Kpop Aus

Ch1.    Ch2.

The fighting had continued on for a few more moments, the Red Sails boarding and finishing off anyone else standing. Bambam yanked you behind him at some point to avoid a pirate aiming his sword at your stomach. You peeked around him, hoping to get a glimpse of the woman you’d heard stories about since you were little. 

Only after the deck was cleared of the dead bodies did a woman appear from the other ship. You couldn’t find many words to describe her, most of the stories you had heard called her beautiful and terrifying. Both seemed appropriate when the most elegant woman you had ever laid eyes upon stepped onto the bloodied deck. 

She wore black clothing and had a short sword strapped around her waist, which you did not doubt was used often. Even though she was small and thin, she looked every bit as scary as you expected. She was still beautiful, more than you would expect from a life on the water, her face barely looked weathered.  

It only took Jackson a few strides to make it across the deck and throw his arms around his mother. The rest of the crew mingled with the rest of the Red Sails while they cleaned their bloodied swords and inspected the damage to the ship. There were a few cuts to wrap but it seemed like they weren’t deep enough to cause concern.  

“It looks like we can make it to port, but we’ll need to dock for a few days to repair everything. The wood is too splintered to be of use so we’ll need some new beams.” Mark was the one who usually patched small holes in the ship now that you had taken over the sails. 

Jackson’s mother finally spoke to everyone, “We will have an early morning meal and then we set sail to the nearest port.” Both crews moved to their respective cabins to start preparing while Jackson and his mother caught up. 

You figured it would be better to stay out everyone’s way so you made your way back to your bunk to start working on Jackson’s shirt.

You had decided against using Jaebum’s measurements because Jackson wasn’t as broad and you didn’t want it to be too big. Guessing would probably work better. 

It only took about a half an hour for Bambam to come down to tell you breakfast was ready. “I’m wearing my new shirt for dinner! Jackson’s mother can see how great you are at sewing! She might know of someone looking for a talented seamstress at one of the big ports.” 

He seemed so excited but you were dreading trying to settle down somewhere. It felt like you just found where you belong and you were supposed to leave and try to find a new place to live and new friends. Hopefully Jackson’s mother didn’t know anyone.

                                       ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Everyone sat down for dinner and started talking, Jackson and his mother having their own quiet conversation at the head of the table. Bambam was busy telling everyone about his shirt and you were ready to crawl under the table and disappear. You were sure your face was red as a tomato but Bambam didn’t seem to notice. 

Jackson and his mother both seemed too caught up in their own conversation to listen to Bambam and for that you were thankful. Knowing how long she had been a pirate you were sure she had to know of someone looking for a seamstress and you weren’t sure you wanted to leave the ship and your friends just yet. 

Once everyone had finished eating and talk had quieted down you started to feel exhaustion set in. The adrenaline from the fight had worn off and you found yourself dozing off at the table, lack of sleep wearing you down. Mark noticed your head about to meet the wood of the table and nudged your arm, telling you to go to bed. 

Shaking yourself awake you told him you wanted to be awake in case they needed help on their way into port. 

Jackson must have overheard you, though and spoke up from his end of the table, “Y/N we’ll be fine. You didn’t sleep last night so I know you have to be exhausted. We’ll wake you up when we get to town so you can get off the ship and look around. This port is a lot bigger than your old town so you’ll have plenty to keep you busy. My mother told me there are a few clothing shops you may want to check out.” 

Trying to hide your disappointment you just nodded and forced a smile at Jackson’s mother, hoping the clothing shops were all closed when you got there. 

Mark helped you stand up from your chair and offered to clear the table of your dishes for you which you appreciated. Dragging yourself to bed you didn’t even notice the rocking of the ship anymore, the anxiety you felt overwhelming anything else. Hopefully once you docked you could set out on your own so you could avoid the clothing shops. You were sure the crew wouldn’t want you to leave but you still weren’t sure how Jackson felt about you being around. He might be ready to leave you at the dock tomorrow.

Things were much more civil between Yoongi and yourself after the talk with Kara. He still made you unbelievably nervous, but the curtain rod was back to its original job at least. He brought you food sometimes and others it was Kara. She said he wanted to give you a break now and again and a chance to talk to her if you needed to. 

Telling Kara thank you never seemed like enough for all the advice she had given you. The stories she told of the other werewolves made them seem less terrifying. Even some funny stories of Yoongi came up and it helped immensely. Now, instead of a scary werewolf, you imagine how he looked when he came home one night drunk wearing a tutu and a green leprechaun hat. 

Yoongi’s bewildered look at your giggles made you laugh even harder. He insisted you tell him what you were laughing about every time you looked at him but you decided to keep that secret to yourself. It made you happy when he smiled at your giggling anyway, so it was still a win either way. 

Your relationship was progressing normally, even without being able to go on dates like you would have wanted. Still, Yoongi makes it his mission to keep you comfortable until you can get up and move around more easily. Books and CDs were piled on the bedside tables for you and Yoongi spent as much time with you as he could. He always went downstairs when you started to get tired and you insisted that he should sleep in his own bed instead of the couch. He always declined, telling you that it would happen, just when you were more at ease around him. 

It took a few weeks for your feet to heal enough that you could walk normally again and Yoongi still helped you walk around his room. After a few laps Yoongi asked if you wanted to try and go downstairs for a little while to meet his brothers. It took a lot of reassuring from Yoongi but it needed to happen at some point. 

“Might as well just rip the band aid off right?” You had only mumbled to yourself but Yoongi never missed anything. 

“You’ll like them, they’ve been asking about you since you got here and they’re getting jealous because only Kara and I have seen you.” 

His expression was fond when he talked about his pack mates and it made you feel a little more at ease. 

Waking up in a dark room was something you never thought you would enjoy. It was quiet, other than the crickets you could hear chirping away outside the window. The bed you were lying on was comfortable, the blankets soft and the pillow a welcome change after the concrete you’d been sleeping on for months. 

You vaguely remembered what had transpired with the werewolves. The meeting, the vampires playing with you one last time, and you remembered fainting. Your fingers didn’t find any bumps on your head, so someone either caught you or you landed in a good spot. 

Speaking of the werewolves, you hadn’t seen or heard anything from them since you’d woken up. It seemed odd that they would leave a stranger alone, tucked into bed, especially after spending any kind of money to buy that person. These werewolves were different, possibly. Either that or they were going to fatten you up before they had you for dinner. 

Feeling somewhat safe for the first time in months made you realize how truly exhausted you were. Hungry werewolves or not, you couldn’t stop your eyes from slipping closed. If you were going to die you were at least going to enjoy a last little bit of sleep. Pulling the soft blankets up around your neck, you settled back against the pillows and let your mind go blank, peacefully drifting off to dream land. 

According to the soft light streaming through your window the next morning, you had slept through the rest of the night. Turning onto your side to hide your eyes and hopefully get a little more sleep, you realized there was a man sitting next to your bed. Halting your movement, you simply stared, challenging whoever this guy was to say something. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing you were terrified. 

He looked somewhat familiar, you remembered the soft brown hair that hung in front of his eyes. He was obviously young, but you remembered the angry expression on his face from the meeting with the vampires. Right now though, he looked to be almost as scared as you. 

He cleared his throat and turned his gaze towards the floor, “Uhm, hello there! I’m Jungkook, it’s nice to meet you Y/N. What’s your name? Wait, never mind I know your name already, sorry that was dumb. A-Are you hungry? I’ll go get you something to eat! Uh, uhm, I’ll be right back, stay there! I mean I guess you can’t really...with your feet and all, I’ll just go!” By the time he turned to leave his face was so flushed you almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. 

Here was this big bad werewolf, stuttering over his words. How could he torture and kill someone when he couldn’t even look you in the eyes to speak to you? Seeing as how awkward that encounter was, you figured you had at least a few minutes before the blushing mess of a wolf could face you again. Time to find a bathroom, hopefully one connected to this room.

It took a few minutes to feel steady enough on your feet to walk, and it only took a few more to walk to the first door you saw. Luck was on your side today, the door opened to reveal a clean bathroom. Locking the door behind you felt like you’d won the lottery, the feeling of almost total safety had you relaxing your tense shoulders for the first time in months. 

The counter was covered in colorful bottles of hairspray, lotions, and sprays, all seeming to be fruit scented. Fluffy bath towels were stuffed into a corner closet along with toothpaste and soaps. Unable to resist the temptation of a hot shower you stripped, realizing you were no longer wearing the filthy rags from the compound. These clothes weren’t new, but at least they weren’t falling apart. 

Your short shower turned into standing in the water until it ran cold, even then you stayed under the cold spray trying to scrub the dirt from your skin. Your excitement at finally being clean didn’t last very long however, a knock on the bathroom door reminding you where you were. 

"Uhm, Y/N, I have some clean clothes here you can put on when you're done. I'll just leave them by the door for when you're ready and there's food out here on the table. I'm just going to leave it here and go downstairs and I'll come check on you later. Uh, I mean if you're okay with that I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I'm going downstairs now so you can come out when you're ready. Yell if you need anything later on and I'll come up."

