"Sannie, hurry up! We need to leave soon!" Wooyoung called with a whine before poking his head through the seaweed curtain separating their bedroom from the living space of their modest home.

As he expected, San was curled around a pillow of green moss, nuzzling into it with a sleepy smile.

"Sannniiiieeeeeee."

"Mmmmmive mmmmore minnnummmph." The older mumbled, curling tighter around his pillow.

Wooyoung huffed and crossed his arms over his extended stomach. "Fine, then I'll just go by myself." He waited for a second. "All alone." Another pause, during which he started rubbing circles on his stomach. "Through a sea of dangerous creatures... all of whom would love to eat a plump, healthy merman as a snack..."

San's tail flopped uselessly in response. It made Wooyoung scowl at him and let out a huff of bubbles.

"Really? Is this what I'm going to have to deal with from now on?"

Another flop answered him.

So Wooyoung resorted to more drastic measures to wake his mate up.

He inhaled deeply, then yelled as loud as he could, "THE BABY IS COMING!"

San shot up with a yelp of surprise, straight into the ceiling with a hard thud. But that didn't seem to phase him. He looked around, eyes wide in panic. "Huh? What? I'm ready! Let's go to Mer Kim! It's ok! Don't panic!" It took him several seconds to finally locate Wooyoung, and once he did, and saw that his mate was not going into labor, he stopped all movement and said, "What's going on?"

"You were ignoring me." Wooyoung huffed, arching an eyebrow in disapproval. "And we are going to be late, so I needed to get you up somehow."

"That..." San's lower lip pushed out into a huge pout, "is so unfair!"

"Sangie would have done the same thing." Wooyoung didn't give him a chance to respond before twirling around and swimming outside.

It didn't take long for San to catch up, darting in front of him to stop him and pull him into a hug. That was followed by a long kiss on his stomach before they made their way to the edge of the city.

The simple action was enough for Wooyoung to instantly forgive his mate and swim next to him so they could hold hands.

Seeing San be so accepting of their baby made Wooyoung so incredibly happy, especially because he'd been so hesitant to bring it up before.

Learning that both mermaids and mermen could bare children was just another thing in the long list of items that made up the training San had to go through. And it hadn't been right away. Wooyoung had waited almost a year before bringing the subject of a family up to his mate.

"You want to start a family?" San asked, not looking up from the pool of water he'd been using to practice with.

They were taking some time for themselves while visiting Yeosang and Jongho. Their friends had needed to run to the store, and while San missed being human sometimes, he had no desire to go grocery shopping ever again.

So now they were relaxing underneath the raised deck, cut off from the surrounding area by sand colored fabric to their left and right, and the perfect view of the ocean in front of them.

San turned his head to look at Wooyoung, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "What does the adoption process look like for merfolk?"

Wooyoung bit his lip and shook his head. "We wouldn't need to worry about that," he hesitated, feeling his nerves rising, "I'd... like to carry the baby." 

"Um, I don't think that's how it works, my love." San giggled and returned to practicing.

"Maybe not for humans, but we are different." Wooyoung's voice was even softer, giving away how shy he felt.

San froze, staring at the ground with his hand still raised. Then he blinked a few times.

"If it's too weird for you, we-" The younger was cut off when San made a weird, short grunting sound. "What? I have-" Another grunt. San still wasn't looking at him. "San, stop it! I-"

Suddenly, Wooyoung was on his back with San pinning him to the blanket they'd borrowed. He was too stunned to speak, instead frozen under San's intense gaze. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I-"

"Please don't mess with me, baby. I've always wanted to be a father, and I'd resigned myself to having to adopt or use a surrogate when I accepted that I'm gay," tears started to appear at the corners of his eyes, "But if I can have one naturally with you... as crazy as that sounds..."

"You can."

San's lips were on his in an instant. The kiss was needy, demanding, and full of passion.

Wooyoung could hardly keep up, succumbing to San's hot tongue and roaming hands undressing them with quick movements.

This had to be his favorite part about changing into a human. He loved the way his body reacted to San sucking his nipples, teasing his entrance, or stroking his length.

They'd both quickly realized that merfolk bodies weren't built for pleasure like human bodies, which sort of confirmed to San why they didn't know about kissing.

It just... didn't feel the same. Although, that didn't stop them from making out in their bed at night, or amidst the coral reefs, or... behind Mingi's throne.

But those times were nothing compared to the way San's touch could ignite a fire within Wooyoung's soul, going straight to his aching length.

Sometimes, he and San would find an island to spend a day on just so they could be together like this.

