✧peachy

San

It was a quiet day on the ship. San was about to fall asleep on the deck hammock, but a sudden shout from above turned his plans around.

"Trouble ahead! Gear up people!" Yunho's voice boomed across the open sea, and they soon sprang into action. It took them about two minutes to gather their supplies as an enemy boat approached them from the front.

There weren't many people who'd mess with the Ateez crew, but Captain Hansung was an ambitious man.

"There you lads are! It's about time I caught you! Come on now little boys, let me show you how it's done!" He shouted.

His Captain, Hongjoong, only smirked.

"Let's go fellas."

It didn't take long for them to throw Hansung along with his crew overboard. The pathetic man yelled after them while trying to swim to safety.

"This isn't over! You hear me?! This won't be the last of me!"

San chuckled, wiping away some sweat that formed on his brow. It was a hot day after all.

"I'd like to see you try!"

The boys decided to explore the enemy ship, taking inventory of the weapons, along with food and drinks. However, as they were about to leave the lower deck, San heard shuffling in the corner. He quickly pulled out his dagger and made his way over.

"Who's there? Your silly Captain is long gone, it's best if you get out."

Then he heard it clearly. The unmistakable sound of someone crying. For some reason, it pulled at his heartstrings. Once he rounded the corner, his eyes softened. There you were, knees pulled towards your chest, shoulders shaking from the sobs raking through your body.

"Hey there... I'm sorry, I must have scared you. Who are you?"

You slowly lifted your head, and San's breath got caught in his throat. You were probably the most beautiful person he's ever seen in his life, and he traveled far and wide with his crew.

There wasn't an answer coming from you, so he crouched down to seem less intimidating.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to know what you're doing here. Are you Hansung's crewmate?"

At the mention of the Captain's name, you stiffened.

You shook your head, coming out of the corner and sitting on your knees in front of San.

"P-Please don't take me to him. I'll do anything, just let me run away. Let me drown for all I care, just please..." You whispered, voice thick with tears.

"Please don't let him take me again."

San's eyes softened. What did that bastard do to you?

He calmly sat down, making you pay attention as he put his dagger back into his pocket.

"See, I won't do anything. And I certainly won't let you go back to that maniac. He's probably still flopping around in the water we just threw him in, so don't worry."

Your eyes widened. Were you finally free?

"I-I can go?"

The gentle man smiled. "Yes, once we reach land, you're free to go. Where are you from?"

You told him the name of your town, and he assured you that was their next destination. You'd have to wait about a week until they get there, but he'd secure you a bed on his ship. After convincing you to get out of your hiding spot, the two of you made your way up. He noticed the slight limp in your step, and he felt sad all of the sudden.

Who in their right mind would take someone like you by force?

San made his way out first, letting the other boys know about the situation. They didn't want to overwhelm you, so they let San take care of everything.

Sometime later, you were sitting on your own bed in a small cabin, arms and legs bandaged up, and a set of San's clothes hanging from your frame. After making sure you were settled, he left you, wishing you a good night. There was still tension in the air, and you knew he'd question you some more about your time with Hansung, and their Captain Hongjoong wanted to talk to you as well.

.

The exhaustion soon took over your body, and you fell into a much needed sleep. There was a faint scent on the clothes, and it made you picture San's face as you closed your eyes.

It wasn't a bad picture at all.

.

When morning came, you were woken up by a knock on the door.

"Y/N? Are you up?"

You slowly lifted yourself and leaned against the wall, making sure you looked a little decent.

"Yeah... You can come in."

San's head peaked into the room, and he smiled at you. Your hair was all over the place, but you looked so sweet in his clothes, it made his heart race.

"Sorry to barge in like this, but we need to talk. Hongjoong said he could wait another day, but he wanted me to come in. Is that okay with you?"

You nodded, patting the spot next to you. He made his way to the bed, sitting down by your legs. He didn't want to get too close, in case you felt apprehensive still.

"So... Want to tell me how you ended up in that asshole's hands?"

A small smile made its way onto your face. Asshole is too light of a word to describe that horrid man.

You cleared your throat, glancing at San.

"Well... He came into my town about a month ago, I think. I worked at a bar, and his crew barged in, taking our money. I thought that was all they wanted, but he grabbed me as well. I tried to get away, but there was no point."

San nodded along, feeling bad about your situation. He had to ask a more delicate question next.

"Did he... Did they... Do anything to you? You know?"

You shook your head, looking at his concerned face. The little furrow of his brows made your heart clench.

