ATEEZ (Imagines, Scenarios, AUs, and More!)

Treasure of the Sea Pt. 1 (Kim Hongjoong)

Genre: Fluff, angst; merman!Hongjoong
Summary: You never imagined a trip to your aunt's beach house would turn out the way it has.
A/N: Here's the promised fic for celebrating my reaching of 200 followers!! Whee!! (Special shoutout to fxllenforyxu to for giving me the idea in the first place after I posted the first moodboard xD)

☆☆☆

You're barely stepping foot on your aunt's gravel driveway when she rushes out of the house to greet you, her arms open wide for a hug and a smile on her face. "Y/N! It's so good to see you!"

"Hi Auntie," you laugh, relenting to her embrace and letting her rock you back and forth for a moment.

"Oh, you've grown so much since I last saw you!" she gushes. "You're such a big girl now! Here, let me help you with your bags!"

"It's really not that much," you laugh, pulling back and walking over to the trunk, where the Uber driver is hoisting your two suitcases out of the back of the car. "It's just these two."

"What? That's it?"

"It's only for a month, Auntie – I didn't need to bring everything, you know."

"But those things are tiny! You can't have managed to pack more than a week's worth of clothes!" your aunt protests. "Oh, no no no, this will never do! First thing tomorrow, I'll take you shopping! There's a lovely little boutique down by the waterfront, I'm sure we'll find some things there for you!"

"No, really, you don't have to," you hurry to say, waving a thank-you and goodbye to the Uber driver as they climb back into the car and pull out of the driveway. "You work hard for that money, and –"

"Nonsense! I'm the fashionista of this town, and it'll ruin my reputation to have my niece dressed all frumpy!" she laughs, giving you a wink, and you sigh, knowing you've already lost the argument. After all, your aunt didn't become a model through a meek and mild demeanor.

"Yes, Auntie," you say, hoisting up the handles of the suitcase and following her across the driveway leading to the house. She flits along before you, zipping to and fro, the skirt of her ocean-blue dress fluttering in the wind. Honestly, you wonder how she always has so much energy to spare, when you, nearly two decades her junior, always seem to feel so tired and worn-out with the hassles of life.

"Your old room is all set and ready for you," she gushes, flinging open the front door and revealing the interior of the house, decorated with everything nautical, from fishing nets on the walls to beautifully painted mermaid figurines on the fireplace mantle. You breathe in the crisp, ocean-y scent of the place, a nostalgic smile selling on your features as memories of childhood trips to this place fill your mind.

"You go ahead and get yourself settled," you aunt continues, practically bouncing where she stands, "and I'll get some food going!"

"Thanks, Auntie. It's good to be back," you confess.

"Aww, sweetie, it's good to have you back, too," she says, wrapping her arms around you once more in a hug before hustling off toward the kitchen. "The snacks will be ready soon!"

You give a soft laugh to yourself at her exuberance, then roll yourself and your suitcases down the long hall, counting the doors. It's the third one down the hall, and as you push it open, a welcoming feeling of déjà vu washes over you. You can almost see your younger, childhood self, rushing about the room with a smile, or draped over the window seat, a book in hand and the sheer curtains fluttering softly in the breeze, the open window bringing the scent of the ocean into the room.

With a smile, you roll the suitcases over to the foot of the bed, leaving them there as you walk over to the window seat, brushing aside the curtains. And there, greeting you like an old friend, is the sight of the ocean, sparkling like a thousand diamonds beneath the cold sky. Eagerly, you open up the window, and once again, the scent of the sea washes over you. You close your eyes with a contented sigh as the cool breezes toy with your hair, caressing your face like a long-lost lover.