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not-majestic-bluenicorn · 3 years

Text

Crescent || Chapter 12

Fandom(s): ATEEZ

AU: Treasure Hunters

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Relationship: Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho

Language: English

Status: Ongoing

Chapter WC: 8,446

Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Torture, Mentions of Slavery more will be added.

Chapter Warnings: Fighting, Blood, Injuries, Mentions of slavery.

Summary:

"The slaves are escaping!" Yelled a man as he turned the corner and saw Seonghwa going up the stairs. At that moment, Seonghwa ran forward and threw all of his weight against the man. He was not going to be dragged back down into the hold.

AO3

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Tagged: @angel0taiyo

It took them about a full day to prepare for everything, and with every passing second, Hongjoong became more and more tense. He wished to just hurry in and save the hostages, but he had to keep the well-being of his crew in mind. They couldn't just jump into battle like that, they had to prepare. As far as he knew, Mingi and Yeosang were making the last few checks to the bomb Mingi had prepared under Yeosang and Jongho's instruction.

Jongho had opted to help save the hostages, since it would probably be easier if Mingi and Yeosang moved by themselves with their guard, since Jongho wasn't really necessary after he had helped determine the attributes of the ship's engine. Hongjoong didn't really want him to participate in the raid, worried about his mental health, but Jongho had been very firm in his decision.

All that was left was to wait until they were at the perfect distance to use warp speed. So Hongjoong was waiting in his quarters, nervously opening and closing his brother's compass. He had never been nervous to lead a team into battle before. Why was he nervous now? Maybe it was because he had come to care a lot about them, because there was never supposed to be any danger but now he was pulling them into it.

He was used to leading soldiers, but now his team was made of so much more than just that. Some of these people didn't even have any sort of military training. Was this the right decision? He knew it was worth risking his life to save the people in the slave trading ship, but was it right to risk the lives of his crew as well? He knew his soldiers would follow him no matter what, he was their prince after all, but what about those who had no idea about his real self?

Yunho walked in right at that moment, and Hongjoong opened and closed his compass one more time. It was almost like he had sensed Hongjoong's nervousness. And to be fair, the captain wouldn't find it weird if his lover had actually sensed something about his attitude. Yunho walked up to him and softly pushed the compass back into Hongjoong's coat pocket, offering his hands instead. Hongjoong squeezed them softly and sighed, comforted by Yunho's presence.

"I don't think I've ever seen my General so nervous before battle," Yunho said, making Hongjoong smile.

"Well, we are doing something illegal after all," Hongjoong chuckled, breathing out slowly.

"I'm pretty sure that's not what worries you," Yunho huffed. "Even as a prince, you've never been quite worried about doing a couple of illegal things."

"I've never done something illegal," Hongjoong frowned.

"You know, except aiding a serial robber to run away from the law, I'm sure you've done nothing illegal," Yunho smirked. Hongjoong shook his head, pouting slightly.

"That's different though, it doesn't apply..." Hongjoong insisted, although he couldn't quite explain why to Yunho.

"Why?" Yunho tilted his head. "Is it because of this Wooyoung guy?" Hongjoong's eyes widened in surprise and Yunho nodded, knowing that he had hit the nail on the head.

"Did you hear me talking about it with Mingi?" Hongjoong asked, remembering that Yunho had been lying next to him at that moment.

"Not all of it, I was pretty asleep still, but I did hear some of the conversation," Yunho nodded. "You don't have to explain it to me now though, I can see you're troubled and you don't know much yourself."

"I really don't..." Hongjoong sighed. "I wish I knew more."

"Aside from that, what is truly worrying you about this fight?" Yunho returned to their previous topic. "I truly have never seen you like this before a battle."

"I'm just scared someone will be injured for my selfish wishes," Hongjoong sighed even more deeply this time. "Not everyone here has fighting experience, I'm throwing them to the wolves."

"You're doing no such thing," Yunho assured him. "It's not selfish to want to help people, you don't even know the specific person that Wooyoung is looking for in that ship, you heard slaves and jumped into action." Hongjoong sighed again and nodded, knowing Yunho was right.

