#seonghwa x hongjoong

[pirateprincessblog]

Cry For Me 》 P. Seonghwa

I make these to help you visualise! But you are free to imagine whatever you like :)

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𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔:

One

Two

Three (in progress...)

𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫.: you promised your friend. you asked for forgiveness and gave a promise that you wouldn't even look her father's way. it isn't your fault that you suck at keeping promises. 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: psh x reader x khj 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 6.5k 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: best friend's father seonghwa, seonghwa's business partner hongjoong, smut, angst, bits of fluff 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: swearing, nsfw scenes, unprotected sex, voyeurism, dacryphilia 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: had to include both of my biases :D

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲.

༻♡༺

The pastry shop was flooded with people. It was Monday, which meant new specials were added to the menu. Your special Butcher of Blaviken piece of cake was long forgotten. You didn't even get a chance to taste the inviting red frosting. Oh, to be in the Witcher world now instead of being lectured by your friend. Henry Cavill would understand.

"You didn't think about it affecting us? You didn't fear about losing me as you did it?"

You're numb to the words. Her father fucked the thoughts out of you and you couldn't seem to feel any guilt in you. Yet, you didn't want to lose her. She was the only one who could keep up with your mood swings and random obsessions with movies and books that come and go. She was the only one that returned the energy you'd give her.

"Damn it, answer me! What the fuck were you thinking? How the fuck did you even manage to do it? He doesn't fuck anyone since mom left!"

People are staring, those sitting getting their chairs closer. Your friend is giving them a free show and they're willing to take it.

"I swear to God-"

"I wasn't thinking." You say, looking directly into her eyes.

"What?"

"I was not," you get closer, making sure not to break eye contact, "thinking."

"How the fuck did it happen? How did you convince him?"

The amount of the word fuck would even impress Geralt- well, you get it. I have an obsession with Henry Cavill. Little fourth wall break here. Okay, let's continue. No more, I promise.

Your calmness is angering her even more. She doesn't seem to understand how unaffected by all of this you are. You don't feel guilt simply because Mr Park agreed to all of it. In fact, you had already given up on your plan. He came to you and started it all over again.

"I was snooping around his library and he came, we hit it off and that's all you need to know."

"He came to you?" She laughs in disbelief.

"He came to the library, not me."

Frustrated, she groans and drops her head on the table. You glance at the cake, the chocolate Wolven sword on top of it as inviting as Mr Park in his unbuttoned shirt.

"Listen, I cannot undo what happened. Truthfully speaking, I wouldn't even if I could."

The girl raises her head, her angered look changing into the one of disappointment. You try putting yourself into her situation. You'd feel hurt, sure. But as long as it is a one-time thing, you're sure you'd get over it. It's not like Mr Park will declare his love to you and make you his new wife and her step mother. And that's what you tell her, causing her to calm down a bit.

"Didn't you make similar comments about Wren's dad? That you'd give him anything he'd ask for, if only he approached you?"

She seems offended that you remembered and mentioned that. Still, she remains calm. Her eyes are fixed behind you, concentrating on the moving line of people that are no longer interested in your conversation.

"It was just a one-time thing. It won't happen-"

"I miss mom."

And just like that, she breaks down. Your heart shatters when the first tear rolls down her cheek. After all, she is still her dad's little girl. And no matter what Mrs Park did, she was still her mother.

"Hey-"

"Just let me do what I need to do." She says, her voice trembling as words left her mouth. "I just need to let it out."

"You sure you want to do that here?" You ask, careful not to make her angry again.

She sits silent for a few moments. Her eyes are fixed on the traffic outside, a tear rolling down her cheeks every other moment. You've never seen her so helpless and vulnerable. She is always collected, calm, and usually the one to cheer people up. Now, when it's your turn, you don't know what to do.

"I could do it in a dressing room at Zara." She laughs, then sniffs. "Want to join me?"

And just how can you say no to her?

It is noon when you enter her house. Both of you are drowning in various bags full of clothes. She is an entirely different person than she was this morning. As if it didn't happen at all. You're watching her as she skillfully carries all her bags up the stairs and into her room. You almost trip and fall multiple times, yet you are determined to get there on your own, without any help. She laughs at you from the top of the stairs, then announces that she is going to take a shower.

You balance the bags in your hands, eyes glued to the marble stairs which shined brighter than diamonds under the expensive chandelier. Once you reach the top of the stairs, you put the items on the floor so you can correct your posture and crack your back. You hear a thump, then shuffling. With horror, you watch as two bags start rolling down the stairs. All of its contents are spilling on the way down, and all you can do is watch and hope they'll stop at some point.

But when they do, they stop in front of a pair of polished black shoes. Your eyes stay fixed on the Victoria's Secret pink bag, somehow hoping that if you're not looking at him, he will disappear. Pale slender fingers come into sight, the pointer finger hooked under the handle of the bag. Your eyes follow as he raises it to his head level.

"I think you might've dropped something." He speaks first.

You're not sure what to say. Or do. So you continue to stand like a deer on a highway, your feet refusing to move. Since you're already staring, you take a few more moments to admire the changes on him. His hair is darker than the last time, and not as fluffy. His lips have a red tint, and you notice a slight shadow at the corners of his eyes. He is wearing a black turtleneck, paired with perfectly ironed pants and a belt. He is effortlessly perfect.

He chuckles, then bends over to pick up the items laying on the white tiles. Your legs and brain finally make a signal, and you are running down to yank the items away from him. Your movements are rushed and clumsy, and all the clothes are landing outside the bag instead of inside it. From the corner of your eyes, you realise that he has stopped helping. Instead, he is standing again, his attention now on something else.

You wish the ground could swallow you. A piece of fabric lays on his delicate fingers, thumb caressing the lace as a smirk forms on his tinted lips. He is holding your newest holiday edition lingerie set. It is as red as your cheeks right now, and if you didn't look away, you're sure your head would've exploded from embarrassment.

"Good deal on the set?"

You're not sure if he is trying to lighten the obviously awkward situation, or if he is making fun of you. After all, he is standing there, dripping in designer clothes and looking classier than you. Yet you're standing there, dripping in clumsy and tacky.

"I would never buy something so ugly for a full price." You manage to mumble, then reach for the fabric.

"Ugly? I don't think it's ugly." He pulls his hand away, "It's very... Well, it screams Christmas. And only ten dollars for a full set?"

Unable to read his expression and tone, you stay frozen. You feel so small in front of him. The tone is tugging towards mockery more than towards harmless joking, and you're not feeling comfortable. Tears start to form in the corners of your eyes, your lip slightly trembling. You're a mess, standing in your scattered lingerie and paper bags, in front of your friend's hot father who isn't making you feel as good as last time you saw him.

"Can I please have my things back?" You manage to ask, voice cracking at the end.

His smile drops. The man takes a few moments to examine your body language, and once he realises what he has done, he puts the items in the bags. He takes his time to pick them up one by one, not once looking up at you.

Your sniffles echo through the room, and you're trying your best not to let the tears smear this little makeup you have left on your face. You still have to look a bit decent. Park Seonghwa is now holding the bags in front of you, patiently waiting for you to take them. You carefully soak in the tears with the sleeve of your top. Your eyes avoid his as you reach out to take your belongings. The slight brush of his cold fingers against yours has your stomach going on a rollercoaster. You remember how they felt against your lips as he touched you. You manage to look into his eyes, this time not looking away immediately. You wish to repeat the guilty pleasure. The way he looks down at you makes you want to drop on your knees and give him just what he deserves.

"That look is going to get us both into trouble again, kitten." He whispers.

Still focused on trying not to cry, you don't realise that you are pouting and looking at him through wet eyelashes. He gulps, then glances behind you. He then steps towards you, until you can feel his comforting warm breath on your face.

"That smeared mascara is giving me deja vu."

You immediately remember what he is referring to.

"Will you let me smear that pretty makeup of yours?"

So he gets off to smeared makeup. Ironic, since he always looks so neat and fresh. Not only him, but every area around him too. Your breath hitches as he brings his hand to your cheek, thumb ever so lightly grazing the skin where your tear had started the journey. He wipes it, then brings it over to his mouth. He closes his lips around the thumb, and you see his tongue peeking out a bit to lick the salty liquid off the tip. You are too taken aback by his action, and now you are the one to get a deja vu.

You stood like this in front of him the last time too, only this time, his fingers aren't in your mouth, but in his.

Maybe you spoke to soon, maybe he could read minds. You didn't know. You could only watch as he brings his thumb to caress your bottom lip, as if asking permission for entrance. You grant it to him, ready to give him anything he asks for.

Your core throbs at the way he sensualy massages your tongue with the finger. You allow yourself to get confident, swirling your tongue around it. He lets out a groan, tongue peeking out to wet his lips.

"Don't give me that look, kitten. We can't."

You pull away from his hand, a string of saliva connecting your body parts making both of you feel dazed.

"Then stop fingerfucking my mouth, Sir." You say as politely as you can, tone low with lust.

Before you know it, Mr Park has you slammed against the wall, hands pressed firmly on your waist. You whimper when your back collides with the cold wall, but his actions are quick to distract you. His knee parts your legs, rising a little so that it makes contact with your crotch. You let out a sigh into his mouth, ready to give yourself to him. His fingers press into your cheeks, cupping your jaw so that you can't avoid his gaze. He is looking at you so intensely that you could cum right there on his thigh and knee. The smell of sandalwood and jasmine coming from his neck and chest area is not helping at all. It is inviting, and you don't want to be rude and decline an invitation.

"As much as I'd love nothing more than to fill you up with my cock against this wall right now, until you're staining my wall with your arousal, I'm going to need you to stay away from me."

The tower of fantasies you've slowly started to build suddenly crumbled down under his words. Emotions are erupting inside of you, lust and disappointment merging into each other and creating frustration and sadness. You are sexually frustrated, and this man has done nothing but worsen the situation.

"You'll leave me like this, Mr Park?"

He looks down on your lips, eyebrows furrowed as if thinking about which wire to cut.

Red — the powerful lust growing inside of him. The desire to have you crying under his touch from immense pleasure. The urge to abuse your clit with his tongue until he has you shaking in his arms.

Blue — the fragile relationship with his daughter. He just won her back, and making a fatal mistake like this could mean losing her forever.

Green — harmless flirting and teasing. Messing around and seeing you blush is something he just might get used to.

Park Seonghwa was also very sexually frustrated. But he was also a man with a reputation and half a family. He cannot bring himself to ruin either of the two.

"I want you on your best behaviour, kitten."

You look at him through your lashes again, this time on purpose. His fingers then pull at your hair, exposing your neck to him and causing you to whimper. He looks down at you, and you see yourself in his dilated pupils, drowning in the dark pools of lust.

"I mean it." He says, lips grazing your jaw as he speaks. "Be good for me."

And with that, he steps away from you, giving you one last head to toe checkup. He then turns around and makes his way to the library, leaving you flushed and a mess against the wall. You watch his back as he walks, noticing how huge his shoulders are and how slim his waist is. The things you'd do just to bite into any of those things. If you only had the courage and confidence to seduce him. You can only watch from afar, wishing that he would drop his guard and come to you.

It feels like that evening all over again; him making you yearn for him, then leaving you and disappearing into his space. The promises you gave to your friend are pushed back, and your brain has opened the path doe the thoughts you shouldn't be having. Yet, it's not breaking a promise if he is the one to come to you, is it?

You pick up the bags, this time not letting go of them until you've reached the room. You drop on the bed, face buried into the softest blankets you've ever touched in your life. Your clit is almost pulsating and burning from being all worked up. Touching yourself won't help. It's not the same. You've gotten a taste once, you'll never be able to do it the old way. Park Seonghwa is the only one who can help.

How dare he get so close to you, get you all worked up like that, then tell you to stay away? What kind of sick teasing and torture kinks is he into? Whatever it is, you have already fallen into his trap. You crave him, your body yearns to be touched by his fingers again. Every place on your body he touched on the stairs burns with sensation. You can only let out a frustrated groan before getting up and fixing your hair.

Your eyes examine the abnormally red cheeks and smeared mascara. You looked like you were fucked senseless, not just cornered by your friend's hot father. Although you wish he did the first.

"Professor Gellert gave me this stupid project that needs to be done by tomorrow. I don't know how the fuck I'm supposed to— damn. Are you okay?"

The girl comes in while drying her hair with a towel, eyebrows scrunched with worry as she looks at your reflection in the mirror. Your back is turned towards her, and you're having a hard time looking into her eyes. How can you, when in your mind you're picturing Mr Park forcing your head onto his cock as tears run down your cheeks, just how he likes it?

"Are you sick?"

"The stairs killed me." You laugh it off, pointing at the bags.

"Oh, right." She brushes it off, then throws the wet towel into the basket near the bed. "Do you have a dress for the college celebration next week?"

"I'm not going." You say, remembering how many familiar people will show up.

"Why not?"

"I'm going to have a stomachache then."

You don't even have to look up to know that she is killing you with her stare. Both of you know that you will end up going, you just choose to throw a little tantrum before giving in.

"Your dance partner is so excited for you though."

"I forgot whose name I even pulled. Mind reminding me?"

To avoid having people without a pair, all people were supposed to pull out names. You know you weren't too thrilled about it, but you still can't remember who it was.

"Avan? No, he is with Vic. Oh, Joseph!"

"The Catholic boy?" You ask, now realising why you were so unimpressed.

"No, no, the hot Catholic boy. His hair grew since last summer and his teeth are like, super straight and white. He became the hottest thing to ever walk at that college."

A sigh leaves your lips at the realisation that more money will be reduced from your bank account. You can't go looking basic nor weird. People there aren't the nicest little dandelions, and you are very fragile when it comes to real life. You will need a proper dress, proper heels and equally good makeup. Luckily, you know just the person who will help.

Hours of goofing around, working on the project, and a warning to quiet down from Mr Park due to his business video chat, both of you are asleep. You'd lie if you were to say his stern voice didn't do things to you. He was so good at giving orders, and you are willing to take all of them. Both of you were in your matching satin sleeping dresses, laying on your stomach and watching funny moments of your favorite groups, laughing your heads off and making weird noises on purpose. It was a competition, each of you making a weirder and louder noise than the other. A few screams and laughing fits later, Mr Park Seonghwa knocked on the door. He came in calmly, eyeing up both of you.

"Girls, I have an important meeting and I'm trying to win an opportunity to keep our lives the way they are and not lose everything. Yet, here you are, sounding as if I've kidnapped you and am boiling you alive."

Your smile drops, but your friend remains the same. This tells you that him coming in to intervenire happens more often than you'd think. His usually soft and sparkly eyes are now sharp and serious, his eyebrow raised and his tinted lips going slightly downwards. He is still wearing the turtleneck, only this time he has added a grey coat resting on his shoulders.

"Sorry, dad."

His eyes shift to you, and silence swallows the room. You are taken aback by the intense gaze, and your friend nudges you with her elbow.

"S-sorry, da- Mr Park." You stutter, and your face heats up as soon as you finish the sentence. You wish to crawl out the window and disappear in the bushes. Maybe even cry yourself to sleep there.

Your mission is to seduce him, yet how can you succeed when all you do is embarrass yourself in front of him? He must've lost interest. You are convinced that he is your fantasy come to life, and you simply can't let go. You don't want to let go. Not until you get at least one more taste.

To your surprise, he only hums, then exits the room. You hear his footsteps in the distance, then a door being shut louder than usual.

"He's a real dick sometimes."

In the morning, you are awoken by your friend's raspy voice asking for period cramp pills. It takes you a few moments to adjust your eyes to the morning light.

"Where are they?" You mumble, mouth full of toothpaste.

"Your favorite place in this house." She laughs.

You peek outside the little bathroom to ask why she is laughing and what does she mean by that.

"Dad's office."

You roll your eyes, then return to brushing your teeth. Once you make sure to pick on your skin a little, then put on foundation so that your friend doesn't give you a lesson about it, you head outside.

"You'll see a few drawers below his fantasy section. There's all kinds of pills, just bring me the ones we usually use in these days of suffering."

As you approach the room of your favorite memories and dirty pleasures, you hear his voice coming from inside. It sounds lower than usual, and he sounds very professional. He is saying words even you've never heard of. In conclusion, he even talks expensive and sexy.

"Hongjoong, my marketing team is suffering because they took the most important elements from them. Half of the team quit when they heard who is trying to get involved."

You don't want to interrupt, but if you don't get those pills, you're going to be the first victim of the Hormonal Queen Park. You knock lightly, then slowly open the door.

You swear that if your toes didn't hit the wooden door frame as you tried going inside, you'd let out a moan. Mr Park is sitting in his usual chair, wearing a white shirt. It is halfway unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. You see a thin gold chain decorating his sun kissed skin on his neck. His lips are reddish as usual, and his hair isn't as neat as it was yesterday. His jaw rests in his hand, while his other hand is scribbling something on the papers at the corner of his desk.

He doesn't speak. Instead, he raises an eyebrow towards you. You point towards the drawer, then try showing him that you're looking for pills with your hands. He scoffs, then returns to his conversation. Still sleepy, you forget that you are still only wearing the satin lavender dress. It is when the morning cold breeze hits your legs that you realise. You're already here, there's no point in being embarrassed anymore.

Your eyes read the signs at the top of the bookcase. Adult fiction, Criminal, Erotica, Fiction, Horror... and Fantasy! Right behind his back.

Fuck.

Having no other choice, you get down on all four, and start crawling towards the drawers. Mr Park hasn't yet noticed your little mission. He is too frustrated with his ongoing problem to notice a half naked girl crawling on his office floor. You cheer inside your head as you successfully reach the drawers. You pull at the handle, but it doesn't budge.

"You've gotta be kidding me." You sigh, trying with all your strength. The drawer stays closed, and you're already ready to go home.

The only thing left to do is ask Mr Park, but you wouldn't dare to interrupt. Instead, you crawl to his side, careful not to be seen on camera. You're sitting near his leg, looking up at him while figuring out how to ask. You opt for the quietest solution, and you'll see where it gets you. With a quiet gulp and a sigh, you finally reach out towards him. Instead of quietly calling him like you intended, you gently poke his leg under the desk.

The man looks down, eyebrows scrunched with confusion. He almost chokes on his saliva when he sees you, then redirects his attention at the screen.

"Mr Park," you whisper.

"Hongjoong, I'm gonna have to pause the video for a second."

"That's fine, I'll just go through the mails one more time."

You hear a click, then silence. Mr Park grabs your jaw, forcing you to look up at him. You look like a treat, waiting to be picked up and consumed by him. The way your knees have a slight red tint have his mind racing with thoughts.

"Are you crazy?" His tone is calm and low. The grip on your jaw is firm, his fingers pressing into your cheeks and forcing your lips into a pout.

He can't get over how big your pupils have gotten, and how well he can see your cleavage from that position. The sight of your breasts squished together by the shiny satin fabric combined with your pouty stare from the bottom aren't helping his situation at all. How can he hold back when you're sitting there like a present, waiting to be unwrapped and enjoyed? He had countless comparisons, and hundreds of ways he could take care of you. If only he could.

"I just need some pills," you whisper, too mesmerised by his intense gaze to speak in normal voice.

"So you decide to crawl under my desk to ask for it?"

"I'm not—"

"Right, still nothing. I guess we really lost the proof."

The voice is coming from the screen again. A flash of disappointment crosses Park Seonghwa's face. Still, he leans back into his chair, hand still holding your jaw. His grip softens, and he proceeds to caress your cheek with his thumb. The simple action makes you almost purr. You don't remember the last time you got this kind of affection.

With your eyes closed, your body relaxes into his touch. Nothing exists anymore, except Mr Park, his scent and touch. You allow yourself a few moments of silence. The men's voices are becoming distant, and you swear that you could fall asleep just like this. You feel the slight roughness of his fingers, a sign that he aged like fine wine. You remember your father's hands being all rough and dark due to working hard jobs all these years. Seonghwa must've inherited family business. Or he knows how to take care of himself.

You look up at him, chin now resting on his knee. You aren't sure if you want to climb into his lap and take in all the affection he is willing to give you, or get down further under the desk and make him squirm in your hands. Deciding to test the waters, you drag your fingers up his leg, resting them just near his crotch. Mr Park wets his lips, glancing at you for a second. When you see no signs of complaining, you move over so that you're sitting comfortably between his legs. Your hands continue the journey to his belt, excitement rushing through your veins and into your heart as you feel the cold leather underneath your fingertips. You take your time to play with the buckle, just like you read in one of your favorite books.

Just like the man on the worn out pages of your book, Park Seonghwa gulps when you pull the zipper down, just enough to graze him with your nails. You're overflowing with confidence, and you're a little impatient too. But you want to take your time to take care of him. Make him yearn for you just like he did to you. As quietly as possible, you undo his pants, and are delighted when you find out he is wearing no underwear. You reach inside with your tongue, just enough to touch him and make him adjust in his chair.

"You good?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

Mr Park moves your hands, then pulls his cock out for you. One of his hands is holding onto your hair, gently pushing your head towards it. You don't have time to admire the size or all the little details you wanted. Your lips are pressing against his tip, the taste of precum sweet and salty at the same time.

He is impatient, and in desperate need to feel your hot mouth around him. You obey, finally taking him in and making sure to press your tongue flat against him. Unable to control it, he releases a groan.

"Hwa, you sure you're good?"

"I'm good, I just —" he pauses, looking down at you. How does he tell his business partner and best friend that his daughter's friend looks too good with her mouth stuffed like that? With her tits almost falling out and her pupils so big he just wants to slam his cock into her pussy and fuck her into oblivion?

"Just...? If you're not feeling good, we can continue later. I get this must be very hard for you, but —"

Just when you think you've won, Mr Park shakes his head. "No, no. That's fine. Remember how I told you my daughter wanted a kitten? Well, she's not letting me work in peace."

"Oh, that's adorable. Give her a few pets from me."

Park Seonghwa smirks, then looks down at you. His fingers caress your cheeks, and you melt at the touch. It is a motivation to take him in all the way, slamming the tip against the back of your throat.

"She's a very naughty kitten. I can't seem to get rid of her."

"See, no matter what they do, I'll never be a dog person. I love them so much. Just the sight of one makes me feel all fuzzy."

"Oh, just wait until you see this one."

You freeze in your spot. Seonghwa pulls your head away with a loud pop, and shoves his desk away to expose you. His thumb wipes your drool and his precum from your lips, then proceeds to pull you into his lap so that you're facing the screen. The man on the screen is as frozen as you, and as handsome and Mr Park. His gaze drops on your now exposed breasts, and you see his chest slowing down as he tries to breath normally again.

"A unique one, isn't she?" Seonghwa speaks first, holding your head in place by pulling your hair. You're forced to look at the man, and instead of feeling ashamed, you are only feeling more worked up. "I've never been a cat person, but this one is just so obedient I might actually keep her."

"Well, fuck me. That is one hell of a kitten."

"Come on, love. Why don't we show Hongjoong all the tricks I have taught you?"

You aren't sure what he means, until he lays you on his chest and spreads your legs. Your panties are so drenched, they're almost see through. The man on the screen is devouring you with his stare. Something about both of their gazes and confidence has lit a fire inside of you that cannot be put out. In the corner of the screen, you see your exposed and messy figure spread out on Mr Park's lap, and it only adds up to the atmosphere you are so enjoying.

"Actually, since Hongjoong has more experience with cats, how about he shows us how to perform a some tricks?"

You know he isn't asking, just giving you a trailer of what awaits you. A chuckle comes from the screen, and the man flashes his pearly white teeth at you through a smirk.

"First, you might want to tie her up. You don't want her running away, do you?"

Without hesitation, the man yanks his belt from his pants, and secures it around neck. You are having a hard time breathing. Not because of the belt, but because of the overwhelming feelings mixing inside of you. You've never been manhandled like this, and you are afraid that you might get too used to the feeling of Park Seonghwa doing this to you.

"You still have that wand?"

"Sure do."

Confusion takes over your features, and you can't help but wonder why Hongjoong knew that. Do they do this often? If so, are you just another toy Mr Park is going to play with and leave?

"Relax, kitten." Mr Park seems to notice your sudden discomfort. "Spread your legs for me."

And just like that night, your legs are over the armrests, the wand dangerously close to your clit.

"Having a good view, Kim?"

"A gorgeous one, Park."

Mr Kim leans back on his chair, hands working on his belt but not yet doing anything. It seems he enjoys watching more than doing anything. A sweet vibrating sensation spreads all over your folds, and you cannot help but buck your hips into the toy.

"Make your screen bigger, Seonghwa. So that she can see just how pretty she looks."

The man doesn't pull the gadget away as he changes the screen size, making Hongjoong's the one in the corner and yours taking over the screen. Now you can clearly see yourself; spread on Mr Park's lap, his chin resting on your shoulder, dark eyes looking at you through the camera. His ringed fingers are skillfully moving the toy up and down your clit, while his other hand holds onto the belt, lightly choking you.

"Doesn't moan easily, huh? Try circles."

Mr Park listens, circling the swollen bud with consistent vibrations. You feel like you're going to cum any second, and you don't want to do that so soon.

"Feel good?"

"Yes," you breathe out, holding onto the fabric of his pants as you try your best not to go over the edge.

"Then let us hear it, doll."

No matter how good it felt, it wasn't enough to draw moans from you. "You have to try better than that, then."

A scoff leaves his tinted lips. He brings them close to your neck, just enough to lick a stripe up to your jaw.

"Use your other hand, too."

Mr Kim is so skilled with giving orders. And Mr Park is so good at listening to him. His fingers, which are the prettiest ones you've ever seen in your life, move your panties aside just to slowly thrust between your walls. He explores, wiggling his two fingers inside until he curls them up. With the elbow of the hand which holds the toy, he presses into your lower stomach, making the feeling more intense than ever. He starts pumping into you slow, matching the rhythm of the vibrations.

"I've never seen such an obedient kitten. Look how good she is doing."

"Indeed, she is doing so well. Now, if she could orgasm on my fingers, she would be the best."

"Ngh—" you groan, chasing the orgasm just like he asked you to. You know you can't handle two, but you're willing to try for him. Well, them.

"Come on, pretty girl."

"S-sir—" you cry out, ready to spill over, "I can't—"

"Can't what?" He slows down, moving the wand away for a moment. You take a few seconds to catch your breath. You feel all wet and sticky, but look hotter than ever. You're still unused by him, yet you looked like he has ravished you twice today.

"If I cum now, it'll be too much." You admit, pupils big as you look at him. "I want to cum when you fuck me."

"Spoke too soon about obedience, huh?"

The wicked smirk on the screen lets you know that they won't let you off so easily. Mr Park then slams his lips onto yours, sucking and licking at the plump flesh of your bottom lip as he brings the wand back to your clit. You shake in his lap, feeling a tad bit overstimulated. His other hand holds your thighs separated, but you still try to close them. The warm muscle of his tongue massages yours, and for a moment, you forget about Mr Kim. You forget about your best friend. You wish to wake up like this every day, admired, praised and consumed by him. Your hands reach into his hair, grabbing at the fluffy strands and anything else they can reach.

"That's so fucking hot. I didn't know how sexy you make out, Hwa."

Park Seonghwa smiles into the kiss, and in that moment, you wished to experience it every day. You wished this wasn't just messing around with your friend's dad. Your feelings for him are growing, and you know them well it's forbidden. But how to tell a heart no?

"You're welcome to come over and try these days," he winks at the screen, then shifts his attention back to you. "And just what do we do with you now? Do I make you cum and stop the fun?"

His thumb caresses your flushed cheek. You have a hard time forming a sentence, and all you can do is breathe into his mouth and look at him. His tongue peeks to wet his lips, doing the same to yours in the process.

"You'd rather shamelessly drip all over my pants like this? You just want my daughter to find out?"

Come to think of it, it's weird that she didn't notice your absence. Maybe she gave up. Maybe she went back to sleep. Whatever it is, you've made it clear to her that this is nothing more than just messing around. No romance involved. Even though your heart feels tight at the last sentence, you pretend like it's nothing. All those things you've thought about while touching yourself late at night are coming to life, and you won't try to stop that in any way.

"Mr Park?"

He hums, fingers fixing your hair and eyes scanning your face with adoration. "Yes, pretty girl?"

"Please fuck me."

"When you ask so nicely, how can I say no?" He says with a chuckle, then glances at the screen.

Mr Kim is sat still, looking at everything unfolding in front of him as if he's watching a movie. Or a porn video. His attention is fixed on your breasts, and you allow yourself another moment of confidence. You cup them, rubbing your nipples and squeezing the soft flesh while throwing your head back.

Mr Kim clicks his tongue, then gets closer to the screen. He rests his elbows on the desk, and his head on his hands. "Hwa, give her a little treat from me."

The older man doesn't waste a single second before licking a stripe over your breast. He wraps his lips around your bud of nerves, then proceeds to work his tongue around it. You're squirming in his lap, accidentally stroking him while doing so. He hums into you, the vibrations making you let out the first moan.

"There it is."

You feel so close, but you're too far. Your body is limp, and he hasn't even had you the way he promised yet. As if he could hear your thoughts, Mr Park hooks his fingers under your panties. He grazes over your clit, then pulls the panties down your legs.

"Let's pull a real trick now, kitten."

The man adjusts your body on his lap with ease, and you're too mesmerised by his strength to notice that his cock is at your entrance. It is when he lightly slaps your clit and pulls the belt on your neck that you give him attention.

"Eyes on Hongjoong."

You try to protest, but he grabs your jaw and inserts a finger into your mouth. Your head is now stuck in one position, and you can't avoid Mr Kim's gaze. He has a wicked grin on his face again, and just when you're about to make a stupid remark, Park Seonghwa slowly lifts his hips to enter you. He deliciously fills you up, leaving no space at all. His hot skin is grazing your walls just right, but not yet hitting the spot you need the most.

"Fuck—" he hisses, keeping the slow motions going.

You glance at the corner of the screen, seeing Mr Kim now palming himself through his pants. "You've gotta tell me where you buy these kittens, man."

The man behind you laughs between the moans, but doesn't say anything. He enjoys it as much as you, and isn't bothered to keep any conversations or teasing going. At least you hope so.

He lifts your body up, then moves his hips upwards so that he can move faster. Watching yourself get fucked on the screen by a man your dad's age, while another one watches wasn't quite in your fantasy list. But fuck, you're so happy that it's happening. Your eyes follow Mr Park's cock as it smoothly disappears inside of you, causing you to whine and moan in his arms.

"Think you've teased her enough?"

"Just a bit more." The man whispers, head falling back on the chair and his moves getting sloppy. "Fuck, love, you're gonna make me cum so quick."

You feel like you're dripping all over the place. His cock is soaking up your juices, making wet noises in the process. That, along with his skin hitting yours as he reaches the deepest ends of you, is what will keep you fueled for months. You glance at him through the screen, and you almost cream right there on his cock. Something about fucking in clothes is a huge turn on for you, and seeing Park Seonghwa sprawled out on his chair, with his unbuttoned white shirt and pretty gold jewellery, with his head resting back and eyes rolling from pleasure, with his fingers digging into your skin and hair sticking to his forehead, makes your head spin. You wish to take a picture, and look at it every night just to admire him. His sun kissed chest is exposed more than when you entered the room, and you wish to mark him up so bad. Hopefully, next time.

His hips are going at a slow pace, but deeper than last time. He reaches to all the places inside of you, stroking them all just right. He lifts your body, just to slam it down on his cock and hit your most sensitive spot. A loud moan is halfway out your lips, but he is quick to pull the belt to keep you quiet. He repeats the movements, this time faster and harder.

"Oh, baby," he almost growls under his breath, "making daddy feel so good."

Then, as if something has snapped inside of him, he pushes the chair back and lets it fall back with a thud. His hands push your body down onto the desk, and he grabs your waist like his life depends on it. He adjusts the camera so that Mr Kim can get a clear view of your drooling and flushed face, along with Mr Park's lower body continuously slamming into you. You feel so sensitive, and you haven't orgasmed once yet. Tears form at the corners of your eyes, and you let them fall. You're not sure if you're crying from pleasure or pain, but you didn't want either to stop.

And Park Seonghwa fucking adored it. He adored your face decorated with tears as he took you from behind, forcing you to watch yourself on camera while another stranger is watching you.

"Wish you could see how well you're taking me." He groans. "So fucking good for me."

"Is she taking it like a good girl, Hwa?"

"Oh, she's doing such a good job. Aren't you, love?" He says with a smirk, knowing that you're incapable of speaking.

Your eyes roll back, and you feel like you're going to evaporate. His consistent thrusts are helping you build up the orgasm, and you just know that you're going to cum harder than ever.

"You're fucking her dumb."

"I know. Look at her." Mr Park pulls the belt so that you can lift your head from the desk. Your lips are dry, and you can barely see anymore. Everything is blurry, and you feel nothing but endless pleasure. "Loves being thrown around and used until she cries. Don't you?"

You manage to nod, but quickly go back to moaning and almost drooling all over his desk and keyboard. His hand sneaks towards your clit, toying with it in circles until he has you screaming and almost growling. He is abusing all the sensitive buds on your body he can reach, from you G spot and your clit, to both of your nipples.

"Talk to her, Hwa. Make her speak even though she obviously can't. Make her cry and beg for you."

"Hear that, pretty one? Talk to me. Tell me, who does this pussy belong to?"

You want to kill Mr Kim for giving him the idea of making you talk. All you want to do is cum already. All this teasing is doing you no good. It's becoming addictive, and you just know this won't be the last time.

"Y-you, Sir." You choke out, body still rocking into his.

"Will you take all of my seed like a good girl you are?"

"Fuck, yes, yes, yes—"

"Will you fuck yourself on my cock until you've creamed all over it?"

"Yes, oh fuck, yes—" you groan, moving your hips back so you can fuck yourself on his cock just like he asked you to.

You look at his figure through the screen. His gaze is fixed on the way your tight walls are swallowing him up, and he seems completely mesmerised by it. You use him as you'd use one of those dildos you have saved on a Web shop, milking him just right. His moans are low and the hottest thing you've ever heard in your life. With each minute that passes, his voice becomes lower and much more of a whisper.

His eyes search for yours, and once you lock your gaze with his, you don't let go. You let him fuck you into the desk, with a whole stranger watching. Tears roll down your face, pleasure too intense to take. You groan, moan and whine at each thrust, trying your best to chase your orgasm.

Seeing that you're struggling, he picks you up, only to throw you against the bookshelf. He lifts your leg up, almost resting it on his shoulder. The new angle has you reaching new notes, and he has to stick his fingers into your mouth to keep your noises muffled.

"How cute. Fucking her against the Erotica section."

The shelves shake as Park Seonghwa slams into you, each thrust abusing your G spot so good that you're drooling around his fingers.

"Come on, kitten. Cum on daddy's cock. Milk me dry."

You moan around his fingers, and he takes that as a signal that you're close. He replaces the fingers with his lips, tongue searching for yours only to caress it in the most sensual way ever.

"You close, baby?"

"Yes, yes, yes—"

"Come on, just a bit more. Almost there—"

"Fuck, oh fuck, yes—" Your head falls on his shoulder, hands holding onto them for dear life.

"I'm cumming, love, I'm gonna—" his breathing is heavy, and his moans are now getting high pitched," fuck, oh God, baby—"

You squeeze around him, riding out your orgasm as he paints your walls with his seed. You're weak in his arms as he uses you until the end, making you milk him dry just like he asked. He thrusts into you a few more times, slower and more gentle than ever.

His fingers cup your jaw, lifting your head up so that he can look at you. He wipes your tears with his thumb, then inserts it into his mouth. You can't help but laugh at his wicked kink. He isn't moving away from you. Instead, his lips mold into yours softly. He caresses your cheek as he gently sucks on your lip, occasionally grazing it with his tongue.

"Ah, the aftercare. The best part, honestly."

Park Seonghwa smiles into the kiss for the second time that day, making your heart flutter. "Liar," he mumbles.

He pulls away for a moment, eyes searching your face for any sings of discomfort. When he sees none, he rewards you with another kiss, a kiss so light and comforting that for a second, you really thought he could want something more than just fooling around. Your arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer towards you and deepening the kiss. You're mesmerised by the way he kisses. His scent is all over your body, and his tongue is taking care of yours in ways nobody ever knew.

This time you're the one to pull away, trying to catch some air. He rests his forehead on yours, his heavy breathing comforting on your face.

"I think I'm addicted to you."

You're taken aback by his statement. You're unable to move, or say anything. All you can do is watch as his face turns from calm and content to one of worry and fear.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Only sexually?"

Now he is the one who is taken aback. He didn't quite think about it. Sure, he can't wait to see you. He always checks if you're coming in the house with his daughter. He loves seeing you in your bubble when you eat or speak about your newest fandom.

Ah, shit.

"Let's start differently."

