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“They just started,” Another unfamiliar voice - a gentler, slightly afraid sounding one. There were a few heavy footsteps before a door slammed, and you jolted in surprise at the sound. You tried to pry your wrists apart again to no avail, only hurting yourself further. Your skin prickled with goosebumps.

“Hah, they slept for longer than I expected,” The first voice sounded again, a tinge of amusement lacing the gravelly timbre. “I’ll go fetch the captain. Remove the blindfold.”

“Aye, sir,” The second voice was suddenly louder as its owner moved closer to you, crossing the room faster than you could register his presence. Okay, so wherever I am is quite small, you thought, stilling your arms. Your heart was racing as if it were trying to break through your ribcage, breathing coming out in ragged stutters.

“Where am I?” you were taken aback when your question actually came out. They hadn’t gagged you, at least.

“This might be easier if you don’t speak. Not that I mind, but the Captain… well…” uncoordinated hands pulled unceremoniously at the cloth over your eyes, struggling to untie the knot behind your head. The man spoke softly, which you didn’t expect, words melting on your ears in a stark opposition to whomever had left moments ago. After what seemed like an eternity your blindfold was pulled from your face, and you blinked as you adjusted to the light. It didn’t take long, however, as the room you sat in was dimly lit by a single candle sat atop a wooden crate in the corner opposite you. Wherever you were being held was as small as you’d expected. The man who’d gifted you your sight back moved to crouch in front of you, eyes scanning your face curiously. Your breath hitched in your throat at the sight of him - soft and fairylike, with gentle eyes and an equally clement demeanour. He was pretty, and seemingly full of surprises. Streaks of dirt only seemed to enhance his looks, which you mentally described to yourself as unfair, your eyes mimicking the fast movements of his as you took one another in “Well, you’re as attractive as they say,” he chuckled shyly, brushing your hair from your face. You hadn’t noticed how it’d fallen while you’d hunched over in your sleep.

“Who are you?” You whispered timidly, not forgetting what he had said minutes ago. He hesitated for a moment, before flashing you the brightest smile you think you’d ever seen.

“I’m Felix! Or Yongbok, people call me both. I guess I prefer Felix, though,” You noticed he flicked his eyes upwards when he spoke, lips pursed as he thought of his words at the same time he said them. “I’m trying to be nice because, well,” He gestured to you. “I can imagine you’re a bit scared. And I’m sorry to tell you it’ll probably get worse. Or better! Depending on what you get up to in your free time I guess,” Before you could ask what he meant the door clattered open with as much force as it had shut; only now you were able to look over at who entered. A large man, broad shouldered and brawny, strode into the room with an aura of power you could only deem ridiculous. He demanded the attention of everyone in it, apparently even when there were so few people as you and Felix. The man who followed hot on his heels, however, was somehow even more powerful, despite his slightly smaller frame. His face was extremely cat-like, delicate yet cold, dark eyes betraying no emotion as he adjusted the puffy sleeves of his blouse and looked over you like you were nothing but prey.

“Felix!” He called out, voice authoritative and commanding. It sent a chill up your spine - and you’d spent a good chunk of your childhood around some of Joseon’s most fearsome warlords and generals.

“Aye, Captain,” Felix responded, standing upright and giving him a salute. Captain?

“I did not tell ye to converse with the royal, did I? Unless ‘watch them’ means something rather different to what I was taught?” Felix gave a sheepish apology. Captain…

“You’re pirates,” You just about managed to breathe out, pieces clicking in your head.

“I don’t remember giving you permission to speak,” the Captain said with a quick turn of his head, boots heavy and footsteps loud as he walked over to where you sat. “But, yes.” He smiled at you, a smile that was somehow both charming and unnerving, eyes still lacking any feeling.

“Captain, I will command the ship while you are down here,” The man who had brought the Captain to you finally spoke, and all three of you looked over at him in unison.

“That is, indeed, your role, Chris,” the response he got was sarcastic, and somehow you felt that was par for the course. “Take Felix with ye. He’s to be lookout, I'm quite sure we’re somewhere near Singapore at the moment.” Felix nodded and followed Chris out the door, leaving you alone with a man who caused your nerves to burn when he so much as glanced at you. Which, at this point, was about as much interaction as he was allowing you. He watched you as if he were hunting, and you wondered how you were possibly still alive with your heart racing so inescapably fast. After a few minutes of laboured breaths and hearing your pulse reverberate in your ears, he spoke, allowing you only the tiniest relief from the intense pressure. “So, you have probably come to realise that you have been kidnapped,” He began, tone way too merry for the words he spoke, eyes burning into your own. You felt oddly mesmerised, and in spite of your will to pull your gaze away, you couldn't. “It’s quite simple, really. We are pirates, and we like money, therefore we are holding you for ransom.” He clapped his hands, and you felt further confused by his demeanour. What was this man feeling, what was his story, and why was he so horrendously enthralling?

“My apologies, Captain, but you have got the wrong royal,” you responded quietly, to which he brought up his hand to strike your face. You gasped as your cheek burned, eyes beginning to water.

“I once again did not give you permission to speak!” he all but bellowed, rage washing over his face before fading away almost as quickly as it appeared. You stared at him in shock, wishing you could bring your hand up to massage at the flesh he had just smacked. As if reading your mind, he brought his own hand up, a thumb running across your cheekbone. “My apologies, Your Highness. I am too used to my crew, and even then I despise laying a hand upon anyone” he hummed. “I am just someone who does not stand for disobedience, and perhaps more importantly, someone with airs to maintain,” You merely blinked at him, feeling rather useless as you shifted in your seat. This man was as unpredictable as he was terrifying, and you bit down on your tongue to try and keep your face as stoic as you could. You wanted to give him nothing to work with. “However I feel now I must allow you to explain as I would like to know what you meant by that,”

“It’s quite simple, really,” you copied his speech from earlier, gaze fixed on your lap. “You will not get a single penny for me,”

“You’re the child of Emperor Sunjo, no?”

“I am a child. However, I am disgraced, widely unloved by my family. They will thank you for taking me off their conscience,” Your eyes were brimming again but for different reasons, hot and stinging, but you merely moved your jaw so you were now biting on your cheek. Far be it from you to let this cocky man see you as weak.

“You are a noble. They would not leave you to die, that would do unimaginable damage to their reputation,”

“Their reputation is already damaged. My father’s government is horribly corrupt, and I have been nothing but vocal about it. I myself am surprised that I have not been slain in my sleep,” You laughed sadly, breathily, at your last sentence, knowing your already barely there facade was crumbling.

“In any case, we have already sent the message,” the Captain replied, eyes seeming softer. “My name is Minho, by the way. Not that it matters much to you, for you shall address me as Captain. Which you’re doing a grand job of thus far,” He grinned, tipping his hat towards you. It was plain leather; simple but fitting of him. “We may be the bad guys, but I can promise you that we are not bad people,”

“Captain, may I make a request?” You chided yourself inwardly for never seeming to learn, but this time his hands remained perched on his knees.

“A bold question, but luckily for you I am feeling particularly jolly today,” You swear you saw his eyes glint. “What be your request?”

“The rope is burning my wrists,” you wiggled them a little and brought your eyes to meet his. “Might I request that you remove it? I have nothing to fight with, and I give you my word that I will be most compliant,” He watched you in silence for a moment.

“If you step out of line even slightly, you shall be bound even more than you are now. We are not here to kill or hurt you, so I suggest you make this easy for yourself,” he warned you, tone stern. You nodded, mute in agreeing to his terms, and he pulled his cutlass from the scabbard on his side. You flinched as he cut through the rope in one fell swoop, metal dangerously close to your skin, a cry catching in your throat and dying in remnants on the tip of your tongue. Minho held his hands out to you, at which you stared dumbly, before he rolled his eyes and took your wrists in his grasp. He was uncharacteristically gentle as he pulled you to your feet, moving one hand down to your waist to steady you. You gasped at the touch, knowing if your mother were watching you she would deem you ‘obscene’, but said nothing as you realised why it was necessary. The ship creaked as it rocked underneath you, a motion you hadn’t yet had the chance to process, and you felt yourself stumble as you tried to walk. “Not got very good sea legs, ey?” he jibed, tightening his grasp a little. His thumb rubbed over the angry red mark left in bands on your skin, so soft you weren’t sure if it were deliberate. It made you look back at him, where he held your gaze steadily. Unreadable and seemingly unthinking, as expected.

“I have never been on a boat,” you admitted shyly. He cocked his head, seemingly surprised, and wordlessly guided you to the door. He led you down a long corridor to a small flight of stairs that trailed up, grip still light but sturdy around your wrist. “I suppose I’d better introduce you to the crew, since you’re one of them now,” he smirked, to which you raised an eyebrow. “What, you just expected to sit pretty for a while? We have work to be getting on with.” You nodded slowly, knowing you had no choice regardless and intimidated by how close his scabbard was to your side as he guided you from behind. You were stunned when you saw the rest of the ship, the tiny room you’d just been confined in laying low expectations in your mind to be set alight and blown to pieces. You lingered on the top step as you took it in, Minho above you on the deck with proud eyes. The main deck was vast, three masts flying billowing black sails, a small platform high on the main one holding Felix, who waved down at you gaily. The floor was well polished and shining in the high sun, and the quarterdeck was large, bearing grandiose windowed doors as an entrance. Chris was speaking to a man with shoulder length blonde hair you didn’t recognise at the rudder on the stern, which was just as imposing. You were raised in a resplendent palace, and yet you had never had so much open space before you. You also wondered how such a tiny crew could sail such an impressive barque, but as you looked up to ask Minho his attention was taken before you even held it.

“Captain!” A call came from across the deck as soon as you both emerged, an eager young man hurrying over to the two of you and panting erratically.

“Aye, lad, speak!” Minho commanded, looking around as if after someone in particular.

“Land ho, sir, we’re nearing Singapore. However, we have company.” Lines of worry were etched deep into the crewmember’s face, in spite of how young he looked. Minho reached for a telescope in his pocket, extending it with a satisfying click and watching the horizon.

“Black flags,” he murmured. “It’s not worth it. Tell Hyunjin to bring a spring upon ‘er and fly the yellow jack,” he instructed with a huff, replacing his telescope and bringing you to the battered wooden railings of the starboard to gaze over the vast expanse of sea surrounding you. You don’t recall ever having felt so tiny.

“Will I have to learn all of these pirate terms?” you asked, half joking, to which Minho shrugged.

“It might make it easier for you.”

“Well, what’s a yellow jack?”

“Just a yellow flag,” he responded simply, pointing over your head to where the man he’d just spoken to was hoisting new sails. “They indicate that someone on board has yellow fever.”

“You brought me onto a ship carrying someone so ill?” you asked incredulously, to which you received a derisive snort.

“And here I had heard you were smart,” he scoffed. “No one is ill. We are merely less likely to be approached by other pirates and seamen alike if someone thinks we are.”

