My Lifeline - Jaywon Shortstories

Naiad Pt2

"Wait" said Jungwon in shock. "I can.. I can touch you? You're... real?"

The Naiad opened his eyes wide and gasped in shock.

"Wait!" he said. "You.. you can see me?"

Slowly, very slowly, the Naiad reached for Jungwon's arm. As soon as his fingertips brushed against the merman's skin, he felt an electric shock. A second later, the Naiad was gone, leaving a shocked Jungwon there.

Fish swam far around him, highlighting his sudden loneliness.

"He... he's real" he mumbled to himself, eyes still locked where the Naiad had been a few moments before.

A minute passed and the current had carried Jungwon a little further. He hadn't fought it, he didn't care. His mind was fully occupied by the Naiad.

It had been brief, but he had had the chance to look at him a little better. And with that had come a realization: the Naiad didn't have a tail like he did. He had two slimmer ones, which was kind of weird, but at the same time, kind of similar.

Jungwon felt his arm hit something and looked behind him. The current had brought him against a huge coral. The merman shook his head and swam away from it. It had left a scratch on his skin, but it didn't matter.

He needed to find the Naiad, and he needed to find him now.

And he knew exactly where.

Jungwon swam carefully around the corals until he found the one he was looking for.
It was reddish and had spikes.

And right behind it, he saw the wrecked ship he hadn't seen in years.

"Are you here?" asked Jungwon, hoping he was right.

However, no answer came.
Jungwon floated there, disappointed.

He was so sure a minute before. He was sure he knew those two tails. He had seen them before.

As Jungwon was about to leave, he heard a cry.

He got closer to the broken ship, guided by the heart breaking sound. There, hidden in a hole, he saw the Naiad.

"Hey" he whispered, confused on how to comfort him. "Don't cry."

The Naiad looked up and their eyes met.

"Can..can I come?" asked Jungwon, not wanting to impose himself.

The Spirit nodded and the merman swam slowly towards him.
He sat next to him and after a while, the Naiad was breathing normally.

It gave Jungwon all the time to analyse the Naiad.
Just like him, he had two eyes, a mouth and two arms.
Unlike him, he had something pointy in the middle of his face, and two round things on each side of his face. He didn't have any gill and he had indeed two tails. However, they didn't look like tails.
The last detail that surprised him was that his fingers were separated from each other.
Jungwon had skin that linked all of them, to help him swim faster.
His skin was darker than Jungwon's, especially his tails, which were dark blue with spots of silver here and there.

Now, Jungwon had the confirmation about who this Naiad was.

"I think I know you" whispered Jungwon.
"How?" replied the Naiad.
"I saw you, that day" said Jungwon. "But I got scared and I left."
"What are you saying" asked the Naiad.
"The day you drowned" said Jungwon. "I saw this ship, your ship, sinking, and you were trapped in it. Your tails were trapped."
"My tails?" asked the Naiad. "You mean my legs?"
"I didn't know they were called like that" replied Jungwon. "Yes your legs."

The Naiad nodded.

"So it's true" he whispered. "I'm..."

Jungwon looked at him. He seemed so lost, so confused.

"I'm dead" he whispered.

Jungwon looked down. He didn't know what to say.

"I.. I always kind of knew, but now it's true, you know" he added. "By the way, what are you? If I may ask. And why can you see me? I've been around for a while and no one ever talked to me. I thought I was crazy on top of invisible."
"Well, I'm a merman" answered Jungwon. "You must be, well, you were a human before, right?"

The Naiad nodded.

"As for why I can see you, I don't know" added Jungwon. "Perhaps because I saw you when.. when you crossed worlds."
"But why am I here if I'm dead? Shouldn't I be... well dead?" asked the Naiad.
"I really don't know" said Jungwon. "I'm sorry."

Some minutes passed in silence.

"I'm Jungwon" said the merman.

The Naiad looked at him.

"I was Jay" he said. "Don't know if I'm him anymore."
"I think you are" replied Jungwon. "At least you're as handsome as when I first saw you."
"Hum, thanks I guess?" replied Jay, laughing nervously.

"And to perhaps answer your previous questions, I think that as you passed away, your spirit stayed here, attached to your ship" explained Jungwon. "I think you became a Naiad. They are spirits of the water."

Jay nodded.

"That's the best explanation yet" he said.

A minute more passed before he gathered the courage to do what he wanted to next.

"Did it really happen before? Did you really touch me? And I you? Because how could that happen if I'm a spirit?" asked Jay.

As only answer, Jungwon reached for Jay again, but slower this time, as if he was afraid it wouldn't work anymore.

Eventually, his fingertips touched Jay's arm for the second time. The skin was as soft as before and instantly, Jungwon's scales glowed brighter.

Jay frowned, intrigued by this sudden change in Jungwon's tail. He reached out for him as well, soon holding the merman with both hands.

"Sorry" he whispered, planting his eyes in Jungwon's. "It's just, I've been so lonely. I didn't think I'd ever be able to talk to someone again."
"Don't apologize" replied Jungwon, moving closer to Jay.

His scales were speaking for himself, because Jungwon wanted more. He wanted Jay to hold him more. He needed his strange fingers to be on his skin, softly yet firmly around him.

Jungwon felt the caress go up his left arm, following his collarbone and going up his neck. He unconsciously closed his eyes, giving Jay full control of him.
It made everything more intense.

Jay's hold on his right arm, the rail flames burning him were Jay had touched him, his fingers exploring Jungwon's chin and cheek.

The caress seemed to have stopped time and Jungwon was so okay with it. He opened his eyes and dove in Jay's, getting closer to his face without even noticing.

He stopped when their lips were only a few millimeters apart.

Until Jay decided that millimeters were too much a distance and he kissed Jungwon.

The End

~

Hi everyone ✨

This marks the end of this book, this crazy aventure that you all agreed to share with me 🥹

I know I've already done it along the way, but I wanted to thank you once more.
You became my little bros and sis, my community, my people and and love you all so much

Thank you for the constant support, for the comments, for the time you decided to give me, it counts so much✨

I'm excited for what's next, but I'll miss this book too ahaha

Aaaand normally by the end of the week, I'll be opening up the one shot/short stories book for every kpop ship you want, so get ready to make requests ✨✨

In any ways, remember to care of yourselves and that I'm always here for you❤️

Love, your big sis AuthorNim 🦉