You raise an eyebrow in amusement. The man licks his lips, then sighs. "How does dinner this Saturday sound?"

A laugh escapes your lips, and he follows right after. It takes you a moment to collect yourself, then finally speak.

"That's quite formal for someone who is still balls deep inside of me."

A moan of surprise leaves your body as he thrusts into you, more teasingly than sexually. He then proceeds to pull out, making his seed drip down your legs and onto the carpet.

"Want me to try again now?"

"Not necessary," you finally put your leg down from his shoulder, muscles sore from the new position, "I accept the invitation, Mr Park."

He hums, not bothering to correct your addressing. You were hoping you'd get to call him by his first name. Maybe it's too early. Still, it doesn't stop you from constantly thinking about it.

Seonghwa.

How pretty.

♡

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬:

@scardorosht @kitty4hwa @seokjins-condoms  @variety-is-the-joy-of-life  @rkivesofmymemories @ateezzseonghwaa @bangmechann  @dandelion-aj  @rialovesyunho  @ryleleee  @anoooon13

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[cybrsan]

Vignette: Duty — P.SH, K.HJ

STORY SUMMARY: For as long as he can remember, Seonghwa has dedicated himself to a single goal: making his father proud. To do so, he needs to win the Nightingale commendation, become the best of the best. But when he falls a step behind Hongjoong, he has to reconsider what it is he truly wants.

PAIRING: N/A, Seonghwa POV ft. Hongjoong (Future OT8 x Reader in main fic)

RATING/GENRE: PG-13 ; dystopian AU, steampunk AU

WORD COUNT: 11.1k

WARNINGS: Alcohol use (in a very unhealthy sort of way), self-deprecating thoughts and behavior, blood/injury, violence, strained father-son relationship, minor character death

A/N: This is the first out of six prologue stories that will be posted prior to the release of mine and Orion's main fic, Through The Darkness. Stay tuned for more <3

LINKS: ATEEZ Masterlist. Cross-posted on AO3. Story masterlist and glossary will be added once posted.

BANNER CREDIT: @kwanisms

General Elowen Nightingale makes for an imposing figure, dressed head to toe in military regalia. Her uniform is a stark white, not a crease to be seen, and decorated with numerous patches and medals that are a testament to her years of service and hundreds of battles won. Her honey-colored hair, streaked with silver, is pulled back into a perfect bun, and her piercing, grey eyes burn with an intensity that can make even the most hardened soldiers avert their gaze.

As she scrutinizes the crowd of cadets from behind her podium, Seonghwa finds himself having to make a conscious effort to maintain his position and not falter. His fingers itch to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles of his own—far less decorated—uniform, his heart pounding in his chest. He has been in the Vanguard Program for a few years now and has known her since he was a child, but he’s still not used to being in her presence.

Hongjoong snickers from his place beside him, whispering, “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“Shut up,” Seonghwa hisses through gritted teeth, keeping his eyes trained forward. “The last thing I need is to get in trouble for talking out of turn.”

“You have no reason to be nervous, Hwa, seriously. You’re one of the best in the class.”

“Says the General’s favorite.”

“Well, yes.” Seonghwa doesn’t have to look at Hongjoong to know there’s a smug grin on his face. “But that doesn’t make what I just said any less true. You have as good a chance as any to get the Nightingale Commendation.”

The Nightingale Commendation is a tradition of 30 years standing, named after the General’s family who established the program. It is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a young, eager cadet, marking them as the one to watch (or the one to beat, in the eyes of their peers). It’s a ticket to swift promotions and the most coveted assignments. Naturally, everyone wants it.

Seonghwa can hardly even imagine being considered for such an award. He wants it, of course he does; after all, his name means “to be a star,” so being the rising star of the Vanguard Program would suit him. Or so his father says. But the idea of actually standing at the general’s side, his first medal pinned to his jacket… it’s almost too overwhelming to bear.

Though he won’t openly admit it due to the risk of relentless teasing, Seonghwa does feel put at ease by Hongjoong’s words. He glances toward him, momentarily forgetting the fear of being reprimanded. Hongjoong’s gaze is still cast forward, though he seems completely unfazed by the general or her commanding presence. He’s always been confident in a way that Seonghwa envies.

Suddenly turning his head, Hongjoong’s eyes meet his. In the harsh light of the auditorium, they seem a shade or two lighter than their usual brown. He smiles, though it isn’t the teasing grin Seonghwa was expecting. Instead, it’s soft, reassuring.

“Let’s promise each other that no matter who wins, we’ll celebrate together. Deal?”

Heat rushes to Seonghwa’s face against his better judgment. He’s so used to their competitive banter that this show of such genuine camaraderie has taken him aback. Still, he agrees without hesitation. “Deal.”

With that, the knot of anxiety in his chest unravels near completely. Having someone else be so confident in his abilities, someone who is so outstanding in their own right, is deeply comforting. Before either of them can say more, General Nightingale’s voice booms over the speakers.

“Attention!” she demands, and Seonghwa would swear she’s looking directly at him. “The time has come to announce this year’s recipient of the Nightingale Commendation. As you all know, this award is not given lightly. The cadet who is bestowed the honor will have earned it through their hard work, unwavering courage, and dedication to the cause.”

Sweat prickles at Seonghwa’s temple, a lone drop dripping down the side of his face and disappearing underneath the neckline of his shirt. This is it.

“Over the past few years, I have seen growth in all 46 of you; the Vanguard class of 1018 has been one of the most promising in our history. And while many of you have exhibited extraordinary promise, there is one cadet who has consistently exceeded all expectations.”

She pauses for a long moment, her eyes sweeping over the crowd. It’s as if she wants to savor the anticipation and make everyone squirm for as long as she can. Seonghwa can feel his heartbeat picking up again, and he even sees Hongjoong begin to fidget out of the corner of his eye.

Her gaze lands on Seonghwa and, for just a moment, he lets himself believe. But she passes over him without hesitation and immediately, he knows. He closes his eyes and prepares himself for what she is about to say.

“Congratulations, Cadet Kim Hongjoong. Please come up to the stage and accept your award.”

Seonghwa’s eyes remain closed as applause erupts around him. Deep down, he’d always known this moment would come, always known it would be Hongjoong and not him. But disappointment is not an easy pill to swallow.

“Seonghwa?”

Hongjoong whispers his name, and Seonghwa comes back to reality, opening his eyes to meet his expectant gaze.

“Congrats, Joong.” And he means it. He can get over his own disappointment in order to celebrate his friend.

He brings his hands together, mustering up a smile as he watches Hongjoong take the stage. General Nightingale hands Hongjoong the framed commendation before shaking his hand firmly. She then pins the matching medal onto his lapel—his first medal—and allows the crowd to cheer for a few moments longer.

“Cadet Kim,” she begins. “You have demonstrated exceptional skills throughout your time in the program. You are an example to all cadets of what an elite member of the Vanguard should be. I am confident you will uphold the Nightingale tradition of excellence in service.”

Hongjoong’s face, lit up with pride, is something Seonghwa will fondly remember for a long time.

“You’re welcome to give a speech,” General Nightingale says, stepping back as she gestures to the podium.

“I want to share this honor with all of you.” Hongjoong’s voice is strong and unwavering as he addresses the entire class. “We are all the future of the Sector. We are in this together and I am honored to fight at your side.”

He pauses for a moment, his gaze landing on Seonghwa once again. “There’s someone in particular I want to acknowledge.”

The auditorium falls silent as everyone follows his line of sight. Seonghwa feels himself flush with embarrassment, but he can’t bring himself to look away.

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong says, his voice much softer now, as if he were speaking only to him. “You have been both my fiercest rival and my closest friend. Always there to push me beyond what I thought was possible, or to pick me up when I fall. This award,” he holds the commendation up in the air for emphasis, “Would not have been achievable without you. Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.”

There’s a moment of stunned silence. Seonghwa feels like he might pass out from all the blood rushing to his head.

“And if you or anyone else brings up the fact I got so emotional, I’ll take you to the mat.”

Just like that, the tension is broken. Laughter and cheers erupt as the crowd surges to life. The noise is enough to break Seonghwa from the trance Hongjoong’s words had him under and he can’t help but laugh as well.

Hongjoong takes a final bow and steps down from the stage, receiving some congratulatory pats on the back as he walks back down the aisle. Seonghwa notices the general watching Hongjoong closely, her gaze alight with something he can’t quite decipher. A mixture of approval and curiosity, perhaps? Yet he barely has time to question it before Hongjoong reaches him and claps him on the shoulder.

“Bet you weren’t expecting that, huh?” he says, his grin widening as he scans Seonghwa’s flustered expression.

“Expecting what?” Seonghwa’s proud he doesn’t stutter. “That you have a sentimental side or that you would actually admit it in public?”

Hongjoong chuckles. “Hey, you’re the one that complains I don’t give you enough affection.”

“Still, I never would have dreamed of you publicly declaring your love for me,” Seonghwa teases. This banter is good—it’s what he’s used to. His heart finally settles in his chest.

Hongjoong rolls his eyes, the act belied by the softness that lingers in his expression. “Don’t let it get to your head.”

“I’ll try not to.” Taking a deep breath, Seonghwa allows some of his sincerity to shine through. “All jokes aside… Thank you, Joong. Your words really do mean a lot. And I hope you know that they’re returned tenfold.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Before either of them can say more, General Nightingale reclaims her place at the podium. “Cadets,” she begins, her voice cutting through the clamor of the crowd. The room quiets almost instantly, and everyone returns their gaze to her. “As you all know, this ceremony isn’t just about the Nightingale Commendation. It’s about all of you and how much you have achieved over these past few years. Some of you will move on to other assignments, and some will have to report for further training, but all of you are part of what makes our Sector so great.

Hongjoong, of course, will become a member of the Vanguard Elite squad. Like all the past commendation recipients, he will be awarded Flight status, which gives him access to the most advanced machinery, classified assignments, and even travel outside of the Sector. Considering his outstanding performance throughout his time here, there is no doubt that he'll excel in his duties."

There is a momentary pause as she locks eyes with Hongjoong, and a curt nod of approval is exchanged before she turns back to the crowd.

“Alongside him, the top 5% of the class will also become part of the elite squad. We have evaluated the performance of these three cadets on various fronts: combat skills, strategic planning, adaptability, teamwork, and overall growth. The names I am about to announce are the individuals who have consistently excelled across these parameters. When I call your name, please join me on stage.”

If Seonghwa had thought the auditorium was silent before, it was nothing compared to the hush that fell over the room now. For a moment, he wonders if it’s possible Hongjoong might be able to hear his heart beating from his spot at his side. The general calls the first name. Not him. Second name. Also not him.

Then, finally, “Cadet Park Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa’s knees almost give out from underneath him. He wasn’t expecting this. He had been so focused on receiving the Nightingale commendation that he failed to consider the possibility of being in the top 5%—of still being part of the Vanguard’s most sought-after squad. In his shock, his gaze instinctively drifts to Hongjoong, who smiles and mouths, “I told you so.”

Walking on autopilot, he joins his new squad mates on stage. Surely, this must be enough to please his father. He may not be the best, but he is still among the elite; that has to count for something. Turning to General Nightingale, he bows slightly before shaking her hand.

“Congratulations, Cadet Park.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“I present to you,” her voice rings powerfully through the auditorium once again, “the top 5% of the class, our Vanguard Elites!”

The rest of the class cheers and stomps their feet, the stage shaking from the force of it all.

“Moving forward, the remaining cadets will be assigned based on their individual strengths and overall rankings.”

She begins listing the remaining names, but Seonghwa is too lost in thought to hear them. He's on stage, a member of the Vanguard Elites, standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the academy's most talented cadets. He might still be a step behind Hongjoong, but surely that doesn’t matter. They’re still a part of the same squad, the same team.

“Our ceremony has come to an end. Congratulations to each and every graduate; you have all worked hard and should be proud of your achievements. To those who did not graduate—this should serve as motivation for you to work even harder in the future. Is that clear?” The crowd responds with a short cheer of understanding. “As always, we commit our hearts, bodies, and minds to service—”

“For the glory of the Sector!” The entire class finishes the alma mater in unison.

Seonghwa is flush with pride, standing straighter and more confidently than he ever has. This is it. This is what he has been working for. As the crowd erupts into a final round of applause, he takes in the sight before him: the sea of uniforms, the smiling faces, people hugging and congratulating one another. Everyone disperses, wandering off in different directions, presumably to go celebrate.

But Seonghwa only has eyes for one person.

Hongjoong approaches him, still beaming, and salutes him. “I’m excited to work with you, soldier.”

Seonghwa returns the salute. “You’re not sick of me yet?”

“Well…” Hongjoong draws out the word, letting it linger in the air for a moment before laughing. “No, not yet. We’ll see if that changes, though.”

Seonghwa wraps his arm around Hongjoong’s shoulder, pulling the shorter man firmly against his side as they continue to walk. “Oh, shut up. You confessed your love to me, remember?”

Hongjoong curls his lip. “Keep bringing that up, I dare you.”

“Cadet Kim.”

Seonghwa almost jumps out of his skin when the general speaks up from behind them. Hongjoong flinches slightly as well but has a much smoother recovery; Seonghwa never would have even noticed if he didn’t have his arm around him.

Hongjoong separates from Seonghwa and turns around, standing at attention. “Yes, General?”

“At ease. I need you to come with me to my office. There’s much we need to discuss concerning the commendation and the benefits you have been awarded.”

“Oh,” a glimmer of surprise crosses his face. “Of course. Hwa, I’ll see you later, okay?”

Seonghwa just nods, watching as the two walk away. A pit settles in his stomach but he tries to ignore it. He decides to head back to their shared quarters on his own, his footsteps bouncing off of the polished stone floor. He begins the careful ritual of removing his dress uniform, his hands shaking slightly as he undoes each button, adrenaline still coursing through his veins.

While shrugging into a more comfortable shirt, Seonghwa glances at his nightstand and is surprised to find his aurvox lit, indicating he has a message waiting for him. He presses play and instantly tenses as his father’s voice comes over the speakers.

“Seonghwa. I watched the ceremony. Call me immediately.”

A wave of apprehension rolls down Seonghwa’s spine. In the message, his father’s voice sounds stern, almost frigid. It’s the voice he always uses when he is about to scold him, but surely that can’t be right. He got on stage and his abilities were acknowledged by General Nightingale herself. He made it into the Vanguard Elites. It’s not the commendation, but it’s still something.

He takes a deep breath, willing his hands to stop shaking as he returns the call. The aurvox rings once, twice, before his father answers.

“Seonghwa.”

“Father. I—”

“You didn’t win the Nightingale commendation.”

Seonghwa’s shoulders fall. Any excitement he may have been feeling, any pride, is instantly extinguished by those six words. “No. I didn’t.”

“You need to try harder. Your win this year was supposed to make up for your brother losing the commendation to that rusted piece of scrap from the Outer Sector.”

“I know. I’m sorry, sir.”

“Don’t be sorry—be better.” Seonghwa isn’t even given the time to respond as his father continues, “We are going to host a celebratory dinner for Hongjoong. His mother will be there so I expect you to be on your best behavior. After all, if you can’t beat him, at least make sure to use him. He might be able to aid you in the future, and Sunhee has plenty of connections.”

Seonghwa knows his father wants him to agree, but he can’t bring himself to say those words out loud. Use Hongjoong? He’s his friend. He won’t do it. He can’t.

“Seonghwa?” His father’s voice sharpens and Seonghwa flinches despite being nowhere in his vicinity.

“Yes, sir. Of course.” His words sound strained, but his father doesn’t seem to notice.

“Good. I will see you tonight. Dress well.”

His father hangs up without even saying goodbye, signaling that the conversation is over. Seonghwa places his aurvox back on his nightstand and immediately flops face down on his bed, groaning into one of his pillows.

He can hear the distant sounds of the other cadets, their conversations and laughter drifting in through the thin walls of his room. But they seem a world away to him now. He wonders if he's supposed to be feeling elated, liberated from the years of hard work and all-nighters that led to this moment. Instead, he feels numb.

He’s not sure how much time passes before the door swings open and Hongjoong walks in, a grin on his face. “Hwa! Both the general and I got the invite to your father’s dinner party tonight. You won’t believe what she told me—” He stops short when he notices Seonghwa’s current state. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Just tired. How was your meeting?” Seonghwa manages to muster up a weak smile, hoping it’s convincing enough. By the look on Hongjoong’s face, it’s not, but he doesn’t press for more information.

“It was good,” Hongjoong answers after a moment, his smile slowly returning as he begins to fill Seonghwa in on the meeting. He babbles on and on about all the different benefits he will be able to take advantage of, unaware of the bitter taste filling Seonghwa’s mouth.

Seonghwa listens, nodding at the right moments, but he finds it hard to fully focus. He should be focused on his friend, celebrating with him. Instead, all he can think of are his father’s words. “Use him.”

“Seonghwa?” Hongjoong’s voice breaks through Seonghwa’s daze. “What’s going on?”

Seonghwa’s gaze snaps back to him, seeing the concern written all over his face. He attempts a smile again but it feels more like a grimace. “I’m okay, really. Just… there’s a lot on my mind.”

Hongjoong moves closer, shrugging off his overcoat and draping it over a desk chair before taking a seat next to Seonghwa on the bed. Their knees brush and Seonghwa jolts, pulling his leg away slowly enough for it not to be noticeable. As much as he wants the comfort he knows Hongjoong can provide, he can’t allow himself to indulge. Not now.

“You know you can talk to me about anything,” Hongjoong says, voice gentle. “Yeah, we compete, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be there for each other. We’re in this together.”

“I know, Joong,” Seonghwa replies, voice barely above a whisper. “It’s complicated, that’s all.”

Hongjoong stays quiet for a moment as if searching for the right words to say. “My mom always used to say that sometimes it’s the most complicated things that help us grow. They force us to confront parts of ourselves we aren’t comfortable with.”

Seonghwa feels a lump forming in his throat, his eyes shining with unshed tears. How can he explain that the uncomfortable thing he’s confronting is not a singular part of himself, but who he is at his core? That it takes into question his very values of duty, family, and loyalty? He can’t.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he murmurs, wiping at his eyes with the back of his sleeve. Then, getting up, he heads over to the wardrobe in the corner of their room, pulling a bottle of some top shelf liquor out from behind a loose panel. They aren’t usually allowed to keep alcohol on site, but that hasn’t stopped most cadets. “How about a drink? We should celebrate.”

Uncorking the bottle, he pours two generous servings into crystal glasses and offers one to Hongjoong. Hongjoong hesitates, his gaze switching from the glass to Seonghwa and back again, but then he reaches out and takes the drink.

“To us?” Hongjoong raises his glass.

“To us,” Seonghwa echoes. He downs his drink in one go, the burn of it helping distract from his thoughts. The alcohol slides down easily, too easily, and he pours himself another glass.

“Careful,” Hongjoong warns. “Don’t forget we have that dinner later.”

“I remember,” he retorts, a little sharper than he meant to. It was only for a split second, his tone barely changed, but it’s enough for Hongjoong to pick up on it. He picks up on everything. Hurt flashes across his features and Seonghwa immediately backtracks, adding, “Maybe I just need a little liquid courage.”

“Liquid courage, huh?” Hongjoong sighs before downing his glass as well. “Just don’t get too drunk or you’ll leave me to face your father all alone.”

“Trust me, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

The opulence of the dinner party is overwhelming. Seonghwa expected it, of course, but still. Instead of being held in the Nexus Chambers like most work-related events, his father decided to host it in their manor which has been adorned with gold and crystal as far as the eye can see. Velvet chairs and couches have been set up to form intimate conversation circles while the occasional serving automaton weaves its way through guests to offer champagne and hors d’oeuvres. There’s even an auto-orchestra in the grand hall despite Seonghwa’s continuous complaints that their music is nothing compared to that of the street performers he heard during his mandatory field trip to the Outer Sector a few years ago.

He finds himself following from a distance as his father leads Hongjoong around the room, introducing him as the newest addition in the running for the title of the Symposium’s best and brightest. Everything he says is perfectly polished, enough to praise Hongjoong while simultaneously reminding everyone of his own affluence. Seonghwa can see Hongjoong’s discomfort, the way his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes, the polite, robotic nodding as he is passed from conversation to conversation. As a friend, he should intervene. As a jealous son, however…

He refills his glass.

At one point, Hongjoong walks over to him, a drink in each hand. He seems to hesitate for a moment before extending one to Seonghwa. “I just bumped into Wooyoung and his friend, Yeosang," he says, his mouth quirking up at the corners.

"You did?"

"They were with some new girl Woo has taken under his wing. I didn't catch her name, but apparently, she's the sister of the new Watch Master."

"Oh, them," Seonghwa sighs. "Watch Master Luxe, right? My dad won't stop berating my brother because of that whole situation."

Hongjoong takes a sip of his drink before answering. "Yeah, I know he still hasn't gotten over Junghwa losing the commendation to him."

"Let's not talk about it. But is that what you have in store? Watch Master Kim?"

"Shut up, Park."

That’s the only time Seonghwa gets to talk to Hongjoong before his father comes back into the picture, whisking him away. After that, Seonghwa’s descent into total, blackout levels of intoxication is swift, the drinking he did earlier in the night definitely not helping. His mind is fuzzy around the edges, making it hard to process what he’s doing or saying. He becomes a blur of motion, stumbling from one group of attendees to another, slurring his words and laughing at jokes that aren’t even funny.

The dinner bell rings and with unsteady legs, Seonghwa makes his way into the dining room. The table is long enough to fit 50 people on each side and is covered with more food than anybody could possibly eat. Guests begin to settle into their seats and he goes to join them, only to find that Hongjoong has taken his usual spot to the right of his father.

For a moment, Seonghwa stands frozen, the room spinning around him. That spot is typically the seat of honor, the seat reserved for whomever the patriarch of the family deems most worthy. First it belonged to his brother, and then it belonged to him. Now, it seems, it belongs to Hongjoong.

“Oh, Hwa,” Hongjoong begins to stand, sensing his distress. “Is this your seat? I’m sorry, Speaker Park said—”

“Hongjoong, please, I told you to call me Soohyuk,” Seonghwa’s father interrupts. “And you’re the guest of honor tonight, so you should sit at my right hand next to General Nightingale. Seonghwa can sit next to his older brother at my left. That’s alright with you, isn’t it Seonghwa?”

Seonghwa’s vision blurs momentarily as heat floods to his face. He tries to form words, but can’t seem to make a sound. It is as if his breath is trapped in his throat. The longer the silence stretches on, the harsher his father’s glare becomes.

“Seonghwa,” he repeats. It isn’t a request—it’s a command.

“Of course,” Seonghwa finally manages. “It’s fine.”

He slumps into the seat next to Junghwa, who claps him on the shoulder and whispers, “Guess neither of us are the favorite son anymore, huh?”

“Not funny, hyung.”

Junghwa scoffs, letting his hand fall back to his side. “I’m not trying to be funny. This is what happens—displease father enough times and you are easily replaced. Get used to it. I have.”

Seonghwa doesn’t reply, instead reaching for the glass of wine that is being served with dinner. His hand shakes a little as he does so, enough for his brother to notice. Junghwa raises an eyebrow at him but mercifully stays silent.

After piling some food onto his plate, Seonghwa can do little more than pick at it, the appeal completely lost on him. His tongue feels numb in his mouth and all he can taste is the bitterness of the wine. He watches his father converse excitedly with Hongjoong, his eyes shining in a way they never do when looking at him.

“Seonghwa, how have you been, dear?”

Seonghwa startles, so lost in his own thoughts that he almost forgot he would be expected to entertain guests. He looks up to see Hongjoong’s mother, Speaker Kim Sunhee, smiling at him from across the table. Even if the dinner wasn’t being held in honor of her son, she is still apart of the same council as his father and would have been in attendance anyway, yet he failed to consider she might try to engage him in conversation. She’s a pleasant woman, and at any other time, he would have been happy to talk to her, but tonight, he can barely hold himself together.

“I… I’ve been well, thank you.” He hopes he isn’t slurring his words too much. “And you, Speaker Kim?”

“Well, I’m thrilled! After all, my son has received such a prestigious award—I couldn’t be more proud.”

Seonghwa nods, plastering a polite smile on his face. “I’m sure you are. No one deserves it more than him.”

“Thank you for saying that. You’re very kind.” Her voice is soft with the kind of appreciation only a mother can have. Seonghwa can’t help but feel a twinge of envy; would his own mother have been as proud? “But I have to say, you’re a big reason my son is where he is today. You’ve been such a good friend to him, Seonghwa. He speaks very highly of you.”

The praise sneaks past his defenses, warming him from the inside out. For what may be the first time that night, he smiles genuinely. “I’m really happy to hear that. Hongjoong… he means a lot to me.”

His gaze involuntarily drifts to where Hongjoong is seated, his attention still occupied by Soohyuk. The light casts a warm glow on his profile, softening his features. For a moment, Seonghwa is captivated by the sight before the weight of his father’s order pulls him back to reality, and the guilt returns in full force.

“I can tell,” Sunhee says.

Before he can reply, his father stands, tapping his fork on his glass. “Everyone, can I have your attention please?” Once he’s sure that all eyes are on him, he continues, “As you all know, we are here tonight to celebrate the recipient of the Nightingale Commendation, Kim Hongjoong. I decided to host as he is a cherished friend of my son, Seonghwa.”

His father makes eye contact with him and smiles—that sick, twisted, vindictive smile. Seonghwa’s stomach sinks with dread.

“Before we continue, I feel it is only appropriate that he make a toast to celebrate his future squad mate’s accomplishment.”

The room falls silent, the air heavy with expectation. Seonghwa should have expected this, why didn’t he expect this?

“No pressure,” Junghwa says, a twisted sense of amusement in his voice.

Seonghwa glares at him before rising to his feet, swaying in place. He steels himself by gripping the edge of the table. His heart is pounding in his ears, his skin prickles with sweat, and the room seems to be closing in around him. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady both his hands and his voice as he raises his near-empty glass.

“To Hongjoong,” he begins. “To a friendship… a friendship that has meant so much to us both. And to… to a future that…”

His voice trails off, his words failing him. How is he supposed to toast to a friend he might betray, to a future that is so uncertain? He can’t, he can’t do this. His fingers tighten around the stem of his glass and suddenly, it cracks, shards digging into his hand.

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong gasps, shooting up from his seat. It almost seems as if he’s about to rush to his side, but Soohyuk stops him in his tracks. Hongjoong’s eyes narrow, but he obeys.

“Stay where you are, Hongjoong. Everyone, please excuse my son’s poor manners; it appears he has had too much to drink.” His father addresses the crowd rather than him. “Seonghwa, apologize and then go get yourself tended to.”

Seonghwa swallows hard, the taste of bile stinging the back of his throat. He barely notices the blood dripping down his fingers, staining the tablecloth red and pooling around shards of glass.

“I… I’m… I’m sorry,” he stutters. “I’m so very sorry.”

He bows his head before quickly turning and bolting out of the room, his vision blurring with tears. He barely makes it to the grand staircase before tripping over his own feet. His knees hit the ground with an audible thud, and he grabs the banister to keep from going down completely. He’s too far gone, too drunk and too devastated to get back up. His grip slackens and he lets himself slide down onto the bottom step, ignoring the bloody handprint he leaves behind.

Nausea roils his stomach, and that, combined with the hot tears streaming down his face, makes him want to retch. He places his head between his knees and takes some deep breaths. He vaguely registers that he should be worried about keeping up appearances in case a guest walks by, but it’s hard to give a damn about that when he feels like his world has turned upside down.

An automaton servant walks over and comes to a stop in front of him. Its glowing, mechanical eyes don’t show a hint of concern, but it wordlessly offers him a clean, white cloth. With shaking hands, Seonghwa takes it and wraps it around the wound. The fabric quickly darkens with his blood, but it staunches the flow enough for him to gather his composure.

He drags himself upright, leaning heavily against the banister. He hauls himself up the staircase, one agonizing step at a time. He isn’t particularly fond of the idea of staying in his childhood room, but going back to base and having to face Hongjoong might be even worse.

He stumbles into his room, the door creaking as it opens. Seonghwa sobers a bit as he’s hit with a wave of nostalgia, the unchanged interior reminding him of his youth from before he was a soldier. Moonlight peers in through the window, bathing his old desk in a soft, silver light. It reminds him of quieter, simpler times, hours spent studying in his room, playing with building blocks and paper dolls.

He takes a seat in his desk chair, and his eyes drift to the portrait of his mother hung above the fireplace. He barely remembers her face outside of what it looks like in the painting; she smiles down at him with a warmth he can no longer feel. Sighing, he takes a first aid kit out of one of the drawers and begins the familiar routine of treating his wound, years of muscle memory kicking in. He peels away the blood-soaked cloth, grimacing at the sight of the jagged shards of glass still embedded in his flesh. Gritting his teeth, he starts to extract each piece, ignoring the stinging pain that shoots up his entire arm. He sterilizes the wound with a stinging splash of alcohol and then hastily wraps it with a clean bandage.

Once he finishes, Seonghwa collapses onto his bed, unable to keep his eyes open any longer. He doesn’t know how much time passes before he is brought back from the edge of sleep by a gentle knock on his door.

“Go away,” he croaks, his voice barely audible as he speaks into his bedsheets.

The knock sounds again, more insistent this time. Seonghwa immediately tenses. Is it his father, coming to berate him further?

“Seonghwa,” a voice murmurs from the other side, the timbre so soft, so hesitant. It isn’t his father—it’s Hongjoong. A rush of anxiety and embarrassment shoots through Seonghwa at the thought of facing him, so he buries his face in his pillow and pretends he doesn’t hear.

The knocking persists until it becomes too much of a nuisance to ignore. “I’m trying to sleep, Joong.”

There’s a pause before Hongjoong responds. “I know. I just wanted to check on you. Can you open the door?”

“No. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

The knocking stops and, for a moment, Seonghwa thinks that Hongjoong really walked away. But then he begins to speak again.

“Okay. We don’t have to talk. But listen to me, alright? What happened tonight… I’m not upset, and I don’t blame you. What your father did to you, putting you on the spot like that, it wasn’t right. Especially with you being as drunk as you were. I…” His voice hitches and Seonghwa can almost hear the cogs turning in his head as he struggles with what he wants to say. “I should have stopped you from drinking that much. I knew something was bothering you, but I didn’t press you on it. That’s on me. Just know that I’m here for you. Whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to go through it alone.”

Seonghwa bites his lower lip to keep his cries from becoming audible; Hongjoong is kind, too kind, and he doesn’t deserve that kindness. Not now.

A moment of agonizing silence passes before Hongjoong says, “I’ll just leave you to rest then. Goodnight, Hwa. I… goodnight.”

Months pass with Seonghwa avoiding Hongjoong whenever he has the opportunity. Between spending most nights sleeping at home instead of their shared room and investing himself in his new duties, It’s surprisingly easy. Even though they’re part of the same squad, Hongjoong is always on elite missions, carrying out confidential orders, or out to dinner with other high-ranking officials. Rarely do they go out on missions together, and when they do, there’s little time for personal talk as General Nightingale usually accompanies them.

It’s not that Seonghwa doesn’t want to make things better with Hongjoong—he does, truly. But every time he thinks about facing him, about bringing up that night, his stomach lurches with fear. He’s not ready to confront the guilt that still gnaws at him endlessly, not ready to face the gentleness he knows he will find in Hongjoong’s eyes.

It doesn’t help that his father, after inevitably finding out about their falling out, has been pressuring him every chance he gets to fix things. Not out of love or care, but because of the prestige Hongjoong now holds as a commendation winner and the connections he and his family have. If they do become close again, Seonghwa worries that, through him, Hongjoong will just become a pawn.

It’s a cold, winter evening when Seonghwa accidentally bumps into Hongjoong outside their quarters. He had just stopped in for a moment to grab a heavier coat, not expecting anyone to be there. Hongjoong is dressed from head to toe in his winter event uniform, the same striking red and black as usual but with synthetic fur lining the collar. He looks like one of the princes from the old-world storybooks Seonghwa’s nanny would secretly read to him when he was little.

“Hwa,” Hongjoong says, surprise evident in his voice.

“I was just leaving,” Seonghwa mutters, trying to move past him, but Hongjoong blocks his way.

“Please, don’t. We need to talk.”

Seonghwa worries his bottom lip, trapped between the desire to flee and the knowledge that Hongjoong is right and a conversation is long overdue; he’s been running for far too long. “Okay,” he agrees. “You’re right.”

Hongjoong walks into the room and Seonghwa follows. The space feels oddly unfamiliar to him now, even though it’s the place where they used to share countless meals and stay up late into the night talking. They sit down on their respective beds, the distance between them feeling far larger than it actually is.

“Hongjoong—”

“Seonghwa—”

They start to speak at the same time and immediately stop, cutting themselves off with awkward laughter. The tension eases, but only slightly. Hongjoong gestures for Seonghwa to begin first.

“I… I’ve been avoiding you,” he admits, his gaze fixed pointedly on the floor. “And I know that’s not fair. Especially not after the mess I caused at your celebration dinner. I—”

“Hwa, wait. You don’t have to apologize for what happened at the dinner. You were obviously hurting, and you needed someone. I should have been that someone for you. I’m sorry.” Seonghwa opens his mouth to speak but Hongjoong continues, “Wait. While I will apologize for that, and I don’t blame you for what happened that night, I am upset that you have been avoiding me. In fact, I’m livid. Since when do we not talk about our problems? I thought we were closer than this.”

The silence stretches on as Seonghwa struggles to form a reply. “You’re right,” he finally admits, his voice barely more than a whisper. “We… we are closer than this. I’ve just been so… God, I’ve missed you, Joong. I’m so sorry. For all of it.”

Hongjoong’s stern expression softens at that. “I’ve missed you too. More than I can say. Do you know how many nights I stayed out late, expecting to come home to one of your homemade dinners? Or to you nagging me about working myself too hard, or not cleaning up my side of the room? I didn’t realize how much I depended on you until you just disappeared. Maybe I should have appreciated you more, or—”

“No, no, you did more than enough for me. You are one of the only reasons I have made it this far, not just in the program, but in life. I mean, I was such a scared little boy before I met you, I—” Seonghwa takes a shuddering breath. “I still am. I was scared to death of what you would think of me after that night, scared of what my father might do, scared I would lose my position, lose you—”

Hongjoong jumps up from his bed, coming to sit next to Seonghwa so he can wrap him in a hug. “You won’t lose me. No matter what happens, no matter what anyone says or does, you will never lose me. Promise.” His grip tightens as he says this, as if to emphasize the sincerity of his words.

Seonghwa feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes and he buries his face into Hongjoong’s shoulder, refusing to let them fall. He just allows himself to be held, to soak in the comfort. This feels familiar—safe, like home.

“I don’t want to run away anymore,” Seonghwa says.

“Good, because I can’t bear you running away again,” Hongjoong replies, his voice barely audible. “Move back in. Please.” Something about the way Hongjoong says this sounds like a confession.

“Okay, Joong. I will.”

They spend the rest of the night talking, laughing, making up for lost time. They agree that they won’t discuss their achievements, that they’ll put aside their differences, and just try to go back to the way things were. Time moves on, and slowly but surely, it seems to work. The following weeks are a whirlwind of vigorous training, missions, events, and more training, yet there is an underlying sense of peace and contentment that had been missing for so long.

Occasionally, Seonghwa still feels a tug of guilt, especially whenever his father decides to make some offhand comment. But when that does happen, all he has to do is look at Hongjoong and remember his promise. He won’t let anything get in the way of their friendship again.

One night, months after their reconciliation, Seonghwa walks into their quarters to find Hongjoong asleep at his desk, the dark circles under his eyes relaying his exhaustion. The sight is a familiar one; he remembers the countless times in the past when he found Hongjoong in a similar state. He quietly approaches him, taking in the numerous reports and other documents strewn about.

As gently as possibly, he picks Hongjoong up and carries him over to his bed, laying him down on top of his blankets. He softly brushes a stray lock of hair from Hongjoong’s forehead, smiling down at him as he sleeps. He stirs slightly but doesn’t wake, his body relaxing further into the comfort of the bed. Seonghwa contemplates waking him to eat, certain that he hasn’t, but decides against it. He seems like he needs sleep more than anything. Heading to his own bed, he crawls under the covers, ready to get some rest of his own.

Another year passes in a blur, with both Hongjoong and Seonghwa falling comfortably into their new roles. Hongjoong rises in rank, becoming a sergeant, while Seonghwa focuses on his own responsibilities, earning a solid reputation amongst their squad mates thanks to his meticulous eye for detail. Throughout it all, they try to carve out time to spend together when they can, refusing to let things get as bad as they were before.

One night, they’re out to dinner with Soohyuk, Sunhee, and General Nightingale to celebrate a recent win in which they managed to dismantle part of a criminal ring based in the Scrapyard. One of the leaders was captured and detained, thanks to the general’s brilliant plan and the Vanguard Elite’s flawless execution.

