Chapter 49

●●●

„Is it weird that I actually kind of missed this?" Jungkook traced his fingers along the surface of the water. Taehyung's tail was surprisingly non frightening even though it was just centimeters away from his hand. Maybe Jungkook had just gotten a little careless since Taehyung had been gone for a while though. Really, for the most part his scales were just pretty. Especially when they reflected light.

Taehyung hummed, slipping lower in the bathtub. Jungkook was more than relieved he didn't seem bothered by the scent of the bath salt. He had wanted to make Taehyung a present and it would have been more than disappointing if Taehyung hadn't liked it.

But why would it have been that disappointing? Because they were friends? The thought he'd already had earlier crossed his mind again and Jungkook quickly pushed it away once more. There was no fucking way he was developing a crush. Not at Taehyung out of all people.

He was just happy to see him again and it was a little confusing because they were friends and now the fear was gone. It just felt a little intense due to the intense emotions of fear he had had before were gone now.

"So what did you do while you were gone? Anything interesting happen to you?" Jungkook decided to focus on that instead. He could reflect about his sanity later.

He watched a small ball of water lift, slowly separating from the bathwater, floating a few seconds before popping and falling back into the tub. Taehyung smiled and Jungkook realized he was playing around.

"It was boring... I slept and hunted." Taehyung turned his head to look at Jungkook and smiled a little. "But I saw my pet again."

"Does it have a name? It's an octopus, right?"

Taehyung shook his head. "Names aren't really worth anything when you don't talk."That was fair. Jungkook really couldn't say anything against that line of reasoning.

"Wanna give him a name?" Taehyung asked, placing his clawed hand on Jungkook's. Jungkook quickly shook his head.

"No way in hell." There was no way he could name another animal. "I suck at picking names."

Taehyung chuckled and Jungkook was pretty sure that Taehyung also knew that Tuna wasn't a good name for a cat. And Jungkook had accepted it.

"Honestly, your poor octopus is probably better off without a name."

"Maybe." Jungkook felt Taehyung pull his hand away from his before dipping his hair in the water. It was hard not to stare at his eyes that were practically glowing as he did. He wondered what that meant. Maybe it was just because he was back to full strength now.

"Anyways, nothing really happened. Aside from-" Taehyung sat back up abruptly. "Jimin was an asshole!"

Why did this feel like Taehyung was going to start telling on Jimin? Jungkook was all for it.

"What did he do?"

"The week I visited them Yoongi had some concert tickets and he really wanted to go. And Jimin didn't want to make him go alone so they forced me to come with them." Taehyung grimaced. "There were so many people."

"Why did he make you come with them? You could have just stayed home?" He hadn't forgotten Taehyung's previous reactions to crowds being around. Taking Taehyung to a concert sounded like the last thing he ever would have done.

"Because he said I need to get used to people being close to me, so I don't get you in trouble. He makes it sound like I have no self-control."

Jungkook raised his eyebrow. "Uh."

"Shut up." Taehyung flicked some water at him. Probably his most harmless attack on Jungkook so far.

"So how did it go?"

Jungkook watched another water orb floating around in the air. This time he couldn't stop himself from reaching out and closing his hand around it. As if it were normal water his fingers slipped right through, but the shape didn't change.

"I mean, he helped me stay calm through... no idea how to explain it, but it was frustrating because some human girl kept approaching me and wouldn't leave."

Jungkook felt a knot form in his throat. "You didn't kill her, did you?"

Taehyung shook his head. "Jimin made her leave, but I really wanted to. I can't draw any attention to Jimin and Yoongi... because Yoongi is supposed to be dead."

Right. There had been something about not aging and faking his death. That certainly seemed annoying.

"That's relieving to hear." Jungkook dried his hand off again, going back to simply watching Taehyung play with the water. "So nothing happened aside from it being really annoying for you?"

"It was interesting to see. Made me curious about the kind of music Yoongi used to make. Jimin showed me a few of his songs and told me that he'd also been singing for some."

That made Jungkook curious. He had heard multiple tales of the typical siren's song and the effect it had. Hell, he had even felt it on his own body before. Taehyung had made it impossible for Jungkook to breathe. But did Jimin's voice have the same effect and did that mean that everyone that listened to Yoongi's music would have trouble breathing?

Didn't sound like the best sales pitch overall.

"What can sirens do with their voice? Usually, in the media, it's portrayed as something that pulls sailors in until they drown? How much of that is true?"

"Depends. Jimin is good with his voice. I think he can do pretty much anything. Make people happy, sad... have them hallucinate. As long as it happens in their mind I don't think he has any limits. As for me..." Taehyung chuckled and Jungkook had a hard time believing just how comfortably he was talking now. The six months certainly had helped him become more fluent. "I suck at singing compared to him. It was never my thing. I can do a few simple things such as pulling someone to the water or influence their mood a little. But nothing too complex."

Taehyung tugged at Jungkook's hand a little. "Wanna join me in here?"

