#pirate ateez
Text
ateez as pirates who fall for you (hyung line)
read maknae line here
genre: pirate!ateez x gn!reader (fem!reader for hongjoong), fluff, angst, crack, and as always - a brainrot of every pirate trope to exist
length: 10.4k
c/w: heavy and mature themes - mdni, explicit language (swearing, insults), death, violence, blood & injuries, weapons, illegal acts (piracy, ransoming, verbal abuse, abduction), alcohol, pet names
a/n: maknae line will come yes but who knows when 🤷♀️ work has been really testing my dopamine vibes this year 😔👎 thank you @sorryimananti-romantic for keeping a detailed hitlist for me ♡
hongjoong
pov: you're a royal princess rescued by him
“captain, are you sure we can’t toss her overboard?”
jongho and hongjoong watch as wooyoung’s face falls after you pointedly ignore his attempts to make conversation once again
for someone who is technically their guest aboard the arriba, it seems as though you are hellbent on being as difficult as you can be
“unfortunately, we can’t,” hongjoong grouches to the younger, “not unless we want to exchange our payment for a hefty bounty on our own heads”
when jongho sighs, the captain squeezes his shoulder in comfort and adds on, “trust me, i’ve thought about it too”
hongjoong and his crew are privateers - pirates in theory, but technically excused so long as they have their letter of marque to state that they are authorised to attack other vessels
rescuing a royal princess was never explicitly part of the contract, although he thinks that not rescuing you would have pretty much been equivalent to a blatant show of insubordination
you had been taken ransom by one of the merchant ships the arriba had been plundering
needless to say, they had been close to tossing you overboard too; your kingdom had never paid for your ransom
the lack of response from your parents wasn’t anything you weren’t expecting but it’s a sore spot nonetheless
so it’s certainly hard for you to play friendly when you’re quite literally shucked off from stranger to stranger faster than a hot potato
san tugs wooyoung closer towards him and gently says to you, “he’s just trying to be nice - we all are”
the movement doesn’t go unnoticed by you
“i don’t need your pity,” you answer, the only sentence you have spoken today
you’ve lived two decades of your life pretending you don’t see the pitying gazes of your maids and butlers
you certainly don’t need pity from these people - pirates no less
“it’s not-” wooyoung starts to say
but the captain steps in before he can defend himself
“if this is how you’re always acting, i’m starting to see why your kingdom never paid for your ransom”
had hongjoong been less preoccupied by your words, he would have realised that your tone is candid, as if it is only natural for the people around you to pity you
but he’s clouded with his mindset as captain, unable to stand by idly while his own crew put up with your attitude, and so the words come out anyway - shards of shrapnel that bury themselves into your heart
there is only a fleeting second when your eyes dilate with hurt
you conceal it immediately, replacing it with a steely gaze, yet the image has already seared itself into hongjoong’s mind
“maybe you should throw me overboard, then,” you counter, “i’m sure my family will thank you for it”
and even if you have completely neutralised your expression, no one misses the wounded tone of your voice before you disappear down into the lower deck
mingi lets out a low whistle after the resounding slam of the hatch closing
“you fucked up, captain”
hongjoong doesn’t need anyone to spell it out for him
the heavy feeling in his stomach is telling enough
it isn’t until the moon has long since risen that you emerge through the hatch again
you had bypassed the sleeping quarters to the hold, wedging yourself between barrels of grain until you were sure no one would find you
not that they would have tried to anyway - seonghwa had told them all to give you some space
you had run your finger up and down the sides of the barrels repetitively for hours on end, mind simultaneously void and filled with thoughts
the walls you had built around yourself kept you safe, but it had started to become awfully lonely after a while
when it had become a little too suffocating in the hold and you guessed that most of the crew was asleep, you had softly padded back up the stairs and across the main deck
you now sit on the foredeck where the endless expanse of the sea stretches out in front of you, closing your eyes and letting the swaying of the ship lull you into tranquillity
tonight, the moon winks down fondly upon the waters
hongjoong watches you from the quarterdeck
he’s seen you sit at the front of the ship on many nights when you should really have been asleep
he wonders if you’ve always looked so small and fragile with your knees drawn up to your chest, or whether it’s because the flash of hurt in your eyes and voice is still fresh in his mind
“go, captain,” yunho murmurs from where he’s at the helm, “it’s a quiet night”
hongjoong startles at having been caught gazing, clearing his throat and dragging his eyes away
“why should i, if she’s just going to ignore me?” he scoffs
but he knows he’s just being petty at this point and his chest churns in agreement
“maybe,” yunho hums softly in response. “did seonghwa ever give up on you, though?”
it’s rhetorical - hongjoong knows the answer better than anyone
the captain doesn’t say anything but after several beats of silence, he sighs and makes a move to the foredeck where you are
yunho smiles to himself
you and hongjoong may be more similar than his captain realises
your shoulders stiffen when the sound of hongjoong’s footsteps approaches
you’re not sure what to expect and you don’t exactly want to find out and risk getting hurt
but having spent all day swimming alone in your thoughts, you do want to show that you feel apologetic because admittedly, you were being an ass too
getting up to walk away when he’s taken the first step certainly won’t help your case
you hold your breath in awkward silence as he settles down beside you, leaving a respectable distance between your hunched figures
only now is hongjoong realising that he hasn’t actually thought about or decided on what he wants to say to you
but he can feel the confusion rolling off of you in waves, so he grits his teeth and says fuck it
“i won’t apologise for defending my crew, but i’m sorry for how i did it and for what i said”
he hopes you know he is sincere when he continues, “we all have our prickly edges. i can’t fault you for yours”
compassion is a foreign concept to you and so you’re a little stumped for words
hongjoong isn’t sure whether your silence is a good or bad thing, but you have yet to stand up and walk away from the conversation
“there’s only about a week left until we reach port and we’ll leave after you make it back to your kingdom and we receive our payment. i’m not asking for you to be friendly, but let’s at least be civil with each other until then,” he says
you want to nod, agree, anything
and yet you can’t seem to make your head move or the words to come out of your mouth
rome was not built in a day. but neither did its walls fall in a day
hongjoong doesn’t push for an answer when instead, you ask, “how many people have you actually tossed overboard before?”
he resists the urge to laugh at your question, suddenly endeared by the fact that you’re still bothered by his very empty threat
“none, but my offer still stands. you’re welcome to be my first,” he deadpans
you let out a snort and although you quickly turn your head away, hongjoong sees the hint of amusement in your eyes
no further words are exchanged between the two of you and you do not acknowledge him when he eventually stands to rejoin yunho at the helm
but it’s a start
and as with any relationship, be it friend, foe, or lover, there is always that
a beginning.
hongjoong isn’t really expecting much to change immediately so he doesn’t pay you much mind when you walk into the mess hall the following morning
you hesitate at the entrance when you see most of the crew are already present, the conversation you had with hongjoong last night replaying at the forefront of your mind
you chew on the inside of your mouth
wooyoung stops mid-conversation at the scrape of a plate on the table, looking up to find you sliding into the seat beside him with a tight-lipped smile
to your surprise, he greets you with enthusiasm and immediately drags you into the conversation
hongjoong watches as you slowly warm up and add one or two comments of your own in between bites of your hardtack
and when he catches your gaze after staring for too long, he gives you a smile to convey his appreciation; to acknowledge your efforts
you return it with a small smile of your own and unbeknownst to you, it stays on your face for the rest of the day
slowly, there become more and more reasons that elicit a smile out of you
you still sit out on the foredeck when everyone else has gone to sleep, but on most nights, hongjoong will join you even if just for a while
the two of you are content to sit side by side with nothing but the steady pulse of the ocean and intermittent creaks of the ship’s hull to break the silence of the night
tonight though, you find curiosity burning through you
“what’s it like?” you ask
“being a pirate?” he clarifies
you shrug vaguely, unsure yourself either, “being a pirate. being at sea. sailing with your crew”
he takes a moment to gather his thoughts - not because he doesn’t know what to say, but because there is too much he wants to say
when hongjoong answers, his voice rumbles softly from within his chest, tender and heartfelt
“there’s a sense of freedom that you can’t obtain when you’re bound to land and society. sailing the waters, the only limits are those of the open seas and of your own compass… the sunrises, the storms, the moonlight - it all becomes part of your home”
hongjoong leans back to rest on the palms of his hands, tilting his gaze up towards the twinkling sky
he reflects, “you experience brotherhood and gain a family that is worth multitudes more than the treasures you can accumulate, even if you were to live as a pirate for several lifetimes”
you’re enraptured by his words, like poetry that swirls off the pages of a book and drifts into your very soul
“i may be the captain of this crew, but they make me who i am. without them, i am nothing”
his words wash over you and unearth vivid memories
“that’s what the queen always says to me,” you reveal
a small smile starts to grace hongjoong’s face, but it falls just as quickly when he hears your next words
“that without her - without her title - i am nothing”
it’s funny, how the same phrase can hold such different meanings; can evoke such different emotions
you don’t elaborate any further, but hongjoong doesn’t think he needs you to in order for him to understand
he just wishes he had more time to show you that your mother is wrong
he can’t though
tomorrow they reach port and you will return to your rightful place in the palace
“tell me more about your crew,” you attempt to change the topic, “how did you all find each other?”
so hongjoong tells you
he talks for hours and hours and you listen all the while with a heavy heart, clinging onto his every word
on your final night, you two stay like that until the stars disappear and the horizon becomes streaked with the pale hues of sunrise
after the ship docks mere hours later, only hongjoong accompanies you to your kingdom after goodbyes are exchanged
wooyoung doesn’t take it well, and you find yourself holding back tears of your own as you are let through the palace doors with the captain by your side
but you blink them away when you approach the throne room because vulnerability is not an emotion you are willing to display
“y/n”
the queen addresses you curtly when you enter, and hongjoong wonders for a split second whether he has brought you back to the wrong kingdom
he knows your mother does not treat you fondly, but it’s still staggering to see it before his very own eyes
the monarch glances distastefully over him before her eyes flicker back to you
“i did not expect your return,” she states
your eyes remain impassive as you merely answer, “neither am i delighted to be back”
hongjoong recognises this look
he’s seen it when you first boarded his ship; he’s seen it when your hackles were raised
he’s seen it in himself, when he had been a teenager filled with nothing but growing resentment, before he had met seonghwa
your mother sneers, “then you should have made yourself useful and stayed with the pirates. as a whore or a dog, whatever it took.”
hongjoong has understood you since learning of your demons, but right now, he is you
he sees fifteen-year-old kim hongjoong, standing before a couple who are his parents only by title
he sees fifteen-year-old kim hongjoong, who doesn’t know what he has done that deems him undeserving of love
he sees fifteen-year-old kim hongjoong, all alone with no one to take his hand
“or really, you should have died on the ship”
hongjoong is close enough to you to hear the small hitch in your breath at your mother’s final jab
he may not have had someone to save his younger self, but he can do that now
he can be the person he so desperately needed years ago
and so he does just that.
hongjoong grabs your hand and drags you out of the palace
no one stops the two of you from leaving and he is unsure whether his heart hurts for you or sings with relief
you can only stutter in shock as you try to keep up, “hongjoong, what about your payment?”
his determined steps do not slow down, even as he looks back at you with a sure smile, “i told you before. some things are worth more than money”
the comforting squeeze of his hand conveys that you are worth more than any amount of money
the form of the arriba grows bigger in the distance and you think you can see the movement of excitement on deck when the crew spots your figures
hongjoong has slowed down his steps, but he has yet to let go of your hand
“and you deserve to know that. welcome to the crew, y/n”
to a family and love that you never had
you think you like the sound of that
“thank you, captain”
seonghwa
pov: you're a royal navy officer in disguise
you lay awake in your hammock, listening to the soft snores of the crew members around you
sleep doesn’t come easy to you anymore
particularly tonight
you contemplate whether it’s worth the risk to simply not show up
you know what the consequences are if they capture you - a slow and painful death - but you’re unsure whether you want to put ateez on the line too
your ship is currently docked for the night, having made a port stop at alcarres following one of the crew’s wishes to retire the pirate lifestyle and settle in the small town
their last night with ateez had been celebrated with sloshing rum and rowdy jigs, something you had found strange
there’s none of that in the royal navy
when one leaves, it is shameful and through one of three options only; old age, crippling injury, or…death
you had asked seonghwa, the quartermaster, why he and the captain were so accepting when crew members left as they wished
he had simply smiled and answered, “better a small but loyal crew than a large and unpredictable crew”
his words are like a sharp stone in your shoe as you finally slip out of your hammock and make your way off the ship
as ordered, you head to the tavern addressed
you salute the person in front of you and ease into your seat with a formality only when he disregards you
“admiral jang”
“you’re late,” the royal navy officer raises an eyebrow
“sorry, sir. i had to make sure everyone was asleep”
it’s not exactly the truth, but no one needs to know that you had spent an hour in your hammock questioning your morality
he ignores your excuse, jesting as he asks of your captain, “has the pirate king found the chart’s whereabouts yet?”
the charts
centuries ago, a crew of experienced sailors had travelled the six great seas and created the original navigational charts
the charts had become scattered and lost over time, but its value only increased exponentially as more and more sailors became victims to the sea trying to map its waters to the same detail and accuracy as the original charts
of the six originals, only the whereabouts of five are known, with most of them within the possession of the royal navy
it’s rumoured that hongjoong - the pirate king - has his hands on two of them and is currently tracking down the lost chart of the aurorian sea
the only sea that has yet to be chartered after its original map due to its dangerous and unpredictable sailing conditions
you know that your next words can hold an inexplicable amount of possibilities
“not yet. the last lead didn’t get him anywhere. turned out the last of the ahn clan had passed a decade ago”
his lips flatten at the lack of worthwhile information
“where’s the captain headed to next, then?” he probes
for a split second, the thought of lying crosses your mind
you can’t provide a different location - it would be much too obvious and would raise immediate suspicions
but you could give him a different time frame
after all, it’s not uncommon for navigational routes to be one to two weeks off should the waters be unpredictable enough
you find the truth spilling out of you anyway once you’re looking into his stone-cold eyes
“vlasgar. in about three weeks’ time”
for a moment, time stands still as your heart pounds and you attempt to slow your breathing, the officer staring back at you calculatingly
then he finally hums in satisfaction
you think that he is going to dismiss you, but as you make a move to leave, he leans back in his seat
the split second of hesitation was enough
“remember where your loyalty lies, y/n”
the air feels cold with the underlying threat
seonghwa’s words flit through your mind
better a small but loyal crew than a large and unpredictable crew
you swallow, “of course, admiral”
and then you’re dismissed with a nod
the unsettling feeling follows you all the way back to the ship and every miniscule creak of the floorboards underneath you seems to be amplified in the silence
you let out a short gasp of surprise when you’re about to climb back into your hammock, only to see seonghwa blinking blearily at you
“couldn’t sleep ‘gain?” he mumbles
you choke out a response, “yeah”
“i’ll make you tea b’fore you sleep ‘morrow,” his words slur with sleepiness
“okay,” you whisper
but you know it won’t make a difference
after all, there’s no remedy for guilt
it continues to fester the next day, as you linger outside the captain’s quarters
you can’t remember why you had come down to the lower deck, but it doesn’t matter now, not with seonghwa and the captain discussing what you think is related to the aurorian chart
“do you think he’s still in vlasgar?”
“min taesoo? it’s hard to say. but i’m sure he’ll have acquaintances still on the island who may have an idea of where he’s gone”
min taesoo
your brain tries to carefully file the name away, knowing that it’s what admiral jang would want to know, but at the same time, your heart tries to pretend it doesn’t know what you have heard so that you can forget about it
you find yourself scratching the name onto a scrap of paper anyway
unbeknownst to you, at the almost-imperceivable sound of your footsteps walking away, the two men behind the doors share a look
the crew sets sail again in the afternoon towards the next destination - vlasgar - and the scrap of paper in your pocket weighs you down so heavily that you feel off-kilter as you absentmindedly follow jongho up into the rigging to unfurl the sails
you’re near the top of the ropes when a sudden wave lurches the boat to starboard
it’s only a small push, really, but with your mind elsewhere, it catches you off guard and you miss your next step
the feeling of your hand dislodging from the sudden drag of your body weight brings you back to the present with a yell of surprise
(whether it’s your own or jongho’s, you can’t remember)
your sailing experience takes over and you try to swing your body back towards the safety of the rigging
you barely manage to grasp the ropes again but your hands slip down with your weight until they hit the next knot, the hot rush of friction threatening your grip
with adrenaline rushing through your body, you shakily climb back down, where there are several pairs of hands waiting to help you down the rest of the rigging
seonghwa’s hands do not leave you even after your feet are planted on the deck again
dread and shame heat the back of your neck and curl around onto your cheeks, knowing that a mistake like the one you had just made - accidental or not - would lead to a punishment like confinement in the lower deck back in the royal navy
except, when an apology starts to form on your lips, seonghwa bursts out in dismay
“y/n, your hands!”
you let out an unintelligible noise as seonghwa gently turns your palms over and you realise that the ropes have grazed some of the skin off
“it’s fine,” you want to say
but you’re silenced when he leads you to the small sick bay on the orlop deck
even if there is no surgeon on board, there is a small chest fastened to the wall that is home to their few and valuable medical supplies
you sit as he fusses over you with alcohol and strips of cloth
although he does a good job of wrapping your hands, your insides start to bleed with how intensely guilt eats away at you, like a maggot deep inside the core of a festering apple
that night as you shuffle towards your hammock to sleep, you flinch when you find seonghwa already sitting in his
he’s fighting the heaviness in his eyes as he carefully cradles something
upon seeing you, he wordlessly hands it to you with a sleepy smile before he finally sags into his own hammock with a content sigh
you look down and the warmth of it seems to burn through the padded dressing that the man before you has tenderly wrapped around your palms
the sensation travels upwards to burn your heart too
because in your hands is a cup of warm chamomile tea
and yet, despite the emptied cup, you find yourself unable to fall asleep
but in the darkness of the sky, with no witnesses other than the waves and sea foam themselves, a small piece of crumpled paper gets tossed overboard that night
the closer their ship approaches vlasgar, the more distant seonghwa notices you become
he worries
seonghwa thinks he worries for the reasons that he should be
he is the quartermaster; entrusted to protect the crew as the captain’s right-hand man
if that means ensuring no one will compromise the rest of his crew, even if it’s you, then so be it
that’s what he justifies to himself as he walks through the cobbled streets of vlasgar, slinking through the shadows as he follows your figure from a safe distance
(in reality, seonghwa worries for the reasons that he is not quite ready to admit yet)
he follows you into the dim bar of a tavern and carefully situates himself where he can watch over you without being discovered
he orders a mug of common ale as you approach someone
the man is dressed in civilian attire, but seonghwa can tell straight away from his demeanour and expression that he is not as ordinary as he appears
it’s confirmed when he hears you say, “admiral jang”
and then he sees it
the small but striking lapel pin on the breast of the man’s coat - the royal navy’s insignia
seonghwa feels for the sash that’s hidden underneath his own jacket and his fingertips meet the cool metal of the pistol tied inside
“you better have updates for me, y/n. what’s the pirate king’s purpose here in vlasgar?”
seonghwa knows he only has about five seconds to make a decision - one that could jeopardise the crew, or one that could jeopardise you
but you surprise yourself and the both of them when you answer steadfastly, “i don’t know, sir”
despite the din of drunker patrons in the tavern, it seems to fall deathly silent
“am i hearing wrong, officer?” the admiral questions with a disbelieving scoff
to your credit, your voice does not waver when you state again, “no, sir. i believe the captain and quartermaster are lying low. they have not revealed anything to me nor the rest of the crew”
seonghwa suddenly understands why you have distanced yourself
the admiral’s jaw tics
“is that so.”
you do not respond, only focusing on the spot between his raised eyebrows as he leans forward across the table
“where does your loyalty lie, y/n?”
neither the admiral nor seonghwa need to hear your answer to know the truth
a small crew may be outnumbered, but they have strength in loyalty and devotion
there’s a glint of movement from underneath the table as the admiral inches something out from his belt
seonghwa makes his decision
you flinch, eyes wide as there’s a deafening gunshot and the table beside you splinters and scatters the tankards of alcohol onto the floor
instantaneously, chaos erupts
there are drunken yells of fright and weapons clumsily brandished, tables upturned and chairs hurled across the room
it only takes one other misfired shot for the tavern to descend into hellfire as customers who were previously drinking together now turn on one another
nobody notices the two pirates dashing out, not even admiral jang, who is busy wrangling two inebriated men off his arms
your composure dissolves the moment you are dragged into an alleyway several streets away and you look up in shock to discover-
“seonghwa?! why are you here?”
“i could say the same about you,” he counters, hardly out of breath
you’re stunned by the fact that he seems completely unfazed by the mess that he has just dragged you out of
something clicks
“was that you? did you know all along?”
seonghwa smiles, “let’s just say you’re not as subtle as you think you are when you sneak around. plus, it’s uncommon for sailors to have the experience that you do without having had some sort of training”
you curse under your breath and wince, “does hongjoong know too?”
the quartermaster nods and you fear the answer to your next question
“then why has he not…why have you not…”
“killed you yet?” seonghwa chuckles. “i’m sure you’ve realised by now how skewed the royal navy’s beliefs are”
you’re quiet
the royal navy has always been cult-like in preaching the ruthlessness and barbarism of pirates, drilling into the officers the belief that pirates are the scum of the sea
but everything that you’ve known has been proven false since you’ve joined ateez; ironically, the pirates are more humane than the royal navy themself
their crew stand at attention whenever hongjoong or seonghwa walk onto the deck - not out of cultivated fear but genuine respect
when jongho is sore and tired from handling the riggings on a particularly rough and windy day, the others will offer to cover for his chores instead of flogging him into submission
and when mingi is divvying up the shares of the provisions and loot, the others will slip an extra bar of soap for seonghwa, the shiniest ring for mingi, or the largest bottle of rum for yunho, because they want to make each other happy
“hongjoong is the pirate king, yes, but a king should not take the lives of others for his own power. a true king uses his power to change the lives of others for the better…like yours…and like mine”
you frown with a jerk of your head
“what do you mean?”
you can’t see seonghwa as a broken man whatsoever
he gives you a weak smile, “i, too, used to be part of the royal navy”
your jaw drops
everything clicks into place - how he had figured out you weren’t just a common sailor and why he hadn’t confronted you about it
the shame and guilt come rushing back over you in a storm that is much too familiar by now
“i’m so sorry, all i’ve done is betray your trust-”
“but that’s what second chances are for, no?” seonghwa cuts you off, playfully flicking your forehead as he reminds you, “and i’m pretty sure you’ve chosen me over the royal navy”
your cheeks grow hot
“not you. the crew,” you mutter
he laughs and it’s a wonderful sound
“come on, it’s late,” seonghwa beckons. “let’s get some sleep”
when he sees that you’re still rooted to the spot, unsure whether you are deserving to go back, he decides for you and moves behind you to gently nudge you forward by the shoulders
you let him guide you
his hands are warm, you note, even through the linen of your shirt
his hands are also pretty, you observe, when he tries to fluff your hammock once you two have crept your way back to the berth
seonghwa helps you up into the hammock and you watch as he climbs into his
his hands are also teeming with love, you realise, when he wordlessly extends his arm nearest to you in a silent invitation
if you both reach out, you can just entwine your hands together from your respective hammocks
the burns on your palms have healed nicely and without the need for them to be wrapped, you can feel every expanse of his hand covering yours
he doesn’t retract his hand and neither do you, even though it’s not the most comfortable position and you both lose feeling of your arms soon after
but you lay in your hammock, drifting to the soft snores of the crew members around you and the soft tug of seonghwa’s fingers in yours
sleep comes easy to you
particularly tonight
as it will for the rest of your life
yunho
pov: you're the crew's navigator
you know it’s going to happen even before it actually does
you can feel it in the air and from the way the baby hairs around your hairline start to frizz
but you never say anything because you wouldn’t trade it for the moment when the first raindrop hits the back of yunho’s neck and he abandons his duty at the helm to drag you out onto the upper deck
(hongjoong only sighs in defeat before he stations himself at the helm instead)
you don’t like the rain
not like yunho does
you are already looking up from the map spread out in the captain’s quarters, a knowing smile on your face just from the sound of his bounding footsteps alerting you of his presence, when yunho appears with the beckon of rain
you pretend to let yourself be dragged to your feet along to his urges of come on!
but then you dash forward towards the hatch with yunho chasing after your bright laughter
in the short span of time that it has taken him to fetch you, the sprinkle of rain has steadily grown and the weathered planks of the deck are already a dark grey
you feel the coldness of the raindrops hitting the crown of your head and the spreading chill as your clothes start to become damp
but that’s not what makes you feel alive
yunho catches up to you easily and then he is snaking his arms around your waist to lift you up into the air
you barely have time to squeal and steady yourself on his broad shoulders before he is spinning the two of you around, the world blurring away as the spotlight shines on him and he is all that you can see
the deck is your stage and the sea is your audience
rain with yunho is twirling hugs, tiptoed kisses and tinkling laughter. it’s soaked shirts and rosy cheeks and the only thing that matters in the moment
you don’t like the rain, but it’s easy to like the rain when it’s with him
(hongjoong lets the two of you be - so obviously and hopelessly enamoured by each other - because when one sees people in love, one cannot help but watch and smile)
the rain eventually peters out and you and yunho must return to your respective duties, but not until you two have changed out of your drenched clothes and sneaked in a few more kisses
a few hours later, you hear the racket above the deck as a ship pulls up beside the arriba and ropes are thrown across from both sides to lash the vessels close together
hongjoong comes down to join you in his quarters, but he’s not alone
behind him is the captain of the silver light, dae jihoo, and his quartermaster, with seonghwa entering last
you note that this crew doesn’t have a navigator of their own
but you suppose that’s one of the reasons why their captain had implored an alliance for this particular raid
the crew of the silver light are wanting to target the prosperity triangle - an area between three large ports that is frequently trafficked by wealthy vessels transporting valuable goods
it’s a raid that would prove difficult for a smaller pirate crew like your own and the silver light, and especially if they have no navigator
but it’s not uncommon for pirates to form temporary alliances for such purposes, and together, your crews have a good chance of plundering a fortune
you nod your head in acknowledgement when hongjoong introduces you to the two pirates as ateez’s navigator
you don’t miss the way jihoo’s eyes seem to linger on you for a second too long before he flashes a crooked grin and gestures towards the navigational map spread out on the oak table
clearing your throat of discomfort, you step forward and flatten the creases out with your hands
“this is the most open spot within the triangle that the vessel we’re after will pass through,” you tap an annotated spot on the chart, “and this is where we are now”
you slide your finger across, “we’ll follow the rhumb line west to avoid the shallower waters and when we can catch the trade winds, it should be smooth sailing from there”
jihoo challenges you, “how can you be sure we’ll catch the ship within the triangle?”