"Sannie..." The younger panted, fingers tangled in San's blonde hair as he licked and sucked his way down Wooyoung's body. "S-San..."

The second San's hand started to stroke him slowly, Wooyoung was gone. He arched his back and moaned, fingers pulling parts of the blanket into his fists.

San just smirked into the next kiss he carefully placed on the inside of Wooyoung's thigh.

They moved in perfect sync, having learned everything they needed to know to give the most pleasure to the other.

San liked it when Wooyoung focused on the tender spots behind his ears and one sweet area at the base of his v-line, while Wooyoung completely lost himself when San nibbled at his collarbone and the inside of his thighs for too long.

"I love you." San panted against his skin between open mouthed kisses.

Wooyoung moaned in response, twisting his fingers in San's hair to tug on his head. "Love you- ah!" he gasped in surprise, eyes flying open when San lifted his hips up and started lapping at his entrance.

It wasn't long before San was thrusting into him, his arms holding Wooyoung close to him so they could continue to kiss.

There was an urgency to his actions, yet they were all still slow and thought out and precise.

And Wooyoung rocked his hips to meet each thrust, wanting to help San get as deep as possible. He clawed at San's back, leaving nail marks behind in jagged, red lines.

This feeling, this moment, this connection... It meant everything to Wooyoung.

He wished it could last forever, yet he desired the glorious high that slammed into him after another moment or two.

San bit into is shoulder with slight restraint when he came, groaning with pure pleasure.

They lay there for a few minutes, panting heavily and just enjoying being in each other's arms.

Then... San ruined it all.

He lifted his head up and wiggled his hand between their bodies so it was on top of Wooyoung's stomach. "Do you think it worked?"

Wooyoung could probably be heard at the far ends of the beach with how hard he started laughing. He couldn't help it, and he felt only a twinge of guilt when San's hopeful expression was quickly erased from his face.

"I-I'm sorry." Wooyoung breathed, trying to calm himself down. "S-So sorry."

San pursed is lips and moved away from the younger, then started to dress himself with short, snappy movements.

With two more ragged breaths, Wooyoung sat up and tugged on his mate's arm to get his attention. "Sannie, please, don't be mad. I just thought it was cute! I hate to say it, but that's... That's not how it would work."

It took a moment, but San eventually relaxed and said, "It's not?"

"No." Wooyoung leaned over so he could nuzzle into San's neck. "I'll teach you about it when we go home, but we have a very specific breeding season and we have to be in our true bodies."

San blinked a couple of times, his new happen to show he was processing the new information, then sighed dramatically. "I'm never going to get used to how bluntly you say things sometimes."

Wooyoung giggled again, hanging off San's arm. "You still have so much to learn."

When he looked up, San was staring at him with nothing but pure, unfiltered love swirling in his eyes. Thy shared one more kiss, simply savoring the feeling of each other's lip, before dressing and returning to the house above.

"What are you thinking about?" San asked. They'd come to a stop just outside the gates of Aquatis and were sitting on a large rock to wait.

"Nothing much, just remembering the first time I mentioned wanting to start a family with you." Wooyoung gave San a knowing look.

"If I recall correctly, I think we rather enjoyed ourselves." The older leaned over to nibble at Wooyoung's ear, making him squirm and laugh, before resting a hand on where their baby was growing inside his stomach. "But I have to admit, this has to be one of my favorite parts about being a merman with you. Sometimes it seems so impossible, yet I can see it, plain as day."

Wooyoung's lower lip wobbled as he tried to contain the overwhelming emotions flooding into him. His heart felt so full watching San caress and kiss his stomach.

"How is this going to effect you shifting?" San asked, sitting up again to give Wooyoung his full attention again.

"I have no idea. I don't know that anyone has ever tried it. I- Oh!" Wooyoung stopped suddenly and leaned to the side while extending his arm toward the sea floor. "There you are!"

He smiled gently as Umiko, his octopus friend, clung to his arm and allowed him to pull her to his chest. Her arms flexed around him, and one rose up to tickle his cheek in form of a greeting.

"Where have you been hiding? We've been worried about you!"

"Correction, Wooyoung has been worried." San chuckled. "It's the hormones."

Wooyoung could swear he saw the smugness written all over Umiko's expression just by looking at her eyes and feeling how she squirmed in his hold. He just huff and looked away from both her and his mate, not liking that they enjoyed ganging up on him. "I can't help it." He grumbled, more to himself than to the others.

