#wayvhoursnet

Hot summer nights spent out on the beach or midnight walks lead to morning sleep-ins. No matter how hot it may be, he insisted on cuddling you to sleep. Claiming he couldn’t rest without you. And even if you separated during the night, face flushed hot, you’d find his arm back around your waist, his face in your chest and his sticky skin against yours.

“Hendery” You groaned out his name, pushing him away in your half-asleep state. It was too hot for cuddling and the intense heat had woken you up. He didn’t reply, only pulling you in closer with a hum. The both of you slept mostly naked on hot nights like these, the only thing covering your bodies are the thin sheets of your bed. Meaning you can feel every bit of his burning skin, the thin layer of sweat making you feel gross as you pull away to cool yourself down.

“Don’t get up yet” He mumbles his last words into your skin as you finally sit up, his head falling away from you and into the pillow with a groan. You can finally catch a breath of air, calming yourself down and tugging the sheet up to your body. Hendry's back lays exposed out into the air, his head down into the pillow. As much as he looks peaceful sleeping, you think he deserves some payback for trying to cook you this morning.

You lower your head and place a raspberry onto his back, the sensation startles him awake, making him jump up and push you away. “Y/N!” He laughs, eyes sparkling as he watches you giggle. “Why?” He slumps again, face hiding into your shoulder.

“Because,” You shove him off, letting him fall back down onto the bed. You love moments like this, where you get to see the real him. Fresh-faced, lying awake and exposed in the sun. His features are relaxed but you can tell he’s paying attention to every word you say, despite the childish nature of your conversation. “It’s too hot”

“You always say that you big baby” He tugs at your arm, pulling you back down into his chest. As much as you hate the heat, feeling his warmth brings you back to a state of comfort.

It wasn’t that Brittany didn’t like the idea of never walking down the aisle to her betrothed, but she did want to spend the rest of her life with Hendery. She wanted to get dressed up in a beautiful white gown and say “I do,” but how would that work with Hendery being a merman? She could always have a beach wedding, but what beneficiary or even a courthouse would believe a human wanted to marry a merman?

After a few seconds of thinking, she decided that she’ll live with it. Knowing that Hendery was in her life was more than enough.

“No,” she answered before turning to look at him. “Not at all.”

From the dim light, she noticed that Hendery’s hair had changed from jet black to a bright pink. How did this happen when he hadn’t left her side since they returned from the lagoon?

“The color will fade in a few days,” the merman reassured her just from the expression on her face. “Merfolks’ hair will change color when they’ve been intimate with their chosen mate for the first time, but only if they’re meant to be.”

“What happens if the color doesn’t change?” Brittany asked out of curiosity.

Hendery pulled her into a snuggle, the water splashing a little. “Merfolk have a way of knowing whom their mates are.”

“How?”

The merman softly sighed. “Hendery wonders that himself.”

Brittany said nothing, but became lost in her thoughts. Seeing full proof that the man she loved was hers forever made her heart flutter. However, there was a whole other mystery to him that was waiting to be uncovered.

“Would you ever want to figure out your heritage?” she asked him. “We both know you’re half-merfolk on your father’s side, but do you wonder if your mother was another species?”

“Hmmm,” Hendery thought for a moment. “From what Hendery has figured out from his differences, he guesses his mother was a sort of predator creature, like a shark.”

“You think your dad messed around with sharks?”

The pair of them chuckled. “No, but Hendery has a list of whom his people might be.”

“Like who?”

Hendery then went on to explain each one. There was the legendary selkie, but it was too outlandish as selkies were very protective of themselves and only mated with others of their kind. He thought his mother might have been a siren, but the females tended to kill the men they slept with as Hendery’s father was still alive. He even mentioned a water nymph, but they didn’t have any of the traits Hendery did such as sharp teeth and a fish only diet.

“Are there any shark-like creatures out there?” Brittany asked as she stepped out of the tub to dry off, her svelte figure outlined by the candlelight.

“Maybe,” Hendery answered, too fascinated by his lover as she dressed herself into some comfortable pajamas.

The merman was still in shock that someone so beautiful was in his life. Brittany was someone he could hug, kiss, cuddle, touch, and everything else he only fantasized about when meeting his mate; and here she was in all of her beauty and sugary sweet heart. Of course, she was gorgeous on the outside, but it was her heart that made the difference. Her kindness added to the beautiful soul she was, and Hendery saw it in the way she cared for others around her. He had no doubt in his mind that he had found the mate he wanted to be with forever.

Brittany scooped Louis out of the sink and snuggled him in her arms and cooed, “Did you have a nice nap, sweet boy?”

The cat purred loudly in content, and Brittany carried him out of the room to go put him in his bed for the night.