“Ooooh,” you nodded as you were brought to understanding. “I’ll have you know I am smart, I was simply raised for royalty, not piracy.” You cried indignantly, unused to having your pride scorched in such a way by anyone other than your family.

“Were you not trained in military affairs?”

“A little,”

“Then you should have ‘a little’ tact,” he said, air quotes around your own words as he mimicked you, You rolled your eyes at his mocking, to which his eyes darkened slightly. You figured no one else was really brave enough to do such a thing.

“How did you deliver the message to my parents?” You changed the subject quickly.

“We simply left behind a letter when we took you. You really shouldn’t keep your windows unlatched whilst you sleep, Yn,” You felt your heart flutter when he called you by your name for the first time, unaware he had even known it. With how used you had gotten to nicknames like “insolent” and “useless”, you supposed you might have soon forgotten it yourself.

“How do you know so much about me?” you murmured dejectedly, and whilst he wouldn’t let it show, your sudden change of disposition took him aback.

“I do my research,” he responded vaguely. “Come on, I want to introduce you to the rest of the crew.”

It hadn’t taken long for Minho to assemble said crew, all of them obedient to a fault. You wondered how many times each of them had felt the sting of his backhand, grimacing at the memory. You sat at a round table, covered evenly in a cloth of green, one you figured was intended for poker. However, at this moment it served as any other table, bowls of a red meat you couldn’t identify sat portioned in front of every crew member surrounded by small dishes of hardtack and pulses. Felix set a heavy tankard in front of you, half filled by a liquid that glinted burgundy in the light. You didn’t need to smell it to know what it was.

“Captain is being generous in letting us drink some of his rum,” The man beamed, taking a small sip from his own cup. “I think he’s celebrating your being here.”

“But I already told him he isn’t going to get any ransom for me,” You sighed. “I am terrified of the ramifications that will hold for me when I turn out to be right.” Felix bit his lip, as if he wanted to press but deemed it too disrespectful. This had to be the most docile bunch of pirates to ever exist.

“Lads!” Again, Minho easily commanded everyone’s attention, clinking his spoon loudly against the side of his drink. “As ye can see, we have a temporary addition to our humble crew,” He gestured to you and the men surrounding the table let out whoops and hollers, Felix clapping you on the back. You gave a shy wave, looking at the faces around you. You could count seven; an extremely small crew, which if anything only made them more intimidating. They seemed relatively successful, judging from the random piles of loot in the corners and lining the baseboard. That’s when you realised; this was the Captain’s quarters. “You’ve already seen Chris, or Chan as we sometimes call him,” He addressed you just as you realised someone was missing, and you started to fear he really could read your mind. “He’s me Quartermaster, and a damn good one. We’ve been close for years. He dines later, and is currently steering us in the direction of the East Sea.” You nodded with raised eyebrows, signalling your intrigue. Minho, seemingly satisfied with the reaction, continued.

“Here on me left,” he gave a gesture to a man who was smiling at you widely, the brightness a worthy rival of Felix’s. “Is Han Jisung. A formidable sailor and quite a way with the ladies, I must say,” Jisung snorted and shook his head, to which Minho laughed.

“Nice to meet you, Yn,” he grinned.

“Next to Jisung,” Minho continued, voice booming with over exaggerated grandeur. “Is Seo Changbin. And next to him is Kim Seungmin. The three all joined at the same time.” The two new introductions nodded at you, and you studied their faces for a moment, Minho giving you time to before he continued. Changbin’s face confused you - features bold and perpetually irritated looking but smile wide and inviting. You didn’t give his body more than a glance, immediately noting that he could tear you in half without a second thought. Seungmin was intimidating in a different way to the others; he was incredibly quiet and watched everyone with intensely dark eyes. You didn’t feel able to look into them for more than a fleeting second, and you wondered if you too could master the rather unsettling smoulder everyone at the table seemed to have. “Next to Seungmin is Hwang Hyunjin, who usually steers the ship.” The man in question was dazzlingly pretty, even with his dirty hair straggling around his face and clothes streaked with black. He smiled softly at you before flashing a wink so small you almost missed it, and you hoped you weren’t blushing as you wondered how someone so docile and downright angelic looking could be a pirate. They all seem so harmless, you thought. “Yang Jeongin is next to Hyunjin,” You recognised him as the man who’d run over to you when you emerged from below the deck, the smile he gave you somehow making him appear even younger. He was extremely fox-like in both appearance and mannerisms, nimble in every movement no matter how small, and wore a torn up beret that he seemed particularly fond of. “And you’ve already met Felix, and meself so… I suppose that’s it!” Minho concluded with a clap, Felix giving you a thumbs up and jostling your shoulder. You weren’t used to being treated so informally, being royalty, but you couldn’t say you disliked it. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

The meal was merry, with the crew talking about their adventures at sea and poking good fun at one another, though you couldn’t help but notice they were wary in how they spoke to and about the Captain. Your tankard was never empty; the rum continuously flowing, and you didn’t recall ever having felt so light. Eventually, though, the pressure in your head was a little too much to handle and you excused yourself with, in your own opinion, an embarrassing lack of grace. You stumbled towards the edge of the ship, hands gripping the railing until you were white knuckled, head spinning and vision hazy. You’d never properly gotten drunk, for your family deemed it unseemly, and you couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of the freedom you felt under the status of someone kidnapped.

“Y'alright over there?” A call came from the helm, shaking you from your thoughts. You slowly turned your head to find Chris looking down at you, face somehow as stoic as Minho’s, as caring as his voice was.

“'M good,” you slurred, wondering if he could hear you over the steadily increasing night breeze. You’d never known how windy it is at sea. “Just had a bit too much rum.”

“You’ll build a tolerance eventually,” He reassured with a laugh, double checking the ship was on course before heading down the stairs and striding over to you with the same strong and wide steps you’d heard him take when you were still blindfolded. “Didn’t take you for such a grog-blossom!” He added lightheartedly.

“I’m sure if I knew what that meant I’d be offended,” you giggled, trying to find your balance. You were thankful for the railing before you, as your nonexistent sea legs were assuredly worse when you were under the influence.

“Yer one to talk, ye ol’ carouser!” Minho’s voice came from the nearby doors, which you had neglected to close. He clapped Chris on the back jovially, the pink tint of his cheeks evident in the beaming moonlight. He was like the star of a play, and he definitely commanded his stage. “Go join the rest of the crew and get some grub in ye,”

“Aye, sir. But Captain, I might advise against steering drunk,” Chris joked, flashing you a wide smile before disappearing into the Captain’s quarters where you could still vaguely make out the raucous shouts of young men having fun.

“I am not that drunk,” Minho defended to you, though you were in no position to question him anyway and you knew it.

“Minho,” you started, before realising your mistake and widening your eyes. “Sorry, I mean, Captain,” he waved a hand at you.

“Seeing as you’re absolutely sloshed, I can forgive you,” he smirked. “What’s up?”

“I have many brothers and sisters,” You started, twiddling your thumbs as you let the railing hold most of your body weight. “All highly decorated, up to their ears in accolades. Why kidnap me?” Minho gazed at you, silently hoping that the air of disinterest and authority he tried to uphold hid the fondness that threatened to creep into his heart as he admired how the moonlight hit your face.

“If you want my honest answer,” He murmured, voice barely audible over the crashing waves lapping at the side of the ship. “I just thought you were stunningly good-looking,” You looked at him with your mouth agape, stunned by his honesty. You gave him a timid smile and nodded.

“I guess you all really do just think with your dicks,” you joked. “Although, aren’t you pirates notorious for, like, violating capties or something?”

“Some, yes,” He responded bitterly. “I have known pirates that have done unspeakable things to taken women especially, and I am not afraid to admit they all met an “accidental” grizzly end upon my finding out,” He looked at the dark horizon as he spoke, inky black sky blending into the sea seamlessly, indistinguishable at points and creating an isolated feeling you never knew you craved. Home was rather hectic. “Have you ever heard of Zhang Bao? Or maybe Cheung Po Tsai, as he may be better known?”

“Vaguely,” You hummed, mind too hazy to recall events that unfolded at least a decade ago.

“He had three rules, and I can still recite them by heart. His third? ‘Women captured from villages shall not be harmed or harassed. All women captives shall be registered, their place of origin recorded, and be given separate quarters. Those who rape or commit adultery with the women captives shall be executed.’” Minho’s voice was suddenly rather sober, and you watched him through half lidded eyes as he spoke passionately. “I personally think the rule is in need of updating to cover everyone, but I suppose he’s a little too dead to care,”

“You sailed under him?” You whispered, and he still didn’t spare you even a glance as he nodded.

“Only briefly. I was loyal to Captain Zheng Yi, and I suppose Ching Shih by proxy.” He smiled sourly, looking down at his hands and back up to the sky. Silver stars speckled the vast expanse of dark, twinkling down at the two of you. You suddenly thought to take a deep breath, night air cold, sodium tingling on your tongue, and you realised for how long you had felt like you were suffocating. “The Red Flag fleet was formidable, and I was proud to be a part of the crew. Having trained under the Tây Sơn it was pretty much a set path for me,” He finally looked at you, and you wondered if in opening up to you the wall would crumble, but his face remained as rigid as always.

“Were you born into piracy?” You asked, anxiety bubbling in your chest at the thought of pushing too far with your line of questioning. However, if you were, he didn't show it, surprisingly open for a man who seemed so closed off.

“I guess so,” He pondered on your words momentarily. “My father was a farmer, and my mother was…” he trailed off, as if reassessing whether he should tell you or not. You willed your face to look encouraging, and it seemed to work, however successful you might have actually been. “My mother was a wench. A prostitute.” His mouth pressed itself into a thin line. “Do not get me wrong, my reaction is not me judging her for it. Rather, I am annoyed at the necessity.” He shook his head solemnly. “It got hard for farmers, as I am sure you know. My father saw his land stolen and torched, and for a lot of people put at such a disadvantage, the seas were the place to turn.” The breeze picked up suddenly, tousling his usually rather kempt hair, and the smell of salt burned at your nostrils as he looked down at you. The prompt silence was oddly comfortable, which you hadn’t ever really thought to be possible, relishing in the way your heart thrummed heavily in its protective cage as you both watched the waves dance harmoniously. You knew you were sobering up, but whatever inebriation fizzled away was quickly replaced with heavy ripples of fatigue. You leaned against his shoulder a little. He didn’t react.

“To be honest, you’re nothing like I would have expected,” You chuckled softly, breaking the stillness you had revelled in. He raised an eyebrow, cocky as always, and you knew you were blushing, your knees feeling suddenly weak.

“Oh yeah? What did you expect?”

“Well I wasn’t expecting you to be so flirty, for starters,” you mumbled just loud enough for him to hear. He scoffed and opened his mouth to retort, but before he could a shiver wracked your body, unexpected gusts raking unseen claws along your skin. He pulled his heavy woollen coat off his shoulders and slid it onto your own so confidently and seamlessly you hardly registered the touch, taken aback by the immediate warmth it provided. You looked up at him with wide eyes, and the faintest trace of a smile graced his lips.