"No... They were rough, but they never did anything. I was like a maid to them, but things sometimes got out of hand, especially when they drank. They forgot to lock my door yesterday, that's how I got out, but I heard the noise outside so I stayed hidden."

In the heat of the moment, you placed your hand on top of his, squeezing lightly. His eyes went wide.

"But then you came. I can't thank you enough, San. You saved my life, and you're taking me back home."

His gaze softened, and he turned his palm around to take your hand in his. He gave it a light squeeze, and he loved the way your hands fit together.

"You're welcome. It will be a couple more days until we arrive, so bear with us. We aren't a bad bunch to hang around. Be aware of Wooyoung though, he's a bit rowdy."

You laughed, feeling better all of the sudden. The conversation was light after that, you talking about your home town, San telling you some stories about their journey so far. You felt like you could trust him with your life, which you were doing in a way, and it kind of scared you how fast everything happened.

.

.

In the days following your arrival, you spent all of your time by San's side. After talking to Hongjoong, giving him all of the information you managed to gather during your time with their enemy, he thanked you and told you he'd make sure to speed up the journey as much as possible.

You were currently on the deck, leaning against the railing and gazing out at the sea. The view was incredible as the Sun was slowly setting, and you could see yourself traveling like this in the future. You loved the ocean, you loved seeing those big ships passing by your town. Sometimes you felt jealous about the people on board. You wished you had the chance to travel on your own terms, not by force. Before you could get lost in your thoughts, you felt a pair of hands resting on your shoulders.

"Hey there."

You turned your head and came face to face with San's grin. His smile was one of his best features, and you loved seeing it on him.

You turned around, and he put his arms down.

"Hey San. What's up?"

San placed himself next to you, letting out a sigh.

"Well... We're expected to arrive tomorrow afternoon. I just wanted to tell you to prepare. Once we reach the dock, you're free to leave." His head hung low, and you felt like he there was more he wanted to say, but he stayed silent.

"Oh... That was... Quick, I suppose."

"Yeah, too soon."

Silence enveloped the two of you. There was tension in the air, but neither wanted to continue the conversation. You didn't want to think about home now. There wasn't any special waiting for you there. Your parents died a couple years ago, and you only had two friends. Maybe you could visit them, but other than that, you didn't know what else to do.

San was in an emotional turmoil. He knew the right thing to do would be to let you go, but he felt like he just got you. He didn't want to part from you.

"You know, I once dreamed about travelling on a big ship. Hansung ruined that dream for me, but you brought the joy back, San."

He glanced at you, seeing how you looked out at the sea. Your eyes held so many emotions behind them.

"Y/N..."

You turned towards San, smiling brightly.

"Thank you, San. You're truly an angel."

With that, you took a step towards him, placing a light kiss on his cheek. He didn't even have time to process it, because you made you turned around and made your way down, probably to your room.

You just kissed him, and he stood there like an idiot. How could he mess this up so bad?

.

.

"Y/N, Y/N, look! There it is!" Wooyoung was more excited than you. For some reason, seeing your hometown made you feel uneasy. These were your last moments aboard, and San was nowhere to be found. The other boys gathered around you, joking around and making you miss them already.

Wooyoung's laugh, Hongjoong's stories, Jongho's singing... You were about to part from all of that.

You were about to part from San, and you couldn't even say goodbye properly.

"He's devastated, you know." You turned towards Wooyoung, never seeing the man so serious before.

"What do you mean?" You asked.

"He doesn't want you to leave, but he feels it wouldn't be fair to keep you here."

The shock was so clear on your face, it made Wooyoung laugh.

There wasn't any time to make him explain further, because you reached the dock. The boys hugged you, telling you to have a great life. But you could only think about one of them, and he was nowhere in sight. You turned towards Wooyoung, grabbing his hands.

"Tell him... Tell him that I..."

Wooyoung smiled.

"I know. I'll make sure he knows what an idiot he is."

As you made your way down the steps to the dock, you felt awful. You felt like it wasn't supposed to be like this. Like you were supposed to be...

"Y/N! Wait! Please wait!"

You turned around, seeing San rushing down the steps. He jumped from the last few, running towards you.

"San?"

Before you could question him some more, he silenced you with his lips on yours. His hands grabbed your cheeks, body trembling from excitement.

You were shocked at first, but managed to pull yourself together, wrapping your arms around him.

One of you pulled away first, but you quickly went in for another kiss, and before long the boys were cheering from above.

San somehow managed to push you away enough to look into your eyes and ask you an important question.

"Y/N... Come with me. Stay with me. You... You belong with me, don't you think? Please?"