Hendery took this opportunity to drain the bathtub and dry off to turn into his human form. His thoughts went back to his heritage, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that his mother was part of a species that was not well-known. Maybe the sirens would know, he thought. His friends were knowledgeable of unknown creatures, so they would be a big help in finding out who he is.

As soon as he was back into his human form, he put on a clean pair of boxers and met Brittany in the bedroom. She was sitting up in bed and scrolling through her phone while petting Louis’ head in her lap.

“Is Louis sleeping with Brittany and Hendery?” the merman chuckled as he shut the door.

Looking up from her phone, she begged, “He’s been lonely for who knows how long. Poor baby wants company.”

The cat seemed happy to be with them, so Hendery let it slide.

“As long as Hendery still gets to sleep right next Brittany,” he requested while sliding into bed with his lover.

“Trust me,” she chuckled as she put her phone on her nightstand and removed the cat from her lap, “you’re the only one I want to sleep next to. And wake up to, and snuggle up to”-she pulled Hendery in closer-“and make love to.”

Hendery captured her lips in a sensual and passionate kiss, her scent attacking his nostrils as both of their bodies were pressed together. He pressed gentle kisses on the tip of her nose, the apples of her cheeks, and finishing off right in the center of her forehead.

“Hendery loves Brittany,” he whispered once his forehead was touching hers.

“I love you, too,” she sighed in content.

Sitting up for a moment, he turned on the starry night projector sitting on the other nightstand and switched the lamp off, creating a calm and romantic atmosphere.

“So, are we mates, now?” she asked sleepily.

Hendery lay back and turned to her, his fingers brushing her cheekbone. “Next time Brittany and Hendery are one, he will mark her,” he promised. “Right now, Brittany must sleep and dream of happiness.”

His mate-to-be smiled. “I don’t know how I can dream of happiness when I’ve already got him right next to me.”

-

But Ten was the expectation, he always was. He made you view life differently, got you to live in a way that made you happier. He didn’t force his opinions down your throat or make you change to fit how he liked. He had made a positive impact in your life as time went on. The both of you grew as people, side by side, getting to have two perspectives on the world. You were in love to say the least.

So when your eyes fluttered open and you were met with his face, asleep and calm. You couldn't get rid of your smile. In the low light it was hard to see all of his features but you had seen his face enough to know what he would look like. His lips would be slightly separated, a small snore entering the room. Eyes resting shut, with lashes kissing his cheeks. Speaking of, they would be flushed pink, hot from sleeping.

Since this was such a rare occasion, you wanted to savour this moment with him. Your hand gently held his face closer as you placed a feather light kiss on his forehead. But soon all peace was thrown out the window. Sounds of two sets of paws happily stomping on the wooden falls and soon two thumps joined you at the end of the bed. Leon and Louis not caring about the sleep you would have been getting right now as they mowed loudly.

You quietly tried to call them over to you in an effort to shut them up before waking Ten. But it only made things worse as they continued their morning calls and barged their way in between you and Ten. The soft fur and gentle meows stirring him awake. “Y/N?” He slowly rises, sitting up on his arms to find your face. Instead was met with the wet nose of a cat in his closed eyes. “What’s happening?”

“The kids are here” You smiled, accepting the early morning wake up call as Louis makes himself comfortable on your chest.

“What?” Ten is still having a hard time waking up, but as he forces his eyes open it soon clicks. “What's the time?”

“Only just seven” His eyes go wide with a sigh, lying back down and covering his face, Leon playfully swatting his hand for attention.

You hated them with a passion and you refused to go along with any of his shenanigans. If he asked you to join him on the rooftop for a kiss in the rain, you would tell him off for trying to get the both of you sick. You would never ask him to kill or remove any bugs you saw, being able to do so yourself, which he was glad, he hated bugs. Never once did you need him to open a jar, the one time he joked about it, you handed the jar over to him and watched him struggle to turn it the wrong way for a few minutes before giving in. You didn't ask to wear his sweatshirts or clothing, knowing that he protected his expensive clothing with his life. And although he didn't mind those things, it made it hard for him to show you his feelings.

He based all his tips and tricks off of cheesy movies he had seen. Or he took advice from Ten, who was also taking advice from unrealistic k-dramas. So at first, it was frustrating that you didn't take to any of his stupid romantic gestures. Eventually, he became grateful, it made him more open with his feelings, coming up with different ways that actually expressed his love, rather than a cheap box of chocolates and a couple of roses.

But once cliche he was happy you didn’t hate, was cuddling. It was hard for you to admit, but you found such comfort in his touch and warmth. It helped ground you and bring you home. His heart beating calming you down. When he first found out that you truly desired to just be held by him and be told calming words, he teased you.

“Aww does my cliche hating girlfriend want me to hug her like in those movies?” You pouted and turned, refusing to hug him for the rest of the night until he wrapped you in his arms and brought you into his chest.

