship never made it there." He gulps and blinks away his watery eyes. "It was too dangerous to try and send out another search party after a couple days, so they just gave up."

"I only go across the waters if I absolutely have to… and Chan tries to distract me when I'm on there but even the last time I was on a ship, it didn't end so well." Soonyoung mumbles, his eyes avoiding yours. "After that, I just… keep my distance."

You nod your head and place a hand over Soonyoung's, a sad smile on your lips as he blinks away the glassy stare in his eyes. He flushes and gives you a grateful nod, "my family's been doing well for themselves since it happened… I mean, my brother—technically stepbrother, but we're very close—he's doing well. We mourned together but I wanted to leave town and he let me go. I chose to come here to hide from the memories, the pain, the everything and yet, I'm just one step closer to the thing that took my mother away."

Tears leak from the corner of his eyes and he lets out a slight groan when you rub his shoulder reassuringly. "Sorry, I didn't mean… to overwhelm you with too much." You ardently shake your head and instead wrap your arms around him comfortingly, motioning your hands in small circles on his back.

You lay your head on his shoulder as he takes deep breaths, calming himself and laying his head on top of yours. The waves lap back and forth against the sand in a delicate lullaby, the hum of the waves crashing into each other serenading you to sleep.

Moments pass and you're just so comfortable where you are with him by the water, you're thisclose to falling asleep on Soonyoung's shoulder right before he taps you gently, waking you up with a soft smile.

You stand up slowly and blink away the tired haze from your eyes, not even realizing Soonyoung's wrapped his jacket around your shoulders till you curl into the warmth of the sweater to hide from the chilling winds.

"(y/n), let's go back home." He carefully tangles his hand in yours, tugging you back towards land, back towards the roads leading back to the castle.

You trail behind Soonyoung's dancing figure sleepily, watching him joyfully bend and glide to a song that only he knows. His rambunctious amount of energy keeps you focused on the walk ahead as the night grows longer. The street lamps drown his body in a hollow, yellow light, illuminating his moving silhouette with every turn and hit he commits to.

"(y/n), join me!" Initially, you shake your head while clinging to Soonyoung's jacket but he stops in place, refusing to budge with a persuasive smile as he holds your hands in his.

You slip your arms into the sleeves of the jacket with a bite of your lip and try to replicate the same amount of grace and fluidity he has in your moves, basking in the glow of the streetlights and reaching above you towards the moon. You jump carelessly along the street's path and without a single care in the world—until you land your foot in an awkward position against the road.

You crumple to the ground and there's an aching pain in your ankle, a shot of lightning echoing in the ball of your joint. You cry out, but there's nothing but a strangled groan from your lips that catches Soonyoung's attention.

He quickly rushes over to you and frantically dotes over your foot. "Are you okay? Is it your ankle? Did you just land weird? Can you move it?"

You whimper slightly as you lift your foot and roll it around in a slow circle, the pain still resonating beneath your skin but not feeling it hurt too, too much.

"You might have just landed on it weird, so it might just ache for a bit." He rests your ankle down and plops himself on the road with you, folding his legs underneath himself. "We can just stay here till you're ready."

You try to fight him and prove to him you're alright to walk but putting weight on it hurts even more, causing you to collide back down and into Soonyoung's lap. The sudden weight into his lap surprises him, but his arms reflexively wrap around you.

"(y/n)..." He clears his throat and your warmth in his arms puts him at ease for some reason, confusing him all the while his heart races as you're frozen in his embrace. Soonyoung gulps and he can't help but flicker his eyes down to your lips and back up.

Soonyoung can feel himself gravitating towards you, his head tilting ever so slightly and his eyes slowly drooping closed. You pause before closing the distance, your lips brushing against his tenderly as your hand presses against his chest softly.

The sensation grows a field of butterflies in your stomach, your heartbeat racing as Soonyoung cradles your cheek in one hand, his lips gently fighting against yours in tandem.

