The Lord of the Sea | Minchan • Banginho

Final

(Chan)

The flight seemed endless. Chan had tried everything to make it as bearable as possible, but there had been no successful results. After a month and a half, he was finally on the flight back to Spain, eagerly awaiting his reunion with Minho.

The separation had been tough for him. They had only seen each other a few times over the course of just over five weeks, almost exactly the time Chan had been in Australia. The inability to communicate with Minho as he did with his other friends through technology weighed heavily on him each time he was at the beach with his family and friends, and his mind wandered to the beach where he and Minho had spent time together.

Nevertheless, he had a wonderful time in Australia. He had been able to be with his parents and younger siblings, whom he hadn't seen for a year, and they had enjoyed quality family time. He also reunited with childhood friends. In short, his stay in Australia had been joyful, but returning to Spain was what made him happiest.

***

Swimsuit, towel, a basket of food, a cushion to sit on, candles, and most importantly, alcohol. He wasn't a heavy drinker, but he remembered how Minho had savored the "queimada" during one of their gatherings and decided to bring some occasionally. Besides, as his friends would say, "alcohol is a good socializer." And he was genuinely nervous about seeing him again.

He meticulously arranged everything in his usual spot to make it look beautiful, as if it were a candlelit moonlit date. Although, to be honest, that was clearly the goal.

He submerged himself in the water and hurriedly swam out to the buoys. When he arrived, he stopped, took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He inhaled deeply, placed the conch shell to his lips, and disappeared beneath the waves.

(Minho)

He was nervous. He had had a lot of time to think, and now it was mid-September when Chan had said he would return. He didn't know the exact day, which made him even more nervous. After all the pondering, he had only come to one conclusion, one he didn't even feel confident about.

He was on his nightly stroll, hoping for Chan's call, but it seemed like today wasn't the day either. With a heavy heart, he started his way back, but a sound froze him in his tracks. The conch shell! Without wasting a moment, almost out of himself, he swam swiftly toward the sound.

His heart was pounding, perhaps from nerves or from the sprint he had just made underwater to reach Chan. He was now two meters away from him, underwater, so Chan hadn't yet noticed his presence. He observed Chan from his position.

Chan's skin, which used to be beautifully pale, now had a slight tan. This made his well-exercised muscles slightly more pronounced. Minho couldn't help but notice how Chan's abs might have become a bit more defined. Was it due to the new, attractive tan he was sporting, or had he been working out? His thoughts were quickly dismissed when he finally paid attention to Chan's swimsuit for this occasion, a bright pink one with colorful pineapples scattered all over the fabric. He couldn't understand how this man wasn't embarrassed by such colorful prints.

After thoroughly analyzing Chan's appearance from the depths, he realized that what he most desired to see was his face. He hesitated on how to make his grand entrance, but a playful spirit took control of his decisions. Slowly, he ascended to the surface, with his back to Chan. Once his head was above the water, he extended his arms around Chan's body and traced a small kiss on his cheek. He whispered the following words in his ear: "This is payback for the last time." Then he separated from him and positioned himself in front of Chan while the other looked at him in surprise. "How have you been, Chan?"