A/N
Pffff no I didn't update... you are seeing things...

Weird ideas people get these days~

Chapter 18

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The evening went by without any further complications. Taehyung seemed to like the food, the waiter didn't get as close as he had before anymore and Jungkook honestly felt relieved everything was going well now.

It really looked like Taehyung was putting an effort into acting human. While they were eating he kept urging Jungkook to continue talking. Just random stuff. Jungkook talked a bit about his friends, what growing up here had been like.

But also things that didn't have much to do with him. He told Taehyung a bit about how much humans knew about the ocean. How they actually had found a way to go to the moon and Taehyung seemed genuinely curious.

When they had made it home, Jungkook slipped out of his jacket while Taehyung fumbled with his shoelaces. At least he didn't need Jungkook to untie them. Just to tie them up.

"You know. Before you showed up here I actually thought my life was boring." Jungkook chuckled as he made his way over to the living room, but then he had to think about something else. The last few weeks Taehyung had been blocking the bathtub most of the time.

He missed taking baths... he'd been so stressed and the tension in his shoulders certainly wasn't getting any better. When he stopped in his tracks Taehyung almost ran into him. The siren looked startled but at least he wasn't hissing. That was a good sign. Taehyung didn't show as much aggression towards him when it came to body contact anymore.

It was still very clear that the siren did not like being touched at all, but when Jungkook moved too close he no longer looked like snapping any second.

"I think I'm going to take a bath."

To his surprise, Taehyung followed him to the bathroom. Well, actually it wasn't that surprising. It was already pretty clear that the siren had no real sense of decency. Clearly nudity was not something he thought he had to hide.

So when the bathtub was filled and Taehyung had sat down on the ground next to the sink, Jungkook really didn't think too much about it as he slipped out of his clothes. There were so many other things he had to worry about regarding Taehyung. He didn't give a shit about being naked around the siren. Not even when the siren gave him a very clear once over.

It wasn't really sexual. Just like he was inspecting something he hadn't seen before.

Nevertheless, it made Jungkook feel a little awkward as he turned around to grab one of the bath bombs Eunji had given him last Christmas. He could still feel Taehyung's eyes on him. "You know... humans usually don't stare at each other's dick unless they are about to have sex. It comes off as a little perverted."

When he turned around he found Taehyung tilting his head in question. Jungkook dropped the bathbomb in the bathtub as he answered.

"Do you want to have sex with me?"

He glanced back to find Taehyung grimacing. He snorted. Wow, the siren had just deadass rejected him after seeing his ass... how could Jungkook ever live with that?

"If not it's a bit rude to look at my dick. You know, the third thing between my legs."

This time it was Taehyung's turn to snort. Jungkook watched in amusement as Taehyung blinked, sniffing the air before looking at Jungkook in confusion. The room had filled with the soft smell of lavender from the bath bomb Jungkook had chosen.

"I put something into the water because it helps me relax." Jungkook explained, watching as Taehyung moved closer to the bathtub, hesitantly sticking his hand in before smelling it. He didn't seem too put off by it, although he was looking a bit confused.

Maybe it happened since he wasn't focusing or maybe because of the contact with the water, but Taehyung's hands changed again. For the first time Jungkook actually had the chance to watch the slow shift. His skin growing darker, his nails slowly getting longer until they had the dangerous sharp form Jungkook knew all too well.

"Is it hard to stay in human form?"

Taehyung seemed to have forgotten about him already. Too distracted by the scented water. When Jungkook spoke he flinched a bit but then he looked up at him and hesitantly nodded. He seemed to suddenly become aware of his claws being in their natural form again and the black started fading again, but Jungkook interrupted him.

"If it's too hard to do you can stop hiding them around the apartment... as long as you keep them faaaar away from me. I'm really not too fond of them if you can imagine."

For a few seconds Taehyung looked up at him, seemingly thinking about the offer before lazily grinning at him. His hands turned fully black again and then he was focusing back on the water, playing with it, cupping a few drops in his hands as he mustered the weird purple hue in them.