"W-we… I can’t do this." Soonyoung stammers while he abruptly stands on his feet. "I’m sorry." You nod remorsefully as he helps you up to your feet, adjusting his jacket on your shoulders before sending you a tight smile. Soonyoung offers his arm to you and you loop your arm through his, staring at the road ahead with your head cast down.

"(y/n)! Soonyoung!" Chan lights up when he sees you both enter the castle doors, "I was about to send out a search party for you both!" The tension between you two is present as Soonyoung wordlessly moves past Chan and up the stairs. "Everything okay?"

You nod and motion to going upstairs to your chambers for the night, rubbing at your head and eyes wearily to escape the questioning—not that you can answer much.

Once you crash into the warm embrace of the cushy blankets and pillows adorning your bed, you want nothing more than to fall asleep just as you are, hugging the jacket around your shoulder closer to you and falling asleep with a smile.

——

The internal battle in your head rages on as you're dressed to the nines in a glowing blue gown, your hair pinned up and decorated with shining diamonds and dainty pearls. Your reflection reminds you of who you were a month ago, as the body of the navy dress clings to your figure and flares out at the ends of the fabric, mimicking the tail of who you once were.

Chan's grand coronation ball granting him the throne meant it was the last day of the month, the last night to relish the two legs you were bewitched with, the last time you'd be able to stand on land.

There was no way you'd be able to fulfill the conditions of your contract, to marry Chan and become his queen? Not when you were in love with someone else. It'd be wrong. It'd be downright unfair and cruel.

If tonight was to be your last night on land, you'd spend it cheerfully, you'd spend it as if you were coming back the next day.

You wipe a single tear trailing down your cheek and turn to the room you called your own over the past month, everything neatly in place and just as the moment you entered it. Your satchel rests on the covers of the bed, the flap pushed back and exposing your treasured items brought from home. You rummage through and find the necklace you unearthed forever ago, the star pendant still as brilliant as you found it under the water, if anything it was shining brighter than ever.

You clasp the necklace around your neck and rub the star thoughtfully with your thumb, a sigh escaping your lips as you notice the picture peeking out of your satchel.

The family in the photo beams up at you and you're instantly reminded of the day you found it under the waters, smothering the photo into your satchel just as Seungkwan went on reprimanding you. You stare at the two boys in the picture, both proudly smiling with shaggy dark hair and their mother grinning proudly with her arms around their shoulders.

You hope you'd do the woman justice in wearing her necklace, in keeping it safe around your own neck rather than having it lost in the sea forever.

A thud knocks on your door and you see Soonyoung on the other side when you crack the door ever so slightly. He clears his throat, "(y/n), would you do me the pleasure of accompanying me down the staircase?"

Through the ajar door, you notice Soonyoung dressed up with tons of medals and pins adorning his chest, one of which is a gold plated crest of a shield right over his heart. The crest reminded you of the one you had seen all over the flags inside the castle, except that was Chan's family's royal crest that had been passed down from generation to generation, signifying their noble heritage.

This one on Soonyoung’s chest looked completely different from Chan’s but yet very similar.

"(y/n)? Are you ready?" Soonyoung waves his hand in front of your face with a small smile, laughing at your blatant staring. "What? You've never seen me all dressed up? Are you implying I look like a slob when not like this?"

You yank the door open and lightly hit his shoulder, taking offense to the words he's putting in your mouth. "I'm kidding!"

Soonyoung stares at you in amazement as you shut your door, a smile on his lips, once he quickly bows and offers his arm to you, "May please I escort you down?"

You curtsy in your gown as best you can and loop your arm through his own, matching his pace before you two stop at the top of the staircase, an announcer waiting by with a microphone in hand.

Just the sight of the hundreds of people standing about in the ballroom with their eyes on you makes you feel right at home—or right back in your home. The amount of times you’ve been required to attend your kingdom's royal balls or sit in the royal booth with your father during simple processions and proceedings has conditioned you to straighten your spine, square your shoulders and smile abashly at the string of politicians and powerful figures in attendance.

But the unfamiliar eyes of all the land people, of royalty above the surface has you quivering.