"What about you? How do you feel about the whole ordeal?" Hongjoong looked into Yunho's eyes. "Are you scared?"

"Of course I'm not," Yunho smiled. "Sure, it's not a great memory to relive, but I have you and the crew fighting by my side, I've nothing to be scared of."

"I'd never let something like that happen to you again," Hongjoong smiled back, "thank you for trusting me on this one."

"I want to save them as much as you," Yunho noted. "Gotta share the joy of being rescued by the royal family."

Hongjoong chuckled heartily at Yunho's joke; he felt so much better after speaking to him. He realized that he owed a sense of security to the crew, precisely because some of them didn't know how to fight. They were already willing to help him, so Hongjoong was responsible for making them feel safe and confident that they could pull it off. They saw him as a leader, so he needed to be one. And Hongjoong was certain now that he could do it.

Mingi had already checked the preparations of the bomb five times. Saying he was nervous wasn't nearly enough to express how he was feeling, after all, he knew nothing but the life he had led in his community. In his community, everyone was close to each other and they all saw for the youngsters and cared for their elderly, the sole idea of fighting slave traders had never crossed Mingi's mind.

He couldn't stop shaking, repeating in hushed whispers what Jongho had taught him about The Sailfish's engine hours before. He didn't really need to memorize it, because Yeosang would be there to guide him, but it gave him something to hold onto. Just as he has begun to check the bomb for the sixth time, Yeosang arrives and sits next to him on the floor, stopping Mingi right before he begins.

"I think you've checked it enough times," Yeosang commented.

There was no malice in his voice, but Mingi still felt like he was being reprimanded. He was quick to whisper an apology as he retrieved his hands from the bomb and held them on his lap, pulling and letting go of the fabric of his pants several times. Yeosang observed him for a few silent seconds before smiling softly and looking at Mingi.

"What is worrying you?" Yeosang asked, placing a hand softly over Mingi's right hand.

"Do I seem worried?" Mingi asked with a bit of sarcasm, but his voice came out strangled, and he immediately regretted it. "Sorry, you're right, I'm really nervous right now."

"But why?" Yeosang repeated. "Maybe I can help you ease your worries."

"Well, I've never been in a fight before, I don't know how to fight," Mingi mumbled. "I'm scared of not knowing what to do. Plus, my leg is basically useless, you saw what happened when we were running together in your home planet, I couldn't keep up and I put you in danger when I fell, and-"

"Mingi, breathe..." Yeosang stopped him from rambling on, since he was starting to make little sense. "Okay, let's see... First of all, you're not going to fight, you're going to strategically plant a bomb inside a ship and blow it up, which is your expertise!" He smiled, while Mingi stared perplexed at him.

"Second, your leg is not useless, it helps you walk doesn't it?" Yeosang continued and Mingi nodded slowly. "Third, you got the story wrong, you didn't put me in danger, I put you in danger, since those people wouldn't have chased us if I had kept my hands to myself."

"But-"

"No buts," Yeosang raised a finger. "Your fear of getting hurt during the battle is completely valid, but don't forget our mission isn't to fight, no one wants you to fight, they want you to do what you're best at." Yeosang smiled again, squeezing Mingi's hand. "Plus, I'll be with you the whole time, I'm not the best fighter, but I won't let anything happen to you. I'll protect you, it's a promise."

Mingi stared at Yeosang for the longest time, unable to know what to say. How was someone supposed to reply to such a statement, anyway? He looked away and nodded, softly pulling his hand away so Yeosang couldn't notice how his palms had begun sweating or how fast his pulse was under his skin. If Yeosang did notice, he didn't say anything, and just let go of Mingi without complaint.

Seonghwa struggled to wake up. It had become increasingly more difficult to awaken or stay awake as he was starved by the ship's crew and beat up every other day. The crew had taken him as some sort of punching bag in which to vent their frustrations. Seonghwa was in pain all the time and he was so exhausted his sleep had become dreamless, taking Wooyoung's comforting presence away from him.

Sometimes, another of the hostages would offer him rests of their dinner whenever their captors weren't looking. But the food had become scarce in the last few days, and it was difficult to count the pass of time as the meals became less frequent. Seonghwa still clung to the hope of Wooyoung's words, believing someone would come to save them.