“Seonghwa?” His father holds up a bottle of wine, gesturing to Seonghwa’s empty glass.

Seonghwa clenches and unclenches his fist. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“Are you sure? It’s a fine vintage.” The smirk on his lips suggests it’s more than a simple question.

Hongjoong clears his throat and turns to General Nightingale, smoothly redirecting the conversation. “So, General, can you tell me more about the new opportunity you mentioned earlier?”

Elowen stirs in her chair, eyes shifting around from person to person before settling on Seonghwa. He gets the subtle feeling that this is something he isn’t supposed to know about.

“We’re starting a new program at the beginning of next year,” she says. “The Affiliates Assembly has worked out so well that we want to open up more opportunities for those who already have a place in the Symposium and Inner Sector.”

“And what do you want with my son?” Sunhee asks, eyebrows furrowing. “I think he has plenty of opportunities open to him already.”

“Certainly he does. But, he’s one of our strongest soldiers and he could be an asset—”

Soohyuk clears his throat, putting a stop to the conversation. “I think it is best if you finish this conversation later.” He glances at Seonghwa. “Not everyone here is privy to this type of information, after all.”

Seonghwa feels a pang of irritation at his father’s needless remark. Hongjoong shoots him a sympathetic glance from across the table and opens his mouth as if to say something before deciding against it. The topic switches to that of the new flu that seems to be sweeping through the Outer Sector. Soohyuk reassures everyone that he has spoken with the Outer Sector representative and it is being contained—it shouldn’t spread to anyone inside the Ring.

Seonghwa forgets about the conversation entirely, having not wanted to focus on it for fear of his jealousy rearing its head. At least until a few weeks later, when Hongjoong bursts into their bed room, the door slamming shut behind him. Seonghwa nearly jumps out of his skin, dropping the book he was reading onto his bedsheets.

“Joong—” Seonghwa stops short, the words dying on his lips as he takes in the sight of the man before him.

Hongjoong’s chest is heaving with panicked breaths, his eyes wide with a fear unlike anything Seonghwa has ever seen before. His hands are clenched into fists, shaking at his sides. He doesn’t seem to even process the fact that he isn’t alone in the room, beginning to pace as he mutters frantically under his breath.

“Fuck, what the fuck… I can’t… the fucking lab… cogbrains, all of them…”

Seonghwa can’t make out everything he says, but it’s enough to send a chill down his spine. He gets up, approaching Hongjoong calmly, carefully.

“Easy, Joong,” he says. “It’s alright. Tell me what happened.” Hongjoong doesn’t seem to hear him, still muttering. “Hongjoong, hey!”

Seonghwa reaches out and grabs his arm with a firm grip, forcing him to still. His touch seems to jolt Hongjoong back into reality and he whirls around to face him,

“Hwa?” he whispers. His voice sounds so broken, so terrified, so unlike the friend Seonghwa has come to know and love. It’s heartbreaking.

“Hey, you’re okay. It’s okay,” Seonghwa murmurs, pulling the shorter man into his arms.

Hongjoong stiffens at first, but then his knees seem to buckle from underneath him as he collapses into the embrace. A strangled sob escapes him, muffled against the fabric of Seonghwa’s shirt, the same shirt that he’s grasping onto so desperately.

“I’m not okay… It’s not… I can’t…”

“Shh, shh… I’ve got you.”

Seonghwa wraps his arms more tightly around Hongjoong’s trembling body, rocking him gently, his hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. Even after he finally calms down, something about him is still so on-edge. He refuses to tell Seonghwa what he was upset about, no matter how much Seonghwa pries.

“Hongjoong, come on! Is it confidential? Does it have anything to do with what the general mentioned a few weeks ago? Why can’t you tell me?”

Hongjoong takes a shuddering breath. “I just can’t, Seonghwa. The situation is too complicated. I need to figure it out on my own.”

“What happened to our agreement to handle things together?”

“This isn’t… it’s not the same. I don’t want to bring you into this mess, it’s dangerous.”

“I can handle myself just fine—you don’t have to protect me!”

Hongjoong just shakes his head, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He looks like he wants to say more but instead gets up and storms toward the door.

“Hongjoong!” Seonghwa calls after him, but it’s too late. The door slams shut behind him, leaving Seonghwa alone in the room.

In the following days, Hongjoong becomes a shell of his former self. He is silent and distant, avoiding everyone, especially Seonghwa. He disappears for hours on end, returning each time looking more drained than the last. Usually, around this time of year, he’d be talking about his upcoming birthday, pretending he doesn’t want anything while simultaneously dropping hints about the latest tech or some book he’s been eyeing.

Even without Hongjoong showing any indication of wanting to celebrate, Seonghwa is determined to do something to lift his spirits. He won’t let whatever secret Hongjoong is holding onto change their yearly tradition of celebrating together. So, he goes all out with the planning, and spends days scouring the Nexus shops for the perfect gift. He even debates heading to the pier to take a look at a different variety of items, but with the flu that has been plaguing the Outer Sector, that’s probably not the best idea.

He finds a leather-bound journal in an old-world antique shop, it’s pages yellowed by time but in perfect condition otherwise. Hongjoong loves to write, and he’s never owned anything quite like this. Seonghwa purchases it without a second thought, barely even glancing at the price. It’s perfect.

The morning of, Seonghwa comes back to their shared quarters at a time when he knows Hongjoong should be at training. His arms are full of decorations, and the journal is tucked safely away in a gift bag. He struggles with the door, having to balance everything on his hip in order to turn the handle, but when he finally manages to get it open, he freezes.

The room is empty.

Not empty as in Hongjoong just isn’t in there—empty as in every single trace of him is gone.

Seonghwa lets go of the decorations, dropping them to the floor with a resounding crash. Candles escape their packaging, rolling on the hardwood, disappearing under furniture. The journal lays abandoned next to a string of silver stars. He stares at the room in disbelief, taking in everything that’s missing. The usual clutter of papers on the desk—the clutter Seonghwa would always complain about—is gone. Hongjoong’s shoes aren’t haphazardly stashed in front of his wardrobe. His aurvox, his tablet, all of his devices are nowhere to be found.

He’s gone. Hongjoong is gone.

No, Seonghwa thinks. Maybe he went to another Sector on an urgent mission. Surely there’s a logical explanation as to why he would leave without saying anything. Seonghwa rushes out of the room, praying that General Nightingale will actually be in her office for once. The halls are eerily quiet as he sprints down them, and he can hear his own blood rushing in his ears.

Reaching the general’s office, he barely knocks, forgoing the usual protocol of waiting for her permission to enter. Elowen is seated at her desk, pouring over some files which she quickly closes upon his intrusion.

“Ah, there you are. I was hoping we would have a chance to talk.”

“Wait, before you say anything—do you know where Hongjoong is?”

She raises an eyebrow. “That is exactly what I was going to ask you.”

Seonghwa’s heart drops into his stomach, and his mouth goes dry. He has to wet his lips before asking, “But… but he was with you, wasn’t he? At training this morning?”

“No, he wasn’t,” she sighs and puts down her pen, rubbing her temples. “He never showed up for training today. In fact, he’s been MIA since yesterday.”

Seonghwa’s knees nearly buckle and he stumbles toward the nearest chair. He’s vaguely aware of Elowen saying something more, about how if Hongjoong isn’t found he’ll be marked AWOL, he’ll lose everything he has been working towards, so on and so forth. But he can’t focus on her words, not when he feels like his world is crumbling to pieces. Nothing he has ever felt, not losing the commendation, not what happened at the dinner, even comes close to comparing to the devastation he feels now.

One day turns into two, two into three, but Hongjoong never shows up. His family confirms that he has had no contact with them, and he is officially marked AWOL. Now, even if he does come back, he will never be able to return to the same life he had before.

Seonghwa’s initial shock turns into anger. How could he throw away everything he’s worked for? How could he abandon his responsibilities, his squad, his family… Seonghwa? How could he leave without so much as a goodbye? How could he break his promise? Each day, the betrayal and hypocrisy of it all festers, like a scab that refuses to heal.

To make things worse, the flu from the Outer Sector makes its way through the Ring, into the Inner Sector, the Symposium, and even the Nexus. It’s as if Hongjoong leaving started a chain reaction of unfortunate events. Soldiers are falling ill left and right, spending days or even weeks in the infirmary. The base seems to become quieter and quieter. At night, when Seonghwa lays in bed, alone in his room, it’s so silent that he feels suffocated.

One morning, one of his squad mates approaches him, a forlorn look on their face. “Hey, did you hear? Apparently Larkin is sick with whatever flu has been going around.”

Larkin is another member of the Elites, someone Seonghwa has grown quite close to over the past almost two years. The news is worrying—they still don’t know what’s causing the sickness, or what can cure it. Luckily, most people seem to recover with no lasting issues, but that isn’t much of a balm to his nerves. Maybe it’s because Hongjoong’s disappearance still feels so fresh, but the idea of anything happening to someone else he cares about makes him feel like he can’t breathe.

After he finishes up with his daily training routine, Seonghwa heads to the infirmary to pay Larkin a visit. It’s a cold, sterile place, the stark white of the walls and harsh lighting making everything seem so impersonal. The pungent smell of antiseptic fills the air, turning Seonghwa’s stomach. Trying to ignore it, he heads toward the reception desk, smiling at the woman working.

“Hi. I’m here to see a Mr. Ashwell?”

The nurse fiddles with the knob of her eyeglass, pupils moving rapidly as her eyes follow text only she can see. After a moment, she says, “Larkin Ashwell? I’m sorry, he’s in the restricted wing. No visitors allowed.”

“The restricted wing? Is this flu that contagious?”

She gives a non-committal shrug. “I’m just telling you what his file says, sir.”

“Oh… Well, thank you.”

He turns around as if to leave, but, when she looks away, he quickly slips down a side corridor. He can’t shake the nagging feeling that something weird is going on. If he leaves without seeing Larkin, he fears he’ll never get any answers.

He holds himself confidently, knowing that the key to deception is acting like you belong. He walks past all of the nurses and doctors with what he hopes is a determined look on his face. He nods at them, as if he is familiar with them, as if they should be familiar with him. Luckily, no one spares him a second glance, and he makes it all the way to the restricted wing with no issues. However, once he tries to open the door, an alarm blares.

“Shit,” he curses, glancing at the wall. He didn’t notice the ID reader.

Panicking, he backs away from the door, but it’s too late. Two guards turn the corner and spot him, looks of surprise crossing their faces; they’re both from his graduating class. He tries to explain what he’s doing there and, as sympathetic as they are, they can’t let him off the hook. He’s given a stern talking to from General Nightingale, as well as a warning that one more infraction on his record will terminate his status as a Vanguard Elite.

But the worst confrontation is, of course, the one with his father.

“Attempting to break into a restricted area? Must you continue to bring shame to this family? To me?”

“Dad—”

“Stop. If I hear about you doing one more thing—one more stupid, idiotic thing—the General will be the least of your worries. Do you understand?” His father’s voice is laced with pure venom and Seonghwa can’t help but flinch. “I said do you understand?”

Seonghwa bows his head, making himself seem as small as possible. “Yes, sir. I do.”

He should stop there. He should listen to the general’s warning, to his father’s. But whenever he tries to sleep, his thoughts go haywire. He remembers Hongjoong’s fear, the secret he was holding onto. He thinks about Larkin scared, alone, sick with some unknown disease. He can’t just do nothing.

And so he returns to the infirmary no more than a day later.

The same nurse is stationed at the desk and Seonghwa ducks around a corner, waiting for an opening. He’s learned his lesson—running into this blindly won’t get him anywhere. He doesn’t know how long it takes, but eventually she leaves to go check on a patient. He hurries up to the desk, grabs a spare ID card, and throws it around his neck, heading back to the restricted wing.

This time, he's ready. He scans the ID and the door opens with a satisfying click. He slips inside before anyone can see him. The restricted wing is dimly lit and eerily silent, save for the rhythmic beeping of machines. He searches everywhere for Larkin, looking at every bed, ducking his head into every private room, but he’s nowhere to be found.

Eventually, a doctor walks up to him, a questioning look on their face. “Excuse me, can I help you?”

Seonghwa’s heart jolts but he tries to temper down his panic. Confidence is key. “I’m looking for Mr. Ashwell.”

They activate their eyeglass, and, after a moment, confusion crosses their features. “Hm, it doesn’t look like we have a patient here by that name.”

“What do you mean? I was just told that he was in the restricted wing.”

“I’m sorry, but there must be some sort of mistake. I can go talk to my supervisor and see if we can get this all cleared up for you.”

Seonghwa shakes his head. He shouldn’t press his luck any further. “No, no, don’t bother. It’s fine. Thank you for your help.”

Feeling defeated, he leaves the infirmary, dropping the ID card on the floor near the reception desk to make it look as if someone had just misplaced it. He feels a prickling sensation of unease as he walks out into the crisp night air. The base is nearly deserted at this hour, save for the on-duty guards standing watch and a few people prepping for early morning drills. He pulls his collar up against the bite of cold and heads back to his quarters.

It all seems too suspicious: Hongjoong is AWOL, Larkin is sick with some mystery flu yet missing from the infirmary… Something is going on. It can’t be a coincidence.

The next day offers no respite from Seonghwa’s worries. General Nightingale sends out an announcement to everyone’s aurvox—Larkin is dead. The news hits him hard, knocking the breath out of him. He can hardly make sense of it. The illness, as far as he’s aware, hadn’t killed anyone. Why now?

He can’t stand not having any answers, so he goes to the one person he knows who should. His father. Soohyuk’s position as a Speaker means he has access to information few others possess, or at least that’s what he always boasts. Normally, Seonghwa would avoid his father at all costs, and the idea of depending on him for any kind of help doesn’t sit well with him. But he can look past his father’s misgivings for something this important.

He finds his father nursing a glass of whiskey in his study, the amber liquid catching the light in a way that makes it seem to glow. Soohyuk raises an eyebrow at his entrance.

“Seonghwa. What a pleasant surprise.”

“Dad. I need answers. About this flu. About Hongjoong. You have to know something.”

Soohyuk looks at him thoughtfully as he takes another sip of his drink. He doesn’t say anything for a long minute, and Seonghwa fights the urge to squirm under his gaze.

“I know a lot of things,” he finally says. “But that doesn’t mean I can share all of them.”

“Someone is dead! If you know something, you should feel obligated to do something about it!”

“The world is full of death. There’s nothing I, or anyone else, can do about that.”

His father’s cold response sends a chill down his spine—Seonghwa can’t believe how callous he is. But he can also tell that he is trying to avoid something.

“There’s something more going on, isn’t there?” he asks.

Soohyuk puts down his glass, standing up and brushing invisible specks of dust off of his pants. “I think we’re done here.”

Something inside Seonghwa snaps. He walks up to his father, getting in his face. “Stop! Stop treating me like a useless child! I am a soldier, a member of the Vanguard Elite squad—tell me what you know!”

Soohyuk finally loses it, pure rage slipping past his mask of indifference. He grabs Seonghwa by the collar, slamming him against the wall and knocking the wind out of him. “Fine. You want answers? You’re right. There is something big happening. Something that I cannot tell you about. Maybe if you got the commendation instead of your friend, you’d be able to be a part of this.”

“I’m your son! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“You are not my son. A child of mine would never be so weak.”

With that, he lets Seonghwa go, leaving the room without sparing him so much as a second glance. Seonghwa falls to his knees, gasping for breath. His back throbs from where he hit the wall, and he’s certain that there will be a nasty bruise there come morning.

For a moment, just one moment, he considers letting it all go and falling back into the role of an obedient soldier and son. But after everything that has happened, he can’t. Determined, he returns to his room and starts to pack.

He waits for an opportunity, and it comes in the form of a mission in the Outer Sector. The job is a simple one, something about discontented citizens and potential rebellion. It’s the Vanguard’s job to make sure nothing goes awry. But that’s not what he’s there for. Not this time.

With the rest of his squad distracted with their orders, he slips away from the group, putting his stealth training to good use. He sticks to alleyways and small, unlit streets, moving farther toward the outside of the Sector. The buildings become more and more dilapidated, some even missing parts of their walls or roofs. He feels like he never truly realized just how stark of a difference there is between the comfortability he grew up in and the harsh reality of those not as lucky. But his eyes are open to it now.

There’s something wrong in the Symposium. Something wrong with everything he has ever known. And if he doesn’t try to get to the bottom of it, who will?

He takes some materials out of his pack and, after some careful manipulation, creates what he hopes is a realistic looking fight scene. Signs of a struggle, torn clothing, even his Nexus ID thrown haphazardly on the ground. All that’s missing…

Seonghwa cuts open his palm, letting out a hiss. He clenches and unclenches his fist, encouraging more blood flow. He smears it on the clothes, on the ground, until enough of him has been left behind to paint a convincing picture. He knows this is it. There’s no going back from this, not after what he’s just done. Not that he wants to. He feels oddly free, despite the pain throbbing in his hand and the uncertainty of his future.

Bandaging the cut, he starts moving again. He knows there’s one place he can go where no one would ever think to look for him. The Scrapyard. A place for all of the Symposium and Inner Sector’s trash, broken technology and rusted metal. He thinks most of the upper class has forgotten that it even exists. He knows he has to be careful there, since it is a place home to scavengers and outlaws—people hardened by years of living in the underbelly of society. But he also knows it is a place where it is easy to disappear, to start anew.

Pulling his hood up over his face, he steps past the threshold, a small entrance hidden by piles of discarded machinery and rubble. As he moves deeper inside, scrap turns into ramshackle buildings. Surprisingly, it’s not nearly as dismal as he imagined. There's a strange charm to the place, with twinkling string lights hung between stacks of old cargo containers, casting everything in a warm glow. He stumbles upon an open area where a market bustles with activity, despite the late. Even some children run by, chasing a dilapidated automaton that zips through the dust.

As he ventures further, he finds himself at a makeshift bar, crafted from old metal panels and street signs. The bartender is a burly man with a wild mane of hair and a scar over his left eye.

"You’re new here,” he observes, wiping down a cracked glass. "Name's Brio. What can I get ya?”

“How about a place to stay?”

He gives a hearty laugh and looks Seonghwa up and down. "Ain't much for lodgin' here, pal. The 'yard ain't exactly a popular vacation spot. But there's always someplace to squeeze in if you ain't picky.”

“I’m not picky.”

“I find that pretty hard to believe, lookin’ at ya. You seem like the Inner Sector type.” Brio squints at him. "On the run from something or someone, are we?"

“I just need a place to lay low for awhile, that’s all.” Seonghwa raises an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”

Brio grins at him, showcasing his missing front teeth. “Not at all, kid. Welcome to the Scrapyard.”

Somewhere, a stolen letter sits in a locked drawer.

To: Hwa

#cromernet #kflixnet #wonderlandnet #pirateeznet #cultofdionysusnet #ateez x reader #ot8 ateez x reader #seonghwa x reader #hongjoong x reader #seongjoong x reader #seonghwa x hongjoong #seongjoong fic #ateez fic #ateez imagines #ateez smut #ateez angst #ateez fluff #ateez scenarios #fic.ttd #my fic

[songtaegguk]

I'M BEGGING ON MY KNEES SOMEONE PLEASE WRITE A BLACK BUTLER AU SEONGJOONG FIC WITH THIS HONGJOONG AS CIEL

AND THIS SEONGHWA AS SEBASTIAN

#ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez fic #seonghwa #hongjoong #park seonghwa #kim hongjoong #seongjoong #seonghwa x hongjoong #fic ideas #black butler #black butler au

[gccdlittlegirl]

❝ 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞 ❞

chapter one

🔞, m4tz, yandere!hongjoong, themes of jealousy, intense love and possession, top!hongjoong, bottom!seonghwa

WC: 2515

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

Hongjoong wasn’t expecting much of anything when he got to the food court.

Yunho had dragged him to the mall as emotional support while he clothes shopped. Hongjoong didn’t need anything, so he’d spent the last two hours giving mumbled opinions and sitting on his phone. Now Yunho had run off to the Panda Express queue, leaving him behind to rot (and, presumably, pick them a table). But Hongjoong wasn’t planning to eat. He sat at the nearest table he could find, a cup of lukewarm water from the jug at Spencer’s clutched in his hand.

It wasn’t like he was frugal. He just preferred to keep things to himself. He didn’t need to eat in front of people, so he wouldn’t. He didn’t need to divulge much to other people, so he rarely spoke. He didn’t need to look around him, so he looked at his shoes.

Except for now.

Secure in his seat, Hongjoong took the opportunity to glance around the food court. The walls were wood, the warm brown comforting compared to the glaring white walls from the rest of the mall. The tables were flimsy black ones, not connected to the floor underneath. He carefully placed his cup back onto the shaky surface.

“Oh, my, GAWD! Joong, you will never guess what just happened in that fucking line–” Yunho squawked. Hongjoong listened passively through the drama, nodding everytime his friend took a breath and staring a hole into his flimsy cup.

“And then Maddie was like why are you even here? and I was like the same reason you’re alive, bitch, and then—wait, Joong, look! That hot guy’s totally checking you out!”

Now he was interested.

“Yunho, what…?”

“Over there! The guy with the huge smirk on his face!” Yunho’s eyes bugged, and he pointed very obviously behind Hongjoong’s seat. Multiple times.

The young man was now laughing, his gaze still locked on Hongjoong. And Hongjoong had to admit…he was pretty cute. Godlike, actually. Achilean.

He looked like he was crafted from marble: long black hair, practically glistening in a curve framing the sides of his face. His eyes were slanted, catlike: his teeth a perfect row of white. His jawline could cut glass. His neck was—

“Not my taste.”

“Oh, c’mon!” Yunho whined, shoveling in a bite of orange chicken. “It’s not very often that someone…”

“Likes me? Yeah, well, there’s a reason for that.”

Because Hongjoong didn’t want anyone to like him. And he never would.

Yunho rolled his eyes, continuing to eat. Before he could get halfway through his food, Hongjoong felt a tap on the shoulder. A polite little tap.

Hongjoong hated being touched. Hated being disturbed. Why would someone be bugging him right now? Couldn’t they just fuck right the–

“Hello?” He breathed, the smiling dark haired boy now a foot from his face. He was frozen.

Up close, the boy’s pink suit was much…brighter. Gems everywhere. He smelled lightly of fruit. Everything about him had an air of polished grace. Electric grace. Like he didn’t care who looked. Who stared. Hongjoong’s eyes traveled lower, down the pink sparkles on the boy’s wrist, on his stomach, on his—

“Well, look at that, it’s time for Bible study! I best be off.” Yunho smiled knowingly, walking past Hongjoong on his way out. “Wrap it before you tap it!”

Hongjoong smacked Yunho on the arm as subtly as he could. He was going to kill Yunho later. Wrap it before you—Oh, he was gonna crawl into a hole—

“Well, I’ll take that as a cue to sit?” the boy slowly took Yunho’s seat, and Hongjoong dared to look him in the eyes for the first time. They glinted, a deep shade of brown. Hongjoong looked back down at his water cup, not wanting to meet them.

The boy was poker faced, though. Maybe he hadn’t heard Yunho’s Freudian Trick.

“Well…I’m Seonghwa…” the boy smiled softly, a shy contrast to the dominant smirk he’d worn earlier.

“Okay..” Hongjoong wasn’t sure what to say. “Seonghwa.” The name rolled off his tongue like butter. And after it, he let the silence roar.

“Not one for talking, are you?”

The more that Hongjoong tried looking away from the boy–from Seonghwa’s–eyes, the more Seonghwa stared into them deeper.

He wasn’t as shy as when he’d first sat down, that was for sure. He leaned closer into the table, closer than Hongjoong had ever had someone in his space. Underneath him, the table tilted on its leg, but Seonghwa didn’t even flinch.

“Well, I’ll do the talking, I guess.” Seonghwa grabbed the water cup from under Hongjoong’s hand, taking a swig of it and putting it back in the same hand. Manipulating Hongjoong’s fingers, one by one, around the width.

Hongjoong exhaled slowly, almost too frozen to respond. On the edge of the cup, bright pink sparkle gloss stained the cloudy plastic.

“I’m Seonghwa. I saw you from my seat. I liked your hair. And then you turned, and I liked your face. And now I’m here.”

This boy had some real confidence; Hongjoong had to laugh. He shook his head softly, incredulous.

“What? Find it hard to believe?” Seonghwa raised a manicured brow, managing to look even hotter.

“No, I just–” Joong put his face in his hands, exasperated—“I don’t know, I just...Nothing close to this has ever happened to me, so...”

“Well, have you ever been on a date? Like, a real one?”

A real one?

“No, I just…”

“Are you free on Saturday? I already have a reservation at Mikuni’s. I could use a plus one.”

Hongjoong stuttered again.

There was no way he could let himself do this. He was the shy one. The mysterious one. The Scorpio, or whatever.

And more importantly, he’d never done anything with anyone before. And he was sure that’s how it would stay.

What if he did get with Seonghwa? Marry him? What if he got overstimulated one day, and lashed out at Seonghwa, like he did with everyone else? What if Seonghwa couldn’t handle his anxieties, his mood swings, his baggage?

What if he went out with Seonghwa, and he wanted to go back to one of their apartments afterward? What if he had to say I don’t know or I’ve never done or I’m sorry if that hurts? What if he couldn’t verbalize those things?

And he would not be pushed down. Not again. He’d outright refuse. He’d have to be the on Seonghwa—

Seonghwa.

Seonghwa was looking at him, his eyes a little wider. Expectant.Like a lost little puppy that needed a tug on his collar to keep walking.

Sigh.

“Yes. I mean, sure. Sure, I’ll go.”

//

Hongjoong didn’t know what he wanted to wear that night. He didn’t own any suits. He didn’t own much clothing at all, for that matter.

He kept thinking about Seonghwa’s last comment. I already have reservations at Mikuni’s. Had he made them in hopes of meeting someone that day? If it wasn’t Hongjoong, would it have been…

Another man?

He wasn’t sure why that smarted. He’d seen Seonghwa once in his entire life, and he was already imagining him with other men. Ha. Ha, Ha, Ha.

He decided on a regular pair of black pants with the blandest button up he had. It wasn’t like Seonghwa would care, anyway. He’d met Hongjoong wearing a T-shirt and jeans.

But what if he did care? What if Seonghwa showed up wearing something even more elaborate than the pink suit? What if he was in a whole ball gown and Hongjoong was stuck in his thrifted shirt? Oh, fuck, he should change—

ding.

Or not.

ding.

Hongjoong unfroze, running through the hallway toward the front door. He brushed his sweaty hands down his pants.

God, this was so embarrassing. He was straight out of some cringe movie. Jesus.

ding.

He opened the door.

“Thought you’d keep me waiting?”

Seonghwa was leaning against the door frame, the pink sparkles traded for a plain black three piece with matching black glasses. His hair all slicked back. His brow raised.

Hongjoong crossed his legs and hoped his partner wouldn’t look down.

An amused smile grew on Seonghwa’s face.

“Why are your ears bright red?”

Hongjoong’s mouth fell open, and he stuttered. (Stuttered! Like an idiot!)

Seonghwa laughed, taking his glasses off and folding them on the collar of his dress shirt. He grabbed Hongjoong by the arm, pulling him closer.

“You flatter me.” He said, his voice low. He led them out the door, where his small red Miata was waiting for them, on and humming.

Because of course, the man had a Miata.

The drive was quiet. Seonghwa seemed confident in the silence, but Hongjoong squirmed in it.

He was usually so annoyed when anyone tried to speak to him. He’d sit in the back of classrooms all through school, he took his lunch breaks at work hiding in his car. But with Seonghwa?

Hongjoong wanted to know everything about him. He didn’t know why, but he did. He felt like he’d need to put on a show tonight; talk as often as he could, or risk losing his chance. Losing his Seonghwa.

They got to the restaurant, and Hongjoong watched as Seonghwa talked to the waiter (reservation for Park Seonghwa, yes that’s Park with an R…) and grabbed his hand once more to lead him down the rows of seats, rows of people, smiling people.

The room smelled lightly of sage, and the deep red walls were set off by the lights above every table. The waiter left them alone with their menus and their awkward hitched breaths.

Seonghwa already knew what he wanted, (Had he been here before? With another—)

“Man, I missed sushi. I used to get the Safeway kind nearly every night after work.” Seonghwa said. “Do you work anywhere? Or do you live at that mall?”

The way Seonghwa leaned against the table, sitting under the dim lights like Hongjoong was the most interesting thing he’d laid eyes on…Hongjoong crossed his legs again.

“Well, it’s not the most exciting work. It’s just a grocery store deli job. I cut the lunch meat, or whatever.”

And made the sandwiches that he couldn’t afford on the store’s own salary. And dealt with all the most obnoxious rich customers in the entire city. And sat unblinkingly in his car for an hour at the end of every shift because he was too drained to move.

“So I should get sushi at your store next time, is what you’re saying?”

The waiter dropped their sushi rolls off, and the conversation paused as they said their thank yous, organized their cutlery, their drinks.

“Well, where do you work so late that you don’t have time to make dinner?”

Seonghwa sighed.

“Well, I work at the law firm down F street. But I’m just a secretary, and one of two secretaries, at that. Nothing special.”

Hongjoong had gotten a spicy combo roll, but it was hard to take a bite when he was too busy looking at the light glinting over Seonghwa’s skin.

“How late does a law firm stay open?”

“What?”

“Are you picking up Safeway dinners because it’s so late you can’t cook, or can you just not cook for shit?”

Seonghwa got flustered in a way that reminded Hongjoong of the brief moment he’d seen at the food court the other day. Hidden glances under the shell that he hoped he could—maybe, one day, potentially—break.

“I leave at five. I just can’t cook for shit.”

Hongjoong couldn’t help it. He giggled through his chopsticks.

“Don’t laugh at me—!”

“No, no,” Hongjoong snorted, “you’re fine. I’ll do the cooking, you’ll do the cleaning, I guess.”

“Oh, am I your little housewife now?” Seonghwa, ever quick to recover his confidence, quipped.

“Of course, why else would I be here?”

Their laughter calmed down, and Hongjoong stared into his sushi platter as he finished the last of the roll. He could’ve gotten something on the side, but he was still a bit anxious about the night, and he figured going lighter was better.

“Why did you come here?” Seonghwa asked, looking down at his own plate. His voice sounded suddenly small.

Hongjoong was caught off guard.

“What do you mean? Well, you asked me!”

“No, that’s not what I meant. You’re clearly super new at this. No offense, of course,” Seonghwa reached for his hand across the table. “I just don’t know why you’d say yes to someone like me.”

Hongjoong was less new than he looked. But of course, only he would know that.

“Well…are you done with that?” Hongjoong pointed at Seonghwa’s sushi.

Seonghwa meshed his brows together.

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Let’s pay, get back to the car, and then I’ll tell you.”

//

Seonghwa slumped into the driver’s seat with a dramatic exhale. He sat for a minute, not looking at Hongjoong, who’d been playing absently with his fingers since he shut the passenger door.

After a moment of silence, Seonghwa finally met Hongjoong’s eyes. They were like little boba pearls, catching the light reflecting from the street lamps and twisting Hongjoong’s stomach.

“So..?” Seonghwa broke the silence.

Hongjoong took a breath.

“If we’re being completely honest. I don’t know why I’m here. I don’t like people.”

Hongjoong broke from Seonghwa’s gaze. He wasn’t sure he could stand it. But he managed to continue, hushing his tone.

“I think I like them and I try to be more talkative and then I regret it, or I get overstimulated and snap at people until they think I’m weird and leave, or I get depressed and stay in my fucking bed until everyone stops texting me.”

Seonghwa opened his mouth, but Hongjoong interrupted.

“Except Yunho, of course. The apocalypse won’t make him stop texting me.”

Seonghwa put his face in his hands to stifle a laugh, but when Hongjoong started laughing, he joined.

“Where did you find that guy, anyway?” Seonghwa asked, cautiously patting a tear from his eye (was he wearing mascara?).

“The fuckin gutter, I guess.” Hongjoong said. “I met him in middle school.”

“I still can’t believe he said wrap it before you tap it. And you just let him leave—“

“Okay, well what was I gonna say? Thanks, Yunho, I’ll double rubber just for you. Have a nice Bible study-“

He stopped, nearly choking on his own cackles. Seonghwa was still laughing, too, and he absently reached for his hand to play with the boy’s fingers.

“Oh, so you want to rubber, then?” Seonghwa said.

The blood rushed to Hongjoong’s face (and somewhere else). He stuttered a bit, but Seonghwa spoke again before he felt pressured to respond.

“I’m kidding. You don’t have to think about that. Unless you want to, I mean—“

“Oh, no, there’s been moments…”

“Moments?” Seonghwa started laughing again.

WHAT WAS HONGJOONG SAYING?? What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck he was such a bumbling idiot—

“Oh, no, I mean, I don’t, I didn’t mean that, like, I just meant like—“

And Seonghwa’s lips were on his.

// AAAA thank you for reading!! warning: chapter two is basically pure smut throughout the whole thing, and will get into some of the secret backstories of both characters which do include a bit of trauma. but i’ll update when it’s done!

#ateez smut #matz smut #seongjoong #hongjoong smut #seonghwa smut #seonghwa x hongjoong

[my3e]

WHO CREATED THIS BOOTIFUL PEICE OF ART

* but seriously if yall know who the artist is plz tag in the comments 

#seongjoong #ateez fanart #seongjoong fanart #seonghwa x hongjoong #p.sh x k.hj #ship art #pretty art #beautiful art #art #tag artist #tag op #saturosbitch #ateez #kim hongjoong #park seonghwa #seonghwa park #hongjoong kim #ateez seonghwa #ateez hongjoong #seonghwa ateez #hongjoong ateez #kpop fanart #found this on pinterest

[sunoofairyofsass]

#kpop #idol x idol #idol smut #kpop smut #ateez fanfic #ateez smut #ateez #ateez fic #seonghwa #hongjoong #park seonghwa #kim hongjoong #seongjoong #seonghwa x hongjoong #Gio's memes

[hongsterz]

✦ If Without You ✦

[seongjoong coffee shop au]

➸ tags: coffee shop au, comforting & wholesome, barista park seonghwa x artist kim hongjoong, finding your passion, happy ending, psychology, change of live view, rural town setting, social expectations discussions;

➸ hongjoong/seonghwa (ateez);

➸ general audiences, 5.1k words, finished;

“The promise wasn’t what Seonghwa stayed for all those weeks but because he wanted to. For this coffee shop, for his customers—people who gifted him a missing piece.”

Or, a story about finding your place in the world, your passion and sense of belonging; about the powerful words Seonghwa needed to hear his whole life, yet they only caught in the rural coffee shop after he hit twenty-five. That day, the artist appeared before him and let Seonghwa see the world with his eyes.

READ ON AO3 (by. hongsterz) + follow me on twitter for more ♡

#ateez #ateez fanfiction #ateez fanfic #kim hongjoong #park seonghwa #jeong yunho #kang yeosang #choi san #choi jongho #song mingi #jung wooyoung #ateez fic #coffee shop au #cafe au #coffee shop #one shot #seongjoong #honghwa #matz #seonghwa x hongjoong #hongjoong x seonghwa #comforting #short fiction #byhongsterz

[lettersfromaphrodite]

«Protect Me, My Aurora.»

― pairing : Hongjoong x Seonghwa ― content warnings : angst, smut, fluff, pirate au, royals au, slowburn, unprotected sex, fantasy au // mentions of Jongdae and Baekhyun because they're my beta's faves // yes, yes "The Bitter Dahlia" is exactly the one mentioned in «it’s high tide, baby.» ― word count : 28k

― notes : this fic looks familiar? it is! I’m reposting ALL my works on this brand new blog and therefore please, bear with me! as always, askbox is open and feedbacks are always welcome 💌

― summary :

«You’re a pirate aren’t you? Then steal me! Is that so much to ask?» Seonghwa concluded, lightly squeezing Hongjoong’s arm, his voice full of hope. He was talking a bit too loudly for his standard, but now, convincing Hongjoong to take him with them was more important than respecting the label of the peaceful sovereign. «What do you have that I would want?» Hongjoong curiously challenged him, raising an eyebrow and leaning closer to the King.

Seonghwa sighed while tightly fixing on his head the hood hiding his identity, as bittersweet memories of the past flashing through his mind.

He was crowned King when he was in his twenties, reigned over a wide Kingdom and his country loved him for he was a caring and humble man. Seonghwa also dearly loved his wife, which was a rare thing to happen during an arranged marriage whose only purpose was to unify reigns who were in prior conflict. However, the Queen had been seriously ill.