“they’ll need to sail past the equator and i’m almost certain their ship will be slowed down by the doldrums. we can easily gain knots on them”
he squints at the scribbles you’ve made noting down what you’ve gathered of the wind patterns
you know for a fact that it will mean nothing to him, but whatever he sees must satisfy him because jihoo appears to make up his mind
“when do we set sail?” he directs his question to your captain
“three days from now”
he grunts a noise of affirmation and stands, which hongjoong takes as the cue to see them and the rest of their crew off your ship
you trail behind the group as you all head back to the upper deck
you prepare to emerge from the hatch with a playful wink, knowing that yunho will be craning his neck from the helm to get a glimpse of you, when a sudden holler surprises you out of your thoughts
it’s immediately met with the answering cries of several other pirates - none from your crew - and you hurry to clear the hatch to gain your bearings
you’re thrust right into the throes of battle as ateez are forced to unsheathe their cutlasses to defend against silver light’s sudden attack
having been caught off guard, basically none of your firearms are loaded with gunpowder, rendering them unusable
you will have to make do with the short sabre at your waist
there’s no time to account for the whereabouts and safety of your crew members and you just have to pray that you all make it out of this unscathed
especially yunho
but as ateez retaliate, you all notice something is off about the situation
your crew is very quickly overpowering the other pirates - it was a losing fight for them from the very beginning
it makes no sense to you nor the rest of your crew
the losses of breaking the alliance before the planned raid, much less through betrayal, far outweigh any gains they could possibly make from their choice of action
it makes absolutely no sense
until it does.
you are blocking the swing of a sabre with your own when you are tugged backwards harshly by the collar of your shirt
there’s an angry snarl in your throat as you prepare to turn around, but it’s quickly silenced by the warning shot of a pistol right beside your ear
the cold ring of metal is then pressed to the back of your head
you know that firearms require time to reload and there’s a chance that this pistol is now useless
but, like wooyoung has taught the rest of the crew to do, they may have pre-prepared several pistols and you are not willing to play with fire - especially when you are only the flex of a finger away from death
you vaguely hear someone yell out your name in panic, but you’re not quite sure you hear correctly over the clamour of cutlasses clashing, warcries resounding and your own heartbeat pounding
“stand down or your navigator dies,” the voice behind you thunders
it’s jihoo…and he wants a navigator for his crew
“ateez,” one of your men commands, “lower your weapons”
your crew may make decisions fairly, but in battle, only hongjoong has the power to make commands
yunho has never spoken against his captain or disobeyed orders
until now
the words do not come out of your captain’s mouth but yunho’s
the rest of the members hesitate - they will not stand down unless hongjoong commands them to, yet, they are unsure whether they will be able to follow should he demand them to fight on, even if it means endangering your life
but there is no guarantee jihoo will let your crew go unharmed even after you all surrender, and as the captain, hongjoong must make decisions in the best interest for the crew
“captain!” yunho yells desperately
yunho never yells
“stand down,” hongjoong commands
silver light’s captain steps in closer behind you until you can hear and feel the noise of intriguement that leaves his mouth down the back of your neck
“that your loverboy, hmm?”
he smirks
there’s a false moment of primal relief when the press of the pistol is removed from the back of your head, but it is immediately replaced with fear that is irrevocably worse as he aims it in yunho’s direction and shoots
“no!”
you shriek and pull against the tug of his hold, still fisted around your collar, your pupils blown wide with terror at the sight of the clean hole in the mast right beside yunho’s head
“it’ll be pretty boy’s head next if you don’t come with me,” jihoo coos into your ear
the fight slips out of you immediately
because if you can save him, a life for a life, then you will
even if the sight of mingi holding yunho back from lunging forward when the pistol’s barrel returns to your head makes your heart clench painfully
“y/n, don’t you dare,” yunho pleads, voice filled with anguish
you’re barely given enough time to lock eyes with him and say resolutely, “remember what you said to me,” before you are tugged away to the boarding plank
ateez can only watch helplessly as the planks are removed from over the bulwarks and the last of the ropes are untied, releasing the silver light from their ship for good
jihoo tugs you down the hatch as the ship starts to pull away, and just like that, you’re gone from their sights
“fuck!” yunho shouts furiously, unable to contain his emotions as he turns around and connects his fist with the mast
right where the musket ball had made a hole
his hand pulls away with bloodied knuckles from the splintered wood and the sheer force of his punch
a concerned whine leaves seonghwa’s mouth and he tries to approach the taller, but yunho shakes him off and looks determinedly at hongjoong
“we’re sailing to the banver isle just east of the triangle. we’ll ambush them there”
seonghwa looks between the two, hope flickering in his chest at the potential plan, “you think the silver light are stupid enough to try taking on the prosperity triangle alone?”
yunho chuckles darkly, “they were fucking shitbrained enough to take y/n, so yes”
nobody disagrees and hongjoong smirks dangerously
“ateez, ready the sails for banver isle,” he commands. “prepare for battle”
because not only have the silver light taken you away from ateez, but they have also annihilated the light from yunho’s eyes
gone are his warm brown orbs - they are now black holes thirsty for retribution
there will be lives to pay and even that will not be enough for the void
unaware of what your crew is capable of, jihoo looks down at you with a triumphant leer
“you’ll navigate us to the triangle in three days’ time. don’t even think about lying - you’ve already shown me where the location is”
with an even nod you reply, “of course”
it’s true though - you have absolutely no intention of navigating them somewhere else
because you know yunho will be waiting there for you
amidst chaste kisses exchanged between plush lips cold from the rain, yunho tells you in a brief moment of seriousness
“don’t show them where the real location is,” his breath is warm across your cheeks. “you know the coastal island roughly ten nautical miles away? show them that instead”
you tilt your head to look up at him, “you think they’ll betray us?”
“no,” he reassures you with a deeper, slower kiss, “but we can never be too safe”
and even if your vessels miss each other this time, you have complete faith that yunho will sail to the very ends of the world just to find you
two days before the originally-planned raid, the arriba sails as closely to banver isle as possible without risking running aground
yunho has navigated the ship around the back of the isle so that the form of the rocky terrain conceals them from sight
once the anchor is lowered, the crew members use every ticking moment to make preparations
swords are sharpened and firearms cleaned
mingi distributes the gunpowder and ammunition, which is pre-loaded into muskets, pistols and swivel cannons ready to be engaged
the ship’s sails and riggings are checked and yeosang keeps a keen lookout in the crow’s nest
and it’s as if the world itself can sense the brewing storm that grows inside yunho
the sea is eerily still and silent, but the sky is an omen to something impending, its rolling clouds dark and angry with the threat of rain leering over the waters
yunho doesn’t actually like the rain
he only likes it because it’s with you
rain with you is barefoot dancing, breathless confessions and bashful giggles. it’s drenched locks and fluttering eyelashes and the only thing that exists in the moment
but as the profile of the silver light finally approaches the isle two days later, the heavens split open and you are not by his side
rain without you is falling pinpricks, frigid winds and flaunting mockery and yunho despises it with his entire being
at yeosang’s call of, “vessel approaching from starboard,” up in the lookout, yunho smothers the fervid desire to barrage the other ship with cannonballs like hail from hell; to unleash an inferno that blazes through their hull as he sadistically watches the crew jump for their lives
he stamps out the hunger to shoot the ones that make it into the sea, not to kill, only to maim and induce a long, painful struggle in the open waters until death becomes inevitable - until there is enough blood spilt that it becomes the only stench in the air that stretches across for miles
yunho leashes his monsters with an iron fist
because he will not do anything that could even remotely endanger your life
even if it means that he has to hold back - to sit and wait like prey instead of advancing on the other ship like a predator
at least not yet.
silver light do not know, but this is the calm before the storm
the heavens may be crying, the winds may be howling and the waters may be roiling
but this is nothing compared to yunho
yunho is a tempest of unparalleled rage and their ship is in the eye of his storm
as the bowsprit of the silver light starts to appear around the isle, the members ready their grappling hooks and yunho draws his cutlass with a menacing whisper of unsheathing metal
you are his treasure, and pirates never lose sight of their treasure
today…you return to him
yeosang
pov: you're a tavern keeper
watching the ale reach the brim of the tankard you are holding, you’re about to step away from the barrel when the voice of a patron sounds behind you
“‘scuse me, could i get a mint-”
you look up and turn around in confusion as their voice cuts off
only to have the question taken right from the tip of your own tongue as you’re met with the face of the person you had loved for years
the same person you have spent twice as long trying to forget
eyes searching each other’s in a surprised stupor, seeing kang yeosang standing right in front of you takes you back to those memories that you have tried to remember and simultaneously bury
it thrusts you headfirst into what used to be of your shared love - like the feathery remnants of a dream, so distant from the fingers of your consciousness, suddenly returning to vivid existence when you least expect it
“hey, mint leaf. i’m back”
yeosang at least has the perceptiveness to appear a little apologetic, immediately pulling you into a hug and pressing soft kisses against your hairline uncaring of the other people in the tavern
it’s been several weeks since you last saw him, and whilst he had warned you he would be gone for longer this time, you hadn’t expected it to mean two whole months
he’s a small merchant who also fishes along the coast to earn enough to make ends meets, so he’s often gone for a few days or a week or two
you knew what you were in for when you first made it official with him, but just because you become accustomed to something, doesn’t mean it gets any easier
and he’s never been gone for this long
something must have happened - something good - because he looks alive, cheeks glowing and eyes fiery
“i met the crew”
“the crew?” you ask, hands reaching for the bourbon to prepare him a drink as he lets himself behind the counter to stand beside you in your workspace
he nods excitedly, "wooyoung’s pirate crew, ateez"
you think you know where this is going to go and you hate that your stomach sinks at the thought of what your future may become, because yeosang looks so happy to tell you about this and a happy yeosang is all that you could ask for
“the captain offered me a position as their lookout”
you pick out your next words carefully as you hand him his finished drink - a mint julep with two sugar cubes, just the way he likes it
"aren't…isn't being a pirate dangerous?"
“not as dangerous as you might think, actually. they’ve been showing me the ropes the last couple of weeks and…and i think i want to join them. officially”
there it is
the forked end of the road
you wonder how far two people can keep walking with their hands intertwined before the distance becomes too great and they have to let go
his words become a little muddled when he goes on to tell you about how they divvied up their recent loot to include his share too
how he’s gained more money than he’s made from the last two years of working as a merchant and fisherman combined
if he joins his old friend and his crew, he could earn enough to buy his parents a proper house; earn enough to build you your very own tavern
you want to tell him that you don’t need the tavern, just him, but you also know just how important his family is to him
his filial desire to take care of his parents was one of the very reasons you fell in love with him in the first place
before you can say anything though, the tavern keeper is interrupting to let you know that your shift is over
yeosang immediately perks up and herds you out of the place, claiming that there is a new fishing spot he discovered that he has to show you
and so you sit while he rows his modest boat, only the splash of his oars disturbing the peaceful stillness that has settled over the waters as the sun dips below the horizon
the waning light casts a soft, warm glow over him, like a gentle kiss against his skin and birthmark
if angels graced the earth, there would be one sitting right in front of you
“i missed you, mint leaf,” he confesses, gaze shyly averted. “i thought about you when i was gone”
“did you think about showing me this place?” you feel a little breathless
he nods, “every single night”
and that’s enough for you
it feels like everything is okay again
it doesn’t matter if you’re standing at a forked road
you think that perhaps, for him, you can walk on an unpaved path - just so that you can keep holding his hand
“y/n”
yeosang’s voice is deep
the word sounds foreign to your own ears but you don’t dwell on it
(because if you do, you’ll wonder whether it’s because you’ve forgotten the sound of his voice or because you want to hear him calling you something else)
“what would you like to order?” you ask
(because it’s easier to pretend that he’s just another patron than to admit that he used to be all that you ever knew)
yeosang fumbles a little but then regains himself, “oh, um- just a mint julep, please”
you turn your back to him to prepare his drink, hands reaching for the barrels lined along the bottom shelves without needing to look
you’ve made this drink too many times to count
half of those times were in the safety of the darkness that midnight offered; when the tears could flow freely without anyone seeing
it’s only when you start to mix his cocktail that yeosang realises he didn’t ask for his sugar cubes, but he figures the drink will taste bitter tonight either way so he opts to watch you instead
he wishes that he could walk past the counter like he used to and wrap his arms around you
he wishes that he could whisper endearments into your ears and press them against your lips
he wishes that he could show you that he still loves you
“do you still love me?” your voice wavers with hurt as you stand in front of him
he’s finally back after being gone for four months this time and you hate this conversation as much as he does, but it was bound to happen eventually
yeosang pleads, “more than anything”
“then why does it hurt so much? loving you…and being loved by you”
he doesn’t have an answer
but god be damned if he doesn’t try to find a way to fix things
“tell me, mint leaf, what can i do?”
you blink back your tears furiously, having already made up your mind while he was still at sea
“let’s break up”
because in the end, unpaved paths have too many rocks, too many thorns and too many arched roots; they were never meant to be walked along
you pass yeosang his finished drink without another word and then move further down the counter to serve a different customer
his eyes linger on you wistfully before he tears them away from you
it’s a good thing his hair has grown long enough to cover his face when he looks down
because his eyes start to grow wet at the sight of the mint julep you have made him
with two sugar cubes in it, just the way he likes it
perhaps, once you’ve loved somebody, you never really stop loving them
yeosang shows up again the next day and seats himself at the bar
you don’t serve him though, actively avoiding his end of the counter and letting another of your staff tend to him
he orders his usual but he leaves out his request for additional sugar cubes
it feels wrong for him to order it from someone that isn’t you
but you’re watching out of the corner of your eye as the worker mixes the bourbon, sugar and water, topping it with a few mint leaves and then sliding it across the counter for him
you let out a little sigh, half amused, when he takes a small sip and smacks his lips together at the bitterness
you take two sugar cubes and drop it unceremoniously into his pewter cup before you realise what you’re doing
yeosang immediately seizes the opportunity to talk to you
“my crew’s docked for the fortnight…” he waits to see if you’ll respond. you don’t, but you also don’t move away, so he continues. “we’re making some repairs to the hull and sails before our next raid”
you have half a mind to walk away after you reply, “i didn’t ask”
he forges on regardless
“we’re going to work with another crew for this one. it’s going to increase our chances of a successful raid because-”
your voice comes out a little harsher than you mean for it to when you hiss again, “i didn’t ask”
yeosang’s mouth closes as he pulls away slightly, back straightening
then he says in a softer voice, “i’ve been doing well. wooyoung still takes care of me, even though i’m not new to the crew anymore. i also saw my parents today and they’re happily retired now…”
you don’t stop him from talking this time
because how many sleepless nights have you spent sitting outside your tavern looking up at the stars; how many times have you served a mint julep to a patron and accidentally added sugar cubes; how many moments have you been consumed by the thought of him, simply wondering if he is living well?
this is everything that you have ever wanted - yeosang in the flesh letting you know that, yes, he has been well
but it is also everything that you have ever feared - that he has been well even without you
you don’t know what to feel
“my parents asked about you,” he says gingerly. “how have you been?”
his voice is barely audible, as if he is afraid of what you might say
or perhaps, afraid that you might not say anything at all
“good. excellent,” you force a small smile, your eyes still focused on the mint leaves floating in his drink. you don’t think you can look at him. “i own this place now”
his body loses its tension, cheeks rounding as he looks at you with genuine relief
“that’s…that’s really good to hear”
his words sting
you are unsure if it stings your ego or if it picks at the wound in the shape of the person you have lost
but it hurts to know that he has worried over you in the exact same way you have over him, the whole time you two have been apart
you’re suddenly overwhelmed by the realisation and hot tears well in your eyes almost immediately
your bottom lip starts to crumple so you rush into the back room to escape
“y/n!” yeosang calls out after you, alarmed
when you don’t stop, disappearing into the storage, he jolts up from his seat and follows
your body shudders with every heaving breath you take, unable to stop yourself from crying even harder when you feel him tug you into his chest
you try to pull away but his sturdy arms tighten around you
yeosang refuses to let you go once more
“i hate you,” you sob, struggling against his hold as you hit his chest weakly
he hushes comforts against the crown of your head, soothing noises as he endures your fists
“you have every reason to”
yeosang holds back tears of his own
he feels your body gradually losing its fight, sinking into his embrace instead, hands desperately holding him close
your voice is so impossibly small when you tearfully confess, “but i still love you”
“oh, mint leaf,” he brushes the stray locks of hair away from your face and cradles your jaw tenderly, “i still love you, too”
he presses a soft kiss against your forehead, pulling away once only to reaffirm, “so, so much”
when he kisses you again, his lips taste salty against your own, but nothing has ever tasted sweeter than this
your breath no longer stutters but the tears continue to run down your face because your heart finally feels right after all these years apart
and yet-
you pull away
“we can’t do this”
yeosang feels his heart shattering
“why not? i don’t understand,” he whimpers
“you know why,” you say distressingly, “my life is here, yeosang. i can’t just leave and return whenever i want. but you, on the other hand? you can. you go where your crew goes - you belong with them”
“but my heart belongs to you. please, y/n,” he begs
his arms are still wrapped around you and you feel his desperation as his fingers cling onto you like a lifeline
you look earnestly into his bloodshot eyes, your own vision blurry, “yeo, you’re not the one who gets left behind here. you’re not the one who waits weeks, months, years on end, just hoping that the next person to walk in is the person that you want to see”
he wants to plead that he waits to see you, too, but he knows that he’s the one who leaves, too
“you’re the right one for me - the only one for me - but it’s not the right time,” you tell him gently
slowly, his arms lower themselves from around you
“it wasn’t the right time then and it isn’t the right time now,” he repeats, “then when is the right time for us?”
you shoot the question right back at him, “when is the right time for someone whose life is to sail the world?”
neither of you know the answer
nobody does, because loving a pirate has no certainties
but yeosang doesn’t give up
“if we can’t ever be sure, why don’t we just make it the right time ourselves?”
you caress his cheek sweetly, and despite having stepped away from you earlier, he leans into your hand, starved of your loving touch and affection
“yeosang…what if we’ve already had it? what if…meeting each other was already it? what if we’re just meant to love from a distance, not side by side?” your voice is poignant but resolute
he brings up a hand to cover yours, still warm and tender against his wet cheek
how is it that he can be touching you yet simultaneously feel worlds apart from you
“okay,” he accepts with a whisper
if loving you silently is the only way he gets to love you, then he will choose it in a heartbeat over losing you entirely
he thumbs away the remainder of your tears
“can i kiss you? one last time?” he asks
you nod
“one last time”
your lips slowly meet, slotting together as they find their home in each other’s dips and curves
his hands cradle the small of your back and neck and your own hands rest against his chest
the kiss you share is steady, longing and bittersweet
it conveys everything that you want to say to each other, and even then, it is hardly enough
thank you
i’m sorry
i love you
goodbye…
you can feel your eyes burning up again, but you focus on the feeling of yeosang’s lips against yours instead
because you know that the moment one of you pulls away, that is it forever
in the world of love, there are people who are ill-fated
they meet the right person, but at the wrong time
and then there are people like you and yeosang
not ill-fated, but star-crossed lovers
the right person…
but just not meant to be
#loren writes#ateez fics#ateez fic#ateez x reader#hongjoong x reader#hongjoong scenarios#seonghwa x reader#seonghwa scenarios#yunho x reader#yunho scenarios#yeosang x reader#yeosang scenarios#ateez ot8 x reader#ateez fluff#ateez angst#ateez scenarios#ateez imagines#ateez headcanons#ateez au#pirate ateez#pirate!ateez#pirateez#ateez crack
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Hi!!! can I request a poly pirate ateez x reader fic? they chose another girl over her and betray her but they regret and chase her back but the reader doesn’t forgive so easily
Pirate’s Heart
Pairing: Ateez! ot8 x fem! reader
• Genre: Angst, Pirate, Mature
• Warnings: crying, misunderstanding, betrayal, choosing someone else, trusting a stranger, false accusations, lies [plz tell me if I have missed something] also oc doesn't forgive easily coz they chose someone else. Come on bfr, I’m searching for you girl.
• W.C: 5k (it’s not how I thought it to be)
Note: please I want to thanks to people for reading and reblogging. Reviews are always appreciated. I tried to put more emotions into it but still I know it’s not how I wanted. I don’t know what to add more into this.
Network: @cultofdionysusnet @k-vanity
Eight men laughing all around the room and a girl sulking in the corner, sitting on a wooden stool beside the youngest man among them. he pats her back and trying to hold back his laughter.
“Mina…it’s okay.”
“No! you all betrayed me yesterday and I was alone roaming around the market.”
Jongho looks over at the captain who is grinning widely across from the old wooden table when he spoke up, “we were just busy with some things of ours.”
“Things?” she whines, “you all were trying to find her. Why? She can find her way back to the ship.”
You hiss to her words and mentally scoff from outside the room. But the surprising fact is that. They followed you? You don’t think that something about you even matter to them. Maybe, they don’t care if you had been attacked by their enemy. They were only following you to keep an eye, if you are not betraying behind their back.
“and you could have flirted more.” You mutter under your breath.
You hear captain’s voice and your feet scoot closer towards the dark wooden door. Tears pooling in your eyes. When was the last time he laughed with you? Or any of them spent a little time with you?
“That’s not true. You are familiar to this place but she has never been to here.” The captain stated and Seonghwa nods slowly which made her scowl.
I shouldn’t have ever stepped to this place. Your life has become upside-down after stepping a foot on this land and then suddenly Mina stumbling in your way. You still hate this from last year when she snatched your lovers.
“still…” she whines and you cringe at her tone. Yunho got up and cups her cheek, “next time, we will go to the market with you. Promise.” He brings a grape to her lips and she happily eat it. They all cooed and laughed at her cuteness.
Their laughs pierced your heart which made the tears flow down your cheeks and so you ran away from the door---behind which lies a lot of secrets.
It sounds like you're feeling hurt or disappointed because someone you liked chose someone else over you. This is really tough to deal with. It's important to remember that everyone has their own preferences and reasons for making choices, and it doesn't necessarily reflect on your worth as a person but it's not caused by some certain person.
It's about your lovers. The eight pirates who once vowed to give you a family, the love you deserve and pledged their loyalty towards you.
But now, it’s all gone.
They have turned their back to you, never glancing at the most treasured gem of theirs---their heart.
Their Y/n.
Their only Aurora.
>>>> <<<<
In the azure expanse of the Sea, where the sun dancing upon the waves like golden fire and the salty breeze whispering secrets of the deep, there you stood upon the deck of the ship. The locks swaying with the light wind and your eyes closed, facing towards the sun.
Once where existed—a tale of love. Now, it’s all about betrayal and redemption, woven amidst the tumultuous seas and treacherous shores.
In the heart of the sea, you have always dreamed of adventure beyond the horizon, of a life filled with excitement and romance. Even if you stood in front of the danger, you had a smile adorning your face with the strong belief that you have the most powerful and fearful pirates of the sea with you and nothing can ever put you nine down.
But all the hopes are gone now.
Little did you know in your childhood that your destiny would intertwine with that of eight notorious pirates whose names echoed through the taverns and harbors of the sea --- The Ateez.
Led by their enigmatic captain, Kim Hongjoong was feared and revered in equal measure, their ship, the Blue Bird, striking fear into the hearts of merchants and sailors alike.
But beneath their fearsome exterior lay hearts yearning for something more—a love that transcended the boundaries of the sea. Your love.
It was on a moonlit night, with the stars twinkling like diamonds in the sky, when your path first crossed with that of the Ateez. As you walked along the deserted shores of Halazia, your thoughts lost in the gentle rhythm of the waves, you stumbled upon a sight that would change your life forever.
There, stranded upon the sands, lay a man---a pirate surrounded by seven other figures, his clothes torn and his face etched with pain. Without hesitation, you rushed to his side, heart racing with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
To your surprise, the man stirred, his eyes flickering open to reveal a gaze as deep and mysterious as the ocean itself. It was none other than Captain Hongjoong, his aura of danger and intrigue drawing you like a moth to a flame.
“People fear me a lot but I don’t want you to fear me. I’m not scared to lose anything but you.”
In that moment, amidst the crashing waves and the swirling mist, a connection sparked between you both—a connection that defied reason and logic, binding your fates together in ways you could never have imagined. His sea brothers, whom he gathered and grew up together with from the beginning pledged their loyalty to you.
As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, you found yourself drawn deeper into the world of the pirate Ateez, your bond with Captain and the crew growing stronger with each passing day. Seonghwa, the Quatermaster was always the one to accompany you whenever the captain was not around and the bonding grew into more intimate. His soft and comforting smile with the warmth of his skin against yours was enough for you to feel at home.
“love, we will always run to each other if we feel threatened. Your love is the strongest weapon to me.” He said and smiled down at you in his arms.
The cook who was also the head Rigger, Wooyoung was the playful menace of the crew and even though, you felt scared by others, he would be the one to grab your hand and run away to the vast fields or cuddling with each other on top, the crowsnest. Sometimes, the surgeon of the ship, Yeosang would also tag along with you both.
“I never had more fun spending time here but with you, I don’t want this to end any day.” You smiled towards the Rigger and nodded.
The surgeon planted his feet on the wood and left the rope’s grip, “I should agree too. Nothing can cure me more than your love, Y/n.”
You feared the first mate and the pilot, Yunho. His intimidating stare and the fire glinting in his eyes with a flick of curiosity to know if you were a stowaway on the ship made him distant with you but once when you risked your life for his. He became determined since that day that he would be the one in charge for your safety.
“I can risk everything to save you, pearl. You are the precious gem to me.” he cups your cheek before placing a kiss on your lips.
Mingi, the gunner was always the one to approach you with a welcoming aura but the weapons with him scared you at first. Eventually, when you spent nights with him, sharing deepest secrets, he knew your heart has been kept safe with him.
“you made me feel emotions which I didn’t know I could ever feel. Thank you, y/n.”
Jongho, the sailing master. You have watched him from afar while spending time with others but never once tried to approach him because of his cold appearance. You doubted his personality whenever you had caught a glimpse of his gummy smile. Once, when he was directing the other mates on the ship, you found out that Yeosang was also the navigator of the cabin crew. Yunho would always be with these two to ensure the perfect course of the journey.
“Jongho…you must be tired.” Your concerned voice made him smile towards you.
“never. I can’t ever be tired when I’m with you. You are my greatest strength.”
In the end, San, the striker and helmsman was the one who gave you the warmth in the ocean of coldness. His piercing eyes following each and every movement of yours around the ship was enough to feel you under watch. He was always hiding behind the darkness but one day when you risked your life for them, he stood under the spotlight to kill every individual who pointed their swords at you, even a single finger.
“even if I look back for once, I would look back at you before killing everyone who dared to point a finger.” He hugged you tighter.
He was the last one to fall in love with you but first one to accuse you. The days can’t be always be smooth and peaceful, just like the waves in the sea bed. Once, its silent then in the next moment it would be a roaring storm thrashing around.
Similarly, lurking in the shadows of your burgeoning romance was a darkness that threatened to tear you apart—a darkness in the form of another woman.
Driven by jealousy and vengeance, Mina vowed to destroy everything the Ateez held dear, starting with their heart--- you. And so, with her wiles and charms, she ensnared the affections of the eight pirates who had once pledged their love and loyalty to you.
One by one, they fell under her spell, their emotions wavering in the face of Mina's deceit. And though you fought with all her strength to reclaim their love, your efforts were in vain, for the pirates had chosen someone else—a betrayal that cut deeper than any sword.
>>>> <<<<
But, one fateful day, as you stood upon the deck of the pirate ship bound for distant lands, a familiar sight caught your eye—a merchant’s ship, its sails billowing in the wind, its bow cutting through the waves like a knife through butter.
“y/n…what are you doing?”
His voice made you flinch but still your attention on the merchant ship in distance didn’t waver. You gripped the railing tightly to fight back the weakness in front of him. his heavy boots hit against the wooden plank and the creaking sounds made shiver run down your skin.
When was the last time he called your name?
“I don’t know where she is. Go ask others.” Your reply was cold and he nodded to himself before stepping closer. As the two ships drew closer, your eyes followed the waves when you suddenly turned around and glared, “stop right there.”
He stopped in his track.
You felt a surge of emotions coursing through your veins—fear, anger, longing. But above all else, there was hope—a glimmer of hope that perhaps, just perhaps, the tides of fate had finally turned in your favour.
No one has ever dared to command anything to the captain except Seonghwa. Maybe you as well. As if by some twist of fate, today Captain has appeared before you, his gaze meeting yours with an intensity that sent shivers down your spine. You stood on your spot strong, with the fire in your eyes towards him.
"Y/n" he said, his voice a low rumble that echoed in the depths of your soul. "I am asking about you not her."
For a moment, you were speechless, your heart pounding in your chest as you struggled to comprehend the magnitude of what was happening. Could it be true? Could he still harbor feelings for you after all this time?
“because you can’t find her anywhere and thinking it’s something has to do with me.” your emotionless tone was pinching his skin. He licked his lips, staring at you with a hope to listen your sweet words. Your eyes wandered around and you felt odd. No one was in the sight and the ship was undoubtedly quiet. But when your eyes landed on the round stairs from the master cabin, you saw other seven figures descending down towards the plank where you stood with the captain.
Before you could formulate a response, Hongjoong took your hand in his, his touch sending a jolt of electricity coursing through your veins. "I know I have wronged you, y/n" he said, his eyes brimming with sincerity.
Why is he suddenly saying all these?
You snatched your hand from his grip and glared, the same look you sent towards the others when they approached near, “Why are you all here?” you again looked around, you leaned forward towards the railing to peek below, “where are the men and other workers? What’s going on?”
Seonghwa stood closer than others, “we sent them to collect all our necessary items for the journey.”
“Journey?”
“tomorrow before the dawn, we are leaving for Utopia.”
“and where is she?”
This time Wooyoung spoke up, “that’s something about which we are here to talk with you.”
“I don’t know anything about her.”
Even if you wanted to look strong yet you felt so weak under their heavy gazes. All their stares after so many months feeling so unfamiliar and strange. The last time when you had all their gazes on you was when you pointed Mina’s reason to be with you and they accused you of jealousy. They referred you as a child wanting to have their attention, being selfish with others. They said that you don’t have a little feeling towards a girl who seems like a sister.
More like an evil sister, who was there to ruin your family.
“of course you don’t know, y/n.” Wooyoung said softly but you scoffed, “then?”
“We did wrong for not believing you.” Seonghwa’s voice was soft, just a pitch higher than the whisper.
“why? She didn’t agree to sleep with you all?” you smirked, throwing a dirty look towards them.