“You looked cold. Now, you were saying I’m flirty or something?” he jibed, yelping when you poked his ribs in response. You pulled the collar of the coat around yourself more, looking down at the way it pooled at your feet. It was overly large on him too. “I just meant, like… Aren’t you supposed to be barbaric, and hurt people? To kill and torch cities and… other pirate-y things,” Minho exhaled sharply through his nose in amusement and shrugged as you continued. “Your crew aren’t the most fearsome either, honestly. Felix looks like he’d cry if he accidentally killed a fly.”

“That has probably happened before. Felix cries a lot,” Minho grinned. “But, Yn, don’t think you know us after one meal together. These men are my family, and they are not to be underestimated. Plus, it’s healthy to cry sometimes, wouldn’t you agree?” He placed a tentative hand on the back of your shoulder, studying your face for a second to see if the red flush the alcohol had brought to your face had dissipated at all. You daren’t look in his eyes as you knew it would return, despite you not drinking any more. You gave a shy nod. “Regardless, you can see them for yourself tomorrow. We’re currently on course to the Hà Tiên Islands, where we will probably have to pilfer food from other pirates, before going for an attack on a Chinese merchant ship that should be sailing the gulf,” He explained. “We can also see what strengths you have!”

“You’re including me in this?!”

“Oh, my sweet little dove,” he hummed, voice smooth as ever. The endearment might have made you weak at the knees if you didn’t know it to be mocking. “You will have the most important role, for you will be like my second pair of eyes. And unless you want us all to dance with Jack Ketch, I suggest you take this seriously, savvy?” His eyes were dark, dangerous, and they made a lump rise in your throat. You nodded. “I’ll brief you tomorrow, don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

“Well, I have no choice but to be.”

“That’s the spirit! Now come on, you still look positively squiffy!” You giggled at the term, inclined to agree in spite of you still not really understanding him. He was so very persuasive. “Let me show you to your quarters so you can take a good caulk, ey?” You nodded, too prideful to admit you had no idea what he was talking about, sleep beginning to overtake you. It had been a lot to process in one day.

~

You half expected Minho to lead you to the dingy little cabin room you’d woken up in and guide you to the uncomfortable wooden chair again, in spite of him having opened up to you a little more. There raged a war in your mind, as you knew pirates weren’t to be trusted under any circumstances. However, you had never felt so untethered, enjoying feeling like a miniscule speck, as insignificant as any of the tiny stars that had watched over you talk. Your room was rather large, second only to Minho’s, so he told you, a hammock suspended between two sturdy wooden beams and a definitely stolen chest of drawers standing next to a bucket you definitely did not want to know the use for.

“Your uh, clothes,” Minho shuffled his feet, trying hard not to appear shy but not doing the best job. “Are in the top drawer. I trust you can wash them yourself. There is a bar of soap in there too, but don’t use it all at once. It’s rare we come across such stuff.” He smiled at you, and you got the feeling he was a little insecure about it being enough. Almost as if he hadn’t kidnapped a royal who had long lived in luxury.

“Why a hammock?” You questioned, running your fingers over the smooth cloth it was composed of. It was suspiciously clean.

“It rocks with the ship. Trust me, you’ll get the best sleep you’ve ever had.”

“Thank you.” He was stunned by your sincerity, and this time made no effort to hide it.

“It’s no palace, I know, but. I am merely holding you for ransom, not because I want to make your life difficult.” He grinned and bode you goodnight, having you follow him to the door so you could latch it shut behind him. You put your hands to your cheeks, inwardly slapping yourself at how hot they felt, and sat down on the edge of your hammock, fully dazed. In the day you had known Minho he seemed to have shown you every possible emotion, whilst also managing to show none at all. He liked to joke with his members, he was actually rather kind hearted from the looks, albeit commanding and liking authority. He wanted people to look up to him, to see him as a fearsome leader, to come at his beck and call, and he refused to let his feelings show easily. Yet you didn’t feel he had to, and you wondered if he felt just as in tune with you as you did him, as you let the material of your hammock cradle you into what was indeed the best sleep of your life.

Your second awakening on the ship was far less peaceful than the first, which you laughed at inwardly given how tranquil your sleep had been. Felix was rocking your hammock, having the time of his life as you swung wildly side to side, screeching about how you were going to kill him when the vertigo stopped. If it ever would.

“Have ye not tortured them enough?” Minho’s amused voice came from the doorway and you felt your face flush slightly, something you knew Felix would take every opportunity to taunt you about later. He reached up and stilled your bed, grin stretching ear to ear. He found himself so funny.

“If I ever stop feeling too nauseous to stand, I'd say you’d better sleep with one eye open, Lee Felix,” you glared at him as he helped you to your feet and held you steady, still giggling at himself like an excited child. You couldn’t help but grin at his exuberance, shifting away from him when you finally found your balance. “What time is it?”

“Not sure, probably around eight AM,” Minho remarked, peering out of the small round window that let tiny streams of light enter the cabin to check the sun’s position.

“None of you own a watch?” you inquired innocently, to which Minho blinked at you.

“I never really considered the need for one,” he hummed. “You don’t appear to have one either?”

“You didn’t exactly bring my overnight bag,” you chuckled, joining him at the window. Felix slipped out awkwardly, leaving the two of you alone again. The sky was blue and cloudless, again meeting the sea in a shimmering harmony you couldn’t tear your eyes from. The sunlight bounced off the waves, glittering gently, and suddenly you fancied a swim.

“We are due to arrive in around ten hours,” he spoke, turning to face you.

“Aye, Captain,” you smiled, and he couldn’t help but mirror it at your confidence.

“Hyunjin, Chris, Seungmin and Changbin will all be going over to the merchant ship to fight, and Jeongin to plunder, as it were,” he smirked. “Felix is the lookout as always, while you,” he sniffed. “Will be on the offence with me.”

“Would the men going to fight not be on the offence?”

“Well, technically, we are all on the offence,” he chuckled. “We always sink the ships we've ransacked. And then, if necessary, raid the wreckage for parts. But our ship is fine right now, and I do not see that as being necessary.”

“So we’ll be sinking the ship?”

“Correct. I presume you have never seen the likes of a canon before?”

“Not particularly. As I have said, I was only trained a little in combat, and it was all more of the “how to lead an army if your father, mother, and more capable siblings are all somehow unable to” sort,” you snorted. “It’s like you’re training me,”

“I suppose that’s precisely what I’m doing,” he smiled. “You’ll be a valuable member of this crew, I can feel it.” You’d never really felt valuable to anyone, and you felt your heart ache at his words as he turned to leave. “We didn’t bring your overnight bag, but we did provide a change of outfit so you weren’t running around in those nightclothes,” He gestured to the drawers with a grin before he left, and again your heart seemed to skip a beat as you went to change and join the others for breakfast.

“It’s not dark yet,” Hyunjin murmured as he slung a heavy looking rope over his shoulder, checking the grappling hook on the end was tightly secured.

“The sun has set,” Chris replied, redoing the knot on his own hook. “The ideal moment to go across is while they are all eating, which should be any time around now.”

“They’re coming up on our right,” Felix yelled to everyone. You had passed up landing at Hà Tiên as the merchant ship passed through early, and so you were currently obscured behind a large rock formation with Minho guiding the ship expertly through water you would think way too shallow to sail through. You were at the mouth of a cave, one that was apparently deemed extremely dangerous for trading ships to sail through but provided a good shortcut through the gulf, and Minho had all but screamed when he had learned the ship he had his eyes on were stupid enough to take the gamble.

“Ji, take the rudder,” he instructed, voice determined. You were starting to understand what he meant the night before; everyone’s attitude had changed dramatically, with everyone helping each other prepare their weapons and equipment and making jokes you found to be all too bloodthirsty.

“Yn, they’re about to head on over. Come down with me,” he held out his hand, voice dripping with faux sweetness that did little to reassure you, and you all but prayed you would make it out in one piece. You had been assured the job you had, whilst crucial, was the most harmless. And with such a well trained veteran Captain by your side, it was sure to be a walk in the park.

It took no time at all for the crew members transferring ships to reach the merchant vessel, arm muscles flexing as they deftly and easily pulled themselves along. Their ship was smaller than Minho's, a standard trade junk as he explained. It was an older one, evident by the lack of cannon ports, and it groaned in protest as it pushed through the waves slowly. Jisung kept pace beside it, and your eyes widened in awe as you flickered them over the intricate and ornate woodwork adorning the sides; a far cry from the simple wooden railing running the way around the ship you stood on. It almost broke your heart to know you'd have to splinter it apart.

As expected the four were completely undetected, as no one was on deck around or facing the broad stern as they clambered over the railing and set about finding the door that led to the cargo hold. A harsh contrast to the expanse of gleaming wood they darted across, you and Minho were currently in the gun deck, which you hadn't expected to be so small. Dust was caked on the equipment, indicating a lack of recent use. The floor and the ceiling were incredibly close, and Minho was stooping a little so as to not bump his head. He gestured to the cannons by their ports and tables covered in ammunition; both gun and cannonball. Some of the cannonballs were simple metal, while some seemed rather precariously handmade. The wood constructing the room was lighter than the deep red hue of the oak the rest consisted of. He picked up a long, smooth wooden staff, forked at the end, and placed it in your hand. It had rope wrapped around the head where it forked, a little hanging off the wood. "Linstock," he said matter-of-factly, pointing to the staff. "You light that rope and use that to light the fuses. To be honest, they're a bit outdated by now, but so are our carronades. They do the job, so I see no reason to change it." You nodded along as he explained, showing you how to light the rope with flint. He was detailed but hurried, and you wished you'd gotten a chance to learn before being thrown in at the deep end. "I loaded the cannons already, which is the role of gunner's mate. Jisung will fill that role in the future while I steer, but I wanted to be the one to show you what to do. Your face heated up again in the glow of the small flame he produced.

“As you have probably gathered, we no longer have a gunner,” Minho spoke quietly, watching his men the best he could through the small observation window on the gun port. He had half opened all of them on the starboard side and had them loaded and ready to fire, and he had wasted no time in explaining to you exactly how to do so when the time was right. “Our old one had to be… removed from the crew,” He chewed on the inside of his cheek, and you watched him silently. “We’re hoping you can take over, obviously, so.” He pointed at the carronade on your left. “In there we have a grapeshot, which is used first to… tear everything up. It will tear through the sails, cut the rigging, and just kind of mess their ship up,” You were ever confused by him, as he spoke with such passion but seemed so hesitant to do so. He gestured to the cannon on your right next. “The canister shot comes second. I’ll be doing two and you’ll be doing two, and together that should be enough to sink it. She's not a particularly sturdy ship, she's just long,” He smiled. “If you have any questions, I’m afraid it’s too late.”