You hugged him, placing your head on his firm chest.

"Oh San... I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Mingi

"Well, well... Isn't that my favourite pirate?"

"Y/N, I'm the only pirate you know. And lower your voice, please, unless you want to cause me trouble?"

You chuckled, smiling up at Mingi.

"It would be my pleasure to see you being chased after, but not today. Look at what I've got."

You pulled out a big wooden box, opening the lid and turning it towards Mingi. The tall man gasped.

"Wow, you managed to outdo yourself. How can I pick?"

Your and Mingi's story started a year ago when he stumbled upon your jewellery shop on a day off. They'd just arrived to the town, finally having some free time to explore. Mingi loved rings, necklaces, bracelets... Basically anything shiny and expensive. You provided just that. Everything was handmade, and he appreciated the pieces even more after you told him that.

Your craftsmanship was impeccable, and he sometimes sent you precious stones he managed to acquire. You made him custom rings, and now you had a box full of them.

"Hey, I know I'm good, but not that good. Come on now, you're hogging the spot in my shop, people don't come in when they see you."

He chuckled, sifting through the rubies and sapphires.

"Okay, okay. I didn't know you wanted me gone so soon. Who knows when I'll see you again after this?"

Ah, yes. He told you some details about their next journey, and he mentioned how it would be longer than any other they've had. You've gotten used to seeing the gentle giant, and he made your days feel lighter every time he visited. You'd never admit it out loud, but you felt like he knew it already.

There wasn't much for you to do in this town. Apart from your little store, you had no other hobbies or interests. Sometimes you admired Mingi's way of life. He could travel to any place he wanted, and he always came back to you.

Maybe you had a small crush on him, but you knew it was impossible to make anything happen.

"Choose Mingi. If you don't, I'll choose for you."

He smiled, pushing the box towards you.

"Maybe that's a good idea. Pick two."

You knew exactly which two to give him, and he was impressed with your choices.

"Wow, good job princess. How much for the beauties?"

You hoped the blush on your cheeks wasn't extremely visible. You told him a price, but he frowned.

"There is no way they are worth so little. Come on, give it to me straight."

"Mingi, that's the price. Now pay up or give the rings back."

He laughed out loud this time, used to your antics and jokes. He handed over the coins, putting in more than you said, and he refused to take them back.

"Y/N, you deserve even more than this, but I know you won't take it. One day, I'll bring you the most precious stones on this planet, I promise you that."

Your eyes softened, heart already pounding wildly.

"Thank you Mingi. Here, take one more. This one is on the house." You grabbed his palm and placed another ruby ring in it, squeezing it shut with your hand.

His protest were cut off by your hard expression, making no room for him to argue.

"You're truly an angel. Thank you, I'll cherish them forever."

The two of you talked some more before you shood him put. You knew he'd be back tomorrow.

Mingi was up in the clouds for the rest of the day. Not only did he get new rings, he got to see you as well. If there was one thing he loved in life, that was his freedom out at sea. However, he sometimes wondered how things would go with you if he stayed for longer periods of time. He knew he could never stay on land forever, but the connection you had was worth exploring. So, he decided he'd come clean tomorrow. It was high time you knew for he felt, and maybe you'd return his feelings. If not, he could run away for some time to let you forget about it. That was the magic of having a pirate ship.

Once he got back to his crew, Yunho was there waiting for him.

"Hi Romeo, finally got the girl or just some more shiny stones?"

Mingi glared at him. "Ha, ha, very funny. For your information, I got three new shiny stones, and I decided something."

That made Yunho curious. "Oh yeah, what's that?"

His best friend looked excited.

"I'm telling Y/N how I feel about her tomorrow. How about that?" There was a moment of silence before Yunho flung himself onto Mingi.

"Atta boy! Finally!" They jumped around, attracting the attention of their other friends, who soon joined the celebration.

The happiness of the moment was interrupted by a loud bang heard in the distance. The men froze, turning to look at the town. Smoke was forming out in the distance, followed by another loud noise.

Chaos erupted, and there were multiple bangs ringing out in the air.

"What the hell?" Yeosang mumbled.

"Captain, I think we have to leave now. This doesn't look right." Seonghwa said.

Before they could all agree, Mingi's heart stopped. Smoke was coming out of the direction of your shop.

"Oh my God! Y/N! I have to go!"

"Mingi! Wait a second!" Yunho wasn't able to stop him in time, and Mingi rushed down the steps, sprinting towards you.

The other men looked at each other, deciding to go help out as much as they could. It was clearly an ambush, and the town needed them.

