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pxedpiper · 4 years

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Horizon (13)

Plot Summary: Once a princess of a kingdom you loathed to call yours, you have somehow found yourself aboard a pirate ship, stuck on the ocean waves. Now you try to figure out how to escape them, but as you continue to journey with them, you find yourself wondering if you even want to.

Pairings: Ateez x Reader

Content Warnings: Mentions of death and sexual implications throughout the fic, nothing ever specified in detail

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A/N: henlo it’s been a minute but i am back once again with a new chapter!! not much to add to this one but some more backstory on some of the boys which is always fun :3c i hope you enjoy it !!

“You mean to tell me, someone out there knows about us?” Jongho’s father demanded, a stern expression on his face, “How could that happen?”

“I’m not sure,” Jongho frowned, “We’re been careful to make sure that no one ever finds out you exist, but somehow, Sweet got word of it.”

Jongho’s mother gasped just then, her hands flying to her mouth, “The letters! What if he caught someone who was sending one of our letters and found out that way? If he let them go as long as he forced them not to tell, we’d never have known.”

“Unfortunately, that sounds like him,” Yeosang sighed, leaning his back against the wall, “He’s not exactly one to leave people alive unless it benefits him, and knowing where the family of one of the Pirate King’s crew members are would definitely do so.”

“But that doesn’t explain Seonghwa, Mingi, and I,” Yunho argued, “We don’t talk with our families, there’s no way Sweet would know where they were.”

“Unless he’s bluffing,” Hongjoong spoke up lowly, “He might only know about Jongho, and he only implied he knew the others to make us nervous. Damn, and my reaction would’ve proved him right!” You could feel the anger emanating from him, frustrated that he gave away a possible weakness for his crew members.

“It’s fine, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa softly replied, “He only knows they exist, not where they are. And he can’t afford to go looking for them when he’s got a battle to prepare, so it’s just as likely he was never going to come here to begin with, he just wanted to scare us.”

“Still, the thought that I gave away something that could hurt any of you… I can’t stand it, what kind of a captain does that make me?” Hongjoong balled his hands into fists, his frustration at himself evident.

“The kind that we chose,” Wooyoung said, for once his voice not lighthearted, “You saved us, remember? It’s because of you our lives are better. So don’t start doubting yourself just because you let something slip that won’t even matter to begin with. Besides, Sweet’s too dumb to realize you revealed something, he’s too busy trying to figure out how the hell he’s gonna manage to get out of this battle.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Hongjoong sighed, “Not like anything can be done about it now, anyway, we just have to make sure Jongho’s family stays safe.”

“Jongho,” Chunhei turned to her brother, speaking quietly even though you could still hear her just fine, “What if you… just stayed? You could protect us, and now that I’m old enough I could work whenever the money we have saved runs out. You wouldn’t have to be a pirate anymore, and you could stay, with us.” For a second, you were afraid that Jongho was about to agree to his sister’s request, but he quickly shook his head.

“No, I won’t have you working if you don’t need to for as long as I can help it,” Jongho affirmed, making you sigh in relief, “Besides, I can’t leave the crew now. Not just because there’s a fight gearing up, but also…. It just wouldn’t feel right to leave. I’m not really sure how to explain it, but… being with the crew just feels right.”

Chunhei was clearly disappointed, but nevertheless she nodded, “I understand. It wouldn’t be right to force you away from somewhere you want to be, anyway. But, then what should we do? Is there anything we can do?”

Seonghwa answered, “Just live like normal, so as to not cause suspicion, but be careful, just in case. I doubt Sweet will actually show his face around here, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. We’ll be staying around for a few days before leaving, anyway, so you’ll at least be safe for that amount of time.” She nodded, glad to at least hear that.

“Well, then, for now, you all can make yourselves at home,” Jongho’s mother stood up, brushing nonexistent dust off her skirt, “Chunhei, (Y/N)? Could the two of you help me make dinner?”

“Yes, Mother,” Chunhei instantly responded, but you stayed silent, not sure how to answer or explain the fact you didn’t know how to cook.