His eyes were once again fixed on the opposing ship, where Hyunjin and Chris at the very least had been spotted, and were engaged in the most brutal sword fight you’d ever seen. You were oh so used to fencing with its courtesy and rules, and seeing a man get his arm hacked off rather unnecessarily was definitely breaching one or two of them, you figured. Chris was quick on his feet and an incredible swordsman; nimble and agile, whilst Hyunjin was just fast in general, more evasive than anyone you had ever seen. The ships were kept incredibly close to one another by Jisung's expert precision, which made the cannon fire effective, but also obscured your view of much of the merchant vessel. You silently wished you could see more of the action from the tiny hole you peered from, which shocked you, as you had never thought yourself one for such indecent displays. The deck was slowly staining carmine, and you felt the ship rock slightly as Jeongin caught the crates thrown up to him by Changbin and Seungmin and threw them carelessly onto Minho’s boat. “It’s almost time. We have more than enough.” Minho murmured, internally hoping the hands would realise this too and get back to the safety of their own ship. Two men fighting a whole crew on their own was incredibly ambitious, even for them. A flood of sailors ran out to the deck when you realised this, and they seemed completely surrounded. Minho sighed and turned to you, eyes serious.

“I believe in you, okay? On my signal I need you to fire all of them. I admit it’s a lot to ask, but I need to go and fire some warning shots and try to take a few of the sailors out from above,” Panic raised in your throat and bubbled there, words dying behind your teeth as your eyes widened. He took a hand in yours and squeezed it. “Trust me, you will do fine.” He ran up to the deck before you could say anything, both linstock and flint left in your hands. You willed your heart to slow down and continued to watch, waiting patiently for Minho’s signal. You heard shots, and resisted the urge to cover your ears and shut your eyes, an instinct you knew was better listened to. However you were in too deep, and surprisingly, you were less against it than you’d expected.

You watched as Minho’s crew started crawling the lines back the ship, shots coming from either direction as Minho attempted to single handedly cover them. A scream got lodged in your throat and came out as a startled gasp when Chris suddenly cried out and fell into the waters below, and you faintly saw Minho’s expression change as he hung off the small platform on the top of the mast where Felix stood wide eyed and trembling slightly. Minho suddenly aimed down, shooting at the ropes his own crew were climbing across, making you scrunch your brow, but before you could question what he was doing he screamed “NOW!” and pointed in your general direction. More shots sounded and you felt your hands buzzing with static, lightheaded and shaking as you hurriedly lit the fuses of what you remembered to be the grapeshots. Your head was foggy as you strained to remember his instructions, lighting the fuses of the canister shots not too long after, hoping they would fire far enough apart to have the effect Minho had asked of you. You stepped back and covered your ears, eyes squeezed shut after making sure the fuses were indeed lit, and you tried to shut out everyone’s screams as the ship was suddenly propelled sharply to the left. Your head hit the wall, hard, as you hadn’t prepared for the sudden veering and you felt your body hit the floor before you’d even registered you were falling. Your ears rang, you smelled iron and you felt yourself try to cry out. You couldn’t tell if you had succeeded. And then all you saw was black.

"If ye lay one finger on them I will personally see to it that ye can never touch anything again!" A violent hiss was the first thing you heard, before a mumbled apology and some rustling that sounded impossibly far away. You groaned as your head throbbed, wondering if you dared open your eyes. You ultimately decided you weren't going to fall back asleep and braved it, finding your gaze instantly fixed on dark wooden beams. Your quarter's beams were different.

"Captain, they’re awake," you recognised Seungmin's tentative voice, shifting your eyes down and finding yourself surrounded by worried faces. Felix's face was red and streaked, and when Minho finally turned to face you at the very foot of the bed you lay upon he looked as if he'd never slept.

Wait a second.

Bed?

You moved your hands carefully, and sure enough, there were sheets beneath your body, silken and soft to the touch. You scrunched your brows and looked back over at Minho.

"What happened?" You croaked, surprised by the dryness of your throat, your head delivering another dull throb that made your spine feel electric. You winced at the feeling, knowing your eyes were betraying your concern. You then caught sight of Chris, who was shirtless, one arm and shoulder wrapped tightly in clean bandages.

"You hit into the wall when the cannon fired," Minho began, his voice as hoarse as your own. Worry lines were apparent on his face, and while he hid it well from the rest of his crew, he sat facing you with an air of vulnerability you'd never have expected to see. So he does have feelings, you thought jokingly. "I should have thought to inform you of the ricochet, my sincerest apologies. You've been out for a few hours, you hit your head quite hard. I was worried you'd have brain damage, but I think you just fell asleep,"

"Well, that at least explains the throbbing," you chuckled grimly.

“None of us have slept, except Jisung,” Changbin laughed, earning him a punch to the shoulder by the still groggy looking man in question. “Glad you’re not a vegetable,” Felix glared at him for his rather insensitive remark, though you were sure all of them had said far worse. Or maybe not, they were far from typical pirates.

"Yeah, I’m okay. I just have a headache," you smiled, trying to reassure him. "What happened to Chan?" Chris raised an eyebrow at the use of his Korean name but didn't mention it, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked at his bandages.

"Got shot in the shoulder while getting across. Nothing too serious, though. Luckily Jeongin is medically trained from his time as a privateer," He grinned at the younger boy, who looked positively exhausted, sitting in an uncomfortable looking chair across the room.

"I saw you," you murmured, the memories flooding back to you as you came around more. "You fell into the water,"

"Changbin fished me right back out,"

"Did I…" you worried your bottom lip between your teeth, taking a shaky sigh to try and control the tears that were threatening to spill over your lash line. To say you were overwhelmed would be an understatement, and they seemed to realise this as everyone but Minho moved back to give you space.

"Don't worry," Minho hushed, his fingers grazing yours so briefly you could've sworn you imagined it. You smiled slightly at the gesture. "It was an overall success, and you sank the ship. Chris was the only other injury,"

"That's a relief," you let go of the breath you hadn't realised you were holding, bracing your palms on the bed and slowly sitting up. Minho let his concern show evident in his face yet bit back his want to fuss over you, merely telling you to be careful. He missed the warmth of your hand next to his, but he'd never tell you that. "Where am I?"

"Jeongin's quarters. He has a big bed, because he insisted on having one to join us," Minho rolled his eyes and Jeongin flashed him a wide grin.

"I'm sorry for stealing your bed," you said, to which Jeongin waved a hand dismissively.

"Hey, you knocked yourself out, even I'm not as evil as to just throw you in a hammock and hope for the best," he chuckled. Minho requested everyone leave and tend to the ship now you were awake and physically fine, and they obeyed immediately. As soon as the door was closed behind them he let the façade crack, just a tiny bit, taking your hand fully in both of his with an urgency you figured he hadn't meant to show. You felt something cold press against your palm, smooth and hard.

"Thank you for waking up," he murmured.

"Wouldn't want you to miss out on that ransom, now, would we?" you smiled sadly, to which he frowned.

"That's not why I want you alive, Yn, and you know that. Rest your head, we're currently stopped on the islands as we'd planned before so there's no rush to get up again. We got a lot of food, material and soap from that pillage, and that's partly thanks to you." You smiled and he left once you'd carefully settled back against the soft pillow, promising him you'd rest. You unfurled your fingers as the door clicked shut, a gold glint greeting your eyes from where the low sun reflected off what you had been gifted. A small pocket watch, on a dainty chain, rested in your hand, ticking quietly. You clutched it to your chest and let it lull you to sleep again, letting your lips turn up at the corners as you did.

~

"Hey, Yn," a gentle voice was luring you out of your dreamless slumber, a small hand resting on your upper arm and threatening to shake it a little if you didn't respond. "Wakey wakeyyyy! It's time to eeeeat," You opened your eyes to see Felix smiling down at you rather adoringly. Why is he so cute all the time?

"Is everyone eating together?"

"Yeah, the Captain told me to bring yours up to you though," he held a bowl outstretched, brimming with foods you definitely could recognise this time, and not a piece of hardtack in sight. You smiled before setting the bowl down on the crate at your bedside, reaching out for Felix. Upon realising what you were doing he took your hands in his, helping you slowly sit up and eventually stand. You took it slowly despite your head not hurting much anymore, not wanting to chance anything, and Felix's brow furrowed as he supported you. "Maybe you should just eat in bed?" He suggested lightly, to which gave a miniscule shake of your head.

"I want to sit with everyone. I'm tired of this room," you huffed, Felix's face evidently conflicted as he tried to figure out whether to coax you back into bed or guide you out of the room. It quickly became apparent that there was nothing he could do regardless, as you picked your bowl up again and started making your way for the doors yourself, and so he resigned himself to supporting you by holding your arms and just hoped Minho wouldn't order Chris to cleave him to the brisket or anything. Minho was scary when he was ordering Chris to do that to people. Felix frowned at how common an occurrence that actually seemed to be during pilages. "What are you thinking about?" You frowned at how pale his face was.

"Nothing! Nothing at all." You squinted at him but decided not to push it. “You know, I’m really glad that you’re okay. And you joined our crew.” The vulnerability in his voice made you reach out to squeeze his hand instinctually, smiling down at him as he walked behind you on the stairs. “I love the other members but I’ve never had a friend like you,” His smile was timid and hesitant, making you squeeze his hand again. He seemed to be scared he’d lose you as soon as he’d gained your friendship.

“I’m glad I met you, Lixie,” you reassured him softly, causing him to beam so genuinely you thought you would cry. He was sunshine, personified.

“That’s a shame, because I’m pretty sure Minho is about to kill me for letting you out of bed,” he joked, arm around your shoulders to steady you as the tide picked up. You laughed together as you headed for the quarterdeck, steeled ready for Minho’s scolding.

"Yn, are you sure you're okay being up so soon?" Minho asked for the hundredth time (or so it felt). You nodded, shovelling more food into your mouth, not having realised how ravenous you were after almost a straight day of slumber. You were happy that Minho’s concern took the form of incessant nagging over anger, but you wanted him to eat instead of boring his eyes into your skull.

"If you keep asking I will nod my head harder," you threatened, to which he scoffed.

"That will just hurt you more,"

"Exactly," you grinned, eyes burning into his. His tongue poked at his cheek but he simply continued eating, the crew members letting out mocking "ooooh"s. Minho rolled his eyes and turned to Chris, who was eating from a bowl Hyunjin was holding in front of his face. The younger male was chortling as he did so, though he stopped to flash you another wink when he caught you looking. Such a flirt.

"How's yer shoulder doing?"

"Positively unmovable," Chan responded around a mouthful of rice, nose scrunching up in distaste of his situation. "I've had worse, I guess." You shuddered at the thought of what "worse" could possibly be, thick scars in various states of healing a prominent fixture of his broad chest, and decided you'd rather not know. The rest of the meal was quiet, clattering of spoons and chopsticks against metal bowls deafening in the silence. You wondered how long it had been since they'd eaten such a hearty meal, and felt a sense of guilt wash over you. You had taken plenty for granted at the palace, you realised.

"Hey Jisung, could you help me clean these up?" Changbin spoke suddenly, snapping you from your thoughts. Everyone was talking amongst themselves and sipping on rum, empty bowls and plates strewn over the table, and Minho was rummaging around in a nearby cabinet.