“Y/n!” Hongjoong’s stern voice made you flinch. His clenched jaw and tight fist, the anger building inside him at your words. But you continued to fuel the fire of anger.
“do you want me to convince her for this? Just to let you know, I can’t.”
“what are you saying? Why are you thinking of us like this?” Yunho asked you but deep down, he asked it to himself as well. He knew the reasons very well. He knew you were hurt for their deeds but he thought you will understand their ends.
“really? You are asking me this. So what else do you want me to think? That tomorrow morning, when we will be in the bed of the sea and with the best opportunity, you will throw me into the waters.”
“What are you saying?” Yeosang’s low voice made you glance at him and his orbs searched for a little softness in you. The scene unfolding in front of him was so unusual. Basically, pirates should be the ones with emotionless and rough appearance but here they were asking helplessly from a mere girl.
Mere? No.
From their love. Their heart.
“where is she?” you asked again.
“in the brig.” You raised your brow at Hongjoong’s words. Why is she there? What did she do? Or are they here to take you to lock you up there? goosebumps appeared on your skin but it was hidden under the sleeves of the shirt. Your mind racing with the thought that now how has she accused you guilty this time that they all are here to escort you to the brig.
“I-I haven’t done a-anything.” Your voice broke and you turned around to face the sea.
Whenever you felt suffocated, your feet move on its own to stand at the edge of the quarter deck and inhale the scent of freedom. The village life was so harsh to you and after these pirates took you in with them for the long journey, you felt as if you have started a new life. A new dream with a new life beyond the horizon but last year, they turned their back at you. Leaving you behind all alone.
Seonghwa hugged your shaking body from behind, “hsshh love why are you scared?”
He made himself turned around with you in his hold, making you face them. You looked down to hide the falling tears of fear.
“what happened?” Hongjoong held your chin up to stare in your eyes. Your scared pupils reflecting the hurt and loneliness.
“I will serve you well, masters. But please don’t take me to the brig. I have no where else to go but please don’t end my life.” You wiggled under the oldest one’s hold but he held you tighter. He knew very well that if he lets you go, you would probably run away and won’t talk to them.
“Masters?” San was confused with your tone like others and the way you were addressing them. “why are you calling us this? And we are not taking you anywhere. We are here to…apologize.”
Your raging yet scared eyes stared at him, “apologize? For what? You have already given up on me. you all left me alone for…. For that girl. Calling me selfish because I wanted my lovers away from an outsider. Blaming me for every little mishap caused to her. Trusting the false accusations against me.”
You again tried to break free when he gripped your arms tighter, “stay still. You are not going anywhere unless we are done speaking with each other.”
“I don’t want to talk with you all.” But deep down you want to talk to them. Shout at them. You want to look at them longer, feel the warmth in their embrace. You want to feel their love for you again. If there’s still any feelings left for you.
“y/n…we didn’t give up on you for her.” Jongho spoke up and looked over his brothers. He realized how they have messed up the relationship for these past months because the new girl really lured them into trusting the lies but in the end, Yeosang really found out her real intentions behind all this.
“Yeosang found out that she befriended us to destroy us.” Mingi said and nodded along with Yeosang. The surgeon sat on the wooden drum and leaned forward, “she lied to us that she stays alone here. She has been sent from our enemy.”
“but still you all trusted her once. You all believed when she said I’m related to the captain Chan. You all even kept watch on me to see if I’m betraying you all.” You hissed and stepped forward when you felt the grip loosened around you. You glared back at him and walked towards the stool beside the boxes and sat on it. Wooyoung was standing closer to you.
Tears fell from his eyes when he saw your figure tired and lonely. They really kept themselves so busy to even take a little look at you in all these months.
“we are really sorry for that, y/n.” Hongjoong apologized and glanced at others.
“speak for yourself.” You rubbed your eyes and wiped the tears from the cheek, “I don’t think each of you is feeling the same.”
“No, it’s true. We are really sorry.” Seonghwa supported the captain’s words. Wooyoung slide down against the boxes and leaned back, “we shouldn’t have doubted you.”
Yunho folded his hands in front. Standing in front of you, looking the perfect pilot of the ship but somewhere a sense of betray reflecting from him. He shook his head, “I don’t know how we trusted her everything and didn’t believe you. I’m really sorry.”
“I know you are hurt, y/n. but please forgive us.” Yeosang stood beside Wooyoung and both of them eagerly waiting for your response.
“You all made me feel like a stowaway in my---your ship. I felt like an enemy lurking around you. You all were spending so much time with her. Your gazes were filled with love and admiration while looking at her but whenever your eyes fell on me, there was visible fire of hatred. It hurt me. I felt like to run away far from you. But I didn’t know where to.”
“This is also your ship. You are the aurora in the night sky for our journey.” San stated and smiled but it quickly disappeared when he saw your teary eyes looking back at him.
Mingi placed his elbow on top of a drum and leaned to his side, “you aren’t a stowaway. You are a part of the family. You are more than that. You are our heart, y/n.”
“didn’t you feel your heart ache while believing a liar and laughing with her despite my presence just near you?” you shot an angry look towards him.
Jongho stepped forward and stood beside the captain, “we are really guilty. Please give us a chance to prove that our love has not wavered.”
You bitterly chuckled, “Love?……pirate’s only love is their desire to sail free all around the sea with their conquered treasure.”
“And, you are our treasure, and our only desire is to be with you.” Wooyoung said it loudly, earning everyone’s attention on him. he flinched when he saw your intense gaze on him. He wanted to hold your hand run to the crows-nest and hug you tightly, promising everything to protect you and to never betray you.
“Where do you go every afternoon for these last few months?” Yunho’s question perked everyone’s ear, even yours. He noticed? Their curious gazes on you made you shift in your place.
“You don’t have to know about it.”
“y/n…please do let us know if you are in any danger.” Jongho asked you politely. You shook your head and looked to your side, avoiding their eyes. You didn’t notice when San came in front and kneeling. “Please, tell me.”
You casted a glance at him then to others before looking at your hands, “I was planning to run away with a help of a friend.”
“Run away with a friend?”
“His name is Ten. You all were busy ignoring me all these months…almost a year. He is a sailor and we met at a fortune teller shop. He offered me a helping hand to have a life on my own.”
San was shocked, “you trusted him?”
You nodded, “like you all trusted her. I have heard from others and they all were praising him. He is a good person. He listened to my stories every day, he showed me around the place, laughed with me, taught me new things……he spent time with me.” you paused and nodded to yourself before continuing, “maybe I’m selfish…I’m selfish because I want you all to myself. I felt jealous seeing you with her. Or maybe I should have open myself to others, should let myself to make more friends so that even if you think of leaving me one day. I should not feel hopeless but can continue my life ahead. Not beyond the horizon but beyond those mountains and low valleys.”
“Y/n…don’t leave us like this.” Wooyoung scooted towards you and the captain and quartermaster stepped closer, followed by others. They were surrounding you and you were sitting like a helpless one under their shadows.
“and why? How can I trust that you all will not accuse me of betraying again?”
Hongjoong glance at Seonghwa before stating, “if you leave us then we will be scattered, y/n.”
“and what about me? you all already made my feelings shattered when you all chose her over me because she proved me as a liar with some fake evidence. You all broke your own rules.”
Don’t trust a lie and never betray your family. --- their only rule.
Yeosang shook his head, “no, y/n. it won’t happen again.” Mingi nodded when agreeing with him. the scenario can’t be ever believed that the notorious group of pirates are helplessly asking forgiveness to you.
Before Yunho could speak whatever he was going to, you spoke up making him shut, “I really loved you all. When I promised not to betray you, I meant it. Even if you kill me someday, I will still have a belief that you are the only family I ever got in my life.”
“Y/n…”San whispered your name not to show his weak voice.
“Are you not leaving us, right?” Mingi asked you when you stood up.
“I don’t know but I’m going to meet him now.” You placed your fingers over the belt to feel the knife well hidden underneath it. Hongjoong held your elbow stopping you from walking further, “you are not going anywhere.”
“And you are no one to tell me anything.” You jerked off his hand.
Yunho blocked your way when you turned towards the gangway. You shot him a glare but he returned the similar gaze directed to your soul, “don’t be stubborn. We are leaving tomorrow and don’t go anywhere today. We have to deal with Mina---”
“don’t say her name in-front of me!” you grabbed his coat and clenched your jaw. His hand moved up to cup your cheek but you swatted it away. “don’t touch me.” you pushed him aside. They watched how you stumbled a little while walking down the gangway and jumped to the shore from the last step. Seonghwa signalled something towards San and the latter nodded before following behind you.
And in that moment, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the stars began to twinkle overhead, they knew that you had a choice to make—a choice between holding onto the pain of the betrayal or embracing the promise of a future filled with love and redemption.
You stopped in your track before entering the market, heart soaring with the knowledge that true love conquers all—even the darkest depths of the sea. And your true love really pulled them towards you again.
For in the end, it is not the storms or the tempests that define their journey, but rather the unwavering belief that no matter how far they may drift apart, they will always find their way back to each other, guided by the light of love that burns eternal in the darkness. And so, as the waves carry them toward new horizons and unknown shores, embark on a voyage of discovery—one filled with adventure, passion, and the promise of a love that will endure for all eternity.
Taglist: @mymoodwriting @justhere4kpop @anyamaris @yeoobin @icchyi @jwnghyuns @piratequeen-queenofgames @dinonuguaegi @oreharuuu @hwanring @sanwifesstuff @kiwiisnthereoops @kiwiraccoon @hyuukah @kazscara @aceofspadesbiofalltrades @nvdhrzn [open!]
#cultofdionysusnet#kvanity#ateez#ateez x reader#ateez imagines#ateez scenarios#ateez fanfic#ateez au#ateez pirate au#pirate ateez#seonghwa x reader#hongjoong x reader#yunho x reader#yeosang x reader#san x reader#mingi x reader#wooyoung x reader#jongho x reader#ateez ff#ateez angst#ateez poly#poly ateez#poly ateez x reader
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PIRATE! ATEEZ MASTERLIST
Pairing: Captain Hongjoong x Runaway Princess Reader
Summary: Weary of the gilded cage of royalty, you escape your opulent life, only to realize that your longing for freedom has landed you in the clutches of ruthless pirates. Determined to prove your worth, you must persuade the enigmatic captain to defy the bounty on your head.
(coming soon)
Pairing: Siren Yeosang x Poacher Reader
Summary: You have always lived by the code of the hunt, and as a skilled poacher of exotic creatures, the only law you abide by is that of your own survival. But when a lucrative contract tasks you with capturing a siren alive, you find yourself ensnared in a perilous game where delivering the prize without succumbing to your own guilt or its elusive song proves impossible.
(coming soon)
Pairing: Ex-Naval Officer Jongho x Captive Reader
Summary: As the daughter of the naval commander, you find yourself ensnared by the very pirates your father hunts. Among them, your most ruthless captor is none other than the man who once served your father but is now a deserter of the worst kind. As days turn to weeks, you uncover the hidden truths that drove him from the ranks of the navy, and through the eyes of your captor, you witness the cruel corruption that festers within the very force sworn to protect the seas.
(coming soon)
Pairing: Cartographer Yunho x Pirate Reader
Summary: When you find yourself marooned on a remote island after your ship is stolen, you must rely on your wits to survive. With the unexpected help of an old friend, you join a new crew ready to take back what was yours. Among your new allies is the soft-spoken cartographer, whose quiet strength and compassion offer you unexpected comfort.
(coming soon)
Pairing: Explosives Master Mingi x Medic Reader
Summary: Life as the ship's medic is no easy task, battling not only the fierce skirmishes and injuries typical of a pirate's life but also the ship's resident explosive expert, who constantly finds new excuses to seek your company, often accompanied by yet another injury for you to tend to. Despite your repeated warnings, his cavalier attitude toward safety continues to test your patience and skills, until his recklessness costs him more than he could ever anticipate.
(coming soon)
Pairing: Lookout San x Spy reader
Summary: You have managed to infiltrate a notorious pirate ship through deception and lies. Your mission: to pass on their secrets to their enemies. But navigating the perilous waters becomes increasingly difficult when you discover the all-seeing eyes of the ship's lookout, who seems to witness all and scrutinize your every move. Caught between the need for stealth and the watchful gaze that seems to penetrate your every facade, you must tread carefully, or risk being exposed and facing dire consequences.
(coming soon)
Pairing: Firstmate Seonghwa x Ghost Reader
Summary: Trapped for centuries within an ancient artifact as a restless ghost, you find yourself unexpectedly released by the intimidating first mate of a pirate ship. However, there's more to him than meets the eye, and as you struggle to adapt to a world you no longer recognize, he finds himself strangely drawn to you and your secrets.
(coming soon)
Pairing: Quartermaster Wooyoung x Pirate Hunter Reader
Summary: You have dedicated your life to eradicating piracy from the seas, but when a case of mistaken identity finds you on the wrong side of the law, you're forced to flee with the very crew you have sworn to destroy. Onboard the pirate ship, tensions run high, and you find yourself torn between your duty and an unexpected connection with the charming quartermaster who is determined to make you stay.
(coming soon)
A/N: lol so Ateez at Coachella was my final straw and I absolutely had to write for them. This pirate/maritime theme has been rattling around in my head for a while so I'm excited to get into it. They're probably going to be one-shots or maybe 2 parters if they get long. Comment if you wanna be added to the tag list <3
will probably post the first one sometime next week cuz exams this week rip
#icarus ignite writes#ateez x reader#ateez imagines#ateez fantasy au#pirate ateez#hongjoong x reader#yunho x reader#yeosang x reader#jongho x reader#mingi x reader#san x reader#seonghwa x reader#wooyoung x reader#ateez ot8#ateez fanfic#ateez pirate au#ateez angst#hurt comfort#fluff#atiny#park seonghwa#yeosang#seonghwa#ateez headcanons#pirate!au
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pirate!jongho x stowaway fem!reader drabble
warnings: mentions of blood & injuries
rating: 14+
note: i’ve never seen a specific pirate jongho fic written and i thought why not try and write smth myself :,D idk if this is actually good i kinda just threw words down and hoped for the best lmao… i’m not super good at writing lol- all and any feedback would be appreciated <3 if enough people enjoy it i might continue it :3 (i know i left at an awkward spot ;-;) so plz let me know what you think <33
do not copy, translate, steal, or revise my writing!!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
your head spun. you were dizzy and your vision was blurred. everything hurt. you knew you should probably try and stop the blood coming from the sword cut on your arm, but you were just so tired. you were in a safe enough spot. (as safe as you can be stowed away in an unknown vessel) you were hidden between two large crates with a rough cloth you had found covering your body. i’ll just rest my eyes for a moment… you thought to yourself taking deep breaths to try and calm your thundering heart. that moment turned to a few hours.
-
you woke to the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the ladder that leads into the room you’re in. the one you fell down trying to get down earlier that day. earlier that day or yesterday… you can’t remember… everything just feels so fuzzy. you try to keep your breathing quiet as you hear the footsteps get closer. you shift slightly and barely keep down the cry that builds in your throat from moving. everything hurts and it just the smallest move made you want to go back to sleep that instant.
“can you check how full the water barrels are? im gonna check the crates” a man’s voice asked, it was deep but soft and if you weren’t in the situation you are in you might’ve wanted to hear him talk on and on. the footsteps came closer to your hiding spot and u held your breath hoping he’d not look to closely and see you. “yah the extra blankets fell again” he mumbled to himself, annoyed, as he grabbed the rough cloth off and revealed your hiding spot. “WOOYOUNG! COME HERE NOW” the man yelled as he grabbed your arm pulling you out from where u had been sitting. you were unable to hide your cry of pain when he pulled you to stand. you barely could, the world was spinning and your knees almost buckled after putting weight on your right foot. the other man, wooyoung, ran over quickly after hearing him call. “what the hell jongho-“ he stopped himself after seeing you. you were sure you looked terrible, probably covered in blood and barely able to stand on your own. “looks like we’ve got ourselves a stowaway.” jongho said. “and a girl too” wooyoung added. your heart felt like it was about to fly out of your chest, you hands were shaking and you tried to control your breathing “m’sorry-“ you rasped out, your voice scratchy and strained from little use. you whimpered in pain when jongho started to pull you towards the ladder that led out of the storage room. wooyoung was just watching, shocked. “come on woo, she’s obviously injured and we need to take her to captain.”
#jongho x reader#ateez x reader#ateez pirate au#pirate ateez#ateez x reader fluff#ateez x reader angst#ateez scenarios#ateez fluff#ateez smut#jongho smut#ateez x reader smut#ateez#my writing#oreowooyung#jongho#ateez fantasy au#ateez fantasy
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❥𓂃𓏧THE RING masterlist! [SEMI-HIATUS]
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (SYNOPSIS) Five years ago, the seas became unruly; there were waves large enough to drown islands, storms deadly enough to destroy anything, and monsters big enough to swallow ships. Everyone avoided the waters, never daring to stray too far from the shores. People had adapted to this lifestyle, but things changed for the worse. A report of dark mist swallowing islands and killing everything in its path was made. No one knew what it was. Everyone dreaded it, praying that it wouldn’t reach their islands. Around the same time, things changed for your family as well.
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (PAIRING) merman!seonghwa x fem!reader; pirate!hongjoong x fem!reader
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (WARNINGS) violence. swearing. eventual smut. angst.
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (NOTES) I always enjoy feedback, reviews, and asks so don't hesitate to comment/send an ask! I will be publishing the story in early June, since I'm still working things out in terms of world building, climax, and pairings, but please send an ask to be added to the taglist if you are interested!
MOODBOARD
PROLOGUE | CH 001. | CH 002. | CH 003. | CH 004. | CH 005. | CH 006. coming soon
#outlaw/The Ring#ateez#ateez x reader#seonghwa x reader#yunho x reader#yeosang x reader#san x reader#mingi x reader#wooyoung x reader#jongho x reader#fluff#angst#eventual smut#slow burn#fantasy#pirate ateez#ateez fanfic#ateez masterlist#hongjoong x reader
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The Enemy of My Enemy
Summary: When your home port suddenly claims a ban on pirates docking there, you and your rival are forced to join forces.
Characters: Kim Hongjoong + Gender Ambiguous Reader; ft. ATEEZ members
Genre: Fantasy Short Series (part 1) with a bit of Angst (and possible fluff in later parts)
Tropes: pirate!AU, enemies to friends (to lovers in a later part), working together against a mutual enemy
Word Count: 2.9K
Contains: pirate-related violence (explosions, knives, injury, blood, etc), betrayal, cursing, mention of death and loss of limbs, homoromantic undertones for certain characters (nothing explicit or confirmed), use of 'sir' as honorific without gendered undertones
A/N: support banner by @cafekitsune ; pirate divider by @firefly-graphics 🤍
You aren't new to discrimination, not by any means. However, that didn't stop you from getting blindsided as you tied your ship to its usual post at the port.
"This ship and its crew are unwelcome in this port." A stern, deep voice booms from behind you, loud enough to gather the attention of everyone nearby - all but yours, at least.
As you finish tying the knot and stand up, you feel the figure looming directly behind you. You hadn't the slightest thought that they were speaking of your wondrous Moon Raider, not after the past three years of ensuring that your crew respected the port and its customs.
Turning, you ask the man, "What ship is unwelcome, exactly?"
Although you wanted to hide your irritation, your crew noticed. The man also must've noticed since he clears his throat harshly before responding with a tone rivaling that of an automated robot.
"Any and all pirate ships have been banned from docking on our port. Leave immediately or face the consequences."
Your irritation morphs into booming laughter, "We always pay any fines you assign us. What's with the extra formality this time around?"
As you mimic his stature, you notice another officer walking past your boat's position. You watch him announce the same rehearsed statement to the captain there as he hops out to anchor his ship to its post. However, rather than offering him a chance to leave, he grabs his arm, locking him into constraints instantly. At this point, you realize the gravity of the situation, but it's all too late. As you're focused on the Sun Howler, the officer in front of you approaches and places restraints on you. You call out to your crew, reminding them to stay calm and follow all the rules.
Dragging your rival, the other officer follows behind as you walk with your officer silently. Trying to remain calm, you attempt to calculate why this may happen. Although you may not follow all the rules perfectly, everything worked out up until now. And, although you may not enjoy competing with him, you know Captain Hongjoong plays fair just like you. For the harbor police to arrest you both, there's really only one option: new port ownership. Although this was your first time back to the dock in months, you hadn't expected such a drastic change.
Reaching the prison, the officers shove you both into a cell together. Through the bars, they remove your cuffs.
"You sure we won't kill each other in here?" You joke, screaming at their backs as they leave, entirely unfazed by your comment.
"I think they'd prefer it," Hongjoong scoffs as he taps on the sheath on his hip, "Otherwise, they'd at least remove our obvious weapons."
Cursing, you sit down with your back against the cold brick wall. Fidgeting with the frayed fabric on the thigh of your pants, you wonder if the situation could get any worse.
"What'd you do, Raider?" He prompts, using your boat as your name, somewhat of a custom between you.
"Nothing here. Not in a long time. We've been gone for three months time. What of you, Howler?"
You look up to see him leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed and one foot laid over the other. He shakes his head, and - although his hat covers his face - you can imagine how hard the cogs turn in his head to analyze the situation.
"It wasn't like this when I left either. We've only been gone about seven weeks. How'd something happen so quickly?"
After a long period of silence, you hear footsteps approaching. Even simply seeing their shoes, everything clicks for you. You can tell Hongjoong understands as well, as you can sense him tense up.
"Hongjoong.Y/N. What an amazing situation for us to reunite."
The callous tone pricks at your skin, leaving goosebumps in its stead, but you refuse to give them the satisfaction of a reaction. Your cellmate, however, is far too quick to anger to stop himself. He leans against the bars as he curses at the person who once sailed the seas opposite you both.
"The fuck is going on, Wooyoung?! Why in hell's name are you standing there high and mighty while we're stuck in a damned cage in this cellar?!"
Hands up by his head, Wooyoung stifles a laugh, "Quite aggressive now, aren't we? I know we were rivals on the sea years ago, but it looks like I won out."
"Sell out. Traitor. Fucking turncoat."
This time, he allows his laugh to echo through the prison. Cockily, he steps closer to Hongjoong, leaning in just barely out of reach.
"Does it matter what I did if I won? You look pathetic, Captain."
With this comment, you interject, "This is why you never had a loyal crew, you know. Your ego got in the way and Topaz Shields lost out because of it. Such a gorgeous ship, too. So sad. How's the leg?"
Knowing he wanted to hit below the belt, you remind him of his greatest tragedy by asking about his leg. Due to his ego, he drove his ship directly into the sirens' call and barely escaped with his life. He lost his loyal-to-a-fault first mate that day two years ago, all because he couldn't stand the thought of the other two crews finding a sacred treasure before him.
"Don't you dare mention Shields, Raider. The leg was the least of my troubles, and you know that much."
"Right, right. Pardon my impertinence. How could I forget that you lost your boyfriend as well?"
Trying to hold his composure, he reminds you that San was only ever his first mate, nothing more. Despite what everyone knows to be true thanks to their actions and Wooyoung's immediate reaction to the man's untimely death, he has denied his feelings since the incident - something to hide behind to lessen his feelings of guilt for causing his death.
"Well, whatever the case, I've come here to alert you that we'll be charging you for crimes against the city through your illegal market dealings and disregard for the laws of the area."
Hearing a former pirate captain charge someone for essentially being a pirate feels laughable, but you simply ask for the price point of said charges.
"Oh, no price for this one, Y/N. You both have been sentenced to time in jail equal to that of your career length. For you, that's three years; Hongjoong, you have 4."
Quick to react once again, Hongjoong unsheaths his dagger and swings it through the bars. It cuts Wooyoung on the lower part of his cheek, but the sound is far more intimidating than the actual damage.
Bringing his hand up to his face, Wooyoung smirks as he sees his red-stained fingertips. You keep a hand on your weapon, worried he might lash out against you both, but he simply turns to walk out.
"Enjoy your years. Once you return, there will be no Sun Howler. No Moon Raider. No pirates." He doubles down with his irritating remarks by waving his hand nonchalantly as he turns the corner.
As soon as the click of his footsteps fades to silence, Hongjoong drops into a squat. He curses Wooyoung and grumbles about the ridiculous sentencing. Seeing him freak out like this makes you giggle. He's usually light and free, the shining sun amongst a hoard of disheveled and mangled captains. You share that commonality with him - you've never quite been one for abandoning health and presentation, even if that's what many people picture when imagining pirates. The crews from this port rarely saw those kinds of pirates, not when the three captains who called this place home were you, Hongjoong, and Wooyoung. So, seeing one of these captains falling apart on the floor while cursing and swinging at someone makes you wonder how quickly you could also fall apart.
Shaking your head to rid yourself of those thoughts, you break the silence, "What's the plan, Howler?"
He looks at you dumbfounded, "Plan?"
"The escape plan? Ain't no way I'm letting that one-legged chicken act all high and mighty like that. We aren't gonna sit here and accept years of punishment for things he once did with us."
Suddenly recognizing escape as an option, Hongjoong stands up straight. You see a fire burning in his eyes and tricks within his crooked smile. He twirls the dagger around carelessly as he paces in the small box of a cell. With his newfound joy, he examines the bars, the lock, and every crevice that might be used to thwart Wooyoung's scheme and escape from the prison.
"I think this calls for a good old-fashioned bust out. Unless you think you can pick the lock from in here."
You approach the bars, trying to find the perfect angle to see what you need on the lock. However, you can't find the necessary parts to allow you to pick it from awkward angles. Turning to your cellmate, you shake your head.
"Bust out it is. Not as quiet, but it gets the job done all the same." He reaches into the inner pocket of his coat and pulls out a small trinket about the size and shape of a pocketwatch, which confuses you. He must be able to read the confusion on your face, because he explains, "My first mate loves to tinker, and he's made some marvelous contraptions. Stand back at the bars and watch."
Listening to his advice, you stand flush against the metal bars, the cold bleeding through your clothing to leave your skin feeling fresh. He stands next to you, flips the gadget open and closed quickly, and tosses it to the opposite side of the cell. When it connects with the wall, you hear a clicking noise and instinctively close your eyes. In that short moment, you feel Hongjoong move from beside you to in front of you. With the cold on your back and the warmth from his body closely in front of you, you barely process the explosion. When you open your eyes, you see the captain boxing himself around you, framed by the outside light streaming in. You assume it's around midday from how strongly it enters the room, and you try to look anywhere that isn't directly at Hongjoong's face.
He clears his throat as he steps back, "Sorry. I didn't want debris flying into your chest or anything."
Noticing him fiddling with his shoulder, you quickly thank him before asking if he's injured. Although he blows it off, he refuses to turn around, so you know debris likely lodged itself into his upper back. You decide not to fight it until you reach the docks, so you simply make your way over the rubble and out into the sunlight, letting him follow behind to hide his injuries.
Despite the explosion, nobody seems interested when you walk past. The only looks passed your way feel like those typical for known pirates walking around. As you reach the docks again, your crew quickly catches sight of you and rushes off the ship. You're glad that they make it to you long before his crew can see you.
"Mingi, can you tend to him? We blew our way out of jail, and he got hit with debris. He's acting like he's fine, but drag him aboard anyway."
Hongjoong tries to argue, but Mingi ends up behind him and sees the injury. With your first mate yelling at him for hiding it, he can't help but walk onto the Moon Raider for medical help. As he passes you, you sneak a glance at his back and see the top left corner of his otherwise tan shirt torn and stained dark red already. Trying to figure out the trajectory of the rubble, you place your hand on your right shoulder and vow to find Hongjoong a new shirt as thanks for blocking it from hitting you.
After reassuring your crew that everything will be okay and joking that you may be fined for the massive hole in the prison wall, you make your way past your prized ship. Approaching Sun Howler, you receive a much colder reception. Bowing before the ship, you address the first mate.
"Quartermaster of Sun Howler, I wish to inform you that your captain is currently aboard the Moon Raider receiving medical care from my crew. He protected me during an explosion of his creation, so I took it as my role to aid him with our supplies. He will be fine, and we will send him to you once his wound is properly dressed."
As you raise your head, you notice an exceptionally pretty man standing about ten feet in front of you. He nods as you acknowledge him before thanking you for taking care of his captain. You weren't expecting someone who could shine in his own respect to be Hongjoong's right hand, but hearing him speak makes you understand exactly why he would be in such a position. A voice that rivals one of a siren, the grace in his speech patterns, and his subtly decorated uniform all suggest a royal background. You begin to wonder whether he was a runaway or kidnapped and assimilated.
"Stop gawking at Seonghwa, Raider. Don't go stealing someone else's first mate." Hongjoong struts up to you, shirtless other than the bandages circling his chest, back, and shoulder blade.