Umiko crept her way onto his stomach, settling there for a few minutes, her arms swaying lazily in the gentle current. She loved to sit there, almost as if she were trying to commune with or comfort the baby.

She stayed with them until the gates to the city opened again, revealing Mingi and Yunho swimming hand in hand to meet them. A few other guards were behind them, but with a causal wave from Mingi's free hand, they stopped and stayed by the gate.

"See! I told you they'd be here already." Yunho huffed. He adjusted the bag on his shoulder, clutching it closer to his body.

"I'm sorry, Yun, it's not that easy for me to get away." Mingi frowned, bowing his head and slowing down.

His red hair was getting long, falling well past his ears when straight. He was also thinner, to the point where Wooyoung was worried about him.

But unfortunately there wasn't much that could be done. Mingi was king now, and had been for nearly two years now.

They'd made it back just in time for them to say goodbye to his father. It was as if he'd held on just long enough to see his son one last time...

Mingi had taken it hard, beating himself up for not being there during his father's final days. That, and the rejection from Hongjoong had pushed him to sequester himself away for several weeks, only allowing Yunho, Wooyoung, and San to be with him.

The only blessing that came from that was the time it had allotted for them to reach out to other pods so they could give him a proper coronation.

Him and Yunho both.

They'd been stunning, garbed in elaborate strands of pearls and golden jewelry, all designed to match their bracelets.

The coronation was just what the pod had needed to bring it back together and reignite the spark of life. Everyone was so overjoyed that the party lasted nearly two weeks. There was music, food, performances, and plenty of time to honor those they had lost.

Wooyoung was given a hero's welcome and was asked to recount his journey over and over. After discussing it with Mingi, he left out a great many details, mainly about his torture, how much time he'd really spent on land, Seonghwa's intentions, and where San actually came from.

Learning that San used to be human would be too hard for pod to accept given their laws and history. So, it was decided that San had been captured when he was young, before he'd been gifted his colorful tail, and that was why he needed to learn so much about magic and their culture.

For the most part the story was accepted, there were a few that felt he shouldn't be there, but those thoughts were soon erased when Mingi made a formal announcement to induct San into his personal council along with Wooyoung.

The trips to the surface, however, were not kept a secret. Mingi took the time to explain that he didn't want anyone from his pod to be caught unaware like Wooyoung, so he personally would be leading trips to the surface to learn more about where humans were at so they could better prepare themselves.

It was an action that earned him complete approval by everyone in the pod. Some were saying the upcoming years would be their golden years, that Mingi would bring them into a new era of peace and prosperity.

"I know." Yunho wrapped his arms around around Mingi's shoulders and swayed him back and forth. "I'm just teasing and anxious to leave."

Mingi looked up, first at the bag, then at Yunho, and nodded. "Yes, I am too. How are you two doing? Woo?"

"I'm fine, Mingi." Wooyoung shook his head with a playful smile. "I wish you would stop worrying so much!"

His king scrunched his nose in annoyance. "Too late. Are you sure you're up for this?"

Wooyoung just rolled his eyes and pushed away from the rock, ready to show them that he was fully capable of taking care of himself despite being a few months pregnant.

Besides, there was no way he was going to stay behind. Not today.

The four of them made their way toward the surface, knowing the way like the back of their hands from how often they'd gone to visit their human friends.

Hongjoong had used the money he'd earned working for Seonghwa to by a house right on the beach. He'd even purchased the strip of beach in front of the house and had large rocks brought in to wall it off, marking the outsides with giant 'private property' signs.

All so that the four of them could have a private entrance where they could come ashore and shift in peace.

He lived with Jongho and Yeosang after giving them money to help them move there so he didn't have to be alone and they could be closer to San.

For the short amount of time before he'd bought the house, Wooyoung had been worried the human would disappear forever after rejecting Mingi and Yunho's invite to join them that day after they'd all been reunited.

It still hurt to think about how broken they'd been, but he also understood why Hongjoong had said no.

He'd just been through hell, and now these complete strangers were inviting him to change his life forever.

One time, when he'd managed to catch Hongjoong alone, Wooyoung had asked him about it, desperate to find some kind of answer to give his friends back home.

"I just... can't." Hongjoong said, poking the sand with his toes and dragging his feet as he slowly walked with Wooyoung along the beach.

"Why not? They are good men, Joong."

"I know, trust me, I know. But I'm not. And I don't know why they'd want to offer that to someone like me." He found a small shell and started to dig it out with his foot. "San I understand, but me?" He scoffed and shook his head.