"What are you looking for?" you asked, leaning your chair back to speak to him as an aside. He glanced over at you with a smile before going back to digging through the small drawer, which was filled with random trinkets.

"These… and these…" he responded slowly, producing a pack of cards and a bag of mismatched, heavily used poker chips from the bottom of the disjointed collection and setting them before you. He saw Jisung up tidying and took the opportunity to steal his seat next to you, knee resting against yours wordlessly. You looked over at him while he kept his eyes fixed on the cards, shuffling them with deft fingers as he waited for everyone to be ready. "It's poker night. Do you know how to play? Five card?"

"I learned horseback riding and fencing," you scrunched your nose. "Not gambling and… killing people." You earned a snort and an affectionate eye roll from Minho, who dealt only you five cards. "Ooh, you have a fifty-two card pack!" you exclaimed, eyes surely sparkling, to which Minho cocked his head.

"I thought you didn't play?"

"My dad does," you said, words tasting bitter as you spoke them. "I at least know that fifty-two cards is a new development,"

"Impressive," he grinned, showing you how to hold the cards. "So here you have a pair of kings, which you should absolutely keep, and what you exchange out of the others is up to you. You're trying to make the best hand and win other people's chips," he explained, taking more cards from the deck to show you. "Ace is a high card unless used in an ace two three pattern straight," he continued, taking you through the picture cards, and what a "flush" meant. The crewmembers watched, mildly enthralled and joking amongst themselves, but their words fell upon deaf ears as Minho and yourself crafted a bubble separate from the rest of the world.

"I think they get it now," Felix said with a nudge to your shoulder as you did your fourth practice round, trying to figure out the strategy. Minho looked at you expectantly, waiting for an answer, and you gave him a miniscule nod.

"Let's try,"

~

"Isn't that cheating?"

"What?"

"You literally lied to me," Your mouth was agape, genuine offence burning on your nerves as you took in Chris' single pair of threes. He laughed loudly, everyone else somehow having folded early on and leaving you both battling head to head. You could have beaten him.

"That's called, bluffing, Yn," he grinned cheekily. "It's a strategy, not a cheat."

"He does cheat a lot though," Felix mumbled, earning him a hard whack on the arm. "Ow!" You laughed at them and rolled your eyes, shoving the pot towards Chris. Minho's knee was still against your own, moving slightly every so often to rub against it. You knew he saw your blush every time, and you wondered why he hadn't mentioned it.

"So," you started, watching the Captain deal everyone's hands again. "How did you all come to join the crew?"

"Didn't expect to have this conversation so early," Jeongin smirked, changing two of his cards and sighing heavily. He had the worst poker face you'd ever seen.

"Who wants to go first? They already know my story," Minho grinned at you, causing Chris to pipe up.

"That probably leads to me, right? I served the Red Flag fleet with him, under Zhang Yi, and I helped Minho escape after the Captain's death."

"Best friends since we were crew members together," Minho said fondly, hi fiving Chris. "It started with just us two, in the tiniest little galley," he reminisced. "Oi, Hyunjin, splice the mainbrace would ye?" He instructed with a raise of his tankard as soon as the younger made a move to stand up, to which the crewmember rolled his eyes.

"I was literally just going to piss," he deadpanned crudely, to which Minho shrugged.

"Piss afterwards, then."

"Aye Aye Captain," Hyunjin responded, picking up the empty bottles of rum and leaving to get two more. For the first time, you noticed Minho had less of an accent to him when he spoke to you in comparison to the crew.

"We met Seungmin, Jisung and Changbin in the strait of Malacca, where they were just bouncing between crews for food and a place to sleep. They helped us on our first big "job" I guess, and we ended up on our first clipper," Minho smiled at the memory. "Everyone knows what my response was-"

"We've got a fuckin' mizzen!" Chris, Seungmin, Jisung and Changbin chorused, all mimicking Minho's voice in dramatically different ways. They erupted into raucous laughter and you couldn't help but join, finding him incredibly endearing. You were sure if you knew what a mizzen was you too would be excited.

"We were finally off that little dinghy,"

"And then we found Felix," Felix perked up and smiled at the mention of his name, looking away from the cards he'd just been poring over.

"Oh yeah!"

"Our first "man overboard!" call," Chris recollected, eyes turned upwards as he thought. "I jumped in to grab him and Changbin helped me pull him up on deck. He was thrown overboard by his old crewmates, and we still have no idea why," You turned to face Felix with wide eyes, and he shrugged.

"I don't know either! Maybe they just found me annoying or something," he pouted, to which you frowned.

"I will kill anyone who makes you feel that way," your voice came out in a low growl, shocking even yourself, and everyone around you laughed loudly.

"So protective! Your partner is so loyal," Jisung teased, and you did not miss the clench in Minho's jaw.

"My only love is the sea," Felix cooed in response, his eyes flicking nervously up to his Captain before he looked back at his cards. Hyunjin returned and started pouring more rum for everyone, whispering 'pace yourself, darling' in your ear teasingly as he brushed past you. Another clench.

"I was also found overboard, having fallen and gotten swept to sea during a fishing trip," he explained as he finished pouring Minho's drink.

"I have no idea how we got so lucky, everyone we simply stumbled upon has been incredibly adept," Minho grinned, a hand moving to rest on your thigh suddenly. Again, you looked up at him, ears burning, and again, he merely looked at the table.

"Jeongin was last. He actually fought against us, once. He was a privateer," Chris said, the youngest of the group taking a long swig of rum and grimacing.

"Don't remind me," he laughed. "And we're supposed to be the evil ones. Working under the government really does open your eyes. Bunch of bilge sucking bastards." His eyes landed on you and you shifted uncomfortably in your chair, knowing exactly what he was getting at without him having to say it.

"Don't look at me like that, I know," you sounded more defensive than you meant to. You hated the pity their eyes held and as such didn't look up at any of them. "Honestly, being here has given me more freedom than I ever did at home. My father is a terrible emperor, and my siblings are insufferably competitive. They take every opportunity to tell me what an embarrassment I am. When I got caught kissing a friend as a literal child out of pure curiosity, I was locked in the shed overnight for 'being indecent'," you hadn't realised you were rambling until you caught onto what you'd said, taking in the sudden shock on everyone's faces. "Yeah, you were insecure about the ship's conditions but I wasn't living a total life of luxury," you laughed halfheartedly. Minho’s fingers massaged your flesh reassuringly, and his smile, his horrendously beautiful smile, blossomed a warmth in your heart you really wanted to get used to.

"You’re free to kiss whomever you like here, so uh. Make of that what you will." Minho grinned, sneaking a glance at your cards and nudging your shoulder. You had no idea how you'd managed a royal flush while not paying attention, but it took everything in you not to squeal when you noticed it. Felix asked why your ears were so red as you felt a slight squeeze on your thigh, and you concluded that your poker face wasn't so great either.

"How are you so good at that?" You asked Minho as he cleared away the cards and chips. He'd eventually swept everyone, though since they shared loot as a crew evenly (their democracy certainly stunned you initially), it was widely meaningless anyway. Just for fun, they said.

"I mentioned Ching Shih before," He reminded you as he slid the door shut, turning around and leaning back on his palms against the cabinet. "She runs a gambling house now. She taught me pretty much everything I know. However," He was closer to you now, impossibly so, and you hoped he didn't notice the tremble that shook your whole body when his hand grazed yours. "You're one to talk, Royal Flush," he smirked, heading for the door and leaving you stunned by the wall, alone. "If the hammock is too uncomfortable I'll kick Jeongin out of his bed!" He called behind him, having forgotten to mention it before. You decided to go up to the deck and watch the sea for a while, feeling it too early to retire to your quarters. You checked your pocket watch again to confirm that notion, smiling as you did every time you checked the time that day. You had never considered the act anything special before.

~

The night breeze was cool on your face, slapping colour into your cheeks and biting at your nose. You regretted not bringing a blanket to wrap around yourself, hugging your torso as you listened to the sounds of waves against the side of the ship. Goosebumps prickled on your skin only to melt away again when you ran your hands over them quickly, watching your breath condensate in front of your face. The moon was full and high in the sky, surrounded by her smaller celestial friends, all winking down at you as you gazed up at them. You felt them filling your eyes, overcome by awe, and suddenly tears pricked. For once you didn't try to hold them back, knowing you were alone, letting them run silently down your cheeks as you watched the horizon. Being kidnapped wasn't supposed to feel so good, was it? The way they looked at you, the way they joked with you, the way they didn't treat you like something fragile or ask you to keep up airs. You choked back a sob, and another one, and another, as your hands wrung each other tight. Minho watched you from his doorway, and he considered saying something, but he eventually retreated back into his quarters unseen.

"You looked cold," you couldn't tell if the fabric hit you first or the words that graced your ears, but either way they were comforting in tandem, a silky voice paired with a soft blanket thrown lopsidedly over your shoulders. He didn't look at you, and you were thankful, as you wiped your streaky cheeks.

"Thank you," you whispered. It wasn't just for the blanket. He knew.

It was a while before Minho let you join in the more violent, hands-on side of piracy again, leaving you to spend most of your days watching the sea from your window, taking inventory, or drinking and playing poker with your newfound friends. You and Felix got on incredibly well and on slower days would make your own fun on the deck of the ship. Sometimes you shot extra ammunition at dummies made of sacks full of sand for target practice. Sometimes you’d play “I spy” from the crow’s nest, although that usually consisted of “I spy something blue” being the prompt and either the sea or the sky being the answer. Minho taught you to batten down the hatches in case you ever needed to, and you used the privilege of your upper class education to teach Hyunjin, Jisung, and Seungmin to read and write using a box of chalk that was pilfered from a ship off the Western Australian coast and a slate tablet Chris had chipped off for you on a random island you’d all just decided to explore. You took an interest in foliage and flora, to which Minho responded by bringing you random flowers he found pretty on the isles you traversed to tuck behind your ear or ask you details about, glaring at the crew when they’d tease him about his strange mix of bashfulness and ever present cockiness. He wasn’t as hard on them as you’d first expected, though, as everyone in the crew was incredibly close. You enjoyed your freedom and the peace, exploring the seas and feeling so very close to the Earth, but eventually you did crave that adrenaline again, and you hated when the crew would go on jobs and leave you sitting behind in the confines of the Captain’s quarters.

As such, when Felix yelled “sails, ho!” and everyone set to grabbing their usual equipment, you pulled Minho aside to give him the best pleading eyes you could muster.

“I don’t want you getting hurt again,” he said monotonously before you could say a word. Again with the mind reading.

“I won’t,” you promised, hearing the eagerness in your voice and knowing it leaked through into your expression as well. “I’ve been practising. You need a gunner,” You placed a hand on his arm and gave him a small pout. “Captain.”

“Stop weaponizing your cuteness,” he scolded unseriously, waving a hand in defeat. “Go set up, then. If you get hurt, your new role is tutor!” He called after you but you were already too far down the stairs to give him a reaction, busying yourself at the shot racks. You peered through the observation window to find Chris and Hyunjin already shuffling up their ropes, and began loading the cannons quickly.