Although Seonghwa laughs at the comment and explains the situation, Hongjoong doesn't back down in his jests, pointing out Seonghwa's obvious beauty.
"Sometimes, even I swear you're a siren. Even royals don't typically look and sound as good as you. You sparkle, Hwa." He reaches the boy as he talks, placing a hand on his shoulder to emphasize his final sentence.
"Captain, stop with the flattery. A first mate is never as wonderful as the captain, and yet you forbid us from saying those types of comments towards you."
Feeling out of place in the interaction, you quietly excuse yourself and begin walking back to your ship, but Hongjoong calls after you, "Y/N, let's find a new port together."
You try not to react, but the comment makes you trip over the air by your feet. You hope that they don't notice while you continue walking, making your way to your ship to break the news to your crew that you need to find a new home base and likely won't be able to return. Some crew members are quick to show their anger towards Wooyoung, but you reassure everyone with one simple claim.
"If we've done everything we can and they still don't want us here, we shouldn't want to stay either."
You explain how there likely isn't any time for goodbyes since the police likely won't waste time chasing you down again, so you work towards setting sail immediately. Luckily, your crew instinctively filled up on supplies while you were stuck in the cell, so there isn't much left to do.
"Cap'n, there's someone requesting to talk to you. Should we allow him aboard?" A member screams across the ship.
"Who is it?"
"Captain Hongjoong of Sun Howler, sir."
"Let him board."
As your new companion faces you, you address him properly and lead him into your chambers. Motioning to the nearest chair at your desk, you drop the formalities in the privacy of the room. Dragging out another chair to sit in front of him, you ask about the plan. As he recounts the pirates and their known home ports, you deduce that the safest plan would be to sail north, up the coast to the city rivaling this one.
"Won't they shun us away?"
"Didn't you and I once shun each other away and brace this port together regardless? Or what of Wooyoung taking over this city to shun us away from here?"
Nodding in acknowledgment, Hongjoong confirms, "So, we head north? Stop at each port we come across?"
"We might end up too close if we do that. Does your crew have the supplies to sail safely for a week before finding a port? I don't want to taunt Shields too soon; I want to be ready to fight back."
Uncertain of Wooyoung's response to your escape, the captain agrees to meet again in a week's time. After the seventh sunrise, they will look for the closest port. In case of landing at different ports, you agree on a plan to find one another via smoke signals and a trail of coded notes. To stay one step ahead of potential enemies, you assign each other new aliases to use in the notes, basing the initials on the boats' names and their respective quartermasters: Sea Heist Sails and Mightly Reel Mast.
After agreeing on the specifics, you shake Hongjoong's hand and wish him luck on his journey. Leaving you with a quick show of comradery in smiling and claiming that he'll see you in a week, he heads back to the Sun Howler to untie her and set sail. Following his lead, you untie Moon Raider and instruct Mingi to head north, staying near the coastline if possible.
As you drift out of the port, you hear a commotion behind you. Eyes drawn towards the ruckus, you see Wooyoung red-faced and angrily yelling at his guards. As he flails his arms in the direction of your ship, he makes direct eye contact with you. With a smug smile on your face, you remove your hat in a mocking salute, signaling to the man that you've won this round without breaking a sweat.
Tags: @yourfatherlucifer @pyeonghongrie
#cultofdionysusnet#wonderlandnet#kpop scenarios#kpop imagines#kpop fanfiction#kpop fic#ateez#ateez imagines#ateez scenarios#ateez fanfiction#ateez fic#ateez hongjoong#pirate ateez#ateez pirate au#kim hongjoong#hongjoong scenarios#hongjoong imagines#hongjoong fic#hongjoong fanfic
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The Buccaneer Queen pt. 16
Pirate! ATEEZ x pirate!fem Reader
Genre: fantasy pirate AU, future romance
Warnings: angst, language, violence, death, gore, mentions of guns and cannons. The characters in this story are purely fictitious and do not portray actual people.
AN: italics are thoughts
Word count: ~3.8k
Summary: Women are considered bad luck upon the vessels that sail the Seven Seas. Before you became the captain of The Astraea, a witch of sorts cursed you and the crew leaving a physical mark upon your chest just above where your heart would lie. Anyone that sees the Black Standard flying on the black and gold ship knows that they have stumbled upon the Armada of the Damned which is piloted by the Buccaneer Queen.
Masterlist
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»»————- ➴ ————-««
Previously on The Buccaneer Queen:
Opening the drawer on the table, he begins to look for thread and a needle but stops. Turning to look at you, he watches the way your skin begins to sew itself back together.
"Neat trick," Seonghwa murmurs, opting for a rag and clean water. At least he can clean the healed wound at your shoulder.
Arms dangling off his knees, he lets his head hang, just sitting on a barrel beside the table you lay on, lost in thought.
It's when he feels a hand brush his hair back from his forehead that he sits up in shock.
You wear a tired smile, but it's genuine. A raspy 'thank you' leaves your lips. A small smile settles on his face as he grabs a hold of your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
Yunho has already gone back up to the main deck with Jamie, who looked especially relieved to see you resting, to help with the remaining tasks as they begin the long trip out into open water while Seonghwa remains with you in the sick bay.
It's been a few hours since you've been brought aboard and have since been covered with a blanket. It felt wrong to force you to put a shirt on after the whole ordeal you had gone through. It also just felt wrong to not cover you at all, for Goddess' sake, even if he was a pirate he was still a gentleman.
Figuring you were going to be out for a while, Seonghwa stood from the stool he had been perched on and stretched, groaning when he felt the satisfying crack in his back. Casting you a quick glance he strode out of the sick bay in search of food from the galley.
His weary eyes took note of his crew members milling about the galley of The Treasure. Even with his short time on the Astera he had gotten used to his new ship, but now it was a little jarring being back on the ship that he called home.
"Hwa!" Wooyoung called from one of the bench tables, beckoning him to join the rest of them as they ate a small dinner.
Dragging his feet he made his way over, and Hongjoong slid a plate over to his first mate.
"You should eat something," was all his captain said, before picking up his own food again.
Seonghwa gave a nod as he observed the dried meats and bread on his plate. A thought had crossed his mind then, that the bread must be stale at this point considering how long they've been away. They'd need to stop at a port for new rations.
"How is our lady captain?" Mingi asked, mouth full of bread.
Swallowing the lump of food, Seonghwa answered tiredly, "She's doing fine. Resting in one of the sick beds."
"Why the sudden change of heart? Didn't you hate her or something?" Wooyoung asked, only to receive a swift elbow in his ribs by Yeosang.
Seonghwa just shrugged. Truly, he didn't quite know where he stood with you or what he thought of you. You did save his captain and all and forced them into the dinghies while you stayed and went down with the Astraea.
The rest of the meal was brief, not much talking after the events that transpired, just hushed whispers here and there. Seonghwa was honestly tired of the murmurs of both crews and decided to refill his plate once more before excusing himself from the table.
It's not much but he had a plate of stale bread, dried meat, and a glass of water for you. It was better than nothing.
Pushing the door open with his hip he was greeted with an empty infirmary. Just his luck, his own patient was now missing. Letting his head fall back he lets out a deep sigh, there hasn't been much time for rest as he's been dealing with a swirling guilt in his stomach, but he also realizes that this isn't the time for self pity. Straightening his shoulders, he turns around with hopes of finding you quickly. How hard can that be, it's not like there's many places for you to go on a ship.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
Climbing the last few steps to the top deck he finds you where he thought he would. Coincidentally, it happens to be where they found you on their first night on the Astraea, standing on the bow of the ship's railing.
"Thought I'd find you out here," Seonghwa says, as he comes to a stop just off to your left.
Your eyes don't break away from the dark, swirling water in front of you, but you do give the dark haired pirate a small nod.
It's silent for a moment before he speaks again, "I went to look for you in the sick bay, but you were gone."
"I just needed some fresh air," you answer, your toes curl against the railing as if to ground yourself. "How long was I asleep?"
You can hear Seonghwa hum behind you, "After we last spoke? Probably half a day's worth has gone by."
You grimace as you realize how inconvenient that probably was for people to deal with.
When you don't answer, Seonghwa speaks again. "I came to bring you some food. It's not much, but it's all we have until we reach another port."
Hearing that you glance over your shoulder at him. It’s slow going, but your foot pivots and then you’re landing softly on the deck of the ship. You glance up at the man next to you, but his gaze remains fixed to the dark horizon, much like what you were doing moments prior to him joining you. The only indication that he’s paying any sort of attention is the plate being slid on the railing to you. Murmuring a quick ‘thanks', you pick up the bread, the crust is tough so you dip it in the glass that Seonghwa offers you. The water helps soften the crust, but you can feel the dryness coat your tongue as you munch on the bread. Setting down the small roll you opt to nibble on the salted meat instead.
The silence stretches between you two as you finish your meal, only after is the silence broken by Seonghwa.
“Yeosang found a merchant island not too far from where we are, called the Port Ame,” he still doesn’t look at you. You take note of the distant look in his eyes and wonder where his thoughts are at, but you know better than to pry.
Truthfully, you don’t know where your relationship with the helmsman stands. There isn’t a lot of trust between the two of you, but something changed within the last day. Humming to yourself, you decide that you won’t press the issue, at least not yet.
“You should get some rest Seonghwa, you’ve done a lot since being back on your ship,” your voice is gentle, quiet. You can see the weariness that rolls off him, the way his shoulders are slumped and the bags that are under his eyes.
There’s not much spoken, but you hear a noncommittal hum from him. It just encourages you to give him a small push back towards the entrance of the lower deck. He continues a few steps before stopping and turning around, surprised to see you already watching him.
“Where will you go?” he asks.
“I’ll go back to the med bay when I’m ready. It won’t be much longer,” you tell him, hands clasping together in front of you.
He nods once more, a quiet ‘goodnight’ following him, one that you return.
Your gaze returns to the horizon again as you think about what Seonghwa had told you. You’d soon find yourself at the island that always rains.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
You awake to a knock on the door of the med bay, and a head of lavender hair.
“Good morning, Wooyoung,” you greet him, as you finish tying off your hair into a loose braid.
“Morning to you Captain,” Wooyoung smiles.
“Just YN, I’m not a captain anymore,” you tell him, with a smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes. You can see his smile falter a little before he sets it again.
“Ah, okay,” He fully opens the door for you, “Hongjoong would like a word with you.”
Dusting the imaginary dirt off the borrowed breeches you make your way to Wooyoung, “Then let’s not keep the Captain waiting. Lead the way.”
There’s a strange atmosphere as you are led through the Treasure, everyone being happier than normal to see you. The interactions cause a small crease to form in your brow.
Reaching the door to Hongjoong’s quarters, Wooyoung turns to look at you and notices the confusion settling between your eyes.
Rubbing a thumb over the spot he murmurs, “Everyone is just relieved to see that you’re doing well. Most haven’t seen you up since bringing you on board the ship.”
Your mouth forms a silent ‘o’ at this, and you can’t help wondering how much distress you caused your crew and Hongjoong’s.
Before you get the chance to ask, Wooyoung is knocking on the door and striding away to head to his post.
You hear a “come in” before you push the door open. Yeosang is leaning over Hongjoong’s shoulder pointing out something on a map before they both look up to greet you.
“Thank you Yeo, we can discuss this some more later,” Hongjoong tells him.
“Of course, Joong,” he’s gathering up the parchment on the table and putting them under his arms. As he passes you, he gives your hand a small squeeze before excusing himself from the quarters.
Hongjoong moves from his seat to stand in front of you, you who had only taken a few steps into the cabin.
“How are you feeling?” Hongjoong asks, gently picking up your hand.
Oddly intimate, you think, as you look at how he holds your hand so delicately, carefully tracing his thumb over the back of your hand.
“I’m as well as I can be,” you answer truthfully. You’re clearly alive at the cost of your ship, thankfully no one was lost to sea while it sank.
He’s silent for a moment before phrasing it again. “How is your condition?” It comes out almost like a whisper.
“No different than before,” you tell him. The weight of the souls that you carry has stayed the same.
“Good,” he nods, and pulls you with him towards the chairs near the desk.
He pulls out the chair in front of his desk for you, and you take a seat. Watching as he moves around the desk to his own chair.
“Wooyoung said you wanted to speak with me?” you ask, trying to get rid of the intimate atmosphere he created, even though you enjoyed the care he held your hand with.
“Right to business I see,” Hongjoong says, straightening himself out. “I wanted to thank you for taking a bullet for me.”
“It was nothing really,” you murmur, picking up a compass and spinning it against the wood of the desk.
Hongjoong watches you closely before continuing, “Why didn’t you try to come with us? We could’ve all fit on the lifeboat.”
Stopping your ministrations, you look up at him, “To ensure the safety of my fa- crew.”
You can see the way his features pull down in a frown, as if he doesn’t believe you.
“To ensure our safety you say,” Hongjoong spits your words back at you, “I watched you fall overboard. Do you know how helpless I felt not being able to grab you? To save you?”
Mouth agape you stare at him. You honestly had no idea you made the ruthless Pirate King feel helpless in that moment.
“Of course you wouldn’t know,” Hongjoong said, covering his face with his hand as he slumped back into his chair.
The silence between you stretches that all you can hear are the waves slapping the sides of the ship and the thundering of your heartbeat beating in your ears. Normally, you'd feel calm and composed in most situations, but whatever has transpired since your ship sank and seeing Seungcheol on The Diamond has rattled you to your core.
"Tell me something," Hongjoong asks, leaning forward and propping his elbows on the desk hands clasped together concealing the bottom half of his face.
Your gaze drifts to him as you wait for him to continue.
"What does the captain of The Diamond mean to you?"
"Do you mean besides what he owes me?" You ask, feigning nonchalance by leaning back in the cushioned chair you're sitting on.
"What else would cause you to be so angry over a man?" Eyes boring into yours, he presses on, "Something happened that's much deeper than you're letting on."
You chew the inside of your lip as you finally manage to break your gaze with him. Why, why does he have to be so observant?
"What are you trying to find Hongjoong? What possible good comes from knowing about past relations?" You counter.
Hongjoong's stare is hard as he gazes at you. Trying to find out why you're deflecting the topic so much. Why does it bother you so much?
"The safety of everyone on board relies on knowing. Knowing what kind of madness we are all getting into," he tells you, finally dropping his hands to the table.
Your eyes follow the movements of his hands, and you don't lift your gaze from them. You watch the tick in the top of his hand as he presses them together, maybe to contain his frustration with you. The lack of information he needs because you won't give a straight answer.
Releasing a sigh, you let your shoulder slump. Maybe it'll be better to share the burden, you think.
"We were together romantically. He was someone I thought would keep me safe. Treasure the bond we shared, but he was a coward," your voice comes out quiet, but in the quiet quarters of Hongjoong’s room it seems so loud.
"He was the one that outed me to the witch all those years ago," your voice begins to raise as you remember that night.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
Your captain's ship was caught in the middle of a nasty storm as your ship was transporting an elderly woman to a new port. You remember taking an inventory of the various herbs, wraps, and other various medicinal supplies in the medicine drawers within the small cabin. One hand gingerly fingered through the supplies while the other laid comfortably over your midsection. The rattling of metal equipment in glass jars locked away on a cupboard kept you company as you logged what you'd need to pick up from Ame.
The sound of the wooden door to the sick bay cracked against a barrel as it was flung open, a screech following soon after startling you from your counting.
Whirling around on the crate you were sitting on, you were met with a wrinkled and crooked finger jabbing into your chest.
"I knew it! I knew the storm was a bad omen!" She hissed, spittle hitting you in the face.
You couldn't help but gawk at how red in the face this woman had become, and even more so, you haven't even done anything.
"What do you mean by bad omen?" You narrow your eyes at the woman.
"You are a woman sailing on this ship! Women bring bad luck on the seas!" She screeched.
"Are you not one as well?" You question, brow raising at the absurdity. It's then that you notice Seungcheol inside the door frame.
"Seungcheol?" You ask, hoping that his eyes will meet yours, but they don't. They remain fixed to the floor.
"Bring her to the top deck," the woman commands, whirling on her heel and leaving the room.
You can see the way his jaw ticks in frustration as he comes further into the room.
"Cheol, talk to me, please. What's happening?" You ask as he grabs one of your arms. He doesn't hold you in a familiar way at all, his grip too firm on your arm.
You push again, "Seungcheol?"
You're met with a brooding silence as you're pushed rather harshly out of the cabin.
Rain and wind whip against your face, and it's only a matter of moments before your clothes are soaked through, sending a chill deep into your bones.
Somehow, you manage to hear the woman's shrill cries over the howling winds.
"How dare you escort me with a woman on your crew! You have damned every person on this ship by allowing her to sail onto open water!"
The moment would be rather funny watching the little lady yell at your giant of a captain if the circumstances weren't what they currently were. You have no idea what you've done wrong, and to be in the middle of this situation, it just didn't make any sense.
"You paid us for refuge and an escort to a new island. You have no right now to be upset about who I have on my crew," your captain seethes, leaning his face down at the wretched woman.
You're not entirely sure what transpired, but your captain has his arm twisted to the side in a hold that no elderly woman should possess the strength to have and a bone knife pressed to his neck.
"Wait! Stop! What are you doing?" You scream, struggling to get out of Seungcheol's grip.
Whirling on him, you scream, "Let go of me! Why aren't you helping our captain? Let me go!"
"Quiet!" He twists your arm as far as it'll go without snapping before he's pushing you in the there direction.
Your eyes scan wildly at your other crew mates, but there seems to be a haze over them. It must be rainwater in your eyes, but they almost seem to be moving slower.
You're jostled from your thoughts as you're shoved to the deck, Seungcheol holding one arm behind your back and the other at the back of your neck.
You try to turn your head to glare at the man who you thought you could trust.
"You're a part of this?" You hiss, fingers digging into the damp wood of the deck.
"I was promised a way out," Seungcheol answers, not even bothering to look at you.
"What do you mean a way out?" You try to get him to look at you, "Seungcheol, what do you mean?"
You can see the way his brow creases and the frown that sets on his face.
"Answer me!" You scream at him.
"Your crew will die because of you, but you will have the fortune of being the first to go," she continues, waving the bone knife around in the air.
You curse under your breath as you realize how truly helpless you are in this situation. If you try to struggle any further, you know you'll dislocate your shoulder. You turn your eyes away from the scene in front of you, forehead resting against the deck as tears prick your eyes.
You hear it over the thunder and crashing waves, the choked gurgling followed by a heavy thud.
Lifting your head and trying to clear bleary eyes, you can make out the slumped form of your captain lying on the deck. A red pool forms beneath him rapidly. You think you hear a scream. Your second thought is that maybe it's your scream, but you're not too sure.
A gnarled hand tangles in your hair before giving it a harsh yank. You glare at the hag before you, and you meet her malice filled gaze with one of your own, but she has a nasty smirk adorned on her face as she leans in to whisper in your ear.
"I know your secret you whore," she whispers, as pain erupts in your abdomen as she twists the knife deeper into your gut.
Coughing, you can feel the thick, warmth of blood fill your mouth and run down your chin.
Seungcheol finally drops your arm and takes a hasty step back away from you. Guilt is taking over his face, but he's quick to turn away from you.
Pressing a hand to your stomach, you cry out. It's an agonizing cry, one that carries across the water. A ragged scream of a lost love and betrayal. For a love that never got to blossom, you cry. And soon, your vision darkens, and you're left alone on the deck of your old ship.
The storm has passed, and the sun beats down on a ship and the person who lies on the deck.
A dry cough escapes your lips, and you try to wet your lips with your rough tongue. Your head feels like lead as you try to sit up, and there's an excruciating pain in your abdomen, which brings back all the memories rushing to the front of your mind.
Gingerly, you lift the bottom of your torn shirt only to be met with nothing. It's just a scar.
Scrambling to your feet, you rush to your captain's quarters, looking for something sharp. After turning over the desk drawers, your eye catches sight of a silver letter opener. There isn't much thought as you bring the blade across your palm. It stings, and you bite your lip to suppress a shout. To your horror, though, you watch as the edges of the wound begin to create thread like fibers and stitch the wound close once more.
"No, no, no, no," you whisper, bringing your hands to your head and gripping your hair tightly. Your knees buckle, and you find yourself in a fetal position on the floor.
"This can't be happening," you whisper, and somehow you manage to shed a few tears that you thought had all dried up.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
"What did he take from you?" Hongjoong asks, his eyes not giving away how he's feeling.
"He took my mortality," you fix him with a glare, even though the anger isn't directed at him.
"He took away my son," you add, jaw feathering in anger as you reopen old wounds.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
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#harmonie-writes#the buccaneer queen series#the buccaneer queen#ateez x reader#atz x reader#ateez x fem reader#atz x fem reader#seonghwa x reader#hongjoong x reader#yeosang x reader#wooyoung x reader#san x reader#yunho x reader#mingi x reader#jongho x reader#pirate ateez#pirate atz#pirate au
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Ateez Pirates Au: A journey of a lifetime
Chapter 5: A Turning Event
-------------------------------------------
October 30
Wooyoung POV:
It's been five days since Mingi and Y/n incident with Royal Navy. Y/n was doing a bit better then the last few day after getting attacked. HongJoong told Y/n to take it easy cause Jongho had to redo their bandage twice cause of trying to help out. I offered Y/n to join me in the kitchen since everything here were safer.
"You sure about wanting me to be here?" Y/n ask while he was seating on a stool. "I'm sure, besides I could use the extra hands to help me with lunch today" I said giving Y/n my casual smile as I get when I was planning and making for lunch. I place a cutting board in front of Y/n and a knife with some vegetables for him to cut up.
"Here cut these up for me while I get the meat prepared for the stew we're gonna have" I told him before I went to get the meat. Just as I got back for not even a minute. I saw that Y/n was already finish cutting up the vegetables. "Holy shit man, that was fast!" I was amazed by how quick Y/n manage that as I started to work on the raw meat I got. "I use to do make food for my family majority of the time" Y/n said as he place the knife down on the counter while placing the cutting board with the chop up vegetables next to me.
Y/n POV:
When I placed the chop up vegetables next to Wooyoung. When I was about to head back to my seat. The ship rocked a bit that caused me to loss my balance. "Shit!" Before I was about to hit to the floor. I was soon caught by someone arms as I look to se who it was. It was Wooyoung who manage to caught me on time as he let out a sigh of relief:
"Are you alright Y/n?" I nodded my head as Wooyoung helped me steady to my feet. "Does the ship normally rock that hard?" Wooyoung shook his head before he let go of me but kept near incase it happens again. "The only times it happens is either when another ship is next to us, a bad storm happen or we arrived to the next land" Wooyoung spoke and right when I was about to say something.
Both of us froze in place when we heard a gunshot. We both quickly left the kitchen and onto the deck to see what was going on. "Alright you filthy pirates, where is Y/n L/n and you better have not harmed them" I heard as I was behind Yunho and San as both looked behind to see me. "What's going on" I whisper to them as San was the one who spoke in a harsh whisper. "Royal Navy soldiers" Shit why them of all people.
"N/n!!" I froze in shock when I heard that nickname of mine. It was my younger siblings B/n and S/n. Why the fuck are they here, if they are here then that means..."Give me back my child you filths!" Damn it I fucking knew it. Father is here which means he brought my sibling with him to bait me out.
"I suggest you get off my ship before I put a bullet in that skull of yours" Hongjoong said angrily as I can tell he was not happy about the royal navy being here. "Go hide, Their here for you and it's obvious that they aren't gonna leave til..." Yunho was cut of when we heard a cry as I looked over Yunho shoulder to see my father holding S/n over the railing. I was shock that he was putting his daughter in such a scary situation. B/n was begging father to stop but he wasn't listening to a word. "Y/n if your here then you better show your face before I drop your sister and let her drown" I was super piss about this, how dare he do this to his child.
HongJoong and the others didn't know what to do in this predicament. I decided to push through and set in front as Yunho and San calling out my name out. "Your one sick fuck" I said angrily as my father smirk and shoved S/n back as B/n caught her. "There you are, now get over here so we can go home!" Father said in a demanding voice but I didn't move an inch closer.
"Sir there's got to be a better approach, you can't involve little kids like this" One of the soldier spoke be my father told him to be silence as the commander looked towards my direction. "We're not gonna ask again, come on the ship so we can take you home before your consider a pirate and a criminal" I could help but laugh as the commander and my father looked at me as if I was a mad man. "Guess your gonna have to try and take me by force" I said before the commander order his man to try and get me.
"I don't think so" HongJoong said as he and the others blocked the royal navy from getting to me. Soon a fight happen and even one manage to drive the royal navy back in retreat. "This isn't over yet!" The Royal navy commander said as he command his men and moved their ship away from ours as I watch my father glaring at us with dagger eyes. "That won't be the last time we'll see them" HongJoong said before he turn to look at me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You alright Y/n?" I nodded my head while I let out a sigh since this was getting ridiculous.
"You look worn out" I heard as I looked to see seonghwa next to me as he place a hand on my other shoulder:
"I am a little bit, I'm just worried" I said honestly cause I didn't know what my father was gonna do next if he was getting my younger siblings involved. They don't deserved being in this kind of fight since their only 8 and 9 years old. "What your father did was sick and wrong, if you want then we'll go after them to get your sibling" HongJoong spoke and I want to agree but then they'll still be in danger cause of other pirates and such.
"This is one hell of a turning event"
#ateez#seonghwa#ateez scenarios#hongjoong#jongho#mingi#san#sub!ateez#yunho#yeosang#wooyoung#ateez imagines#ateez x reader#pirate au#pirate ateez
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Walk The Plank (K.HJ x fem reader)
Chapter 4: Seonghwa’s Memory
You had grown up hearing tales about the infamous pirate crew ATEEZ—the fearless, power-hungry men that roamed the seas in search of the most valuable treasure they could lay their hands on. You almost didn’t believe the stories your mother had told you as a child...not until you wound up on their ship
Warnings for this chapter: mentions of weapons, slightest bit suggestive
A/N: There is a scene where the reader is mentioned to have longer hair. I typically try to keep reader details very unspecific but...if you do not have long hair just pretend HJ is tying your dress <3 :)
Previous: Chapter 3, Masterlist
Chapter 4: Seonghwa’s Memory
When you wake up, you groggily rub your eyes and take in your surroundings. You're not in the sick beds in the crew cabin. Where are you? Last night—ah, that's right. You had been out on the main deck with Hongjoong and fell asleep as he was finishing his story. He must have moved you.
Sitting up from the hammock you sway in, you see the remnants of the colorful sunrise through the small interior windows. The captain's cabin is empty aside from you, and you can now hear the busy crew outside. You smooth down your clothes and straighten your posture, cautiously opening the door to the main deck.
You squint as your eyes adjust to the early morning sun, seeing Seonghwa standing to your right. He takes notice of your presence and seems to assess your situation.
"Good morning, Seonghwa," you greet him kindly, starting to head towards the crew's quarters. The crew had given you a chest of (likely stolen) clothing, as well as hung up a sheet of fabric in the corner for you to change behind.
"Good m-morning," he sputters, his cheeks flushed with red.
"Is everything alright?" you ask, worried. "You look as if you have fallen ill with a fever." You press the back of your hand to his cheek.
"Oh! I am well. No worries! I was just...running around a lot. It has been spoken that we will dock somewhere to gather supplies," he tells you, gently brushing away from your concerned touch.
"Stopping? Where?" you ask excitedly.
"Along the south side of Sector One. We will dock soon, so you might want to change into a dress and ask Hongjoong..." The color returns to his cheeks at the mention of the captain. "For further instructions."
"Aye, Seonghwa!" You bow, continuing your path down to the quarters to get dressed for the new occasion. Seonghwa said to wear a dress...so you assume you are disguising the fact that you are pirates. You? A pirate? Never thought you'd live to see the day you would consider yourself one. Not that anyone would suspect you of being a pirate...but your presence would definitely lessen suspicion for them.
You dig around in your chest of clothing before pulling out a large amount of blue fabric. You suppose it will suffice. After stepping behind the make-shift curtain and ridding yourself of your old clothing, you carefully slide into the smooth blue dress. It's a bit long, grazing the floor with each step, but nothing you cannot bear for the time being.
As you look into a small hand-held mirror that was in the chest, you can't help but to think that the dress is missing something. Another minute of digging through the chest and you discover a velvety, cream-colored ribbon. It will do nicely in your hair. You're about to tie it up when a knock sounds near the entrance to the stairs.
"You may come in." You watch as a pair of shiny boots adorned with buckles make their way down the steps. "Captain," you say in surprise, fiddling with the hem of your sleeves. His fur coat is now replaced with a black velvet coat embroidered with intricate designs.
Hongjoong's face comes into view and he stops at the bottom of the steps. His mullet seems lighter with the contrast of his dark coat. "You look lovely," he says.