At first, it was pretty random whenever you wanted to cuddle. There were the obvious times like when he was leaving the next day or when you were watching a movie. But other times you would come home without a word, jumping into his arms and expecting him to know what to do next. Which he learnt after only a couple of times. But it soon became clear to him what was really causing it. Stress. When exam season started, your cuddle sessions became a lot more frequent. Him waiting with open arms as soon as you came home from your classes.

And tonight it was practically bad. Despite having such an important exam the next day, you couldn’t get your brain to relax. Stress keeping you awake with unimportant thoughts about failure and success. You tried your best to stay quiet with all your tossing and turning, but it must have gotten too much at some point, Yangyang stirring awake, voice still hoarse from his sleep as he speaks to you.

“Is that you?” He sits up and blindly reaches up to where you would be sleeping, but you’re eyes are wide open as he places a hand gently on your face, feeling your eyelashes flutter against his fingertips. You sigh and take his hand, sitting up and playing with his fingers. “What are you doing up?”

“I can’t sleep” You feel better already just hearing his voice so rough and broken at such early hours of the morning.

“Stressed?”

“Yeah” He lies back down, leaving his arm open for you to cuddle into. You already know the drill moving into his side right away and feeling a wave of relief as you meet his chest.

“Time to sleep now baby” He places a kiss on your forehead, tightening his arm around you. One hand finds your head, gently patting it until he gives in to sleep. But it’s ok because soon you join him, his heartbeat making you drift off.

“What are you going to do when you run out of room?” You had asked him one night out of curiosity, fingers lighting tracing over the skull tattoo on his lower stomach, head resting on his chest.

“Well I have a blank canvas right here, don’t I?” His hand rubbed up and down your arms, giving you a cheeky smile as you pushed him away. At first, you laughed at the idea. Tattoos were something you had never thought about getting, in fact, you had active thoughts about how much you hated them for most of your teenage life. And although your mind had changed ever since meeting Xiaojun, you still had no plans on ever getting a tattoo.

But here you are, a few months later, sitting in his empty shop late at night. The leather chair under you beginning to grow sticky with sweat as you nervously wait for him to set up. “You don’t have to do this you know?” He eyes you up from across the room, the corner of his vision catching your shaking leg for the last half hour. “It’s not too late to pull out”

“No, I’m fine. I want to do this” You convince him with a deep breath, your hand reaching down to press on your leg and try to calm down. “This was my idea anyway, I want it”

“Whatever you say” He finally comes over, everything set in place as he pulls on his black latex gloves and picks up the machine, ready to ink your skin. As he turns it on and hovers the needle over your arm, he looks at you one more time. You give him a smile, nodding at him to continue despite the anxiety travelling through your skin.

You don’t say much as he continues to work, the pain drowning out into a mild buzz. This is something he does on a daily basis, he knows how to handle clients, especially nervous ones. And you aren’t too different, but there’s something so painful about seeing you so anxious and in pain. It breaks his heart knowing he’s the one doing this to you. It took him a lot of convincing to even allow you the idea of getting tattooed by him despite it being something he had joked about for a long time.

Yet something about seeing his art being permanently attached to your person, the ink he put into skin being something to last you a lifetime, it makes him feel special. Sure this kind of attachment is placed onto every client, but for you, it’s different. No matter if you guys break up or fight, you will always have a part of him with you.

“So” He pulls away to wipe the skin, admiring the lines he had done so far. “Can I ask what made you change your mind?”

“I was looking at you awhile ago and um” It’s hard to focus on your words at the needle stabbing into you, but you try your best to forget about it. “And something just sunk in my heart, like I just knew it was you”

“What do you mean?” He stopped for a second, sitting up to look at you fully. Just like that night, your heart sunk again. His light hair pulled back by a hairband, the glasses hanging from his nose, eyebrows furrowed in concertation and face sweaty from the intense heat of his shop. He was the one, your person, your love.

“I just really love you, and I can’t lie and say I haven’t had my doubts about us, but that night, everything just made sense. I knew that night that you were the one, no matter what” You didn’t mean to get so emotional, feeling tears well in your eyes but you quickly turn away, nervous at his silent reaction.

“I love you so much” His words are expressionless, but when you turn to see him again, they speak a thousand loves you. You two stare at each other, madly in love, for a while longer before he gets back to finishing the design on your arm.

“Are you even going to ask me what it means?” You laugh at him, the flower that is now permanently on you that you got for him was something he hadn’t asked about. Blindly trusting your decision.

“What does it mean, love?” He’s able to listen and hold conversations as he cleans you up, finishing off the small tattoo.

