"Hongjoong! Wait a second, let's talk about this," Seonghwa panted as he tried to catch up with the two. His husband dragged Wooyoung by his wrist, pace quick as he brought him from the outraged crowd.

Since Wooyoung couldn't tell anymore what was going on, he tumbled along, caught between his joy at receiving San's gift and the chaos that it hailed upon their group.

Hongjoong snapped at Seonghwa in their language, his face like a thunderstorm. Muttering to himself, Seonghwa hurried along as they passed the main city.

Helpless, Wooyoung turned his head to the diplomat.

"What is going on here?" He whispered, fearful to have insulted their culture with his selfishness.

"He wants to take you on a hunt to prove you are worth someone of high rank as San, but this is nonsense. Hongjoong! He isn't from here!" When he remembered to switch languages, Seonghwa repeated himself. Hongjoong yanked on Wooyoung in response, hissing a reply while the scientist tried to twist his aching wrist away.

"He is displeased that you are a foreigner and can't live up to our standards. He wants you to fight a bull shark to prove your worth." Knowing what nonsense that was to ask of a guest, Seonghwa finally overtook the two and put his body in their way. Hongjoong didn't dare shove at his spouse and dug his heels into the ground with a snarl on his lips. The dainty hand that settled on his chest kept him at bay.

Seonghwa spoke fast and desperate, reminding Hongjoong that Wooyoung wasn't from here and that he would die during such a test of courage. In the meantime, Wooyoung cowered behind Hongjoong and wondered how the fuck getting courted meant deserving a punishment. So what if San's heart settled for someone who wasn't one of them? He bested the depths to show his worth to Wooyoung, and it was Wooyoung's choice to accept.

Though Hongjoong had a point and their relationship would develop under an unfortunate star that meant parting all too soon, Wooyoung should be the only one to judge this. No weird test of courage.

Seonghwa argued all of those points and more. With time, Hongjoong calmed, but his ire still boiled under his skin.

When he dropped Wooyoung's wrist, the boy rubbed the reddened skin with a pout. Before he could complain about the harsh treatment, Hongjoong snatched his other hand instead to ogle the ring. He didn't dare touch it, respecting San's claim in handing it to Wooyoung. After a moment of consideration, he flung the hand off with a sneer.

Seonghwa glared at the arrogant ruler and came to rub Wooyoung's back. More upset brimmed in his eyes when shouting men and trouble about rings triggered a trauma he had tried to bury.

"I'm sorry, Wooyoung. This shouldn't be a matter," Seonghwa muttered when he noticed the erratic blinking of his eyes.

Biting the tears back, Wooyoung shook his head.

"What's the matter? Why can't he choose who he wants to be with? Is racism the issue?"

"Not racism, but San's status. He is a very important part of our society and Hongjoong fears what might happen if he couples up with a surface dweller. San upholds the fate of our entire city. Losing him might mean losing everything we have. It's the leader in him that wants to protect."

Wooyoung glowered at Hongjoong. He sucked at expressing his concern.

"I'm not some witch who wants to take San away. Do you think I studied your culture for nought? Though you gave me no chance to talk to San about this, I am more than aware of San's position in this place. It's insulting to assume I would be selfish enough after coming here to study you that I'd take him away and leave you all to your ruin."

A beat of silence filled the tense air between them. Hongjoong nudged Seonghwa to understand, and Seonghwa quietly echoed what Wooyoung said.

While Hongjoong digested the words, urgency returned to Seonghwa.

"You should reconsider. San does what he wants, and you are here for a limited time. If you don't want him to get hurt or leave this place to follow you, it might be best to return the ring. That would spare you two the pain of parting."

Though that was a rational way to see things, Wooyoung disliked stifling his feelings for the sake of an unknown future. He liked San, and he wanted him to like him back. If they ran into trouble parting, at least they used their time for all it was worth.

When Wooyoung crossed his arms, Hongjoong's brows drew back together. He mimicked Wooyoung's position, staring him down while he hissed more words in their singing language. Not one to back down easily, Wooyoung stared back and waited for Seonghwa to repackage the translation as politely as possible.

"Hongjoong says that if you were as smart as the surface advertised you to be, you would know better than to start a permanent relationship down here. The promises of the pearls are very weighty for us," Seonghwa winced, apologetic for every accusation he had to translate.

Cold-blooded after the first hit, Wooyoung had to defend San's honour over his own. Clearly, this wasn't about insulting Wooyoung. It was about San losing every ounce of respect if he pursued him.

"If Hongjoong had any shred of decency, he would consider San's feelings and be well aware that San knows how foreign these matters are to me. In giving me the ring, he respected my culture over yours, and he seems ready to make this work in a way we both understand."

Seonghwa translated back. One of his hands kept twitching as he wanted to reach for his husband, but he didn't dare take sides in their almost political standoff.

Hongjoong shook his head to himself. He looked displeased, but he accepted that without San's side of things, this wouldn't get them anywhere.

Glad to have reached a standstill, Seonghwa directed his own words at Wooyoung.