Wooyoung took a moment to think before responding, wanting to choose his words carefully. "You're a better man than you give yourself credit for. If you weren't, you wouldn't have helped me."

The human just grunted and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Did you know that Mingi and Yunho originally wanted me to be with them?" Wooyoung said softly, playing with his mating necklace.

Hongjoong finally looked at him with a curious glance and shook his head.

"They did. And... if I hadn't met San, I would have joined them. They've always cared about me, and for me. That's why they came to rescue me. If you take anything away from what I've said tonight, I hope it's this: They wouldn't have asked you to join them if they didn't feel that connection with you." Wooyoung reached out and wiggled his hand into Hongjoong's pocket so they could intertwine their fingers. "And I noticed it in the way Yunho was looking out for you that night, the few times I was able to pay attention. You must have done something to impress him, which in turn would impress Mingi."

For a long moment, Hongjoong just stared out at the ocean. The sea breeze ruffled his tawny hair, just gentle enough to act as a gentle nudge.

He let out a long sigh and shook his head. "I'm not ready. I... I need time. I've given so much of myself to my years with Seonghwa... Do... Do you think they will wait?" Hongjoong tilted his head just enough so he could peek at Wooyoung from the corner of his eye.

"I'll talk to them about it." The merman promised.

And wait they had.

Mingi and Yunho had listened to Hongjoong's requests with open hearts and had been more than happy to respect his wishes.

The biggest thing was that he simply wanted to get to know them more, so they visited the surface almost a frequently as Wooyoung and San did.

But Hongjoong also said he needed to do some soul searching to try and figure out what he really wanted from his life now that he was free from Seonghwa's grasp.

Part of that time was spent actually looking for his old boss.

He'd only revealed that knowledge once he'd found some bit of news of what had happened to Seonghwa.

Apparently, at least according to Hongjoong's sources, Seonghwa had fled overseas. He'd emptied all of his bank accounts and left without a word to anyone.

Hongjoong wondered if maybe Seonghwa had been lying about how old he was, if maybe he'd been trying for immortality for a long time and had been using magic to keep himself young... and now that Mingi had stripped him of all magic, he was changing into someone he didn't want to be.

An old, mortal man.

Whatever the reason was, Wooyoung was relived and felt so much better knowing the horrible man wouldn't try to hurt him anymore.

It was after learning about Seonghwa that Hongjoong had completely changed and he finally opened his heart.

He spent more time with Yeosang and Jongho, and had started waiting with them whenever Yeosang dropped a piece of his coral in the water to summon San.

Wooyoung was always happy whenever he saw the slight disappointment in his eyes whenever Mingi and Yunho weren't with them, which he was always quick to inform them about, much to their delight.

As the four of them drew closer to the surface, both Mingi and Yunho started to look nervous. They held hands and kept exchanging quick looks with each other, giving away the secret hope that they wanted today to be the day.

Wooyoung just sighed and shook his head. They were working themselves into a tizzy and he knew it. Everything was going to be fine today. But he decided to behave himself for once and didn't tease or do anything to provoke them.

When they made it to the beach, they were quick to shift, and the other three rushed to help Wooyoung stand when he cried out in shock.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Is the baby ok?" San asked, his head whipping back and forth between looking at him and at his stomach.

"It's just so much heavier up here!" Wooyoung gasped. "Oh bursting bubbles!" He hissed and let his head fall back as the weight of his stomach threatened to drag him down to the sand.

The others exchanged amused looks before San looped an arm around his waist so they could make their way to the house.

"San!" Yeosang's bright voice called from the back porch.

Both San and Wooyoung beamed at the sight of him rushing down the stairs and bouncing is way over to them, the long sleeves of his sweater flapping with each wave of his arms.

He slowed down just before reaching them, taking special care when hugging Wooyoung, then nearly tackled San to the ground.

Jongho and Hongjoong exited the house together, both smiling fondly at the group of friends gathered on the beach.

The younger looked like he had just barely returned home from work, which right now was at a small sea life rescue facility he and Yeosang had started together with the hopes of protecting all life in the ocean.

And if they used their pull to direct researchers away from the area they knew their friends were living, well... that was their business and no one else's.

After giving both San and Wooyoung a quick hug, Hongjoong clasped his hands behind his back and turned to face Mingi and Yunho. "Hello."

A wide, lopsided smile tore across Yunho's face. "Hi, Joongie."

Despite how bouncy he was, Mingi was the first one to pull Hongjoong into a hug.

"Why are you guys still so awkward?!" Wooyoung said, unable to contain himself any longer.