~

“All set in here?” Minho asked from the stairs, hat almost falling off his head as he swung his head down to look at you. You giggled as he fumbled to keep it on, giving him a wide grin and a nod. “Yep! And from the looks of it, this ship had a really small crew.” You gestured for him to join you at the window, and he peered through to find Jisung and Changbin easily fighting off a small group of men one by one, as if their whole strategy was taking turns to get completely bodied. You grimaced slightly at the sight of Changbin’s cutlass emerging from a sailor’s back, slicing through the flesh like it were warm butter. Changbin was very top heavy, and very useful for it.

“That’s good for us,” Minho grinned at you, squeezing your hand before he had realised he was even holding it. The crew on the other vessel’s deck surveyed the ship for a moment before heading back for their ropes, giving you a thumbs up when they saw you watching.

“Lots of rum and beer!” Chris cheered, and you whooped back at him as you waited for Felix to give you the all clear.

“Looks like we’re getting drunk again tonight,” Minho chuckled, to which you shook your head.

“I think you’ll find I plan on getting absolutely squiffy,” you said with a giggle, to which he laughed harder.

“Look at you, fast learner,” he commended, but before you could keep the jokes going you heard Felix shout from above deck.

“All clear, Yn! Take ‘er down!”

“Fire in the hole!” You yelled back in response, however upon lighting the fuses you realised you weren’t the only one who had just said that. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as you saw the glint of an eye in the small gap of the other ship’s gun port, which you hadn’t noticed was open, and threw your weight onto Minho. For a moment you wondered if it would work, for he was heavily built, however he was also not braced for impact and fell to the floor with a thud, the two of you flying back to the wall.

You kept your body covering his, arms over your head as a single cannonball broke through the side of the ship with a power it thankfully lost rather fast, rolling dully into the corner opposite you. You thanked whatever deities might exist at the opponent’s shoddy aim and cheap, plain metal cannonballs as your own carronades fired, sinking the other vessel quickly and easily. The hole in Minho's ship made by the cannonball was not low enough as to allow water in, but you knew it had to be patched quickly anyway. The Captain called up to Chris and informed you that they’d be pilfering the wreckage for materials to patch the hole and keep around for the next time something like that might happen, promising you could join them next time. He hesitated by the stairs before turning back to you, gaze tender on your face.

“Thank you for saving my life,” he whispered, the vulnerability causing his face to burn. He was thankful for how dark the room was. He reached over and hovered by your face, thinking for a moment, before opting to kiss your cheek as usual and letting his thumb graze the side of your jaw lightly before running upstairs to tell the crew what had just happened. You put your hand against your chest, and wondered which of the events had caused your heart rate to pick up so much, before busying about cleaning up the area.

~

Minho was right - apparently rather often. You were an excellent gunner as he had predicted, once you got used to the cannons, and in your opinion a great fit into the crew. The boys loved having you around, and days faded into weeks, which in turn faded into months. You learned that a mizzen is the third mast on larger ships in the end, as you watched the sails billow in the wind, and every night Minho would stand next to you as you silently observed the sea. When you had first met, you had caught on immediately that he wasn't a fan of words. You'd come to realise he didn't need them.

He got bolder, as the seasons changed, clammy hands stealing grasps of your own in the heat of summer and calloused fingertips brushing your hair behind your ears in the gales of autumn. Your smiles were more frequent, your laughter bubbly and jubilant, and you found yourself rather proficient in poker and rummy. His lips found your cheeks, and your forehead, multiple times, and it went unaddressed at every one. At one point you let your lips press against his cheek in return, and you didn't realise a human being could be so red. Felix witnessed the whole thing, and it was all the crew spoke about for weeks as the leaves began to depart their branches. Stolen kisses on the face became a regular occurrence when you were away from the crew, but you avoided one another’s lips, as if playing a game neither of you had explicitly agreed upon. The branches bared.

~

"You fight like a fencer,"

"Maybe because I was one?" your smirk was short-lived as his sabre grazed your chest, his eyes glinting mischievously as the wind nipped at your exposed arms.

"That doesn't really work if you're a pirate,"

"It doesn't matter, you could just pull a gun on me anyway,"

"You learn so fast!" behind his mocking was genuine pride, and your laughs carried along the breeze to dissipate in droplets of salt water. He chased you around the deck valiantly, the swishing of his sabre satisfying to your ears as you made little effort to defend yourself. Felix watched from the mast and Hyunjin from the rudder, the two exchanging knowing glances every so often as their Captain allowed himself to laugh so freely.

You continued into the night, dancing with one another and singing shanties, twirling around your deck in Minho's arms in the finest clothes they’d managed to steal for you. Light cotton trousers swooshed around your ankles as you hopped around, Minho's eyes twinkling as he gazed at you. He only wished it wouldn't ever stop, especially so as the rum granted you the courage to finally mould your lips to his, smiling into the kiss as the crewmembers screamed in the background. He kissed you back so fervently you felt you might explode, his hands gently resting on the small of your back.

Had anyone noticed your absence? He wondered. Were people looking for you?

Something was off about that night.

He stood beside you at the railing as always, the growing chill of the approaching winter gnawing at your exposed skin. But this time there was no blanket. He wouldn’t look at you, feeling the cold air grating at his lungs, leaving them raw. He wanted to take you in his arms, to give you the little warmth his body managed to keep contained, but he knew he couldn’t.

“Yn, we’re-” he strained to speak, although he knew he would have to eventually. His stare was downturned. “We’re… we’re nearing Joseon again.” You stood entirely still, swearing you could hear the gears turning in your brain as you processed what he was trying to say. Your eyes narrowed, and you swallowed thickly.

"What?"

His face was forlorn and his eyes would not tear themselves from his hands as he stood next to you, dark clouds obscuring the stars that usually observed you so diligently.

"We're nearing Joseon again," he repeated the words in a small voice, which was unlike him. He'd said enough for you to understand, and it made rage fizz through you, threatening to pop.

"Tell me you're not fucking serious. After everything we've been through, you're taking me back?"

"I mean we took you for-"

"Yeah, the ransom, I get it," you spat, and somehow you felt you had the power over him this time as his shoulders shrunk. "You're not getting one, why won't you believe me? To say I really thought I was a part of this crew," Vitriolic tears were burning at your corneas, brimming up and boiling over in unison with the waves of anger that shook your entire form. The tide picked up, and the boat rocked.

Memories you held dear started crumbling to ash, your hands trembling violently, as you wondered how the most genuine happiness you’d ever felt could be pulled from you so quickly. You felt as if you were falling, hurtling towards the same rock bottom you’d already visited so many times, and bile raised in your throat.

"Yn, really, just let me explain-"

"Don't fucking bother, Minho," you fumed as you stormed to your quarters, hands balled into fists. You turned back to watch his face change as you addressed him by name. He wouldn't hurt you. You knew that by now. He opened his mouth as if to say something more but thought better of it, leaving you alone to break down in your hammock, sobs wracking your body as you watched the sky. The clouds had mostly parted and the moon shone full again, her shining sisters blinking as stunned as yourself. You looked up at her sadly before turning to look at the blanket draped over the chair in the corner. A lone, delicate, pink lotus - a flower you'd taken a strong and vocal liking to during your many travels to and from Vietnam - laid suddenly discarded on the deck in view of your window, waiting to be swept up in the wind and lost to the sea. “You asshole.” You didn’t know if your insult was directed at him, or yourself.

~

"Did you know about this?" Your voice was quieter than you'd have liked as Felix tried to work quickly, rope once again tight and coarse against the skin of your wrists and ankles. You were allowed to keep your vision this time, for which you guessed you were supposed to feel grateful. Felix merely looked at you sorrowfully, ever unable to hide his emotions as the lump in his throat grew. "We tried to argue with him," he whispered as he tightened the knot for the last time. "Chris almost knocked him out. I mean, who kisses someone like that and then does this? Fucking blighter…" You sighed, heart pounding and nausea building gradually in the pit of your stomach, rising and falling in your throat with the words you wish you could say. How could you do this to me, why aren’t you all fighting for me, did our time together mean nothing to you… you didn’t feel any number of questions would settle the betrayal that laid heavy in your chest. Minho entered the room and picked you up without saying anything, arms hooked under your shoulders and knees. Before you could ask him any of the million questions that flurried around in your mind, he handed you to Chris, who you hadn't seen behind the door. He led everyone out to the ladder to disembark, not saying a word the entire time.

You watched as he stayed on the ship.

You watched as the only real home you’d ever had became smaller and more distant.

You watched as everything you had ever cared about slipped from your grasp as quickly as it had fallen into it.

I guess my luck has run out.

~

Your eyes glazed over as you laid limply in Chris' incredibly solid arms. At any other opportunity you would have been poking mildly flirty fun, but your heart felt like it had sunk to your toes, ticking gold metal pressed firmly into your palm as a cruel, sadistic reminder that you weren't as wanted as you'd easily been led to believe. The two men started making their way towards the road, air so tense it was stifling. They did not have to walk very far, as a man dressed in the palace staff garb was quick to meet you by the shore. His tall sandals kicked up sand as he stepped towards Chris, not even bothering to look at you as he produced a scroll and began to read from it.

"We have been expecting you, pirates," he began, unsuccessfully trying to hold back a snigger at the words he'd been instructed to deliver. "The palace would like to request that you dutifully keep the now title-less Yn, as they are a perpetual disgrace to the Royal Family and their country alike. The terms of your ransom are rejected, regardless of what you do with them. Should you kill them, you will be doing our great nation a favour," He coughed and rolled the parchment back up, turning on his heels to walk away towards a hut stationed just off the beach. Felix blinked slowly after him, looking over at Chris, who mirrored his expression of shock and appalment. Your ears rang, stomach churning and heart seeming to sink further, which you hadn’t thought possible. You had known it was coming, you had known they would reject you upon your return, but you had not expected the statement to be so viciously blunt. You had never considered it your home regardless, but now you had lost the one place you did. The flames of rejection licked at every fibre of your being, indolent tears not bothered enough to push past the corners of your eyes. You didn’t register them. You didn’t really register anything. You knew you were shutting down.

"Fuck, what do we do now?" The younger whispered, not daring to look at you in case he burst into tears, his own heart aching in spite of him never even having met his parents. Chris slowly turned to find Minho had followed them off after all, watching with clenched teeth and a red face.

"Take 'em to their quarters. Immediately," he all but spat, eyes dark, like a brewing storm ready to wreak havoc. They were readable this time, yes, but you weren't sure if you prefered that as his shoulders began to tremble. You weren’t sure if he was angrier at your family or himself. You hadn't realised the tears were now running down your face until you sniffed, suddenly embarrassed and wanting to make yourself as small as possible, which you attempted to do in Chris' arms. Felix drew the blade strapped to his thigh and cut your binding as to allow you to curl up, and Chris found himself massaging small circles into your shoulder. They were all stunned beyond words, as if they hadn't believed the stories you'd told. You couldn’t fully blame them. You had heard many a tale of barbarism during poker nights and mealtimes, however they were usually physical and gorey. They had underestimated games of the mind. Chris did as instructed, bringing you to your quarters and whispering an apology before shutting the door. You couldn't say you cared for how many times this had happened now, déjà vu hitting you hard as you came undone at the click of the latch.