He was still trying to fully wake up and sit on the floor when he heard a commotion upstairs. He didn’t fully process it until the other captives began screaming, huddling together in fear of the unknown. This time, Seonghwa succeeded in forcing himself to sit up, and finally understood that something was happening up in the deck. With his hands chained behind his back, he struggled until he was able to push himself to his knees and then finally stood up.

Dizziness overcame him for a moment and he closed his eyes, taking deep breaths until it passed. He knew that if he fell back down, he would most likely not get to stand up again, and he wanted to know what was going on. Ignoring the screams and cries of fear from the other captives, he approached the door to the hold.

It had been left open and unguarded, as whatever was happening out there seemed to require the attention of all the guards. He painstakingly made his way up to the deck. The sound became louder the more he walked, until it was very clear that there was a fight going on upstairs. Wooyoung was real, and he hadn't lied, someone was going to save them all.

Just as he made his way to another floor, he heard footsteps running towards him. He stopped in the middle of the stairs and took a deep breath. His heart was beating fast, and he mentally prepared himself to fight for his life and for his freedom. At the very least, he could hope that they found him soon and helped him, because he didn't know for how much longer he would be able to go on.

The combination of their surprise apparition with the mock explosives Mingi had prepared were enough to take The Sailfish by surprise. The Crescent stopped slightly above The Sailfish and they quickly jumped on deck one after another. The captain of the enemy ship was quick to sound the alarm and order his men to attack, but their surprise attack was enough to give the rescue team a good head start before they could be stopped.

"Go!" Hongjoong's order was simple, but his crew didn't need more.

He saw through the corner of his eye as Jaeyoung, the soldier appointed to protect Mingi and Yeosang, escorted them towards their objective, and then he had to focus on the battle. They had agreed that, if possible, there should be no victims in order to protect the crew, but Hongjoong had insisted that they should do whatever it took to make it back to The Crescent.

Hongjoong deflected a sword that came his way and quickly advanced, thrusting his sword forward and cutting the man on his side before kicking him away. He could feel Yunho standing next to him as he fought his own battle, offering him protection at the same time. Hongjoong's eyes scanned the deck quickly as often as he could, paying attention to the status of his crew members. He was ready to jump in front of a blade if it meant protecting them.

A fast movement in the corner of his eye alerted him of an incoming attack, and he guarded just in time, stopping a sword centimetres away from his face. Hongjoong grunted as he pushed forward with his own sword. The man pulled away and tried to thrust towards him again, but Hongjoong was faster as he hit the man's hilt with a quick flick of his wrist, disarming him. His sword transformed into a baton and he knocked the man unconscious with a clean hit.

He gave a quick look around and noticed San finishing a fight with another slave trader, not noticing that his back was uncovered and someone was approaching him from behind. Hongjoong ran quickly towards him, not even giving Yunho the opportunity to stop him. He activated the shield on his forearm protector right before jumping in front of the blade, stopping it in time.

"You're unguarded!" Hongjoong yelled at San as he pushed his shield forward. He pressed a button on his forearm twice, causing the shield to disappear and reappear right after, trapping the blade within it. Hongjoong quickly threw his arm to the side and snapped the enemy's blade in half, before hitting him with the hilt of his own sword on the side of his head and knocking him out.

San stared at him in disbelief, and Hongjoong turned to look at him, putting his guard down for a few seconds. San only had a moment to react as he saw someone running towards Hongjoong from behind him. He realized at that moment that he didn't want to kill Hongjoong, nor did he want to let him die, so San pushed him aside and thrusted his sword forward, stabbing the enemy right as he's getting to them.

Hongjoong stared at him and San stared back, breathing hard. It was a terrible moment to realize that he now cared about his mission, but not in the way he should. After Wooyoung's visit to his dreams, he had been terrified, thinking his superiors had found out; he had told himself everyday that he needed to finish it off. He should have let Hongjoong die at that moment. But now he realized he just couldn't, because he was starting to care.