"Quiet, Woo!" Several voices said at the same time, making the youngest merman stomp his foot and pout.

But he'd broken the spell and soon they moved inside where they were all catching up with what had happened recently in their lives.

Wooyoung complained about being pregnant and how much San tended to hover while San complained about how Wooyoung wouldn't let him do more to help so that Wooyoung could relax more.

Jongho and Yeosang told them about the dolphins they had recently rescued from fishing nets and the new sanctuary they were trying to get funding for to rehabilitate animals so they cold be released back into the wild. Their hopes were to release as many as possible, but they also knew some would never survive on their own, so they wanted to build realistic habitats for them to live in so they could have happy lives while being used to educate anyone who came to visit them.

Mingi and Yunho shared their plans to start visiting other parts of the world, wanting to connect with other pods and share the knowledge they'd gained about humans, while continuing to learn more.

But Hongjoong was the one who had the most exciting news.

He waited until everyone had finished talking before clearing his throat and turning to the king and his mate. "I suppose now would be a good time to say this... I..." He sighed heavily through his nose, then looked directly at Mingi. "I have done a lot of thinking and... after talking with Jongho and Yeosang about things... I've decided that I have no place here anymore."

Yunho lifted a hand to his mouth, obviously trying to not show too much emotion.

"What are you saying?" Mingi asked, his calm aura filling the room.

Hongjoong fidgeted in place. "I... Um... You know that immortality was something that I desired. That's why I continued to work for Seonghwa. But I never wanted it the way I got it, and we don't even know if it actually worked... And truthfully, I don't want it anymore."

Both Mingi and Yunho sank in their seats a little but stayed quiet.

"However," the human continued, "Getting to know you this past year has been... incredible. I never knew anyone could care about me in this way and I am so grateful to all of you." Hongjoong looked around the room, smiling at his six friends one by one. "That being said, I've decided that I want to go with you."

Cries of joy erupted across the room as both Mingi and Yunho threw themselves at the human, showering him with hugs and kisses.

This had been a long time coming, according to Yeosang and Jongho. They'd told San that Hongjoong wouldn't stop talking about his potential mates sometimes and that he'd never been happier once he realized he was starting to fall for them.

They celebrated long into the night, although Wooyoung passed out much earlier than the others due to how much of a toll being pregnant took on his human body.

The following day was a day was when the ceremony happened. There was no need for all the fuss, but it also felt like the right thing to do.

Hongjoong stood across from Mingi and Yunho, ankle deep in the clear ocean water. Yunho was holding a box he'd brought with him and Mingi was holding the vial originally gifted to them by Mother Atargatis.

All while Wooyoung was sobbing further up the beach while being held up by San, Yeosang, and Jongho.

The four of them watched as Yunho opened the box and pulled out the bracelet they had made to match theirs. They'd been worried at first that Wooyoung would be offended by them doing this since they'd originally made the bracelet for them, but he'd stated that the bracelet was never truly meant to be his.

With shaking hands, Yunho slipped the bracelet onto Hongjoong's right arm. It fit perfectly. Just like how Hongjoong had managed to fit perfectly with Mingi and Yunho.

All three of them gave a sigh of relief, of joy, and of love.

Then Hongjoong was offered the vial. He stared at it for a few seconds, then took it and drank it with one smooth motion.

The magic started to work instantly, swirling around Hongjoong and lifting him from the water.

They watched in awe as a gentle blue light surrounded him, soaking into his skin and hiding him from their sight.

Until he was carefully set down in the water.

With a beautiful, shimmering copper colored tail. In the light of the sun, it looked like streaks of red or green shot across the surface of his tail as he moved it back and forth.

Mingi and Yunho were quick to help him get to deeper water before waving goodbye and shifting to join their new mate.

"Wow." San sighed. "He's stunning."

Next to him, Wooyoung sniffled through a new wave of tears and sputtered, "Y-Yeah, he r-really is. I'm s-s-so h-happy for him!"

Yeosang was the first to start laughing, comparing Wooyoung to a human female when they were pregnant, followed quickly by telling him how endearing it was.

Soon San and Jongho started laughing too as they dragged a pouting Wooyoung back into the house where he promptly made himself comfortable on the couch so he could get off his feet.

"How long until you're due, Youngie?" Jongho asked, sitting beside him and grabbing a foot to start rubbing it.

Wooyoung groaned at the painful yet glorious pressure. "I'm not sure. Everyone is different."

"Well yeah, but there's got to be some kind of standard, right? Like women up here are pregnant for nine months."