“Actually, she can’t,” Jongho stepped in, “She’s, well… (Y/N), do you want to explain it?” So much for helping me explain.

Shooting him a look, you softly spoke up, “I’m… a princess, ma’am. Or, at least, I was. I don’t know how to cook.”

While she definitely showed surprise at your words, she quickly shoved it aside, “Well, that’s all the more reason to come with us, then. No time like now to learn, Seonghwa can’t do all the cooking himself forever.”

“Um, alright,” You answered plainly, letting yourself be dragged away.

You could still hear Jongho speak up for a bit before you were too far to hear the rest, “Meanwhile, Dad, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about…”

Sometime later, you were walking to where you’d be staying for the time being, when you noticed Mingi standing outside the house, looking at the moon. Curious, you joined him, walking up next to him while he nodded in greeting.

“What are you doing out here?” You asked, “It’s getting late.”

Mingi took a deep breath before answering, “Seonghwa explained, right? About how most of us aren’t on speaking terms with our families?”

“Yeah, he didn’t say why, though.”

“Well, it’s not my place to speak for him or Yunho, but I can speak for myself,” He said, sitting down at a small bench, gesturing you to follow suit, “See, I’m sure Jongho’s explained how Hongjoong has saved everyone here. Well, he saved me from the gallows. I was about to be hung on false charges when Hongjoong came in and saved me by causing a scene, allowing me to escape. He offered me to join his crew and I accepted. Been with him ever sense.”

“False charges? What were they? Who framed you?” You questioned, confusion on your face.

“My family did,” He answered, hatred filling his voice, “Or, at least, my parents. They accused me of piracy and tried to have me killed so that way they would only have to spend money on my sister, not the both of us. Once Hongjoong saved me, he said I might as well join him because everyone already thought I was a pirate anyway, so I should just become one. I went with him and never once looked back, except…”

“Except?” You prompted him to continue.

“Except I had to leave my little sister behind,” He responded, “Jiae. She was only all of eleven at the time, there was no possible way she’d have known what they were planning. I can still hear her begging them not to take me away… I worry about her a lot, if my parents were willing to do that to me, I hate to think of what they’d do to her, and I can’t be there to protect her.”

“You’re just like Jongho,” You said, and instantly continued on with your statement as his confused look, “You both care so much for your siblings, it’s heartwarming. Though, unlike with Jongho, your parents are disgusting human beings that don’t deserve any of the good you gave them. I can’t say for sure whether your sister is safe, but I’m sure that whatever she’s doing, she’s trying to find you. Because from the sound of it, it seemed the two of you had a true bond between siblings.”

“What about you? You’ve mentioned a brother,” Mingi asked, a curious look on his face, but you shook your head.

“My brother and I… we got along as children, but somewhere along the line, that just… stopped,” You answered, shrugging your shoulders, “Now, we can’t really stand each other. Not much more to say there, really. I just never had a good family like Jongho, or a loving sibling like you. I’ve long since come to terms with it.”

“Well, clearly, they do seem to care about you somewhat, considering they’re looking for you,” Mingi pointed out, making you frown.

“Right,” You stated, your voice flat as you remembered that fact.

“I’m sorry, should I not have mentioned-!” You cut him off as you stood up, giving him a smile.

“It’s alright, but it’s getting late, don’t you think? I’ll be off to bed now. Goodnight.” You walked away so quickly you didn’t hear him manage to say goodnight in return.

“Alright, now try to stab me with the dagger,” San instructed, continuing your training outside Jongho’s house, his words making you stop in your tracks.

“What?!”

“Try to stab me.”

“B-But, what if I hurt you?”

“Do you really think you could hurt me when I’m the one teaching you?” You tried to find an argument against that, but couldn’t come up with anything, “Exactly. Now, try to stab me as if you were going to kill me.” Left with no other option, you rushed at him, trying to do what he asked, but he quickly moved out the way and grabbed you, putting you in a lock and leaving you unable to move. “See? Told you I would be fine. But, you didn’t listen.”