He stuttered less during this conversation, you wondered if he had more courage when he wasn't looking at you. Once you heard a door close in the bedroom you cracked the bathroom door. You grabbed the clothes that were lying on the floor and quickly got dressed.

Opening the door a little further you made sure the werewolf had actually left before you hobbled back to the bed. There was food just as Jungkook said.

The vampires must have lied to you about the werewolves, this wasn't how they were supposed to act. Jungkook put you in bed, gave you clean clothes and now he's feeding you? Not to mention the fact that he seems to be even more terrified of you than you are of him.

“Y/N! Can we puhlease go get something to eat? I’m literally dying over here!” Your ever dramatic roommate Hoseok was lying on the couch whining. Again. It’s not that you actually minded that much, you had been living together for long enough to be used to it. He just whines about the same things almost everyday. His main complaint was ‘I’m starving!’ and he was never hungry for food that you had at the apartment. He was hungry for pizza or chinese or thai food. Stuff neither of you could make because you suck at cooking.

“What do you want to eat? I’m not leaving the house so if you want something you need to get something delivery.” He sighed but pulled out his phone to find a place. 

It only took him a few minutes of searching to find something you both agreed on. Some kind of pizza place that did pasta and wings. He ordered entirely too much food as always, claiming he would eat it all. That never happened but you knew arguing wouldn’t get you anywhere.

“Y/N! Let’s play a game while we wait!” You were pretty sure at this point that the only thing Hobi knew how to do was whine.

“Why don’t we watch an episode of Faith! I need to know what happens next and I’m in the mood to watch a drama.”

“I’ve already seen the whole thing already I don’t want to watch it again!” That got your attention because you were supposed to be watching that drama TOGETHER.

“What was that you just said Jung Hoseok?” You were prepared to fight™.

“Oh, uh, I mean yea let’s watch Faith! Yay! So excited to see what happens because I definitely don’t know anything!”

“Sometimes I really hate you.” You crossed your arms deciding to let the poor boy live for today. He was paying for your food.

It took about a half hour for your food to come. In the middle of Hobi whining again because “This episode is boring you won’t miss much if you skip it!” The doorbell was the only thing saving him from being roundhouse kicked in the head. 

He got up to pay and you paused your episode of Faith so you could get some plates and silverware. When you came back into the living room Hoseok was already eating wings without even waiting for you. 

By the time you sat down he already finished his wings and was making unholy noises while he started on his Alfredo. After a particularly loud moan you thought you heard a whine, like a dog whine. Brushing it off you started Faith again, settling down with your food. 

It took another two minutes for you to hear that damn whine again, “Hobi did the neighbors get a new dog? I swear I can hear it through the walls or something.” Your best friend froze up, noodles hanging from his mouth as he shook his head. 

“You don’t hear that whining? It’s really loud like I’ve heard it twice and it sounds like it’s coming from right next to me?” Hoseok gulped down the rest of his noodles while you started putting two and two together. 

You knew Hobi was a werewolf, that had come to light about two months into your new friendship. It had been pretty hard to hide when you went to his house and a giant wolf was just hanging out on the couch. What you didn’t realize was that they made noises just like dogs, “D..Did you just make that noise?” 

“No way! Werewolves don’t whine, we’re big scary wolves not puppies!” Judging from the defensive answer you were absolutely sure that Hobi made those noises. 

“So, say I would scratch behind your ear right now, would your foot do the little twitchy thing?” You couldn’t contain your laughter at this new knowledge, almost choking on your pasta when you tried to take a bite to calm down. 

“It’s not funny! I would never make a noise like that!” 

“It is so funny! You’re just like a giant puppy Hobi!” 

It only took the crew a few days to treat you as one of their own. Bambam and Mark were the friendliest. Mark took to you quickly because he was glad he didn’t have to stab his fingers anymore. Bambam had picked out the fabric he wanted for you to use to make him a shirt. It was a beautiful teal colored silk, you had started on it immediately, along with a few shirts of your own and for the rest of your new family. 

A sail ripped on your third day and according to Mark, who watched diligently, you finished it in half the time it usually took him. The stitches were way more perfect also. It made you proud but when Mark told you they won’t rip as often now you had a twinge of doubt. There wouldn’t be any need for you on the ship if the sails were in perfect condition all the time. 

When you voiced your worries to Bambam he assured you that no one would be kicking you off the ship. “The only way you’d escape this ship is if you left yourself. Jackson wouldn’t do that to you. I was an orphan at 12 years old and Jackson took care of me for four years until I was old enough to start helping with everything. By then this was all I knew so I just asked to stay. He said he already thought I planned on it. He might seem cold but he really is a nice guy. He just wants to help people, he’s just afraid to be taken advantage of.” 

You wondered why he would feel that way., but thinking back to what Yoyo said before about their reputation being important made sense. He did have a certain image to uphold. Bambam did make you feel better though. 

Your interactions with Jackson were short and curt. Bambam and Yoyo made him out to be a kind person, but he seemed to be the exact opposite. You had started making it a point to avoid him unless it was absolutely necessary to speak to him. That wasn’t often, but the rest of the crew started to notice pretty quickly. 

Mark, who had quickly taken on the roll of a big brother, was the one who confronted you about it. The reason he came to you surprised you though.

“So, Jackson thinks you hate him.” Mark had been sitting in your bunk next to you reading a book while you sewed. You stopped what you were doing and just stared at him in shock.

“No, I’m pretty sure Jackson hates me. He’s always so short with me and I just feel like he doesn’t want me here so I just started avoiding him. The rest of you are fine with me I just don’t know why he doesn’t treat me the same way you guys do.” You shook your head and went back to sewing Bambam’s shirt. 

“He doesn’t have an issue with you, we’re just not used to women on the boat. Jackson grew up on the sea, he didn’t set foot on dry land until he was 11. His mom was really the only woman he interacted with. That’s a little different than having girl friends. He just doesn’t know how to act around you so he just hides himself behind the Jackson persona. It’s really not how he acts all the time, I swear to you it’s not. I’ll talk to him. Jackson’s favorite color is black, maybe make him a shirt and that could be a conversation starter.” He pointed to a bolt of black silk lying on the pile. 

“Thanks Mark, I’ll try that. I just didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to say something wrong and piss him off, I don’t have anywhere else to go if he kicks me off the ship.” Thinking about it made you upset, you did throw away a life that was at least stable to join a pirate crew you knew little of. It wasn’t a great situation but at least you had a roof over your head. Now you had nothing but this little sack of silver pieces and your sewing skills, not enough for anything really. 

“Don’t worry about it, if he did try to kick you off the rest of us would revolt. Especially Bambam, he might make him walk the plank. You’re the only ‘sophisticated’ one here.” He chuckled and you laughed along with him. 

Bambam had quickly become a dear friend to you in a short period of time. Your personalities couldn’t have been more different, but he had a good heart. He had come to you for fashion advice more than once, and a few times even asked you to mend a favorite shirt of his. This small crew felt like the family you never thought you’d have. Each of them had taken you under their wing, teaching you whatever you asked to learn, and they never expected any less from you than one of the guys. 

The cohesiveness of the crew is what really surprised you. When the ship was in action, even Bambam and Yugyeom quick their bickering. They all worked together so well, it was almost like they could read each other’s minds. While one lets a rope down the other ties it and lets the other rope up. 

You hoped after long enough you would be able to function like that also. Until then though, you did need to figure things out with Jackson. Walking around on eggshells wasn’t going to work for very long. You looked at the bolt of black silk again, taking Mark’s suggestion to heart. You could have Bambam’s shirt done by dinner if you kept at it. Then you’d start on Jackson’s and work as quickly as you could to get it done. Maybe that won’t totally fix everything, but at least it would be a start. 

Mark hung around for another few hours until it was time for him to go up and help with dinner. You kept working on Bambam’s shirt, just finishing up a few stitches here and there until you were finally happy with the results. 

You wrapped it up in some left over fabric and stuffed it under your bunk until after dinner. Bambam would be so excited, he hadn’t stopped asking when it would be done. 

Dinner went well, Jackson still as quiet as ever at the head of the table. The rest of the crew were making a fuss and being loud as usual. Bambam was once again arguing with Yugyeom over wine being healthy. Bambam insisted is was and Yugyeom firmly believed it wasn’t. You just laughed at them and continued eating until Bambam paused for a minute to catch his breath. 

“Hey Bam, come down to my bunk later, I have something for you.” He cracked a smile, figuring it was his new shirt that he’d been so excited to try on. You were too involved in discussing which pants he should wear with it that you missed Jackson’s scrutinizing gaze flitting back and forth between Bambam and yourself. Mark however notices everything, making a mental note to ask Jackson about it later. 

When everyone was finally finished eating, you rushed below deck with Bambam so you could give him his shirt. You pulled it out from under your bed and unfolded it, holding it up for him to see. 

“I made it to be a little loose but hopefully I got all the measurements right!” He made you turn around so he could change. 