"Watch out!" Yunho yelled and San and Hongjoong turned at the same time, just in time to see a throwing knife bury itself in an enemy's arm as he dropped to the floor in pain, less than a meter away from them. "Stop daydreaming, we're in the middle of a fight!"

"That was amazing San, you just saved my life," Hongjoong said, putting a hand on San's shoulder. "Thank you."

San cursed softly under his breath as he felt a soft blush spread on his face and neck. This was truly a terrible time to realize he cared. Still, he couldn't get distracted now if he didn't want to die, so he joined Hongjoong and pushed through the battle. He would have to work his feelings out later.

"You little piece of shit," the slave trader grumbled as he sat on top of Seonghwa, using his hands to choke him.

Seonghwa felt so weak he didn't have the energy to do anything. He was trying so hard to not pass out, but with his hands tied behind his back, he couldn't even fight to push the man away. He shouldn't have jumped against him, it had been a stupid choice, and now he was going to die and ruin Wooyoung's efforts.

"Get off!" He heard an unfamiliar voice yell, and suddenly the weight on top of him disappeared.

He began taking big gulps of air, desperately trying to bring oxygen to his lungs as he coughed and trashed around. Someone helped him to sit up and guided him through breathing until he managed to calm down. He looked up and saw a young, black haired man sitting next to him. The man was looking at him with worry, but Seonghwa wanted to scream in joy. He was safe.

"Here, the keys," a woman said as she gave the man a set of keys.

The man sat behind him and worked the keys until he managed to unlock Seonghwa's handcuffs. Seonghwa sighed in relief as he brought his arms forward. Moving hurt so much that a few tears sprung to his eyes as he gently massaged his shoulders, trying to make it a little better.

"Are you alone?" The woman asked.

"There's more down in the hold," Seonghwa muttered, voice rough from what had happened earlier.

"I'll stay with him, go look for the others," the man that had saved him gave the keys to the woman and the rest of the crew disappeared downstairs. "Are you okay?"

"Better than I've been in days," Seonghwa sighed, closing his eyes. "Who are you? Did Wooyoung send you?"

The man's face changed when Seonghwa mentioned Wooyoung, showcasing a mix of surprise and tenseness. Seonghwa guessed he was right about the assumption, and that was everything he needed to know. He wished he could see Wooyoung right then, and thank him for giving him hope and fulfilling his promise.

"My name is Jongho," the man answered, still looking surprised. "I guess Wooyoung sent us, I don't know all of the details, to be fair."

"Thank you for saving me," Seonghwa smiled the best he could. He knew he looked terrible and was dirty and bruised, but he was thankful that Jongho wasn't pulling away and instead offered to support him.

"Don't thank me," Jongho smiled back and helped him stand up. "Let's get you out of here."

Yeosang guided Mingi and Jaeyoong through the ship, as he was the most familiar with its structure. They had gone in with the rescue team but had taken different parts early in their trip to the depths of the ship and now they were alone. They could hear the sounds of the battle, but they became less and less apparent the deeper they made it in, until it sounded more like a restless murmur than a fight.

Mingi was gripping the bag which carried the explosive like his life depended on it, which it kind of did. He was extremely nervous about getting things wrong. For obvious reasons, they hadn't been able to test the explosive, and he just didn't have enough confidence to trust that his calculations were correct. For now, he just focused on following Yeosang and tried his best to ignore his worries.

After a few minutes of walking deeper and deeper into the ship, stopping every time they heard suspicious noises and checking around corners, they made it into the engine room. Jaeyoong forced the door open and they quickly made it inside, leaving the door open for a quick escape. They would focus on installing the bomb and activating it. Then they would have to run back to the deck.

Of course, the point of it was to make the explosion their big, dramatic exit. Everyone else needed to time their part of the mission correctly to be able to get out of the ship in time. The explosion wasn't just a way to render the ship useless and prevent the slave traders from following them, but also the distraction they needed to be able to get out. As Mingi thought about it, the pressure he felt increased, and he began to sweat.

"Don't be nervous," Yeosang said next to him, startling him out of it.

"Huh?" Mingi asked, voice shaky.