"I already showered earlier. There is no point and your tail is still scary."

"I can shift."

Jungkook shook his head. "I wanna keep sitting here." Jungkook wasn't ready to share the bathtub with Taehyung again. Especially now that there was a small voice in the back of his mind going "What if you have a crush???".

On that topic. "Can a siren make someone fall in love with them? Like, force them?"

Taehyung seemed to think for a little. "Jimin probably could... but I don't think he would. Messing with love seems a little..."

Right. Sirens seemed to treasure love quite a lot. Still, that was scary. Forcing someone to fall in love... he wondered how real that would feel. Being manipulated into love.

"When we use our voice to create emotions in someone they also only last while we sing... what remains after is more the impact those emotions left behind." Taehyung continued, reaching his clawed hand out and carefully running it through Jungkook's hair. Jungkook tried his best to stay as still as he could. "This is way better."

When Jungkook looked at him in confusion Taehyung elaborated. "Your hair. Doesn't look weird anymore."

"Oh." Jungkook reached up when Taehyung pulled his hand away again. Even though his fingers were still clawed Jungkook had barely felt them in an uncomfortable way. "You know that the way I had it last night is way more well received usually? People say I'm hot when I walk around like that. When I look like this, they say I look fluffy." At least Eunji had kept saying that.

"Then I think I like fluffy more than hot." Taehyung declared, turning to the side and resting his cheek on the edge of the bathtub.

Jungkook chuckled. "Of course you don't care about me being hot." Jungkook reached out to pat Taehyung's head. "Don't worry, I'll stay fluffy for you."

Seemingly enjoying the touch Taehyung closed his eyes, so Jungkook continued.

"Honestly, I prefer this too. While you were gone I had a girlfriend for a short while and she somewhat expected me to dress up every time we hung out. I really prefer this."

Taehyung opened his eyes, this time looking a lot more tired than he had before. It was late after all. And Jungkook tended to get more tired whenever someone patted his head so maybe it was the same for Taehyung.

"Girlfriend?" Taehyung sounded curious.

"Yeah... someone I've known for a while. Although I don't think I even wanted a relationship... I just let myself be roped into it because I was feeling a little desperate. As sad as it is."

"What is it like? Being in a relationship?"

Once again Jungkook realized that Taehyung had never been in a relationship before. It was so weird to think about that given that Taehyung was over a thousand years old. And yet Jungkook, with his meek two decades, had more experience with love than Taehyung had and was going to have for who knew how long. Maybe ever.

"It feels really good. In a way your partner feels like an extension of yourself. They help you and are there for you when you hit a wall and don't know what to do anymore. But with love also comes a lot of pain. By caring so deeply for someone you also make yourself vulnerable." Jungkook hesitated. "I mean, that you already know. For sirens that is even more literal than for humans."

"Did you love your ex-girlfriend?" Taehyung asked, sitting up a little, forcing Jungkook to pull his hand away. But then he leaned even closer than he had before. Taehyung was attentively listening now.

"Yeah, I did. That's why I'm still hurt that she could just leave me like that. Because that's something I never could have done." Jungkook answered honestly. For some reason it wasn't embarrassing admitting this to Taehyung. With anyone else it would have, but Jungkook didn't feel like Taehyung was judging him.

"And the girl that was your girlfriend while I was gone? Did you love her?" Taehyung continued asking.

"Not at all. I don't think I even liked her."

This time Taehyung seemed puzzled at his answer. "But... why did you become her boyfriend then?"

That was a fair question. The answer was more than sad.

"I was feeling lonely. I missed holding someone and having sex so I turned a little desperate. I tried to get it even from people that I didn't want it from that much, I guess." Jungkook tried to put into words.

"But that doesn't really... make you happy, or does it?"

For the first time since Jungkook had met Taehyung, he genuinely seemed confused.

"It doesn't. Humans get a little dumb when they are desperate. I was craving affection and blindly searched for it. But I think it should be better now that you're back." Jungkook felt blood rushing to his face. Just how could he say that out loud? That sounded so wrong.

"Why?"

"Since part of the reason I felt so lonely was because I had no one to talk to. But I really enjoy talking to you and learning more about you. It might not satisfy me in a romantic sense but just having you around helps immensely." But did it? Was it really just that Jungkook had someone to talk to?

Or was Jungkook really developing a bit of a crush? It certainly seemed possible with the way his heart reacted when Taehyung smiled at him.

"So you actually like having me here?" The question seemed genuine. Like Taehyung still wasn't sure if Jungkook was just doing this to save his own ass.

"I really do. No idea when that started, but I really enjoy your presence." More than Jungkook was willing to acknowledge. He couldn't develop a crush on Taehyung. There was no way.

A/N

Jk might be developing a bit of a crush~

Do ya'll think Tae might have feelings too or do you think it's just Jungkook?

Also for the Q&A don't be shy and if any questions come up as the story progresses just ask any questions that come up there!