“This is amazing Y/n! I don’t think I’ve ever owned a shirt this nice. This is even better than that merchant at the last port we were in! The stitching is perfect and it fits perfectly! You have a gift my friend, a real gift!” He pulled you towards him and kissed your forehead in thanks. 

Not used to the contact you blushed, but you were glad that Bambam loved the shirt so much. You just hoped to have the same success with Jackson. Once Bambam decided he was done modeling, you started on a shirt for Jackson. The measurements you would have to guess on, you hadn’t really been close enough to Jackson to get anything accurate enough that you felt comfortable. Jaebum had broad shoulders, maybe he could help you get a basic size. You’ll ask him tomorrow after breakfast. 

Sleeping on a rocking ship took some getting used to. Some nights it was just a gentle, barely there motion. Other nights, like tonight, it was tossing the ship around pretty roughly. The more violent rocking kept you awake, not yet knowing the limitations of the ship, you were afraid of capsizing. Probably a ridiculous thought, but something had to go wrong soon, your life was actually looking up or once.

Sleep was impossible for now, so you decided to take a walk up on deck. Maybe if you see how small the waves actually are it will calm your mind. Wrapping your thick blanket around your shoulders you walked as quietly as possible through the cargo hold and up the steps to the top deck. The boards felt rough on your bare feet, but it’s not uncomfortable. You used to run around the cobblestone streets at home barefoot all the time. 

Moonlight illuminated the deck just enough for you to see where you were going, the wind catching your blanket and whipping it around your legs. Over the side of the ship you could see the waves, which were much smaller than the rocking ship would have you believe. 

From the deck the water looked black, not the beautiful blue it is during the day. Sometimes you wondered if mermaids and sea monsters actually existed in the murky darkness below that beautiful blue layer. 

“It’s a different kind of beautiful at night isn’t it?” The deep voice came from beside you, making you jump and let out a surprised yelp. You hadn’t even noticed him walking up behind you. Jackson leaned on the railing next to you, staring down at the dark waters below. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you, I thought you would have heard my footsteps. The water is mesmerizing. That’s why so many men die at sea, the water just seems to pull you in and it never lets go once it has you. It doesn’t look so terrible in the daylight, but at night, you make one wrong step and go overboard? That’s it, you’re gone.” Not sure what to make of his speech you just told him you’d be careful to stay away from the edge. 

He turned to look at you, wrapped in your blanket, “Can’t sleep?”

“I still haven’t quite gotten used to the rocking. I feel like the ship is going to sink even though the waves aren’t that big.” You wrapped the blanket tighter around your shoulders, trying to get the image of drowning in freezing water out of your head. 

“You don’t have to worry about that. This ship is sturdy enough to handle even the roughest waters. Bambam’s been through enough storms to tell you that. The shirt you made for him was really well done by the way. You have a talent. When you decide to settle down somewhere Bam thinks you could make it as a clothes designer. Some big port city somewhere, you’d make a lot of money.” 

“I’m glad he thinks I’m that good. I still don’t feel that confident in my skills. That old witch of a seamstress would beat us just for sewing a single stitch that wasn’t perfectly even with the rest. One time I was so exhausted and stressed out that I sewed a shirt collar on backwards. I thought she would have my head for that one. She locked me in the cage for a few days but at least it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.” You shivered a little, remembering how cruel she was to the poor girls unlucky enough to work for her. 

Jackson looked like he was about to say something else, but something on the horizon caught his eye. Through the dark sky you could just see the shadow of another ship sailing straight towards yours. It was coming on fast, which couldn’t mean anything good.

“Y/N, go wake up the rest of the crew, tell them I need all hands on deck. That’s not one of our ships. Go!” You threw your blanket off and raced below deck, yelling all the way. The crew sprung into action faster than you thought possible once you told them about the enemy ship. 

Bambam grabbed your shoulders and spun you around towards your bunk. “Go to your bed and hide under it, keep as quiet as possible and don’t come out unless one of us comes to get you, okay?” 

He didn’t give you any time to respond, running to catch up with the rest of the crew on deck. You did as he said, throwing a sheet over yourself as you crawled under your bed.

It was mostly quiet except for Jackson’s booming voice shouting commands to the other pirates. There was a moment of quiet, and then you heard a cannon fire. 

It must have been from your ship, the loud bang making your ears ring. One blast after another sounded through the cargo hold. You hated not knowing what was going on and you decided it would be wise to learn how to fight. Learning how to fire a cannon would be helpful as well. 

Nothing could be heard over the cannons and it was making you nervous. The cannons stopped entirely and then you heard the sound of splintering wood. A shudder ran through the ship, the creaking wooden planks singing under the stress of the impact. The impact of two ships colliding. 

All was quiet for a few seconds, then a voice you had never heard before sounded over the water. 

“Board the ship! Take the crew alive, bring me Jackson’s head!” You heard swords being unsheathed and boots landing on the deck above you. Worry for your new family outweighed how scared you were. 

You couldn’t bear the thought of any of them being hurt while you just hid under your bed like a coward. Swords clashing on the deck fueled your frantic search for a weapon. Something, anything that you could use to protect yourself and your friends. 

You stumbled into the bunk area, hoping someone left behind an extra sword. The only weapon there was a small knife, you weren’t even sure who it belonged to. Nothing else would be of any help to you there, so you made you way into the kitchen, grabbing a cast iron fry pan and a kitchen knife. It wasn’t much but maybe you could just distract them. 

By the time you reached the deck, there were multiple bodies bleeding out onto the old wood. All of your friends were still fighting however, and it filled you with relief. Your relief didn’t last long however, it was clear Jackson’s crew was severely outnumbered. They were fighting for their lives but there were at least 6 enemies for each of your friends. 

Having nowhere to go without the crew, you threw yourself into the fray. The heavy cast iron pan wasn’t easy to swing so you opted for one of the knives. Without any experience you would be lucky to survive but you’ll be damned if you let your friends die without helping. 

Bambam finally noticed you and told you to go below deck, but the enemy had already seen you. They would just follow you and make you an easy target. 

He maneuvered himself away from the pirates he was fighting to run over to you. He shoved a short sword in your hands, “Aim for the head or the stomach, swing and stab, doesn’t matter as long as they die and you we don’t, okay? I’ll watch your back if you’ll watch mine.” 

Trusting you to protect his blind spot probably wasn’t a great idea, but you knew he would do anything to keep you safe, so you would do the same for him. For each pirate you took down, another two would take their place. Bambam kept turning his body to take the brunt of the attacks, leaving you to finish them off. One pirate ran straight towards you before he could spin around. You raised your sword and swung down, hoping for the best. The steel connected with flesh and bone, his sword clattering onto the deck. 

By the time Bambam turned around he had already dropped to the deck, no life left in him. The darkness helped hide most of the blood that stained the deck, thankfully not much was from Jackson’s side. The others were still fighting, but the crowd of enemies was slowly dwindling. 

Bambam was looking towards the other ship, waiting to see if any others were waiting to attack. Neither of you saw anything, but looking behind the ship you could see another ship speeding towards yours. Bambam had already seen it though, and a look of relief passed over his face. 

He turned around and called over the deck, “The red sails are here!” The rest of the crew grinned and seemed to fight even harder. 

“What does that mean, what’s the red sails? Why is it good?” 

The sun was shining through the curtains when you woke up the next morning. Namjoon was still holding you, and you had thrown your leg over his waist at some point in the night.

"Good morning" he stretched his arms over his head, like he'd be waiting to do it for awhile. You pushed away from him and pulled your leg back to yourself.

“Morning” you mumbled, not looking him in the eyes. You scooted the rest of the way across the bed, but Namjoon hadn’t seemed fazed when you were lying next to him. You did see the almost unnoticeable flash of disappointment that left his face as quickly as it had showed up. 

He rolled out of bed and straightened his crinkled hoodie. “Are you hungry yet? I can bring you something to eat if you are.”

You nodded, and he took that as his cue to leave so you could use the bathroom and brush your teeth. Once the door closed behind him you let out a sigh. Why did you have to find Namjoon in this situation? Why couldn’t it have been easy like meeting in a bar or something? Not that your life has ever been easy. 

Still, you felt bad that he had to put up with your traumatized self. You were trying of course, and he never made it seem like an inconvenience. You had a chance to actually be happy but you were so afraid you’d screw it up because of your past. 

You’ll just have to try a little harder, it’s not like Namjoon has ever given you a reason to not trust him. It shouldn’t be too hard if you go just a little at a time. 

By the time you were done in the bathroom Namjoon had already brought breakfast up for you. It was simple but you were so thankful for regular meals it felt like a feast every time you ate.

“I can sit with you if you wanted or I can go downstairs again, it’s up to you. I did want Jin to check you feet again today so he can see how they’re healing with the salve on them. Whenever you feel comfortable I’ll call him up okay?” Not wanting to stop shoveling food in your mouth you just nodded.