"And now presenting Pri—"

You block out the announcer's voice just as Soonyoung nudges his elbow and turns his head towards you slightly, his voice whispering in your ear, "These steps are steeper than normal when you have hundreds of people watching—take your time. You got me."

Just a single look at him loosens all the tension in your body and you can't help but feel unafraid with him by your side.

"—escorting Lady (y/n)!" You present your best smile at the sound of your name and Soonyoung nods to you to start walking down slowly, going at your pace and maintaining a strong anchor for you to rest on.

He switches hands with you to rest his arm slightly above your waist, his fingers hovering right at your hip but not touching you at all as you both make it to the floor and bow to the royal public and wait along the side.

All the bodies surrounding you seem to be of royalty from all over the country, men and women dressed up in their best clothes and glistening crowns and medals adorning their sashes. They all hold themselves rather highly, some smiling out of courtesy and relaxing their faces once you make eye contact and some holding stern looks of regality and nodding in acknowledgement.

There's a thunderous round of applause when the crown prince to the throne is announced and Chan makes his way down the golden staircase with the woman you remember from his dance lessons on his arm, an adoring smile on his face and his shoulders proudly square.

The woman is elegantly dressed in a matching gold and white dress that captures her as a beautiful queen-to-be, a radiant, mature aura that plays off Chan's charms.

You turn to Soonyoung while connecting your eyes to Chan and the future queen, to which he whispers, "Chan's tutor's the second daughter from another kingdom, a lesser known kingdom, but a kingdom nonetheless. Since she's always been by his side, they've been fond of one another and Chan needed a queen, so there you have it. Proposed last night in the drawing room."

For some reason, the news isn't that all heartbreaking to you. If anything, you feel… elated for Chan, happy for him and his new queen.

Chan’s suit looks tailored perfectly to his figure, golden pins and medals strapped to his chest next to his family crest plated right over his heart. He welcomes you with open arms before bowing to you, "(y/n)! You look... magnificent."

You blush under his gaze and Chan quickly greets Soonyoung before being swept away by the masses of royal men and women wanting his attention for a talk or a dance. Just as the royal coronation starts and the music begins to fill the hall, a man steps in front of you with a bold smirk.

"Excuse me, Lady (y/n)." The strange man bows before you and takes your hand in his, kissing the back of your knuckles daintily. "I am Prince Mingyu of the Second Kingdom, would you be so kind as to honor me in a dance?"

You look at Soonyoung and he nods, staring into your eyes reassuringly. "It’s your choice." He leans in closer to your ear, "Mingyu’s a good man, I trust him. Just be careful because he’s rather clumsy sometimes."

You snicker before calming your laugh, taking Mingyu's hand and swiftly moving to the center of the room, joining other couples in the song and dance of the night.

You manage to get through the dance with nods and smiles answering Mingyu’s abundance of questions for you, most of which he answers himself talking in circles. You know your eyes are not focused on the man dancing with you at all, moreso trying to find the one man you wished to be dancing with, the man who taught you how to dance and skip rocks, the man who managed to take your breath away in a matter of weeks.

The song ends thankfully and you bow to Mingyu for the dance, him regally floating off to find another partner and you making a straight line to collect yourself a glass of water by the tables.

As you linger on the outskirts of the ball, you overhear the politicians and figureheads speak and laugh freely, sipping on their flutes of champagne as they gossip about the newest, ongoings of the world and who's courting who behind closed doors.

Their etiquette and speech reminds you of royals back in your kingdom under the surface, all the merpeople with their high-ranking titles and grand personalities. You've had to sit in on countless dinners and balls and ceremonies recounting every small detail about the northern kingdom and their lack of sustenance growing in their fields, the southeastern kingdom's gossip about their prince flirting with all the royal princesses in the east, and most of all, your own kingdom's issues about all the toxic waste and malicious dumping from the surface in your territory.

At least with Chan passing the newest set of anti-dumping laws on his land, your kingdom can rest peacefully without inhaling toxins polluting the waters or finding waste settled outside their homes.