"You should talk to him about this. In whatever way he understands the moray, he understands you. You are right that you must be important to him if he risks this much to court you, and he respects your newness to our culture. Settle your feelings with him first, then we can talk about the later. I agree that this can't be argued out politically. Hongjoong should know best how feelings get between us and our duties." Finally, his timid fingers skimmed the back of Hongjoong's hand. The man's eyes behind his majestic paint immediately softened when he understood the point Seonghwa was trying to make.

Seonghwa smiled again, and Wooyoung was assured he would be fine.

"Find San. I will do damage control on my end. You know our culture and the terms of this courtship, so return to me after you made your peace with what you want. Try to be kind to San."

Wooyoung nodded to him, thankful for his help. He supposed his response had struck something in Hongjoong, for the prince accepted his escape without another word.

Maybe in showing his compassion, Wooyoung was man enough as he would have been if he killed a bull shark.

Left off the hook narrowly, Wooyoung scurried away before Hongjoong could reconsider. As the couple walked off and Seonghwa charmed Hongjoong's mood back up, Wooyoung's heart was nervous again when tasked with facing San.

The lack of communication made things difficult, and it would hinder them from properly talking. So far, they always understood each other, but Wooyoung wondered if he should mention Hongjoong's wrath. Not that it seemed to play a role for San.

As expected, he found San in the quiet area towards the northern exit that led to the moray's cave. The man had retreated from the fury of his people and was busy fixing his diving suit after the minor damage it had suffered from his trip earlier.

Between the rocks and corals, he blended so well that Wooyoung almost didn't want to disturb the serene image. He dared to venture closer only because his sense of duty carried his feet.San heard the crunch of rocks under Wooyoung's feet and glanced up. His face was blank, either expecting a wrathful leader to come his way, or to defend himself against a crowd of jealous girls.

When he spotted Wooyoung instead, dimples dug into his cheeks, and he stood up. Shy under those eyes now that he knew the weight of San's feelings, Wooyoung slinked closer.

He was always ready to flirt, and he never missed out on some teasing touches where they were appreciated. Now that an official courtship was involved that comprised finding a super rare pearl between swarms of sharks and warriors, Wooyoung was overwhelmed with the worth bestowed on him.

Seungyoun had never granted him such worth or made him feel it. Getting wooed in this way turned Wooyoung's insides into mush. No thought about rejecting this dedicated man crossed his mind. He craved that adoration and he wanted to return the same.

"Um, hi," Wooyoung said towards the ground when he was still too bashful to lift his eyes.

"Taɪ̯ʤeɣ, Wooyoung," San hummed, his tone mild towards the fidgeting male in his company. Wooyoung's fingers skimmed the ring, adoring it as part of him already.

"I, uhh, I wanted to thank you for this. No one ever made such an effort for me and I don't know how to react. More than pleasing Hongjoong's indignation about this, I want you to know how much I appreciate the gesture. No matter how it was intended and what comes of it."

San seemed to follow, even when he couldn't understand every word. When he reached for Wooyoung's ringed hand, Wooyoung let him take it. He trembled in San's grip when the man tugged him closer to kiss the ring on his fingers.

He said something, maybe about wanting to cherish Wooyoung, maybe about him deserving better. Either way, it was meaningful when he pressed Wooyoung's hand to his chest as he once had. Now, his ring adorned those twitching fingers, and it looked all kinds of right.

"I... I wanted to check with you if this was fine. I would like to fall in love with you and accept your courtship, but your people frown upon it. And I will leave soon." Wooyoung's free hand pointed up into the sky, signalling where he belonged.

San didn't remove his eyes from Wooyoung.

The sentence he said was in Atlantean, but Wooyoung heard it as if San said it in English.

"I want to be with you."

A blush crept into Wooyoung's cheeks. He averted his gaze, trying to hide it away, but San's grin broadened.

"I want to be with you, too," Wooyoung uttered, almost too quiet to be understood. When he nodded, San's grip on him tightened, both in hope and expectation.

"Fine, let's try this. Parting will be a pain, but it won't be the end. We will figure it out later on. For now, I accept your gesture. Thank you for the precious pearl, San. It's stunning."

Wooyoung made a bold step in San's direction, not unfamiliar with the chest his second hand settled against. On instinct, San reached for Wooyoung's hip to stabilise him. His head tilted in surprise when Wooyoung went on his tiptoes, aiming for his ear.

San thought he wanted to whisper to him and turned his head, but instead, Wooyoung pressed a soft kiss to the supple of San's cheek. The skin under his lips was smooth and clear of tattoos, but a dimple dented it when Wooyoung pulled back a moment later. San's hand on his hip twitched.

"There you go," Wooyoung grinned. He lowered himself, but before he could retreat, his eyes got stuck on the leather necklace San wore around his throat. It cradled the pink pearl from earlier, ever so plain and meaningless compared to those of all the others. Yet, San wore it with pride, because he wanted to show he was Wooyoung's and that he adored the gift.

Wooyoung's heart never felt so full and warm before, never in his many years spent with Seungyoun.

Their hands fell from each other when Wooyoung retreated. He was shy, but his heart yearned to be with San as close as he could, as loud as he could, and as long as he could.