"Don't be nervous, everything is going to go as planned, I promise," Yeosang repeated, patting Mingi's back. "Here, we gotta install the bombs, we got this."

Mingi nodded and took a deep breath before setting to work. Yeosang had drawn a diagram with Jongho's help on how they had to install the bomb. He calmly guided Mingi through all of the key places as Mingi did what he knew best and set the bomb. Yeosang couldn't help but notice how amazing it was to see Mingi focused on doing something he had confidence in, because as soon as he began to work, his insecurities vanished and he made quick work of the explosives.

Soon enough, Mingi was done and he stood up to admire his work. He felt a thrill run through his spine as he came to the realization of how important his job for that mission was, and he felt proud, because he knew he was doing it right. They checked everything once again to make sure it was all in place, and then Mingi activated the bomb.

"Let's go, we have seven minutes to get to the deck," Mingi said.

Yeosang guided them back towards the main deck. This time they walked faster and a little more carelessly, assuming everyone would be up on the deck trying to fight back the invasion. They encountered the last few members of the rescue team taking the hostages out to the deck and helped them make it to The Crescent as Hongjoong and the fight team pushed back the crew of The Sailfish.

"Move quickly!" Hongjoong ordered, not even looking at them as he pulled a man back from his shirt and stopped him from reaching towards the crew.

They had left someone on board The Crescent so that they could level the ship and make it easy for them to cross. The crew helped the prisoners board the ship and then boarded after them. Yeosang nervously checked his clock as the seconds ticked down to the seven minute mark. Hongjoong ordered the retreat and all of the soldiers began returning to the ship as the front line kept the enemy at bay while they waited for the explosives to go off and give them an opening.

In just a moment, there was the loud sound of an explosion and The Sailfish shook, throwing everyone off their feet. Hongjoong and the rest took that as their signal and they quickly got up and retreated to The Crescent. The crew of The Sailfish was confused and lost from the explosion, which gave them the perfect opportunity to blast off into space, successfully completing the rescue.

There was no time for celebration as they began tending to wounded. Hongjoong quickly checked those who had been in the front line with him; there were some minor injuries here and there, but they had basically made it out unscratched. He went to each member of his crew personally to check on them, and then made sure everyone was gathered at the main deck to give them instructions.

"Okay, I want the crew members to help me take our guests to the infirmary, we must perform an immediate health check to see they're not suffering any complications," Hongjoong instructed. "We don't have enough medical personnel on board, so if you know first aid then please help perform it until we can give them proper attention.

"Once we're sure they're okay, we'll take them to eat a proper meal and get them new clothes, understood?" Hongjoong asked, and everyone shouted their affirmations. "I want to thank everyone for the amazing job you did back there! This wouldn't have been possible without this amazing crew, thank you." Hongjoong bowed deeply, and the crew cheered.

Even those who hadn't been certain at first felt happy about having helped. Hongjoong felt relieved knowing he had been able to save everyone and still bring his crew back to the ship practically unscathed. He knew they wouldn’t be able to get away with things so easily, but for now, he needed to make sure they were all okay. He would push his worries aside and deal with things as they came, there was nothing else he could do.

Once they had taken care of the wounded, and made sure everyone was alright, Jongho went looking for Mingi. He wanted to show him who Seonghwa was, since so far it seemed like only he and Mingi knew his name, and he could only bet Mingi would be worried. He found Mingi sitting by himself by the deck, just looking at everything else unfold in the ship. He seemed tired, and he wondered how his side of the mission had gone.

Jongho sat next to Mingi after making his presence known. Mingi fidgeted a little before smiling and looking at Jongho. He still looked somewhat shaken and nervous, and he guessed it must have been really hard for him to carry out the mission. Jongho smiled and wrapped one arm around Mingi's shoulders, pulling him into a half-embrace that was meant to be reassuring and almost congratulatory.

"Are you alright?" Jongho asked after a little while.

"Yeah, I guess I'm a little bit shaken," Mingi chuckled. "It was quite the experience."

"You did amazing though," Jongho smiled, "it blew up just as planned. You helped us get out of there."