And in at least two hours, you'll have to leave the surface and become a prisoner to the sea witch for all eternity to come.

"(y/n)? Are you okay?" Soonyoung clears his throat and you nearly choke on your water as he appears before you. You nod and he warmly offers you his hand with a grand flourish of his arm, "(y/n), may I have this dance?"

With your hand in his, Soonyoung leads you straight into the middle of the dancefloor and formally bows before you, stepping up to you proudly and wrapping one hand around your waist and the other in your hand.

Once you take Soonyoung's hand and place your other on his shoulder, you're well aware of all the eyes on you, all the whispering and confused glances thrown in your direction. "Hey hey hey, eyes up here. If you're gonna step on my feet, at least look at me."

You immediately look to Soonyoung with a shake of your head and he smirks, "Then prove it to me. Time to show off those dancing skills of yours."

Soonyoung carries you around the room and leads the way, a proud smile on his face as you keep up with the rhythm of the music, the enchanting melody playing in both your ears. He squeezes your hand in his and you can see a slight blush on his cheeks when he makes eye contact with you, the tips of his ears a flying red color.

He leans in closer as you spiral into him, your back pressed against his chest and his hand holding yours tightly, "(y/n), you're beautiful."

Your heart flutters as he spins you around once more and gently releases your hand from his, bowing to you once again as the music dies down and there's a round of applause for the musicians coming from all around.

Soonyoung claps in unison but his eyes never leave you, a fond look of amazement and wonder before you as your heart skips a beat again. You can't help but want to melt into him and forget about what's to become of you, but you can't.

His smile contorts into a look of confusion as you stand there silently before you shake your head and wrap your arms around him tightly, pouring all you can into this single hug, this final encounter with Soonyoung.

A tear trails down your face as you pull away from him, a smile blooming on your face. Soonyoung immediately wipes them away and holds your face in his hands, "(y/n), what’s wrong? Is everything alright? Why are you crying?"

You notice the clock ticking away behind him as an announcer commands the attention of the entire ballroom, averting your eyes to him and his announcement of the crowning ceremony commencing in several minutes.

Your feet carry you out of the center of the ballroom and towards the outskirts of the room, ignoring Soonyoung's calls for your name, looking extremely concerned for you as a man walks up to you two. "Sir, Prince Chan is requesting your presence across the room. The crowning ceremony is going to begin soon."

"I'll be there in a moment." His eyes never leave yours even as he dismisses the man, his hands holding yours. "(y/n), what's wrong?"

You shake your head and his expression doesn’t change, still asking you softly what’s wrong. The staff from before returns and reminds Soonyoung sternly of the time before he pulls you further aside.

"Stay here?" Soonyoung squeezes your hand, but you shake your head apologetically. "Please? I'll find you right after the ceremony, promise. I have something to ask of you."

You try to shake your head no but Soonyoung’s eyes plead with you to stay. "Promise me, (y/n)?" He holds out his pinkie to you and you let out a smile despite the tears leaking out. You decide to carefully wrap your finger around his and just as the staff pulls his shoulder once more, Soonyoung nodding as he backs away compliantly, "I'll find you."

Soonyoung disappears into the crowd and the world feels so much colder, so much smaller once your hand falls to your side. The bells toll once again and you can't escape the ticking clock reminding you of how much less and less time you have left.

You begin to make your way towards the main exit of the ballroom, the ends of your gown gathered in your hands tightly before you hear your name called out behind you. You search around for the voice but it’s not at all familiar to you as someone races up to you and formally bows.

"Yes! Lady (y/n), correct? I apologize for the commotion but I wanted to have a moment of your time before you left, it’s a pleasure to meet you," a man chastely presses a kiss to the back of your hand before standing up straight once more. "I heard you’re a woman of few words and yet you’ve managed to steal away my brother’s heart. And that’s saying a lot considering he says a mouthful."

