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My Favorite Sailor

genre. [F][AU]

warnings. Shark bite?

additional notes. Female! Reader | You/Your pronouns, not proofread lol

pairing. Hyunjin x Reader

w.c. 1,212

a/n. This is for Fall Cryptid season!

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Humans were odd.

Walking on two “legs” as Lee Know called them, instead of a tail. Being in the sun instead of the cool water. And they even rode atop of the water in “ships” (once again what Lee Know called it) instead of gliding within it.

So odd.

But you would give them credit for one thing. They can sing. And sometimes it was the most beautiful sound to ever hit your ear fins.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

There was one ‘ship’ that you found yourself captivated by. The Wandering Youngsters, it was a cargo ship that sailed around the Asias. You weren’t aware of what they carried, just that they were on the seas for months on end.

It was one fine night that you’d caught a glimpse of…him.

One of the sailors, with delicate features yet not so delicate physique. You were captivated by his beauty at first. Long obsidian hair that blew in the wind. Mole that sat just below his left eye. You’d only managed to see the speckled dot by pure chance when you’d swam closer than usual.

It was that same night that you’d heard him sing for the first time. He was alone on the deck as he did his tasks when a sweet melody filled the air. Light and full of passion with every note. As you swam on your back along with the ship staring up at the stars, it was a night you would no sooner forget.

Despite what others thought, mermaids couldn’t sing. Mouth sounds just don’t travel well under water. The best they could do is an echolocation type of screech that they’d adapted from dolphins. Evil little beings that they were, they were smart. And outside of the water? Perhaps a whistle, but even still they could barely carry a tune.

So to be able to listen to something other than ‘eek eek’, how could you not fall for him. You were mesmerized immediately.

There were others that would join his singing every now and then, too. They were all good in their own ways. Some of them were fast and made your head spin by how hard they hit their notes. Others also kept to a beautiful melody, and yet nothing beat your sailor’s voice. It was your favorite thing in the entire sea.

And you suspected it would always be.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

On this particular night, you weren’t feeling too well. You’d been attacked while making the scouting rounds around the undertow city perimeter. As a member of the royal guard, it was your job to keep an eye out for anything that could threaten your people.

Today’s threat? Shark.

Usually, you’d have a buddy with you to help in such cases. And you did, but they were a new recruit and got scared as soon as the beast showed up. It managed to do a number on you before you were able to escape to the nearest check point where others were stationed. It was there that they were able to dispatch guards to your previous location and finish off what you couldn’t by yourself.

The captain would definitely have some words for the newbie.

The regenerative powers of the merfolk would kick in in a few hours, so for now, you’d have to deal with a chewed up tail and scarred shoulder. It just made swimming in the water more difficult. Trying to keep up with your precious cargo ship, you were a lot slower today. Lagging just a bit more behind, your tailed kicked out more water than normal. Struggling as you went, you just wanted to hear him, to be comforted after a shitty day with the music he made.

“You’re loud today,” a dulcet voice said from somewhere above you. Caught off guard, you stopped swimming long enough to look up and meet the eyes of one you longed to hear. There your sailor was, leaning against the edge of the ship railing.

“Most of the time, you’re really quiet. I almost thought I’d made you up and was just going crazy,” he continued. “Hey, keep up!”

The distance between you and the ship had grown longer. Snapping out of it, you struggled forward again. Once he deemed it a reasonable distance, he picked up the conversation from where it left off.

“Older sailors always warned about unknown creatures living in the sea, but we never really thought they were telling the truth. We just thought it was an old wives tale, something to share over a drink or something.”

Shocked that he was actually talking to you, you were still silent. His brows furrowing in confusion.

“Can you talk? Or even understand what I’m saying?”

“…I-I can!” You said, quickly trying to answer him. The responding smile was one that will stay in your dreams for years to come.

“This is insane,” he said more to himself than to you. “So why are you making more noise tonight than you usually do?”

“I got chomped on by a shark. It is difficult to swim.”

“What!? Are you ok?” He looked around frantically, searching the surrounding darkened ocean. “Is the shark still around?”

You giggled at his movements. Humans were so funny sometimes.

“Yes, I’m alright, it was by my home, a long distance away from here. There is no need to worry.”

He seemed to relax at your reassurance, though keeping a wary eye out.

“Long distance huh, so you come to the ship every night?”

“Just about.”

“Why?”

“To hear you sing,” you admitted easily, slowing down in your swimming. You were getting tired now.

“Me?” He asked incredulously.

You nodded with a smile. “Yes, you. You have such a beautiful voice.”

“Don’t mermaids, you are a mermaid right?, don’t you all sing too?”

“Yes, I am a mermaid. No, we cannot sing and I’m afraid I can no longer swim.”

He watched as you stopped moving in the water. The distance once again getting longer between you both. He moved frantically again, quick enough to slip and fall over onto the floor which made you giggle into the water. He disappeared quickly to a point you couldn’t see and then it was quiet besides the roaring of the ship breaking the sea waves.

Just as you were about to give up waiting and make the trek back home, an object was being thrown over the railing. It was circular with a hole in the middle, on one side, it was tied with a rope that connected to the ship.

“Get in there! The ship will pull you along!”

With a big push you made it to the object and tried to make yourself as comfortable as possible. Glancing up at the ship, the sailor smiled down at you.

“What’s your name?” you asked, noticing how your tail was beginning to close its wound. Massaging the regenerating scales, you looked upward.

“Hyunjin, what’s yours?”

“Y/N.”

“Is there any song in particular you wanted to hear tonight?”

“Anything you sing is beautiful.”

At least he had the sense to blush before clearing his throat and looking away.

“Ok.”