"Thank you, Captain...you look dashing as well." You smile, walking closer. "Do you mind?" you ask, holding out your hair bow.
"No, allow me." Hongjoong takes the ribbon from you and you turn around, patiently waiting for him to tie your hair. He gently takes two strands from the sides of your head and ties the ribbon where they meet at the center. "There you are."
You take the hand mirror that you used before to examine his work. "I love it! It is just what this needed." The captain looks at you in awe.
"Shall we prepare to go ashore?" he asks, offering you a hand.
"Yes." You take it and he leads you up the steps to the deck above.
***
"Listen here! No one is splitting up as we arrive at Sector One. We will be gathering supplies in groups of three for safety and efficiency." Hongjoong commands everyone as they gather around and prepare for arrival. You tune him out, excited by the sight of the land ahead.
"Seonghwa, I request that you and Y/N keep watch of the crew. Make sure everyone stays safe and keeps out of trouble," Hongjoong orders, snapping you out of your thoughts.
"Aye, sir."
***
The men of the ship take down the ATEEZ flags, wanting to blend in for the small amount of time being.
Sector One is a large district that you've only seen maps of. The history of the island had never interested you much, as it started out as a battle ground. Well, like most territories had. You were also warned by Seonghwa that because of the large and growing population, it could be potentially dangerous—especially for a woman.
At first, you keep your chin high and your back straightened, walking right beside Seonghwa. However, as you enter the more crowded streets of the sector, you find yourself tucked slightly behind the tall man.
"You know, you can walk beside me," Seonghwa tells you, stopping so suddenly that you almost bump into the back of his shoulder.
"Ah, yes. I apologize...I am just a bit nervous." Not just because the streets are crowded, or because you are a woman...but also because you have started to overthink about the fact that you are associated with a group of menacing pirates.
"No need. I will be here. Also, San gave you a gift, correct?"
If he is referring to the knife you have tucked under your dress in a band of fabric around your lower leg, then yes. You nod. "Good. Now come along." You remain right beside him this time as he stops near a stand selling goods. Your eyes drag over the shiny array of beads and shells before looking up and landing on Wooyoung.
"Hey, doll," he says, winking at you.
"Hello, Wooyoung." He looks around as if to make sure no one is watching and then swiftly grabs a string of pearls from one of the tables. He ever-so-gracefully slips it around your neck. The pearls feel cold as they rest on your exposed collarbone, and you can only imagine how beautiful they look.
"Hey, did you pay for those?" A woman behind the table asks, pointing to your neck. Wooyoung steps in front of you with his charming eye smile on display.
"Why, of course, madam! My lovely sister and her husband bought this necklace from you not long ago. Do you not recall?"
"Oh, I see. My apologies." The woman smiles sheepishly.
"I'll take another one for meself though, eh?" In a flash, Wooyoung snatches yet another string of beads from the table and flees, running into the crowded street.
"Hey!" The woman behind the table shouts. You watch with wide eyes as she runs into the stone building behind her. You can only imagine what threat she would possibly come back with. A kitchen utensil to beat someone with...maybe a strong husband.
"Quick!" Seonghwa grabs your hand and leads you as you run down the street. You use your free hand to ball up the fabric of your dress skirt so that you don't trip, and only when you turn the corner onto another street do you let go. "Are you alright?" he asks, eyebrows creased with worry as he scans over you.
"I am alright," you reply breathlessly.
"He is always such trouble," Seonghwa mutters, shaking his head.
"Wooyoung, you mean?"
"Yes." The man in front of you brushes off his coat and straightens his posture. You find him very handsome. You think your father might have approved a marriage, had he not been a pirate. "Come along. We must watch out for the rest of the crew. Wooyoung may be trouble, but he can handle himself." You nod and stop fiddling with the pearls around your neck to take his extended hand.
Just like this morning, Seonghwa's cheeks take on a light pink. "My, are you sure you are feeling well, Hwa?" you ask, the shortened name slipping off your tongue as natural as ever.
"Y-yes, Miss. I am well. Just recovering from running again," he sputters. "Let us continue." He moves down the cobblestone street you have turned onto, and you match his pace.
"Seonghwa, how did you become a pirate?" you ask. His eyes flick over to you and then all around. He must be paranoid that your talk of pirates may fall upon someone's ears.
"Well, there is not much to it. Hongjoong and I had been friends growing up. I was always present when he would talk of his passions of exploring and finding treasure."
"He must be very fond of you," you reply, filled with admiration.
"One could say that. The day he was old enough to set sail on his own, he offered for me to be by his side. He was trouble, that Hongjoong...but I did not mind it. I enjoyed his youthful company, and I was more than happy to see the rest of the world."
"That is amazing! Tell me, how was it?"
"It was difficult at first, as most things are. But after a few days, it was as if we had been at sea our whole lives." Seonghwa's face livens as he recalls the times of his past with such fondness. It warms your heart to know that, well...pirates have hearts. Seonghwa looks to you for a response with a pleased smile.
"I find you very admirable, Hwa." He seems surprised by your words, as he had said the same of you not too long ago.
"Thank you, Y/N."
"You are most welcome."
"Ah, there! The captain." The man next to you pulls you in the direction of Hongjoong, whose high and proud stance you can both recognize from a distance.
>>chapter 5
#hongjoong x reader#ateez au#ateez pirate au#kim hongjoong#park seonghwa#jung yunho#jung wooyoung#choi san#song mingi#choi jongho#kang yeosang#pirate ateez#ateez x female reader#ateez reader insert#ateez#ateez fic#ateez fanfic
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ateez as pirates who fall for you (maknae line)
read hyung line here
genre: pirate!ateez x gn!reader (fem!reader for jongho), fluff, angst, continuation of the pirate trope brainrot (but i must say i went all out for the plots this time)
length: 14.4k
c/w: heavy and mature themes - mdni, explicit language (swearing), death, violence, blood & injuries, weapons, illegal acts (piracy, attempted murder), alcohol, near-drowning, angst bc i mean angst, specific c/w for mingi’s au: hurt/comfort, allusions to depression
a/n: i’m very sad i never got to use this joke somewhere so - why are pirates called pirates? because they just arrrr 🙈🙉🙊 also to those who like connecting dots and whatnot there are a few easter eggs related to hyung line 🥚 big thanks to yumi @sorryimananti-romantic for getting me through the last three months of trying to work and write bc it’s been a ship time ha ha 😬👍
taglist: at the end
san
pov: you run away with san and the cromer
through your waning breath, you reach a trembling hand up to cup san’s jaw
“s-san, don’t do it”
he lets out a racking sob as he shakes his head, expression marred with agony and torment that you can physically feel in his white-knuckled grasp that covers your own hand
the tears that drip off his jaw become lost to the ground, which is damp from moisture and your blood
you swallow the metallic taste in your mouth, “the cromer isn’t meant for changing fate.” it hurts to take a breath and you wince as you stutter. “it never goes th- the way you want it to…you know that by now”
san’s voice is broken and pained, “i don’t fucking care. it’s not going to stop me from trying”
he grips your hand even tighter when he starts to feel it fall away from his cheek
it’s becoming tiring to keep your eyes open
maybe you can rest…just for a little bit
san will forgive you, right?
you close your eyes
just for a little while
just until the pain stops
faintly, you think you can feel your body being jostled against something warm
but it’s far away
far away
far
san clutches your limp body as he lets out a primal wail of anguish
you cannot die
you will not die
he snatches the glowing hourglass and flips it with desperation screaming in every cell of his body
and then his world goes white.
you don’t notice when the footsteps behind you suddenly fall silent
you’re too busy reasoning with the captain, whose back you are facing as he walks ahead and leads your crew further into the dim tunnels of the cave
“it’s much safer if we go over the mountain. we’ll have the advantage of higher ground to ambush the horizon”
your captain, taesung, doesn’t look at you when he answers over his shoulder, “it’s much quicker through the tunnels. we don’t have the luxury of time if we want to attack their crew before they leave the island”
“and what if they attack - the horizon can easily ambush us as long as they’ve got the cave’s exit guarded”
you immediately turn around to look at san, knowing that he’ll support your argument
only to find that he’s not there
he’s several metres behind the back of the group and frozen to the spot
even in the shadowed darkness of the musty cave, you can clearly see the ashen and shaken features of his face
approaching him slowly, your fire torch held out in front of you, you gently call, “san?”
at the sound of your voice, his eyes lock onto yours
he looks terrified
san is lost in a distorted warp of visions
he can’t make sense of nor connect what he’s seeing
but there is blood
there’s so much blood
it’s everywhere
you’re there
it’s your blood
there’s someone screaming; raw with despair
he’s screaming
the ground digs into his knees and he feels wet and sticky from your blood but also his tears and there are so many tears and the walls are cold from moisture and it’s so dark and musty even with the smell of iron in the air and god you’re dying
you’re going to die
“san?” you repeat, now in front of him and tenderly cupping his jaw
and san has to stop you from dying
his pupils focus on you once again before he desperately tries to gain his bearings
he looks around with increasing franticness
he’s in a cave and the only light he can see comes from the torch you’re holding and the others shared amongst the crew
water drips from the ceiling and along the rugged walls towards the damp ground, filling the cave with a stale and mouldy smell
all his senses scream the same thing to him
it’s just like when you died
his own voice sounds foreign to him when he manages to choke out, “let’s listen to captain”
your eyebrows pinch together at san’s sudden compliance, especially more so when he lowers the volume of his next words so that you’re the only one who can hear his soft don’t argue with him
there’s something about the way he silently pleads with his eyes that makes you nod numbly
you slip the hand that isn’t holding the torch into his and prompt him to walk again with a light tug forward towards the rest of the crew, who are not too far ahead
when the both of you have nearly caught up, san readjusts his hand in your grasp so that his is atop of yours
and so you two walk, san leading you with a sturdy hand; a line of defence between you and the rest of the crew…and the depths of the cave
the thin sheet of cotton that you lay upon does little to soften the discomfort of the cave’s floor as you and the crew prepare for a few hours of sleep, but your pillow makes up for it
your head is cushioned by san’s thigh, who’s seated upright against the wall after offering to keep watch
he’s gazing down at you with a tender smile as he slowly runs his fingers through your hair like a soothing lullaby
your eyes scan his, still trying to catch any changes in his expression that could possibly explain his strange demeanour from earlier
you want to ask him what’s wrong but there’s only so much privacy you can get in a cave with the rest of your crew
instead, you give his hand a squeeze
san’s smile fades a little and you wonder whether it’s the illusion of the light and shadows from the torches that makes his face look so gaunt
his eyes flicker around guiltily and then he looks at you whilst reciprocating your squeeze
he’s mouthing something, you realise
do you trust me?
you tighten your fingers around his in reassurance
with my life
the dimpled caverns return to san’s cheeks, and then he’s whispering to you softly, “sleep”
you don’t recall dozing off, but you must not have been asleep for very long before you’re woken by a light shake to your shoulder
the groggy mumble that starts to leave your lips is hushed by a warm kiss on your forehead
you’re met with the sight of san holding a finger against his lips when you open your eyes and your brain struggles to comprehend what’s happening
there’s a faint glow coming from under his bulging shirt, which could only be one thing
the cromer
as your neurons start firing again, you come to the realisation that apart from you and san, nobody else is awake yet
quietly, he helps you up to your feet
the silent question he asked before you fell asleep replays in your head, and although it does nothing to clear up your confusion, it helps to ease your anxiety because you meant it when you mouthed your response
you trust san with your life
so you turn away from your crew members and start walking, each step deliberate and careful, your hand clutched safely within san’s while he retraces your steps from today
and when san deems you two far enough and out of immediate danger of being caught, he pulls the cromer out of his shirt to use as a makeshift torch
you both make a run for it
when you emerge out of the cave’s entrance hours later, thighs burning from the strain, you almost stumble to your hands and knees from the blinding brightness of the afternoon sun
san tightens his hold on you and urges, “this way, love”
together, you climb the outcrop on the left and disappear further into the mountains because you can’t afford to rest near the cave
few words are exchanged as san nimbly navigates the rickety ledges and overgrown roots, muscles flexing as he pushes forward and helps you with an extended hand
you realise soon after that whilst he leads you two away from the cave, he travels parallel to the edges of the mountain trees - a guideline that keeps the long port of the island just within sight
“san,” you finally break the silence to point towards an overhang you spot, “we should take a break”
he’s sweating from exertion and lack of sleep, so he nods with a grateful smile and leads you towards it
the rock provides a decent amount of shade and conceals you two well enough with the surrounding greenery
only when he sits with a sigh does he finally let go of your hand after hours of holding on
you know that he’s one for constant physical affection, but this…this feels different
it’s like he’s afraid that you will slip away the moment he lets go of you
you turn to look at him
“san, what exactly is going on?”
he’s quiet
he doesn’t know how to tell you - is there even a way to package his next words prettily?
letting out a stuttering breath, san puts it blankly on the table, “i saw you die in my arms”
you’re stunned into silence and your throat feels even drier than before
“was it…” you dare to ask, “was it going to happen in the cave?”
he nods, “i just suddenly saw it and it felt so real. it- it was dark and wet and the smell - the smell was just awful and-”
“hey, hey, san. it’s okay, we’re not in the cave anymore,” you soothe, pressing your forehead to his
you feel him relax under your touch before he tilts his head to kiss your lips
“yeah,” he sighs against you, “you’re right”
when you pull away, the faint glow under his shirt catches your eyes
“why did you bring the cromer?”
if it had only been you and san missing from the crew, taesung might not have bothered going after the two of you
but with the missing cromer too, the captain will spend the rest of his life tracking it down - tracking you two down - if that’s what it will take
taesung isn’t stupid enough to just let go of the cromer and the inexplicable power it holds to travel between dimensions
san shimmies the hourglass out of his shirt and holds it carefully in his hands, “i need a fail-proof safety net, just in case something goes wrong and…i still don’t end up saving you”
“a safety net?” an uneasy feeling settles in your stomach, “san? what are you not telling me?”
he runs his fingers along the metal casing over and over again as he avoids looking at you
“i…i’ve used it before,” san finally admits, “i used the cromer to bring you back to life”
without thinking, you blurt, “it’s only meant for travelling between dimensions. nobody knows what the repercussions are if you try to mess with fate!”
“well, i did it.” he snaps, “you’re here, alive, and i would do it again and again to save you”
at his words, you soften
because san didn’t just see you die
he lived through seeing you die
you can’t even begin to imagine if you had been the one to experience san die in your arms
“i’m sorry,” you apologise. “thank you for saving me, and for loving me”
san’s eyes are red when he looks at you, “i’m sorry, too, for snapping at you. i know this is a lot for you to process”
you shake your head with your own watery smile
“i’m alive, and i promise i’ll stay alive”
“and i promise i’ll keep you alive,” he nudges your cheek with a playful peck
you laugh, because san makes you happy even in the most uncertain of times, and you ask, “what’s the plan now?”
“find a ship that’s willing to get us the hell out of here”
he makes a move to stand and you place your hand on the ground to push yourself up to your feet too
except your hand shifts with your weight and you end up cutting your palm open on the sharp edge of the rocks
hissing, you draw your hand back towards your chest
“shit, let me have a look,” san drops to his knees and takes your hand in his
he gently blows away the soil and rubble around your wound as you wince
it’s nothing too serious, but it’s deep enough that blood immediately begins to pool in the broken skin and seep further out onto your palm
the glow of the cromer pulses
“san,” you start when you see the cogs moving in his head
he removes one hand to pull the cromer out and presents it to the both of you
“i’m not losing you to infection from a cut, not after everything that we’ve done so far to get to here,” he quips
there’s only time to let out an exasperated sigh before he’s taking your good hand to turn the cromer together
your world goes white
the next moment when you open your eyes after blinking, you’re still there resting under the overhang in the mountain forest
san’s sitting next to you, the only sign of the cromer a faint glow under his shirt
and your hand…
there’s no cut
your head whips towards san and his eyes widen when he sees the unbroken skin of your palm
san makes a move to stand, but this time, he gathers your hands and pulls you up with him
“it worked,” you breathe out once you’re on your feet
“it worked!” san repeats, engulfing you into a crushing hug
the amount of relief he feels is uncontainable, because the cut is reassurance that he can change fate with the cromer
in high spirits, san tucks it back into the safety of his shirt after wrapping it in a length of sash and then he secures it snugly under his belt
you two need to look the part of inconspicuous travellers, and a glowing hourglass would most definitely draw unwanted attention
you and san cut through the back streets and alleyways of the small village that separates the mountain and the coast, keeping an eye out for not only your crew members - or ex-crew, you suppose - but also the members of the horizon
“remember,” san whispers into your ear as you both approach port, “if anyone asks, i’m your husband and we’re travelling merchants”
you’re too nervous to answer but you nod anyway, letting san take the lead once again
with the confidence of somebody most definitely not lying, san strides up to a sailor who is yelling at his men to load the crates faster and spins a story right out of his ass
somehow, san manages to concoct a convincing recount of how your goods were stolen by thieves, leaving you both without any means of making money, so now you are left with no choice but to go back to your hometown which happens to be on the way to the ship’s destination, which you know because you overheard the sailors talking earlier
when the sailor glances in your direction, you try to nurse your expression into one of simultaneous distress and gratitude in hopes of selling the story even further
he simply stares at the both of you and you think that he’s going to turn down your request, but then the sailor gives a sweet smile and extends his hand out in greeting, “daeho. welcome aboard”
that’s how you and san find yourselves in the ship’s hold, legs crossed side by side on the wooden floor and surrounded by a multitude of crates and barrels
neither of you realise that you’re holding your breaths and it’s not due to the stale air in the poorly ventilated hold
only when the shout of “anchors aweigh” is heard and the ship slowly starts to pull away from the dock do you finally relax, the feeling of hope slowly seeping into your bodies
because all that’s left now is to wait for the ship to dock at the next port and then you and san can disappear and start a new life
at the notion of safety, your stomach finally calls for attention with a grumble
san teases, “sounds like someone needs a bit of food,” just as his stomach answers with a growl of its own
you break out into laughter and pull him up with you to snoop inside the crates for something edible
lifting the lid to one of the crates, you peer inside to find what looks like a layer of burlap
you reach down with a hand to remove the covering and dig deeper, only to jerk your arm back when you feel the burning pain of a cut
“oh fuck, what?” you hiss as you look into the crate again, “why the hell are there so many knives?”
san is beside you within a split second, already turning you around to cradle your hand in his
the cut extends across your palm and there’s something sickening yet eerily familiar about the way the blood rapidly starts to pool and seep past the broken skin
goosebumps spread across your body when it hits you
“san,” you look up at him with a trembling voice, hardly audible over the pounding of your heart, “it’s the same cut”
his eyes bore into yours with reflected horror when your words sink in
because if it really is the same cut, then that means-
san’s attention suddenly shifts to behind you and that’s the last thing you register before your head explodes with blinding pain
your world turns black.
there’s a ceaseless hammering in your skull when you regain some semblance of awareness and it takes all of your willpower not to let the throb drag you back into unconsciousness
you open your eyes with a groan, trying to clear your vision, only to find san still out cold on the floor beside you
you scrabble closer towards him and brush his fringe out of his eyes
“san,” you shake him a little, “san, wake up”
his mouth tightens into a grimace as he’s slowly brought back to consciousness at the sound of your voice
“fuck…they hit hard,” he props himself up with another curse before he asks you in a panic, “are you hurt?”
you start to shake your head but then think better of it, “my head hurts like a bitch, but i’m okay”
san pulls you into his chest and wraps his arms around you
you let yourself sink into the safety of his embrace, pretending that everything is okay even if just for a moment
“i’m sorry, i’m so sorry,” san repeats the apology into the crown of your head
you can’t do anything but return hushed whispers of comfort and hug him tighter
a sudden clang draws you out of his arms as you both turn in the direction of the sound
that’s when you realise you’re no longer in the hold
you’re in a cell
the brig of the ship is much darker and the air is suffocatingly musty from the lack of ventilation and the perpetually damp floors and walls
damp from what exactly, you really don’t want to know
you hear the heavy thud of boots amplifying as the person approaches your cell, your eyes straining to make out their face in the dark
they squat in front of your bars
the sweet smile on daeho’s face makes him look crazed now and you shrink back to put some distance between you two
“did you have a good rest?” he asks, sounding genuinely curious
at san’s seething growl of anger, daeho raises his hands up in faux surrender and states, “i just want the cromer”
“i don’t know what you’re talking about,” san glowers
the other man wriggles his fingers at san’s waist, “you’re not very good at hiding it in your shirt”
almost as if it knows it is being talked about, the cromer flashes from under the layers of cloth
“why didn’t you just take it from us earlier,” you bite out
daeho clicks his tongue with a disappointed smile, “but then where’s the fun in that?”
he stretches a hand out and waits with his palm upturned just outside of the cell bars
“now give it to me,” he demands
san stares in retaliation, not once looking away as he slowly reaches for the cromer
he takes it out of his shirt and unwraps the sash from around it, then starts to extend the hourglass out towards daeho’s hand
as you watch with bated breath, you notice the subtle tightening of san’s grip around the metal casing and you realise he intends to flip it
except you’re not the only one who comes to the same conclusion
you see the exact moment the facade drops from daeho’s face and is replaced by his true derangement
the hand by the pistol at his side starts to move
but so do you
this time, everything turns red as the scorching heat of pain paralyses your entire body
the cromer falls to the floor at the same time as you do
from outside the cell, daeho laughs viciously, but it’s drowned out by the agonising cry that comes out of san’s chest
san desperately gathers you in his arms, hands pressing against the bullet hole to stem the blood flow
but there is so much blood
it’s everywhere
the ground digs into his knees and he’s wet and sticky from your blood but also from his own tears and there are so many tears and even with the pungent smell of iron in the air he can still smell the mustiness of the cell and he can’t get enough oxygen into his lungs because god you’re dying
and he’s suddenly struck with the heart-wrenching thought
did he unwittingly condemn you to your own fate?
or is it like the cut on your palm - is he unable to change fate no matter what decisions he makes differently?
the sob that wrenches itself out of san hurts you more than anything
“i love you,” you say, because your words are numbered and you want them all to be san’s
he shakes his head furiously, “shut up, you’re going to be fine”
your words come out effortfully, “please, i want to hear you say it one last time”
“fuck,” san buries his face in your shoulder, “i love you so, so much. i can’t live without you”
he pulls back heartbroken, “i can still change this”
through your waning breath, you reach a trembling hand up to cup san’s jaw
“s-san, don’t do it”
he lets out a racking sob as he shakes his head again, expression marred with agony and torment that you can physically feel in his white-knuckled grasp that covers your own hand
the tears that drip off his jaw become lost to the damp ground
you swallow the metallic taste in your mouth, “the cromer isn’t meant for changing fate.” it hurts to take a breath and you wince as you stutter. “it never goes th- the way you want it to…you know that by now”
san’s voice is broken and pained, “i don’t fucking care. it’s not going to stop me from trying”
he grips your hand even tighter when he starts to feel it fall away from his cheek
it’s becoming tiring to keep your eyes open
maybe you can rest…just for a little bit
san will forgive you, right?
you close your eyes
just for a little while
just until the pain stops
faintly, you think you can feel your body being jostled against something warm
but it’s far away
far away
far
san clutches your limp body as he lets out a primal wail of anguish
you cannot die
you will not die
he snatches the glowing hourglass and flips it with desperation screaming in every cell of his body
and then his world goes white.
mingi
pov: you're the crew's surgeon
you have all the time in the world to yourself
the recent raid was successful - the other vessel had surrendered quickly without putting up a fight and your ship is now well stocked up from the loot of supplies
hongjoong has promised the crew shore leave, a vacation of sorts, and so you and the crew are travelling to port malthov, a haven island for pirates
it’ll take about a week to arrive
and without a foreseeable raid or run-in with enemy vessels, there is no need for your medical duties
which is a good thing, really
but it also means that you have a lot of time
and time is your worst enemy
time is time alone with your own thoughts, time alone with your internal demons, and right now, your mind is a sinkhole of them and you are the very thing being pulled into its depths
you’re sprawled out on the upper deck, arms and legs splayed like a physical manifestation of your efforts to reach the edges of the sinkhole and hold on
you think to yourself that it’s reassuring when you can see blood
because it’s visible, physical, and you can fix it
step one, rinse the area with clean water
step two, disinfect the wound
step three, remove any foreign objects or dead skin
step four, suture as required for nastier injuries
step five, wrap a clean cloth over, under, over, under, then fasten
there’s a procedure and it makes sense
but when it’s invisible, what do you do?
there are no medical diagrams, procedures or journals that teach you how to heal your own hurt
you may be the crew’s surgeon, but you wonder how qualified you truly are if you can’t even fix yourself
the skies are clear today and the sun shines down directly on your exposed skin
it’s uncomfortable but you don’t move, limbs feeling just a little too strung tight to cooperate
you don’t think you have the energy to do much more than to just lie there and exist
and the burn of the sunlight is kind of nice
it tells you that you’re still alive - even if the feeling of living is pain
that’s where mingi finds you twenty minutes later, his face upside down as he leans over to look at your face-
only to very nearly drop a block of wood right onto you
“oh, shit,” he fumbles as the multitude of items he is carrying to his chest falls and clatters onto the deck around your head
you jolt up to save yourself from a bruised forehead and eye him, curiosity well and truly piqued
with a huff, he piles everything in front of you, followed by himself as he sits cross-legged in front of you
he looks suspiciously hopeful and expectant
“can you carve me another dolphin?”
months ago, you had tried carving ornamental animals out of small scraps of wood left over from a hull repair
most of your carvings had turned out hideous and you had tossed them overboard, but mingi had not stopped following you and begging until you gave him one
you could barely even call it a dolphin, but for some reason, he has kept it since like it’s something valuable
“i already made you one,” you start
but he protests, “i lost him!”
you blink
nevermind. maybe not so valuable
“...you lost it?”
you’re not sure whether you’re disappointed or relieved that it’s forever gone to the void
“i lost him, yes. so can you please carve me a new one?”
you blink once more and he looks back at you with wide, pleading eyes
“fine, pass me the knife,” you finally relent
he grins, handing something that feels quite familiar into your outstretched hand
“are these my scalpels?!” you clutch them defensively to your chest. “mingi, i am not carving wood with these”
mingi breaks out into pleased laughter, crescent eyes and gaping mouth as he produces a pocket knife that you can actually use
“you’re ridiculous,” you tell him, setting your medical instruments safely to one side, but you don’t really mean it
you bring the blade of the pocket knife to the edge of the wood and start whittling away
you expect mingi to get up and leave you to your devices, except he doesn’t
he stays and asks you question after question about the carving
which part are you working on now?
how do you shape the tail?
what was the first thing you tried to carve?
if you could carve something else after this, what would it be?
and it goes on for hours - as the wood gradually takes shape of the animal, as the harsh sun lowers and is replaced by the cool breeze of evening
…as mingi fills up your sinkhole and you are no longer grasping at the edges to stay afloat
it happens without you even realising, but he lets you take refuge in him from your own thoughts
and later that night, when the crew are preparing to sleep for the night, mingi will place the newly-carved dolphin at the head of his hammock
he will itch to rummage through the small chest that holds his personal belongings and treasures
he will want to unwrap the small object he has hidden away at the very bottom of his chest and put it side by side with the dolphin
but he won’t, because otherwise you’ll see the two dolphins and realise that he was lying about having lost the first one, so he’ll opt to keep it hidden
mingi thinks that he might even ask you to carve him something else tomorrow
he’ll say that his dolphin needs somebody by its side
what he won’t say though, is that he knows you need somebody by your side
and if he can offer you a few hours of mindlessness while you carve with him beside you, then he’ll ask you to make him a whole aquarium of animals
but that’s tomorrow
for now, he lets you rest on him, and you find that it doesn’t seem quite as hard to exist anymore
because sometimes, even surgeons need their own healers
you don’t have another bad day that week
technically, they’re all still bad days, but they aren’t as bad
but as it is with your luck, it all comes back to drag you underwater when the arriba pulls into port malthov and lowers its anchor
of all days, your head feels foggy, your body feels empty and your lungs feel laboured
you’re not even sad
you’re just…hollow
and the worst part is that you have absolutely no reason to be feeling this way
being up in the crow’s nest for once has given you the perfect vantage point to watch as the majority of the crew precariously run off the gangplank with whoops and hollers, splitting off to explore the town
their excitement is infectious - to everybody but you
instead, you had offered to take over yeosang’s lookout duties so that he could go to the town’s tavern
you’ve already rotted the morning and most of the afternoon away and your stomach grumbles in protest at having skipped both meals
it knows that you probably won’t be eating dinner either
“y/n,” a voice calls out to you from the deck, “are you not going into town?”
you peer over the edge of the nest and find mingi’s small form, his head craned upwards in your direction
“lookout duties,” you simply say
but mingi calls your bluff
“the whole point of shore leave is that we all get time off. captain’s still on board to make sure our ship doesn’t catch on fire or some shit, don’t worry”
when you still don’t make a move, mingi starts to climb up the rigging and you startle to your feet
“heavens, okay, i’m coming down”
he’s banned from rigging duties for a reason
when you land on the upper deck, he looks awfully smug with himself
he asks, “can we go eat seafood? not fish, but like the good stuff”
“since when did you like seafood?”