“What do you mean, I didn’t listen?!” You almost shouted, trying to get out of his hold to no avail, “I did what you said, I tried to stab you!”

“You did,” He agreed, “But I told you to stab me as if you were trying to kill me. I could tell, you were holding back.” He let you go, watching as you dropped down and turned to him.

“Well, how am I supposed to just try to kill you? You’re my friend, and it’s not like I can just… kill someone!” You argued, moving your hair out of your face.

He replied, “I know, it’ll take time to get the hand of it. But, you know, you are a pirate now. Sooner or later you’re going to have to kill someone. It’s inevitable.”

“I know, I just… want to put it off as long as possible,” You muttered, looking at the ground, “Look, let’s just try again, alright? I’ll try not to hold back this time.”

“Very well,” He nodded, “Again.” You rushed at him again, and this time, when he moved aside, you quickly swung the dagger and managed to graze him slightly. It was nothing to truly damage him, and it barely drew blood, but suddenly you could feel the change in atmosphere switch. Looking at San, his eyes had narrowed, and the energy radiating from him was almost smothering, it was so frightening. He didn’t look like the normal, mischievous San you were used to dealing with; this San was more dangerous, you could tell. And you weren’t the only one, because as soon as he took a step towards you, Wooyoung was in front of him, holding onto him so he didn’t get any closer.

“Alright, San, that’s enough,” He said, a serious tone in his voice, “You need to calm down, okay? It’s just (Y/N), she’s not a threat. Let’s put the demon away, shall we? Don’t want to cause a scene in front of Jongho’s family, after all.”

“(Y/N),” Seonghwa came up from behind you, leading you away, “Let’s go, your training’s done for today. Wooyoung can handle this.” You nodded, letting him lead you away back inside the house and into the kitchen, where Yeosang was sitting.

He took one look at you and Seonghwa and automatically said, “Which one?”

“San. Wooyoung’s got him handled, it’s not one of the bad ones,” Seonghwa replied, sitting you down at the table.

“Probably should’ve seen it happening eventually,” Yeosang sighed, “But that’s why Hongjoong has you watch over them, after all.”

“What was that?” You finally spoke up, wondering what the hell they were talking about, “What do you mean, should’ve seen it happening?”

“San and Wooyoung are… special,” Yeosang chose his words carefully, “There’s nothing wrong with them, not really, but sometimes… They lose control a little, in different ways. Wooyoung is goes gun crazy and San… well, he just sort of… loses it. It’s still the same San, it’s not like he becomes a whole different person, he just… goes wild, so to speak. It’s San at his most dangerous, but also his most powerful. We try to keep the both of them under control, hence why Wooyoung can’t be around guns unless in a fight or why neither of them are allowed alcohol. Usually, though, they can calm each other down, or I can, and it really isn’t that much of an issue.”

“Were they always like this?” You asked, wanting to know more.

“Well, no, but…” Yeosang trailed off, biting his lip, “It’s not my story to tell, not alone, anyway. San, Wooyoung, and I all joined the crew together, you see, but I don’t think the time’s come to tell you everything just yet. Please, don’t treat them any differently, however. That’s the one thing I can ask of you.”

“Why would I treat them any different?” You replied, “It’s like you said, it’s still San and Wooyoung, I just… learned a bit more about them, is all. They’re still both my friends, and nothing could ever possibly change that.”

Yeosang smiled in relief, saying, “Thank you so much for saying that. The entire crew is important to me, but those two… they’re my closest friends. I’m sure you can understand.”

“I do,” You answered, returning his smile, “Though, I hope this won’t become too much of an issue while training…”

“I doubt it,” Yeosang waved the thought off, “He probably only became that way because you grazed him when he wasn’t expecting it. You really can’t catch him by surprise, that’ll be what does it. From now on, he knows now to underestimate you, so he’ll likely prepare for that.”