Seonghwa absently played with the familiar rings on his finger, as he reminded how quickly his wife’s life slipped away, murder caused by a group of conspirators leaded by the Governor himself. They made it appear as if it was in fact the King’s will to poison his own wife, so that he could get married once again and furtherly extend his Kingdom without recurring to wars.

“Things change fast.” Seonghwa thought with a dejected sigh. The originally small group of conspirators quickly gained members, and Seonghwa was forced to leave everything and hide. The Governor was now occupying the King’s throne, exactly as he planned.

As the former King, well, he was now part of the Resistance.

«Come on,» Jongdae, the Resistance’s leader interrupted the whirlwind of his thoughts, «they’re probably waiting.» Seonghwa absently nodded at him as they walked towards a familiar inn, their footsteps echoing in the dark of the night.

“The Bitter Dahlia” was the inn that had been hosting their secret meetings for months; Seonghwa knew that Jongdae and Baekhyun - the innkeeper, were brothers and therefore, he quickly understood how their group was constantly informed about any kind of news going around town. The strong smell of alcohol mixed with loud chatters and laughters filled their noses and ears as they quickly got in and closed the door behind themselves, before quickly taking place in front of the counter and ordering something to drink. 

«There are big, unexpected news tonight,» Baekhyun nodded at his brother and at the young King, as he finished filling their chalices, «Pirates.» he whispered, slightly nodding towards their directions with his head; Seonghwa’s eyes drifted to the group of young men talking and laughing loudly, not minding whether they were disturbing other people around them.

There were six of them, he noticed. Only one of them was particularly tall - probably the same height as him, currently busy discussing with his crew mates while partially comfortably sitting on the wooden table.

The King studied them for another minute, trying to remember as much as he could about their appearance and their faces, in case he ever happened to run into them in the future.

However, only one of them caught his eyes; he didn’t look particularly tall, and for what Seonghwa could notice in the mostly dark environment of the inn, his hair seemed to be dark blonde, styled in a mullet. He was the one who was talking less, always looking at the others with a smug grin, sometimes admonishing them with a “stop fucking screaming”, and Seonghwa assumed that he was probably the Captain.

«Come back to us unworthy peasants, your Majesty King Seonghwa.» Jongdae joked as he drew Seonghwa’s attention back on the original topic while gently nudging against his elbow. 

«I told you not to call me that in front of other people.» The former King hissed, harshly placing his chalice on the counter; Jongdae murmured a quiet apology and Seonghwa nodded with a sigh, before he eventually got up and bumped shoulders with a tall boy, his hair bright red and a black eyepatch on his left eye.

«Sorry, buddy!» the boy cheerfully apologized «I drank too much and I lost my balance for a moment.» he chuckled, absently checking how much of the drinks he was carrying he actually spilled; Seonghwa smiled as he politely answered not to worry, before immediately following the Resistance’s leader through the back door, disappearing behind it.

Seonghwa obviously could not see how the young boy’s expression instantly turned serious as he headed straight to the Pirates’ table, referring the small dialogue he just overheard to his Captain.

The meeting proceeded steadily; Jongdae announced that unexpectedly many people from other villages joined the Resistance, dejected, frustrated and unhappy with the Governor’s laws and too strict politics.

Months had passed since Seonghwa had to leave everything he had in order to run away, and during these months, he learned that there were many groups of rebels all around the Kingdom who firmly believed that the former King was still alive. Moreover, the rebels’ main goal was to wait for the perfect occasion in order to get rid of the unfair and selfish Governor in favour of another magnanimous King, just like Seonghwa was.

Hearing those words, a dejected sigh escaped from the young King’s lips. The Governor reduced the Kingdom on the verge of war and hunger, erasing years of efforts made by both him and his father in order to keep the people in his country as peaceful and satisfied as possible.

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun knew about Seonghwa’s real identity, but they swore to keep it a secret, and if needed, to refer to him by a fake name.

Once the meeting came to an end it was already late at night, and there were barely any costumers in the front of the inn, and Seonghwa decided to get straight back home. His right hand reached to play nervously with both his and his wife’s wedding rings on his left hand; he locked himself inside the small room he was renting and sat on the small table opposite the bed, studying the familiar map speeded on the wooden surface.

There was only one thing that could prove he was King Seonghwa, and unfortunately, part of it was still safely hidden in the depths of the Castle. However, he highly doubted the Governor managed to find out the location of the small labyrinth hidden in the middle of the dungeons that for years hid the documents who contained the proofs of the royal lineage, especially because this information had been secretly passed from a King to another, since anyone who was in possess of these documents could claim the position of King.

Seonghwa was honestly scared of this option, and his feelings only urged him to proceed faster on his lone mission that he meticulously kept hidden from the only friends he had; even though he tried to tell them about it few times, they always dismissed the idea.

«It’s too dangerous!» Jongdae would immediately cut his sentence with a stern grin.

«He’s right, what would we do if you got caught?» Baekhyun would add, his eyebrows furrowed in evident worry.

Anyways, Seonghwa knew what he had to do, and as he folded the small map and hid it under the mattress, he definitely made up his mind: the following night he would have paid a visit to the Castle.

However, as Seonghwa comfortably fell asleep few minutes later on the comfortable mattress of his small room, he was absolutely unaware of the two men who had followed him from a safe distance, well hidden in the dark night.

The next day passed in a blur, since Seonghwa was too busy preparing for his secret mission to leave his room in the first place; he was lucky that the old lady which was renting him the room was gentle enough to deliver him some food for breakfast and lunch, otherwise Seonghwa wouldn’t have eaten at all.

As he carefully got dressed, he made sure to keep a knife well hidden in his boot, just in case he had to fight and his sword was snatched away; although he spent years training and learning sword fight, he wasn’t as skilled nor as strong as the men which were recruited as Royal soldiers, but thanks to the many lessons he took when he was a Prince, he learnt how to fight to defend himself. Being part of the Resistance meant constant sword training but still, Seonghwa wasn’t sure he’d be an actual challenge for a group of skilled soldiers, even thought he was very agile.

At sunset, he secured his hood on his head as he quietly left towards the Castle, the long dark cloak hiding his identity from curious eyes. Seonghwa didn’t have any trouble in finding a way to enter the Castle without being caught, he has never been a troublemaker, but when he was younger he loved sneaking out to spend some days with commoners, in order to feel closer to them. Ordinary life had always fascinated him, and his father always told him that in order to be a good King you would need to see directly your people’s lifestyle without them knowing you were around.

As silent as the snow falling on the ground on a winter night, Seonghwa quickly walked through the numerous corridors illuminated by the dim light of the moon and some torches, trying not to mind all the things that the Governor changed in what once was his home, fists clenching every time he saw a painting of the wicked man hanging on the walls.

Occasionally hiding from the guards on their night patrol, Seonghwa made his way through the labyrinth; the more he got close to it, the more he was sure that the Governor had never took actual interest in it, merely paying attention to its cold stone walls.

The thing was, it was more than a bunch of assembled walls, there was a secret chamber containing few of the most important treasures of the Kingdom, and the documents he was looking for.

Whoever owned it and exhibited it would have been recognized as the rightful King; in case someone were to unfairly occupy the position of sovereign, the King in need to prove his identity could find official documents in this labyrinth, and also a map that would lead him to a place where to find an object only the King could recognize, due to the secrecy of this information.

“Left, right, left, left-” he thought as he swiftly moved between the corridors, remembering his father’s words. “You’ll find your destination next to the black stone,” his step slowly led him into another corridor; from what he has been told, he had to look for a black stone in a wall covered with pebbles of various shades of grey.

“It could be anywhere,” he thought, dejected by this unexpected turn of events; he grabbed a fire torch from the wall, and started meticulously looking for said stone while trying not to make any noise.

Minutes passed, and Seonghwa was increasingly growing both frustrated and impatient; as he was about to give up, he found a small different stone – perfectly round shaped, as he was crouched on the floor.

His father never told him what he had to do once he found it, so he tentatively tried pressing on it, sharpening his ears in case anything happened; he pressed on it again, but nothing changed.

Seonghwa sighed, impatiently placing the palm on his hand flat on the stone while trying to rotate it, hoping that this would actually work because he didn’t have any other idea on what to try with a stone, and hoping for the last time that no one else found out about this labyrinth.

When all the hope he had was about to vanish, something clicked behind him, and Seonghwa immediately turned around to check the opposite wall. Some of the cold stones moved towards the inside, indicating there was the secret room his father once told him about, and Seonghwa only needed to push on it to get inside.

With a tight grip on the torch, Seonghwa pressed against the wall, the newfound door opening with a brief creak; the room was small, humid and full of dust; the ceiling was not too high either, he could have touched it if he raised an arm, and there were big and heavy coffers full of treasures arranged along the sides of the walls.

What actually caught Seonghwa’s attention was the simple wooden table exactly in the middle of the room, looking too ordinary compared to the jewels and gold that partially filled the small room. Seonghwa’s steps warily reached the table, where he found exactly what his father told him: the royal documents and the map.

“Isn’t it too easy?” Seonghwa thought while furrowing his eyebrows in doubt, as he placed the torch in a metal ring hanging on the wall next to him. He cautiously reached for the papers, his movements slow and calculated, fearing to remain trapped inside that small space as soon as he touched anything.

As soon as he realized that nothing was going to happen if he touched and lifted the documents from the table, he quickly folded both the map and the documents, safely tucking them in the inner pocket of his jacket.

Pleased with the outcome and seeing that he wasn’t going to get trapped inside the small room if he decided to touch anything, Seonghwa took few minutes in order to curiously look around the room, since he has never been there and moreover, he had always been curious about what could the many treasures safely hidden from indiscreet eyes be.

A coffer on the right side of the room caught Seonghwa’s attention, and he curiously approached it: it was the only one containing only gold coins, and on top of them, there was a bright brooch studded with diamonds and colourful precious stones.

As he was about to reach out in order to take a closer look to the brooch, a low whistle made him stop in his tracks.

«Well, who would have guessed?» an unfamiliar voice chanted, and Seonghwa immediately turned to face the intruder, fearing for the worst.

Leaning against the door frame there was a man dressed totally in black, from his hat, to his gloves, to the mask covering his face, to his clothes.

Seonghwa instantly understood who was standing in front of him, and a shiver froze him in place; he recognized those clothes, since the only Pirates who actually dressed like that were the crew called “ATEEZ”, a group of infamous, cruel Pirates that took no side in political matters but only lived following their morals, not minding if they had to shed blood on the way to get what they wanted. They hid their identity only during assaults and robberies, so that the majority of people would not mind about them during every day’s life.

“This is why no one paid attention to them at the inn,” Seonghwa thought, even if he could have never imagines that the loud Pirates he saw were in fact one of the most dangerous Pirates crew in the world: Seonghwa’s hand instinctively placed on the hilt of his sword, but however, he did not intend to unsheathe it, not yet.

«I came to rob this place, but…» the slim man started walking towards him, due to the space being limited, he almost immediately stopped in front of him, «I never thought I’d find out that the former King became a thief.» although the Pirate was wearing a mask, it was as if Seonghwa could feel the smug grin on the other’s lips as he pronounced those words, and before he even managed to think about unsheathing his sword, he found a short blade pressed against his throat.

The cold metal made Seonghwa fear for his life, and since Pirates were generically unpredictable, he decided to not fight back, his arms going limp on his sides in a clear sign of surrender.

«How do you know that?» Seonghwa asked, as he tried to identify the eyes - the only thing he could see, of the man standing in front of him; although he was shorter than him, his threatening aura made the young King settle for the decision of not to move.

«You never know who might overhear your secrets, your Highness.» the Pirate’s voice exuded superiority, and Seonghwa clenched his jaw. He could not be the man he bumped into at the inn; he was taller than the one standing in front of him.

Unless, that man might have reported what he heard to his crew mates, and if luck was on his worst side, the one threatening him was the Captain of the loud group he saw the night before.

«What do you want from me? I’m not in the position to-» Seonghwa’s words were harshly cut off as the Pirate chuckled and removed the blade from his neck.

«Relax, I’m only interested in stealing some of these.» he said, curiously walking around from a coffer to another, examining coins and various jewellery, while Seonghwa still did not dare to move from his spot.

Since the door was still open, Seonghwa realized that he could run away if he wanted, he could even lock the Pirate inside the room if he wanted to, but truth was he was petrified in fear; he studied as the other put the most interesting jewels or those that seemed to be more expensive in a leather bag attached to the belt he had tied at his waist over his refined jacket.

“Didn’t Pirates dress in a scruffy way?” Seonghwa absently thought as he stared at the other’s clothes that seemed to be made of an unexpectedly good fabric.

«What were you doing here, anyway?» the Pirate asked without paying too much attention to the young King, as he was focused on checking another diamond.

«It’s no one of your business.» Seonghwa answered firmly, clenching his fists; truth was, he wasn’t sure how to feel about this whole situation. He was in the middle of what once has been his Castle, his home, looking at a pirate stealing a treasure that he couldn’t call his own anymore, so he didn’t have any right to scold him; especially, because in this very moment he was technically stealing the Governor’s assets, and not his.

«Well, true, but-» the Pirate’s sentence was abruptly interrupted by a series of distant screams followed by the sound of numerous bells ringing frequently and following the same familiar rhythm, and both men exchanged confused looks before staring at the door.

«Intruders.» Seonghwa briefly stated, frowning.

«We have to go, and quickly.» the Captain mumbled as he closed his leather bag and grabbed the other’s elbow, urging him towards the door.

They both rushed out, Seonghwa hastily closing the secret room’s door and running towards the Pirate, who was slightly leaning out from the wall, peaking at their surroundings while making sure the way was clear; from what they heard, the guards were still far from them, but it was better not to risk making avoidable mistakes.

«Did your men get caught?» Seonghwa whispered, lowering the hood if his cape further on his forehead as he started feeling distressed, since if anyone were to see him in the Castle, he sincerely doubted he could actually survive.

«No,» the Pirate mumbled quietly, shaking his head as he started walking, gesturing to the young King with his fingers to follow him, «each one of us was robbing a different place tonight, and they’d never betray me. It’s can’t be us, either.» he finished explaining as they both got out from the labyrinth and almost reached the entrance of the dungeons, an unexpected comfortable silence between them.

Seonghwa knew the Pirate couldn’t have possibly memorized the way out so, sometimes he’d find himself stopping the Captain’s quick steps by tugging on his sleeve, leading him to the opposite way.

«I knew that, I wanted to see if you were still paying attention.» the Pirate would answer every time, obviously lying.

They cautiously retraced every corridor, the noise created by the soldiers and the bells’ ringing getting louder as they stepped closer to the gate that separated the dungeons from the stairs leading back into the castle.

Seonghwa’s steps halted in the middle of the wide circular room surrounded by metal cells, anxiety getting the best of him, and the Pirate stopped few steps further, noticing he was now walking alone. He quickly spun on his heels, turning towards the taller man, a silent question hanging from his lips as he walked back to place a hand on Seonghwa’s elbow.

«Why did you stop?!» he hissed, «The worst part starts now!»

«What if we get caught? They’ll hang me – they’ll hang us, if we get caught!» Seonghwa muttered as he forced his breath to come out as even; despite part of the young King’s face was hidden, the Pirate managed to catch a glimpse of the panic in the other’s eyes staring at the floor.

The Pirate sighed, his hand leaving Seonghwa’s left arm; the young Captain reached behind his ears in order to untie the mask that covered the lower part of his face, and then he tugged Seonghwa’s hood to remove it.

The King’s gaze locked with the Pirate’s, confirming his assumptions about the previous evening: the boy who admonished his loud companions, the same handsome boy who had caught his eyes, was precisely the Captain.

Seonghwa’s eyes were filled with confusion and hidden curiosity as the Pirate’s fingers secured his own mask behind the young King’s nape, before quickly lifting the hood back on his head.

«It’s okay now, we can go.» the Pirate’s unexpected gentle voice seemed to unexplainably soothe Seonghwa’s distressed soul, and the Captain’s hand returned on the King’s elbow but this time, he noticed, the touch was a little bit gentler. Although he was still urging him around, at least he wasn’t squeezing his arm as tightly as before; they began to run, taking advantage of the unexpectedly empty hallway they found, as they sprinted towards the door that would lead them in the garden.

If Seonghwa hadn’t been so scared of something possibly go wrong, he would have thought this situation was paradoxical; he was running almost hand in hand with a Pirate who first pointed a blade to his neck and a few minutes later tranquillized him by lending him his mask.

He genuinely started to doubt the veridicity of the rumours about them, since not only they were helping each other, but the Pirate was also being nice.

They opened the heavy Castle’s door enough to sneak out, not bothering to close it behind them; outside the door that connected the Castle to the Royal garden, there were two rows made up of three wide white columns on each side, meant to support the large balcony above their heads. Quickly, they took shelter behind one of the pillars, their back pressed against each other, carefully examining the situation; there were at least ten groups of soldiers, which meticulously sought in every part of the garden, meaning that it wouldn’t take long before they were found and therefore, they had to act quickly.

The Pirate scoffed, shaking his head and slightly turning around in order to glance at Seonghwa.

«I came from over there…» he whispered, not finishing his own sentence as he pointed towards the canopy on top of the bushes the soldiers were meticulously examinating; Seonghwa immediately nodded, understanding what the Pirate was trying to say.

That part of the garden was way too crowded with enemies and way too distant to reach without alarming everyone in the garden.

«Come with me.» Seonghwa mindlessly took the other man’s hand as he led him towards a familiar oak tree; he briefly explained there was a hole in the wall safely hidden between its leaves and branches, and he always used that as an exit when he sneaked outside the Castle to go to town. Easily climbing on the oak tree and through the hole in the wall, they left the Castle, climbing down the identical oak tree that they found on the other side of the wall.

The young King let out a loud relieved sigh as he let himself slide down the wall in order to sit on the ground, and the Pirate chuckled in response to the young King’s action.

However, the loud screams of the soldiers and the noisy bell kept signalling them that they didn’t catch the intruder, yet.

«I suppose I should thank you?» Seonghwa tried as he untied the mask, handing it back to the Pirate.

«Captain Hongjoong, at your service,» he playfully winked and did a small hint of a bow, as he gently took his mask from the King’s gloved hands, without bothering to wear it again, «and no problem, I feared I had to drag you out of there myself and well, our body proportions aren’t exactly on my side.» Seonghwa gladly took the hand that Hongjoong stretched towards him in order to help him get back on his feet; they had just escaped a rather dangerous situation, it’s true, but they were standing right in front the Castle’s walls in the middle of the night while soldiers were looking everywhere for intruders, so they had better start walking away.

The pale moonlight illuminated their path as they stared walking through the sleeping town, leaving the Castle behind their shoulders; much to his surprise, Seonghwa noticed the other man was indeed a friendly person, and not as ruthless as the rumours said.

“That’s probably because I’m not on his bad side,” Seonghwa deduced as they were busy making small conversation; they began to part ways in front of the inn, Hongjoong heading towards the port, and Seonghwa heading towards his room.

«Oh, by the way!» Hongjoong abruptly stopped and Seonghwa instinctively turned around, noticing that they weren’t particularly distant one from the other.

«Here, catch this!» the Pirate cheerfully said as he threw something at Seonghwa, and the young King frowned as soon as he felt the angular consistency of what he had just caught in mid-air. Slowly and curiously opening his hand, his eyes widened at the sight of the brooch he was staring at in the dungeon was now shining brightly in his palm, illuminated by the pale moonlight.

Seonghwa’s head snapped towards Hongjoong, who was staring at him with a wide knowing grin.

«I owed you one, I could never imagine there were so many hidden treasures in there.» he answered the King’s silent question, eyes not faltering from his confused expression.

«How did you know-»

«I’m a Pirate!» Hongjoong immediately interrupted him, as he was stating the obvious.

With a final wave, the Captain turned around, disappearing in the dark of the night.

Seonghwa woke up in the middle of the morning, and for the first time in a while he slept soundly, satisfied to have stolen the biggest treasure of the Castle right under the Governor’s nose.

Memories of Hongjoong’s gaze flashed through his mind and he sighed, wondering which one was the truth about him: was he really a ruthless and heartless man or was those only exaggerated rumours? Not that he was that interested, of course.

«He can’t be that cold hearted,» he quietly mumbled to himself as he sleepily rubbed his eyes, «and I should stop thinking so much about it.» Seonghwa got up with a sigh, easily getting rid of his own thoughts as he walked to the small bathroom attached to his room.

After taking a warm bath and wearing a clean change of clothes, he sat at his room’s desk and took his time to study the map he found the night before.

The map was made up of well-defined contours of explored territories and of curious drawings of mermaids and sea monsters. Seonghwa traced with his fingers the outline of what was once his Kingdom, a feeling of rage slowly made space within his heart; he was determined to take back his throne, he was determined to end the continuing injustices that common people had to suffer.

Towards a corner of the map, surrounded by boundless sea and curious drawings of apparent dangers, there was a solitary island circled with a bold mark made with black ink. As Seonghwa spreaded the sheet in order to try to get rid of the wrinkles that covered the name below the drawing of the island surrounded with fog, and that name instantly triggered his memories: The Mist.

Seonghwa remembered that when he was younger, his father used to tell him about a mysterious island full of treasures that no one dared to approach, but for all they know, the entire existence of the island was shrouded in mystery.

According to the legends, on that remote island there was an ancient cave, containing the greatest treasures of all the Kings who had ever reigned on his kingdom. However, the thick fog has always prevented adventurers - Pirates and onlookers, from approaching; although many souls blinded by greed had challenged their fate in order to find that incredible amount of accumulated wealth, no one had ever returned.

The more time passed, the more that island became a simple legend passed from generation to generation. Apparently, like every legend it hid a fund of truth.

«The Aurora shard…» Seonghwa whispered, knitting his brows in confusion. Could it be his father was unconsciously pointing him the way to redeem himself?

His father’s stories spoke of a cave; a huge hidden cave full of all kinds of treasures, coins, weapons, precious jewels, diamonds. In the midst of all this, only the true King would have been able to recognize the true and most important treasure of all: the Aurora shard.

«I can’t tell you what shape or what colour it is, since I don’t know myself,» his father’s authoritative but gentle voice had said, «all I know, is that it takes a King to recognize it.»

Seonghwa sank back into his chair, feeling dejected, what if it was really only a legend? Moreover, even if it was real, would he really be able to recognize the Aurora shard? In addition, the most important thing: how was he supposed to get there?

A familiar face followed by a dangerous plan popped into his mind, and he shook his head as if the gesture could have made the idea disappear.

Seonghwa left his room in the late afternoon, quickly heading towards the inn; beside the Resistance’s meeting, he knew he had to face both his only friends about his decision.

The familiar chatter accompanied his short journey to the inn which, being earlier than usual, still did not have much clientele; although some tables were occupied, it was still very quiet.

«Look who decided to show up!» Baekhyun lively greeted him from behind the counter with a bright smile, «I was starting to believe you ran away!» he added, faking to be offended.

Seonghwa nervously swallowed, looking away; he politely greeted him, as always, as he made his way to the counter. «Where’s Jongdae?» he asked, looking around and finding himself looking for someone else’s presence as well.

«He’ll be here soon…» he started, and gradually leaned closer to the King over the counter. «Have you heard about the Pirates?» Baekhyun smiled, satisfied to have finally obtained the interest of his interlocutor; Seonghwa pretended not to know by quickly shaking his head.

«Apparently yesterday night, seven rich residences were robbed,» Baekhyun stated in a low voice, «and one of them was your beloved Castle.» he finished, studying Seonghwa’s facial expression.

«That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I was-» Seonghwa sighed, but before he could finish his sentence, a strong arm wrapped around his shoulders.

«Here’s our favourite King!» Jongdae joked, not loud enough to be heard by anyone else beside them, since they were the only three people standing at the counter.

«Oh, Jongdae! You have the worst timing!» Baekhyun playfully hit the other with one of the rags he used to dry the caliches he had just washed up.

«As I was saying,» Seonghwa urged «I know it was Hon-ATEEZ, because I met one of them in the Castle.» he said, closing his eyes, his heartbeat quickening as he was waiting for the worst. However, he was met with utter silence and Jongdae’s arm tensing and tightening around Seonghwa’s shoulders.

«YOU?! WHAT?!» Both brothers shouted at the same time, drawing attention of the few costumers towards them; however, they quickly lost interest as soon as they saw it was them, since they were used to see both brothers loudly playing around.

Seonghwa sighed and told them everything as he nervously played with the wedding rings which adorned his finger; he told them about the night before, about his meeting with Hongjoong - even tho he didn’t confess them his name, he told them that the Pirate actually helped him get out of the Castle, and most importantly, he told them about the map.

They both listened carefully to every word with attentive eyes and furrowed eyebrows; however, neither of them did anything to hide their disapproval on their friend’s dangerous and irresponsible decision.

«So, you’re going with them?» Jongdae inquired.

«He didn’t ask them yet, why don’t you listen?» Baekhyun immediately answered his brother with an exasperated sigh, the rag was using before long forgotten on the counter and Jongdae shook his head; Seonghwa simply settled for watching them, since he already knew that they would react this way, not that he could blame them.

Seonghwa averted his gaze as Jongdae sighed in what the King would call disappointment, and he headed towards the back door; he silently followed the young Leader, waiting for the others to show up at the Resistance’s meeting.

As soon as the meeting finished, they all walked back into the main hall of the inn, instantly surrounded by the loud familiar laughter and chatters that filled the place; by that time, the inn was finally crowded, so that no one actually would notice a group of people casually walking out from a back door.

Not that they would mind, actually the Resistance’s group who lived in the city knew very well that the citizens would defend and hide them, in case of danger.

Seonghwa’s glance moved towards a familiar table in the corner of the room, who was once again occupied by seven familiar faces. They were laughing about something while one of them looking particularly flustered; Seonghwa deduced that they were probably celebrating the success of the previous night since, after all, no one apart from him knew their real identity.

Hongjoong was sitting facing the back door and exactly like the first time he saw him, he was looking at the others and laughing along with them, sometimes admonishing their too loud voices; instinctively, Seonghwa softly smiled looking at them, the conviction that after all they couldn’t be so evil was inexplicably growing inside of his mind.

Still, he could swear that as he passed by their table to reach the counter, he saw the Captain winking at him; he instantly averted his gaze, ignoring the faint blush that covered his cheeks, and hoping that no one would notice but as his eyes locked with Baekhyun, he knew it was already too late, since the boy was looking at him with a smug smirk and malice in his eyes.

«Don’t.» Seonghwa mumbled, interrupting and preventing any kind of commentary from his friend as he sat on his favourite stool.

Even if the room was crowded, the rectangular-shaped counter remained empty; people always opted to sit comfortably at one of the many tables, rather than alternate between standing and sitting on high and not too comfortable stools, Seonghwa noticed.

However, he has always preferred to occupy one of the side spaces of the counter, distant from prying eyes and without being in the way of those who approached to order drinks.

Seonghwa sat in his usual place, his back facing Hongjoong’s table; with an amused smile, Baekhyun placed a small glass of rum in front of Seonghwa, who politely declined with a flustered expression.

«I didn’t say anything, yet.» Baekhyun chanted, playfully winking while faking innocence, «Jongdae will come around,» Baekhyun softly added, reaching forward to gently pat the other’s shoulder, «we both knew this day would come but,» as he interrupted himself again with a sigh, Seonghwa curiously looked at him, «King or not, you’re a brother to us!»

Seonghwa nodded at Baekhyun, who squeezed his arm one last time before going back to a customer who called him on the other side of the counter; he couldn’t do anything else but look at the other man as he efficiently worked, feeling his emotions turn into a mix of joy, and a hint of sadness.

Seonghwa was undoubtedly glad that his only two friends loved him as if he was a part of their own family, and he was sad about the idea of leaving them behind, although there was always that small hint of loneliness in Seonghwa’s heart since his wife passed away that he still didn’t understand how to fill.

Although he loved them both, in that very moment, Seonghwa believed that he had to make the mission of finding the Aurora shard his own only priority.

«We meet again, thief.» a familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts; Seonghwa’s head turned to his left, meeting Hongjoong’s sharp gaze. The Pirate had leaned on the counter with his back, resting his elbows on the surface; everything in his body language told him how confident and carefree that man felt, even despite the bounty hanging on his head.

For a second, the shadow of a thought flashed through Seonghwa’s mind: “How would it feel to live like that?”

«I’m not a thief, Pirate.» Seonghwa sighed and Hongjoong instinctively chuckled, tilting his head towards the King.

«Well… Technically speaking, you-»

«Take me with you.» Seonghwa interrupted the other’s sentence; Hongjoong’s smile disappeared, replaced by a confused frown. The young Captain completely turned towards Seonghwa, his head still tilted to the side, one of his long earring tinkling, wondering how such a question could have come out of nowhere. The Pirate raised an eyebrow, as if to ask Seonghwa to explain himself and the young King tried again.

«Take me with you, next time you sail.» Seonghwa’s determined expression didn’t falter for a second from Hongjoong’s eyes. The boy had the feeling that in that very moment, the Pirate’s attitude towards him had changed completely; the threatening and superior aura was back, and Seonghwa nervously bit his tongue as he waited for an answer.

«I’m sure you’re confused, your Majesty,» Hongjoong answered, a fake grin adorning his face. «We do not sail on a cruise ship.»

Seonghwa scoffed in disbelief, «I know, but I need to go to a place… I’m sure you could reach there.» he answered, mumbling the last part.

Of course, Hongjoong was taken back from that answer, how dangerous was his destination to ask to a group of Pirates to help him?

«Let’s suppose I’m curious,» Hongjoong said, slowly inching closer to Seonghwa; now, he was fully seated and his knee right was touching the other’s left leg, «where would you need to go?» He curiously asked, placing his chin on the palm of his hand.

Seonghwa turned towards him as well, so that now they were facing each other; the young King looked around, in order to make sure they were completely alone in that corner. He briefly noticed that some of Hongjoong’s crew members were looking at them, but he didn’t notice that they were occasionally elbowing each other and pointing at their Captain with curious and amused smiles.

«The Mist.» Seonghwa revealed, and Hongjoong’s eyes narrowed in disbelief.

«Nice one, your Majesty. I’m leaving you here.» Hongjoong sternly answered as he was about to get up from the stool and lead back to his companions.

«You can’t!» Seonghwa loudly stopped him, his hand reaching out to hold his forearm, refraining him from standing up. Seonghwa was sure he heard one of the Captain’s friends whistle right after his sudden move, but he might as well be wrong, since his gaze didn’t falter from Hongjoong’s eyes.

«Trust me, you’d better off staying here.» Hongjoong retorted; his posture returned to being relaxed, but the stern gaze didn’t disappear. Back in the previous position, Seonghwa’s legs were now in the middle of Hongjoong’s spreaded legs, everything in their posture indicated how different they were.

«Suppose you kidnaped me instead?» Seonghwa pleaded. «You’re a pirate aren’t you? Then steal me! Is that so much to ask?» he concluded, lightly squeezing Hongjoong’s arm, his voice full of hope. He was talking a bit too loudly for his standard, but now, convincing Hongjoong to take him with them was more important than respecting the label of the peaceful King; on top of that, he was sure no one was interested in their conversation, judging by the constant loud chatter that could be heard all around the room.

«What do you have that I would want?» Hongjoong curiously challenged him, raising an eyebrow and leaning closer to the King.

«The Mist’s treasure. The Aurora shard is only one of the treasures that lie waiting in that cave.» Seonghwa answered immediately; he had studied the map long enough, and he knew about Pirates being after The Mist’s treasure well enough to understand that this was an interesting yet dangerous offer.

Hongjoong whistled, surprised.

«The Mist’s treasure you said?» Hongjoong’s interest was suddenly tickled, and he leaned forward towards Seonghwa’s face.

«Kidnapping royalty is a serious offense. It won’t do much to lower the bounty on your head.» a boy from his crew suddenly interrupted them, appearing right beside them; he wasn’t particularly tall, but, Seonghwa noticed, his face looked handsome, like he just came out of a fairy tale. How long has he been overhearing their conversation? Was that a habit of this crew?

«Yeosang.» Hongjoong greeted the other, but neither his posture changed nor his gaze faltered from Seonghwa’s face, who was now looking at the boy interrupting him, «How much is the price on your head these days, I wonder?» he added with an amused sigh, as his attention was caught by the precious rings on the hand that still gripped his forearm.

«Will you be joining us?» another boy shyly asked. He was shorter than Yeosang, Seonghwa noticed, but as handsome as well; his hair was jet black apart of a white strand on his fringe.

«Slow down, San,» Hongjoong called out, «we’re pirates, but we’re not fools.» immediately, Seonghwa looked back at the Captain, confused; the Pirate was looking at him with a challenging smirk on his face.

«Compensation. How about the ring?» he asked with a raised eyebrow, leaning back from the King’s personal space.

«Isn’t there something else?» Seonghwa’s reply was immediate, as he instinctively brought his hand to his chest.

“He can’t possibly ask for something like that!”, he thought, frowning. Both Yeosang and San - who was still clinging on the other Pirate’s arm, watched them with curiosity, but neither dared to say anything.

Hongjoong’s smirk turned into a sly grin, as he reassumed his previous position of resting his chin on his hand; his right arm, who was now free from Seonghwa’s tight hold, was now outstretched towards the young King, the palm of his hand turned upward, waiting.

«No one’s forcing you.» he added, pleased by the other’s reaction. Seonghwa sat there, under the strong gaze of three Pirates as he considered on what to do; although he didn’t want to separate himself from something that important, he realized that judging by his reaction, the Pirate found out how to provoke him. Seonghwa sighed, briefly closing his eyes.

“He probably thinks I will run away” he thought; his fingers weakly gripped his wife’s wedding ring as he gazed back to the Pirate’s outstretched hand, gently placing the ring in the middle of it, and Hongjoong’s hand instantly closed around the small treasure.

«I’ll give it back once I’ll find something more valuable.» Hongjoong said, pleased by the outcome of the events; Seonghwa nodded, looking everywhere but at the Hongjoong’s face.

«We sail in two days, your Majesty. Make sure you have everything you need.» Hongjoong’s absently added, now playing with the ring in his hands; again, Seonghwa nodded, and left.

«What do you mean “something more valuable”?» San curiously asked his Captain.

«Hard to say. I’ll know when I find it.» Hongjoong briefly stated.

Seonghwa handed back the keys to his room to Baekhyun, who accepted them with a sad smile on his face; even if the moon was still shining in the sky, it was almost time for him to leave.

«You can come back anytime you want.» Baekhyun mumbled as he hugged him tightly, and Seonghwa didn’t hesitate to return the hug just as tightly.

«This is your home, after all.» Jongdae added, joining the hug; they stayed like that for few seconds, hoping to be able to recall that moment in their hearts if they missed each other. Eventually, with a sigh, Seonghwa released himself from his friends, his hands still wrapped in theirs.

«Take care, both of you.» he forced himself to smile as he nodded at them.

«Good luck, Seonghwa.» Jongdae said; rarely the latter called him by his first name and therefore, Seonghwa learned to cherish all of those little moments.

Seonghwa sighed again, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders; with a final wave, he turned around and started walking in direction of the harbour. He didn’t have much to take with him, other than a few change of clothes the only things he had were respectively two swords and a map.

«You’re here!» a familiar boy suddenly exclaimed, jumping out of nowhere, «The Captain told us to come look for you but we were kinda getting lost.» the boy Seonghwa recognized as San chuckled, and he smiled in return.

«I’m San, by the way, and he is Wooyoung!» Seonghwa’s eyes moved to the boy with dark blonde hair standing next to San who, exactly like his friend, was looking at him with a bright smile, waving his hand as the other pirate introduced him; the trio hurried back to the harbour, which wasn’t too far from where they met.

«Do we have to refer to you as “Your Majesty”?» Wooyoung timidly asked as they reached their destination; Seonghwa chuckled before quickly shaking his head.

«There’s no need to respect any etiquette, Seonghwa is enough.» he politely answered with a smile and with hurried steps, they headed towards the only largest ship among all those moored in the port. Aside from the size of the ship, Seonghwa noticed curiously that there was not only a flag on the mast, but two; under the common Jolly Roger, another flag with their name written on it was proudly waving in the wind.

“I guess they’re not that interested on keeping a low profile…”  Seonghwa thought, briefly glancing around.

«Your Majesty has finally decided to join us!» Hongjoong friendly said, walking out from what he guessed were the Captain’s quarters, «Welcome on the Illusion.» he said; Seonghwa noticed that although there were some men busy completing preparations for departure only four boys approached them, and after the introductions, Hongjoong explained they were his most trusted men.

«San and Wooyoung will show you around.» the Captain absently said and without giving him the opportunity to reply, he returned exactly where he had come from.

«Don’t mind him,» San commented his Captain’s behaviour.

«He’s always nervous when we’re about to sail.» Wooyoung finished the other’s sentence, and they started to show Seonghwa around the ship.