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help," Mingi said. "Your guidance about the ship's build helped a lot."

"Or my help, you know," Yeosang said, startling both of them out of the hug. They hadn't seen him coming. "But like, I understand my contributions weren't as great." He said with feigned indifference sitting right next to Mingi who had suddenly grown tense.

"O-Of course not," Mingi rushed to say, "I wouldn't have been able to do it if you hadn't been there, I-"

"Mingi, I know," Yeosang smiled, stopping him with a simple gesture. "I was just kidding, I'm sorry."

"Oh..." Mingi nodded, understanding.

They settled into a comfortable silence, just observing the rest of the crew move around the deck. No one came to tell them anything, everyone deserved to take their own little breaks here and there, and so they were left to their own devices. Eventually, Mingi fell asleep between the other two, snoring softly here and there.

Jongho pushed his head on top of his shoulder so he could get a little more comfortable. Yeosang observed this and smiled, bringing his legs close to his chest and leaning his head on his knees so he would be able to look at both Mingi and Jongho. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Mingi's sleeping face, so peaceful. Jongho was just looking forward, quietly thinking to himself.

"I think I'm really fortunate," Yeosang mumbled.

"Why do you say so?" Jongho asked. He tried his best not to move much so he wouldn't disturb Mingi.

"Because I'm here, with you, and not back on my planet," Yeosang was still observing both of them. His eyes scanned the bridge of Mingi's nose and the way his eyes fluttered as he dreamed of something. Then they moved towards Jongho, appreciating his side profile.

"You mean here with the crew or...?" Jongho left the open question, a sudden feeling of uncertainty settling in his chest.

"Both," Yeosang said. "Of course I'm grateful to the crew, Captain Hongjoong especially, for taking me in and saving me back there in Tebos." Yeosang raised his head and stretched his arms. "But I'm mostly thankful for being here with you and Mingi, the two of you were the first ones to believe in me and step up for me, so I'm thankful."

Jongho hummed softly in acknowledgment, not knowing what to reply to that, although he knew Yeosang wasn't expecting any sort of reply. They stayed in silence for a few more minutes before Yeosang stood up. For a moment, Jongho thought he would leave and felt like reaching out to stop him. Instead, Yeosang sat next to him.

"Lend me your shoulder," he said, mimicking Mingi's pose.

"Suit yourself," Jongho replied, letting him lean on his left shoulder and fall asleep. And just like that he realized he had forgotten to tell Mingi about Seonghwa, but he guessed that could just wait.

"Okay Hongjoong, you can drop the act," Yunho told him once they were in the privacy of the main quarters.

Hongjoong immediately slumped on a chair and groaned. He made quick work of his coat and shirt, taking them off and dropping them on the floor. His coat was dark, so the blood hadn't been evident, but the white shirt he had been wearing underneath was caked with it. At some point during the fight, one of those bastards had cut his side. He had managed to keep collected all throughout the fight, but of course Yunho had noticed.

"Honestly, I can't believe you decided to check on everyone else first while you were bleeding out," Yunho huffed, bringing another chair to sit next to him and begin checking the wound.

Yunho had taken a first aid kit from the infirmary during Hongjoong's mandatory visit to check on everyone else, since he knew his boyfriend wouldn't like to be treated in public. Hongjoong just grumbled something as he looked at the wound. It was very superficial, and the bleeding made it look worse than it really was, but it did hurt like hell.

"You're lucky this isn't worse, because it could've been." Yunho continued reprimanding him as he grabbed a wet towel and began wiping the blood to make it easier to treat the wound. "You know, your hero complex might be fatal one day."

"You always tell me this," Hongjoong complained, taking deep breaths to avoid yelling because the treatment hurt.

"Because you never listen," Yunho smiled. "But well, I probably wouldn't have fallen in love with you if you weren't so stupidly reckless."

"Can you stop insulting me? I'm wounded!" Hongjoong pouted. Yunho leaned in to kiss his little pout before grabbing the salt water solution and cleaning the wound. "Fuck that hurts," Hongjoong dragged the s, trying to keep himself from swatting Yunho away.