"Could you move back a bit? I want to lie down, but as I said... not so comfortable with your claws." Jungkook asked, stepping into the bathtub. To his surprise Taehyung moved away, waiting patiently for Jungkook to lie down, the water rising as he did.

Once Jungkook was lying down, Taehyung moved closer again, hesitantly moving his claws to grip at the edge of the bathtub. Jungkook felt a bit weird about this. Usually it was Jungkook sitting by the bathtub while Taehyung was the one lying inside.

A thought came to him. It was a little abstract, considering that he really had no idea how the siren's emotions and brain worked. But what if Taehyung wasn't doing this just to keep watch over him... because that had somewhat stopped these last couple of days. Maybe he was just keeping Jungkook company.

It certainly seemed like it with the way he was patiently sitting by the edge of the tub, expectantly looking at him. As if he was waiting for Jungkook to say something. Continue talking. Like he had the whole evening.

Maybe Jungkook was going to be turned down now but he was curious. "Do you actually like listening to me?"

Taehyung blinked, almost looking caught for a moment before he hesitantly nodded. Wow... that certainly has been unexpected. Even if Taehyung did have some fun talking to him Jungkook had kind of expected him to just lie. Say that that wasn't the case.

"That's surprising. Do you usually talk to your food? It's not a thing humans tend to do." He couldn't help laughing when Taehyung rolled his eyes before reaching down for the water again.

Jungkook could feel his heart pick up in pace at the proximity of those claws to his leg but Taehyung actually seemed careful as he dipped them into the water again.

"Having you live here is weird..." Jungkook admitted, dropping his head back against the bathtub, sighing. He moved slowly to make sure he wouldn't be the one accidentally moving into Taehyung's claws this time.

"Because you're fucking scary and I really am scared of you but then you act normal suddenly and I actually have fun walking around with you for a bit, but then you're scary again and then you're nice again and it's just confusing for me. I really have no clue how to feel about you." Jungkook admitted. There was no point in telling the siren about this, but he just felt like it.

It was just that the siren was basically the only person he could even tell about this. Anyone else would have declared him crazy. And he was frustrated because it was fucking confusing. He wasn't supposed to have thoughts like 'he's kind of cute' or 'this is fun' when they were about the guy that was constantly threatening his life.

He watched Taehyung's reaction cautiously. Part of him was scared that he would make him angry for some reason again. He didn't want to get threatened again. Even though he didn't feel as scared of it anymore as he had been in the beginning he still knew the threats weren't empty.

Taehyung was very capable of killing him. And just as uncaring about actually doing it. That he had proved more than enough at the time Jungkook had been simply lucky to escape drowning. He had almost died. Actually died. It wasn't just that Taehyung had pulled him underwater.

Jungkook had breathed in enough water that he might have actually died if he hadn't been lucky.

Taehyung was a cold blooded killer. Which made it even more surprising when his features softened a little, his clawed hand hesitantly reaching out before awkwardly running over Jungkook's head. Jungkook didn't dare to move. Not with Taehyung's claws right there.

But Taehyung's touch was surprisingly soft. And then a sudden calm washed over him. It didn't feel like his own feelings. Not that it changed anything about the fact that he could feel his body relaxing. For the first time in months he felt calm again. Not like his life was an absolute shithole.

It stayed for a couple of seconds, just until Taehyung pulled his hand away. Not that it was completely gone or anything. Jungkook still felt ridiculously calm. Like all weight had been lifted off of him, but it no longer felt like it was coming from somewhere else but himself.

It was like he had just finished a huge project for work and knew he didn't have anything to do about it anymore. Taehyung was mustering him curiously. When Jungkook opened his mouth, his tongue felt heavy. "What did you do just now?"

Obviously the siren didn't answer. It wasn't the type of question he could answer. Instead he moved back to playing with the water. Jungkook was still too out of it to really worry about the claws that were threateningly close to his leg right now.

"God, I feel weird now." Jungkook muttered, rubbing his head. He felt a bit too relaxed. Like his body functions had gone down too. His heart that had been racing just a minute earlier now pumping in a slow rhythm.

When he sat up a bit, he felt dizzy.