That would be a pretty good place to start you figured, getting used to one of the other pack members. It was still going to take awhile but you felt comfortable enough with Namjoon now that it should be alright. As long as he doesn’t put more of that salve on. That you wouldn’t feel comfortable with.

When you were done eating you told Namjoon that Seokjin could look at your feet whenever, just as long as he stayed there with you. His face lit up when you asked him to stay. If he got excited over that little interaction you assumed it must be miserable for him when you tried pushing him away. You were thankful that you at least had a patient mate.

“Are you ready now? We can just get it over with so you can relax for the rest of the day.” He gathered up your plate when you were finished.

“That’s fine. Just to get it over with.” He took the empty plate with him while he went to find his pack mate. 

While you had a minute to relax and think you hoped that your feet have been healing properly. You really didn’t want Seokjin to put any more of that stuff on your feet, but at least Namjoon stayed with you to make sure you were okay last time. 

It only took a few minutes for your mate to come back. He sat on the other side of the bed and told you that Jin would be up in a few minutes. 

“Before he comes up I just wanted to tell you something. Two weeks from now there’s this big meeting for the alphas of the packs in this area. It’s about three hours away and it’s usually a three or four day thing. Unfortunately I am required to attend this year to discuss pack territories.”

“Usually the wolves bring their mates with but under the circumstances I’m not sure you can handle being around that many strangers. It is entirely up to you what you would like to do. Jin said he would look after you while I am gone or you can come along and just stay at the hotel. You’ll be alone there for most of the days while I attend the meetings.” 

You didn’t really know what to say to that, you weren’t really ready to be away from Namjoon, but you weren’t ready to leave the safety of his room. 

“You don’t have to make a decision now, we’ll see how you feel once the time gets closer. I know it’s not ideal and neither of those options are going to be comfortable for you but I have to be there.” He looked really disappointed which made you feel bad, but you knew he was at least trying to give you a choice. You didn’t really like either one, but he was still trying to make it as easy on you as possible. 

He looked like he wanted to say something else but there was a knock on your bedroom door. Jin peeked his head in to ask if you were ready. 

“As long as you didn’t bring that stuff with you.” He chuckled but showed you his empty hands. Namjoon shifted closer to you on the bed while Seokjin sat down near your feet. 

He unwrapped your feet as gently as he could and started moving them this way and that. He was careful not to press to hard, but some spots were a lot more tender than others. 

“Well, they look a lot better already. I think we can use a salve that’s more gentle and just keep them wrapped up. They should heal up nicely over the next few weeks.” You weren’t too excited to have anything else on your feet but you hoped it wouldn’t be as painful. 

Seokjin went to go get whatever he needed to make the salve and you relaxed against the head board. The two options Namjoon gave you still bounced around your head. You weren’t sure if you wanted to go with but you knew you didn’t want to stay here with strangers without Namjoon. At least if you went he’d be there sometimes. 

Seokjin was nice enough but you had only had two interactions and so far at least one of them wasn’t very pleasant. Jin came back a few minutes later with a little bowl and some fresh bandages. He sat back down where he was before and piled the bandages to the side. 

“This is pretty mild do it won’t hurt like the one yesterday. It’ll only be a little sting, nothing compared to yesterday. Are you ready?” You reached over to grab Namjoon’s hand before you told him to go ahead. 

Seokjin was right, it only stung a little compared to yesterday. It was easier to stay still today so it didn’t take long for him to finish up. “Alright Y/N, you’re all done! I’ll stop by tomorrow and check them again and we’ll see if we need anymore of this.”

You thanked him and he left you alone with Namjoon again. After realizing you were still holding his hand you pulled away, moving back over to the edge of the bed. You didn’t miss the sad look that crossed his face. You almost felt like it was just a habit to pull away from him. It didn’t actually bother you that much to be near him anymore, but you just had it so ingrained in your mind that you were in danger. 

“I’m going to go downstairs, you’re welcome to watch tv or I can bring you some books if you wanted something to do.” He got up to leave but you rolled over to grab his hand. 

That surprised Namjoon and yourself but you just went with it, “Can you stay and watch something with me?” Your mates face lit up and he agreed immediately, sitting back down on the bed. 

“What did you want to watch? I have all different kinds of movies or we can see what’s on tv.” 

“I’m okay with anything, just nothing scary.” He started scrolling through the menu, settling on some cartoons. 

You tried to pay attention, but after months of barely getting any sleep, you just couldn’t keep your eyes open any longer. You felt safe and almost happy in Namjoon’s presence so it wasn’t difficult to lean your head back and fall asleep. 

you and your best friend Mingyu had finally decided to get an apartment together

both of you were so tired of your parents nagging you about going to college and getting good jobs and getting married and all that 

but neither of you really had plans for college or marriage or anything

so the solution was for you two to move into an apartment together so you could figure out your own lives without your parents bugging you

you met Mingyu when you were in the third grade and you’d remained friends throughout high school 

so neither of you were worried about not getting along or anything

it took a few months but Mingyu found a decent two bedroom apartment on the other side of the city 

the rent was pretty affordable and they allowed pets so you guys could get a dog or cat later on

his parents and yours were both kind of upset because they had really been hoping you two would further your education

neither of you wanted to deal with the stress of classes and being in debt forever 

they still helped you guys pack and move all your stuff to your new place

you made Mingyu carry your 6 containers of books up the stairs though

Mingyu had found a couch and a coffee table and you planned on going to Ikea to get everything else

for now it was takeout on paper plates

after everything was mostly unpacked Mingyu suggested that you introduce yourselves to the new neighbors

the apartment to the left of yours was a little old lady with two cats 

she invited you two in for tea and said if you needed anything to let her know 

you’re pretty sure it was just because she liked Mingyu 

but at least you were on good terms 

the guy to the right was super quiet when you introduced yourselves 

you thought he was just really shy and wanted to leave the poor guy alone

but Mingyu continued to talk to him 

eventually you just had to pull him away and be like ‘so sorry but we have to go to Ikea to buy the rest of our furniture’ 

Mingyu of course not being able to take a hint was like ‘why don’t you come along! unless you had other plans we can always plan for tomorrow or something!’

and the neighbor, Wonwoo, just said sure 

cue your internal groan bc you know he’s just gonna talk to this new neighbor and not get anything you need done

but the neighbor is really handsome so you just don’t say anything

Wonwoo knows how to get to the Ikea so you let him sit in the passenger seat and you sat in the back reading a book 

your major buy of the day was going to be a new bookcase 

the one at your parents house just wasn’t big enough and you hated digging through 6 boxes to find one book

you were so into the book that you didn’t realize Wonwoo was asking you something

until Mingyu yelled and you dropped your book 

he just laughed at you when you flipped him off

Wonwoo asked you what you were reading

‘Y/F/B’ 

He got super excited cuz he loves that book also 

you both ignored Mingyu for the rest of the ride except to give him directions

you both were interested in a lot if the same things, especially books

the more you talked the more you realized that he’s really intelligent and well spoken as well as being handsome

and you might be developing a tiny crush on the cute neighbor

by the time Mingyu pulled the car into a spot you and Wonwoo were in a friendly debate over which book was your favorite authors best work

you had to pause while you got out and decided where to start shopping

and you caught Mingyu’s eye as you got out and he just gave you the look

you knew what that look was suggesting 

but you would never admit your crush to him so you give him your own look like if you embarrass me I’ll never talk to you again

Wonwoo was excited to help you look for a book shelf

of course you started with that 

Mingyu went off to look at kitchen stuff bc you had no idea what you were doing with any of that

the conversation still flows between you and Wonwoo 

he’s like ‘I just had to buy a second bookshelf recently and this is the one I got’ 

it’s a darker color and the wood looks really heavy and its on the taller side but you can reach the top shelf

it’s a little more expensive than you would have liked but it’s to house some of your most prized possessions

also digging through those containers is really getting annoying

Mingyu shows up again just as you’re finally settling on this bookshelf

‘I got all the kitchen stuff so I have that set up to be delivered in two days so we can figure out where everything is gonna go’

and you tell him about this awesome bookshelf that Wonwoo recommended

and Mingyu just stares at you

and you’re like what

‘we’ve been here for two hours and all you’ve done is find a bookshelf’

he looks between you and Wonwoo and he just gives you that look again 

you just shove him and tell him you need to find beds

the rest of your shopping takes another 2 hours and when everything is finally scheduled to be delivered you all agree that you’re starving

Wonwoo suggests this thai place that’s closer to your apartment building 

you get entirely too much food but it’s really good so no ragrets 

Wonwoo invites you over to his apartment since you and Mingyu don’t have a kitchen table yet 

he suggests a movie while you guys eat and ur just really excited bc this guy is great and he gets along with Mingyu so if he gets on your nerves just ship him over to Wonwoo

it starts to get late and you really dont want to leave because you’re having fun and Wonwoo is adorable 

Mingyu is starting to fall asleep though and you can’t carry him

so you clean up and start to drag Mingyu home while thanking Wonwoo for his book shelf suggestions 

‘if you need help organizing your books when it gets here you know where to find me!’

thankfully Mingyu is too tired to tease you

your ‘bed’ was like 3 sleeping bags piled on top of each other in the living room

Mingyu took up most of it but you curled up in your corner of the bed and fell asleep with a stupid little smile on your face

Mingyu woke up before you and smacked you in the face with his pillow until you woke up

‘lets go get breakfast nerd’

while you were getting dressed he went to the lobby to check your mail

it didn’t take you very long to get ready, you weren’t really worried about your makeup or anything

Mingyu comes bursting through your apartment door and it kinda freaks you out 

‘y/n! you’re never gonna believe this!’ he’s yelling and it freaks you out even more

‘Mingyu whats wrong?’ 

and hes still yelling ‘Wonwoo was downstairs getting his mail too and he asked me if we were dating like how fucking funny is that?’ 

you just groan like Mingyu I thought you fell down the stairs again or something

then you shush him bc the walls in this building could be thin like you don’t want to disturb the little old lady next door

but also you dont want Wonwoo to hear Mingyu teasing you about your tiny crush on him 

Mingyu apparently told him no after he laughed a lot

‘well what did he say after that?’ 