"Nine months?" Wooyoung tilted his head and hummed. "Huh. I wonder if that's what ended up happening when magic disappeared."

"Apparently magic controls everything." San said as he walked out of the kitchen carrying a tray full of cheese, crackers, and fruits. "I'm still trying to understand it myself, but- hey! Easy!" He yelped suddenly when Wooyoung tore the tray away from him and started shoveling food into his mouth.

Especially cheese. Wooyoung loved cheese! He hummed happily to himself and did his best to ignore the blatantly obvious eye roll San gave him.

"Anyway," San sighed, taking a seat next to Yeosang, "From what Wooyoung has told me, everyone's pregnancy is different. It's like their magic knows the ideal amount of time for the baby to fully grow or... or something like that. It's all so complicated."

"It's not if you think about it." Wooyoung said after licking the juice from a strawberry from his fingers. "You just need to trust your magic to know what's best for you. It's all about learning the signs and giving in to our instincts."

"But what does that have to do with how long you'll be pregnant?" Jongho asked, chuckling to himself when the merman melted when he dug his thumbs into Wooyoung's heel.

"No idea." Wooyoung sighed happily. "Magic is, and always will be, super mysterious. Mother Atargatis is probably the only one who could actually answer that question. But we think the baby will be born at the exact moment their magic is at it's strongest."

"So you're basically like a ticking time bomb." Yeosang frowned.

San started laughing and leaned into his friend. "Basically!"

Then Wooyoung managed to make everyone start laughing again by asking, "What's a bomb?"

He and San spent two more days on land before he decided he just couldn't do it anymore. Everything hurt way too much. "How do your women do this??" He whined while his friends helped him down to the water.

No one answered him, instead starting in on their goodbyes.

"I suppose this will be the last time we see you for awhile." Yeosang pulled San to him and held him tight. "I'm sure it'll be hard for Wooyoung to come, and Jongho and I will be busy with getting the center built."

"I'll still try to come when I can." San promised. "I can't wait to see what you guys manage to do!"

Jongho gave a wide, proud smile and rubbed his hands together. "Yes, I can't wait to whip all those workers into shape! They won't know who they are messing with."

"They will be so scared." Yeosang patted his chest, then turned to the others and mouthed 'No they won't'.

Wooyoung and San laughed to themselves before giving them each one more hug.

Once they were back in the water and fully shifted, Wooyoung twirled in circles to stretch his weary body. There was no questioning it, being back in the ocean always made him feel so much better.

The couple started to lazily make their way home, enjoying the sunbeams dancing in the water and all the fish who came to say hello.

And Wooyoung loved watching how effortless it was for San.

His mate sensed his gaze and turned to face him. "What is it?"

"You're happy, right?"

San flashed his adorable dimples and grabbed Wooyoung's hands, making them both stop swimming so they could face each other. "Of course I am, Youngie. I've never been happier."

The younger moved a little closer and said, "Good. Are you ready to go home?"

As he always did, San glanced back at the surface once. Wooyoung knew it was his way of reminding himself where he came from as he worked toward his new future. There was no pain in his eyes, no longing, not even acceptance.

Just... happiness.

"Yeah." He turned back to Wooyoung and leaned forward to give him a quick kiss. "Let's go home."

Wooyoung felt his magic pulling him in that direction as soon as they started swimming again. Pulling him toward the place he was born, the place that would always hold his heart.

Even though he would always be curious about the human world, Aquatis was always where he would return.

Especially now that San could be with him.

They were two pieces that fit together so perfectly, melding everything together.

Land and sea.

Man and merman.

And they had the rest of their lives ahead of them, full of incredible adventures.

Starting with the little one growing inside Wooyoung.

He sent another prayer to Mother Atargatis, thanking her for his life, for always looking out for him, and most importantly, for giving him San.

For San was the piece of his soul he'd always been missing, even when he hadn't know it.

And he knew San would be by his side, always, as they descended into the ocean.

Together.

The End.

Well this is, and I still can't believe it. Thank you so much to everyone who patiently waited for me during my hiatus. I know this has been a favorite story for many of you and I'm sorry it took me so long to finish it.

It's so bittersweet for me whenever I come to the end of a story. I never want to let the characters go. Especially this Wooyoung. I definitely think he's one of my favorites.

Thank you again for all the love and support you've always given me <3 I look forward to having so many more adventures with my precious Flamies!!

Please stay happy, healthy, and safe <3

My heart is always yours.

~~flamewhipper