You tilt your head in confusion at the brown haired man, his face unfamiliar to you. His formalwear is almost identical to the ones you've seen all night, save for the crest over his heart that looks almost exactly like Soonyoung's. "Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Lee Seokmin, I'm Soonyoung's brother—technically stepbrother, but we're very close."

Seokmin endearingly rambles as you tensely chuckle, your eyes distracted staring across the room at the clock nearing the last fifteen minutes of the night. He clears his throat to gather your attention and your eyes snap to his.

There's something about his eyes that seem very familiar, but yet you can't recall him at all.

"Pardon me, but where did you get that necklace?" Seokmin's eyes are glued to the pendant around your neck. "That star, it looks… beautiful."

Your hand goes to the necklace and you press your lips into a small smile, vaguely noticing the glazed look in his eyes as you take a defensive step back when he reaches for the pendant.

"Seokmin, what are you doing?" Soonyoung cuts in front of you defensively, pulling you behind him in concern. The clock's hands shift once more as you look in confusion between the two men.

"Sorry, I-I thought…" Seokmin pulls Soonyoung away from you and whispers to him, "her necklace, it looks exactly like Mom's necklace! Did you even see it? I'm sure that's her necklace, but I haven't seen it since the day she left. It should be sitting at the bottom of the ocean."

"It should be, shouldn't it…" Soonyoung mumbles decisively, he turns to you but you've already disappeared. "Where did (y/n) go?" Soonyoung scans the room and hurriedly rushes out to the steps of the palace, looking left and right for you. Seokmin follows him and stands on the steps, staring at Soonyoung's panicked state. "What did you say to her?"

"Nothing!" Seokmin raises his hands innocently. "All I said was that her necklace looked familiar, that it's beautiful! I didn't say anything else to her… she looked out of it for some reason, is something wrong? Where do you think she's gone?"

Soonyoung has a stroke of realization as he rushes down the stairs of the palace, ignoring his brother calling his name as well as Chan's staff shouting for him. He nearly rounds the corner before running into a security detail posted outside the castle's doors, about to run off into the street but pausing when he notices a weapon on his belt.

"Can I borrow this?"

——

You slowly make your way down the sandy banks of the ocean, the creme-colored moonlight lighting the way as the sand filters through and around your feet. The water that flows around your feet is shockingly cold, but the chills send a sense of familiarity through your spine.

Off in the distance, you notice a cluster of water take form and there she is, the sea witch to whom you bound your soul to. She gives you a resounding welcome, "Why there she is! The future queen uniting both the land and sea at once—cheers to a bright future! Oh, wait," she despicably pauses. "Something isn’t right here, is it? Tell me what happened, princess." She asks in faux innocence.

You grit your teeth and keep your head low, staring at your toes curling around the wet, sticky sand and watching the water wash over them. Above you, there's a blanket of rain descending from the sky, a light mist turning into heavy raindrops. "Silly me! How can you tell me if you don’t even have a voice, here—open up." A whip of water wraps around you and your head is tilted back, your vision filled with the sea witch pouring the essence of a golden tube into your mouth.

Your throat immediately feels dry and raspy as you gasp for air, the whip of water releasing you and your knees buckling under you in shock. You begin to cough and you hear the audible sound of your voice coming through once you pop your ears.

"(y/n)! (y/n)!"

You hear a disruption in the cacophony of the waves around you, turning your head to see Soonyoung rush into the water, his decorated jacket abandoned on the sand as the waves angrily slosh around his hurried footsteps. His white shirt is already soaked from the downpour of rain and the water crashing back and forth from the shore.

"Please, just one moment! One moment and you can take her." Soonyoung pleads, tears in his eyes as he desperately reaches for you, his hands practically clawing his way through the water. "Please! If she’s already doomed to be yours, let her have a chance to say goodbye to me! Please, I beg of you! Just one minute with (y/n)."

The sea witch scans Soonyoung and you swear there's nothing good in the brief twinkle in her eye but you're dropped from her grasp and into water. "Fine, peasant boy. One minute and that’s it." She sneers, "Say your goodbyes."