“It’s a forget me not” You admire his work, loving the small blue flower on your lower arm. “It’s true love. It’s a promise that you’ll always be in my thoughts, always be with me. This is a promise to you that I love you and that I’ll always remember you”

“Y/N, I-” He freezes, taking a moment to process your words. Despite all the time thinking his heart was complete, hearing and seeing your actions filled it up more. Maybe too much. Love spilling out, drenching his insides and warming him up. It was almost too hard to look at you without melting away further. Tears built up, never once had he felt so good, so loved. And he has a feeling he’ll never feel empty again after this. But it’s so heavy, it’s too much love for one man to have. All the weight pushes him forward, the wipe in his hand falling to the ground as he lays himself to you.

“I love you” At first he says quietly, mumbling it into your shirt as he holds you close to him. He knows that all the love he has is too much for him, but with you. He’s not alone. “I love you!”

It wasn’t fair and you had had enough of his attitude. What started as a calm discussion about his behaviour and the way it was affecting you, turned into a screaming fight with tears.

“I just don’t understand what’s turned you into this monster Yangyang!” You felt like screaming was the only way to make him understand how you felt, he just wasn’t listening. “This isn’t the guy who I was dating two years ago”

“Yeah?! And you’re not the girl who I asked out two years ago. The girl I asked out would understand how I felt”

“What am I not understanding about Yangyang? Make me understand” A new wave of tears had come out, the fear of misunderstanding his intentions hurting you.

“I never see you anymore Y/N! You’re always busy. I feel like fighting is the only time we talk”

“I can’t control that Yangyang, I have work and school ok? And besides, if you weren’t always yelling, we would have some free time to hang out” You had grown more heated than ever, remembering that you can’t back down from this. “Just stop thinking of yourself for a moment!”

“Oh am I only thinking of myself?” He steps closer to you, but you know it means nothing as you stay put, looking at him through your red eyes. “Whatever this is like fighting with a wall”

He doesn’t say anything else, leaving you in the lounge and stomping down to your bedroom. When you hear the door slam, you break down, slumping into the couch with your head in your hands. You were exhausted, you just wanted your boyfriend back. Not this man who had grown angry with you. Your eyes were heavy from crying, the puffiness pushing down on your eyelids, making it easier to leave them closed than to force them open. With a heavy back, you lay onto the couch, resting your eyes and soon drifting off into a deep sleep.

He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to fight, or why he couldn’t just back down and admit he was wrong. Because he was, this wasn’t fair on you, you shouldn’t have to deal with this behaviour. You weren’t his mum. He should be able to say he’s wrong, he should be able to be vulnerable around you. But he can’t get himself to say the words. To apologize.

He lays in the empty bedroom. Bed cold and a heart heavy with regret. He can’t get himself to sleep, he can’t push everything away and forget. This deary apartment is only a home because you’re here, but without you, it’s just another building with a bed in it.

But when he notices you still haven’t come to bed, he knows that his ego is not worth you getting a bad night's sleep on the couch. With worry in his step, he makes his way to the lounge. Losing sight as he sees you curled up on the couch.

“Oh Y/N,” He says your name under his breath, feeling unworthy to even speak it. He sits down at the edge of the couch, hand resting on your lower back. It takes him a moment to bring himself to be able to wake you. Wanting to let you sleep but not wanting you to sleep here.

“Y/N” This time, he speaks it louder, rubbing you gently to wake you up. After a moment, you stir, sitting up slightly confused. When you first wake, your eyes are still filled with love, your normal reaction to seeing him, the look you used to give him. But when your brain stops lagging, it turns back into cold eyes. Eyes of a stranger. You turn back around. Burying your face into the cushion of the couch. “Can we talk please?”

“I tried to talk, you just yelled again”

“I know, I’m sorry” He doesn’t know if it's easier to speak without seeing your face or harder. Either way, he can’t stop. “I’ve been really shitty this past month and I have no excuse for my behaviour, I really am sorry for my actions. I’m sorry for making you feel this way. I never want to hurt you, never again”

You still don’t reply, leaving him to sulk in his own pity. “Can I at least put you to bed? We can talk tomorrow” You finally move, sighing as you roll over and stand from the couch. Although you reach out your hand to him, you still don’t make eye contact. He reluctantly takes it, walking with you to the bedroom. You climb into bed, exhausted and ready to sleep. But when you don’t feel him get in with you, you finally look at him.

“Are you not coming?” You see the regret in his eyes, the pain weighing down on him. And although right now you don’t have the energy to sort out a month’s worth of issues, it's a start to feel normal again.

“I-” He wasn’t planning on going to bed with you, wanting to give you space. “I’m just going to take the couch”

“Don’t be ridiculous” You pull back his side of the covers, but he still doesn't make a move. “Yangyang, seriously, I’m tired let's just go to bed”

He doesn't want to upset you further, quickly climbing into bed next to you. But he’s stiff, unable to relax or even think about sleeping. But when he hears the next words come out of your mouth, he remembers what things were once like.