drabbles / a door is not a door when it's ajar
#001
baekhyun + chen / g / 310 words
mermaid!au: baekhyun has a secret
"I have a...secret, Jongdae," Baekhyun begins, tugging on the bottom of his hoodie. They're standing in the changing rooms of the pool that he usually avoids like Junmyeon avoids his ex - taking extensive measures to never, ever be within 500 metres of it. It's a bit ridiculous given the size of their university, but he insists.
Jongdae takes in Baekhyun's appearance. He's looking shifty and uncomfortable, hair fluffy and all over the place. "O...kay?"
"I-I want to tell you," the older boy continues. With shaking hands, he lifts the bottom of his shirt, revealing a soft white tummy that seemed to have spots of...scales?
"I'm kind of, um, a mermaid," he stutters, covering up once again. "Please still like me."
Jongdae blinks. He looks at the other boy's face, then his tummy, then his face. "Oh, okay then," he says. "That wasn't what I expected. I thought you were going to tell me you were gay, and I was preparing to tell you - hun, that isn't a secret."
☆ ☆ ☆
"So you're okay with it? You believe me?"
"Yeah," replies Jongdae, holding open the door of the sports building. "I mean, it's unusual but it's not unheard of, and you're still the same person, so it's fine."
"Thank god," Baekhyun huffs, throwing him a smile. "I was really worried that you wouldn't accept me, or that I'd have to jump into the pool so that my tail would form so you'd believe me." He pulls a face. "Chlorine gives me breathing problems. Or, well, you know."
"Nah, we're good," Jongdae grins as they walk toward the Arts building. They walk in silence for a while, before Baekhyun sneaks a peak at the other.
"Jongdae, can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah?"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT A SECRET THAT I'M GAY?"
("Baekhyun, we've been openly dating for weeks."
"Oh.")
#002
lay + kai / pg / 445 words
mermaid!au: yixing wants to come out
Jongin meets Yixing after his dance practice session, leaning against the closed door and watching while his boyfriend goes through the short choreography one more time, the smooth movements of his body reflected in the mirrors of the room. At some point he must have shucked his sweater and the patches of silver scales on his shoulders and neck glimmer above the long, loose neckline of his tank.
Jongin clears his throat but even blushing, he can't make himself look away.
"Jonginnie!" Yixing calls breathlessly, finishing up his routine with an absurd flourish. "I didn't hear you come in."
"Hello," Jongin responds, oddly shy. "I wanted to surprise you. You look great!"
The smile on Yixing's face makes Jongin feel dazed, like he's opened his eyes to the sun. "Thank you."
Jongin looks away. His heart is NOT fluttering.
Yixing packs up, and they set off toward the cafeteria together, hand in hand. It's a beautiful day, not too hot and not too cold, and Jongin would be lying if he said he wasn't slowing their pace just a little bit.
"You know," he begins, "I heard that Baekhyun came out to Jongdae the other day."
"Really?"
"Yeah, in the pool change rooms of all things."
"Ew." Yixing sticks out his tongue, and then frowns. "Do you think I should come out to our friends? I've been thinking about it a lot recently, but I don't know..."
Untangling their fingers, Jongin wraps his arm around the other boy's waist. His hand makes contact with the sliver of scales at his waist where his sweater has bunched up, cool and smooth with the firm give of muscle. "It's up to you. I'll support whichever decision you make."
"Thank you, Jonginnie." Yixing gives Jongin a peck on the cheek, and they chatter about classes the rest of the way.
When they sit down at the table, Yixing becomes tense. Jongin takes a sandwich out of his bag, glancing at him carefully.
"Guys," Yixing starts, hands in his lap, "I have something to tell you." He looks over at Jongin who, realising what is going on, gives him an encouraging smile. His boyfriend is so beautiful, and so kind, and talented and smart and perfect. He knows that everything is going to be okay, even if Yixing is a little bit different than other boys.
"I..." Yixing says, "I'm gay."
Jongin can't help it when he rests his head on his arms. Perhaps not always smart, he thinks.
(Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows over a mouthful or chicken rice. "Congrats Jongin, your boyfriend is gay. I'm glad that's out in the open."
Jongin really wishes he would shut up.)
#003
chanyeol + d.o. / pg / 389 words
mermaid!au: chanyeol is graceful, chanyeol is elegant
"I'm known as one of the most graceful in my pod," Chanyeol states with a smug grin.
Jongdae snorts and chokes on his own spit. Kyungsoo, sitting beside him where they're camped in the beanbag corner of the library, thumps his friend on the back and eyes the tall boy where his long limbs lie sprawled in four directions. It doesn't look comfortable. He doesn't deign to respond.
"I don't know if you've noticed, Chanyeol," Jongdae splutters out, "but you can barely walk in a straight line, let alone make large movements that could be described as smooth."
Loud indignant noises come from the tall mermaid. He makes a sort of scornful flailing gesture with his body, hitting Kyungsoo in the leg with his arm. Kyungsoo picks up Chanyeol's hand with two fingers and moves it away from him. "That's hardly a fair comparison! Human bodies are so awkward, you have to keep your body upright on these two skinny things and move around that way. I left the water only after highschool! I haven't had the practice that other mermaids have."
"Is this true, Baek? Is Chanyeol really an elegant bastard on his home ground?"
Baekhyun had rolled away from Jongdae while he was #dying, and now resumes his position with his head on the younger's lap. Jongdae puts his fingers into Baekhyun's hair, carding gently through the warm brown strands. "I wouldn't know," he replies, leaning into the touch. "We're from different areas. It's...entirely possible, I suppose." He doesn't sound too sure.
"Soo-ah, defend me! Why do we even hang out with these two, honestly? All they do is snark at me and be mean." If Chanyeol were an emoticon, he would be a sadface with his wide eyes and exaggerated pout. Kyungsoo sighs, mentally resigned to his whining. "Perhaps," he hedges, turning the page in his texbook, "perhaps you can swim in a straight line?"
"WHY DO YOU BETRAY ME, KYUNGSOO?"
(Kyungsoo shakes his head as Chanyeol struggles to right himself in the beanbag, squirming fruitlessly in the lumpy seat. With an irritated huff, he helps the boy up - almost sending them both back down to the ground.
"You're a clumsy fool, Chanyeol."
"I'm your clumsy fool, though," Chanyeol replies with a wide grin.
Kyungsoo hides his smile, but he knows he isn't fooling anybody.)