“always?”
mingi did not always like seafood but you let it slide
he guides you across the gangplank and towards the bustling streets of the town, keeping you tucked closely into his side
almost like he knows you’re feeling more fragile than usual
you two come across a market and he tells you to find a table in the outdoor seating area
when he returns to you after a while, both his hands are stacked with platters of shrimp, some crabs and even a lobster
“mingi, what-?” you break out into an astounded laugh
you can’t even find it in yourself to finish your sentence because it looks like he’s bought enough food to feed half your crew
he sets the plates down in front of you, one by one, until you can barely see the table itself
and you watch, still incredulous, as he picks up a steamed shrimp, meticulously peeling off the shells that he discards onto his plate
…before placing the peeled shrimp onto the plate in front of you
“eat,” he encourages
mingi picks up another shrimp to peel, looking away from you so as not to pressure you
but he can’t help but look and smile widely when you do eventually bring the food up to your mouth and take a bite
it tastes good
shrimp has always been one of the things you miss the most when you’re sailing and as the salty taste of the ocean spreads across your tongue, you start to feel your appetite returning
by the time you’ve swallowed, there’s already another shrimp on your plate, peeled and ready for eating
mingi smiles knowingly when you groan around your next bite
the sun may have already started to disappear into the horizon, but right now with mingi’s plate piling up with discarded shells and yours with juicy shrimp meat, the hollow cavity in your chest slowly filling with warmth, the sun is only just starting to rise for you
and mingi will keep filling your plate until your sun has fully risen into the sky
because sometimes, healing needs the help of an extra pair of hands
the day before your crew is scheduled to leave port malthov, you find yourself sitting on the sandy shores of the coastline, far away from where the arriba is docked
the wind tugs at your hair and the hems of your clothing in the direction of the ocean
you wonder what it would be like to just let yourself go and float along with the wind
your thoughts are interrupted by the soft squeaks of bare feet in the sand approaching you and mingi lowers himself down to sit by your side
no matter where you hide, he somehow always finds you
you give him a small smile when he calls your name in greeting, but it’s all you can really manage to do
it’s hard for you to talk today
but he already knows that
“can i tell you a story?” mingi isn’t really asking you
without waiting for a response he knows you can’t give, he starts to talk
“i don’t think i’ve told you about the time when yunho and i went skinny-dipping at night. i swear we saw the kraken that night”
he has told you this story before
more times than you can count on your fingers and toes combined - to the point where you have some of his exact phrases and expressions memorised
mingi knows he’s told you this story before
but he drones on anyway, adding his usual touches of dramatic flair and exaggerated details - words that he hopes keep you grounded to the spot so that you don’t disappear with the wind
(“did you know that yunho’s chest goes red when he screams in fright?”)
you want to make silly little comments about his silly little story
you want to laugh in harmony with mingi’s own rumbling sounds
except you can’t
it’s like whatever you want to say goes through a paper shredder right before it comes out of your mouth
and mingi knows
but he is willing to take all the time in the world to tape your words back together, shredded piece by shredded piece, until he can make you feel heard and seen
and even if you don’t talk, he is there to do enough talking for the both of you
some things don’t need to be said - he understands either way
because sometimes, healing looks like walking backwards on any progress that’s been made and that’s okay
after all…mingi’s been there before, too
the arriba sets sail again and hongjoong allows the crew one last night of rest before your usual duties resume
the stock of fresh produce and meat won’t last for longer than a couple of days anyway, so you all feast your stomach’s fill of food and alcohol
someone brings out an accordion and you all gather together on the upper deck as jongho sings to the music, background filled with the lively rattling of shared plates and mugs being passed around
the air is chilly but it’s crisp and fresh whenever you take a breath of it into your lungs
where being with the multitude of your crew usually makes you feel lonely, tonight, it feels okay
and from beside you, mingi sings along quietly to the music
his voice is not like jongho’s, which is soulful, emotional and powerful
mingi’s voice is deep, honest and raw as he sings the lyrics to the song of a man who is drowning and yearning to be saved
he looks at you during the last bridge, when the key changes from sorrowful to hopeful and the words tell of a man who is saved by his lover
you smile back at him, genuinely content in this moment
and even if it is only briefly, even if you will still have bad days in the future, you think that today is a good day
because healing takes form in all different ways, and being loved is one of them
maybe one day, mingi will be able to confess that he loves you
when he’s confident that you’ll be able to accept his love
not in the way where he expects you to reciprocate the same feelings for him, no
but in the way where you are able to accept the fact that you are worthy of being loved
there are no medical diagrams, procedures or journals that teach you how to heal your own hurt
but you have mingi and he is making one for you
it’s written with the ink of love on the very pages of his own heart and he will not stop writing until the day you are well and truly happy
and even if it takes forever?
well
mingi’s got a huge fucking heart
and it’s all yours
wooyoung
pov: you find a stowaway on your ship
“we’re headed off course again”
“again?” you look at your helmsman with furrowed brows
yunho nods, sighing out his next words, “i can’t get a read on north. the needle keeps flickering”
you look at the compass that’s mounted at the helm and true to his words, the tip of the arrow seesaws back and forth over the cardinal point
a quick glance down tells you that the newer compass you’ve got in your pocket is also behaving in the same manner, needle twitching despite the practised steadiness of your hands
so you know for sure that it’s not a fault in the instrument at the helm itself
but even if it were to be faulty, you would never replace it
not when it’s one of the only things you have remaining of your parents after they perished at sea
“maybe we should ask him,” yunho suggests, beckoning his head towards the deck
although seonghwa hums thoughtfully, having joined you both at the helm mid-conversation, you look at him incredulously
“you trust that person?”
yunho shrugs, “it’s not like he’s given us a reason to not trust him”
well
considering said man had been found stowing away in the cargo five days after your ship had left alcarres, who then also tried to plead for mercy by reasoning that he was ‘valuable’, you think that there’s plenty of reasons to not trust him
yunho rectifies his argument once he sees the pinched expression on your face, “as in, since we’ve found him on board”
you close your eyes and exhale
admittedly, yunho has a point
and there’s been one too many times where the man has flippantly suggested navigational changes or casually observed shifts in the winds and waters - which all turned out to be accurate - for it to be sheer luck
you open your eyes and call out to the upper deck
“stowaway”
yunho winces as seonghwa chides you with a slight elbow to your side at your choice of name, or lack thereof
said man looks at you from where he’s helping san and yeosang swab the deck, mouth tightening with wariness
the last time you had spoken the same word, it was along with an order to throw him into the brig with his wrists bound behind his back
but considering that that was the extent of his punishment for stowing away on your ship and he is now mingling amongst your crew with minimal security measures on your orders too, really, he’s gotten off scot-free
the stowaway approaches the quarterdeck with hesitant steps
you jerk your head towards the helm, “help yunho navigate the rest of the way to vlasgar. just until we can dock and work out what’s wrong with the compasses''
despite the curtness of your order, his face scrunches up into an enthusiastic grin
“of course, captain!”
you’re taken aback by his demeanour because you’re trying to find a reason to distrust him
but he’s not giving it to you
you watch as the stowaway makes himself comfortable against the helm rails and easily slips into conversation and banter with yunho amidst intermittent pointers to adjust the rudder
seonghwa nudges you from behind, “give him a little credit”
you scratch your neck awkwardly before calling out to your helmsman
“keep me updated on the ship’s course”
yunho nods and then you clear your throat, quickly glancing at the stowaway
“and thanks…wooyoung.”
you turn and leave the quarterdeck before you can fully catch a glimpse of the delighted smile the man beams at you
because if he’s not giving you reasons to dislike him, then you’re going to ensure he doesn’t start giving you reasons to like him
except…wooyoung attacks when you least expect it
it’s the night before your crew reaches vlasgar, and true to his claims when he was first discovered onboard, wooyoung has proven his value by navigating your ship through the waters without the aid of the malfunctioning compass
his innate sense for shifts in the wind and waters, combined with his understanding of celestial navigation and use of dead reckoning has meant that he is extraordinarily precise with his route
honestly, he’s freakishly accurate to the point where it’s a little unsettling
at least that’s what you tell yourself
you and hongjoong have given the crew the night off from their usual duties in preparation for a few busy days of maintenance and intel-gathering once your ship docks at vlasgar
wooyoung offers to cook in the galley and whip up a meal as fancy as he can from the select ingredients on board
you don’t have a good reason to deny him, not when the rest of your crew looks at you with eager faces at the thought of a meal that isn’t just the usual salted meat, so you send mingi along to help him locate the ingredients
also to keep an eye on wooyoung to ensure he isn’t using this as an opportunity to poison your crew, but you’re not about to admit that aloud
and that’s exactly when wooyoung chooses to attack
he attacks your heart with his cooking
granted, the standards are rock bottom, but wooyoung utilises a deadly combination of rosemary, thyme and bay leaves to prepare a hearty broth with preserved beef
he serves hardtack on the side to be softened and eaten with the broth, and jongho even manages to catch a few fish that wooyoung then scores and grills with lemon slices over the fire
mingi must also be in good spirits because he takes out the reserve of dried fruits and nuts that he’s usually pedantic over and allows wooyoung to arrange them artfully in a wooden bowl as nibblers to go with the profusion of rum that will inevitably be downed tonight
the impressive spread of food is placed on the upper deck where the entire crew sit in a rough circle together
you take one bite into the beef and curse without realising
“fucking hell, what did he put in this?”
wooyoung freezes mid-spoonful across from you in the circle
realising your words sound petrifying without context, you awkwardly amend them with your eyes glued to your bowl, “i could eat this every day,” before shoving another spoon of broth into your mouth to shut yourself up
there’s a chorus of teasing oooh’s at your words and somebody sing-songs, “captain likes youuu-r cooking”
“i don’t,” you scoff, completely ready to bite the bait and engage in this childish argument
but it’s him who comes to your defence
“it’s not my cooking, it’s just the spices that make a difference,” wooyoung insists
then he’s gesturing to the grilled fish and telling everyone to try, diverting the attention away from you
you accidentally make eye contact with him and initially flicker your eyes away out of embarrassment, but when you chance a peek back at him he’s still looking at you, his expression uncharacteristically calm and gentle when usually all you can hear these days is his raucous laughter bouncing across the deck
…not that you can recognise his laughter or anything
you stare at each other for a few more seconds before you lift up your bowl of beef broth and give him a little smile
you leave it up to him to interpret it however he wants
and just before you look away, you see the apples of his cheeks rounding with elation
wooyoung’s potentially earned himself a few points with his cooking (and perhaps with his unfailing happiness too), but maybe you’re just looking for excuses as to why you’re allowed to like him now
when you decide to take a walk in town long after midnight, your quarters having felt stuffy ever since you’d docked at vlasgar, you’re surprised to find that you’re not the only one still awake
“i’m going out for some air and maybe a drink, did you want to come?”
hongjoong shakes his head, “hwa’s gone out too, i’ll stay behind”
you pause, wondering whether it’d be rude if you didn’t extend the invitation to wooyoung, considering he’s literally two feet away
“what about you?” you end up offering
wooyoung excitedly hops up to his feet, “yeah, i’ll come with”
to your own surprise, you find that you’re not particularly disappointed by his response
the streets of vlasgar are empty, considering the late hour, and your leather shoes clack in unison against the cobblestones as you walk together
you’re not really sure what to say to fill the silence but wooyoung easily talks about anything and everything and you’re content to just listen
your feet eventually take you towards a small alehouse and you both settle down at one of the tables further away from the live music playing
the oil lamps flicker dimly along the wall, casting small dancing shadows on the surface of your mugs of ale
“my father never liked the taste of ale,” wooyoung suddenly muses after a swallow
you note the use of past tense
“is he…still around?” you ask tentatively
he makes a noise of refutation, the quietest he’s been tonight, before he reveals, “he took his own life”
“oh, wooyoung,” you breathe out
he curls his hands around his mug, “it’s already been two years, but it still hurts”
in a moment of empathy, you gently place your hand over his
your tone is bitter when you reply, “time doesn’t mean that it hurts any less, it just gets easier to pretend that it doesn’t”
he looks up at you, surprised by the touch of your hand but also by the sorrow reflected in your eyes
“have you also lost somebody?”
you nod at his question
“my parents,” you hesitate before adding, “their ship got swept under a rogue wave, the same night it turned into a tidal wave that destroyed the city of light”
wooyoung looks at you with wide eyes, “the one along the north coast? six- no, seven years ago?”
there’s not a single person who doesn’t know about it; when an apocalyptic wave had wiped out an entire city overnight
he places his other hand over yours when you nod again, creating a sandwich of comforting hands in the shared experience of loss and grief
you smile wistfully and he returns it
“well now that we’ve exchanged childhood trauma, care to tell me the real reason why you were on my ship, stowaway?” you half-joke
wooyoung laughs, each breath a pronounced cackle of joy, and you find the corners of your lips pulling themselves upwards too
“i’m being chased by a lunatic who’s out for my blood,” he deadpans
“that would have been nice to know before i let you join my crew”
wooyoung grins wickedly, “i’m part of your crew?”
“i’m definitely rethinking it,” you banter before you add on seriously, “only if you want to be”
he pulls his hands back to salute you loudly, “it would be my honour to be your human compass! jung wooyoung at your crew’s service!”
“shut the fuck up!” you hiss in embarrassment, but there’s no bite to your words and you’re laughing into your own hands
you tip back the remains of your ale and then beckon to wooyoung, “let’s head back, shall we?”
“yeah,” he gives you a dazzling smile
he pushes his chair back to stand up and you head towards the doors together
just as you walk past one of the tables, a man abruptly stands up and knocks into wooyoung’s shoulder harshly
your hand flies out to steady him as the man stares at wooyoung, then turns to leave without another word
“what’s his problem,” you mutter angrily. “are you okay?”
wooyoung reassures you with a placating squeeze to your arm before leading you out of the alehouse
as you retrace your steps back to the ship, you pass by a rickety stall that makes you falter
the wood of the table is rotting and standing on its last legs and there’s a roughly thatched roof propped up above its goods
even though the stall is enshrouded by the shadows of the clouded moonlight, you still wonder how you missed it on your way to the alehouse, considering it’s the only stall along the empty street, and with a vendor, no less
there’s an old woman bearing the burdens of living across her skin and in her posture, sitting hunched on an equally as weathered crate beside the table
you’re drawn towards it - by its ambience, seller or the familiar instruments lain on the table, you don’t know
the woman’s head is covered by a dusty shawl but you don’t miss the way her eyes bore beadily into wooyoung as you both approach
you reach out and skim your fingertips across the cool brass of the compasses on the table
a frown adorns your face when you notice there’s something strange about all of them
like the compass in your own pocket and the one mounted on your ship’s helm, the needles all swing indecisively over the north point, as if some unknown force is meddling with the magnetic field of the earth itself
you let out a little scoff of disbelief, “they’re all useless”
with a final glance at the table, you and wooyoung start to walk off
but then a raspy voice beckons at your backs, a ghost of a hand that tickles the hair on the nape of your necks, “the only time a compass is useless is when you have something better nearby”
unable to ignore the sensation, you look over your shoulder, “what do you mean by something better?”
a toothless smile; one that appears to know a secret that it doesn’t want to let you in on
“true north”
her cryptic answer alone is enough to tell you that you’re wasting your time
she doesn’t say anything else when you walk off for good this time after bidding her a tight-smiled farewell, not that you would have stopped either way if she did
wooyoung hurries to catch up to you
as he falls into step with you, he asks, “do you believe what she’s saying?”
“of course not, it doesn’t make any sense,” you glance at the tavern you’re walking past, telling you that the port is close now. “how can you have true north?”
wooyoung’s brows knit together, “well, there’s that old legend that says true north isn’t actually a direction, but a-”
he’s cut off by an amused voice behind you both
“so it really is you…jung wooyoung”
when you turn around, you’re met with the sight of a man donning a long, velvet coat and buckled shoes - articles of clothing very obviously pirated from the wealthy
it’s evident that he and wooyoung are acquainted in one way or another, but from the way wooyoung’s face loses its colour, they’re acquainted in a bad way
immediately, your hackles are raised
the man’s tone is saccharine as he continues, “when one of my men said that they had spotted you, i didn’t believe him”
“what do you want?” you snarl at the same time wooyoung murmurs next to you, “it’s the lunatic. jang hyunsoo”
hyunsoo cocks his head as he stares you dead in the eye, “i want him. dead.”
your face darkens, unwilling to back down, “and why are you so intent on killing him?”
“oh?” he raises an eyebrow in delight at your answer. “you must not know who he truly is”
sick of his bullshit, you reach down towards your belt to unsheath a throwing dagger and hold it in front of your body, “i don’t care who the fuck he is. he’s my crew member and that’s all that ma-”
“he’s the man that the legends speak of. blessed by the sea gods, bearer of the oceans’ wisdom - jung wooyoung is true north”
those two words again
you don’t understand why everyone you come across today seems to be so fixated on the idea of…
suddenly, you remember.
legends tell a story of true north - not a direction pointing to the earth’s axis, but a person
a man blessed by the gods of the sea with the power to be all-knowing when it comes to the waters
he possesses the innate ability to navigate without use of any instruments or celestial bodies; the wisdom of which passageways and courses to sail; the subconscious understanding of mother nature and her elements
the powers are passed down through his bloodline for generations, but the blessing does not stay sacred for long
human greed and coveting eventually lead to the murder of the bearer of true north at the time, and the powers are transferred to the murderer, permanently staining the bloodline and commencing the paradoxical cycle of sinning for a blessing
however, this does not go unpunished
the gods of the sea are enraged and in their uncontainable wrath they cause-
your memory ends there no matter how hard you try to recall the rest of the legend
wooyoung interrupts
“if you kill me, there’s no guarantee you’ll survive the consequences,” he tries to reason with the other. “just have a look at how close we are to sea”
you’re lost but hyunsoo sneers, “it’s not your power that i’m hungry for. it’s only fair that i spill your blood, after your father spilled the blood of my family”
at the mention of his father, wooyoung growls, “what the fuck do you think you’re saying”
“how do you think your father became true north? or better yet, let me jog your memory,” hyunsoo’s expression becomes hauntingly blank, “what happened seven years ago that wiped out a whole city because the sea gods had been angered?”
your breath hitches as you involuntarily whisper, the remaining piece of the puzzle slotting into memory, “...a tidal wave”
“yes,” he acknowledges your words but keeps his eyes drilling into wooyoung, “because true north - my father - was killed”
as were your parents by extension of the consequences
“killed by my father,” wooyoung concludes, voice frail as everything rapidly starts to reveal itself
one more revelation makes him look at you with a face of horror and remorse, “y/n…your parents…”
without hesitation, you push aside your own anguish for him
“wooyoung,” you warn, “it’s not your fault”
because you see it
the very moment his eyes start clouding over as he willingly takes on the burden of guilt wrongfully left behind by his deceased father - the same guilt that eventually took the man’s own life
wooyoung, who, with a heart and soul too pure, would rather take the blame himself than to push it onto somebody else
you step in front of him, knife raised in protection
because despite your best efforts, wooyoung had not only secretly stowed himself away on your ship but has also secretly stowed himself away in your heart
“what are you doing?” he tries to tug you behind him
there’s a teasing lilt in your voice as you stand steadfast, “stowaway, you’ve ruined navigating for me now - made it too easy for me and the crew. so you better fuckin’ take responsibility and be my compass for as long as i sail”
“how touching,” hyunsoo coos patronisingly before he draws the cutlass from his sheath, “looks like i’ll just have to kill the both of you”
you don’t stop wooyoung this time from stepping up to stand by your side, his own hands armed with dual daggers and his demeanour now iron-willed to fight
because if you’re prepared to fight for him, then wooyoung is prepared to fight twice as hard for you
tonight, either hyunsoo dies, or you both go down trying
the tension in the air is punctuated only by the slight scrape of your soles as you and wooyoung lower your stances and shift further onto your front feet
you had never believed in the sea gods until now, but you pray that they’re watching over you both
and indeed they are
they answer your prayers in the form of a deafening gunshot in the nearby tavern
hyunsoo flinches at the sudden commotion - only slightly, but the distraction in attentiveness is more than enough
now.
as you and wooyoung leap forward together in unison, weapons raised, the needles in your hearts’ compasses waver for one final time before they settle and point resolutely in one direction
your needle at wooyoung; wooyoung’s needle at you
because compasses will always point at true north and that’s exactly what you are to him and him to you
each other’s true north
jongho
pov: you're a mermaid who saves him
you follow the shadow of the ship’s hull, gliding effortlessly through the waters
you know that you shouldn’t be following so closely but it’s hard to refuse the temptation that comes hand in hand with storms
there’s a chance that vessels will toss cargo overboard as a last-ditch effort to save their ship from sinking
and if you’re really lucky, the vessel might sink entirely and you’ll be able to spend the next few days rummaging its ruins, scavenging for shiny treasures and intriguing objects
besides, what’s the worst that could happen?
no sailor or pirate in their right mind would think to cast a fishing net in this weather
you only have your carelessness and recklessness to blame, but regret won’t change anything about your current situation
you feel the strange lurch in your stomach as the fishing net you’re trapped inside is pulled out of the water, up along the side of the ship’s hull, until it levels with the gunwale
there’s someone standing there waiting
his face is still rounded and limbs still gangly with the telltale signs of youth
the fish around you jerk around desperately, a physical manifestation of your terror, while you lock eyes with the young teenager and grip at the net with white-knuckled fists
you are at his complete mercy
he stares in shock at your form, until you beg a single word
“please”
immediately, he draws a small pocket knife and starts to frantically cut through the net
there’s another questioning voice from somewhere on the deck that you can’t make out the words to, but from the way the boy in front of you picks up speed, you’re seconds away from being discovered
“come on, come on, come on,” the boy mutters through gritted teeth
there’s a slight jerk as he cuts through the strands of flax and a few fish slither their way out, the hole starting to become bigger
he lets out a hiss of pain when he accidentally slices through his own hand in his haste
but even then, he does not stop or falter
and then you hear it
the ripping of the material when the weight of yourself and the other fish tear the remainder of the net
you plummet into the ocean
and the last thing you see before the world above becomes blurred by the waters is the boy’s wide eyes peering over the ship’s edge as he watches you fall
jongho struggles to adjust his centre of gravity as the ropes stutter underneath him
he chances letting go of the rigging briefly with one hand so that he can wipe the rain out of his eyes, which is pouring down incessantly and obscuring his vision
overhead, the top sail continues to billow and flap in an angry dance as the rapidly shifting winds tangle it further
he swallows thickly and grips the rigging once again
he needs to climb up and untangle the damned sail, fast
one hand extending outwards to grab the running rigging, jongho supports himself on shaky legs so that he can unfurl the twisted edges of the sail from around the ropes
it’s difficult enough having to chase the mocking flits of the canvas in the gale, but it’s fucking hellish with the added lurching and pitching of the ship as it’s battered by the swells of the sea
he finally manages to get a good grip on the sail and tugs hard, feeling it give way and flush full as it catches the wind properly now that it’s free
except the force of it sends the material swelling right in his face and he slips
by some saving grace, the combined movement of another colossal wave sends his body careening through the air in a wide arch
he does not land on the upper deck in a heap of broken bones
instead, he plummets into the ocean
and the last thing jongho sees before he loses consciousness is the shimmer and flick of a tail
your body reacts instantaneously to the sudden intrusion of something plunging into the waters in front of you, your tail swishing to increase your distance
for a brief second your heart seizes up in fright at the thought of a harpoon
but then you see it - see him
apart from the young teen who had freed you years ago, you have never seen a human up close before
and certainly not one in the ocean; in your home
there is something about the man before you that is beautiful yet haunting
it is as if time and gravity have warped his very existence
you see a weak flail of legs, a desperate hand reaching for the surface, floating tendrils of hair, but even in the face of approaching death, his movements appear slow and graceful in the water
as the pockets of air and bubbles of foam dissipate from around him and cruelly escape upwards without him, the man stills - grand and slow as his form steadily starts to make a descent towards the sandy bottom of the ocean
in folklore amongst your merpeople, humans are as swift, sure and savage on land as they are aboard their monstrous vessels
and yet, watching the ethereal existence of this man before you, you realise that once humans are underwater, they are at the complete mercy of mother nature and her beings
you gingerly swim closer
when you wrap your arm around the man’s limp body, his skin is warm under your fingertips
you’re reminded of the fact that he is at your complete mercy
and so you swim.
the moment jongho regains consciousness, his chest involuntarily contracts in an attempt to take a huge, stuttering breath
he curls onto his side instead, one hand scrabbling in the wet sand and his other arm crushed between the ground and his upper body as he hacks up his lungs with retching motions
the salt water burns even more coming back up than it did going down and his eyes sting with tears
when the convulsions cease, jongho closes his eyes and rests his forehead against the cool sand, trying to regain his breath-
and bearings
the jarring clarity has him sitting up abruptly as he tries to recall where he is and what he’s doing
there was the storm
the tangled sail
him climbing up the riggings
falling down, down, down
and then…
you
your eyes widen when the man’s unfocused gaze suddenly sweeps the waters and lands on the small part of your face that is exposed and peering at him
instinctively, you duck underwater, the notion of hiding your existence from humans ingrained into you
but even though he only sees a glimpse of you, jongho would recognise you from anywhere
it’s hard to forget when he’s kept his eyes peeled on the waters since that day, hoping to see you once again
he can’t believe that the mermaid he once saved would end up being his saviour
but he guesses that’s what people call fate - an alignment of miracles
he glances around at his surroundings to find himself in the safety of a small cove
you dare to emerge your curious eyes again when you see the form of the man stand up with his gaze on the sand, seemingly in search of something
he fumbles along the edge of the coast, reaching down several times to grasp things too small for you to discern
it seems that he becomes satisfied with what he has found, because he then sets them all down in the wet sand - right where the tide kisses the shore in a teasing game of chase - and takes several steps backwards so that he is no longer close to the waters
the man scratches the back of his head as he gestures vaguely to the pile, appearing to want to say something before thinking better of it and turning around to pick at the driftwood further inland
you wait, trying to gauge his actions
but when it becomes clear to you that he is not attempting to catch you off guard, you cautiously swim closer to shore
you are able to rest your forearms comfortably on the shoreline’s sand from how close you get
and then you see it
a small pile of glossy pebbles and patterned shells
a peace offering of pretty things he could find that he thought you might like
you duck under the water again, but this time to hide your shy smile as opposed to an act of instinctual self-preservation
jongho looks at the hefty pile of dried wood that he has gathered in the meantime, deeming it enough to keep a fire going for the inevitable night he will have to spend at the cove
he’s tried his hardest not to look out to the waters, wanting to gain your trust
but he can’t help it this time when his eyes are drawn to the little mound of his sincerity in the sand
…only to find it untouched, and you nowhere to be seen
he tries not to feel disappointed
after all, you have no reason to trust him
so he sets his mind on starting a fire before the sun sets completely instead, trying to ignore the growing dryness in his throat
when he finally nurses a spark into a flame an hour later, jongho almost misses it in his fatigued state
but it’s unmistakable when he walks closer
gone is his own pile of pebbles and shells
in its stead is a jumbled collection of broken combs, rusted locks and a glass bottle
a peace offering of peculiar things you had found that you thought he might need
jongho doesn’t know it, but as he bends down to carefully gather every gift and safekeep them closer to his fire, he is not the only one with a bashful smile on his face
you tell yourself it’s purely curiosity and displaced familiarity that makes you linger and return to the cove the very next morning
you’re well aware what the risks are if you fall in love with a human
how many stories have you heard of mermaids and mermen alike, falling for a human, only for their love to be unilateral or rejected?