Few weeks passed quickly, and Seonghwa quickly got used to living surrounded by pirates, especially because – at least among them, there were actually nice people.

San and Wooyoung – respectively the boatswain and the doctor, were the most outgoing, not to mention that the two were practically inseparable. They would hug a minute, and the next they could be chasing each other all around the ship; Seonghwa thought they were too chaotic not to love them.

Yeosang was probably one of the quietest among them all; the only thing Seonghwa knew for sure was that if you needed him, you’d find him on the crow’s nest, with his peaceful gaze lost towards the horizon and his hair gently dishevelled by the breeze. «It’s relaxing,» he told Seonghwa, a shy smile adorning his lips, «the sea is so boundless, it gives me peace.».

Mingi was a loud one, and probably the clumsiest; Seonghwa was puzzled when he told him he was the master gunner, wondering how could a boy both be able to trip on his feet and almost fall off the ship also and be the one in charge of something as dangerous as cannons and gunpowder.

Jongho was probably the most serious one, despite being the youngest. Since he was the head of the powder monkeys due to his great strength, he spent a lot of time with Mingi; Seonghwa often noticed how the younger would roll his eyes and then laugh at the other’s clumsiness. Something he really enjoyed about Jongho was his voice. Sometimes, the young man would sing or simply hum as he was doing chores and Seonghwa was always more than happy to listen to him, even for few minutes.

Yunho was the least friendly. The young quartermaster made it clear since the beginning that he was not happy about his presence on the ship; however, to Seonghwa’s stupor, he never treated him badly. Although he behaved in a polite way towards him, he always opted to talk to him as little as possible, always preferring to joke around with the others.

Hongjoong was, first of all, his roommate. Apparently, the Captain decided that Seonghwa would sleep in his quarters since there was not a cabin for him and moreover, it would have been easier to keep an eye on him, although Seonghwa ended up falling asleep every night wondering where the other would actually sleep, since he never slept in the same bed with him.

However, Seonghwa casually found out the answer to this mystery when he woke up in the middle of the night due to a nightmare; the first thing he noticed was the figure of the Pirate asleep on the heavy chair of his desk, dimly illuminated by the light of the moon coming through the window and by a candle that was about to go out. Quickly, Seonghwa got out of the bed and instinctively covered him with a blanket; it became a silent routine between them, although neither ever said anything about it.

Among all of them, he was the one he spent most time with, discussing about their journey, or simply sharing stories about Hongjoong’s travels and Seonghwa’s life in the Castle; the young King always preferred to listen to the other’s tales, there was something endearing in the way his eyes lit up every time he talked about the adventures he had with his friends, and the many place they had seen together.

«I could take you there, next time! You should definitely see that!» the Pirate would say sometimes, and Seonghwa found himself nodding, utterly blinded by curiosity and forgetting about the fact that once he regained his position as King, it would be impossible to go anywhere without a small group of soldiers following him everywhere.

The first thing that caught Seonghwa’s eyes about his new room was without a doubt, the ceiling; the King’s eyes travelled in awe over a planisphere that occupied the whole wall above them. However, it was still incomplete; Hongjoong told him about it being a project he made with Yeosang’s help, it proceeded slowly and concerned the whole known world.

Bright colours illustrated a map very similar to the one Seonghwa possessed and the similarity intrigued him, since that map was a legacy of his father.

From what he learned, the young Captain loved drawing, Seonghwa remembered seeing him few times with a notebook and a pen in his hand; at first he thought it was a simple diary board, but in the end, he eventually understood that it wasn’t.

Hongjoong was a severe Captain, but cherished his members deeply.

They set foot on land on a rather small island, so that they could restock the ship before leaving again. Seonghwa couldn’t help but looking around in awe since after all, he had never crossed the borders of his Kingdom before.

«Be careful not to get too far from me or the others,» Hongjoong recommended, «and take this.» he said, as he handed him a short dagger; Seonghwa frowned in response, his confused eyes darting to Hongjoong’s.

«Just in case.» the Captain added; the young King nodded in response, and safely hid the blade in his right boot.

As Hongjoong excused himself saying he had business to take care of, Seonghwa realized that the others were already gone and he had to spend his day with Yunho; although the Pirate wasn’t happy about it either, he did nothing to show it.

«The town’s market district is really nice,» Yunho spoke suddenly, slightly startling Seonghwa, since they had been walking around in silence for most of the afternoon, «Would you like to go there?»

«I’d love to, if it’s not a problem.» Seonghwa nodded with a smile, the other scoffed in response.

«I figured you’d be curious after living locked up.» Yunho briefly stated, now heading towards a different part of town.

The market district was rather small, but it was definitely lively; the streets were full of people, potential buyers surrounded the stalls that were selling different varieties of fabrics, jewellery and food.

Seonghwa’s attention was drawn to a particular fabric, decorated with intricate patterns and while observing it he noticed that Yunho had silently stopped beside him.

They shared a brief glance as they unintentionally overheard a small discussion happening between a seller and a customer next to them, which was making up excuses in order to buy something with a lower price; what caught their attention, however, was the man who had hidden a large piece of fabric in his bag, taking advantage of the seller’s distraction. Seonghwa was about to intervene, but Yunho acted faster: he tightly grabbed a hold of the thief’s wrist which looked up caught by surprise.

«Now, how about you return what you haven’t paid, for?» he said loudly enough to catch the attention of both men who were still arguing, «I’m in a bad mood, don’t make me stain all of these pretty fabrics.» as the thief denied, Yunho tightened his hold on his grip. Seonghwa watched the smaller man tried to punch the Pirate, which was a really poor attempt considering Yunho was twice as tall; Seonghwa quickly understood that the thief and the other man were accomplices, and as a small fight started between Yunho and the thief, Seonghwa managed to cut the shoulder belt of the bag hiding the stolen fabric.

He quickly returned it to the old man who incredulously watched the scene happening, and managed to turn around in time to see that the other thief was sneaking behind Yunho’s back holding a small knife. Seonghwa’s hand acted before his brain could process what was happening; he reached for his dagger and quickly stopped the thief pressing the blade against his throat, not enough to cut his skin, but enough to sting.

«That’s not very loyal, thief.» Seonghwa stated, catching Yunho’s attention.

«Woah! Thanks, buddy!» Yunho flashed him a surprised smile, which Seonghwa immediately returned; however, that small fight gathered a small group of people who started screaming and looking for guards.

«Calling the guards?!» Yunho’s gaze returned on Seonghwa’s, «Time to leave.» they quickly let go of the thieves and headed back from the direction where they came from, breaking into a run; judging from the screams, nobody was following them but people were indeed preventing the two thieves from running away.

Yunho and Seonghwa stopped far enough to not be recognized, both boys panting and crouched down with both their hands on their knees.

«I was wrong, you’re not that bad!» Yunho kindly offered him, and Seonghwa started laughing in response.

«I owe you a big one, your Majesty.» Yunho chuckled, reaching out to ruffle the other’s hair with a bright smile on his face. Seonghwa’s smile widened as soon as he felt Yunho’s gentle touch; he always noticed that he used to do that to younger members, so he felt like the other was slowly accepting him into the crew.

«I would have helped him but,» Seonghwa inhaled, trying to catch his breath after the long and sudden run «why did you? The crew doesn’t exactly have a magnanimous reputation.»

«Let’s say we do some “selective stealing” for a living,» Yunho nodded, smiling, «and with “selective” I mean it’s almost always rich people.» Seonghwa nodded, patiently listening to him, «we all come from different Reigns.

Before joining Hongjoong, some of us were in some really bad situation.» Yunho straightened up, stretching his arms over his head, «We’re Pirates, and we constantly live on the verge of being arrested or to kill someone but… We still have morals.»

Seonghwa deeply inhaled again, feeling his breath steadying and his heart gradually returning to a normal pace; glancing up and seeing the colours of the sky, pink and orange, thanks to the sunset that transform it into a painting, he realized that he hadn’t feel so alive in a while.

That night at the tavern, Hongjoong thought he was hallucinating. He was sitting with Jongho, Yeosang and Mingi while he waited for the others to join them, and the next thing he saw were Seonghwa and Yunho entering the bar-room chattering and laughing together

«Captain, I think… I’m drunk?» Hongjoong knew Mingi was referring to the same thing he’s just seen.

«Finally, Yunho snapped out of it.» Yeosang briefly answered, and Jongho agreed with him.

San and Wooyoung arrived few moments later; both with messy hair and a visible blush on their cheeks.

Later that night, taking advantage of the confusion of the crowded tavern and the others busy playing a random game Seonghwa didn’t understand the rules of, Hongjoong reached out to take a hold of one of the two thin white cords hanging off the collar of Seonghwa’s shirt in order to bring him closer.

«So,» Hongjoong smirked, slowly rolling the thin fabric around his index finger; Seonghwa’s cheeks slightly reddened due of their sudden proximity, «you’re officially one of us, now.» the King noticed how the pirate’s intense glance quickly drifted from his eyes, to his lips and then back to his eyes, before releasing his hold on the fabric.

Hongjoong got back to his original position, his attention caught once again by the game the others were playing; Seonghwa, on the other hand, was confused on why that warm sensation he felt on his cheeks wouldn’t disappear.

He involuntarily locked eyes with Yeosang, who was silently questioning him from the other side of the table with a hint of an amused smile and a raised eyebrow.

Seonghwa realized how much his permanence on the ship changed since Yunho started treating him better.

First of all, the air on the ship seemed much more cheerful; the rest of the crew stopped definitively referring to him as “Your Majesty” and started addressing him as “Seonghwa”, which he was very grateful for.

In addition, it was even more fun to chat when they eight of them stayed in the dining room after dinner; much like at the tavern, there were nights where they’d play games, other nights they’d share fun stories and sometimes, Seonghwa could hear about how the others joined Hongjoong’s crew, since they all came from different Kingdoms.

«Wait, you were married?!» San cut him off, slightly rising his head from his forearms resting on the table, as it was his turn to tell something about himself; Seonghwa nodded in response, a gentle smile on his lips as he shortly remembered about her.

«Was she cute?» Wooyoung curiously wondered and Seonghwa kindly smiled, watching him lean comfortably against San’s head, thinking how sometimes they both were like two curious kids.

«She was! We also loved each other but,» he sighed before continuing «sadly, people firmly believed we got along only because of mutual political benefits.» Seonghwa stared at the table, a sad smile adorning his lips, and the others fell silent.

«Is… Is this why we’re going to The Mist?» Jongho asked, implying the matter revolved around her death.

Seonghwa quickly shook his head and explained everything, remembering how he only told Hongjoong the full story, and how the pirate sincerely answered that they don’t take sides in political matters so they’re not interested in them, either. He spent some time talking about Jongdae and Baekhyun, too; about how they welcomed him in their house and treated him like a family member.

«We should visit them again, sometimes!» Seonghwa unconsciously added, resulting in Hongjoong – as always sitting next to him, looking at the King with a confused raised eyebrow. As he finished explaining, they all agreed it was a risky mission, but it was worth a try.

«We trust the Captain.» Yunho explained.

«Yeah!» Mingi quickly added, «He’s gonna guide us right in and out of there!»

Seonghwa turned his head as he felt Hongjoong’s hand ruffle his hair.

«We’re gonna make it.» He simply told him with a gentle smile and truthful eyes.

That night, Seonghwa couldn’t sleep. No matter how much he tossed and turned in his bed, he just couldn’t sleep. He pushed off the covers with a heavy sigh and got up from the bed; he picked up the blanket which Hongjoong usually used and decided to join him on the quarter deck.

«Hey, Hongjoong!» he whispered as he greeted him, stopping to sit on the wooden stairs that connected the deck to the quarter deck.

«Seonghwa?» Hongjoong narrowed his eyes to see the other’s shape tightly wrapped up in a blanket. «Why are you here? Did you miss me?» he teased.

Seonghwa rolled his eyes at him, knowing that he couldn’t see him well due to the only source of illumination being the full moon in the sky.

«I can’t sleep.» he simply answered.

«It happens, you’ll get used to it.» he smiled, «Are you sure you don’t want to go back inside? It should be around… One, two in the morning.» he added, frowning. Seonghwa knew he probably said that because of the cold night breeze, but a sincere «I want to stay here with you.» escaped his lips before he could process it.

Hongjoong nodded, and they spent some time in a comfortable silence, the cold night breeze softly caressed his face and the sound of the waves made him relax a little bit.

«When will we arrive?» Seonghwa mumbled, breaking the silence.

«Oh! You already want to get rid of us?!» Hongjoong dramatically answered, placing on his heart the hand that wasn’t holding the helm and Seonghwa laughed, shaking his head.

«I think… Two months, maximum.» the pirate answered him, turning serious. «Do you know what does the Aurora shard look like?» he questioned few moments later.

Seonghwa shook his head, and sighed, «I have no idea. I’m supposed to find it and then I’m supposed to reclaim the position as King.»

«Supposed to?» Hongjoong inquired. Seonghwa simply nodded, as they fell in another silence.

«Hongjoong?» Seonghwa called out few minutes later, and the Pirate hummed in response, «Tell me about some other adventure of yours.» he demanded, his gaze lost in the dark sea.

Seonghwa always lost track of time during these moments, and tonight wasn’t any different. He thought to be a rather annoying listener since he always asked a lot of things and clarifications as Hongjoong went on but, the Pirate always smiled and answered him with as many details the King asked for.

Seonghwa was so lost immersing himself in the Captain’s story that he didn’t realise the sky was starting to slowly paint itself with warm colours. It was almost sunrise, he realized, so that meant they talked all night.

«Hongjoong?» Seonghwa asked again and the pirate hummed again in response, this time the King could clearly see the gentle smile on his lips as he did. «Why do you sail?»

Hongjoong gently answered to come stand next to him and Seonghwa complied, the blanket long forgotten on the stairs; once they were close enough, Hongjoong kept holding the helm with his left hand and guided Seonghwa’s right hand above his.

«Freedom.» he simply stated, «We’re never “supposed to” do something. We do things because we want to.» Hongjoong explained further, quoting the King’s previous words, as he noticed Seonghwa’s confused frown. Seonghwa absently nodded and turned his head to stare towards the horizon, at the sun rising right in front of them.

«Seonghwa, let me ask you one thing,» Hongjoong’s eyes stared at Seonghwa’s face as he hummed in answer, too distracted by the sunset to notice, «Do you want to resume your position as King because you want to, or because you’re supposed to?»

Seonghwa didn’t answer; he slightly turned his head to look at Hongjoong, who briefly exchanged his gaze before going back looking at the horizon with a relaxed expression.

As he watched how the other’s hair was gently dishevelled by the breeze and the sun momentarily painted his face with various shades of red, he thought that maybe he didn’t have an answer to the pirate’s question.

As his eyes drifted to look at their intertwined fingers around the helm, he thought that maybe he did. He did not realize who initiated the action first, but he found the warmth of Hongjoong’s hand quite reassuring.

«Well, I can come back later, if you want to.» both boys quickly turned towards a smiling Mingi, who was looking at them leaning on the railway.

Seonghwa felt his cheeks burn; he mumbled a weak and embarrassed «It’s okay.» and quickly left, recovering the sheet still forgotten on the stairs.

«So… Pirate King?» Mingi joked further, wrapping an arm around his Captain’s shoulders.

«Mingi, do you perhaps have a death wish?» Hongjoong asked back, annoyed.

As other long days went by, Seonghwa found himself lost in thoughts more than he actually wanted to; not only last night’s events kept coming back into his mind, but Hongjoong’s words kept on repeating. In addition to that, he noticed how often he found himself staring at the Captain or, sometimes, glancing towards him to see what was he was up to.

Sometimes Hongjoong would notice Seonghwa looking at him and would offer him a cheeky smile, some other time a playful wink; either way, Seonghwa always diverted his gaze as quickly as possible, a faint blush on his cheeks. And so, another silent routine was slowly crafting itself: at night, especially when he couldn’t sleep, he would join Hongjoong on the quarterback. The infinite number of topics they could find to talk for whole nights was surprising, however, the Captain never mentioned that particular question again.

They’d spend most of the morning sleeping, Seonghwa always feeling a little guilty to see Hongjoong sleeping on his desk chair, even if he never complained about his body being aching and sore, not even once.

One sunny afternoon, Seonghwa decided to climb up the crow’s nest, to see if Yeosang’s method to clear his mind worked on him too.

«Well, hello there.» Yeosang kindly greeted him, a warm smile on his face. «I didn’t expect visitors, today.» he joked; the place was wide enough for both boys to sit.

«I needed a quiet place to think.» Seonghwa mumbled, and Yeosang quietly nodded in response.

The young King sat next to the pirate, his back pressed against the wooden railway; neither of them spoke, and Seonghwa understood why the other loved this place so much. The others’ voices were distant, almost a background noise coming up from below them. Wherever he looked, his eyes were lost in the vastness of the ocean, especially that thin line where the sky and the sea seemed to merge together. Seonghwa found it relaxing, to say the least.

«Why am I doing this?» Seonghwa asked out loud few minutes later, rubbing his eyes with an exasperated sigh.

«Like, why are you up here?» Yeosang questioned, a bit confused; the King shook his head and told the Pirate about the conversation he had with Hongjoong; he didn’t need to mention the part where Mingi interrupted them, the fact that they were holding hands at sunset had been the hot topic on the ship for at least three days.

«Well, I believe that everyone by now noticed that you’re pretty comfortable with us,» Yeosang said, «and I also believe that the Captain is trying to make you realize that you can always choose your own destiny.» Seonghwa felt his eyes on him, so he turned his head towards the younger Pirate, «He’s.. Quite fond of you.» Yeosang smiled sweetly, «I see a lot things from here, you know?» the Pirate’s  smile widened as he saw Seonghwa blushing.

«L-like what?» Seonghwa adverted his gaze, suddenly pretending to be focused on the fabric of the sleeve of his cotton shirt.

«That you may not realize it, your Majesty, but you’re kinda fond of him too.» Seonghwa’s eyes widened, and he blushed violently.

«I-I’m not-» he stuttered, and the pirate softly chuckled.

«I told you, I see a lot of things from up here!» he laughed, and Seonghwa didn’t answer; his gaze went back to the sea, a whirlwind of confused thoughts in his head, as they fell in another comfortable silence.

A few hours later, the young King felt Yeosang gently calling his attention by lightly shaking his shoulder, and he excused himself as he didn’t realize dozing off.

«I told you it was relaxing,» the pirate smiled. «However, we’d better get back on deck, a storm is coming.» Seonghwa nodded, as he complied.

Yeosang’s accuracy was admirable, not even an hour later it started raining and what started as a light drizzle, turned into a real storm.

«Stay in the quarters, I can’t risk you falling off.» Hongjoong ordered him, hastily grabbing his forearm.

«I want to help!» Seonghwa shook his head, both boys were already soaked wet as they both clinged to the ship’s ropes. Hongjoong sighed and nodded, not having enough time to fight with the stubborn young King and went back giving the crew various orders; with difficulty, Seonghwa helped the others and together they managed to secure all the sails without falling overboard.

The feeling of facing a storm in the dark, in the middle of the ocean, was terrifying, and he low-key regretted not having followed the captain’s advice. In addition to feeling his stomach upside down due to the violent and redundant movements of the ship, he was also wet and cold.

However, as quickly as the storm arrived, it passed; it lasted few hours and naturally calmed down. Seonghwa looked around trying to catch his breath, the others were in various parts of the ship, reduced to his own state, happy not to have capsized at sea.

The sun was brightly shining on their head as Seonghwa met Hongjoong’s gaze, and both of them erupted into a wide smile; Hongjoong quickly winked at him, and Seonghwa adverted his gaze with a content smile and blushing cheeks.

Back in the Captain’s quarters, even if they had managed to change clothes, neither of them could get rid of the feeling of cold; Seonghwa was as already in bed peeking at the Pirate, wrapped up in few blankets and obviously sitting uncomfortably at his desk chair.

«Hongjoong,» the young King whispered, and the other boy wordlessly glanced at him, «sleep with me tonight.» he said, realizing too late how ambiguous his sentence sounded; Hongjoong’s face was so confused by that sudden request that Seonghwa couldn’t help but blush and hurriedly explain himself.

«I meant,» Seonghwa hurriedly added, hiding himself further into the mattress, «I’m cold, and you must be cold as well, so I thought that we could share the bed.»

Few moments later, as he felt some weight partially drop onto the bed, Seonghwa peeked out from his hideout, just to see that the Pirate was still rolled up in at least two thick blankets, but now was unsurely looking at him.

«Are you sure you’re comfortable enough?» the Pirate asked further, and Seonghwa couldn’t help but blush further as he reminded Yeosang’s words from that afternoon; he simply nodded in a silent answer, rolling towards the wall to create enough space for the pirate to get in.

Before sliding under the covers, Hongjoong spreaded on the bed the blankets with which he was wrapped so that they could feel a little more warmth.

«Oh, wow,» Hongjoong sighed as he stretched under the covers, «I missed so much sleeping on a real bed.» Seonghwa silently admired his satisfied face from the other side of the mattress; eventually, the young King propped on his right elbow, an embarrassed blush on his face.

«Do you see the line between the cushions?» he asked, and Hongjoong nodded, holding back a smile.

«This is my space,» he patted the mattress next to himself, «and that’s yours.» he said, pointing towards a chuckling Hongjoong. Seonghwa’s blush deepened due to the sudden intimacy of the situation; he had been close to the Captain but it was never like this - even if a small part of himself had to admit that he didn’t dislike the thought so much.

The Pirate simply rolled his eyes as he laughed, shifting on his side so that his back was facing Seonghwa.

«Sleep well, Seonghwa.» the Captain whispered.

«You too, Hongjoong.» he immediately murmured back, wondering if he could fall asleep when his heart was beating so loud and so rapidly that he started to believe it wanted to run away from him.

Seonghwa slept soundly and coincidentally, without having nightmares; as he regained consciousness, he slowly blinked himself awake just to find Hongjoong’s face few millimetres from his.

Seonghwa’s heart probably skipped a beat seeing the other so close to him first thing in the morning; the pirate was still deeply asleep, his lips slightly parted and breathing softly. Apparently, during the night they both shifted and they slept with their forehead leaning against each other; Seonghwa wandered through his thoughts for a bit, trying to label that familiar feeling of warmth and sense of security he felt anytime the other was close to him.

By now, they’d already spent a lot of days together. As he admired his face, his fingers absent-mindedly brushed Hongjoong’s cheekbones, his nose, and the curve of his lips, trying to be as careful as he could not to wake him up.

However, these actions must have tickled the other boy since he slightly scrunched his nose, shaking his head and mumbling incomprehensible things, earning a soft smile from Seonghwa.

«Seonghwa,» Hongjoong groaned, his voice hoarse from sleep «go back to sleep, it’s still early.» he said, not bothering to open his eyes.

«It’s your fault,» Seonghwa mumbled back as a faint blush covered his cheeks, as he hurriedly made up an excuse, «you were on my side of the bed.» Hongjoong hummed back, and the young King shifted his position until his back was facing the Captain, his heart racing for being caught caressing the other’s face.

However, his blush deepened as he noticed that between the two of them, someone indeed had crossed the invisible border outlined by the cushions, but it was not Hongjoong.

His thoughts immediately came to a halt as he felt the other’s forehead gently pressing against his back, and one of his arms tentatively circling his waist.

«Go back to sleep.» the Pirate mumbled again, and the King gradually felt himself drifting back to sleep, his hand unconsciously reaching on top of Hongjoong’s and intertwining their fingers.

The next time they set foot on land, everyone immediately got excited as soon as they heard that the village was holding a big festival.

Seonghwa decided to follow around Mingi and Jongho for the day. Both boys took time to patiently explain to him everything they purchased, and the young King mentally admitted to himself he didn’t care much about gunpowder but he was glad to be helpful carrying around few things.

The day passed quickly, and before he knew it, they were dining together. Yunho placed eight fox masks with different colours on the table, accompanied by as many identical pins. The masks covered half of their faces, Seonghwa noticed, and they all had different colour patterns and were painted with different and precise details.

«These were the best one I could find,» he said pointing to the masks, «and these are for recognizing each other.» he added, pointing at the small golden pins.

«They’re heart shaped… Aren’t they cute?» San commented in a small voice, smiling as he reached out to take one pin and stick in in front of his jacket; the others agreed and imitated his actions, and then the masks were distributed.

“Are they really pirates?” the King thought as he watched them getting excited over heart shaped pins and fox-masks. Seonghwa took the black mask which was adorned with precise gold and white details which resembled small flowers. Instinctively, he glanced up and noticed Hongjoong had chosen the mask which was white and it was coloured with black and red details.

They finished dining together, and headed towards the main streets of the village.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa eventually drifted away from the others; after all, with so many people crowding the streets, it was normal to eventually get separated. Lanterns and colourful garlands decorated the streets of the village, and music, laughs and chatters could be heard everywhere.

Seonghwa didn’t exactly know when and how it happened but, somehow during the evening, both him and Hongjoong got dragged by few people who were dancing in order to join them. The young King held balls since he could remember, so it was not difficult to mimic his various companion’s steps. With the corner of an eye, Seonghwa noticed that the pirate wasn’t having too many problems, either. Finally reunited with his friend, they held hands as they followed the other people’s movements and spun around one more time, and the music momentarily stopped to restart again with another rhythm. They stood there, facing one another and happily smiling, slightly panting as people resumed the dance.

Hongjoong suddenly grabbed Seonghwa’s hand and started walking away from the crowded square, suddenly too noisy for his taste; the King trusted the Pirate and let him lead them away through crowded alleys, until both boys turned into one which was less busy. The lanterns located all around town provided to make everything a bit more romantic and suggestive; Seonghwa started feeling nervous, wondering why the other decided to drag him away all of a sudden.

«I’m glad you were having fun!» Hongjoong exclaimed, letting go of his hand and Seonghwa nodded in response, a bit confused.

«I actually wanted to ask you something,» the Pirate said, stepping in front of him as he took off his own mask. Seonghwa didn’t understand why something in that small gesture seemed so casual and yet so intimate; Hongjoong’s cheeks were flushed, probably due to all the dance they did earlier. The Captain took a big breath, «don’t go back, Seonghwa. Stay with us. Stay with me.» he said, murmuring the last part.

Seonghwa immediately realized why that gesture seemed so intimate to him: he was asking that not as his Captain, but simply as Hongjoong.

A Captain’s request was absolute, and Hongjoong was not only exposing his feelings hopelessly, but he was also giving him the opportunity to say no.

Seonghwa was completely taken aback from that; his eyes widened, glad he was still wearing the mask so that the other couldn’t see his reaction. He feared that as the Pirate closed the space between them with another step, he could have heard his quick heartbeat.

Seonghwa knew better than anyone that someone had to overthrow the Governor and complete his task but, during the last weeks, he slowly came to the realization that spending his days with Hongjoong and the others could be what his heart truly longed for.

He spent so many days locked up in the Castle’s library reading adventures books, he spent so many days feeling in a cage – even if he felt cherished and respected, that now that he tasted what freedom could mean he wasn’t sure he wanted to give it up.

Hongjoong interrupted the other’s train of thoughts as he tentatively reached up to take off the King’s mask, throwing it on the ground; they were looking in each other’s eyes, now and therefore, Seonghwa couldn’t hide nor himself nor his feelings behind a fox mask any more.

Hongjoong’s stare was fierce and intense, and neither this time hid sign of lie; Seonghwa couldn’t help but wonder, what did the pirate see in his eyes? He also wondered if his gaze was eloquent enough for the other to understand his answer.

The Pirate raised his left hand and started playing with the cotton string hanging from Seonghwa’s shirt, just like he did in the tavern; they stared in each other’s eyes in silence, Hongjoong was looking at him with nothing but pure and sincere tenderness, his smile matching his feelings.

Hongjoong’s right hand brushed against Seonghwa’s cheek, and he leaned into his touch. It felt so familiar to him, yet completely foreign and new; the Pirate’s eyes dropped to the other’s lips, however he didn’t do anything. He gazed back into the King’s eyes, looking for any trace of discomfort.

Seonghwa understood how once again the Pirate was bravely baring his soul but yet again, he was giving the King another opportunity to step away anytime he wanted.

They were staring in each other’s eyes, no words needed to be exchanged; Seonghwa wanted to kiss him – like two distant lovers reuniting after lives of waiting, for that was the other made him feel. The young King’s arms had been loose on his sides for all this time; he briefly glanced at Hongjoong’s smiling lips while his right hand rested gently on the Pirate’s cheek.

“I want to stay,” he thought.

As if he heard Seonghwa’s thoughts, Hongjoong tugged the strings of his shirt, and their lips met halfway.

The Pirate kissed him slowly, nothing more than pecks exchanged between soft smiles; everything in that first kiss made Seonghwa understand the sincerity of Hongjoong’s feelings, and he made sure to reciprocate the tenderness in them.

The King will never know, but the Pirate had been thinking about this moment for weeks. He had spent so many lonely nights on the quarterdeck wondering about his growing feelings, that now he was making sure any and every kiss held the confessions of his emotions.

Their lips moulded together at some point; Hongjoong tried to nip at the other’s lower lip and Seonghwa exhaled deeply through his nose. His left arm snaked around the other’s hips to close the distance between them, the unexpected need to feel Hongjoong as close as possible as their kiss got more passionate.

The Pirate’s breath hitched at that sudden move, the hand which was previously resting on his cheek was now entangled in the other’s soft hair; as he felt the other’s firm body against his, his tongue wandered towards the other’s lips, silently asking for permission to deepen the kiss even more.

Seonghwa tilted his head, one of his hands reaching to the other’s nape and his right arm still supporting the Pirate who was standing on his tiptoes; a soft moan escaped both boys as they enjoyed the warmth of each other’s mouth, when a loud, distant and sudden series of noises startled them.

Both boys quickly separated from each other, fearing the worst as their heads turned towards the source of it; however, Hongjoong sighed, and started laughing.

«Fireworks? Really?!» he asked, dumbfounded.

«Look at yourself,» Seonghwa laughed, his arms finding their way back around Hongjoong’s shoulders, «a dangerous and ruthless pirate getting startled by fireworks!» he joked, emphasising the last part.

«Don’t get smart with me, I saw you got startled too.» Hongjoong placed the top of his head against Seonghwa’s chest as he was still chuckling, and the King placed a tender kiss on his hair.

This time, Seonghwa was well aware that the other could hear loud and clear the pace of his quick heartbeat; he blushed and smiled softly at the thought, the other’s arms encircling his slim waist.

«Let’s go back.» smiled Hongjoong, lifting his head to look at Seonghwa, which nodded at him.

As the night passed, they managed to reunite with Yunho, Yeosang and Jongho at some point, and even though the three of them had noticed their suddenly swollen lips and their dishevelled hair, no one had mentioned it.

Days seemed to fly and the crew seemed to get a little more tense and restless each day the ship entered an increasingly foggy area.

“Finally ”, Seonghwa thought, mentally praising both Yeosang’s and Hongjoong’s skills to identify and proceed towards the right route after meticulously studying the map and the stars every day since they left Seonghwa’s kingdom.

The situation worsened day by day: for the purpose of being able to see each other once they stepped on deck, they hanged small lanterns almost everywhere, in order to prevent anyone from falling off the ship; often and willingly the crew kept their spirits up by joking about how more than pirates, they looked like a haunted ship. Things between Seonghwa and Hongjoong did not change much, except the kissing part, of course.

Since the journey started and during the time they spent together, it slowly became a natural habit to exchange innocent and gentle touches; Hongjoong would ruffle his hair or eventually, Seonghwa would caress the other’s face as they woke up facing each other and consequently, it became equally natural for them to become further intimate.

Despite everything, they tried to remain as discreet as possible every time they were around the others, but the crew did not fail to notice some affectionate gestures between the two – whether they were kisses or caresses.

Some would ignore them, some would playfully tease them. The young King often took time to reflect on how things had changed drastically for him; he never thought he could develop romantic feelings for someone since his wife died, let alone a Pirate, yet there he was. It was as if the mere presence of Hongjoong made him feel at ease; even if they weren’t standing close or even if the Pirate wasn’t paying attention to him, Seonghwa somehow felt protected. He was happy; he felt safe again, after a long time.

Still, there was a part of him that felt incredibly guilty.

“Do you want to resume your position as King because you want to, or because you’re supposed to?” Hongjoong’s words managed to breach his soul and now, he didn’t know how to deal with his duties. Which one did he had to follow? His heart or his mind? Which one was the right path for him?

The pirate’s presence made him feel incredibly happy, it was undeniable; however, sometimes he felt like that if he decided to follow his heart, he would betray his Kingdom. Otherwise, if he decided to follow his duties, he knew there was a high probability that he wouldn’t see Hongjoong ever again.

Was it what he really wanted?

The moment his title was restored, he would immediately be covered with responsibilities and duties; he would go back to do what he had always done but this time, he would have been alone. Seonghwa had never made a secret of how essential the presence of his wife was for him; since she passed away he had feel so terribly alone and since his journey started, he slowly came to the realization that every time he was around either Hongjoong or the others, he wouldn’t feel so alone anymore. He wanted to have a family again, he wanted to feel loved again, and it was the exact feeling the Pirate’s company was giving him.

Seonghwa’s eyes wandered over the painted ceiling, travelling back to the small portrait of his Kingdom. He had no idea how things were going back there, but he knew it would be wrong to turn his back on his people. They needed a King after all.

“Whoever could claim the position.” he thought, a familiar face flashing in his brain for a second; he sighed loudly in frustration and he shook his head, realizing that even if him and Hongjoong kissed, he never actually replied to him.

Deep down, Seonghwa knew exactly what he really longed for; he wanted to stay with the Pirate, to sail with him until the end of the world.

However, was it the right thing to do? Could he give up his duties for love?

«San, help me. I think I’m hallucinating!» Wooyoung commented one evening at dinner, gripping San’s elbow as he saw Hongjoong sitting on Seonghwa’s lap and placing his plate in front of him.

«But you are the doctor, Wooyoung!» answered San, holding in return the other’s arm and trying not to drop his fork. Seonghwa laughed, sure as hell his red cheeks gave away his embarrassment; he timidly circled Hongjoong’s waist with his left arm while his right one rested on the other’s thigh.

Hongjoong looked at both San and Wooyoung with an amused expression and a raised eyebrow as to say “why are you even surprised?”, and Seonghwa tried to hide his blushing face behind Hongjoong’s shoulder.

«So… Lovers?» Mingi asked, with a hopeful and happy smile on his face, indicating between them with his fork.

«It’s up to his Majesty to decide that, I’m still an outlaw.» Hongjoong shrugged and nodded towards Seonghwa, while continuing to eat.

Hongjoong didn’t turn his head in time to see that, but everyone else at the table noticed how Seonghwa’s smile softened as he looked at him, and the King delicately traced random patterns against the Pirate’s back with this fingers.

Later that night, Hongjoong led Seonghwa to his quarters while holding his hand, between loud cheers and whistles from the crew.

«So, lover…» Hongjoong began, joining the other boy under the covers; Seonghwa chuckled in response, covering both of them with a blanket.

«Don’t get smart with me!» Seonghwa laughed, «It’s not like I can’t hear Mingi calling you “Pirate King” all the time!»

They laid in bed facing each other, the soft moonlight providing the light that illuminated the Captain’s quarters; as they intertwined their fingers, Hongjoong brought their hands in front of his lips.

«You know,» he said, slowly kissing the other’s knuckles, his gaze lost and enchanted in an undefined point between the two of them, «I never thought I’d catch feelings for royalty.»

Seonghwa smiled, softly «You tell me?» he sighed, «I went from being in love with a docile and peaceful Queen to develop feelings for a man with a bounty on his head!» the King affectionately joked; Hongjoong scoffed a laugh, letting go of the other’s hand, pretending to be deeply offended by Seonghwa’s words.

«What if the bounty on  your head ends up getting higher than mine?» the Pirate leaned closer to the King, pressing on his chest so that now Hongjoong was slightly laying on top of him; the Captain shifted, so that he was lifted on his right elbow, his chin resting on the palm of his hand.

«I highly doubt so, short people can be evil.» Seonghwa remarked, a sly smile adorning his lips. The pirate silently raised an eyebrow at him, as his fingers slowly traced random patterns on the King’s chest, from his neck towards his waist; Seonghwa slightly shivered, feeling the other’s cold digits through the thin fabric of his shirt.

«Yet, here you are.» Hongjoong mumbled, his position didn’t falter except for his right leg which was now positioned between Seonghwa’s.

The King shifted his position too, faintly widening his legs so that the pirate could be more comfortable and slightly bent his right knee, which wasn’t the one between Hongjoong’s legs. Seonghwa reached out, circling the other’s waist with his left arm and softly tracing the outline of Hongjoong’s soft lips with the other.