‘he just said you were cute anyway I invited him to come with to breakfast’

and you start freaking out like Mingyu do you see my face I can’t go to breakfast with him looking like this

but it’s too late Mingyu is pulling you out of the apartment in all of your makeup free glory

you’re plotting his murder as he pulls you over to Wonwoo’s door

but Wonwoo just smiles at you when he opens the door

so you feel less bad but you’re still gonna kill Mingyu

there’s a little cafe thats like a block from your apartment so you just walk

Mingyu and Wonwoo are talking about some new video game thats coming out soon and you’re just enjoying the nice fall weather 

Wonwoo sits in the booth next to you and Mingyu gets the other side

after everything is ordered and you’re waiting for your food Wonwoo and Gyu continue their video game conversation

so you’re just scrolling through your social media 

and you see this post on your favorite authors blog

they’re having this book signing in like two weeks in a city about 2 hours away 

this author is never that close to you like you’ve missed so many other signings because they’re just too far away

so you’re like quietly flipping out and Mingyu knows you well enough that he picks up on it

so he asks and it’s so hard to not be ridiculously excited like you forget Wonwoo is there and geek out

you’re telling him why this is the greatest thing to ever happen and you can’t even contain yourself for the sake of not embarrassing yourself in front of Wonwoo

but then he freaks out too and you’re both talking really fast about how this author is never ever near you

he’s like I’ll go with you 

like two minutes later you and Wonwoo already know what time you’re leaving that day to get there on time

Mingyu is just shaking his head thinking ‘these nerds are perfect for each other’ 

anyway 

all through eating you guys are planning and you figure if you’re driving two hours away you might as well spend the day there

you tried to invite Mingyu but he was like nah I don’t want to stand around in some dusty old bookstore

you kicked him under the table for that 

Wonwoo gave you his phone number so you could keep in contact and so he could come help you with your bookcase

Mingyu wouldn’t shut up about your ‘date’ with Wonwoo 

you kept telling him to shut it

but really you were like maybe it can be? you sure wouldn’t mind 

you weren’t gonna hope for too much you were just happy to have Wonwoo as a friend 

cuz Mingyu didn’t read anything except video game cases 

your new furniture arrived at the house finally so you and Mingyu were like trying to put your kitchen table together

Mingyu had smacked himself in the head with the table legs like 5 times already

you were doing a little better but you squished your finger in between the table top and the floor

so that wasn’t fun

an hour later you finally had it done and it felt stable

you made Gyu sit on it to test it out

the beds were the next project 

it was going okay, but you realized when you were putting the frame together on his bed that you needed two people to hold the sideboard and the headboard together 

and someone else to drill the screws in

so you sent Mingyu to see if Wonwoo was busy 

luckily he’s not

so he holds the headboard, you hold the side board and Mingyu screws them together

then you do your bed and the last major thing to set up is your bookshelf

which Wonwoo of course volunteered to help with bc duh he just did it like two months ago

the shelf goes a lot better than the table did

it only takes like 15 minutes 

then you have to drag all your containers back to your room 

Wonwoo being the gentleman decides to pull them while you start unpacking

you decide to give each shelf a different genre and Wonwoo helps you organize them by the authors last names 

like every other book he’s read so of course you guys end up talking about the books and what you thought of each one 

so it takes like three hours to put all your books away lol

but Mingyu has gotten the kitchen set up in that time so you both emerge from your room when you start smelling food

Wonwoo is of course invited to dinner (thanks Mingyu)

you’re too busy stuffing your face with Mingyu’s delicious food to talk

so the boys go back to talking about that new video game

Wonwoo offers to help you guys clean up but it’s kinda late and you don’t want to keep him up 

so you’re like i’ll walk you to the door!

and while he’s putting his shoes on he says ‘since you have some extra space on your shelf there’s this little book store in town that we can go to. just if you have time some day, they have a cat’

and you’re too busy thinking about how many new books you can buy that you don’t notice the blush on his cheeks

of course you agree 

i mean Wonwoo + cats + books

amazing

so you tell him you’ll text him and he says good night 

as soon as the door is closed Mingyu is like right behind you 

‘he so likes you’ 

and you’re like what do you mean where is that coming from

‘did you not see him blushing when he asked you to go to the bookstore with him’

uh no no you didnt

‘well he totally was’ 

ur like nope 

the whole time you’re washing dishes Gyu is telling you that you need to wear something nice and that Wonwoo told him he loves cats so you need to take cat treats with you so you can impress him by winning over the cat

‘Mingyu he didn’t say it was a date its just as friends like calm down’ 

and Mingyu just gives you that look again

like bitch we both know you want it to be a date

well yeah but

not going to admit it to him ever

but before you go to bed you text wonwoo and thank him for the help and that you start work again tomorrow but you’re off in the evenings

and he texts you back right away and asks if you’re good with tomorrow at 7 

so you tell him that works for you and you’ll see him tomorrow

Wonwoo shows up at your door right at 7 

despite Mingyu’s nagging about dressing up you decided on an oversized knit sweater and leggings 

perfect bookstore outfit tbh

Wonwoo is just wearing jeans and a flannel 

he drives and his car is an older model but it’s clean and it smells good

the shop is like 20 mins away from the apartment but Wonwoo keeps conversation going 

even when it’s quiet its like the comfortable quiet 

the store is exactly like you hoped

it’s a little corner shop that looks small but once you get inside its alot bigger

this little old lady comes out of the back and greets Wonwoo by name

she asks who you are and he tells her you’re neighbors and you just moved in so he’s showing you around

you introduce yourself and tell her she’ll be seeing you often

while Wonwoo is chatting with the shop keeper you start ambling around 

it smells like old books and cinnamon

there are tons of different genres, new and used books

some of them are so old the covers are almost falling apart

but those are the ones you look at first 

you have an entire separate collection of old books

nothing super rare or in great condition

there’s just something about those really old books

how many kids have read and cherished that book? or how many elderly people read it to remind them of their childhood?

books have so many stories in them that you can’t read

those are your favorites 

there’s a whole shelf of them and you see some that you own

most you don’t

that’s where Wonwoo finds you half an hour later

with a pile of old books on the floor next to you while you sat and read the first chapter of another 

the cat joined you at some point and you’re petting it with one hand and reading with the other

‘i was looking for you everywhere, i forgot this corner had these old books’

you told him about your other old books and that you always looked at them first

there were a lot of different story lines and different characters and they’re just different

and he’s like yeah I get it and he starts looking at the books you have on your pile while also reaching over to pet the cat

and he actually owns a couple of them

eventually you decide that pile is big enough and nudge the cat off so you can stand up 

so you and wonwoo go through the other aisles and he helps carry some of your books 

and it almost feels like a date but you really dont want to get your hopes up 

but anyway you find a couple more books to add to your pile and Wonwoo picked up a couple of his own

you bought like 15 books go you 

you look at the ones he bought while he says bye to the old lady

you waved to her on your way out, already planning on your next trip 

while you’re getting in the car Wonwoo asks if you’re hungry 

heck yea you’re hungry 

so you stop at this little pizzeria on your way home

he pays for everything which you feel bad for like he drove and he’s buying lunch 

you try to offer him gas money or something

and he refuses ‘im having fun it’s fine!’ 

but you insist y/n always pays her debts

so he tells you that you can pay next time

you guess thats alright

but inside you’re really excited 

you get to spend more time with this precious bean! congrats!

anyway Wonwoo walks you to your door bc he has to ‘make sure you get home safe’

he tells you to text him one day and you guys can plan your trip to the book signing and figure out what all you wanted to do that day

you tell him you’re excited and he just smiles like me too and that he can’t believe he has someone to go with that actually really likes the author

after you guys say goodnight he waits until you’re inside and the door is shut before he goes to his door

meanwhile Mingyu is asking you questions before you can even get your shoes off 

fr gyu calm down

you still insist that it wasn’t a date and he still insists that it definitely was

and he’s like tell me everything

so you do and of course he over analyzes everything 

but what are best friends for tbh

you finally get him off your back like an hour later after you told him every single detail about your not date

as you’re getting ready for bed your phone dings 

it’s a text from Wonwoo ‘I really had fun today, we should definitely hang out more often!’ 