their tails slowly lose their lustre as gradual paralysis takes over until they lose complete control
quite literally drowning within their own body, they eventually sink to the bottom of the ocean to perish with the decaying wreckages of sunken ships…
and the countless corpses of sailors, pirates and other unfortunate souls alike
it’s ironic
no matter how much folklore makes out humans and merpeople to be different, you all end up the same in the face of death; buried in the soil of the earth or buried in the sand of the ocean bottom
side by side
jongho stands in that very ocean right now, sleeves and pants rolled up to keep them as dry as possible as he crouches over with the water up to his thighs
he would try to fashion a fishing hook or harpoon of some sort, but with the possibility that you may be close by in the waters, he doesn’t want to risk using anything that could hurt you
so he resorts to using his bare hands
you’ve been watching from the safety of the water for well over half an hour now, curious and slightly endeared by his clumsy attempts to grab at something
you’re not sure what, but you can see the fish as they dart teasingly through his legs and from out of his reach
for beings that are supposedly apex predators, this human doesn’t seem intimidating at all
so, very cautiously, you swim up closer to him
jongho feels himself freezing at the sight of you approaching - not because he’s afraid of you, but because he’s afraid he’ll scare you away
he holds his breath as you hesitate and linger just out of his reach, then swim up and bump his leg playfully with your tail as you circle around him once
he’s reminded of a puppy wanting to sniff out somebody unfamiliar and his eyes follow your form with rounded fondness
“hi,” he breathes out softly, “i’m jongho”
your tail swishes with sudden movement, splashing him with water and he giggles
you can hear it clearly even from under water and your heart nearly stops
if this man - if jongho - was a siren, the sounds of his happiness would be his song of calling
you want to hear it again
jongho sucks in a breath when you dare to emerge from the water’s surface, presenting him with a fish held carefully between your lips and one more in each of your hands
he’s a little dumbfounded at how easily you managed to catch them as he gently takes the one from in between your teeth
the still-flailing fish in his hands is peppered with two tiny neat rows of puncture holes where you had carefully bitten into it
he finds it so fucking cute, especially when you continue to peer up at him with expectant eyes, wanting to know if it was the fish that he was trying to catch this whole time
he wants to thank you, and not just for the fish
so he fumbles through his words when he asks, “would you like to eat with me? unless…” he trails off, “unless you don’t eat fish because…”
are mermaids technically fish?
did he really just offer you the mermaid equivalent of human flesh to eat?
before jongho can panic and try to salvage the situation, you give him a shy smile and nod
jongho makes a fire as close to the shore as possible without the wood at risk of becoming wet
as he spears the fish onto sticks so that he can hold them over the flames, you gather the courage to slide out of the shallow waters so that you can lay on the damp sand closer to him
whilst you can for short periods, you rarely ever fully emerge out of the waters because you leave yourself vulnerable without the full mobility of your body
but jongho makes you feel safe enough to do so
and he must at least partially recognise the amount of trust you are placing in him because he looks at you in awe, the unveiled beauty of your tail now in full display
your scales are a kaleidoscope of cerulean, mauve and periwinkle, reflecting onto the sand below you in a magical dance with each of your slight movements
he notices that the gradient peters out into shades of salmon and coral the closer the scales are to your waist and he cannot tear his eyes away from you
jongho thinks to himself that you were created by the hands of the sea god, who then named the word beautiful after you
and even then, the word does not seem to do you justice
“why are you staring?”
your voice is simultaneously bashful and teasing, yet jongho is utterly mortified that your first words to him are ones exposing his smitten behaviour
his brain kickstarts in panic and he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind
“if your tail gets too close to fire, will you start smelling like grilled fish?”
for a split second, your expression contorts into one of pure horror, before the absurdity of his question breaks down the remainder of your reservations and you lose yourself in laughter
a pretty blush settles over the round of jongho’s cheeks and then he is also laughing with you
together, where the land and sea unite, the sounds of your shared happiness fill the air
his song of calling chimes melodiously in your heart even as you swim away for the night
but the dangerous thing about a siren’s song is that you don’t realise you’ve become captivated…
until it’s too late
you’re looking down at the object in your hands as you swim for the cove
it’s cream-coloured and smooth to touch, with several blunt tips extending from one side
you’ve always wondered what it is and so you decide to see if jongho will know
you don’t notice the large rock formation jutting out of the seabed until it’s almost right in front of you and at the last second, you flex your tail to manoeuvre yourself around it
except you must miscalculate your distance because you end up grazing yourself on the sharp edges of the rock
it doesn’t puncture your scales but it certainly catches you off guard - your organs and senses work in a way that ensures you never collide into anything so long as you are underwater
so then, why?
you look down and your heart drops
tentatively, you spin around once, eyes never leaving their focus
you realise it’s not a trick of the lighting or the water
your scales have started to lose their shimmer
jongho is beginning to think that you won’t show up today when you finally do, one of your treasures cradled in your hands and a smile on your face that doesn’t quite reach your eyes
(you weren’t going to show up, not after realising that you need to stop yourself from falling further in love with jongho if you want to live, but you decide to be selfish one last time and say goodbye, even if you’re the only one who knows it’s a goodbye)
“what’s that?” he gestures towards your hands with his chin as you slide your upper body out of the shallow waters, leaving your tail to be submerged when the waves come in
you uncurl your fingers with a shrug
“it’s a comb,” he answers his own question as he turns it over in his hand, “made out of animal bone, i think”
you look at him curiously as he sits down, unbothered about wetting his clothes, and you ask, “what’s a comb?”
jongho brings it up to his head and pretends to move it up and down
“you run it through your hair to untangle it”
he pauses as his eyes flicker to your hair then back to your face
“i can…show you how to use it…if you want?” he offers
just once, you’ll allow yourself to get close to him just this once
when you nod and sit up, jongho shifts himself so that he is behind you
you try not to shiver when you feel the heat of his chest enveloping your back as he reaches forward to gently gather the hair from around your face and neck
he steadies your head with one of his hands, the other bringing the teeth of the comb through the slight waves of your hair
his touch is soft and loving in the way he tries not to tug too hard when he encounters a knot
his fingertips skim against you intimately but with an innocence that betrays the fact that he has never brushed somebody’s hair before
you feel your shoulders relaxing into his touch and your eyes close, blissfully - and perhaps deliberately - ignorant to the fading radiance of your body
“are you feeling okay?” jongho’s voice sounds even more alluring when it’s right next to your ear and you can’t help but shudder this time. “you seem paler than usual”
he brings a hand down to your waist and turns you towards him so that he can see you better
you try to formulate an answer, “i…”
i think i’m in love with you
of course, you would never tell him that
but before you can tell him that you’re fine, you become distracted by the glimpse of something on his hand that’s still resting on your waist
a scar
“is that- how did you get this?”
you run your thumb lightly over the taut, white line that runs from his wrist to the knuckle of his index finger
as you’re suddenly reminded of the familiar memory of a teenager with rounded cheeks and gangly limbs, the man beside you with those very same eyes looks at you fondly
“i cut myself trying to free a mermaid from a fishing net”
your gaze is unfocused as you process the information
the effects of the shattering revelation are immediate and a terrifying numbness starts to creep up your tail
because what you didn’t know - what nobody in folklore knew - was that the effects of paralysis and onset of death are accelerated when you fall in love with someone again for the second time
years ago, your heart had been claimed by the young man who had freed you at his own expense
you had managed to survive the heartbreak due to the briefness of your encounter, your paralysis fading and tail regaining its beauty when you never saw him again
but the effects of your unilateral love have not vanished entirely as you and your merpeople have believed it to
they have simply lay dormant like a disease, waiting for the right time to resurface when your feelings are rekindled
and so now it snowballs and gains traction at a speed that cannot be stopped, racing to catch up on the numerous years that you have cheated death where you thought you did not love jongho
“why is your tail turning grey?” the voice of the man you love is pinched with muted panic
you never thought you would ever be afraid of your own tail; your own body
yet, when you look down to see the monochrome advancing up each layer of your scales, you are absolutely petrified
your tail is starting to look like a stone statue and you know it won’t be long until that’s exactly what you become - motionless and unmoving
“y/n! why is your tail grey?!” jongho repeats with a shout, in full blown panic due to your lack of response
you can’t- won’t die in front of him
your lower body is almost deadweight with immobility and you bite back tears as you’re forced to crawl pathetically towards the water with your arms
jongho scrabbles to his feet as he hovers next to you, hands wanting to help but not quite touching you because he’s not sure what’s happening and he doesn’t know what he can do for you and you look like you’re in pain but he doesn’t know why-
“don’t!” you bark out sharply
he freezes in shock
you’re frightened and angry and you want to yell at something, someone, but…
you could never yell at jongho
with a much softer, albeit shaky voice, you tell him, “don’t look for me”
and before you can hear the pained noise that escapes jongho’s lips, you drag yourself back into the water
except a few metres after you’ve submerge yourself, the unthinkable happens
you. cannot. breathe.
you’re drowning.
jongho doesn’t care if you’ll hate him forever, doesn’t care if this is the last time you’ll choose to see him, but he will not just stand and watch when it looks like you are leaving to die alone
his body moves with the decisions of his heart before his mind tells him otherwise
he dives into the water after you
the world distorts around him; a moment of weightlessness as the waters easily shift to accommodate his body; the bubbling sound of air pockets reverberating inside his very skull; the shock of cold that overrides every other bodily sense
jongho forces his eyes open with numerous blinks until he can see you
your form is eerily still, and yet, you remain bewitching
he kicks his legs desperately with one arm outstretched and as soon as you are within reach, he tugs you into his chest
you’re limp to touch, lips slack and parted as if the very essence of your soul is escaping through your mouth
jongho will not let you die
lungs starting to burn and heartbeat pounding in his ears, he presses his lips against yours
a kiss of life-
he closes his eyes
-and love
but you don’t respond
jongho ignores his instincts even as his body screams to part from you and kick upwards for a breath
instead, he moves his jaws to kiss you even harder
and then he feels it
he almost sobs into you when your lips twitch weakly against his
with renewed vigour, you’re sealing your mouth around his bottom lip as you respond, capturing him in a real kiss
below your joined lips, your scales start to bloom with their full brilliance once again
your tail shimmers brighter than before, reflecting intricate patterns of fractals with each slight ripple of the water as you open your eyes to the sight of jongho’s face, beautifully swathed in the incandescence of the rainbow
you can move again
you flick your tail, jongho’s arms still firmly around your waist and you both burst upwards, breaking the water’s surface with spluttering breaths
he desperately treads you both backwards towards the shore even though you can easily hold your own now
“jongho, you-”
he takes one look at you before he cuts your words off and plunges himself back underwater, stunning you into stupor, until he re-emerges with another splutter
“your tail!” he yells with overwhelming relief, face still scrunched as he tries to sweep his fringe up and wipe the water from out of his eyes
“yeah…” voice muted as you process the fact that you’re still alive, “my tail…”
“fuck, you scared me”
jongho’s eyes are bloodshot as they stare into yours, and you know for a fact that they aren’t just red from the irritation of salt water
you bring up a hand to rest it on his chest, right where his heart still thumps rapidly under your touch, and you apologise with a small smile, “sorry…i scared me, too”
he huffs a little before looking at you earnestly
“don’t ever do that again”
the water is now shallow enough that jongho can stand, but it’s deep enough that you can still drift effortlessly
it’s the perfect harmony where land and sea unite; where a human and a mermaid interact
where you, the enchanter, and jongho, the enchanted, find a balance of love
“i won’t,” you promise
on land, humans tell a story of a mermaid who falls in love with a man
a mermaid who is ready to give up her voice in exchange for her happily ever after
but in the sea, merpeople tell a story of a man who falls in love with a mermaid
a man who is ready to give up his life in exchange for his happily ever after
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The Blue Bird
Pairing: Yeosang x f!reader W.C: 3.1k
Genre: Fluff, Dystopian au, Pirate au
Warnings: hostage, mention of cut and dried blood(just words), jumping from a high window pane, being chased, running through forest at night, patching up wound, getting scratched by iron and metal objects. The beginning is a bit dark but A soft scenario in the end.
Network: @kvanity-main
⛓️
“Why are you helping me?”
That was his third time asking you but, you were still busy finding a way to break the chains. Frustratingly, tugging the hairs behind your ears, you began to search around the destroyed arena. A metal rod hit against your ankle and you whimpered when it scratched deeply. You ignored the stinging pain and returned to pick up the rod. You took it in your hand and felt, it was too heavy but still it seemed more useful than any other object lying around you. Approaching him, he raised a brow at your figure holding a rod in your hand.
“Woah! Wait there. Why with a rod?”
You rolled your eyes, “of course to break the chains and please keep quiet.”
He chuckled but within a blink a glare was sent in your direction, “I know that, you don’t have to say something so obvious. I thought you have a key to the locks. Just tell me why are you here?”
“That’s nothing to worry about.”
You hit the joints of the heavy iron chains with the rod. The chains made clanking sounds with the metal against the floor. You didn't mind anyone hearing you but he was worriedly looking around the dark place to see if anyone had arrived at the location after hearing the loud sound.
“Are you crazy? They can hear us.”
“If you don't keep quiet then they will hear us before we could have run away.”
“And how are you so sure that we can run away from here?”
You gripped the metal rod tightly in your grasp and stared at him but didn’t reply anything.
No matter what you will save him.
The distant source of lights reflecting in his eyes, sparkling brightly. His front long bangs sticking to his forehead and rest disheveled, he was staring at you. Never dodging your gaze on him, he followed your eyes traveling to his black beaded gothic necklaces of various lengths around his neck with a black long V-neck vest with long white back and a black loose bottom pants. Everything was dirty after being locked up in the arena for almost a week. A smirk appeared on his face when he noticed your long stare at his body.
“Do you like the view? I guess you might have liked it more if we have more light. Right?” His tone was clearly indicating his smugness visible on his face. You didn't look at him and proceeded to hit the chains again. There was a crack sound from one of them and he stared between the broken piece and you. He could see a small smile on your face and he nodded to himself but quickly raised his brows when you stared at him.
“I did it.”
Well, he was happy that you could break it but still he didn’t show his true emotions and you quickly returned to break the other chain. You closed your eyes when you felt the burning of your skin in the ankle from the cut earlier. Your wrist was aching with the repeated activity but you were determined to do it, till the end. With a few more hits, finally you were able to break the other chain. There was a metal box beside you, placing yourself on it, the rod fell from your grasp and you took deep breaths.
Between your breaths, still you managed to call out his name, “Yeosang…run…run away.”
He was still trying to pry off the remaining chains which were snaked around his body. When he heard your voice, especially his name from your mouth. He quickly turned towards you. He noticed your exhausted form leaning in the distance. Throwing away the last chain, quick steps took him to you.
He crouched down and stared at you, “why are you telling me to run away. What about you?”
You shook your head before parting your eyelids to find him near you, so close to you. You couldn't believe it when you noticed the worriedness in his eyes. You both were sweating but you were more exhausted than him. The close up view made your vision more clear to notice his red birthmark beside his left eye.
Everything is still exactly the same.
You fought back the urge to caress his face, to pull him into a hug. You inhaled sharply before looking away, “Run before they can find you.”
“But they will catch you here.” he placed his hands on your knees. You bit your lip when you felt him against your skin, the white flared knee length dress was already torn and dirty in several places from earlier the day but at least you made it possible to set him free.
“I can manage on my own.”
“But I can’t manage to lose you…again.”
Your head shot up and your wide eyes stared at him, “again?”
Both of you heard banging of the metal door to your side in the far, your scared eyes glanced at the direction of the sound and quickly looked back at him, “they are here. Go Yeosang. You need to run.”
He retreated his palms from your knees, you curled your fingers at the loss of contact but still you strongly held your gaze on him. So, he would be going away, far away from you. You wiped your tears and looked down at your lap.
A hand suddenly extended in front of you, surprising you when you looked at the owner. No emotion was visible on his face but you could feel him getting impatient with every passing second. He should run away. Wasting a little time would make his chance of running away impossible. You stared at his hand.
“Come on. We are going together. Let’s go fast.”
You shook your head, “No No. This is not possible. I’m not going with you.”
He rolled his eyes before grabbing your wrist and pulled you on your feet. Your protests were only to be ignored by him when he started running to the other direction from the door.
“Yeosang. Leave my hand. I can’t go.”
“Keep quiet. They will catch us before we can run away.”
Your lips curled up at his response. He repeated your words from earlier. Both of you skipped over some old wooden and metal objects lying all around you. The place was dark, only the source of moonlight and tower lights were illuminating all around. The wide arena was lining by a lot of rooms and you didn't know anything about this place so you frantically looked around when you tripped on a broken wooden chair lying down.
“Be careful.” His voice was deep but the caring was felt softly.
You nodded your head and followed behind. Well, you don't have any more options. He was holding onto your wrist so tightly that you were a child who would run away here and there if he let it loose.
Ending up in the very end room, there were shattered pieces of glasses all around the room and it was too dark from the outside. You were hesitant to enter the room but he assured you to be fine and to trust him.
Trust him….
You trust him…more than he can even think of.
There was a window at the opposite wall but it was too high. The fences were all broken and there was nothing that you could climb onto to reach that high. He left your wrist when he started looking around the room. His wrist which still had the heavy metal holes hit against the metal objects and he cursed under his breath. There was an old wooden shelf but it was not enough to climb and it could not be trusted. Still, he pushed it towards the window and placed it just under the window pane.
“Climb up.”
“Me?”
“Just do it fast. They might find us here soon. Come on, do it.”
You again parted your lips to protest when he swept you off the floor by your waist and held you up so that you could easily rest your upper body on top of the shelf.
“Don't sit on that shelf longer. It might break anytime. Just jump on that window space.”
You did as he told you and held the rod beside the window. A sudden breeze hit you on the face, the view of the vast forest before you was a dark and dense area with trees. Are you really running away? With him?
You turned around to see him looking at the door.
“What happened?”
He signaled you to keep quiet. He held a finger to his lips and he moved closer to the door.
“Yeosang…”
“Jump.”
“No. I did so much to save you only for you to tell me to go away without you.”
He reached near the door and glared at you. Why? Peeking outside the room, he could hear some footsteps nearby and he quickly stepped near you. You were looking down at him with teary eyes. You can't leave him all alone.
“We don’t have time. Just jump off.”
“I won't jump without you. If they are catching you then I will be here with you. We will both face this together. Please.” You held your hand towards him, “grab it. Don't leave it again like the last time. We will fight this together.”
“Y/n….”
“Yes. I am here for you, Yeosang.”
With a final glance towards the door, he quickly ran towards the shelf, “it’s you.” he sadly smiled. You nodded and urged him to quickly get on the wood. His first attempt went in vain when his foot slipped and he got a scratch on the knee. He cursed to himself and tried again but the next following attempts were again not a success. But the last attempt was successful when you held his biceps and gripped tightly. But the shelf was losing its balance so he placed his foot beside you on the window space. He was breathing heavily but still you both smiled towards each other.
“You did it, Yeosang.”
“For you.”
You nodded and turned around, “we need to jump.”
You didn't notice but he was still staring at you when he suddenly pulled you in a hug. You missed this hug, you missed his warmth against you, you missed the feeling with him. You missed him.
Retreating himself from you, he intertwined his fingers with yours and held it tightly.
With deep breaths, you both glanced towards each other, “Are you ready?”
“Yes! Always with you.”
You both jumped off the window. You whimpered when you felt the pain in your ankle worsened with the jump and he groaned beside you while rubbing his elbow. “Wow, that was high.”
When he noticed your painful expression, he shifted towards you and held your face in his palms, “is it paining?”
“Yes. I don't think I can run anymore.”
He shook his head when he caressed your cheeks and his eyes wandered around your face when he noticed a few cuts and purple marks, the corner of your lips had dried blood similar to his. Both of your conditions were almost the same. He kissed your lips, catching you off guard.
“I will take you to our destination.”
You were still lost in the thought that he kissed you a few moments before. The feelings of his lips against yours was still lingering on you and you kept looking at him. “But where are we even going?”
“Captain is waiting for us.”
Your eyes went wide with the expectation, “you mean Hongjoong?”
He chuckled and held you in bridal style before standing up, “Yes. Our captain, Joong.”
“Do you think he will let me board his ship?”
Your question made him stop in his tracks. He stared down at you in his arms. You avoided locking eyes with him so you averted your gaze everywhere except on him.
“Look at me, y/n. Please.”
His plea ached your heart when you turned to look at his hard stare on you which quickly softens, “no matter what. He would never blame you. You were never the part of that life which I forced on you one day. You always belonged to this place but, It was me who held you hostage in the ship. So, it was all natural for you to run away.”
“But I didn't want to.” You said quietly.
He again resumed walking. Now, when his ears perked up with some shuffle sounds and shouts from a distance, he was no longer walking. He made a run towards the shore. He knew very well the direction to the secret way to the pirate ship. Wooyoung had taught him all the hidden ways to escape the place but somehow earlier today when he came to save him, he had to run away because one of the guards went inside to keep an eye on the hostage.
You continued when you looked at his frowning face glancing at you often to ask so many things but he couldn't as he was running with you, “I loved being with you. With all of you. You are my only family, Yeosang. I didn’t run away because I wanted to. I did it to save you.” you scoffed, “but still you got yourself caught.”
He remained quiet.
Soon, he reached the shore where the pirate ship was visible and few figures were leaning against the railing of the ship. He put you down on your feet near the plank and was breathing heavily.
“Are you okay?” you asked him softly.
He nodded, “you are heavy.”
You scoffed, “I hit the chains with that heavy iron rod earlier. To save you. I don't know why you let your ass get caught every time.”
“So that you can save me again.”
“Yeosang, it’s not funny.”
He held your shoulders to face him, he planted a kiss on your forehead and smiled, “Thank you. You saved me so many times. I owe you so much. I love you, y/n.”
“I have loved you since the day you called me as your family on the ship. I love you. I really love you, yeosang.”
He again kissed you and this time it was not a quick one. You kissed him back and pulled him towards you more. Tears falling down from both of your eyes. The longing feelings of both of the presence was all visible in the desperation of the kiss.
Someone cleared his throat beside both of you and you quickly pulled apart. Yeosang noticed the person to his side and rolled his eyes.
“Wooyoung.” he groaned when calling his mate’s name.
“Um…you both here? I mean that’s good…but how? Am I seeing things? Are you ghosts?” he placed his hands over his mouth and his eyes were wide.
“Shut up, wooyoung. I saved his ass earlier and now I’m back to my family.”
He squealed and ran towards you before engulfing you in a hug,” y/n…you are finally here.”
“Yes I am.” You said and patted his back.
Yeosang rolled his eyes, “well won’t you welcome me back? I am alive after you left me alone.”
You laughed at their interaction and bicker.
Wooyoung lead the way to climb up the ship and Yeosang pulled you closer to him, “we are back to our home.”
“Yes, we are. Together.”
When you both reached the deck of the ship, Hongjoong and Seonghwa turned towards both of you, “Yeosang?...and y/n.”
The said man proudly walked with you towards him and smiled, “my birdy saved me again.” He placed his hand around your shoulder.
“Really?” Captain asked in surprise but he was thankful.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed back here or not but I’m always by the side of Ateez. Also, I have collected a lot of information about the guardians.”
Seonghwa nodded and Hongjoong chuckled, “if you leave, Yeosang will follow you back. And, we are not mad with you, y/n. you are always welcome back to the ship.”
You looked towards Yeosang who was already staring at you, “Yeosang…”
“Let’s go inside…you are hurt. Let’s talk there while I patch you up.”
You nodded and let him guide you to the medic room.
Entering the familiar room after so many months brought back the memories of you both spending time together in there and you mentally thanked to stumble into the ship that day.
“Did you miss this place?” He was searching for all the things he needed and he cursed when he noticed Yunho had misplaced few things again.
You sat on the bed and nodded, “I missed this place……and you. This room is nothing without you. We have so many memories together here.”
“I never felt the same here after you left. I was again all alone with my own life and thoughts.”
He kneeled down in front of you to patch your leg and he noticed the amount of blood it was oozing out. He did all the step by step process to patch you and when it was done he was about to stand but you held him in place before crouching down in front of him and held his elbow, “ let me do it for you.”
“It’s okay, y/n. Don’t worry.”
“Yeosang, we promised that we will face everything together and that means we will take care of each other too. Now come on let me help you.”
There was a fondness in his eyes and you followed the steps he had once taught you.
When you both were done, you wrapped your arms around him and placed your head against his chest, “what happened, y/n?”
“I can’t believe you are here with me.” He smiled hearing your soft murmur against his bare chest. Your breath hitting against his warm skin and your ear picking up his heartbeat. You closed your eyes to feel the moment. Only with him.
He patted your back before stroking your head, “and this time neither of us is going anywhere. You know why I’m always back home and on my right track with you?”
“Because you can’t save yourself?” You smiled in the end of your question but quickly looked up. He cupped your face, “maybe I can’t but that’s not the point.”
“Then?”
“It’s because you are my little blue bird.”
The bird who always helps him to navigate back to his home. Like a ray of light of hope, you always showed him the hope to return to the family every time and brought the joy. And this time, his bird saved him again but also, he saved his bird from wandering around.
Note: please I want to thanks to people for reading and reblogging. Reviews are always appreciated. Spread love not hate.
Taglist: @mymoodwriting @justhere4kpop @anyamaris @yeoobin @icchyi @jwnghyuns @piratequeen-queenofgames @dinonuguaegi @oreharuuu @hwanring @sanwifesstuff @kiwiisnthereoops @kiwiraccoon @hyuukah @kazscara @aceofspadesbiofalltrades @nvdhrzn @meowmeeps @vtyb23 @haechansbbg
[open!]
#kvanity#ateez#ateez x reader#ateez imagines#ateez fanfic#ateez au#yeosang x reader#yeosang fluff#ateez yeosang#yeosang imagines#pirate ateez#ateez pirate au#yeosang scenarios#ateez scenarios#ateez lore#ateez storyline#ateez x you#ateez x y/n#ateez x atiny#ateez ff#ateez fic#ateez fluff
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[1:50 am to 3:30am]
yet to be edited written on spot
paring: pirate!yunho x mermaid!reader
(reader does have legs so?? also background poly!ateez so yeah but it's literally not mentioned..)
sleep had never come easy to you and tonight was no different. the sway of the ship should have lulled anyone to sleep. especially considering the exhaustion you felt after working in the sun all day. being a pirate was no joke, even if your crew enjoyed messing about most of the time. still, you began to feel antsy while lying there. so with a sigh, you haul yourself over the side of your bed. your feet recoil when they hit the floorboards. the cool and slightly damp wood sending a shock up your spine. forcing you to be fully awake. standing you grab your shawl that was resting on your nightstand next to you and wrap it around your shoulders. not bothering with shoes, you continue towards your door. it opens with a slight creak as you begin waking quietly through the hall.
you made your way up the few stairs leading to the main deck. the night breeze blows through your hair as you walk across to the side of the ship. the moon is standing full in the sky, surrounded by billions of tiny stars. you run your hand along the railing tracing the carvings on them. you feel content as you close your eyes and breath in the salty air. you open them again to look back out towards the sea. the glittering waves pull you in as you lean further onto the rails. you could probably fall over if you weren't careful.
a hand on your shoulder jolts you back to reality. turning, you see yunho standing there. sleep was still in his eyes and his is hair sticking up in every which way. "hey what are you doing up?", his voice was slightly scratchy but you could still hear a hint of concern. "I'm fine, I just couldn't sleep.", you hoped you'd be convincing enough for him to go back to his cabin but he only seemed to be more worried. his eyebrows furrowed as he turned you to face him. eyes searching yours as you stood silently waiting for him to say something. but instead he gently tugged your shawl closer to you and gave you a tentative smile.
yunho had always been kind to you. even when you first got there. you remembered it like it was yesterday, it was a few years ago after you had been caught by another crew and were being used to find some 'chromer'. you were angry and scared, lashing out at anyone and anything. he got the brunt of your anger after he and his crew saved you from that ship. they too were after said 'chromer' but told you that you could be free if you wanted but, you were also plenty welcome to join. at first, you didn't even consider staying with them. 8 strangers 8 pirates? you've had one too many bad experiences with the like. and you were itching to swim far-away from any sort of humans. but you were bound to stay due to the injuries you had sustained on your legs, which obviously you needed if you wanted to go anywhere.
be it by fate, destiny, or any other form of divine intervention you grew attached to the crew. sure it was bumpy at first, but after some time you fell into place with the lot of them. sometimes it felt like you were always meant to be there. at least according to wooyoung, you'd never admit it yourself even if you did feel that way too. said boy and you grew close rather quickly, his bright personality meshed well with your own and the rest was history. but yunho was different. you weren't sure why he had always seemed a bit hesitant to really befriend you. You'd seen him laugh and play with the others just fine, and even seen him buddy up quick to fellow tavern goers while you were at a rest stop. whatever it was, you tired not to let it bother you. despite the dull ache of your heart. even so, he was always checking up on you, making sure you felt included, helping you if you needed while training ect. but that really was the extent of it. he never joined in while you and the others would hang out. he always sat two or three seats away from you during dinner, even if it was just the two of you. you often wondered if maybe he just didn't care for you beyond that. beyond his naturally attentive and friendly nature. but something about the way your eyes would catch always told you other wise. and during times like tonight when you were alone, he'd take your hand and smile. nothing outrageous. but it still made your heart skip a beat and hope that maybe he did care for you more than he let on.