The King’s eyes focused on his thumb pressing on the Pirate’s lips, the room suddenly feeling too hot; Hongjoong was still casually laying in his original position, attentive to the other boy’s movements. He slowly parted his lips and let his tongue dart out to gently lick at the boy’s finger, and Seonghwa’s breath hitched and instinctively, he ran his tongue over his lips.

Hongjoong dared a bold move as he swirled his tongue around the King’s fingertip, smirking as he felt the grip on his waist slightly tighten; Seonghwa pulled his finger back as his hand quickly reached over Hongjoong’s nape and connected their lips and Hongjoong sighed, content finally feeling the contact he had been yearning for.

Hongjoong immediately returned the kiss with equal fervour, his left hand gripping tightly at the other’s waist as the other one was entangled in the King’s black hair; Seonghwa let his tongue slip out to swipe at the Pirate’s lips, who wasted no time to comply that silent request. Seonghwa’s hand rested on the Pirate’s hip as he held him close, letting him set the pace and the Pirate lifted his leg over Seonghwa’s hip, which let out a shaky breath as he felt the other’s thigh grazing against his crotch. The boy pressed against the Pirate’s hip, so that he could completely straddle him.

Hongjoong put his weight on his knees, hovering over Seonghwa’s body; he stopped kissing the King’s lips to gently nibble at the other’s neck with his teeth, Seonghwa’s breath hitching as the other bit him a little harder while sucking on the skin. His hand tightened in the Pirate’s hair, giving it a soft tug. Hongjoong looked up at him, eyes hooded and lips slightly parted; the King’s hands were still in his hair, and when he gave it a harder tug again, the pirate closed his eyes and leaned back into his touch, a soft moan escaping his lips. Seonghwa’s hand – which had been holding Hongjoong’s waist, grabbed on the other’s thigh and squeezed it before giving it a harsh tug, causing the pirate to close the small space remaining between their bodies.

Both boys moaned loudly at the sudden contact of their crotches, and Seonghwa let go of the other’s hair as he gripped Hongjoong’s thighs, refraining him to move away. Hongjoong’s hands were resting on the cushion behind Seonghwa’s head, their lips hovering few millimetres one from the other.

The Pirate kissed him again, gently biting sucking on the King’s lower lips as he grinded his hips against the other’s, resulting on Seonghwa’s hands to reach to the pirate’s butt to make him repeat the action. Hongjoong breathy chuckled, complying and feeling the other boy gradually getting hard underneath him.

The kisses were messy, playful bites were exchanged along with soft moans and Seonghwa was loving every minute of it; he was about to roll them over but then he felt the Pirate’s hands holding his wrists and placing them against the pillow. He tried to see as much as he could of Hongjoong’s face but he knew him enough to know that, if the room were less dark, the Pirate would have winked at him; Seonghwa’s mind momentarily went blank as he felt Hongjoong lifting himself off his lap to get rid of his shirt and place one of his hands back on Seonghwa’s bulge.

They kissed again as the Pirate started to tease him with light touches, sliding his palm over his still clothed length, or applying a frustrating amount of pressure on the head with slow, circular motions. Either way, Seonghwa would moan and Hongjoong’s lips would be there to unintentionally muffle the sounds.

«Off.» Hongjoong’s hoarse voice ordered between kisses, tugging at Seonghwa’s shirt. The King chuckled at the other’s impatience as he complied, lifting himself enough to let the other boy take off his shirt.

Hongjoong’s lips immediately reattached to Seonghwa’s before starting to travel down his chest, showering it with kisses and soft bites. Hongjoong’s lips marked the other’s hipbones sucking on his skin before biting it again, before stopping altogether.

«Are you sure?» the pirate asked, breathing heavily and kissing once again that small fraction of his skin.

«Is that even a question?» Seonghwa groaned back, slightly lifting his hips trying to urge the other to proceed. It wasn’t his first time with a boy, he had some experience from before his wedding; experiences which clearly, he had to kept hidden from anyone in the Castle. Still, he had to admit that a young Prince Seonghwa sneaking out to enjoy the company of the son of an in fluent merchant would have been quite the talk around town.

«Seonghwa.» Hongjoong warned, his hands roughly pushed on the other’s waist, so that he was pressed against the mattress.

«Hongjoong.» Seonghwa mimicked his tone, running a hand between his damp hair, «If you stop again, there’s really gonna be a bounty on my head.» Hongjoong chuckled at the harsh reply, humming in approval, as he helped himself and his lover to get rid of the last layers of clothes they wore. Seonghwa sighed at the feeling of cold air against his sensitive member, which was probably already leaking with precome.

Hongjoong sat between his legs and attached his lips to Seonghwa’s length. The King already figured out that the other boy loved to tease probably a bit too much. He would alternate kitten licks to going from the base to the tip with his tongue flat, and occasionally harshly sucking and swirling his tongue over the tip, releasing it with loud pops. Seonghwa’s moans deepened at the feeling of the other’s tongue teasing him so perfectly.

As he felt Hongjoong’s tongue once again around the tip of his length, one of his hands immediately reached to the pirate’s hair to keep him in place. Hongjoong got the hint and decided to leave the teasing for some other time, swallowing Seonghwa’s member as much as he could with a soft moan. The pirate did his best to relax his throat as he started bobbing his head up and down, helping himself with his hand where his mouth couldn’t reach.

It was messy, sometimes Seonghwa would unintentionally push his hips upwards lost in arousal, and the pirate’s hand would immediately stop him by pressing on his hips. Hongjoong moaned around the other’s member as the King tugged harshly on his hair, feeling the pirate’s mouth perfect around him. Interpreting Seonghwa’s increasingly moans as him being close, Hongjoong swallowed his member as deep as his throat allowed him, feeling Seonghwa’s length twitch and warm fluid coating his tongue, as a broken moan of his name left the other’s lips.

Hongjoong swallowed, detaching completely from the other boy, and climbing back on top of him while wiping his mouth and his chin with the back of his hand. Seonghwa let out a content sigh, and reached out to gently kiss the pirate again, faintly tasting himself on the other’s tongue. Hongjoong lifted up, reaching over to the small nightstand next to their bed and taking out a small round jar.

«San and Wooyoung recommended this… aloe, I think it was called.» Hongjoong briefly explained, coating his fingers with its content.

«I don’t know how to-» Seonghwa timidly tensed up a bit, running a hand through his dampened hair and trying to calm down his panting breaths.

«Don’t worry, you can do this next time.» Hongjoong cut his sentence short, as his hand reached behind himself to begin to stretch himself. Seonghwa shifted so that he could sit, caressing Hongjoong’s thighs and showering his face and neck with soft kisses, somehow trying to ease the momentary pain the other felt.

Hongjoong’s uncomfortable hisses turned into soft, breathy moans, which were swallowed by Seonghwa’s mouth, as the pirate gradually got accommodated to the stretch. Seonghwa’s hand caressed the other’s hip as he reached behind the pirate to join the other’s hand.

As Hongjoong was focused adjusting to the stretch, Seonghwa carefully coated one of his fingers with the aloe in excess, and he slowly pushed over the other’s rim, adding his digit to Hongjoong’s two fingers.

The pirate dropped his face in the crook of Seonghwa’s neck with a loud moan, biting on his shoulder due to the sudden stretch.

«Please,» Hongjoong whined, and Seonghwa felt himself getting hard again, as Hongjoong’s fingers – and consequently his, started to move in order to stretch him. His other hand reached out to slowly pump and twist around Hongjoong’s neglected member, carefully smearing precum all over it, carefully avoiding the sensitive tip.

The pirate’s head remained tugged in the other’s shoulders as Seonghwa did his best to remain focused on matching Hongjoong’s pace with his fingers. The King kissed as much of the other’s skin as he could without changing their position, completely enamoured with Hongjoong’s moans and whimpers so close to his ear.

Seonghwa’s hand travelled upwards, from Hongjoong’s member to linger on the other’s neck and the pirate moaned as he felt the King faintly tightening his grip before harshly grasping his chin to kiss him again.

«I want you so much,» Seonghwa whispered between their kisses, feeling almost shy about how hoarse his voice had turned from arousal. He felt Hongjoong’s smile against his lips, as he stopped both their hands from stretching him further.

Seonghwa slightly leaned back, supporting his weight on his hands as Hongjoong guided the other boy’s pulsing member past his rim. Gradually, he slowly inched down on the other’s length as Seonghwa did his best to not move his hips every time he felt the other clench around him, letting him totally adjust before moving at all.

Hongjoong bottomed out stilling his hips, completely sitting on top of Seonghwa, which by now had his head thrown back and lips parted with soft moans. As the pirate opened his eyes and made out Seonghwa’s shape, he was thankful to be partially enveloped by darkness otherwise he was pretty sure he would have come on the spot by that sight alone.

Hongjoong pulled up himself on Seonghwa’s shoulders as he grinded his hips, both boys moaning overwhelmed one by the stretch inside him and the other from the tightness around him. The pirate’s hips moved in circles few times before tentatively lifting his hips to sink back down, clenching around Seonghwa.

Repeating the action, Hongjoong’s hips slowly and passionately started to move on Seonghwa’s as they kissed again, tongues lapping at each others and teeth nibbling each other’s swollen and smiling lips.

The King’s left hand gripped Hongjoong’s waist, his thumb pressing on his hipbone as the thrusted upwards to meet the other’s movements as he was bouncing on him, alternating the motion to grinding on the other’s lap by moving his hips in circles. Hongjoong locked his arms around Seonghwa’s neck, the other threw his head back and the pirate took this opportunity to leave love bites on his neck where he felt the fast beating of his heart.

The only sound in the room were their moans and their bodies colliding, their movements getting sloppier as they approached their release.

Seonghwa felt Hongjoong starting to clench around him more and he swiftly flipped them over, feeling the pirate’s thigh surrounding him and holding him close. The King immediately resumed their previous actions, feeling Hongjoong’s short nails dug lines in his back as he kissed the pirate’s neck while his deep thrusts were bringing both of them over the edge, Hongjoong’s member being stimulated while being trapped between them.

Hongjoong’s legs closed around Seonghwa’s hips and refrained him to pull out, reaching his climax with a loud moan as he felt the other harshly bottoming out inside of him. Seonghwa came too, feeling the other clench impossibly tight around him, suffocating a moan against the other’s skin.

«I’m sorry.» Seonghwa panted few moments later, his head still buried in the pirate’s neck.

«What for?» Hongjoong quickly mumbled in answer, feeling his stomach drop and fearing the worst.

«I didn’t pull out in time.» Seonghwa sighed, lifting on his elbows to place a soft kiss on the pirate’s eyebrow, who immediately relaxed under his touch.

«It’s okay if you want to do that, silly.» Hongjoong chuckled, flinching as Seonghwa slowly pulled out and rolled on his back.

«Are you sure?» Seonghwa asked, timidly.

«Positive. Captain’s orders.» Hongjoong reached out to take one of their shirts and clean them as best as he could, before tossing it on the floor and lie back, embraced by Seonghwa’s welcoming and opened arms.

They fell asleep together not much later, exchanging sweet words accompanied by sweet and content kisses, cuddling under the blankets and in each other’s warmth.

Next morning, Seonghwa realized the whole crew was perfectly updated about their relationship; their friends happily and teasingly called out to both Hongjoong and Seonghwa after seeing various bite marks and hickeys on both their necks and as they got random glimpse of the marks on their chests from their low-cut shirts anytime they moved.

«Damn, Captain! Was there a storm last night?» San asked with his voice purposely loud, faking innocence as he walked towards Hongjoong, Yunho and Seonghwa which were talking on the quarter deck.

«Wasn’t the ship rocking a bit too much?» Wooyoung added with a cheeky smile, appearing right behind his lover.

Yunho almost choked on the water he was drinking, having to walk away from them due to his muffled laughters.

«I could ask you the same thing, you two.» Hongjoong replied with a smirk, narrowing his eyes and hinting at the few hickeys that adorned Wooyoung’s neck; Seonghwa felt lightly embarrassed, but still found funny to watch them playfully bickering.

«So,» San walked towards Seonghwa, linking their arms together. «Who is the top?» he asked, winking at him.

«Oh, my!» Seonghwa laughed, immediately escaping the other’s grip «Hongjoong! Tell your friends to mind their own business!» he added, blushing faintly.

The Pirate laughed in response. «Well, technically-»

«-We’re your friends as well!» Wooyoung added, faking offence.

As they had fun together, Seonghwa knew he would love for this to be his daily life.

«Land! Ahead!» Yeosang’s loud voice rang out from the crow’s nest, catching everyone’s attention. «Actually, you know what? I’m not sure, I can’t see anything.» He added, carefully climbing down and walking towards Hongjoong. «Captain, someone should take the shallop and check ahead.»

Hongjoong nodded at him, «By now we should be close to the Mist. Take some men with you and go check.»

Seonghwa watched as their friends meticulously prepared a rope to attach to both the mast and to the small ship, in case they happened lost sense of direction. It didn’t take much time to see his friends disappear in the thick wall of fog.

Seonghwa spent the morning asking around the ship if he could help, resulting in the crew politely declining his offer.

«We already took care of everything, there’s nothing much to do beside waiting.» they told him.

Dejected, he settled for sitting on the familiar spot he occupied almost every night on the stairs leading on the quarterdeck, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands.

He felt a loud sigh, followed by approaching footsteps; within seconds, someone sat behind him and he felt a familiar hand gently ruffling his hair in a familiar and affectionate manner.

«Calm down, Seonghwa.» Hongjoong mumbled, pulling the other boy to his chest; the Pirate’s arms gently snaked around the King’s waist, and he rested his chin on Seonghwa’s shoulder.

«But, what if-»

«No but!» Hongjoong immediately interrupted him; he placed a soft kiss on his shoulder, before gently rocking their bodies, «Yeosang was a cartographer in the Navy. There is no one more suited than him for this task»

«The Navy? Seriously?» Seonghwa asked, thinking about how Yeosang’s behaviour – calm, reserved and composed, actually perfectly matched a Navy’s soldier.

«Both him and Mingi, actually. Yeosang’s father was a Commander, so he grew up on a ship, just like me.» Seonghwa nodded, remembering the time Hongjoong had told him that he had lived on a pirate ship since childhood, having been his father a pirate Captain as well. Illusion, he added, was actually a legacy of his father.

The King furrowed his brow, «Mingi was in the Navy?!» he slightly turned his hand in disbelief, to see Hongjoong chuckling with his intense eyes fixed on the crew restlessly working on the deck.

«He was a powder monkey back in the Navy. I stole them both, just like I did with you.» Hongjoong said with a smug smile, tightening his grip.

Seonghwa scoffed at that. «Oh come on, Hongjoong. I literally had to beg you to take me with you!»

«I would have done that myself, eventually.» He pecked Seonghwa’s parted lips, smiling softly at how the other blushed in return, shyly adverting his gaze.

«Hey, lovebirds!» they turned towards Yunho, who was smiling at them from the deck. «Yeosang has returned. We found it.»

From that moment, everything happened in a blur: a group would have gone first, while the rest of the crew would remain on board to monitor the ship. Seonghwa took a seat on the small boat, watching the rope that connected him and his friends to the ship slowly build up tension, not that he could see much more. There was a torch in front of the boat; a dim light that somehow tried to break the wall of fog around them. Exactly as Yeosang predicted, they touched land few hours later.

Their boots sank in the wet, soft sand and, after each of them had lightened up their wooden torch, they went on together, advancing slowly, staying as close as possible. The absence of any kind of noise besides the wind, the waves and the sound of their footsteps made them inexplicably even more nervous; Seonghwa and his friends were sure that they would not find anyone waiting for them, but they were still in an unknown place and never visited by other people – if not desperate ones like himself.

As far as they knew, they could have found traps along their way. The island did not seem to be large: as they continued, the fog in front of them slowly began to dissolve, until it completely disappeared.

«Oh, now we can see clearly?» Wooyoung mumbled, nervously tightening his grip around the torch «It’s…»

«… It’s creeping me out.» San finished his lover’s sentence; they looked behind their shoulders to see that the thick wall of fog behind them was still present.

«For the first time in the history of our friendship, I won’t order to separate.» Hongjoong said, and Seonghwa’s hand nervously reached out to intertwine their fingers.

«Like hell I would have gone around by myself.» Mingi muttered behind them, making Yeosang giggle. In front of them, rocks began to sprout, gaining in size as they progressed.

«Do you know anything else beside the cave part?» Jongho asked Seonghwa, as they cautiously made their way through sand and pebbles.

Seonghwa shook his head, «I absolutely don’t. I’m sorry.»

They came to a stop in front of a high and unstable rock wall: unable to see its end, they deduced it was a mountain. They agreed on walking around it until they eventually found the entrance; in any case, they gave up on splitting up.

The aura surrounding the Island was terrifying, Seonghwa thought. Despite being in a group and everyone proceeding close enough their arms were constantly touching, he could not help but feel pervaded by constant anxiety, and a vague feeling of being almost observed.

However, from what?Seonghwa was certain that in his father’s stories there was no mention of entities protecting nor the island nor its treasures. Nonetheless, Hongjoong and the others told him about meeting sea monsters somewhere and somehow during their previous trips, so he did not dare to exclude anything.

It seemed to them that they were walking for hours. The fact that everywhere they looked they would see only rocks, sand and fog did nothing to strengthen their spirits. Hongjoong kept holding Seonghwa’s hand firmly, as to silently reassure him.

«Watch out, ahead.» Yeosang mumbled, loud enough for them to hear. They hummed in response, coming to a stop in front a small and narrow downhill consisting of a sharp and rocky staircase.

«Should some of us keep guard outside?» Yunho asked Hongjoong, which shook his head in answer.

«It’s probably foolish but I think we shouldn’t separate.» he said, reaching out the arm that held the torch towards the entrance of the cave.

«Well,» Mingi sighed «After you, your Majesty.» Seonghwa nodded at him, exchanging a small, encouraging smile with the pirate.

The King had not spoken about how he felt, despite that strange feeling of being observed steadily increased with each step.

Carefully they went down the stairs, trying to talk as less as possible, their footsteps echoing against the damp and unexplored walls. The narrow corridor began to widen until they saw a stone arch – engraved with what Seonghwa recognized as runes, waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs.

At the exact moment they crossed the threshold, the environment suddenly lit up: fire torches lit up consequently, one by one, startling them.

«Okay now, what – and I can’t stress this enough, the hell just happened?» Mingi asked, dumbfounded. His question, however, met no answer.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on analysing in awe their surroundings. Before them, there was a huge hall confined by stones, but most importantly there was an abnormal amount of treasures deposited there: jewellery, coins, weapons and all kinds of wealth laid all around them.

Seonghwa looked around, hoping in vain to find immediately what he was looking for, until his eyes met a small path leading to an isolated casket. He squeezed Hongjoong’s hand, earning his attention. He detached his hand from the other boy, as he carefully walked towards it.

«Isn’t it too easy?» the pirate mumbled suspicious, but followed Seonghwa nonetheless. Seonghwa’s uneasiness worsened.

In addition to all this, he believed to have heard an amused chuckle coming from somewhere near him. With shaky hands, he took the small casket and opened it; inside, a perfectly shaped sphere was laying on soft dark blue velvet.

“It’s completely transparent,” Seonghwa thought. “it could be glass, or crystal.”

Seonghwa had no idea about how the Aurora shard looked like but, between all the ideas he had, it was definitely not a transparent sphere.

However, his curiosity had the better of him and he touched it anyway; as soon as the sphere was in his hands, a faint glow erupted from the centre, becoming gradually brighter and brighter. Seonghwa was enchanted to see various shapes of green, red and blue dance harmoniously in his hands: the aurora’s colours. He was about to turn around to tell Hongjoong he found what he had been looking for when he heard said boy shout his name, his voice full of worry.

«And so, the King has come.» an unfamiliar female voice said from behind him.

Seonghwa turned immediately, almost dropping the shard on the floor in amazement. In front of him there was a female figure who materialized out from nowhere, her consistency almost ethereal. Seonghwa wasn’t sure how he could see her, when it looked like she was made of air itself, but he was certain his friend were able to see her, too.

«I don’t want to repeat myself,» Mingi’s hushed tone came from behind a small mountain of coins «but, what the hell?»

The creature, or spirit, was floating in mid-air looking at Seonghwa with peaceful eyes, eyes which held the same colours that had erupted from the shard few moments earlier. Nobody dared to move, they simply stared at her floating around Seonghwa before coming to a stop, assuming a sitting position in mid-air.

«Why is she not attacking us?» Jongho mumbled, frowning.

«I have no reason to do that,» She addressed him with a smile, although her eyes were still locked on Seonghwa. «the King has come to claim the Aurora shard and the treasures hidden on this island, and I have nor reason nor authority to object.»

«Are you…?» Seonghwa stopped in mid-sentence, wondering how to continue his question, and the ethereal creature smiled softly at him, nodding. The King raised an eyebrow at her, wondering if somehow, she managed to read his mind.

«I am the Aurora shard.» her soft voice echoed in the hall. «I’m also the guardian of this place. But most of all, I am connected to the Kings’ souls.»

Seonghwa nodded, his eyes carefully looking at the sphere in his hand and letting the information sink in.

“If she’s really connected to me,” Seonghwa thought, “This means she could already know what I really desire, doesn’t she?”

«I have a really big favour to ask you. Can you grant my wish?» Seonghwa’s determined eyes found hers, which grinned at him in return; she simply answered with a nod, somehow confirming to the King that she already knew.

«I will, your Majesty.» with a bow, she softly disappeared in thin air, reabsorbed by the shard in Seonghwa’s hand.

He closed his eyes, holding to his chest the sphere for a moment.

“And please protect me, my Aurora.” Seonghwa thought, before placing it back into the casket.

He immediately looked at Hongjoong, which visibly relaxed, the young King walked towards him with hurried steps and quickly placed a soft peck on his lips, pleased at how he caught the Pirate blushing before lightly coughing and averting his gaze.

«Now… What?» asked Yeosang.

«I found what I was looking for,» Seonghwa said, turning towards them. «You can take anything you want.»

He laughed as his friends erupted with a loud cheer, parting ways to collect as many valuable and different things as they could manage.

Seonghwa comfortably sat on the chair next to Hongjoong; their fingers were intertwined in the pirate’s lap, and they were participating in the animated and cheerful conversation of his friends.

«I’m sad Seonghwa didn’t have the chance to see you in action.» Mingi said to Jongho. Seonghwa smiled, remembering how a few days before, when they were coming out of the Mist’s cave, his friend managed to carry a much heavier load than the others.

«I was a baker before joining the crew.» Jongho answered Seonghwa’s silent question. «I basically did a lot of workout carrying bags of flour around. It came pretty handy.» he shrugged, smiling.

«You should have seen him during his first assault,» Hongjoong added, «We knew he was strong, but he carried gunpowder around so effortlessly, we were shocked for a solid minute.»

«I even asked Yeosang if he trained with us!» Mingi said.

«I was surprised you asked me, since you were the powder monkey back then. You should have, at least, noticed him.» Yeosang answered, and they all laughed together.

Jongho winked, «You should have worked for my boss, back in my town.» he answered Mingi, tapping his bicep.

«Were both of you training in the Navy?» Seonghwa asked Yeosang and Mingi, pretending not to know what Hongjoong told him. They nodded, unintentionally coordinated.

«My father was a Commander, I always had a passion for cartography and so I grew up with-»

«A natural talent to get us out of trouble.» Yunho interrupted Yeosang’s sentence.

The pirate blushed, adverting his gaze «You have to admit that the Captain’s sense of direction is really good.» he mumbled.

«Like he said before, I was a powder monkey back then!» Mingi took a sip of his drink, before continuing «Probably the worst experience of our life, right Yeosang?» he mumbled, elbowing the boy next to him, which simply raised his eyebrows and nodded.

«Let’s just say we craved freedom at some point, and caught the opportunity.» Yunho said, «I was a servant for a very rich family. Long story short: the night I met the crew, I guided them to their safety vault after they promised to take me with them.» Seonghwa nodded, feeling happy about the fact that they shared their past stories with him, and about how everyone was more relaxed on their way back.

He also couldn’t help feeling a different kind of warmth within himself. By now, months had passed since he left his kingdom. The more days passed, the more he felt he belonged exactly there, with them.

«How about you?» he asked San, which smiled brightly at him.

«Well, I was a thief… One day I was running away from a small group of guards and… Let’s just say I hid on the wrong ship.» he laughed. Hongjoong scoffed, amused. «It doesn’t look like you’re regretting staying!»

San hid himself behind Wooyoung’s shoulders before sticking out his tongue at the Captain, earning soft laughters from the others. Hongjoong rolled his eyes, and returned playing with Seonghwa’s fingers.

«We deliberately left Wooyoung’s story last.» Jongho commented, chuckling.

«Was he the last one to join before me?» Seonghwa asked.

Hongjoong nodded at him, delicately caressing his knuckles with his thumb, slightly taken aback by the King’s question; he was sure they never properly talked about him definitely staying with them. However, it was needless to say that if Seonghwa had decided to stay with him, the pirate would have been more than happy to sail towards countless new adventures with him.

«Yeah well you need to hear this, Seonghwa.» Wooyoung said, looking at him in a serious way. «I got kidnapped. A poor, abandoned hostage after a battle.» Seonghwa’s eyes widened, and he heard the others muffled laughters. Wooyoung continued immediately, intentionally increasing the drama in his tone of voice.

«Let’s just say that after few hours tied on the mast, I noticed how there were few injured people due to that fight, and no one was treating them. So I-»

San’s loud laughter interrupted him, «He convinced one of the crew members’ to set him free by saying he felt “terribly sick”, and then started pacing around the deck screaming at anyone of us: “Are you freaking serious?! A pirate ship without a doctor?! What kind of poor imitation of pirates are you?"» San said, imitating his lover.

«And you just let him?» Seonghwa asked his friends, giggling. «We just let him be, he randomly choose a room and claimed it as the infirmary.» Yunho added.

«He literally threw everything and everyone out from there.» Jongho said.

«Well, you forgot to mention that San was his first patient…» Yeosang said, watching the both of them with malice. Wooyoung answered by kissing San on the cheek. The latter’s cheeks turned pink and they all laughed together.

«Seriously? No doctor?» Seonghwa asked quietly to Hongjoong. The pirate shrugged, «We actually had a doctor, but he got… shot.» Seonghwa nodded, understanding what the pirate was hinting.

«But hey, Wooyoung is no longer the only one which decided to stay for love!» Mingi stated intentionally emphasizing the last words, placing his hand on his chin and blinking his eyes innocently; Seonghwa’s cheeks flamed up, and Hongjoong choked on his drink.

«Look at them being all shy!» Yunho chimed in with a loud voice, pointing at them.

«It’s not like we can’t see them exchanging soft kisses basically everywhere on the ship!» Mingi continued, snaking an arm around his friend’s shoulders, «Hongjoong!» he said shyly, playfully mimicking Seonghwa’s voice.

«Seonghwa!» Yunho dramatically mimicked the Captain’s voice, immediately returning his friend’s embrace, and they proceeded making kissing noises in rapid succession.

The King laughed, trying to hide his face behind the hand that the Pirate wasn’t holding.

«Are we really like that?» Seonghwa asked a blushing Hongjoong, which replied with a bright smile and a confident shrug.

The newfound serenity of those days soon came to an end.

«A ship is approaching! Pirates!» Yeosang’s shout interrupted the quiet morning. In no time, the ship was populated with masked men running around and getting ready to fight, the same uniforms for which they had become famous in popular stories all around the Kingdoms.

All the crew was on deck, ready to follow Hongjoong’s orders.

«We don’t take prisoners, and for the love of Mazu, Mingi,» the Captain looked at the tall pirate «This time, don’t sink them until I say so.» the red head answered with a nod and a devilish smile.

«Mazu?» Seonghwa whispered to Yunho, standing on his right.

«The Chinese Goddess of the sea.» he explained with the same hushed voice «she protects sailors, fishermen and sea travellers.» Seonghwa nodded.

«I know you can look out for yourself,» Hongjoong told the King loud enough for him to hear, «Just… Be careful, please.»

He nodded, briefly holding the other’s gloved hand, «You too.»

The enemy ship was approaching them fast, and by the time it reached them, everyone was ready to fight. Their opponents did not hesitate to fire their cannons which fortunately missed the Illusion, even if only slightly.

«They fired from so far away,» Yeosang commented as he climbed down from the crew’s nest «They must be idiots.» With quick steps, the boy informed his Captain that there were no other ships in sight.

Hongjoong clenched his jaw, answering with a simple «Good.» If Seonghwa said he wasn’t nervous, it would have been a lie. He happened to participate in some assaults when he was still part of the Resistance and he had already killed people in the past but, despite everything, he could not prevent his throat feeling dry and his heart nervously pumping in his chest. He breathed deeply, waiting.

He glanced around the deck to see that unlike him, the ones who stayed upstairs to fight in the first lines were a mixture of relaxed and thrilled. Loud cheers and chants raised upon them, and the change of behaviour reminded Seonghwa that, after all, there was a reason if they gained a reputation of ruthless and blood thirsty pirates.

«Fire!» as soon as the other ship was close enough, Hongjoong’s command had been repeated by few other crew members. Even if there were holes on the other ship’s side, they didn’t stop inching towards them.

The King watched as the pirates docked on the Illusion, and prepared to fight the men who were charging. He did not find it too difficult to defend himself: the pirates were physically strong but they lacked technique, so it was not difficult for Seonghwa to get the better of them and be helpful. He had always trained to fight with two swords, so he easily managed to juggle his opponents.

The shouts of the people fighting and falling overboard and the noise of the cannons was deafening, but he got used to that quickly. Chance wanted that he turned his head towards the direction of the Captain’s quarters at the exact moment a man not belonging to their crew headed in that direction.

Seonghwa followed his instinct, springing to the corridor that leaded to their chamber.

“I saw someone, I’m sure of it.” , he walked cautiously with his back facing the wall. It was impossible to hear too faint sounds because of the battle going on behind him, but he did his best.

However, he stopped in his track as soon as he felt a blade pressing against his neck.

«I believe you value your life.» an unfamiliar rough voice spat from behind him. Seonghwa didn’t move. «Take me to the treasury.» the pirate urged, and the King didn’t waver. He shut his eyes close as he felt a faint sting where the blade pressed against his neck. He suddenly struck his opponent with his elbow, detaching himself and taking the opportunity to draw one of his swords as he turned around. Instead of unleashing the second sword, he opted for using the dagger Hongjoong gave him months ago.

The pirate obviously didn’t appreciate the action and pounced at him, but Seonghwa was ready to block his attack with the sword in his right hand and stabbing his leg with his left hand. Seonghwa hoped that the pirate’s scream of pain would be enough to draw someone’s attention on the deck, even though being in the middle of a battle, he doubted someone heard.

The pirate was not taller than him, but he certainly had twice his strength. He managed to kick him in the stomach, taking advantage of his groan of pain to disarm him from his sword. Seonghwa noticed how they had been moving closer to the deck instead of the Captain’s chambers and he only needed few more steps to get noticed by his friends.

With a quick movement, the King managed to get his pistol and shoot the other in the leg, instantly getting up from the floor and leaping towards the deck as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, something in his plan had gone wrong, he realized. He managed to get back on deck but as soon as he heard a loud shot, he felt an atrocious pain on the side of his thigh.

Seonghwa knelt down in reflex, gritting his teeth and turning around, pointing his gun to the pirate’s head which was limping towards him. His opponent did the same. He was aiming his gun to Seonghwa’s head, and before the King’s reflexes to pull the trigger kicked in, he heard a shot. He watched as the lifeless body fell in front of him, in a pool of his own blood.

“I didn’t shoot him, who was it?” he thought as he glanced on his side, trying to ignore the sudden urge to throw up, and he was met with Yunho’s wide eyes, staring at him with worry.

«Thanks, Yunho!» Seonghwa shouted, in order to be heard over the loud noises.

«No problem, buddy! I told you I owed you a big one!» He gave him a wide grin, walking towards him and picking up a sword from one of the fallen men on the deck, handing it to him.

«Can you still fight?» He asked; now that they were up close Seonghwa noticed he had multiple cuts on his sleeve. Seonghwa nodded, his leg was hurting badly, but everyone was fighting to defend the Illusion and therefore, even if the battle was almost over, he couldn’t abandon them. Seonghwa took his friend’s outstretched hand and got up.

«Go on the quarterdeck,» Yunho ordered, noticing that Seonghwa had instinctively shut his eyes in discomfort as soon as he moved his weight on his right leg, «Hongjoong and San need a hand.»

The King complied, trying to hurry up the stairs without causing his injury to bleed even further. San and other men were fighting around Hongjoong, which occasionally left the helm to help the others; the Captain glanced towards the stairs, feeling a mixture of anger and worry fill his veins as soon as Seonghwa appeared.

«San!» he called out to his friend, which after following his gaze acknowledged his silent order and took the helm. Hongjoong reached Seonghwa with quick steps, holding the King’s elbow a little harsher than he originally planned.

«What the hell happened to you?» Hongjoong inquired, his eyes shifting from his neck, to his leg and to his eyes.

«Nothing, really, I’m fine! » Seonghwa shrugged, trying not to make the pain in his voice too obvious.

«Mingi!» the pirate shouted, evident rage in his voice, «Sink them!» the command was repeated few times by the crew members, and the cannons fired few moments later.

He obeyed Hongjoong and sat right next to him until everyone had cleared the area. During the fight, they all had followed Hongjoong’s orders and scattered on the ship, busy fighting for both their life and to defend Illusion; if Mingi and Jongho were busy downstairs handling the cannons with a small part of the crew, Yeosang, San and Hongjoong were steering the ship and fighting on the quarterdeck. Yunho, Seonghwa and Wooyoung were fighting on deck with the rest of the crew.

The King lost track of time, Hongjoong was standing next to him, steering them away from the other sinking ship and nervously glancing at him, his eyes evidently full of worry.

They both had took their masks and hats off, so anytime Hongjoong looked at him, Seonghwa answered with a silent, sincere and pained smile. Eventually, Wooyoung rushed up the stairs of the quarter deck.

«Can you stand?» He asked Seonghwa with his voice full of concern as he knelt next to him and taking off his own hat; he reached down to tore the fabric around his wound, trying to have a better look without touching it. Wooyoung sighed, and helped him up and into the infirmary.

Seonghwa didn’t see Hongjoong until afternoon. Wooyoung treated him and the others who got injured, luckily no one was in serious conditions.

«I’ve seen Hongjoong that angry reaaaaaaally only few times.» San commented, empathizing his words as he was sitting on Wooyoung’s chair.

«And it was scary. Please, don’t get hurt ever again.» the Doctor agreed with his lover.

«I’ll try.» Seonghwa smiled, nodding. Wooyoung returned the smile and finished disinfecting the cut on Seonghwa’s neck. Fortunately, neither the cut on the neck nor the injury to the leg was serious.

The bullet had gone out on its own, decreasing the risk of infection, but walking on it hadn’t been the wisest choice. Wooyoung wrapped a bandage around his thigh, and as soon as he finished, he pointed his finger at him.

«You need to rest a lot, Seonghwa» Wooyoung said with a stern voice «And I’m serious. If I see you walking around or even worse, trying to climb up the crow’s nest with Yeosang before I allow you to do that, I’ll shoot you down myself.» Seonghwa giggled, adverting his gaze.

«Now please, go calm down your boyfriend.» San sighed, and the three of them laughed together.

Back in the Captain’s quarters, Seonghwa watched Hongjoong closing the door behind himself, before silently starting to undress; he was about to get up from the bed in order to help him, when Hongjoong stopped him, with an unexpectedly cold voice.

«I don’t want you to get all dirty again. Plus, you’re not supposed to get up.» he explained shortly after as he was discarding is gloves.

«Are you okay?» Seonghwa tentatively asked, as the pirate took off his shirt. The King looked at the scars scattered on the other’s back, and manoeuvred until he was sitting on the bed’s edge. Hongjoong slouched on his chair, nodding briefly.

They spent few minutes in a slightly uncomfortable and tense silence. Seonghwa was looking at the pirate, and the latter was staring at an undefined spot in the wooden wall.

«I’m just glad,» he sighed, interrupting the quietness. Hongjoong wordlessly got up from the chair, and walked towards Seonghwa, kneeling between his spreaded legs, «I’m glad Yunho noticed him in time.» Seonghwa felt the Captain’s gaze burning its way into his soul.

They stared at each other for a while with shiny eyes who hid a universe of unspoken words, yet they still managed to understand every emotion hid in those soft gazes.

It could have gone worse, they both knew it.

Seonghwa was the first one to lean down, resting his forehead against the Pirate’s and closing his eyes.