As you resurface from the water, there's a heavy feeling beneath you and there's a flick of your tail breaking the surface and keeping you afloat. You swim your way back up the shoreline, your tail a shimmering cobalt shade in the dim moonlight. You're immediately wrapped into Soonyoung's arms as he stands solidly in the shallow water, attempting to pour your warmth into his shivering body. "Soonyoung—what are you doing? You shouldn’t be here. You should be back at the castle."

His eyes light up the very second your voice trickles out of your throat, the saccharine melody familiar to him. "It's you. It's always been you."

Although your voice sets him at ease, he can still feel his heart race urgently, his time with you ticking. "I knew something was wrong earlier, everything tonight felt like you were saying goodbye but I can’t let you go. Not when I just found you."

"It’s been you all along, you saved me then and you’ve saved me now, (y/n). I-I love you, I know it’s too much too fast, but I can’t deny how I feel about you. Every touch, every look, everything spoke a thousand words and you didn’t need to say a single one," he confesses. "You can’t leave—not now. I don’t know what kind of deal you have with her but I don’t care."

He carefully shifts away a damp lock of your hair matted against your skin, staring into your eyes tenderly, as if a single blink and you’d disappear right in front of him.

"Marry me." Your eyes widen in shock as he breathes out his proposal to you, "I-I don’t care if you’re a human or a mermaid or a squid or a fish," you tearily laugh at him as he stares at you in amazement, "I want you, voice or no voice, legs or tail, I don't care—I want all of you if you’d have all of me. Marry me, (y/n). In sickness or in health, hell—even if you disappear right now, I'll forever cherish the moment you've said 'yes' to me."

"But—" You shake your head in disbelief and Soonyoung wraps his hand in yours, his eyes locked solely on you. The tears welling up in his sharp eyes meld with the raindrops falling all around you both and just staring into his eyes, your breath is taken away. "Yes Soonyoung—for rich or for poor."

"For underwater or on shore, I’ll forever be yours." He finishes his vow by holding up his pinkie finger to you, making you gasp in delight once you connect your finger with his.

Your lips touch his and suddenly all your worries melt away, all your tears feel the same as the raindrops striking your face and you’re suddenly stuck in a world where it’s just you and him—the man you completely and whole-heartedly fell in love with.

There’s an agonizing pain that pulls your attention away from Soonyoung and you feel it down in your tail, the same excruciating feeling of your tail splitting into two. You dare to look down and there’s the water rising and falling on the skin of your bare legs, the sea foam prickling your newfound limbs with their sudsy bubbles, the icy droplets of rain pounding against your skin.

You don’t even have a moment to rejoice when a voice tears you apart, "W-what? How did you—" The sea witch plunges toward you and disdainfully picks you up by the shoulders with the creation of two large waves. "H-he is not the crown prince of this kingdom! You betrayed me, Princess!"

Soonyoung stands above the water and madly screams, "I am a prince! I am Prince Kwon Soonyoung of the Third Kingdom, successor to my late mother’s throne! I am and always have been!"

"How dare you!" The suction of the witch's tentacle rapidly wraps around your ankle and drags you back into the water, your hands fervently reaching out to Soonyoung.

Soonyoung rises from the water and lunges himself towards the sea witch, a dagger aimed toward her before a tentacle takes a hold of him by the waist.

"You really believe that small dagger is supposed to hurt me? You fool!" The sea witch snarls as the knife drops into the water, washed away into the waves.

"Maybe in exchange for your legs, dear Princess—I’ll take your dearly beloved. I’ll take him on a tour of your home! Yes! The King would surely want to see what kind of man you’ve chosen to marry! A land dweller! The ugliest of men—no, a monster among men!"

"They’re not monsters—they never were! The only monster here is you!"

Soonyoung points at the hilt of the small blade being carried closer to the shoreline, "(y/n)! The dagger!"