I just deleted the whole ending.🤣🤣🤣🙂😐🥹🥲 it's fine tho I didn't like it anyways but I would have liked to reread it at least... anyways I'm leaving it like this for now. I'll finish it proper later
I couldn't choose who to base this with so ofc I chose yunho...my brain cannot be controlled..
I really wish I could just transfer my brain into a movie into a script for you but this is the best we're gonna get.
#ateez imagines#ateez#yunho#ateez fic#fic ideas#drabbles#ateez fluff#pirates#pirate ateez#jung wooyoung#wooyoung#poly ateez x reader#ateez x reader#ateez x you#jeong yunho#i'm embarrassed#sigh
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ETERNITY {K.H.J}
group: ateez
member : Hongjoong (but the other members are main characters)
au : Pirate!Ateez, Pirate Captain!Hongjoong x Siren!Reader
wc : enough. -knife emoji- (3.4k)
content warnings: does watching someone sleep count as a warning? San eats shit once but he's fine, reader is mentioned being naked again with mildly suggestive language if you squint.
summary : A siren with a yearning for adventure and a knack for getting information crosses paths with a pirate captain and his eccentric crew in a race against time and other pirates to reclaim a long lost sunken treasure. Will they succeed? or will the captain and the siren get more than they bargained for?
spirit box (a/n): Changed one of the pictures to The Birth of Venus bc who's more fitting in a story about sirens than Aphrodite? anyway apologies for how filler-y this is in that not much really happens beyond some bonding but this chapter made me feel warm and fuzzy writing it. the next one is gonna have some action so stay tuned! also the dice game mentioned in the story was in Pirates of the Caribbean :)
2: Part of the Ship, Part of the Crew
You were fast asleep, the dramatics of yesterday's storm and rescue tiring yourself and the crew to the point where, after they had provided you with clothing and food, you all fell asleep fairly quickly. At least to your knowledge, what you and the crew failed to notice was the captain staying awake through the night, looming on the top of the stairs that led down to the lower deck. As attractive as he found you, he wasn’t fully trusting of you. Not yet. A fact you knew and respected. You would feel the same way if the roles were reversed. So, he watched you…
All night.
He justified himself that he wasn’t creepy, he was protecting his crew.
The next morning, most of the boys were up and moving early to make sure the ship was in good condition to keep sailing and repair any damages taken by the vicious storm. They were just about ready to set sail, the last thing they needed was a heading, which was where your end of the deal came in. He sent Yunho down to wake you up, figuring that you trusted him the most out of all of them for his kindness back at the docks. In theory, Yunho’s job was easy. Wake up a siren. In practice? He was a pirate tasked with waking up one of the most dangerous things in history to pirates. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, the boards beneath his feet squeaking slightly with each shift. The more he sat there and batted around the possibility of you freaking out and mauling him in his head, the more he inadvertently watched you sleep. It clicked in his brain that he was approaching this all wrong. You saved one of the crew and only offered help to the captain. Yunho took the bet that someone that would do that would think twice before waking up swinging and watching you sleep so peacefully calmed him just enough to approach you.
The first thing that hit you was the smell. Salty and dank. You were on a ship. The memories of yesterday came back as you slowly returned to consciousness to realize someone was nudging you awake on the shoulder. You blinked a few times before your vision adjusted and you followed the arm on your shoulder up to his face to recognize the same guy you had seen in the bar and spoke to on the docks. You cleared your throat “Yunho, right?” you had pulled the name from the other man you had saved calling him that when you first came aboard. His face immediately changed from apprehension to a calm smile and he let out a sigh. A deep part of him still half expected you to maul him. Yunho nodded “I never did catch your name.” he responded and you quickly gave it to him, slightly embarrassed the crew had seen you naked and didn’t know your name yet. He nodded again “a pleasure to formally meet you. The captain has requested for you to help with the heading. You can get dressed and head on deck.” You thanked him and he gave you a smile that warmed your soul and left with that. The clothes they gave you had been provided by Wooyoung given that he is close to your size however the clothes and boots still fit slightly loose but the clothes would serve their purpose until you got to a port.
The warm sun hit your face as you inhaled the salty morning air as you stepped on deck. You closed your eyes and listened to the sounds, the creaking of the ship as it swayed gently from the waves, the calling of the seagulls that circled the crows nest, and the voices of the crew bustling behind you. You had never felt more at peace. The deck of a ship below your feet and nothing but open sea and the horizon in front of you. This was home.
“Good morning, pretty. Did you sleep okay?”
The voice knocked you out of your moment of reverie and you turned quickly to see the captain. His blonde hair was held back by a red and black bandana today with a simple white shirt and brown vest with black pants and boots. He also wore a brooch with a symbol that looked like a compass but was slightly different. Regardless, he looked immaculate as ever which was still shocking to you for a pirate. His playful flirt and kindness regarding your condition caught you off guard a bit but it called back again to the first time you were on his ship and could be dismissed as he was checking to make sure you were still able to hold up your end of the deal. Which, as revealed by a conversation with Yeosang his cartographer this morning, they were painfully lost. So if you could find your way over his cartographer who he would trust to guide him blind, Hongjoong would be thoroughly impressed. “Good morning, Captain. I slept well, thank you. Let’s not beat around any bushes, may I see your maps?” You wanted to get the heading out of the way as soon as you could so you could be sailing before the morning was over and Hongjoong respected that.
He grinned warmly and nodded before leading you over to the back of the deck near his quarters. Instead of that door however, he opened the one beside it to a smaller side room that you figured to be their chart room. At the table in the center of the room was another member of the crew with short black hair and a face that looked like it was carved from marble. He looked up upon the opening of the door and stood up to come around the table and introduce himself. “Pretty, this is our cartographer, Yeosang. He’ll answer any questions you have but will not assist you in charting a new course. That you have to do on your own. Bring it to me when you’re done.”
“My name is-”
“I know your name. Yunho told me.”
The captain's response should have been cold but the evident smirk on his face and slightly playful tone as he left the room said otherwise. The door shut and Yeosang immediately spoke “Hongjoong is just testing you. Being a pirate is a lot more psychological warfare than you think. You need to be able to withstand anything being thrown at you. That's why it's not only important to be strong but smart as well.” Yeosang’s voice hit your ears like warm honey and it instantly warmed you to his presence. He had a point and you knew that pirates often negotiated on neutral territory at ports from having witnessed it. Outsmarting your opponent was just as important as overpowering them. You just never expected it to come in the form of flirting with a smile that dazzled even you whose job it was to tempt people. You nodded at him and cleared your throat, putting punctuation on that conversation. “Okay, show me everything you know as of right now. Where you last knew for certain where you were, predictions, estimations. Everything.” Yeosang turned and led you back to the table to provide everything you asked for while still maintaining the guidelines of the agreement.
You threw yourself at the maps for what felt like days but in reality was probably only an hour and a half, creeping into mid-morning. You made little in terms of headway. Once Yeosang had provided all the information he could, he left to let you chart on your own. You slumped down in the chair at the desk and put your head in your hands. You were incredibly lost. You were currently in a part of the ocean you weren’t incredibly familiar with and judging by the time of the last known location, they had strayed at least 75 miles off course but likely more. You could rule out that you weren’t near the islands because the distance traveled would mean you would be close enough to see them if you’d been headed in the right direction. You would have known if they had got turned around because you would have passed Tortuga again so that left two directions you could be, either far West of the island or far South East of the island if the ship had suddenly turned East before reaching the island. Your destination having been revealed to you by Yeosang to be another pirate sanctuary port by the name of Libertia, a two day journey from Lucaria island where the shipwrecked key is supposed to be around. You didn’t know anything beyond the two possible directions you could be and that frustrated you. You couldn’t wait for night to use the stars as being sent off course has already set the crew behind the rest of the pirates headed to Libertia. You needed to solve this. Fast.
You groaned and picked your head up, taking a cursory glance around the room and its various shelves stocked with books, maps, and charting tools. As if fate was listening to you, your eyes caught something that cracked your whole mystery wide open.
A book on ocean currents.
You unceremoniously clambered out of the chair, nearly tripping and slamming into the shelf. You ripped the book off the wall before skimming the table of contents for the section of ocean you were in. You were overjoyed again to see that the waters East of Libertia and West of it had very different currents which means you’d be able to find the answer you needed. You just had to get in the water. Which you would need the captain's permission for so it didn't look like you were jumping ship. You put your hand on the handle of the door and took a deep breath before swinging it open. You squinted as your eyes adjusted to the much brighter light and a voice behind you spoke again. “Have my heading?” You turned around to see the captain perched above you, leaning over the railing in front of the helm of the ship. The other crew was milling around either above deck or presumably below, leaving your presence unnoticed by everyone but the captain. “Almost. I need to get in the water. The current will tell me where we are.” He simply gestured toward the side of the ship and you thanked him as you approached it; however you could still feel his eyes on you, making sure you didn’t try to cut and run. You didn’t plan on it.
He meant to look away when you started stripping, he really did, but the way your hair fell down your back just so and the curve of your hips left him thoughtless for a moment before being ripped from his thoughts by San catching his foot in a line Mingi was tying and falling flat on his face, dropping the crate he was caring from below deck with a loud slam. By the time he looked back, you had jumped. You hit the water and felt instantly refreshed as you adjusted quickly. You took a swim in the form of a lap around the ship to stretch out a bit before settling still in the water to be able to feel the direction the water was pulling you. You began to float further West and instantly knew your heading. You darted back on board before putting your clothes back on at lightning speed before nearly sprinting back to the charting room. Hongjoong saw you in a flash and turned to Yunho who was preparing the helm to sail. “Guess we’re about to know where we’re going.” Yunho shrugged and the captain laughed dryly before shaking his head in disbelief.
With your new knowledge in hand you were able to plot a course for the time being until the night where you could plot a more precise course with the stars but for the moment, you had a heading. You snatched the map from the table and quickly ascended the stars to the helm and to the waiting captain and helmsman, Yunho. You showed them the map and explained your estimations for the heading finishing with “I’ll have the full thing tonight but for now, we head North East.” Yunho nodded, agreeing with your knowledge and Hongjoong sighed. “Alright, North East it is but you’re not off the hook until we see Libertia.” his words were stern and not to be questioned so you didn’t. He told you to go hunt down another member of the crew for some breakfast and then hang around until night and continue your plotting. Below deck, you found the member, named Jongho, in the room that fit a table big enough for all the members but only contained the ones you recognized as San and Wooyoung deep in conversation as well as another crew mate with messy brown hair and another with straight black hair. The one you saved from the water. This was the first time you’d seen him since and you were pleased to see him in seemingly good health as he quietly munched on his breakfast. “Good morning, glad to see you’ve adjusted well although I can’t say I'm shocked for someone who spent their life in the ocean.” you giggled slightly at Jongho’s joke and nodded “Thank you for welcoming me.” “Well when you save one of our own from certain death. The least we can do is give you breakfast.``He handed you a plate of things like sausage and bread as well as some fruit, and gestured for you to sit. You looked amongst the table and saw that San and Wooyoung had noticed you and waved happily and you gave them a smile back but chose to sit at the end of the table, one seat down and across from the mystery member you saved.
Soon after, San, Woo and the other brown haired member had left to go tend to their duties as by this point, the ship had begun sailing. Jongho was quietly cleaning in the back of the room as mystery man finished his meal and handed his plate to Jongho who took it and thanked him. You thought he would just walk out and that would be the end of it but he stopped at the end of the table, almost right in front of you. You looked up at him and he sighed but you waited patiently to see if he would speak. “Thank you. For saving my life. I thought I was going to die as soon as I went over and I probably would have if it hadn’t been for you so, thank you. I'm Seonghwa. I'm the first mate.” His voice was smooth and calm, much like Yeosang’s but not as deep. You felt the sincerity in his words and introduced yourself in return and he gave you a slight smile and left without another word.
After your breakfast, Hongjoong didn’t have much for you to do as everyone filled their tasks well on the ship. This left you sitting at the bow, soaking in the sunlight in the mid hours of the afternoon. That was until a voice called to you. “Hey! Would you want to join us?” you turned your head to see that San, Woo and the last unknown member sitting at a table they had set up in the shade that the risen helm deck provided. You walked across the deck and approached the table to see them playing the Liar’s Dice Game. a common game among pirates. You had played and seen it been played countless times at the bar back on Tortuga. Woo quickly got up and grabbed a fourth chair for the table from below deck, allowing you to sit across from the member that was introduced to you by San as Mingi, another deckhand. “Do you know how to play?” Woo asked, causing you to scoff playfully and roll your eyes. “I've played this so many times I could smoke you in my sleep.” The table was first shocked at your boldness but Woo quickly came back with
“Well put the dice where your mouth is then!”
“You’re so on.”
Hongjoong watched from above as you played with the members of his crew, bantering, laughing and joking like you’d known them their whole lives. As well as handily kicking their asses with your bold proclamations of dice ratios. As much as Hongjoong tried to distance himself from you and be untrusting, you kept giving him reasons to trust you. You melded well with his crew, understanding their quirks immediately and bonding with them at record speed and as far as he could tell, put them back on course, recognizing an island they passed a while back as one on the route to Libertia. You were three for three so far and that meant well on Hongjoongs end. Not only would you be a great help with your abilities as a siren helping him find and reclaim his lost Cromer but also a good crew mate. Only time will tell.
You had to stop playing once the sun set, much to the chagrin of the other players, but you had a job to do. You took a map and your charting instruments up to the bow of the ship where you could see most of the night sky and got to work charting. With the use of the constellations, pinpointing your position was easy now and you confirmed that your earlier predictions were right and had put the ship back on the right course which you cheered to yourself about. You spent a few hours checking and rechecking your calculations late into the night just to make sure you were correct. You were just about wrapping up when you heard the tapping of boots walk across the what should be silent deck as the crew should be sleeping. You picked your head up and were met with the captain approaching with his hands in his pockets. He shed the vest and bandana he was wearing earlier, leaving him with just the flowy white shirt he had. “Good evening.” he greeted once he was close enough. “Good evening, Captain.” “May I join you?” you nodded and he walked a little closer before sitting with his back against the rail across from you. Thanks to the way the bow came to a point this left a comfortable couple feet of distance between you, enough to hold a conversation without being too loud.
“I'm almost finished.” You assured him and he nodded “That’s fantastic but that’s not what I came out here for.” You paused your work to hear what he had to say, feeling like this needed your full attention. He took your silence as an invitation to continue. “I didn’t want to trust you at first. You know that I'm sure. The information seemed too good to be true but time and time again you have proved me wrong and so far haven’t given me any reason not to trust you.” He paused to take a breath before continuing. He closed his eyes and dropped his head “You should know that you saving Hwa means more to me than you think. He’s…very important to me. One of my closest friends. For the first year it was just me and him operating the ship. I was absolutely crushed when I discovered he went over. It felt like I was losing everything. First the Cromer, now him. It made me question if I was even worthy of being a captain anymore.” Your heart ached for him. He’d clearly been through a lot of hardships in his time and you felt incredibly touched he was sharing this with you. He looked up at you again and continued to speak “Then you came. And it was like everything was fixed. Like you were the last piece I needed. You saving Hwa, your information. Like it was gift wrapped. Seeing you with the crew today, it gave me new hope. Thank you. I hope you stay with us because I know your charts will be right.” He finished with a smile that you returned before making a bold move and leaning forward to place your hand over his where it was resting on his knee. Joong was shocked to feel his heartbeat a little harder in his chest at the small action but brushed it off as some kind of passive effect sirens had on pirates. “We’ll get the Cromer back. I know it.” The conviction in your words fanned the fire in his belly for reclaiming his lost treasure.
They will find it and he’ll do it with you by his side.
He went to sleep that night not knowing which part of that statement he enjoyed more.
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❥𓂃𓏧THE RING prologue! masterlist
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (SYNOPSIS) Five years ago, the seas became unruly; there were waves large enough to drown islands, storms deadly enough to destroy anything, and monsters big enough to swallow ships. Everyone avoided the waters, never daring to stray too far from the shores. People had adapted to this lifestyle, but things changed for the worse. A report of dark mist swallowing islands and killing everything in its path was made. No one knew what it was. Everyone dreaded it, praying that it wouldn’t reach their islands. Around the same time, things changed for your family as well.
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (PAIRING) merman!seonghwa x fem!reader; pirate!hongjoong x fem!reader
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (WARNINGS) violence. swearing. eventual smut. angst.
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (WORD COUNT) 1k
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (NOTES) I always enjoy feedback, reviews, and asks so don't hesitate to comment/send an ask! It is here! The prologue to The Ring! Since it is still Yeosang Day where I live, this is my contribution to celebrating our irl manhwa prince's birthday. I wanted it to be a little longer but decided that the time skip would be better suited for chapter 1, and I also wanted to let Yeosang shine here, especially because it's his birthday. Anyways, do send an ask to be added to the taglist if you are interested!
It took just one storm to change the world.
Three hundred nautical miles off the coast of Crestshore, you stand on the upper deck of your father’s ship, Fougueux, regarding the horizon. Suddenly, you spot dark clouds that are approaching at a rapid pace. You love storms, but only when you’re on land. Storms bring a sense of peace to the capital of the kingdom of Sirelia, and the aftermath of the storm is stunning. Everything looks like it has been reborn once the storm passes. But on the sea, storms mean nothing but trouble. As you watch this particular storm building quickly, you feel a chill of apprehension deep in your bones, like something is going to happen. This storm is angrier and far stronger than any you have ever seen, and you have seen multiple storms during the thirteen years of your life.
Heavy footsteps approach from behind; the purposeful strides and confident gait of your father cause you to turn around. He, too, is watching the horizon with a frown that mars his usually kind and peaceful disposition.
“You should take shelter in the Captain’s quarters,” he tells you softly, placing a hand on your shoulder and gently guiding you to the aft of the ship.
As you walk down the deck, you can’t get rid of the tingle that runs down your spine, an urgency you can’t seem to find the reason for. As the now rough waves spray you with salty water, a feeble voice cuts through the roar of the angry sea. The voice, though exhausted, carries a musicality that nestles into the deepest reaches of your heart and causes you to break away from your father.
“Y/N!”
You ignore his urgent call and grip the mahogany bannister tightly to keep your balance. You fight against the waves battering your small frame and peek at the waters beneath, only to gasp in horror. Another wave batters against the ship with an aggression that makes you feel as if the waves want to clutch at your dress and drag you down into the ocean. You choke on the salty water but manage to catch sight of the wooden raft and the body of a young boy. He seems older than you, but not by much.
“There– there’s a person,” your words are airy, and you're trembling from head to foot. It is a miracle that your father hears you and rushes into action.
Soon they have the male on deck and in the Captain’s Quarters, where you had been escorted to while the others worked to save the boy you had spotted. Now that you can see him clearly, you let your eyes wander along his frame, taking in every bit of his person. Hugging the blanket closer to yourself, you take in the way the pink strands of hair frame his face despite being sopping wet, like the silken fabric clinging to his frame, tarnished by whatever tragedy this young male had faced. Despite the frayed and ripped edges, you can tell that the fabric is expensive, for it has a shine that puts even the silk exported by your kingdom—known for being the best fabric in the world—to shame.
As you let your eyes follow the high angle of his cheekbones and the delicate elegance of his person, you realise that bruises and scrapes dot his skin. Worried, you approach the unconscious male gently and press two fingers to the pulse point on his neck, just like your tutor had shown you. You’re relieved to feel the faint ebb of blood beneath his skin and release a breath you didn’t know you were holding when you note that there doesn’t seem to be any heavy bleeding.
That night, much after the storm has passed and the healer has tended to the young boy’s injuries, you find yourself by his side, unable to sleep a wink. As you look at the sea from the small window in the cabin, a sense of dread settles in your bones. Something is wrong with the sea, you can’t exactly tell what it is, but there’s a dangerous undercurrent that wasn’t there before.
You hear a weak groan and whip your head towards the boy, only to catch his eyes fluttering open. He gasps for breath and tries to get up, but you press a firm yet gentle hand to his shoulder, urging him to lie back down.
“The healer said you must not move for at least a few days, your ribs are bruised, and you have many other injuries,” you speak in a tone that seems far more mature than what the boy would have expected from a girl your age, and he is surprised. Somehow, you remind him of his friend from back home.
“H-how long was I out?” His voice is slightly raspy from disuse and probably also due to the salty water he had gulped down when he was drowning.
“I’m not sure,” you tell him honestly. “You were unconscious when we fished you out of the sea. Do you want some water?” You add as an afterthought.
The boy nods thankfully, and you bring a glass to his lips, helping him swallow some.
“Where am I?” the boy asks. “And… who are you?”
“You’re onboard Fougueux, and we’re sailing towards the Kingdom of Sirelia,” you answer in a softer tone. “I’m Y/N. And you are…?”
“Yeosang.”
You nod. Finally, you have a name for the pink-haired boy, you are glad that he at least remembered things about himself. The healer had been worried about the possibility that he would suffer from memory loss.
“How did you get here? And where are you from?” you finally ask. You have been curious about it for a while now.
“I don’t remember,” Yeosang mumbles after a while. “The last thing I remember is the storm and huge waves.”
Oh dear, looks like the healer was right, you sigh.
You send him a small smile, though, “That’s okay. You’re safe here, Yeosang. Now, you should get some more rest. I’ll inform the healer that you have woken up and will be back with something for you to eat, you must be famished.”
Yeosang's stomach growls at the prospect of food, and you giggle at the redding of his ears.
ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (Taglist) open, send an ask: @moonis-world @moonm1st @lelaleleb @toxic-babexe @itsokaytobedumb00 @kyume02 @starillusion13
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Please help me find a fic because I swear I read this but I can’t find it anywhere so losing my mind here🫠
This fic was a pirate au type with poly Ateez and MC was a siren or mermaid, I can't remember. And she was raised by a shark and befriended with the shark baby. She lost her necklace from her parents and pirate ateez got her necklace.
After that she and her shark friend lurk around the ship. She tries to lure them to jump into the sea with her singing but fails because she doesn't know how to😂😂. Ateez likes her serenade and she ends up singing every night for them.
As long as I remember, this is an ongoing series. so if you know this fic, please let me know
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The Buccaneer Queen pt. 13
Pirate! ATEEZ x pirate!fem Reader
Genre: fantasy pirate AU, future romance
Warnings: angst, language, potential violence, gore. The characters in this story are purely fictitious and do not portray actual people.
Word count: ~1.5k
Summary: Women are considered bad luck upon the vessels that sail the Seven Seas. Before you became the captain of The Astraea, a witch of sorts cursed you and the crew leaving a physical mark upon your chest just above where your heart would lie. Anyone that sees the Black Standard flying on the black and gold ship knows that they have stumbled upon the Armada of the Damned which is piloted by the Buccaneer Queen.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
Previously on The Buccaneer Queen:
"Thank you, Jamey," you bring the cup of mashed herbs closer to you with a grimace, but stop as you notice that Jamey is fidgeting. "Is everything alright?"
"Seonghwa, he, when we went into town to get the herbs he went missing, and when he came back he was acting differently?" Jamey mumbled, fidgeting with his fingers.
Leaning forward, you pressed, "Different how?"
"Just strange, like he saw a ghost or something."
"I see," you murmur, "thank you for letting me know. I'll keep an eye on him. If anything strange happens, be sure to tell me, alright?"
"Yes, mother," Jamey gives you a quick nod before making his way to the door.
What could've spooked you that bad, Mr. Park? You wonder.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
Over the course of four days that it took to sail back to Port Royal the crew had been hit with varying degrees of weather.
On the second day the crew dealt with blistering heat without a single breeze, and every member who worked on the deck tried escaping to the lower levels to beat the heat.
On the third day the ship had dealt with a freeze. The ship looked stunning as it glistened in the early morning light, however your men weren't prepared for it as they slipped about the top deck. Many curses slipped past their lips, but I guess that's what they call the mouth of a sailor.
Today being the fourth day of sailing you were faced with the brunt of a storm. Rain was splattering against the deck and the downpour was enough to obscure your vision from the helm to the front of the ship. You were soaked to the bone as you tried navigating to the eye of the storm, hoping to get your men a much needed break as they struggled to keep the lines secure as well as the cannons from sliding across the deck.
Tipping your hat down, you watch the water that pooled on the brim pour onto the wood below your feet. Your joints were starting to ache from the prolonged fighting with the rutter of the ship as you tried to maintain the ship's course.
Through the roaring of the wind you heard Wooyoung call from the mizzenmast, "I see light to the east!"
Gritting your teeth you cranked the wheel to the left praying that the ship would cut through the harsh waves with ease. The tingling feeling at the base of your neck was starting to become a dull ache. The extra exertion from the storm was taking its toll on you.
As if sensing your discomfort Hongjoong placed a hand on your shoulder, and you could feel the warmth radiating through your jacket.
"Would you like me to take over?" Hongjoong asked, his voice being carried away in the wind even though he was right next to you.
Glancing over your shoulder you give him a small smile and allow your hands to loosen their grip on the wheel, and Hongjoong slips into place. The moment his hands were on the wheel it was as if the storm had changed. Instead of fighting against the strong hurricane winds the winds now moved with the ship, filling the sails.
"You truly are a lucky man," you tell him, eyes trained on the way the sails fill out.
"I've been told that a time or two," Hongjoong answers, his eyes not leaving the sunspot a naut away.
You only hum in response, feeling too drained to give anything more.
"You should go down to your cabin," Hongjoong tells you, as you finally reach the center of the storm.
"Thank you Hongjoong," you give him a small smile before making your way down the steps.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
Your hand rests on the handle to your quarters, but you couldn’t bring yourself to turn the handle just yet. An odd feeling of being watched makes you look over your shoulder, and you just happen to notice a head of dark hair making their way below deck. You stare at the spot for a moment longer before letting your gaze travel across the deck then up to the masts. Your gaze settles on Wooyoung and then Yunho who seem to be conversing, but from your spot you can't hear what's being said. Finally, you direct your attention back to your cabin door and push your way inside.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
Sharp eyes watching from the birds nest notice the lingering looks that are far too quizzical to be comforting, and the hushed whispers that are carried just enough on the breeze to hear bits and pieces that the boatswain are discussing. Store, witch, and disappear, meet Jongho's ears. His presence seems unknown to the men below him, and he can only assume that something must've gone wrong right before they were scheduled to leave Tortuga.
All things are brought to light eventually, Jongho thinks, deciding it was time to look through his spyglass once more. They should be reaching the other side of the hurricane soon, at least sooner than he would like. It feels like the break they got from the whipping winds and harsh ocean waves was far too short, and they have been dealing with the poor weather since the early morning.
Signing through his nose, he adjusts the few belongings he brought up to the nest. Getting ready to tie his items down so he can help the rest of the crew when it comes time to secure items in place once again.
Strapping his nap sack down he climbs down the small ladder that connects to the main mast, and as he approaches the two boatswain stop discussing and greet him. He gives them a small greeting before climbing down the rigging to join San and Mingi.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
"I'm telling you Mingi, things are just getting stranger everyday," San vents, tightening one of the ropes that had loosened on one of the canons.
"I never said I didn't believe you," Mingi answers, wiping his brow.
"There's so much that's just in the dark, and I want to figure out what it is. Why is our new captain being so secretive? What is so important that she can't share it with the rest of the crew," San grunts, yanking the rope with more vigor than he meant.
"I'm sure we will find out soon enough, what's important is to keep an open mind," Mingi reasons, stretching his arms above his head. "Besides, we have more pressing matters right now before we get to Port Royal."
San takes one look at the darkening sky and nods, "yeah, you're right about that. Let's get going."
Mingi checks his work one more time before following the olive haired man below deck.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
Slumping into a chair in the medbay, Seonghwa visibly deflates as he feels a migraine starting. How is it that they go from being imprisoned for piracy and doomed to be hung the following morning, to signing their lives away to another pirate any better? And to make it worse, he met the witch that had cursed the Astrea and doomed anyone who joined the crew.
His mind wanders to the hags shop, the one that disappeared into the stone wall once he stepped foot out of the establishment. It's not like he got the full story from the witch, she seemed too panicked to bother with him. But the whole experience was rather unsettling. From the blade that cut him, to the smoke billowed in shades of green, to the store immediately being thrown into darkness right after. It just left a sour taste lingering in his mouth.
He felt guilty, it felt wrong to go against someone who was willing to work with them. At the same time though, anger swirled in the pit of his stomach. Oh bow Seonghwa wanted the answers to fall in his lap, and he knew that those would be hard to get. For all he knows, pirates lie. Or at least manipulate the truth to something that benefits them.
Rubbing a hand over his eyes, he settles into his spot. He knew one thing for certain. He would play whatever little game you were conducting, and he was going to see to it that you weren't successful.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
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