so you text him back that it’s definitely happening 

‘i cant wait! sleep well :)’

now you’re over analyzing that little smiley face

but no its just a smiley face it doesnt mean anything

you’re too busy with work the next few days to talk to Wonwoo 

you weren’t getting home until super late and when you did you just collapsed in bed and didn’t move until morning

you finally had a day off though so you texted Wonwoo to come over so you could plan your trip 

you found a couple of museums you wanted to go to and there was also a little fair in town over that week so you just decided to end the day there

Wonwoo said he would drive home if you would drive there cuz he really isn’t a morning person 

you aren’t either but when you see him show up at your house at 5:30 the morning of the trip ur like yea I’m driving you sleep on the way there

the other cars honking don’t even wake him up he is out

it takes a little more time than you thought to get there but that’s why you left so early to begin with

the art museum opened in another hour so you stopped at a little cafe to grab some breakfast

it took like 15 minutes just to wake Wonwoo up

but you get breakfast

and he’s really cute sitting across from you half asleep with his hair all messed up

like yea you could get used to that adorable view

he finally totally wakes up after you’ve eaten and he goes to the bathroom when you tell him his hair is all over the place

the art museum is great 

Wonwoo really appreciates art so you guys can discuss each painting and it’s just really nice to have someone to have an intelligent conversation with

the book signing is up next and you two are some of the first ones there

and you’re talking to the other people in line with you and it’s great because they’re just as excited as you two 

the guy in front of you introduces himself as Taeil and he’s covered in tattoos and he’s really nice

he has a cute smile and he listens really well when you’re talking

Wonwoo is talking to the guy behind you

Taeil and you were having a friendly debate over the actual meaning of a certain book of this authors when wonwoo came back to stand next to you

and when Taeil said something funny and you threw your head back and laughed 

Wonwoo just kinda looked at you 

like really looked at you

with your hair kind of messed up and your makeup ruined from rubbing your eyes this morning

the crinkles around your eyes when you smiled 

and then he looked at Taeil 

and he saw the same look of fondness that he himself looked at you with 

and then it clicked

this guy could take you away just like that 

and while Wonwoo wasn’t good with his feelings he knew he needed to do something 

so he did the only thing he felt would both deter this new guy and hopefully let you know that he was interested 

he grabbed your hand and laced his fingers with yours

you stopped laughing and instead turned to look at him in almost shock 

but he just looked down at you so nonchalantly that it just looked natural

like you’d held hands dozens of times before

and you’re kind of confused bc he had plenty of other opportunities to hold your hand or say something

but then you looked back at Taeil and he had a different look on his face and he says ‘oh I didnt know you were here with someone. does your boyfriend like this kind of stuff?’

and you don’t even know what to say

but Wonwoo steps in and is like ‘yea actually I do’ 

and it’s simple but Taeil just kinda shrugs and turns around 

and you just look at Wonwoo like what was that 

and he just looks at you and shrugs but you let it go for now

but he keeps holding your hand and the guy that he was talking to earlier is like you guys look so cute together

and wonwoo just smiles so you smile too

and you’re like I’m gonna have a little chat with you later Wonwoo

but for now you just hold his hand and enjoy the moment

it doesnt sink in until awhile later that maybe he was jealous...of Taeil...

but you’re gonna ask later the most important time of your life is coming up in like 10 mins

the line slowly creeps forward and Wonwoo still holds your hand ‘so you don’t get lost in the crowd’ 

but literally everyone in line is being really respectful and giving each other space 

so you’re just like ‘sure wonwoo’

and the time finally comes!

you both step up together and hand the author your books 

theyre just as nice as you thought and you’re so in awe you like forgot everything you wanted to say 

wonwoo is more level headed though and tells the author that he loves their work 

and that the book hes signing is how he met you and the author asks you what your favorite book is 

and that brings you out of your trance and you tell them that you’re a huge fan and you’re so glad you finally had the chance to meet them 

you thank them for deciding to write books and that you love living in their stories 

all too soon you’re saying your goodbyes and a last thank you so the next people could talk to them 

and you’re so happy, just absolutely thrilled that you finally were able meet them and that they were kind and just exactly what you thought they would be like

and Wonwoo also has this goofy grin on his face 

you sit on a bench outside of the bookstore and try to like calm down 

you just basically met your hero tho so its okay bc Wonwoo is in the same boat

you guys are just sitting and enjoying the hustle and bustle 

and then you realize that youre still holding hands

and ur like ‘uh wonwoo whats this all about?’

and you lift your hands up and hes like ‘well I just thought that this was a date and that I should hold your hand because i thought this was a date’

‘unless you dont want it to be! thats fine too we can just be friends!’

and he tries to pull his hand away but you pull him toward you and kiss his cheek 

‘I was hoping it was a date.’ and Wonwoo’s cheeks get red and he’s about ready to combust 

and he just smiles and his nose does that crinkley thing and you’re like wow

is this human mine now

beautiful 

anyway after all that kind of confession ya’ll are hungry

so you’re walking to this little chinese place thats right down that street from the bookstore

the weather is nice and wonwoo holding your hand is nice and its just a nice time

but while you’re walking past this little alleyway you hear a tiny mew

and you gotta go see the cat

you gotta

and Wonwoo is like pulling you back towards the street like we’re gonna get murdered I just confessed to you and now we’re gonna die

like Wonwoo loves cats too but getting murdered in a dark alley for one is not on his bucket list

but you insist because you can still hear the tiny meows 

what if it’s hurt right?

so you’re digging around in some crusty old boxes and you finally find this tiny little black kitten with his eyes barely open 

it’s just crawling around and crying

so you grab it and wrap it up in your sweater

and wonwoo says that you should look for anymore and see if you see a mom cat anywhere

you dig through so more boxes and wonwoo finds another little black kitten 

he hands it to you and you wrap it up with the other one to keep them warm

and you look and look but you don’t see any cat or any more babies

so you’re like wonwoo what do we do?

and the kittens are still crying to he googles pet stores in the area 

theres one like 15 minutes across town so he tells you that you will at least get them fed and then go from there

you stay in the car while Wonwoo goes and gets the milk and a bottle and a little box and a blanket to keep them in 

they eat so much the poor things were so hungry :(

so while you feed them Wonwoo looks up pet shelters and calls to see if any of them can take these smol babies

unfortunately all of them are full 

so he’s like we’ll just take them home and we’ll try shelters in our city

you guys are still starving though so once the babies are fed and asleep you drive back to the chinese place and wonwoo goes in to buy you guys food and brings it back to the car to eat

its quiet and the kittens are asleep in the box by your feet

and you think about this eventful day

and how other than the ‘i don’t wanna be murdered for a cat’ thing

he had immediately started finding a solution instead of leaving them there

he dug through trash to make sure no kittens were left behind

get you a man like Wonwoo 

you were supposed to go to the carnival but you decided you could always come back some other time

for now you were both exhausted and you were preparing to not get any sleep tonight

Wonwoo tells you to get some sleep while he’s driving and he’ll wake you up if the kittens are hungry 

they ended up waking up about an hour in but he felt bad waking you up bc you looked so peaceful

so he pulled off into a rest stop and fed the babies himself

when he finally pulled the car into the parking lot he felt the exhaustion hit him too

he didn’t want to wake you up but he couldn’t carry you and the kittens up stairs so he shook you a little

it didn’t take long for you to wake up enough to walk 

he carried the box with the kittens and you carried the stuff from the pet store

by the time you got up to the apartments you were more awake

Wonwoo said he would help with the kittens tonight if you wanted him to 

and you were like yes please we can take turns 

and Mingyu is still waiting up for you to get home

so when Wonwoo walks in with the kittens he was like uh

and you just told him you’d explain in the morning

so you took wonwoo back to your room and told him he could share your bed

so the kittens were put on the bed next to your pillow and Wonwoo being too tired to argue laid down next to you 

you said you’d take the first shift and set your alarms for another hour from now

Wonwoo set his for 2 hours after that 

it didn’t take long to fall asleep for either of you

and when your alarms went off you really didn’t want to get up but the kittens were calling for you 

wonwoo had ended up on your side of the bed in that hour so you had to crawl over him to get to the milk and bottle 

you crawled back over him and the boy didn’t wake up like how does he hear his alarms?

but as soon as you lay back down when you’re done feeding he shifts closer to you and wraps his arm around your waist

and you don’t even question it you’re too tired

when his alarm goes off you wake up too cuz you’re kinda worried he’ll sleep through it

but he moves next to you and then he’s reaching over you to move the box over to his side

and you lay back down to go back to sleep 

wonwoo just admires your sleeping face and is like talking to the kittens while they’re eating

‘i think if it’s okay with your other parent we should keep you guys. what do you think little ones? do you want to stay with us?’ 