Hongjoong was the first one to break the contact, reaching out to lock his arms around the King’s shoulders, hugging him tightly and burying his face into the other’s neck, and Seonghwa returned the hug just as desperately.

«Seonghwa, wake up.» Hongjoong softly shook Seonghwa’s shoulders, and the boy woke up with a soft groan.

«What is it? Is it a storm? Do you need my help?» Seonghwa mumbled, lifting himself on his elbow, without actually opening his eyes.

Hongjoong chuckled at the other’s appearance: eyes closed tightly in a frown and his lips in a cute pout. The Pirate reached out to ruffle the King’s already dishevelled hair, a gesture he did quite often.

«You can’t get off the bed, silly. Wooyoung’s orders were clear.» he said, caressing Seonghwa’s bare shoulder, «I’m here to change your bandages. And to stay with you, I have the day off.»

Seonghwa chuckled at that, «Wooyoung hired an assistant?» he chuckled, leaning back into the mattress, making space for his lover.

«You’d be surprised.» Hongjoong smiled softly at him, helping the other lowering his pants until they were resting around his thighs.

Trying to be as delicate as possible, he removed the bandage almost soaked in blood. Hongjoong disinfected the wound slowly and carefully, as he so often had to do on himself. Based on Seonghwa’s flinches and noises of discomforts he knew when to stop, or to continue.

«I’m sorry.» Hongjoong admitted.

«It’s okay, it will heal.» Seonghwa sighed softly, keeping his eyes closed.

«Not about this, but… We should have fled.» The pirate mumbled. Seonghwa’s eyes snapped open, looking at Hongjoong which gave him a sad smile in return.

«Don’t even think about it.» he started, «we’re pirates, we don’t flee from one single ship chasing us. I just got hurt, like an idiot.» Seonghwa fatiguely sat up, «Give me some time, I’ll be as terrifying as San out there during a battle.» he confidently winked at his lover which smiled in return.

«Why San?» Hongjoong chuckled.

«Have you seen him?!» Seonghwa’s eyes widened «I was trained since childhood using two swords, but him? He’s like some battle God or something.» The Pirate laughed in response, nodding.

«Just don’t get hurt, we’ll handle the rest.» Hongjoong reached out to peck at Seonghwa’s smiling lips, who immediately laid back as he felt Hongjoong tying up a new bandage around his thigh.

As soon as Hongjoong got back from the infirmary, he undressed himself and joined Seonghwa under the covers, his pants hanging loose on his hips.

They shifted position until they were both laying comfortably facing each other; the King slowly blinked himself awake again, to find the other relaxing with his eyes closed. Instinctively, he inched closer until their noses were touching, softly rubbing them together a couple of times before snaking his arms around the Pirate’s waist and pulling him to his chest.

«Oh, now you want to cuddle?» Hongjoong giggled. Seonghwa could easily feel the tiredness in the other’s voice, due to sleepless nights spent guiding the ship through the dark sea.

«I always do.» Seonghwa mumbled, kissing Hongjoong’s forehead as he glanced at him with an enamoured gaze.

The Pirate propped himself up, balancing his weight on his elbows, his chin resting on the palm of his hand; Seonghwa’s eyes slowly opened again, to find the other smiling at him. Instinctively, the young King shifted, laying on his back, giggling and mumbling a confused «What is it?» as his left hand reached around the Pirate’s hip and travelled on his back. His touch was gentle and feather like, but he could still feel the other shiver when his fingers gently caressed some of the scars on his back.

Hongjoong shook his head, holding the King’s gaze without answering. Seonghwa gently manoeuvred them until he managed to gently roll them around, so that he was partially hovering over the Pirate, his right leg leaning over the Captain’s so the wound wouldn’t re-open.

He admired the other’s features until he met the other’s gaze looking at him with tenderness, finding it hard to believe that he was the same man capable of killing people and commit several other crimes. Nevertheless, Seonghwa’s feeling for him didn’t waver.

They spent months together by now, living side by side every single day. The King’s thoughts wandered back to how since the beginning, Hongjoong’s behaviour had always been friendly to him and always made him feel as he was one of them, and Seonghwa couldn’t help but feeling strangely and inexplicably safe around him since the beginning.

«As long as you sail with us, you’re one of us.» He explained as they all dined together the second week after they sailed.

«Hopefully, you’re gonna stick with us.» Wooyoung had commented right after his Captain.

Seonghwa wasn’t sure he could pinpoint the exact moment when he started warming out to him, they probably acted a little bit differently from the beginning. Sometimes he felt like every single choice he made in life had the purpose to lead him exactly where he was now.

The King smiled at the thought about him being formally a Royal and the other being an outlaw – trying to count how many rules he broke since he had to run away, and yet he felt their souls were somehow so similar, compatible and inexplicably connected with each other.

They spent nights together making love, sharing secrets, stories, feelings and comfortable silences. All those moments helped to shape their feelings based on mutual trust and mutual respect.

Hongjoong never looked down on him – he actually never did with anyone in his crew, and the King never looked down on the pirate. Seonghwa had loved before. He had loved and he had lost. If his wife taught him about the innocence of a timid and pure first love, Hongjoong taught him that love could be as unpredictable and as overwhelming as the sea.

The Pirate’s love and adoration for the King was so evident that he didn’t need to say anything about it, Seonghwa – and everyone else, just knew; and he was sure that Hongjoong knew that this feeling was completely reciprocated, too.

Seonghwa reached down, kissing the other’s forehead, then his nose, his left cheek. Hongjoong’s smile widened and he settled for closing his eyes and enjoying his lover’s sudden affectionate gestures, Trying to move his leg as little as possible, Seonghwa’s kisses trailed a path until he reached the first one of the scars the pirate had on his chest: it was on his left shoulder and, Seonghwa thought, looked very painful.

He took his time to kiss every and each mark the other had on his chest, silently praising him with his lips.

«I… Think I really love you.» Hongjoong quietly mumbled. Seonghwa looked up from the other’s waist, finding the other looking at the ceiling, making him doubt that the pirate actually wanted to say that out loud.

The King slowly kissed his way back to the pirate’s side to his lips, catching his attention. Hongjoong’s piercing gaze was locked on him, and Seonghwa knew that he could have searched for hours in those eyes, and all he would be able to find would be love. The King felt his heart swell.

«I love you, too.» Seonghwa mumbled back, reaching down to connect their lips. They kissed like they had all the time in the world, taking their time to savour the other’s lips. Hongjoong would playfully lick the other’s bottom lip, and Seonghwa would gently bite on the other’s smiling lips in return.

The kiss was full of tenderness and love, even if they occasionally teased each other; they detached with their hearts racing, plump lips and cheeks flushed red.

Hongjoong sighed, his eyes still close. «Yes, I’m sure of it.» he hummed.

Seonghwa smiled, kissing the other’s chest one more time before resting his head on it. Hongjoong’s arms caged him into a warm hug, and Seonghwa fell asleep listening to the other’s rapid heartbeat.

Sadly, Seonghwa had to realize that time didn’t pass so fast when you were confined to bed.

«But Wooyoung, it’s been weeks!» Seonghwa whined and Wooyoung sighed, brushing his hair off his eyes using his wrist.

«It’s not gonna heal if you walk around by yourself, idiot.» the Doctor replied, intentionally pressing a bit more roughly on the wound on the other’s thigh while disinfecting it, earning a hiss from the boy.

«Hongjoong will help me!» Seonghwa’s pleading eyes shifted to the Captain which was busy writing on his journal.

«Uh, no? I absolutely won’t.» He looked up from the papers with a frown. Seonghwa’s shoulders lowered in defeat and he laid back on the bed.

«See? He’s clever, this is why he’s the Captain.» Wooyoung commented and kept tying up the bandage around Seonghwa’s thigh.

His eyes wandered on the ceiling. If there was one thing Seonghwa loved to do, it was to spend time admiring the giant map that the pirate had drawn there. Hongjoong had promised him that since he had to stay in bed, they would have continued the project. In the past weeks, his friends organized so that they would take turns to both work on the drawing and spend time with Seonghwa.

Hongjoong always handed him few papers that he kept on his desk with the map’s sketches, to guide the one who was painting on the ceiling so they won’t make mistakes. Essentially, Seonghwa’s role was to oversee his friend’s work. He still had a lot of fun; he loved spending time with his friends and most of all, he loved seeing Hongjoong focused on painting while sitting on top of a wooden ladder. He loved it so much that sometimes, he would zone out while looking at him and the pirate had to snap the King out of his thoughts.

«Could you please pay attention to what we are doing?» Hongjoong commented once, amused by the Seonghwa’s startled face after he threw a clean brush at his chest.

«A brush, seriously? You just threw you lover a brush?» he muttered raising an eyebrow, placing the brush next to himself. «Will you ever show me your drawings?» he added suddenly and the pirate nodded dismissively.

«Now be helpful, love. Otherwise,» he slightly readjusted his position on top of the wooden ladder and pointed to the other side of the ceiling, «I’m gonna doodle you right on top of your Castle, wearing princess clothes.»

«You wouldn’t dare.» Seonghwa narrowed his eyes.

«Try me.» the pirate answered with a cheeky grin, and Seonghwa clicked his tongue in response with a smile.

Almost a month has passed and their journey was about to end. Seonghwa still had some difficulties on standing by himself but at least, his wound was healing. The thought reassured him, since he didn’t have the courage to face Jongdae after all the months spent fighting side by side. He would have surely mocked him about how he managed to get hurt like a rookie.

«Hey there Your Highness!» Yunho chimed in the quarters, closing the door behind himself and Yeosang. «You’re stuck with us today.»

«Are you feeling better?» Yeosang asked. Seonghwa smiled at them, nodding in response at the pirate’s question. Yunho manoeuvred the wooden ladder until it was placed exactly under the still blank spot on the ceiling and Yeosang took his time to carefully look through the papers neatly placed on the desk, before handing them to Seonghwa with a sly smirk.

As his friends finished setting up – Yeosang would have been the first one to draw and Yunho would hand him the necessary tools he needed, Seonghwa managed to adjust his position on the bed, comfortably resting his back against the soft pillows.

«Keep an eye on us,» Yunho told Seonghwa «If we mess up Hongjoong’s pretty ceiling…»

«… Let’s not think about it.» Yeosang cut him off, waving a pencil in front of the other’s face, while sitting on the top of the ladder. Even if his friends paid enough attention to not mess up the ceiling, both Yeosang and Yunho managed to get dirty with paint.

«Here,» Yeosang said as he painted a long stripe of blue paint on Yunho’s hair «You look like a mermaid, now.» he giggled.

«Do that again and I’ll throw you overboard.» Yunho sighed, slightly waving the wooden ladder and almost making Yeosang fall with a loud yelp. Work progressed slowly but smoothly, the three of them occasionally joking around.

The fact that his friends willingly re-arranged their days so that Seonghwa was less lonely made him truly happy; he was glad to finally feel like he was one of them. Not only was he able to see how his friends prioritised him, with each passing day he felt like his soul was growing a little bit less restless. That feeling of finally having found a home steadily growing inside his heart.

Seonghwa’s eyes shifted towards Hongjoong’s desk, to the box containing the Aurora shard. Deep inside, he knew exactly what he had to to do as soon as he saw both Baekhyun and Jongdae and hopefully, they would agree. The young King had made up his mind long time ago, and Aurora granting his wish was a further motivation to hold on to his decision to definitely step down from his position as King. After all, he knew the young Resistance Leader was perfectly suited for the role.

Lost in thoughts, his fingers mindlessly started to play with the papers laying on his lap. Seonghwa couldn’t help but absently notice the fact that the papers that Yeosang handed him were, maybe, a bit too many. Hongjoong handed him drawings of the map every day but he was absolutely sure they weren’t as many as today.

Curiously, his fingers browsed through the pages, wondering what the pirate could have added this time. The map was almost finished so, maybe, Yeosang picked few pages from his journal as well.

His fingers incredulously leafed through the pages again and again, and everything Seonghwa could recognize was one thing: himself.

All the sketches had one thing in common: every time the Captain drew him, it was because he was far away from him. One of the first things he noticed was that only the King would be an actual detailed figure, leaving the person next to him to a mere sketch.

However, Seonghwa remembered every moment the other portrayed: in one sketch he was finishing tying up the ropes with San, the sun was high in the sky and it was really windy. In another he was chattering with Jongho leaning against the railways, the younger telling him about bow he really valued his friends as his family. In another drawing he was standing on the crow’s nest with Yeosang. Then again, again and again; Seonghwa smiled softly, seeing himself being captured by the other’s eyes. At the bottom of that envelope of sheets, there was the only drawing that captured the King’s face from up close: the pirate portrayed his face while sleeping.

Seonghwa smiled as a tear of happiness unconsciously escaped his eye, his fingers softly grazing over the pencil lines and admiring all the small details that the Captain captured.

«Illusion to Seonghwa!» Yunho’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Both pirates were looking at his face, puzzled.

«Seonghwa?» Yeosang asked, narrowing his eyes and focusing on the papers on the King’s lap, a smug smile appeared on his face as soon as he recognized the drawing he saw earlier.

«Why are you crying over a map-Oh. Wow.» Yunho said with a hand on his mouth, trying to cover the wide smile on his face. «I have to tell Mingi.» He mumbled excitedly, storming off. By that time, Yeosang was ready sitting at the bed’s feet, smiling at his friend.

«I caught him few times. He made me swear to not say anything.» he chuckled.

Seonghwa blushed, «I don’t know what to say,» he mumbled «It’s such a small thing but I feel so happy.» His eyes wandered on the drawings and Yeosang nodded.

«Ah! Young love!» the pirate sighed dramatically while getting up from the bed. «I’ll go get Yunho, otherwise we’re never gonna finish this map.»

Later that night, Seonghwa made sure to hold Hongjoong a little bit tighter as they were falling asleep; the Pirate returned the other’s embrace, resting his head on the King’s chest.

Once again – like all the other times where there was no need for words between them to understand each other, Seonghwa knew that there was no need to tell him about the drawings. After all, with Yunho running around the ship in order to find Mingi, he was sure he – and everyone on the his way towards Mingi, already knew.

«Hongjoong?» he whispered, and the other hummed against his neck in response. «Where are we going when we’ll sail next time?»

«Anywhere you want, love.» the Pirate mumbled, half asleep.

It was a sunny day, around noon; Illusion was docked in a very familiar port. Seonghwa inhaled deeply, incredulously looking at his surroundings in awe.

After months, he was back in his former Kingdom; the first thing he noticed was the few people walking around, the opposite situation during the days when he still lived there. Although it was not a predominantly port town, it had always been lively and full of people roaming the streets, and now it seemed half deserted. Seonghwa suspected what the reason might be, but he settled for thinking it was still too early for people to crowd the streets.

«We’re gonna sail again in four days!» Hongjoong’s voice commanded the crew, before telling his friends they’d meet for dinner at Baekhyun’s inn.

«Do you want me to come with you?» Hongjoong nervously asked Seonghwa, which was hugging close to his chest the leather strap of the bag containing everything he had to give Jongdae.

«I know you have things to do, as well. I will see you tonight.» Seonghwa shook his head and reached out to intertwine his fingers with his lover, before briefly kissing him on the lips. Hongjoong nodded before mumbling a quiet “I love you”, and they parted ways.

The young King didn’t know what to expect; almost five months had passed since he left, anything could have happened to both his friends. A sudden sense of nervousness pervaded him as he walked through the sunny alleys illuminated by the early afternoon sun.

”Please, don’t be burnt down, please be okay-“ his thoughts repeated like a mantra until he turned around the corner to see that apparently, nothing changed. The inn was there, the old wooden signboard was slightly waving in the wind. Instinctively, his steps increasingly quickened until he found himself running towards the entrance, taking a deep breath before opening the heavy, wooden door.

«Honestly? What people don’t understand about the fact that we’re open from-» Baekhyun scoffed, annoyed; he was standing with his back facing the door, cleaning the counter in front of him.

«It’s been five months and you still didn’t learn how to lock yourself inside?» Seonghwa’s soft voice made Baekhyun turn around so quickly he almost felt his head spinning; the boy immediately ran towards Seonghwa to hug him close, and the King returned the hug just as tightly, as his heart was hammering in his chest in a mixture of happiness and relief.

«You’re okay… I was so worried!» Baekhyun’s loud voice echoed between the empty hall; he let go from Seonghwa, just to keep holding his hand.

«You have so many things to tell me, young boy. Let’s go get Jongdae, he has gone full Resistance’s Leader mood.» Baekhyun quickly walked towards the inn’s door, locking them inside.

«Hasn’t he always been?» Seonghwa joked as he followed Baekhyun, which was leading to the backdoor.

«He got worse!» Baekhyun laughed.

Jongdae hugged Seonghwa with the same strength Baekhyun did earlier, a hint of incredulity remaining in his eyes as he looked at the younger boy.

«You really made it!» the Leader would affectionately squeeze his cheeks. «Safe and sound!»

Seonghwa nodded, and they sat down to tell each other everything happened during those months. His friends told him about how the situation got worse since he sailed, his Kingdom was on the verge of a civil war.

The Governor kept adding taxes and the people were getting poorer day by day. The Resistance tried to help civilians as much as they could but, it was almost impossible to see a positive end to this situation. Seonghwa listened carefully, feeling guilty that it took them so long to come back. However, while listening to Jongdae, he was furtherly sure about his decision.

«This is why you have to reclaim the throne as soon as possible.» Jongdae finished his explanation. Seonghwa shook his head in response and his friends frowned, confused.

«I will not, Jongdae. I’m officially stepping down from my title,» he said, taking a hold of Jongdae’s hands. «In your favour.»

«What?!» both brothers asked, unintentionally synchronised.

«I’ve had a lot of time to think about this and Jongdae, trust me. You’d make a great King.» Seonghwa explained. He told them everything: the Mist, the friends he travelled with, Hongjoong. He told them about his feelings, opening their hearts to them. He told them about how he realized that there was no one more suited than Jongdae for this.

Despite his confidence while talking, it had not been an easy decision to make. Seonghwa was definitively giving up his old life: his habits, the luxuries, spending days studying, he was giving up a life that somehow he had always loved.

However, in his heart there was the strong certainty that staying with Hongjoong was the right path for him.

«Seonghwa, I can’t do it.» Jongdae answered dumbfounded, «You are the King, people had always loved you.»

«Why are you talking like there aren’t hundreds people out there ready to blindly follow you because they trust you?» Seonghwa asked back with a kind smile, squeezing the other’s hands.

«He’s right,» Baekhyun chimed in «You’ve been the Leader of the Resistance for years. There are a lot of people loyal to you.»

Jongdae’s eyes found his brother’s, «and also, we can’t force this on him when his heart is now clearly somewhere else.» They remained silent for few minutes, Jongdae seriously pondering the idea before nodding and mumbling a quiet, «I will do it» Seonghwa erupted into a wide smile, and emptied the bag’s contents on the table.

«First of all, promise me you won’t freak out.» his fingers played with the casket’s lock and his friends looked at him, puzzled.

«Aurora, please, show yourself.» he mumbled, opening revealing a large transparent sphere laying on velvet. Just like happened at the Mist’s cave, as soon as Seonghwa touched the sphere, a faint glow began to erupt from the centre of it.

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun looked at it, almost hypnotized by the beauty of the colours alternating inside the sphere. Once again, Aurora materialized as gracefully as the first time.

«W-what the hell just happened?» Baekhyun’s incredulously whispered, and Jongdae remained silent, watching in awe as the woman which seemed made of air itself took a standing position next to Seonghwa. Her robes were gracefully moving as if dancing in the wind, except all windows were closed.

«So, she is the Aurora shard I’ve been looking for.» Seonghwa explained his friends.

«Is this about your wish, Your Majesty?» she looked at Seonghwa with her soft and colourful eyes, pretending to not know already; Seonghwa nodded, exchanging a look with Jongdae.

«Why are you looking at me? What do I have to do?» Jongdae asked; noticing Seonghwa’s eyes glancing at the crystal sphere, he tentatively reached out to touch it with his index finger, right next to Seonghwa’s.

«As I promised, I will grant your wish. I recognise you, Jongdae, as the rightful King.» Aurora smiled softly at him, explaining that as soon as Jongdae would have claimed the throne, the shard would disappear to go back to the Mist Island. «It’s not the first time I helped this Kingdom.» she said, «The rules of time don’t apply to me. I will always be there, until the end of time.» then, she disappeared into the shard after the hint of a polite bow.

«I can’t believe this,» Baekhyun commented, an excited smile on his face. «but wait, you’re officially a pirate now?» Seonghwa nodded in response. Baekhyun scoffed, lightly hitting Jongdae on his chest «Well, brother. You might as well be a King now, but I can see the future.» he said, referring to the first night he saw Seonghwa and Hongjoong together at the inn.

Time passed quickly, they talked and laughed together about everything came to their mind about the long months spent apart and before they realized, it was time for dinner.

Hongjoong was the first one to arrive at the inn; both boys sat together facing the counter where Baekhyun was working, as they were waiting for their friends. Looking around the hall, Seonghwa sadly had to acknowledge what his friend told him earlier; the change was undeniable, instead of the crowded hall, now there were at least half of the people.

«So… What did you do today?» Hongjoong asked, inching closer to Seonghwa.

«Nothing interesting, really. I abdicated.» he answered inching closer as well; their noses were almost touching and he tried not to laugh at Hongjoong’s suddenly confused face.

«What do you mean?» the pirate frowned, confusion clearly written on his face.

«I already told you, I’m coming with you!» Seonghwa giggled, softly bumping his forehead against his lover.

«And who’s going to-»

«Jongdae.» Seonghwa answered, telling him about everything that had happened between them.

«Seonghwa,» Hongjoong’s said with a soft voice, his hands reaching to hold his lover’s under the table, «are you really sure about this? Spending five months on a pirate ship is quite different from-»

«Hongjoong, I don’t think I could spend my days without you,» Seonghwa interrupted him, tightening his grip, adverting his gaze towards the inn’s entrance, «or without them.» he added, nodding at their friends which were now walking towards their table, as always talking loudly.

Sometimes Seonghwa’s gaze met Baekhyun’s and the older would playfully wink at him, nodding towards Hongjoong with his head.

They were sitting in an inn in a distant city near Jongho’s home town, two months had passed since he last saw Jongdae and Baekhyun.

Needless to say, his friends and the crew were all happy with Seonghwa’s decision to stay with them. Eventually, his role became helping Yeosang with the navigation on the crow’s nest. Yeosang was more than happy with this decision: the two had became close friends, so he didn’t mind spending more time with Seonghwa, and the pirate needed someone who would change place with him every now and then.

The relationship between Hongjoong and Seonghwa was pretty much official, so both boys kept on sharing the Captain’s quarters.

Yunho suddenly made them a hurried sign to keep quiet, stealthily pointing to the table behind them, and they all curiously complied.

«I told you it’s the truth!» a rough man’s voice exclaimed, excited. Seonghwa slightly leaned closer to Hongjoong, in order to hear better. «The Kingdom of the West has a new King!» the man proceeded, telling his friends about what happened the day after Seonghwa returned to his former Kingdom. A young man – which some had recognized as the Leader of the Resistance, asked for a meeting with the Governor and then he proceeded to summon a furious female spirit from a sphere which started glowing in various colours, angered by the fact that someone was unfairly occupying the King’s throne.

The man continued, adding that the Governor and his followers had all been executed because of the outrages and wrongdoing done to the people; needless to say, the citizens were more than happy with this decision. As the man continued talking with his friends, Seonghwa felt both happy and relieved to hear those words, even though he never doubted Jongdae. He was happy to know people loved him, and relieved to hear about how slowly he was fixing everything.

The Kingdom was no longer on the verge of a civil war, nor on the verge of a war with neighbouring Reigns.

«You heard that? I created a hero.» Seonghwa boldly whispered to Hongjoong.

After discussing a bit further, the man and his friend changed the topic of their conversations, and the pirates went back to eating. Seonghwa chewed on his food and chuckled at Mingi and San friendly bickering over a plate of food, and at Yeosang and Jongho were pretending nothing was happening even thought they were in between the two boys playfully screaming at each other.

The boy’s heart suddenly felt overwhelmed, and his mind started wandering through everything that had happened to that day; he glanced at his friends, feeling his soul at ease, a content sigh left his lips. A familiar hand softly ruffled his hair.

«You okay?» Hongjoong gently whispered in his ear, probably noticing that he had stopped eating all of a sudden.

«Yeah, I was just thinking,» Seonghwa said, before answering to Hongjoong’s silent question with a smile, «I’m home.» he simply said with a shrug.

Hongjoong’s eyes widened in surprise, before erupting into a wide smile as well.

«You are.» Hongjoong’s voice was gentle, like every other time the other would speak to him.

«Hey, lovebirds! We’re having dinner over here!» Yunho loudly called out to his friends.

«I swear to the Goddess Mazu, Wooyoung and San are more subtle than you two!» Mingi added, an exaggerated exasperated sigh left his lips.

«San, you heard them?» Wooyoung asked his lover, noisily placing his chalice back on the table.

«Is it a challenge?» San finished for him, smirking and raising an eyebrow in mischief.

«No, it’s not.» Yeosang immediately said, politely placing his fork on the plate to rub his temples.

«Yeah please, don’t.» Jongho echoed his friend, still quietly chewing on his food.

Wooyoung erupted into a contagious laughter, and Seonghwa’s hand reached out to Hongjoong’s one and he intertwined their fingers under the table. He knew that he made the right choice. He was exactly where he was supposed to be.

Later that night, after Hongjoong gave the wedding ring back to Seonghwa – who wore it immediately, they made love. Hongjoong’s nails drew red lines on Seonghwa’s back and their fingers lingered on the other’s skin a bit more desperately, in stark contrast to their kisses, which were soft, gentle and caring. They whispered each other’s name almost like a prayer, mumbling quiet “I love you’s” as they came down from their bliss.

With a content smile, Seonghwa played with both the rings on his left hand using his thumb, his right arm was resting comfortably around Hongjoong’s waist, which was laying on his side with his head on his lover’s chest, hugging the other’s hip which were partially covered by the blanket.

«Does it mean you found a better treasure?» Seonghwa’s smug question eventually broke the comfortable silence of the room, as he was referring to the other’s words back at the tavern when the Pirate choose his wedding ring as a compensation: “I’ll give it back once I’ll find something more valuable”, he had said.

The King heard the Pirate’s breathless laugh, before he propped himself on his left elbow in order not to not place his whole weight on Seonghwa.

«As if you didn’t know already.» Hongjoong answered with a wide smile, affectionately kissing Seonghwa’s lips.

all works © lettersfromaphrodite

Do not modify, repost, translate or plagiarize my stories. I only publish my works on tumblr & AO3.

↳ BACK TO NAVIGATION 💫 ↳ BACK TO MASTERLIST 🔮

#seongjoong scenarios #seonghwa x hongjoong #hongjoong x seonghwa #fanfics #ateez scenarios #pirate au

[joongalez]

with grace | seonghwa x hongjoong

content: seonghwa x hongjoong, angst word count: 1.2k

------

The sun filtered in through the glass window on the right, shining bright, golden light through the thin, white curtains. The golden light bounced off the long mirror in front of Hongjoong as he studied himself in the reflecting glass. He was wearing a black suit, fixing his black tie around his neck. It was far too sunny, he thought, for a day like today.

Once the tie was fitted correctly at his throat, Hongjoong smoothed down the suit jacket and let out a short breath.

"You look nice."

Seonghwa appeared behind Hongjoong in the mirror, taking a step toward Hongjoong. Seonghwa brought his hand up, running it along Hongjoong's back until he reached his shoulder.

"It took me forever to find this suit," Hongjoong said. "I haven't had to wear it in a long time. It was buried in the back of my closet."

Seonghwa pressed his face against Hongjoong's hair, closing his eyes, seeming to breathe in the scent of Hongjoong.

"I even had to iron the shirt," Hongjoong continued, "because it was all wrinkled in the back of the closet. You think it looks okay? You think people will think I look alright?"

Seonghwa opened his eyes to study Hongjoong's appearance in the mirror. He smiled softly, a sad smile, a smile that hid a thousand emotions. "You look lovely, my dear. Everyone would understand even if your shirt wasn't ironed. But it looks fine."

Hongjoong took a deep breath. "I don't want to go."

"I know you don't," Seonghwa responded softly, gently running his fingertips along Hongjoong's shoulder. "But you have to."

"I know I have to."

"Something's missing."

"The necklace," Hongjoong said. "I know. I wasn't sure if I should wear it."

"Of course you should."

Hongjoong reluctantly walked over to the small desk in front of the window, the sun warming the wood. He opened the black jewelry case, grabbing a silver necklace with a diamond-encrusted cross on the end of it. He brought it back over to the mirror, holding it up to his neck.

"You can place it under your shirt," Seonghwa suggested, gently taking the necklace from Hongjoong. He brought the chain around Hongjoong's neck and fastened it in the back. Hongjoong then grabbed the cross and tucked it under his white shirt, beneath the perfectly tied tie. "There."

Hongjoong touched the necklace through his shirt and tie, his eyes growing glossy, whispering, "I'm so sorry."

Seonghwa smiled lovingly at him, putting both hands on Hongjoong's shoulders, placing a kiss on the top of his head. "Don't you have to leave soon, dear?"

"Yes." Hongjoong nodded softly, looking up to stare at Seonghwa's face in the mirror. "Will you be here when I get back?"

Seonghwa's smile faltered for a ghost of a second, before it was back. He didn't answer Hongjoong's question. "Do you remember when I gave you that necklace?"

"Of course I do. It was my birthday and you had taken me out to that nice restaurant in town that we love. During dessert, you pulled that out, and I was worried you were proposing for a moment."

Hongjoong let out a small laugh. "When I opened it, I thought it was the most beautiful necklace I'd ever seen. I wore it every day." Almost every day. "I wanted to wear it every day."

"I don't want you to be late," Seonghwa said. "You should probably be there first, don't you think?"

Hongjoong sighed, then nodded slowly. "I guess so. I really don't want to go. Why do we have to have a wake and a funeral?"

Seonghwa brushed Hongjoong's hair back. "That's just how it is, dear. I know this is difficult for you, but think about how difficult it is for everyone else, too. You need to go."

"I wish you could come with me."

"I know."

Hongjoong watched in the mirror as he brought his hand up to rest on Seonghwa's, that was resting on his own shoulder. "The wake was terrible. Everyone was so quiet in there, sharing whispers that I constantly thought had to be about me. I couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking the entire time. And I cried. I cried so hard, the tears were streaming down my cheeks, making them so wet. I never thought I would feel this devastated about the whole thing."

"I know."

Hongjoong sighed, looking down at the uncomfortable shoes he was wearing, wishing he was wearing anything else. "I wish it had been easier. I wish things were different."

Seonghwa looked over at the window, at the golden light filtering in through the curtains. "I wish things were different too, my dear."

"I should go," Hongjoong said, turning to face Seonghwa. "I don't want to be late. I'll see you when I get back, okay?"

Seonghwa nodded, planting a soft kiss in the middle of Hongjoong's forehead.

The drive to the church took too long. Hongjoong was starting to sweat in his suit, wishing he could have been wearing something other than this. He arrived at the church a little late, and a few people were already there. He said his cordial hellos and people wished him well, saying they were so sorry for his loss.

Most of the people at the funeral were the same people at the wake, but Hongjoong wasn't thinking about that very much. He was trying to keep the curses off his tongue so no one could tell what he was thinking and what his emotions were.

There were already people crying when the service started, and it only got worse as the service moved toward its end.

"With grace," the pastor concluded. "He will go with grace."

They brought the coffin out to the cemetery, lowering it into the plot that was already dug.

Then Hongjoong didn't care anymore. He fell to his knees in front of everyone standing around him and the coffin. Before they covered it with dirt, he kneeled next to the plot and cried. The tears streamed down his face and regret filled his bones.

"God, I'm going to miss you," Hongjoong choked out between sobs. "I wish you hadn't gone. I wish you were still here. Please come back to me."

And when Hongjoong finally stood and turned his back to the coffin, facing the others all staring at him, he recognized someone standing beyond everyone else. He was still wearing that white shirt with the billowing sleeves, staring back at Hongjoong with a ghostly smile on his face.

Hongjoong moved through the crowd to reach Seonghwa.

"I'm so sorry," Hongjoong whispered, not loud enough for anyone else to hear.

Seonghwa kept the smile on his face, but shook his head slightly. "You don't get to be sorry, Hongjoong. You know that."

Hongjoong nodded. "I know. It's all my fault. I regret everything. I just want you back."

"But you don't get that," Seonghwa said softly. "You killed me, Hongjoong. And I can't haunt you forever."

Tears fell from Hongjoong's eyes.

"Killing me killed you," Seonghwa whispered. "I know it did. But you don't get to be sorry about that. It is done. You can never get me back."

Hongjoong fell to his knees again, clutching his chest. "Is this goodbye then?"

Seonghwa nodded.

"I love you," Hongjoong whispered. "I love you, Seonghwa."

"I loved you too, my dear." Seonghwa reached forward to press his hand against Hongjoong's cheek. Hongjoong closed his eyes and more tears fell onto his cheeks. When he opened his eyes, the only thing in front of him was a large oak tree, the leaves on its branches rustling in the wind. He could still feel the ghostly touch of Seonghwa's hand against his cheek.

With grace, Hongjoong repeated to himself. With grace.

------

This fic was inspired by Taylor Swift's "My Tears Ricochet"

#ateez #ateez fanfic #fanfic #ateez au #hongjoong #kim hongjoong #seonghwa #park seonghwa #hongjoong x seonghwa #seonghwa x hongjoong #ateez angst #angst #yunho #yeosang #san #mingi #wooyoung #jongho #kq entertainment #kpop #kpop fic #kpop fanfic #au #fanfiction #ateez fanfiction #short story #writing

[pyrofics]

Pyrofics Masterlist (pyrophobia on AO3)

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* all of my works in one place  *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

ꜜ・゜゜✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*  open here *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ゜゜・．ꜜ

♥*♡∞:｡.｡ｓｅｏｎｇｊｏｏｎｇ / ｊｏｏｎｇｈｗａ｡.｡:∞♡*♥

Title: Inked Words: 15,286 Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Explicit Summary: Hongjoong wanted a back tattoo and Seonghwa agreed to help him with aftercare. Which meant months of showering together and daily back rubs that might've turned into a little something more.

Title: Calling Me Home (To You) Words: 65,629 Chapters: 7/7 Rating: Explicit Summary: Kim Hongjoong has devoted his life to rehabilitating mermaids and mermen back to their clans, going out of his way to support every aspect of the process he can, and wanting nothing more than to see them back to the sea that calls to them. Until he meets Park Seonghwa, a merman with a tragic past and a mysterious secret that teaches Hongjoong to find balance amid the rough waves that have sent them crashing into one another.

Title: Bound by Bullets Words: 108,809 Chapters: 12/12 Rating: Explicit Summary: Seonghwa, a gun dealer working for a licensed FFL holder, finds himself swept up in a world of illegal dealings after he became just a bit too curious about their favorite customer, Kim Hongjoong.

Title: Stay Here, Stay Near Words: 57,599 Chapters: 3/3 Rating: Explicit Summary: Hongjoong gets displaced after a fire in his apartment building, resulting in him being homeless over night. He turns to the only friends he can trust, Seonghwa and Yeosang, to help him out in his time of need, but his one concern is that the Omega, Seonghwa, is pregnant with another Alpha's child. Without many other options at such short notice, he reaches out to them, asking for their help until he can straighten things out with his insurance company, and they are happy to lend a hand for as long as Hongjoong needs, leaving the Alpha forever indebted to them. During his stay, he figures out a way to repay them.

Title: Filling In (Filling Up) Words: 60,874 Chapters: 3/3 Rating: Explicit Summary: Seonghwa started an OnlyFans while in university to help him and his roommate, Hongjoong, make ends meet, not anticipating his side-hustle to quickly spiral out of control, becoming his full-time job. His OnlyFans account gains him lucrative income, adoring fans, and a tight-knit team to help him grow even larger on the platform. But as time passes, Seonghwa is starting to get burnt out, and his manager suggests changing things up by doing a challenge going around the platform. The only problem is, it requires a partner, something Seonghwa has refused time and time again with the same excuses-he doesn't have a partner, he doesn't trust anyone, he is afraid a collaboration will go south-shooting the idea down for the nth time. Until one day his trusted photographer can't make it to their shoot, and Seonghwa is left to do it on his own, something he hasn't done in a while. But his roommate steps in, and offers to fill in for her last minute. Seonghwa is skeptical at first, since Hongjoong stays far, far removed from Seonghwa's profession, but when things go well-better than he could've imagined-Seonghwa doesn't see the harm in simply asking Hongjoong to help out a little more.