You had always considered the sound of knocking to be rather irritating, however you had never imagined it on this level. It was frequent, day and night, various voices begging you to come out and speak to them, however as the palace help's words ran laps in your brain, you could not find the drive to do anything except cry bitter, bitter tears, clutching your pocket watch to your chest with a heavy heart and drifting in and out of sleep as the hours passed. The taste it left in your mouth was acrid - the taste of betrayal you figured - as you chided yourself repeatedly for daring to think you could ever find a family, or belong anywhere. You were free help, and a broken dream of riches. He should have just discarded you on the beach to die, you figured, and be absorbed into the sand; let the earth claim you as no one else would. Minho’s voice grew more tired - at some points he even sounded like he was crying - but the last thing you wanted was to look at his face.

So what changed? You asked yourself.

What led to him sitting on the edge of your hammock, face pained, cheeks pink and streaky where salty tears had marked their trail? Your stomach knotted itself over and over, teeth sunk into the soft skin of your inner cheek and eyes flitting everywhere that was not his face.

He had fallen asleep with his back against your door, tremors rippling through his muscles in the harsh chill of the growing winter. The season reminded you that almost a year had passed since he had taken you, and you hated that you felt so taken by him. It had been hard for you to try and hoist him into your hammock; the movement had woken him up, and now he sat expectantly, eyes downturned and mask crumbling by the second.

"Why would you do that to me?" You finally managed to speak, voice embarrassingly small, feeling pitiful under the gaze of a man you felt foolish for having trusted. He got up to move to you, crouching before your legs and taking your hands in his. "Did you really want me off the ship that bad?"

"No! If anything, I wanted you to stay so desperately it terrified me and I just kind of… shut down!" You watched him in silence, trying to decide whether you believed him or not. "As I literally always told you, it was never about the money," he continued, swallowing his tears and willing himself to look strong. You wished he'd just drop the act for good. That he'd just trust you enough. "I admit, I didn't believe you about your family. And I was wrong for that; I genuinely apologise. I didn't think anyone could be so downright cruel to the children they chose to have. And I'm a pirate! The people I know are barbarians and yet they are nothing compared to the people who birthed you! Hell, Ching Shih marrying her adoptive son didn't even cause me to feel this nauseous, and that shocked all of us! I apologise for putting you in such a horrible situation and for not communicating the plan to you. I can only imagine you were scared and I feel like an arse."

"What fucking plan, Minho? The plan to make me feel like I might finally belong somewhere only to pull the rug from under my feet and try to deliver me to people who consider my existence their biggest mistake?"

"I had wanted to offer you a permanent position on the ship, I had just wanted to collect the ransom first," He stuttered, struggling to explain a line of thought he knew had been wrong and rash.

"I was gone for months, Minho. Why do you think no one tried to find me? Why do you think I kept telling you you'd not get even a penny for me? I feel so stupid for finally letting myself believe I could be happy. For trusting a disgusting, evil, twisted pirate such as yourself."

"You don't really think that about me,"

"I do right now,"

"Yn, please trust me, you really do belong here. We all love you so much, our ship is so lively because you're on it," he hesitated, his hands still on yours, grateful you hadn't pulled away as you looked at him with more venom in your eyes than he could handle. "And if I'm honest, I think I love you a little too much," he added the admission quietly, at which point you felt the anger wash from your face entirely, alongside any colour that might have resided below your skin.

"What?"

"I mean that I am hopelessly in love with you," he laughed, avoiding your gaze. "And that scared me, because I'm pretty sure people like me aren't supposed to feel that way, and I struggle enough with portraying my feelings, and I am supposed to be this big scary Captain, and I made some very stupid decisions, and I cannot begin to apologise enough-" you laced his fingers with yours to stop his rambling, and he looked up through his lashes at your stunned face. "Yn, you are, unequivocally, a big part of this little family. You are an incredible sailor, a masterful gunner, and most importantly, we love having you around, so," he held your palm up and pressed his lips to it slowly, as if waiting for you to bat him away or protest, and when you didn't, he smiled triumphantly. "I really want you to know you do belong here, and I want you to stay." Your eyes searched his, heart flipping in your chest, as he dared inch closer, your eyelashes kissing one another’s cheeks as his hot breath fanned across your lips. "With me." He finished in a whisper. You reached a hand up to cup his cheek, thumb tracing the chiselled bone, your other travelling further to grab his hat and set it upon your own head. He smirked as he finally leaned in to press his lips to yours, impossibly tender for a man so apparently fearsome, short and sweet as he tested the waters. It was as if he were afraid you might fade away beneath his fingers, and far be it from him to lose you for good. He felt as if his heart had erupted in his chest, fire and water all at once, fireworks of all colours. He had never really expected to find such pure happiness. Born to be evil, so said his path from the start, but your gentle touches and radiating kindness lit a warmth in him he'd never known he needed to feel, and now didn't think he'd survive without.

"Just promise you won't pull anymore stupid shit? And believe what I tell you about my own life and family?" You requested, making him pout cutely. A rare sight, and one you knew you alone were blessed with.

"I promise." another gentle kiss, then a slightly stronger one, and a contented sigh against your lips. You were both far from noticing the eyes of curious men crowded around the small window in the door and their subsequent hollering.

“You really aren’t a bad man,”

“Just a stupid one. But, in spite of my idiocy, you’re like, my Pirate Royal now,” he grinned at his own cheesiness, to which you snorted.

You didn't recall exactly when it happened. You never planned on finding comfort in Yang Jungwon's laugh, nor was getting lost in his eyes part of your agenda.

But alas, you were just one of the many girls to fall victim to Yang Jungwon's charms.

You harbored your feelings, not daring to act on them. Not when you had so much competition. Although, as hard as you tried to keep composure, you couldn't deny how your heart-rate rose when he entered the classroom with the same goofy grin.

He was known for being cold, rejecting anyone and everyone who confessed to him since the start of middle school. Another reason you refused to dare look him in the eye.

When Yang Jungwon was assigned as your seatmate, you were convinced the world was out to get you.

How were you meant to conceal your feelings when your breathing sped up each time he looked at you.

"Hey." You greeted, smiling as you tried not to burst from embarrassment.

You waited for a response, the silence in your area heavy as the rest of your classmates mingled with each other.

Yang Jungwon ignores you on purpose.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When your first partner project is assigned, you watch as Yang Jungwon groans before turning to you slightly.

This is the first time Yang Jungwon looks you in the eyes.

When you look at him, you have to gulp down the butterflies that have began to wave rapidly in your stomach.

"How do you wanna do this?" He asked, tone dry as he barely faces you. You begin to explain your idea, hands shaking as you point out different points of the paper. "Cool. Are you busy later? We can meet up at the library at like 3."

Your heart skips a beat and you clear your throat as you nod calmly, blush creeping onto your face, making Jungwon smirk slightly.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You arrive at the library at 3 o'clock sharp. You were always one for being punctual, after all.

Yang Jungwon is late. Which is strange, because if he truly wants to be somewhere, he'll definitely make an effort too.

You wait for fifteen minutes and 34 seconds.

You toy with the fabric of your sweater as you eye the door. After all, it's not a crime to be a little late, right? Your books are neatly laid out on the table, a neat draft of your ideas for the project laid on top of your textbook.

You wait for thirty minutes and 29 seconds.

You sigh as you go on your phone to text him, although you're sure he won't respond. Hope is slipping from your grasp, but you keep your head up.

You go home after 57 minutes.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Yang Jungwon shows up at the library 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 17 seconds. He scans the library for your presence, expression falling slightly as he doesn't find you.

Truthfully, he hadn't planned on showing up at all. He had intentionally forgotten, in fact. But 1 hour, 29 minutes, and 46 seconds after your planned meetup time, Yang Jungwon feels a little guilty.

He walks out of the library feeling little remorse, almost forgetting the whole reason he was there in the first place.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Yang Jungwon willingly starts a conversation with you two weeks, four days, and 32 minutes later.

"Hey, so how did you get the paper turned in?" He asks, a smug smirk appearing on his face as he watches you blush before clearing your throat.

"I did it after I went home. We both got an A, so don't worry about it." You respond, trying to remain composure. He nods, but you call out to him before he turns away. "I have a question." You add, watching as he cocks a brow.

"Shoot." He simply says, intrigued by your sudden boldness- something he had never seen from you.

"How are your lungs?" You ask, sad attempt at a pick-up line being ruined by your nervousness.

Yang Jungwon chuckles as he shakes his head, turning away.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When your second partner project is assigned, you make sure to take more initiative, wanting to avoid embarrassing yourself again. You shiver at the memory of you waiting for 57 minutes for someone who you knew wouldn't come.

You've decided to take more risks. After all, being your seat partner, there is no better chance to get Yang Jungwon to fall in love with you.

"We'll go to your place right after school today." You boldly state, chest about to burst as you look him in the eyes.

He scoffs softly before cocking a brow. "Says whom? I'm busy."

"No you aren't. Your dance practice is on Tuesdays and Fridays. You can make time, I'm sure." You smile, watching as his eyes slightly widen.

Yang Jungwon always knew you as the quiet one in the back who never stepped out of place.

You decide to prove Yang Jungwon wrong.

"Text me the address, alright?"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You arrive at Jungwon's house on time, smiling as he opens the door. You sit down at the kitchen table, opening your binder as you clear your throat.

"So here I was thinking you could do the research, and then I'll collect all the information and make it so that- Are you listening?" You ask, watching as he slowly dozes off.

"No, sorry." He bluntly admits, chuckling slightly. Your expression falls slightly but perks up again at his next statement. "You know, I know that you like me." He says in a sing-songy voice, egotistic expression as he's sure he's gotten you.

You were not going to let Yang Jungwon break you.

"Cool. Glad to see you're not dense, too." You smile, attention turning back to your textbook.

"You're really shameless, you know?" He asks, brows knitted as he tries to figure out what's going through your mind.

"I'm aware." You laugh, eyes not averting your page. "But who knows, maybe you'll fall in love with me."

You watch as his expression falls, scoffing as he rolls his eyes. "You wish." He states, rolling his eyes.

"Just you wait, I'll get you to fall in love with me in no time."

He shakes his head at your silly declaration, but when he looks back at you, he realizes that you are no longer a stranger.

You're Y/N.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next time there's a partner project, you're sick. You came to school despite your ill state, not wanting to trouble your parents or any of your friends.

And regardless of how frail you feel, you decide to take just as much action as you did the last time, not completely trusting Jungwon.

"I'll be at your house at 3 p.m." You tell him as your eyes droop and head pounds.