and you heard Wonwoo over there mumbling but you were too out of it to hear what he said

the next couple of feedings go well 

wonwoo always ends up cuddling with you in between

which is how Mingyu finds you the next morning when he comes to see if you want breakfast

and he just high fives himself like a nerd bc he knew he was right

he shakes wonwoo awake and tells him breakfast is ready 

he wakes you up and tells you its time to eat and he takes the kittens out with him while you stretch and try to wake yourself up 

when you finally roll out of bed and go out to the kitchen Mingyu just gives you a thumbs up behind wonwoo’s back 

you just make a face at him

when you sit down Wonwoo tells you that if you’re okay with it you guys should keep the kittens 

you and Mingyu could keep one and wonwoo would take one and they can have playdates 

Mingyu is like I’ve always wanted a cat! 

so you decide to keep them

while they’re still being bottle fed wonwoo said he would take care of them one night and you could do the next and whoever wasn’t working during the day would take them 

wonwoo tells you he has to go to work in another hour so he goes to his apartment to get ready

as soon as he’s gone Mingyu is on you like ‘it’s not a date really y/n? you just cuddle with guys in your bed when you’re not dating them’

you’re just like ‘Gyu, a lot happened yesterday’

and of course he makes you tel him everything again 

and you’re okay with it because honestly it’s pretty cute

wonwoo stops by before he leaves for work and you go to kiss him on the cheek but he like turns his head at the last second so you kiss him on the lips instead

and he just starts stuttering like Im sorry I didnt mean to do that

but you just giggle like Wonwoo it’s fine we’re dating now and have kitten children its okay

and honestly it’s just really cute 

the kittens grow up fast and you finally pick out names

one is Houdini because it constantly escaped the boxes and pens you were keeping them in 

the other one is Hades

you end up with Houdini and Wonwoo gets Hades

but you switch cats like every two weeks for ‘visitation’ 

Mingyu can never tell he just calls them both Houdini 

your relationship with wonwoo is just really magical like he’s still a gentleman after all these months of dating 

still holds your hand ‘so you don’t get lost in the crowd’ while you’re walking on an empty street

he lets you pay for dinner every other time you go out 

he didn’t want to but you told him you’d break up with him 

you wouldn’t actually and he knew that 

he really admires your independence though and he supports that 

like he really just wants to give you the moon and a couple of stars 

but he respects that you want to get your own stars 

eventually you discuss moving in together 

Mingyu found himself a girlfriend a few months back so he said he would see if she would be interested in moving in with him

she was good with that so you moved all your stuff next door and you took Houdini with since Gyu’s gf had a dog

but you all live in this cute little apartment that’s full of books and you get to drink tea and read with your best friend every night

you never thought you’d be interested in getting married but you think being married to Wonwoo wouldn’t be so bad 

neither of you were in a hurry to get to that chapter just yet though

Working as a seamstress seemed to be an easy job to most, but the master seamstress was cruel. She wouldn’t hesitate to beat the girls she rarely paid, locking them in rooms with no food or water for days at a time. Such cruel punishments for only sewing a button crooked, or jamming your bobbin and “wasting time” fixing it. 

All the girls at the shop had dreams of getting out, leaving the old woman and finding new jobs and having families. Unfortunately, opportunities like that never came up for poor girls like yourself.

You thought you’d never escape the cruel life you had been exposed to but, just as you had begun to accept your fate, an opportunity arose. The cruel witch of a seamstress had sent you to the harbor in search of “the finest silks you lay your eyes upon”. She had sent you alone, with a bag of silver pieces, to carry as much silk home as you could. 

The silver coins jingled in the pouch at your side, reminding you of a story that’s been whispered between the girls at the shop for years. No one knows whether the story is fact or fiction, everyone knows rumors are often blown out of proportion. The story said that years and years ago, a girl from the same shop you worked at was sent out on the same mission you were on right now. A bag of silver pieces, in search of fine silk. However, it was rumored the girl took the silver and ran, or was taken, and joined a pirate crew. She eventually rose through the ranks and became the captain of the fleets second in command. The captain was captured and hung for treason after many years of stealing and commandeering ships. Rumor says the girl took over the entire fleet, giving birth to a little boy a few months after the captains death. This little boy grew up to be called Jaskson the Vile as named by the townspeople. He was the most well known pirate in all the lands and had the biggest fleet. There is no question he is the most vicious of all the pirates. But, of course, who believes in whispered rumors. Not you that's for sure.

It took much searching to find what you were looking for. Unfortunately it was only three bolts worth but it was better than showing up empty handed. There were two men in front of you, bickering over how much they should pay for a barrel of wine. 

"The captain said we were to pay no more than 30 silver pieces for a barrel!" One of the men said. Their outfits screamed pirate to you, but you stayed quiet and stayed in line. Not bringing silk back to the seamstress would be a worse fate than anything a pirate could do in the marketplace with so many witnesses.

"He said to bring back a barrel or he'd make us walk the plank you idiot! I don't know about you but I don't fancy swimming with the sharks any time soon." The second pirate replied. You hoped they would make up their minds soon, the witch was waiting for you.

"How dare you insult me! Jackson told you to quit doing that!" That piqued your interests. They couldn't be talking about Jackson the Vile?

"Well Jackson isn't around right now is he Yugyeom?" The taller of the two made a fist and looked about ready to swing. You decided to step in, refusing to wait any longer and making your punishment worse.

"Excuse me sirs? If you aren't sure what to purchase could I jump in front of you? I have someone waiting on me at home." You almost gagged on 'home'.

Both men turned to look at you, obviously only noticing your presence at that moment. The shorter of the two responded to you, "Sure little missy, just as long as you aren't purchasing any wine barrels."

"No wine, only silk." They nodded and let you pass them, then immediately went back to bickering.

They hushed their voices at this point and you couldn't make out any words. The old shopkeeper was familiar with all of the girls from the shop and always treated you fairly. Everyone called her Yoyo and no one knew why. She was old Yoyo, a staple in the marketplace for as long as anyone could remember.

"Good afternoon Yoyo, could I please have the three bolts of silk?"

"Of course, dear one, give me just a moment." She turned around to pull the silk down from the shelf, one heavy bolt at a time. She also grabbed a small sack of sweets for you to share with the other girls at the shop. She always tried to help make your lives a little less dim, one bag of candies at a time.

With a twinkle on her eyes she watched the two pirates still arguing behind you. "Those two are always fighting over something. If Jackson isn't around to stop them they'll go on for days like that."

She chuckled and you couldn't help but ask, "Yoyo, are you talking about Captain Jackson? The pirate? He's supposed to be evil, how can you trust those two?"

The chuckle swelled into full on laughter at the bewildered look on your face. "Oh dear, Captain Jackson is nothing like those rumors. I taught him how to knit a few months ago so he could make a sweater for his cat!" She fell into another laughing fit as your expression changed from curiosity to disbelief.

"Are we talking about the same person Yoyo?"

She had finished wrapping your cloth up and you handed her her silver pieces, it only ended up being about half of the bag. Mistress wouldn't be happy. "Yes dear, there is only one Captain Jackson and he is a sweetheart. Those rumors are more for protection. If other pirates hear how ruthless and cunning he is, they'll stay away. The boy may have grown up in the pirate lifestyle, but he's the least pirate like person I know."

"Well okay then. Thank you, Yoyo. Until next time." You grabbed your bundle of fabric and turned to leave, only to feel a small hand grab your elbow.

"I've known you since you were a girl y/n, haven't you ever dreamed of a different life? I know you aren't happy with that old hag. Don't you want out of here?"

Sure, you had always wanted to travel, to leave your sleepy harbor town behind. You just never had an opportunity. At least with the seamstress you had a place to sleep and almost regular meals. "Yoyo, I don't know how to get out of here. I've never had an opportunity to go anywhere. My parents died when I was little. I have no one else but her."

You shook your head, wondering why she had even mentioned anything in the first place. She smiled at you, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Tell the seamstress I'll have more silk tomorrow. Bring whatever belongings you own and meet me here by noon. I have someone I want you to meet. I can make sure you never go back to that old witch." She let go of your arm and turned to the two pirates that had finally stopped arguing.

You had little doubt that this "someone" was Jackson. You just weren't sure what he had to do with you leaving the shop. You left the old woman to her devices, deciding to follow through with the plan tomorrow, if only to meet the so called "sweetheart" pirate.

On your walk home you thought through your upcoming decision. Could you really leave just like that? You had no family, the seamstress was as horrible as ever, and the girls at the shop really weren't friendly. They had no reason to be of course, but you had no reason to stay here for them. The only person you really trusted was Yoyo. As cryptic as she can be sometimes, you felt like she actually cared about you and the other girls. You trusted her for the most part, she hadn't given you a reason not to anyway. Clinging onto the one sliver of hope that you could actually escape this horrid life, you ran the rest of the way to the shop.

The mistress was not happy with you. She threatened to lock you away until you told her there would be more silk tomorrow. She let you off easy tonight. Tossing and turning all night, thoughts of running away kept you up all night.