♥*♡∞:｡.｡ ｗｏｏｓａｎ｡.｡:∞♡*♥

Title: Nothing Beats the Real Thing Words: 21,648 Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Explicit Summary: Wooyoung hasn't been dicked down in a while after a bad breakup & is losing his fucking mind because dildos just aren't cutting it and he's spent so much money trying to find a dildo that comes even close to pleasing him like a real cock would because he's sworn off men after his dickwad of an ex, but it's hopeless... until his friends set him up on a blind date that turns out to be the cute florist whose shop he passes every day on his way to work and who sometimes offers him pretty flowers out of his arrangements. Originally Wooyoung writes him off as being too sweet, too soft, too perfect, but eventually San melts his heart and fulfills his fantasies.

Title: Getting Into the Swing of Things Words: 17,719 Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Explicit Summary: San is a club owner in need of a bartender for a VIP swingers party he hosts at his club every other Monday and Wooyoung volunteers for the extra pay, completely unaware what kind of swinger San was talking about, and finds himself catching the eyes of a few party goers, but one particular pair of eyes being none other than his boss, Choi San.

Title: Of Demons and Bee Gee Boards Words: 28,475 Chapters: 2/2 Rating: Explicit Summary: Wooyoung is a troubled university student by day, stripper by night, who jokingly summons a demon with his roommate, Yunho, and best friend, Yeosang, to fight his demons for him. What he doesn't expect is to summon San, a demon who can't stop annoying him with innuendos and corny jokes, who eventually does take care of him, but not how Wooyoung originally planned.

#nsfwtiny #seongjoong #woosan #seongjoong fanfic #woosan fanfic #masterlist #pyrofics masterlist #pyrophobia masterlist #ateez fanfic #ateez smut #wooyoung x san #seonghwa x hongjoong #jung wooyoung #park seonghwa #kim hongjoong #choi san #writiny #ao3 #fanfic masterlist

[imtrashbutcute]

So… it’s been a while since you updated your ateez mermaid fic 🥹 when you feel inspired could we get an update ✨more angsty mermaid boys and cute flirting ✨

No pressure and take your time 💕 you’re writing is always so good so I’m sure whatever you write will be amazing!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

-🪷

Ngl, this ask really helped me get the motivation to dust off this chapter and work towards finishing it since it was more than halfway done. So, here you go, anon! Hope you enjoy!!

Pairing: SeongSangJoong (Hongjoong/Seonghwa/Yeosang)

Genre: Mermaid AU, angst, fluff, eventual smut

Warnings: pining, probably some swearing (idk I'm tired)

Word Count: 2155

Seonghwa's getting conflicting feelings both about Hongjoong and Yeosang (but especially Hongjoong)

#ateez #kwritersworldnet #Seonghwa x Hongjoong #Seonghwa x Yeosang #Hongjoong x Seonghwa #Hongjoong x Yeosang #Hongjoong x Yeosang x Seonghwa #Kim Hongjoong #Park Seonghwa #Jeong Yunho #Kang Yeosang #Choi San #Song Mingi #Jung Wooyoung #Choi Jongho #Mermaid au #fantasy au #polyamoryt #angst with a happy ending #slow burn #min yoongi x jung hoseok #min yoongi #jung hoseok

[joonggphilia]

The Snow

——————————————————————-

Hongjoong and Seonghwa have been bestfriends for as long as they can remember. The two have been inseparable ever since. Being together with someone you care for, for a long time, can spark some strong feelings. One winter changes everything.

——————————————————————

~All Chapters~In Progress~ Chapter 1-Intro

Chapter 2-What a day

Chapter 3-Christmas time is here (I know it’s September, but Christmas suits this fic)

Chapter 4-Waltz of Snowfall

Chapter 5-Finally (Not the final chapter)

Chapter 6-I Love You

#ateez fanfic #mxm #seonghwa x hongjoong #ateez #angst #fluff #smut

[phenomenalgirl9]

Idol! Seonghwa x Producer! Reader: I'm curved??

A/n: I just randomly got this idea by seeing a few edits (I'll add them), please don't hate me 😭 The writing is messy, sorry!😭

Summary: You are a producer of HnS one of the most happening rising K-pop duo. However, you've had a crush on one of them from the very beginning, but never worked on it as you thought he wasn't "straight".

----------------------------------------------------

Being a producer led to the fact that you were often working nights through the studio as you're in a "flow".

The duo were leaving the dance studio, when they found the lights to your studio still on.

You heard a knock on your door and were surprised and almost scared, who would knock on your door at 11:45pm?!

"W-who is it?" You said

"Its us" two familiar voices were heard, and you sighed in relief and said "Come in!"

"Did I hear you stutter?!" The face of an amused Seonghwa was seen to poke inside.

"Yah! If you knock at 11: 45 what else do you expect?!" You said.

You watched him laugh and entered the studio with Hongjoong behind him.

"Seriously Yn, what are you doing here at this hour? It's seriously unsafe." Hongjoong said.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to go home, I'm feeling good about this track, I'm gonna make it workable by tomorrow" you said nodding and sipping your Americano and you flinched and almost gagged at the taste.

"Why are you even drinking this if you're unable to even swallow it" Seonghwa said tutted and walked out.

"Why are you so stubborn to complete it by tomorrow?" Hongjoong asked "It's not even close to the due date"

"Cause I want to" you said fiddling with your fingers. When suddenly Seonghwa came back, four cans in hand, he placed all of them in front of you and took the americano and dropped it in the dustbin. You grabbed a can and said "That's my favourite cold coffee"

You watched Seonghwa grin and nod, He knew? How?. You thought but smiled.

"I actually wanted to try something new with a track and that is why I am hurrying up" you said as the two made themselves comfortable on the couch behind you, you made a few clicks and played the other track you and your coworker had made a few days ago.

"It's a bit different then the normal songs you make, Jongho and I were thinking if you wanted to switch roles and make this song, as a gift to the fans for your 3 years anniversary next month" you asked.

"I think that's a brilliant idea" Seonghwa chirped.

"You want Hwa to rap and me to sing?" Hongjoong asked and you nodded. He hummed and nodded and you smiled wide.

"I think it'll be fun" Hongjoong said and got up and said "Okay. See you, I actually have some work tomorrow morning" and walked away, in you nodded and watched Hwa gathering the couch pillows and getting comfortable.

"What?" You asked

"Don't mind me I'm just guarding you" with a smile that made your heart flutter so bad. He looked just like:

Damn he looked so cute, you just wanted to squish his cheeks but you controlled your urge and nodded and turned around to walk back. You felt eyes on you from time to time and turned around but Seonghwa was busy on the phone, occasionally eating some snacks that you had gathered for yourself for tonight, maybe it's just your tired mind. You were on your 3rd can when he finally spoke up.

"Wanna eat Ramyeon?"

You were shocked as blood rushed to your cheeks and ears what? WHAT?!

"Sorry?" You asked.

"We-we could drive to the convenience store and get some Ramyeon?" He explained. And then it hit you, he actually meant it in the normal way, you mentally hit yourself and turned on your seat and said, "Okay. Lets go" with a nod.

It was common for Seonghwa to stay back with you when you work overnight, at times Hongjoong would also stay and help you, so it was generally and him wanting to est was also normal, there have been days when he himself went to the building kitchen and cooked food for the two of you. So going on a drive and Ramyeon with him is not something new as well.

One thing that always happens with Seonghwa is that conversations are very easy with him, you both talk about everything and anything and he always makes you feel happy and safe.

"How are your cats?" He asked

"They are great" you said slurping your noodles.

"How did Kookie's vaccine go?"

"He was actually much calmer this time. Actually, better than Chips" you said, and the conversation flowed.

----------------------------------------------------

"Which one do you think is better?" Hongjoong asked, as he showed you the pictures.

"We're deciding on our next album cover" Hwa said.

You looked at the pictures and felt your heart sting a bit. Yeah you have had a huge crush on Seonghwa ever since you've joined the company, working with them, increased and deepened your crush. Until, one day, you found an upset Hongjoong on the roof top and after talking to him you got to know, Hongjoong was actually gay and had a huge crush on a close friend of his. Everything was well, unless you realised, the friend he spoke about was Seonghwa, seeing them up close and interact made you realise that. Yeah, it did hurt watching the two be so close and being playfull, but you couldn't move on. You thought of moving on but as soon as you took one look at him, you'd run back to the same ways.

On one side you were so glad to have Seonghwa and Hongjoong as your close friends but sometimes, it does hurt, but you only wished the two happiness. Coming back to the shoot photos, the duo, Jongho and you had a discussion and ended up choosing the third one to be best for the new cover.

However the way your smile faltered from the moment you saw the pictures. You were his good friend and he hated to see you sad.

----------------------------------------------------

So, Jongho was done watching you sad hence he set you up on a blind date with a friend of his and said he'd take over the recording of a new song which was scheduled that evening.

"Are you sure?" You asked again while packing your bags.

"Yes Yn! I'll be fine, it's just a recording" Jongho said.

"Okay" you said and sat down

"Why are you nervous? Yunho hyung is nice and a gentleman. Besides it's just a blind date, he won't ask you to marry!" Jongho said and you both laughed. Ultimately you fixed up your hair, did a light make up with whatever you had handy and left, after repeating all the requirements of the recording to him for the 40th time at least.

You were outside the designated restaurant and looked around and tried to find the guy Jongho had showed you when you felt a tap on your shoulder and you turned around to see

"Sorry, Yn?" He asked visibly nervous

"Yes. Yunho right?" You asked

"Yeah, thank God it's you or else it would have been embarrassing" He said and you both laughed and entered the restaurant.

The two of you instantly clicked you got to know Yunho was actually Jongho's Highschool senior and they were on the same football team. Now he's a lawyer in a really renowned law firm. He was really excited to know you're a composer and seemed to be a fan of HnS duo and was amazed to know you are infact Eve, the producer of most of his favourite songs by them.

"You've gotta be kidding me Bellatrix wouldn't win against Draco, c'mon!" You said taking another bite of your cake

"How can you say that?! She killed Sirius!" He said. Yes, you were having a debate about who'd win a duel Bellatrix or Draco Malfoy, after finding you both hold immense love for the Harry Potter series. Yes you were having a great time, Yunho seemed like a huge excited puppy and you really liked that about him. He talked very freely and you liked that. Hence, you told him about Him, Park Seonghwa.

"Look Yn, I'd really like to know you more, no matter what form. We could just get to know each other and see?" He said with the most genuine smile. And you nodded and said "Yeah I would like that too"

----------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, In the Studio

"Heeeeeeey! Jongho??" Seonghwa looked visibly shocked. He was quite sure this session was supposed to be with Yn, rather than with her alone. Why is Jongho here? Where were you?

"Hey Hwa Hyung. Disappointed to see me?" He said with a smirk

"Uh? No. No, just surprised. Um. Where's Yn?" He asked while still looking around awkwardly.

"She had a date so I'm covering for her" he said, he was shocked to see the moment the words left his mouth, Seonghwa's demeanor changed. He almost seemed to Jongho like an abandoned puppy. And Jongho knew, he had Seonghwa right where he wanted him.

----------------------------------------------------

The next two days were the weekends and you pretty much stayed home, watching movies and thinking. Jongho had texted to tell you that he thinks Seonghwa likes you. But you felt doubtful, no, not self doubts but, you were sure Seonghwa didn't because he liked Hongjoong. Right? However, Yunho has been quite active from sending messages and memes or cat pictures. You both were glad to have found each other, no matter in what form.

Hence, Jongho found you walking in with a smile the next morning and felt proud of himself.

"Someone seems happy" he chirped.

"What? I'm happy everyday" You said

"How was the date?! Give me the tea, hyung wont tell me! Did you guys you know?" He shot questions

"Jongho! No! We ate, talked, and he just walked me home and went home his way" you said "Anyways how was the recording?"

"Seonghwa said he had a headache and was missing the notes so we couldn't record shit" he said, sipping his Americano and shrugged.

"So I put Seonghwa and Hongjoong Today the first thing" He added.

"Oh" you said. You were seriously shocked, Seonghwa had perfect vocals even when he was running high fever and he HAD to record as you all were behind schedule.

You got the whole set up ready, and almost on queue Hongjoong entered with a groggy looking Seonghwa.

"Good morning" Hongjoong chirped.

"Morning" you chirped back, but you were kinda shocked to see Hwa, hair messy, sleepy tired eyes.

"Hwa are you okay?" You asked concern laced into his voice.

You were kind of taken aback when he just replied with a "Hn". Why was he being cold towards you? Or may be he's just tired?

The recording was painful, Seonghwa kept messing the lyric of a line, either he said, wrong, stuttered or paused. You and Jongho had to keep on taking takes of that part.

"What's wrong Seonghwa?" Hongjoong asked from the mic.

"Nothing" he almost spoke through gritted teeth. You guess he wasn't feeling too well so you grab the microphone and said "Hwa I think you should take a break"

"Yeah, wouldn't you know all about it" he said, his voice was almost laced with venom and you felt like it hit you directly.

"Sorry?!" You said in shock.

"Dude-" Hongjoong started but before he could say anything more Seonghwa stormed out of the studio.

"Leave him, he's just over worked and tired" Hongjoong said "Let me do my parts"

It was ultimately decided that Hongjoong and Jongho would record Seonghwa's part later that afternoon that too exactly when you take a break. You tried to think if you could have remotely done something to annoy him. But, nothing comes to your mind, Hwa seemed fine the other day after the shoot, that was the last time you spoke to him. You simply shrugged and tried to concentrate on work when:

Yunho 🐶 sent you a message:

-> Oh my god! 🤣 Does he know you have this?

No and I'd appreciate if he didn't 😂😂

Else he'd 🔪

-> Dw I won't

How's your day going?

-> Almost ok...

Oh no what happened What did he do? 🫤

-> How did YOU know it's Hwa?

Isn't he?

-> Yes but... Fine

You told him all about what happened and how your studio got high-jacked. You felt better after talking to him. That evening you left your office to find Yunho waiting near the lamp-post closest to the exit and you almost ran and hugged him. Something about his aura was so comforting, it made you feel warm.

What you didn't know was a pair of eyes had accidentally seen you from the second floor. The said eyes, got glassy as they forgot what they were going towards that way and rushed back to the dance studio.

----------------------------------------------------

It's been a Week since Seonghwa snapped at you, this past week you've grown quite close to Yunho. This past week, you never spoke to Hwa, nothing outside work. He was avoiding you, and you didn't know why. You were sad, but you thought it was for the best, you often found him laughing and talking to Hongjoong or with other staff, and you did feel a bit envious towards them, but you thought it was for the best. You were thinking about all this stuff while walking, not seeing where you are going and suddenly hit something firm. You looked to find nobody other than Kim Hongjoong.

"Hey Yn what's wrong? Everything okay?" He asked

"Sorry. I was just zoned out and didn't see where I was going, Sorry" you said

"It okay. But, how are you? I didn't get to stop by for some time." He said.

"Yeah I've been fine" you said trying to bring a smile but what he asked next rubbed it off your face.

"And how's your boyfriend?" You asked.

"I'm sorry?" You said "I don't have a boyfriend! Joong!"

"Hey! A tall, hot and handsome guy picking you up from work every other day? Yep, not boyfriend behaviour at all" He said putting his hands up.

"What? How did you know?"

"I have ears Ynie" he said

"Oh God! Yunho is just a friend, nothing more." You said and after a while the two of you went your own way.

That evening Jongho had to leave early so you had to lock up and leave, but before that you were completing a few final touches on a song that you're supposed to submit the next day. A knock was heard from the door and you said "come in" thinking it was some staff. It was when you heard a throat clearing you turned to see Park Seonghwa.

"You here?" You asked in a low voice.

"Why? Can't I come here?" He asked

"You can, but you haven't for a while so I was a bit shocked"

You see him smile sadly and ask "It didn't even affect you did it? Did I mean so trivial to you?"

"What do you mean Hwa?!" You stood up and walked where he was near the door. And suddenly, even before you understood, he held your shoulders and pinned you to the door.

"What's all this Seonghwa?"

"Why did you never talk to me?!" He asked and looked straight into your eyes. You felt weak at your knees and would tumble down any moment. If this man, an extremely handsome looking man towering over you wouldn't have been holding you.

"I wasn't talking to you because YOU SNAPPED AT ME!!" Your voice raised in frustration and also of nervousness, having him stand in such a close proximity drew out all the air from your lungs.

"Then why did YOU GO TO THAT DATE?" He almost growled

"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?!"

"Because I LIKE YOU! DAMN It!!" He spoke.

"But! YOU'RE GAY!" You shouted

"WHAT?!" he shouted mouth open in shock "Yn. What are you even saying!"

"I know, okay. I've always thought that you and Hongjoong were too close. Y'all do stuff and Hongjoong said that he loved his best friend, which has to be you" you said, and what you least expected he burst out into laughter, he was laughing so much that he literally supported his head on your shoulder and you felt blood rush to your cheeks.

"What?!" You asked

"Just because Hongjoong said he likes his bestfriend and I am practically his bestfriend and I am well, yeah at times we're a bit too close, but yeah, you thought I'm curved??" He asked and you nodded.

"You know Song Mingi?" He asked again

"The head of the dancers? Yeah." You said.

"He is also Hongjoong's bestfriend and the person Hongjoong likes" Seonghwa said.

"Tha-that means your-" you were cut off by a pair of soft plump lips on yours and it's like your body reacts on its own and he arms snake around your waist and he pulls you impossibly closer and your hand tangles at the back of his neck. You kissed him back with the same intensity as he kissed you, he finally pulled away and said "You're the only one I like and want, as much as I love Hongjoong, I'm still straight"

"I like you too" you said blushing red

"So don't you dare go on dates with anybody else. Cause I'm gonna take you to one and only I can do that" he almost growled.

You pulled him by his collar into another kiss.

----------------------------------------------------

Other Works

#ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez fanfic #ateez yunho #ateez #ateez angst #ateez seonghwa #ateez seongjoong #seonghwa #seonghwa x reader #seonghwa x y/n #seonghwa x you #seonghwa x hongjoong #ateez x atiny #ateez x y/n #ateez x you #ateez x reader #yunho imagines #seonghwa imagines #ateez fluff #ateez au #ateez atiny #ateez ff

[ksjx]

i never post on here but if anyone would be interested in wrtiting like some heavy angst with a happy ending with hongjoong x seonghwa x reader poly fic where one of the members breaks up with reader/member maybe over a misunderstanding or feeling some doubts and how they would deal😅😅 please tag me if you do🙏🏼

#ateez x reader #seonghwa x reader #hongjoong x reader #seonghwa x hongjoong #poly ateez x reader #seonghwa x hongjoong x reader

[gccdlittlegirl]

❝ 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞 ❞

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚠𝚘

🔞, m4tz, yandere!hongjoong, themes of jealousy, intense love and possession, top!hongjoong, bottom!seonghwa

TRIGGER WARNINGS: discussions of past SA (emotional effects, not a physical depiction). Discussion of sex work and emotional self harm.

WC: 2642

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

Seonghwa was an enigma, Hongjoong decided.

He’d been allured by the spark in Seonghwa’s eyes: the wolfish gleam that screamed power, command, sex. Hongjoong wasn’t scared of commitment, exactly, but he was scared of responsibility. He didn’t want to make the first move, to deal with the consequences of a failure…he didn’t want to order his own dinner, to talk to the waiter, to drive the car, to have his partner’s life in his hands, clutching the wheel with feral desperation with every anxious turn.

And Seonghwa took that away—and he did it so gloriously, so automatically, so instinctively. He paid for their meal without asking Hongjoong for input, like he’d never worried about money in his life. He drove them around almost aggressively, lane hopping to get to the restaurant. He was so forward with everything he did.

But now? Reaching over the seat, sucking Hongjoong’s lips off, his hands slipped dangerously under the waist of Hongjoong’s flannel, fingers bunched in his shirt…

Seonghwa was not in control.

He lifted his face, Hongjoong catching a desperate breath from under him, and his eyes were glassy. Shy. Coy. His hand remained tangled in fabric, and he swirled his first two fingers around Hongjoong’s waist. Below him, the boy shivered, skin ablaze.

“Was that okay?” Seonghwa’s voice was whispered and low.

Hongjoong slowly blinked. His head spun behind his eyes. The car could’ve been freezing…or burning hot.

The first (and last) time that he’d been with another man, Hongjoong had left the motel feeling soiled and used. He’d left his house on a whim when he was way too young to have downloaded a dating app, way too young to understand the consequences of his actions, and way too young to realize that trauma wasn’t worth the “experience” of adulthood. Wasn’t worth the story he could tell his friends later. That night, he hadn’t been comfortable with the speed, hadn’t been comfortable with the position, hadn’t been comfortable with the degradation, and hadn’t been comfortable sharing that he wasn’t comfortable. He’d been afraid of the bigger man on top of him—afraid of the predation in his eyes.

But that was Hongjoong’s type—he usually liked assertive men, confident men, dominant men. He’d always grown crushes on the tall ones, cried alone as he masturbated to the most wolfish celebrities he could find. He thought it was hot.

Except in bed.

Since that night, he had never let himself look for anyone again, too afraid that the first domineering personality he met would take it all too quickly again, would try to push him down again, would teeter the boundaries of comfort that Hongjoong was too shy to voice.

But not with Seonghwa. Not with the wolf peeking from under the sparkly pink sheep’s clothing.

He would never let someone else push him down again. This time, he’d be the one on the top. He’d be the one with the power. He’d be the one with the control. And he’d fucking enjoy it.

And so would Seonghwa.

“Is that even a fucking question?”

He spoke with his full voice. Whether someone else was in the parking lot or not, the windows had long since fogged. Hongjoong’s eyes were glued to the face of his partner, the pitiful puppy dog eyes that he’d relied on so faithfully earlier.

He raised a hand to Seonghwa’s face, tracing his jawline and rubbing his thumb across the boy’s lip. Seonghwa gulped, and Hongjoong felt the vibrations in his throat. Hongjoong studied him for a moment.

His hairline was already dripping in sweat, and his quick breaths visibly lifted his chest. In. Out. In. Out.

“Take your shirt off. Will you?” Hongjoong added the last part instinctively, raising his brows to seek an answer.

Seonghwa nodded at him enthusiastically, pulling onto his own seat to undo the buttons of his suit. Hongjoong took the opportunity to plug his phone into the AUX cord, scanning for the playlist from Yunho’s Spotify that he knew was curated for sex. He gave a cursory scroll through the songs, just to be sure nothing weird was on it, and pressed shuffle.

When he looked back, Seonghwa was leaning his back into the driver seat, head up and eyes closed. His skin was slick with sweat despite the goosebumps on his head, his dark nipples pebbled. His skin was taut, clear. He had more muscle mass than his slim form revealed from under his clothes. In the steamy shadow of the red-leather interior car, he looked like a Gericault painting—dark and deep, chiseled with light. Hongjoong swallowed.

“Back seat.”

Seonghwa nodded, climbing beside Hongjoong past the center console. Hongjoong pressed his hand to the boy’s skin as he passed, anxious to touch some part of him.

When he followed, Seonghwa was laid down on the back row of seats, legs spread and foot tapping. Hongjoong crawled on top of him, placing his arm under the boy’s back to keep him steady and pressing their lip together once more.

This time, it was heated. Desperate. Hongjoong setting the pace, ravenously reaching for his partner’s lips like he was reviving him, like he was Snow White and he’d die without Hongjoong’s touch.

As they kissed, Seonghwa’s small moans got louder and higher pitched. He bucked his hips, and Hongjoong pressed his hands against his inner thighs to hold him down.

“No, bunny. Can I call you bunny?” Hongjoong breathed, his voice deep but sweet.

Seonghwa grabbed for the top of his trousers, and Hongjoong knew they must be getting uncomfortably tight. It amused him.

“Yes, yes please—“

“Daddy.”

“Yes, daddy.”

“Good, bunny. Let me move your hands for you, okay? Patience is a virtue, my love.”

Hongjoong moved Seonghwa’s hands from his crotch, pinning them above his head with one lazy clawed hand. Seonghwa made a noise between a gasp and a moan, and the tilt of his head exposed his neck for Hongjoong. Behind them, a husky Arctic Monkeys song muffled its way through the speakers.

Hongjoong licked from his clavicle up to the top of Seonghwa’s throat, sucking hickeys into his jawline. Seonghwa moaned again, and Hongjoong chuckled against his skin.

“Don’t stop making noise, bunny,” He spoke against Seonghwa’s throat, “I like hearing you squirm.”

Seonghwa complied, going to buck his hips again, but he couldn’t move through Hongjoong’s straddle.

“Quiet those hips, bunny, you have to be patient for daddy.”

Hongjoong kept his voice at an airy, innocent tone, contrasting with his assertive words. He liked the play of dominance—sure, he was shy, but that didn’t mean he was weak.

Hongjoong didn’t want to stop hearing Seonghwa’s moans, so he left his lips alone, trailing back down his neck with kisses all the way to his clavicle. His skin was burning to the touch, and the curves of his body caught the faint glint of the street lights that made it through the fogged windows. Hongjoong kissed along the boy’s collarbone, desperate to breathe in every inch of Seonghwa that he could. He reeled himself back, holding a level of complacency for the sake of the dominant show.

“What’s wrong? You confused by daddy’s simple commands? Is silence too complex for your cute little mouth to understand?”

But he wanted to absorb Seonghwa’s flesh into his own. He wanted to hold him forever. Never let him go. Bow to him like some battered puppy, hide him under his bed.

Hongjoong kissed down his bunny’s tummy, pressing into his soft abdomen, glazed with sweat. He wanted to set the world on fire for Seonghwa. Light a city on fire and scrawl a poem for him in the ashes. He’d dedicate it, For my Bunny. He reached the end of the boy’s torso, licking a stripe down to the button of his jeans.

Hongjoong reached for Seonghwa’s button, looking up at him for approval. Seonghwa nodded yes. He popped open his trousers, zipped them down, pulled them off. Palmed his hard dick through his black boxer briefs. Listened to his cute little bunny’s soft moan.

Some of the lights from outside the car had turned off, and Hongjoong knew the restaurant had closed. The thought of people walking into the parking lot, seeing a strange car, hearing the grunts and groans from inside it….

Made Hongjoong harder.

He usually didn’t want people to know the intimacies of his life unless he had carefully vetted them first: deemed them safe. His safe list of people included his older brother and Yunho, respectively. But he wouldn’t mind being seen here—in the most intimate state a man could be in—so long as the world could shine down on him and Seonghwa.

A couple of closing coworkers seeing a steamy Miata and gossiping in the morning about the sexy patrons meant nothing compared to the stardust and snowstorms and silent cacophony of—

“Seonghwa—“

Hongjoong broke character, but for a moment he didn’t care. Seonghwa lifted his hips in response, and Hongjoong pulled at his waistband, removing his last garment and uncovering the slick cock from inside it, pressed stiff against Seonghwa’s soft tummy.

The lazy spackling of hairs along Seonghwa’s stomach led down between his legs, and Hongjoong reached for his bunny’s hands, gripping them together once more as he reached down and kissed along the base of his cock. He licked circles around the tip, eyes bolted open as he tried in vain to catch a glimpse of Seonghwa’s beautiful face through the dim street lights. When his eyes adjusted, he saw his partner’s head and eyes rolled back, spit dribbling from the corners of his mouth.

“Look at me, bun” Hongjoong commanded, finding his sense of control.

As Hongjoong slowly engulfed Seonghwa’s penis, their eyes interlocked. He kept a slow and steady pace with it, occasionally using his tongue in that one spot underneath the shaft that he’d read about before in the privacy of his own sheets.

Before meeting Seonghwa. Before realizing how much was possible.

Before trusting that he could do this.

From the speakers, Cinnamon Girl by Lana del Rey began, and the first three notes of the piano had Hongjoong closing his eyes and halting a bit. The song accompanied no memories, but held a nostalgia so melancholy, so heavy…Hongjoong couldn’t hold it.

He snapped out of it, holding his pace as he stroked the bottom half of Seonghwa’s penis with his hand. Letting the song continue against his better judgement.

There’s things I want to say to you, but I’ll just let you live. Like if you hold me without hurting me, you’ll be the first who ever did.

And before he knew it, Hongjoong was crying.

He inhaled sharply, pulling away from Seonghwa and holding his face, his body, his soul, ohmygodohmygodohmygod. He had to stop crying. He couldn’t burden Seonghwa with this—

“Hongjoong?” Seonghwa reached out to him, “Hongjoong, are you okay? Did I hurt you? What-“

“No—it—“ Hongjoong softly gasped through each word—“It’s not that I just—“

“Look, if you’re not ready to do this I don’t want you to be—“

“I’m just a stupid virgin, okay? Except for…except for when I was fucking…”

Spit it out.

“when I was—when I didn’t want it. Okay?”

Seonghwa stared at him, eyes wide with realization. He started to open his mouth, but Hongjoong cut him off.

“And I didn’t want it and I didn’t know that until I was already doing it with him and I was stupid and I was fucking young and I couldn’t even cum in my own room alone for a fucking year and I hated myself and I hated my

body and I thought I was fucking broken—“ He gasped for a breath—“because I didn’t want anyone else to know anything about me and I was rude to everyone so they all would leave me alone and I thought I’d be alone forever and I was determined to not let anyone!! Touch me again!!!”

At this point, the song had almost ended, and Hongjoong was screaming into his own hands for consolation. But he didn’t care. They were alone, it was just Seonghwa, and he didn’t care.

“And then I spend a couple fucking hours with you and I want you to swallow me whole, Seonghwa, I want you to know everything about me and I want to hear my name coming from your mouth like a prayer or never hear it again and I’m fucking choking in it! I want to punch myself ‘cause I never thought I’d get this weak and I’m fucking drowning!”

“Hongjoong, I would never hurt you.” Seonghwa reached to grab Hongjoong’s hand, pressing his cheek into the shoulder of his flannel, he himself still as physically exposed as Hongjoong felt inside. “And I know saying that doesn’t mean shit, but…you know, I lied about my job earlier. With the sushi.”

Seonghwa huffed an awkward laugh, reaching on the floor beneath him and cavalierly throwing a piece of black fabric between his legs.

“I do work late. I work at a law firm, too, but…I’m a sex worker.”

Hongjoong wanted to cry more, but he didn’t think that was possible. Had this been a bid for money? Was Seonghwa playing him this entire time? Was the reservation already made because—

“And I know how that sounds, but this has nothing to do with work, okay? I want you, Hongjoong. Carnally. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, I just couldn’t bare the thought of having to say it because I never wanted to do it and I was reeled in by my friend because my other job is an internship and I needed to make ends meet. But…”

The room stalled for a minute, the next song a slower classical piece in some minor key that set the tone into oblivion.

“But it’s more than just the money. When I sleep with a stranger, feel the dopamine rush and leave with no consequences after an hour of mindless banal sex, do you realize how much I hate myself?”

Seonghwa smiled as he spoke, looking Hongjoong in the eye, but it was a bleak, ironic smile.

“I never thought anyone in their right mind would want someone like me. Someone who a million hands have touched—even when I know I don’t truly want them to, even when I know I fuel myself off of self hatred and I don’t know why I’m such a pathetic mindless dog, but I wanted it to be different with you. It is different. With you…”

He breathed, slow and steady, and Hongjoong clutched his hands once more, mirroring their actions from before but with Hongjoong feeling far from dominant.

“I want you to like me. For the first time, I actually really care. And I dressed up today and danced around my room like a teenage girl…and I let you on top of me because I wanted to..to feel empowered with your touch. Not use it to batter myself more. I wanted to peel open my heart for you and let you eat it from my bloodied hands.”

They sat for a moment, silent, embracing.

“And now I am realizing,” Seonghwa spoke again in a whisper, “That maybe I am not worth your devotion.”

Hongjoong looked up at him, shocked.

“That maybe I want you for my own self gain. For my own happiness. That maybe you were an opportunity. That maybe I do deserve to be a dog at your feet—“

Hongjoong cut him off.

“Seonghwa…oh god, we’re both so fucking stupid.”

Hongjoong smiled, throwing his head back incredulously, and Seonghwa looked back at him, nonplussed.

“I feel guilty for trusting you and you feel guilty for being happy with me? Are those not just the definition of love?”

Seonghwa slowly began chuckling through his tears, putting his head down on Hongjoong’s lap.

“We’re sitting here sobbing and shit,” Hongjoong continued, his smile turning back into tears, though they were comfortable tears now. “Please hold me.”

For a moment, they sat, the silence caressing them as they leaned into each other, each head on the other’s shoulder. No one bigger than the other, taller than the other, stronger than the other. Holding equal space. Holding equal power.

And Hongjoong wanted him. And he was not going to let himself sabotage it.

// …well, that was a lot more cathartic to write than I thought it would be 😊

Here’s a more positive note from our lovely side chick Yunho. Take it as a peace offering.

Tag: @mingtinysworld

#ateez smut #seonghwa x hongjoong #seonghwa smut #seongjoong #hongjoong smut #kpop smut

[lokai-fi]

Cotton Candy

Seonghwa doesn’t do parties, and after this experience he’s pretty sure he’s never going to leave his house again

Seonghwa 

Genre: Hongjoong’s terrible comfort?? meetcute if you stand 100ft back and squint

w/c: 700

c/w: general feelings of anxiety/unwellness

aka: my husband got an elf bar and i got curious and also died because no one warned me???? how strong those things are???? so i had to focus on literally anything so my heart didn’t explode :3c

dont smoke dont do it i sweartogoddontyoufuckingdare

Seonghwa’s sure he wants to vomit. He can feel it in his cheeks as he takes another shaky breath. He doesn’t want to be here. Wherever here is, at this point his mind is too filled with static to remember. It feels like his whole body is vibrating as he sits on the couch. Fists clenching and unclenching on his thighs, hoping he’ll ground himself. 

It doesn’t work. His eyes feel dizzy and he just wants home. He lets his tongue dart out to wet his lips, wincing at just how dry and cracked they had become. He wants to vomit. He doesn't want to taste the artificial cotton candy nicotine that coats the back of his throat. He’d rather let it burn with bile than deal with the pins and needles dancing in his brain. Seonghwa should get up, he realizes that when his heart starts to pound a little harder. He should get some fresh air, stop panicking and maybe go home. But he knows he won’t make it one step. 

Seonghwa’s convinced someone has a firm hold on his heart and it only tightens with each breath he takes. That phrase, he thinks, should be romantic. But the tears prickling his eyes aren’t so he forces them open only to grunt in surprise. 

“You okay man?”

Hardly. 

He’s sure his heart is about to burst. 

“Let’s… get you some fresh air?”

He keeps his eyes closed as he’s led through the crowd. Every brush of skin feels gross, sticky and hot and god he just wants out of here. Out of this house, out of this party, fuck he doesn’t even want to be in his own body. 

He can only gasp when the cold air hits him.

It does nothing to calm the static in his brain or the shake in his hands but his chest feels a little less tight. He cracks his eyes open, still too afraid to open his mouth, too afraid that his lips might crack and bleed when he speaks. That he’ll vomit and the sting will make his eyes water. Then what?

“You should sit.”

He does. He still doesn’t know who’s talking to him but he finally sees him. Tucked in a hoodie two sizes too large, eyes just as empty as he feels. He swears he’s seen him somewhere before but he can’t place it. He just looks back towards his shoes as the stranger looks at him for a second longer. 

“Are your friends here?”

His stomach feels like a brick.

“No one hurt you… did they?”

Seonghwa feels his body convulse at his words. He doesn’t think so, not intentionally anyway. He takes in a shuddered breath and parts his lips just enough to let out a soft no. 

“Good.”

It is good, he supposes, that the only thing tormenting him is the nicotine coursing through his body.  

“You probably shouldn’t smoke any more.”

Seonghwa opens his mouth a little wider this time, pleading eyes snapping back to boy in the hoodie in a second.

He stares a little bit longer, desperately trying to piece together where he’s seen this man before. The boy’s nose twitches and suddenly Seonghwa knows. The convenient store right on campus, no wonder he couldn’t place him. Hongjoong looks different when he’s not under florescent lights.   

“I didn’t know-” his tongue felt heavy as he forced the words out, “it smelt so sweet.”

He snorted.

Seonghwa frowned.

Hongjoong apologizes and Seonghwa’s back to staring down his shoes. 

“It stops... it stops feeling like this... right?”

His voice is hardly a whisper and he’s amazed that Hongjoong even heard him. 

“I think so, you’ll be okay.”

Seonghwa thinks that Hongjoong is kind of terrible at comforting him, he clenches his fists when another wave of something hits him. He’s stopped trying to figure out what it is but Hongjoong sees the grimace on his face. 

“You should eat, come on.”

Seonghwa shakes his head, he doesn’t want to move. Not until he can feel his hands again. 

“Not even for a burger? My treat.”

He cracks an eye open, the corners of his mouth twitching up into an involuntary smile.

Now that does sound nice. 

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