You quickly push yourself up to your feet and run towards the blade, your legs feeling rigid and sore from your recent transformation. There’s a cold, slimy limb wrapped around your ankle and you fall to the ground, seeing one of the sea witch’s tentacles tethering itself to your leg and pulling you away from the sand, away from the base of the dagger. "Princess! You made a deal! Don’t you know if you break the rules, there are consequences?"

You turn and see Soonyoung wrapped in her clutches, his body bound by the sea witch’s limbs and yet, he still is trying to kick and claw his way out to get to you. Your heart crumples as he struggles against the powerful waves and you can't bear to even think of him captive under the sea witch's rule, yanked down to the waters you resided.

"Y-you’re right. There are consequences to broken rules." You breathe out, steadying yourself against the heavy descent of rain falling all about you. "I’ll go with you if you let Soonyoung go. I'll honor my contract to you."

Soonyoung calls out your name and violently thrashes about, the frigid rain blending his tears into watery raindrops. "It’s okay, Soonyoung." You approach him as he's lowered in front of you and you reach out to touch his cheek, "it's okay. I'll be okay."

You press your lips against his, pouring everything you can into him before you feel a slimy tentacle wrap around your legs and drag you into the water, now a spiraling whirlpool into the deeper trenches of the ocean. The farther the sea witch pulls you, the deeper the whirlpool becomes, and the more the debris gathers into the sea.

The sand and gravel around you rushes into the whirlpool and there's a glow of something in the waters—the handle of the dagger glittering against the sea witch's bewitchment of the waves.

You stretch yourself as far as you can, wriggling your fingers in reach for the dagger as the water floods itself around you. You kick your legs angrily and push off the tentacles, launching yourself for the knife and wrapping your fingers around the handle firmly.

Another arm wraps around your shoulders and you instinctively fight against it, puncturing the slimy arm with the dagger precisely. The sea witch screams vehemently and you take the moment to swim closer and puncture her in the chest.

The dagger settles into the sea witch’s body and suddenly the whirlpool settles as well, black liquid trickling out of her wound as she crumples into the waves, her entire being seeping into dark seafoam and melding with the ocean waters.

Your body desperately urges you for a mere second of air as you work and fight your way up from the trenches, shutting your eyes and letting your mind take over once you break the surface.

The ocean now reflects the color of the navy blue skies, a cloudless night since the sea witch's evils have died off with her. You bob your head above the water and start for the shoreline when you hear a familiar voice yell for you, a voice desperate to find you.

"(y/n)!" Soonyoung's voice is hoarse as he stands waist-deep in the waters, waddling deeper as he rushes towards you.

"Finally." You gasp as you wrap your arms around him, a sense of relief filling you up as you drink him in again. He holds you close to him and clings to you like the very water you come from, that you need to survive.

"Finally, my queen." Soonyoung grins as lifts you out of the water, your laughter clear as night whilst his arms stay wrapped securely around your waist as you slide lower and closer to him, a smile on your lips once you kiss under the glow of the moonlight.

The water surrounding you and him is all but calm—the moonlight flickering against the splashing of water towards one another and the peals of giggles and whispers between you both.

Your feet are dancing against the wet pavement as Soonyoung's jacket rests on your shoulders, his sash tied to keep the article from revealing your ripped dress and his fingers interlocked with yours. The medals on his jacket are hanging on by their single pins, some misshapen and fallen off, but you know he could care less about it. You cling to his arm and stop in your tracks, "you know what I just thought about?"

He tilts his head just enough and his face is illuminated even in the dark, his brown eyes focused solely on you, along with a questioning hum on his lips.

"Before I left the coronation, you promised you would find me… and you did."

If you could keep that exact smile on Soonyoung's face forever, you would. If you could hold his hand forever, you would. If you could be with him forever, you would.

Maybe this is what it meant to be part of this world—to feel this, to feel this way towards someone, towards anyone.

Soonyoung tugs you closer and smiles into you, "I always will."

#Seventeen #seventeen scenarios #soonyoung scenarios #Hoshi scenarios #seventeen au #seventeen imagines #kwon soonyoung scenarios #kwon soonyoung imagines #hoshi au #hoshi imagines #my work

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