“That’s good to hear,” You nodded, then stood up, “Well, since training is over early, I’ll be out back if you need me.” Jongho’s house was sat on a cliff, far enough from the town to be safe from anyone trying to look for them but close enough that they could easily reach it when necessary, and it had a spectacular view of the ocean from the back of the house. The kids weren’t really allowed to play out there because of how steep the cliff was, but the adults were able to go out and look without issue, so you found yourself spending a lot of time out there. Sitting near the edge, which was secure enough that it wouldn’t go crumbling under your weight, you stared out into the sea, watching as the waves hit the rocks below.

“I thought I might find you out here,” A voice appeared after a bit, making you turn to see Hongjoong, “You really do like to stare at the ocean no matter where you are, don’t you?” You smiled as he took a seat next to you.

“What can I say, I guess the sea just calms me,” You answered, playfulness filling your voice as looked back out into the distance, “Maybe that’s what Maddox meant when he said I was meant to be on your ship.”

“Or maybe he knew how good you’d be for us,” Hongjoong replied, staring out with you, “Or how good we’d be for you. He wasn’t lying when he said you were meant to be with us, that much is clear.”

“Oh, so now you believe in what he says?”

“What can I say, he has a fairly good track record.” The both of you burst out laughing at that, the mood between you light as you fell into a calm silence. But soon, the smile on Hongjoong’s face faded as he spoke up again, “We still haven’t talked about your parents looking for you. I know it must be weighing heavily on you, and that you probably don’t even want to think about it, but we have to, (Y/N). I don’t like the thought of this bothering you.”

You sighed, “I know. I just… don’t know where to start.”

“How about how you’re feeling about all this?” He prompted, “What can you tell me about that?”

“I’m just… confused, mostly,” You answered, pulling your knees up to your chest, “I really, truly don’t understand why they’re looking for me. They’ve made it clear from the very beginning, that my brother was going to be the one in power, that I was practically nothing compared to him, that I was worthless to them, so I don’t know why they bother to care about me now. They were ready to get rid of me, I know it, they were probably planning to marry me off once my brother became king, but then this should be a relief to them. They no longer have to deal with me, so then why… I just don’t get it. Nothing adds up, unless they want to act like they truly did care about me all along.” You let out a sarcastic laugh, “That couldn’t possibly be the case, but yet…. Why… why?” The stress was starting to get to you, and Hongjoong quickly pulled you to him before you could start crying, “I hate them so much, Hongjoong! I don’t want to go back to them, I want to stay with you, and the crew! I don’t want to leave you all!”

Hongjoong rubbed your back, letting your tears fall as he held you, answering in a low voice, “I know. I won’t let them take you back, I promise. They don’t deserve you, they treated you terribly, but you’re here now. We’re your new family, and we won’t let you go without a fight. You’re no longer their princess that they can ignore and mistreat; you’re a precious member of my crew, and I will do anything possible to keep you safe. I promise, on my title as Pirate King, no one will ever take you away from us.”

Taking deep breaths to calm yourself down, you nodded, “Right…. Right. Thank you, Hongjoong. How is it you always know what to say?”

“Who knows, maybe that’s another question for Maddox to answer,” He replied, making you chuckle softly. You pulled away from him, feeling much better, much to his relief. “There’s that smile. You’re always much prettier with a smile, you know.” It took approximately three seconds for his words to sink into both your heads, the panic ensuing immediately, “I-I mean, it’s better to see you smiling than crying, that’s what I meant!”

“I know,” You quickly replied, just as flustered as he seemed to be, “I-I appreciate the compliment, truly!”

“That’s good, then,” He responded, his face still bright red at his previous comment. The two of you fell into a slightly awkward silence, then took one look at each other and burst out laughing again. “Alright then, shall we go back inside?” He stood up, offering you a hand to help you up as well.

You took it, rising to your feet, “Yes, I’m sure the others are wondering where we are right now. Let’s go.” With that, the two of you went back into the house, joining the others for dinner before going to bed for the night.

#ateez fanfic #ateez fanfiction #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez pirate au #hongjoong fanfic #seonghwa fanfic #yunho fanfic #yeosang fanfic #san fanfic #mingi fanfic #wooyoung fanfic #Jongho fanfic

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