Tails and Toes • Jikook Mermaid AU

Chapter Fifteen

Jungkook was worried. The specs of red blood on Jimin's pillow were enough to make him worried about the health of the mermaid. He decided not to ask Jimin what was going on, but silently keep an eye on his health. Jungkook had the feeling Jimin wasn't telling him something and holding secrets, but he hoped Jimin would tell him soon enough. The black-haired boy closed the bedroom window, because it was starting to rain heavily. The waves of the ocean angrily smacked against the rocks and Jungkook could hear the loud sounds of the sea even when the window was closed. Maybe it's calling out to Jimin, Jungkook thought. Maybe his hyungs miss him too much and try to get him back home. But he hoped not, he hoped Jimin would stay longer. Jimin promised him and Jungkook blindly trusted him. Jungkook watched the seafoam splash up when the water smacked against the rocks for the second time, and then turned his back to the window. He decided to go back downstairs, acting like nothing happened. Jungkook stood by the top of the stairs when he heard it. He had heard it before, that sweet voice. That angelic voice. Jungkook rushed to his working room and stood by the open window which had the view over the backyard. He saw Jimin laying in the water, his navy blue tail was calm but he could see that the water around Jimin wasn't. The mermaid outed his emotions in his singing and splashed some water up from the pool when his fists hit the surface. Jungkook saw the tears on Jimin's cheeks while the mermaid sang with passion. Jungkook had never heard this song before, but it was beautiful by how Jimin sang every word. The combination between Korean and English sounded mesmerizing. ''As much as my heart flutters, I'm worried. The destiny is jealous of us, just like you I'm so scared. When you see me. When you touch me. The universe has moved for us. There wasn't even a little miss. Our happiness was meant to be. Cause you love me and I love you.'' Jungkook felt his heart shatter in little pieces. So it was true, there was something wrong with Jimin. Every tear Jimin shed in that moment hurted Jungkook deep in his soul. He slowly blinked, not looking away from the beautiful creature in his pool. ''Jimin, what is wrong with you?'' Jungkook whispered to himself, he didn't want Jimin to hear it. He didn't want to ruin the moment. He didn't knew what he felt. Love, for Jimin. Sadness, about Jimin. And frustration, also about Jimin. The mermaid was always on his mind and even appeared in his dreams. But they were a lot more peaceful than real life. In Jungkook's dreams, his imagination, Jimin didn't cough up blood and wasn't sickly pale. He looked like an angel, grabbing Jungkook's hand and walking down the beach. They slowly leaned in and kissed each other, Jungkook imagined the kiss to taste sweet, like Jimin. They spent the whole day on the beach and sat down by the large rocks when the night fell. In Jungkook's dreams, the sky was always a beautiful shade of dark blue mixed with black. The stars that decorated the night sky weren't with that much, but Jungkook liked it that way. The amount of stars were the amount of days the two spend together since they had met each other. Jungkook reached out for the stars and Jimin always looked at him with the reflection of the shining stars in his eyes. Jimin was his light that guided him through the dark. Jungkook was the night sky and Jimin was the stars. They were never seperated, but always together. How dark the night was, there were always stars to light the path. Sometimes, you couldn't see them. But they were always there. Just like how Jimin was there for Jungkook. Sometimes the stars weren't shining that bright, like how Jimin felt recently. But they were always decorating the night sky. That's how Jungkook's dreams always ended. Jimin looking at Jungkook with the reflection of the shining stars in his eyes, saying that it'll be okay. But it wasn't okay, Jungkook thought. He finally snapped out of the memories of his dreams about Jimin and him. He wondered if Jimin dreamed about him too. He wondered if Jimin knew that he was Jungkook's whole world and beyond. And Jungkook wondered if he meant as much to Jimin as the mermaid meant to him. It didn't suprise the boy when he finally felt the salty tears leaking from his eyes and rolling down his cheeks, dropping down on the ground. Jungkook bit his underlip to prevent himself from sobbing. Jungkook never cried much, he was mostly silent about his emotions. But when it came to Jimin, he became another person. Jimin made him into a better version of himself, because Jimin learned him things about life he had never known before. Jungkook wasn't scared of the unknown anymore, because Jimin taught him to accept it. So Jungkook did. He hoped that Jimin would tell him what was wrong. If it was Jungkook's fault, because Jungkook slowly started to blame himself for Jimin's health problems. He wanted to help Jimin, understand him. ''Let me in.'' The three words that rolled over Jungkook's pink lips sounded fragile. They were directed to Jimin. Jungkook was so worried, so scared. He wanted to give Jimin help, he didn't want to see Jimin suffer. What if Jimin had pain, because of him? Jungkook thought that Jimin missed his home so much and he got sick from that constant pain. Maybe Jimin really missed his hyungs, the ocean, and his life below the waves of the sea. If that was the case, then Jungkook wanted Jimin to return. It was for the best, even though the thought of Jimin leaving made more tears roll down his cheeks. If Jimin was in pain because he was homesick, then it was the best for him to return. Jungkook didn't want Jimin to live in pain, he hated to see Jimin in pain. ''Just let me love you. Just let me love you. Since the creation of this universe, everything was destined. Just let me love you.'' The sorrow that was hidden in Jimin's words made Jungkook grab the windowsill with both of his hands and slowly shook his head. He held it so tight that his knuckles were white and Jungkook had the desire to destroy something in order to control his emotions. He wanted to throw something against a wall, outing his feelings in the process. He wanted to yell, not at Jimin, but he wanted to yell what was wrong with him and how concerned he was about the boy he loved with his whole heart. Jungkook stared at Jimin singing in the pool until he couldn't. He turned around, so that his back faced the window, and dried the tears that were left on his cheeks. The boy gasped when he recognised the bracelet on his wrist when he brought his hand to his face to dry the tears. The little silver mermaid tail that dangled from the bracelet made Jungkook bit his lip to prevent himself from bursting out in tears. He would never take it off, it was the present Jimin gave him in Busan. He remembered the words Jimin said, how Jungkook could always remember him, even when Jimin was gone. So he could always remember Jimin's tail and Jimin could always remember Jungkook's feet. The black-haired boy sat down in the black office chair and spun it around with his eyes closed. What would life be, Jungkook thought, without Jimin? Would there be happiness left for him? Even when his happiness, his whole life, returned back to the ocean? Jimin would never return again. He would have to let him go, because he loved him. And he wanted the best for him. But Jungkook didn't mind it if Jimin stayed just a little bit longer. Jungkook needed time to accept it and prepare himself to say goodbye. Because it would be his last goodbye to Jimin ever.