Mingi's heart was about to pop out of his chest. What if something happened to you? It wasn't supposed to go like this. Life couldn't ruin this for him.

As he came closer to your shop, he could see the absolute wreck the bombs have caused. His breath stopped when he finally reached your street.

There was glass everywhere, and the door to your shop, as well as the windows, were ruined.

"Y/N! Can you hear me?! Y/N?"

His clawed his way through the enterance, and there you were. Your body was sprawled our on the floor, head bleeding. You were clutching something in your hands, and he felt tears brimming his eyes.

"Y/N? Princess? Come on, you have to get up."

He lifted you into his arms, and you stirred in his embrace.

"M-Mingi? Is that you?" You grabbed at him, trying to crawl closer.

"It's me. You're going to be okay, you understand? You're coming with me." He lifted you up bridal style, and made his way out.

"I'm never leaving you again, got that?"

You nodded, feeling yourself come in and out of consciousness.

"Mingi... I..." You coughed, the wound on your head throbbing.

"Shhh... Don't speak, you're injured. Stay with me princess. You still haven't made me enough jewelry."

You managed to let out a laugh, but winced afterwards.

"You... And your rings..."

.

.

The next time you opened your eyes, you were on a bed, with a hand holding yours. As your vision cleared, you saw Mingi sitting on a chair beside you. He was asleep, his clothes dirty and torn. He probably didn't change after the disaster, and your heart clenched. How long were you out? How long was he sitting there, holding onto you?

You wanted to pull yourself up, but it was difficult to do. Mingi stirred, slowly waking up.

"Y/N? Oh, Y/N!" He stood up, helping you lean against the headboard.

"Are you okay? How's your head? Do you want some water? Yunho! I should call Yunho, he'll check on you."

"Mingi!"

He stopped in his tracks, a foot already out the door.

"Mingi, come here."

He snapped out of it, realising how worn out you were, and he wasn't making it better.

"Sorry... How are you, really?"

You sighed as you watched him return to his chair.

"I'm tired, and my head kills. But I'll be okay. I don't even know what happened."

He grabbed your hand again, caressing it with his fingers.

"Someone attacked the town. It was probably a group of thieves, and they made a lot of damage. We managed to drive them away, and we're on the ship now. I don't know our exact location, I haven't been up since we got here."

You glanced though the window, watching the waves crashing around.

"How long was I out?"

He shrugged. " A day, maybe two. I don't know exactly. It's all kind of jumbled."

As you watched him get lost in his thoughts, you realised something.

"You came back for me."

Mingi's head snapped up, eyes widening.

"What?"

"You came back to get me, even though it was dangerous." You clarified.

He almost looked offended.

"Of course I came back for you? What, did you think I was going to leave you? I could never do that! I love you, don't you get it?"

As if he realised what he'd said, he quickly shut his mouth, looking away.

"You love me?" You managed to say.

It was now or never, Mingi thought. With a deep breath, he continued.

"I love you, Y/N. I truly do."

"I love you too, Mingi."

He stood up and sat beside her on the bed, hand never leaving hers.

"You do? You're not just saying that?"

"Yes, Mingi, I do. I love you and your jewellery obsession. I love your stupid smile, and crooked tooth."

"Hey, don't attack the tooth, he did nothing wrong."

You laughed, trying to come closer to him. He noticed your struggle, so he wrapped his arms around your waist to help you.

"You silly, silly man." With that, you placed your lips on his, and Mingi almost fainted.

He always imagined your first kiss to be amazing, but this was mind-blowing. It was like you were made for each other, and nobody could convince him otherwise.

He never wanted to stop kissing you, but he could tell you were still hurting, so he pulled away.

"Come on princess, down you go. We can do this again once you're rested."

"We can?" You whispered.

"You're mine now, we can do this forever." His crooked tooth made an appearance, and you almost melted.

You realised something in that moment.

"Oh, did you find a box with me?"

He nodded, going over to the cupboard and taking it out.

"Here you go. What's inside?"

"Open and see."

Mingi's breath stopped once he lifted the lid. There was an arrangement of rings inside, each and every one different and unique. They were all made out of the stones he brought you over the months.

"You like them? I spend a lot of time on them, so you kind of have to." You chuckled, nervous about his reaction.

His eyes glanced up at you, gaze intense with emotions. He closed the box before coming over to you again. Without a word, he placed his lips onto yours. The kiss was more intense than the last, as if he couldn't get enough of you.

He pulled away, hands caressing your face.

"Thank you, Y/N. I will cherish them forever."

His lips now met your forehead.

"I'll cherish you forever."

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