drown for you | jjk

03

On that same day, you leave the lab the moment your shift ends. When your colleagues look surprised, you blame it on a headache. Perhaps it's the paranoia speaking, but you figure you'll skip a day just in case Taehyung had suspected something and a SWAT team is hiding behind that forbidden door to catch you in the act. No thanks.

The next day is a Saturday, which means that you have two days off before having a chance to revisit the creature. You wonder if it's smart enough to realize that it's been longer than usual between your visits.

On Monday evening, your frustration is hard to contain as you finally get an opportunity to visit the room. By now, you've circled through all different fruit and berries and are back at strawberries. You wonder if it has a favorite.

There's a slight stomp to your stride as you climb the stairs, opting to sit down at the last step where the wall ends, not just hang over it. Lips in a pout, you put the bag of strawberries on the platform next to you for later, and without thinking, you dip your fingers in the water.

You've never touched the water, always so hyper-aware of the fact that you can't discern anything deeper than a centimeter or two. But there you are, fingers playing in it, creating tiny splashes, and letting droplets fall and ripple the surface in small craters.

"I wish I knew what you are... No one is telling me anything," you mumble, still not connecting where you are to what you're doing.

"I don't know if they're treating you okay. I want to know if I can help, but then again, maybe they are treating you well, and you don't need any help. Maybe you're content as is. I just don't know!" You emphasize your frustration by making a slightly bigger splash with your palm.

Then, you sigh, retracting your hands. A few strawberries end up in them, and you munch on the sweet fruit, deep in thought.

"Tae said that you really are dangerous... that I could get killed. I don't think you're dangerous," you mumble, eyes locking to the ceiling. It's high up, and there's a little rectangle-shaped window that lets a tiny amount of moonlight through. It tints the black water, the reflections appearing a very pale blue.

You've stopped turning the lights on when you come, feeling more comfortable and less observed with it off. Besides, if anyone were to return and decide to open the door, you could simply duck and be out of view. No suspicious lights to investigate further.

"Don't get me wrong, I think you might be powerful with the potential of being dangerous. I bet you're smart. I bet that you can differentiate and only be dangerous when you need to. I mean, you haven't hurt me..." you reason as you chew another piece of strawberry.

"Maybe you don't even like strawberries? Gosh, I wish you could talk to me so I could at least bring your fa—" you cut yourself off as you look at the water, and you're almost sure that your heart stops functioning.

There's a pair of eyes a few meters away, staring back at you.

It's eerily quiet when you realize that they are human eyes. All you can see is the top of its head, a pair of strong eyebrows, and then the eyes as the water cuts off right beneath them.

They're dark and intimidating, almost making you feel the need to turn and run. For a brief second, you consider the possibility of it being just someone who works at the lab who's taken a dive, but you know everyone, at least by face.

Even though not much of him is visible, you know it's a male. His features hold a certain sense of masculinity.

Honestly, you've considered mermaids. You have. But then you mentally face-palmed, almost embarrassed for even thinking about it. But staring at him now, as none of you move, you're absolutely sure.