Jungkook wasn't stupid. Whatever Taehyung had done just now, no matter how confusing and weird it had felt, had been supposed to be... an act of kindness? Jungkook could still remember the time Taehyung had brought back all of his memories of drowning in the ocean, something that had been the complete opposite of this.

Jimin had told him that sirens could get in a human's head this easily already, but Jungkook hadn't experienced it that many times before.

Taehyung... had tried to help him calm down. What exactly that implicated Jungkook wasn't too sure. Before he had seemed very adamant about scaring Jungkook... but that had certainly improved since they had visited Jimin.

Maybe Taehyung really was trying to be nicer to Jungkook. Part of Jungkook felt hopeful at that. If Taehyung really got his whole... aggression under control the next few weeks might actually end up being somewhat enjoyable. If Jungkook didn't have to be in a constant state of worry he could spend his weeks doing random things, like actually focusing on showing someone around who simply didn't know much about this place.

He really hoped that could be possible.

With a sigh he leaned his back against the tub again, closing his eyes as he sunk down further into the water. That weird calmness was still there. Like a blanket. Made the water feel warmer and softer in a way.

A comfortable silence filled the room. The only sound was Taehyung continuously dipping his hands into the water. Like a child... which was funny considering that judging from what Jimin had told him Taehyung was ridiculously old.

When Jungkook opened his eyes again he wasn't sure if he had fallen asleep. He felt a little disoriented but he was still in that weird state of calmness. Taehyung was still sitting by the tub, playing around, but the water around him felt a bit colder.

"I-" He hesitated when Taehyung's eyes landed on him. "Did I fall asleep?" It was still absolutely stupid that apparently Jungkook felt comfortable enough to fall asleep around Taehyung. He could never know what the siren would do while he was out of it... especially with his claws out like that. But then again, it really didn't make much of a difference. Whether Taehyung decided to kill him while he was sleeping or while he was awake. Jungkook would be dead either way.

The siren nodded, seemingly not really surprised. Jungkook wondered how long he had been sitting there while Jungkook had been asleep.

Before he could continue racking his head, he heard Taehyung's voice for what had to be the third time.

"Watch."

It was always just a word. Never more. But the words he did say sounded perfectly normal... like Taehyung was used to talking and wasn't mute for most of the time. Jungkook knew asking wouldn't get them anywhere so instead he focused on the reason Taehyung had spoken at all.

In awe Jungkook watched as Taehyung moved his clawed hands above the water, lifting them very slowly. Following their trace a small ball of water, maybe half the size of Jungkook's fist, separated from the water and slowly floated into the air.

Jungkook could do nothing but stare, even though he knew Taehyung was looking at him. For the first time Jungkook really felt that excitement that he should have been feeling for quite some time now. Yes, the situation was quite shitty, but he was lying here in his bathtub with a mythological creature sitting by his side.

There were so many people that probably would have given their all to be in his place. To be the ones seeing one of the creature's many special... traits. But it was Jungkook who was here. Not quite as appreciative as he maybe should have been but he did feel a certain curiosity. If Taehyung was going to learn about humans then maybe Jungkook could learn about sirens.

For example something about how the siren in front of him was breaking all laws of physics to ever exist right now. "You... can control water?"

Taehyung almost seemed proud as he nodded, the pearl of water changing shape, getting longer.

"Is that normal for sirens?" This time he shook his head. Jungkook forgot about the claws when he reached out and it was Taehyung who pulled his hand away a bit to get Jungkook out of the dangerous zone. Curiously Jungkook tapped the surface of the ball, the water forming little waves that moved over its surface, making the water ripple in a weird way because the waves met each other right away.

"Can Jimin do this?" Another headshake. Jungkook couldn't help but smile. "That's really cool."

His heart did a weird thing when Taehyung smiled back.

A/N

I'm still officially on a break... I just couldn't stop myself today cuz I have no self control...

Tomorrow is my birthday guys!!!! This is my birthday present to myself<3 Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Also not sure if I have said this here before but I'm really active on twitter. If you guys want to hear all my story ideas random thoughts on for example this story and just random stuff usually related to writing you can follow me there!

@/jambooty2