His expression becomes worried for a split second before he just nods his head walking out.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When you don't show up at 3:49 p.m, Yang Jungwon begins to panic.

He wasn't an idiot, he obviously could tell you were sick, and knew you well enough to know that you would suck it up.

And while he tries to tell himself he doesn't care, and that he shouldn't care, he finds himself on the way to your house.

Your mother lets him in, sighing as he finds you passed out in bed. You look horrible, to say the least.

"You got sick? Are you serious?" He asks, shaking his head as he tries to remember what divine force brought him here in the first place.

Every logical part of Yang Jungwon's brain is telling him to leave your house and go back to doing quite literally anything. But as he stares at your frail body, it's the same divine force that has him bringing you soup and tucking you in for the next few hours.

He leaves before you can wake up, still trying to figure out why he stayed in the first place.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Yang Jungwon has never been quite as puzzled than when he attempts to figure you out.

You intrigue him, in a way. You emit this mysterious energy that makes him need to know more about you. And while he could spend hours, days, trying to unravel you, he doubts that he ever will.

Every girl he has ever known has fallen to his feet. And while he was confident he didn't let it get to his head, there was something about you that was so different. While he was aware of your long crush on him, you didn't use that as an excuse for his actions or dismiss them.

Yang Jungwon realizes he's finally met his match.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Yang Jungwon doesn't do favors.

Not for his friends, families, teachers, and especially not for you.

But when you text him at the ass crack of dawn on a Sunday, Yang Jungwon gets up at 5:30 a.m. to see you.

He rubs his eyes as he climbs to the rooftop of the school, where he sees you. You look as lively as ever in the mornings, another aspect of you which he doubts he will ever understand.

"You came." You smile, admiring him as he stands in front of you. The two of you are both dressed casually, in contrast to when you usually meet in your school uniforms.

"I did." He replies, sending a weak smile as he studies your figure, which looks much better than it did two days ago. "Are you feeling better?" he asks, watching as you cock your head to the side.

"Yeah. How'd you know I was sick?" You query. You're still unaware that Jungwon visited you on Friday, and you watch in confusion as his eyes widen before he coughs.

"Friend of a friend told me." He tries to play it off, but you seem to see right through him.

You don't have to say much else, the two of you just watch the sunrise from the rooftop. "So, Yang Jungwon," You start, smiling as you look at him. "Falling in love with me yet?"

You watch as he chuckles, shaking his head as he rolls his eyes. "If you think getting me up at 5:30 is a way to get me to fall in love with you, Y/N, you might wanna rethink your strategy."

You pout slightly before letting out a weak chuckle, enjoying his presence.

Six months ago, you would never have imagined sitting on the rooftop with Yang Jungwon as you watched a sunrise.

But you suppose life has its own twists.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You and Jungwon are studying together when all of a sudden he puts down his pencil, groaning as he lays his head on the table.

You still can't believe you got Yang Jungwon to come to the library with you.

"You know, you never answered my question." You point out, watching as he furrows his brows in confusion.

"Question?"

"How are your lungs." You remind, tone coming out more as a statement than interrogative.

"Is that some weak excuse at a pick-up line?" He asks, shaking his head.

"Answer the question, Yang Jungwon." You assert, crossing your arms.

"My lungs are fine. Are yours not?" He scoffs, a little confused.

"No, you took my breath away." You playfully answering, placing a hand on your chest as you feign sickness.

You watch as he rolls his eyes, putting his head back down onto the table. "I hope you know, that was terrible." He says as he laughs slightly at the cheesy line. "If you tried that on anyone else, they might just fall in love out of pity."

"Ah, would you be so kind?" You reply, smiling.

And in your shared laughter, you didn't catch the blush that made its way onto Jungwon's face.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Nine months and 14 days since Yang Jungwon became your seatmate, 7 months and 26 days since you've started your conquest on getting him to fall in love with you.

He's opened his cold walls to you, surprisingly not pushing you away as he did with all the others who preceded you.

You'd actually gotten surprisingly close to him, becoming one of his closest friends. Sometimes, you'd forget this was the same boy you fell completely in love with.

The two of you sit in his bedroom as you rant about mindless topics, jumping from one thing to another. Jungwon sits and listens to you talk, but he has a difficult time keeping up with the all different subjects you jump to. When you realize how long you've been speaking, you look at him.

"Am I talking too much?" You ask, cocking your head to the side as you look at him.

"A little, but it's alright. I like your voice." He comments, his own eyes widening slightly as he realizes he said that out loud.

Blush creeps up onto your face as you playfully hit him in the shoulder. "Don't say things like that!" You scold, furrowing your eyebrows. "If you keep doing that, I'll seriously start to think you've fallen in love with me."

"Right, you wish." He comments, watching as you pout.

"You're sure you aren't in love yet?" You ask once more, just for reassurance. "There's gotta be some butterflies somewhere."

"I'm pretty sure." He comments as your expression falls.

"Seriously?" You ask again. You lay your head on his lap, and his hands instinctively go to play with your hair. "Absolutely certain that your heart isn't going crazy right now?"

"No, my heart is fine, thanks." He laughs, playing with the strands of your hair as you sigh. "Is yours?"

"No, I think I'm way too comfortable with you now. That doesn't mean I won't make you fall in love with me though!!" You point out as you giggle.

"Keep trying. I think I'll be alright."

Yang Jungwon lies straight to your face.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When you and Jungwon visit the diner together, he smiles at the waitress as she takes his order. You're still unsure of what you want, scanning the menu but not really looking at anything.

"And for your girlfriend?" The waitress asks, watching as you perk up. You're about to correct her and say you're nothing more than friends, but Jungwon cuts you off.

"She'll have the same thing." He smiles as the waiter nods, taking both your menus. You're shaded a bright red, a little confused as to why he wouldn't correct her.

Jungwon seems to be completely collected, and you watch in awe as he seems to have no reaction to the error of the waitress. And while he looks calm, his heart definitely skipped a beat when he heard the words come out of the waiter's mouth.

Yang Jungwon could get used to that.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Yang Jungwon shows up at your house at 2:30 in the morning.

He's not completely sure what brought him here, but as you open the door to be met with a disheveled, out of breath Jungwon, your first instinct is to ask questions.

"What are you doing here? It's late. My parents are asleep. Is something wrong-"

"I'm fine, y/n." He laughs, amused by how worried you seem. "I was just...bored." He trails, but you seem to see right through him.

"You were bored at 2:30? It's a school night, wonnie." You shoot back, not catching the blush that creeps up onto his face when you use the nickname.

"Right...I'll go." He trails, forgetting why he came in the first place.

"Wait, it's late. You can just stay over." You furrow your brows, worried to let him out at such a late hour.

"It's alright, y/n. I'm not a kid, after all." He defends, watching as you're hesitant.

"Text me when you're home though, alright?" You assert, watching as he laughs and nods his head. "It's really late, wonnie."

"I know it's late, so you should sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." He tells you, grin on his face as he walks toward the door.

Yang Jungwon leaves your house with a smile on his face.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When Jungwon arrives home, he shoots you a quick text, true to his word. He's slightly mortified when he finds himself smiling as you converse, throwing his phone across the room.

2:45 would be an absurd time for Yang Jungwon to be figuring out his feelings towards a girl.

But as he sits in bed, he begins to realize that his heart wouldn't skip a beat for just anyone.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

1 year, 2 months, and 17 days after you've met him, your persistence hinders in getting Yang Jungwon to fall in love with you.

Although you've obtained a wonderful best friend in your objective, a year in, you're beginning to doubt you'll ever get anything more.

"So, falling in love with me yet?" You ask, watching the sunrise with him, similar to the way you did just a year ago.

"Almost there. Keep trying." He encourages, chuckling. But there's no amusement visible on your face. "Everything alright?"

"You see, I'm trying here." You pout slightly, still not looking him in the eyes. He's slightly confused as he doesn't respond, inviting you to explain more. "Remember what you said last year? Someone might just fall in love with me out of pity?" You ask him, but he's still a little lost.

"I have some memory of it." He responds, trying to decipher your cryptic words.

"I don't want someone to fall in love with me out of pity, Jungwon. I want someone to fall in love with me because they want too." You complain. Expression disappointed as you stare at the rising sun.

And while there's so many things he wants to say, he sits for a few moments, searching for the right words.

Because as hard as you're trying to get him to fall in love with you, you don't realize that Yang Jungwon already has.

"For such a hopeless romantic, you're really dense." He points out, chuckling slightly.

"Really? This is the time for you to make fun of me? I'm actually sad, you know. This is where you're meant to comfort me and say that I'll get someone to fall in love with me, someday, at least..." You pout, crossing your arms.

"Really? You'd be okay with just anyone?" He questions. You shuffle awkwardly as you shake your head.

"No. It'd have to be someone really good." You explain, chuckling. It seems absurd to be talking about love with Yang Jungwon. "What about you? You have really high standards, so I bet it has to be some gorgeous celebrity or something."

"Something like that." Are the words that leave his mouth. The part that he intentionally leaves out is that Yang Jungwon truly doesn't want anybody if not you.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

All of your batchmates are sure you and Yang Jungwon are in love. Even a few of your teachers were under the misconception that you were dating before you corrected them.

Jungwon however, doesn't take any action in stopping the rumors, saying they're baseless and have no meaning.

But something in Jungwon tells him that he doesn't want the rumors to stop.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Yang Jungwon is walking you home when he realizes he's fallen in love with you.

He panics slightly when he does, scared when he feels at home when he looks into your eyes.

When the two of you reach your doorstep, you're about to walk in before he stops you.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" He asks, referring to the question you've asked him each day since your first partner project.

"Aren't you just gonna say the same thing?" You complain, wearing a pout.

"Well you'll have to ask, don't you?" You roll your eyes as you come to face him.

"Falling in love yet, Yang Jungwon?" You ask in a bored tone, wanting to go inside, but his answer seems to catch you off guard.

"I think so, L/N Y/N." He boldly answers, watching as your eyes widen.

"I told you not to say things like that!" You scold, hiding your blush. It's amazing how even after a year, you're just as in love with Yang Jungwon as you were before.

Laughing as he smiles, he begins to walk away towards his own home. His heart feels as if it's about to burst, and he wonders if this is how you've felt every day for the past year.

Yang Jungwon doesn't want you to be a stranger to him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Yang Jungwon shows up at your house later that night, disheveled once more.

His state is reminiscent of the first time he showed up at your house this late, but this time, he has reason to be here.

"Jungwon, you can't keep showing up at my house past two in the morning." You scold, stepping out into the cold air to talk to him.

Before you have a chance to scold him more, he immediately wraps his arms around you.

Yang Jungwon doesn't feel safe if he isn't with you.

"I wasn't kidding earlier, y/n. I've come undone in your arms." He says, embracing you tightly as you try to process everything at an excruciatingly slow speed. "So, y/n," He starts, pulling away from the hug to look you in the eyes. "Would you be so kind as to fall in love with me, too?"