You had woken up earlier than usual to gather your few belongings into a bundle and tossed it out of your bedroom window. It landed in the bushes below, safe until you left for good. The seamstress sent you for the silks just after breakfast which was a lucky break. She usually made everyone do chores first thing. Pulling your bundle from the bushes, you said a happy goodbye to the place you'd grown up in.

Skipping along the dirt roads through town seemed so much less tiring today. Even the grouchy old librarian greeted you this morning.

The docks were already teeming with people, some just coming into the docks and others preparing to set sail. 

Weaving through the crowds, you spotted Yoyo speaking to the same two men from yesterday, and a third was standing a bit away, looking at a map. The old shopkeeper saw you making your way towards them and waved.

"Y/n! You made it!" She pulled you towards the pirates. Pointing to the two men you saw yesterday, "This is Bambam and this is Yugyeom, I believe you sort of met yesterday." She then pulled you over to the last pirate, "and I'm sure you've figured this out already but this is Captain Jackson!" He bowed politely.

"Nice to meet you, Yoyo told me you're in an abusive situation and you want out?" He sounded nice enough, his voice was even but didn't have very much emotion in it however.

"Yeah, the seamstress isn't very nice to live with. I'll be honest with you though," you glanced at the old woman, "I don't really know what Yoyo has planned. She just told me to meet her here and she had someone she wanted me to meet."

Yoyo gave you a sly look before she explained herself. "Jackson is always willing to help someone in need and I told him what's going on at the shop. He said he'd be willing to take you on as a crew member until you figure out what you want to do." She smiled fondly at you when your mouth flew open in shock. 

“Oh, no, I can’t ask you to do that. I don’t have much money, just this silver the witch gave me to buy silk. I don’t have enough to make it worth your while to keep me.” You were shaking your head, there was no way you could just rely on someone totally and not even pay them. That wasn’t in your character. 

“Well, if you insist on repaying me somehow, the sails on the ship are constantly tearing and we could use someone with better skills to mend them.” Considering all the possibilities and deciding to throw caution to the wind you nodded at Jackson.

“I don’t have any experience mending sails but I’m sure I could learn quickly. I can clean also and I know how to cook. I’ll make sure I earn my keep, you won’t regret it Captain.” You bowed and Yoyo clapped her hands together, obviously excited over her successful plan. 

“You’ll get to travel the world, dear,” She leaned over and nudged your arm, “Might even find a husband out there somewhere!” She snickered when you scrunched your face up at her. 

“Y/N, we’re just about ready to set sail so make sure you have all of your things. If you forget anything we can’t come back.” Jackson was rolling up his map and stuffing it in his jacket. 

“I’ve got everything right here.” You held up your tiny bundle of clothing and the small sack of silver. 

“That’s all you have? There can’t be but a pair of pants and a shirt in there.” He looked almost annoyed at you, like you just decided to only bring a few of your things. 

“This is all I own. This dress I’m wearing, my mothers necklace and a pair of hand me down pants and an old shirt. It’s all we were allowed to have there. Actually the necklace wasn’t allowed but I hid it behind the radiator in my room. It’s all I have left of my family.” The sadness in your voice must have brought some sense to him. 

“I didn’t mean to be so snippy with you. I didn’t realize it was quite that bad.” He turned to one of the men from yesterday, Bambam. “Bam go with her to get her some clothes. Shirts, shoes, a jacket and some pants. Get some extra bolts of material also. She can make whatever she wants with that.” When you thanked him he merely nodded and turned toward what you assumed was his ship. 

You turned around to say thank you and goodbye for now to the old woman who made this possible. She merely pulled you into a hug, telling you to visit with her next time you were in the port. Her eyes were watering when she finally pushed you away, telling you to hurry or the ship would leave without you. Rushing to catch up with the long legged pirate you glanced back to see Yoyo waving you off on your newest adventure. 

It only took about half an hour for Bambam to find you more than enough clothes. It seemed he knew of every clothing shop in the whole marketplace. You were also able to pick out some different dyed fabrics. There was more than enough to make yourself 10 dresses if you wanted to. Dresses you figured weren’t going to be practical on a ship though.

Bambam had been talking you through all the different outfit combinations you could wear the entire time you’d been walking. “This red shirt you should wear with the grey pants and those blue pants really bring out your eyes so you should wear the black or white top with those.” You were only half listening which you felt bad about, but your whole life was about to change so you were a little preoccupied. 

“Once I start sewing some stuff from that cloth we got you can tell me what styles would look good then right?”

“I am the only one on that ship that can give you style advice. The other guys are hopeless! They think brown and brown are their only color options! It’s insane! This one time I switched all of Jackson’s clothes with red stuff you should have seen how mad he was. His face was a red as the clothes! It was awesome until he threatened to throw me overboard. I don’t think he actually would though you know?” 

You had a hard time figuring out how this guy, a talkative, fashionista got along with stoic, stern Jackson. It’s going to be interesting meeting the rest of the crew you supposed. It was nice that Bambam seemed to accept you right away though. Even if his personality was quite different from yours, he was at least trying to make you comfortable. 

The walk back to the ship seemed to go a lot faster thanks to Bambam’s rambling. In no time at all you were walking up the heavy wooden planks, one step closer to freedom at a time. The bundles in your arms seemed to get lighter with every step you took. 

As soon as your foot stepped on the wooden deck of the ship, it felt like you were home. The gentle rocking of the waves seemed to calm your frazzled nerves, the strong smell of salt was therapeutic in a way. Those rolling waves were your new home, the wind fluttering through the sails your new neighbor. The gulls screeching overhead even seemed to be welcoming you, reassuring you that everything was going to be okay. 

From the front of the ship you heard Jackson’s voice shouting orders to the rest of the crew. Bambam lead you down through the cargo hold to a corner where a makeshift bed had been prepared. 

“It’s not the best but Jackson wanted you to have some privacy and we all share the normal bunk area. We rigged a sheet as like a privacy curtain so you can close that up to change and what not. This corner over here is for you to store your stuff and we have a smaller space on deck for mending sails. Oh! I almost forgot,” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small paper wrapped package,” I snuck off when you were trying on that one shirt and I got you a set of sewing needles and some different colored thread. The stuff we use for the sails is pretty heavy duty and I thought it would probably tear your fabric so these will be better.” He smiled, looking proud of himself. 

You could have cried, just for the fact that someone actually thought about something to make your life easier. It seemed like he cared already and you’d only known the man for an hour tops. 

“Thank you so much Bambam! I’ll make you the first shirt out of whatever fabric you want!” The smile on his face only grew while you inspected your new set of needles. 

“I’m glad you like them, I have to go help the crew get the rest of the cargo in but you can stay down here and organize your stuff awhile. I’ll come get you when we get ready to set sail so you can come up on deck and meet everyone else.” Thanking him again, you started unpacking your new possessions with the utmost care, almost afraid of tearing something. These were the first brand new clothes you’d ever owned. 

With everything stored away properly, you pulled your curtain around your new living space and changed into a new set of clothes. You decided on the red shirt and grey pants, much to Bambam’s delight when he came to get you later. 

“Okay so, don’t let any of them intimidate you, if they do go tell Jackson and he’ll take care if it okay? Jaebum and Jinyoung can be scary and Mark also sometimes. They’re nice once you get to know them. Yugyeom, Youngjae and me are all pretty easy going. You already know how Jackson is. He’ll warm up to you in no time though so don’t worry about him. Mark will be excited that you’re a seamstress, he’s the one that’s been stuck on sewing duty recently. He can’t go a few minutes without pricking his fingers, poor old man.”

“There are old men on board? I thought everyone would be closer to your age?” Laughter filled the hallway you were walking down. 

“No, he’s only a few years older than me but he’s the oldest on the ship so we all joke around that he’s the old man around here.” 

“Oh, okay that makes sense.” Finally reaching the deck you found five other pirates lounging around. You assumed Jackson was at the helm, preparing to steer once the ship set off.   

“Okay everyone come and meet our new crew member!” Bambam yelled across the deck so the others could hear him. 

All five pirates got up and moved closer, standing in a line. 

“Okay so, this is the old man Mark, that’s Jaebum, Jinyoung, Youngjae, Yugyeom and of course you know me and Jackson. This is Y/N you guys! She’s escaping this mean old boss lady of hers so she’s with us until she figures out what she wants to do with her new found freedom.” You bowed politely at the rest of the crew, staying closer to Bambam. You got a chorus of mumbled ‘hellos’ and the crew dispersed again, back to whatever they were doing before. 

Your new friend lead you to the railing of the ship and told you to stay there until he came and got you. He said he wanted to make sure you weren’t in the way of any ropes once they let the sails down. 

You were content, staring down over the edge of the ship, watching the waves float gently against the hull. Jackson’s voice startles you when he yells across the ship to let the sails down. The crew scurries into action, ropes are untied and flung to the side, others are tied as the sails roll down until they are catching the wind and bowing forwards. The ship seems to stall for a moment but jumps forward and starts it’s journey towards the setting sun.