"Patience, I'm almost done..." Yunho carefully cleaned all of the wound before gently drying the area off and grabbing the bandages. "Please stand up."

Hongjoong stood up as ordered and Yunho began to carefully bandage him. The wound was relatively long, but not wide enough to require stitching, nor was it deep enough that they should worry, so a simple bandaging should suffice. It would hurt for a while while it healed, but Hongjoong didn't need a wound to complain about things anyway, so Yunho guessed it wouldn't make much of a difference.

"There we go, done." Yunho patted the bandages softly, on the side opposite to the wound.

The captain quickly draped his arms around Yunho's shoulders and buried his face in his chest, pouting and letting out fake sniffles. Yunho chuckled softly and carefully wrapped his arms around Hongjoong, mindful of his injury. Hongjoong looked up at him and pouted his lips, asking for kisses. Yunho gladly complied.

"Are you alright?" Hongjoong asked, paying attention to Yunho's expressions.

"Yes, nothing but some minor bruises," Yunho nodded. "They'll heal quickly enough."

Hongjoong nodded before going quiet. His mind was still in the battle, thinking about San's actions when he had saved him. Hongjoong had seen him make the decision in that split second, almost like San hadn't been certain about saving him, but when he had, it was almost like something had changed in San. Hongjoong couldn't stop thinking about him, he was worried.

"What is worrying you?" Yunho asked after observing him for a few seconds.

"San," Hongjoong replied with no hesitation, biting his lower lip. "He's been acting a bit strange."

"Go check on him, then." Yunho said, disentangling Hongjoong from himself.

"But I'm spending time with you right now," Hongjoong muttered, only half convinced.

"You're not going to pay proper attention to me unless you go check on him, I know you." Yunho softly flickered his forehead. "Besides, I agree, he's been acting a bit weird, so go check on him."

"Fine, only because you insisted," Hongjoong yielded, giving Yunho one last kiss before leaving the quarters.

It took him a while to find San. He looked for him in the crew's quarters as well as in the infirmary and the dining room, but couldn't find him anywhere. Eventually he ended up looking throughout the whole ship, until he found him sitting on the hold's floor cleaning his own wounds. Hongjoong sat in front of him and grabbed a wet towel, folding it to help wipe his wounds.

"What are you doing?" San asked, stopping as Hongjoong began wiping a wound on the calf of his right leg.

"Helping you tend to your wounds," Hongjoong said simply.

"How did you find me?" San asked again, still frozen in place.

"By looking for you, how else?" Hongjoong scoffed, putting the towel again and grabbing some cottons to wipe the wound with the salt water solution.

"But why?" San insisted, a little defensive.

"You ask too many questions, did you know?" Hongjoong gave him a warning look. "I just wanted to check on you, I'm your captain, I worry."

"Right..." San finally gave in, not wanting to upset Hongjoong. He went back to cleaning a superficial cut on his left arm.

He wasn't that wounded and didn't really need help. He had taken care of worse injuries all by himself before, they had trained him for that after all. He knew how to take care of the worst of injuries, and had helped tend to the people they had rescued before finding a quiet place for himself. He didn't need Hongjoong's help, but it felt nice to have it.

San didn't complain while Hongjoong cleaned and covered his wounds with gauze. He didn't say a thing and just acted compliant until the other was satisfied with his work. Hongjoong's first aid was very clean and precise, and San could tell it wasn't the first time he did something like that. He wondered what horrors had Hongjoong seen in war, if they were too different to the ones he had encountered himself.

"What's up with you these days?" Hongjoong asked once he was done, giving no sign that he was planning to leave.

"What do you mean?" San asked, immediately becoming defensive and giving himself away. Hongjoong was right, something was wrong with him those days, but he couldn't just tell him, could he?

"Well, you yelled at me the other day, and you seem very agitated these days," Honjoong listed out, lifting fingers as if he was counting. "It does make you look a little less cold but you're still pretty much unapproachable.”

San sighed, it was impossible for him to deny that he was acting weird. But how was he supposed to explain to Hongjoong that San had been sent to kill him by a mysterious man and that now he couldn't do it because he had started developing some sort of feelings. He wasn't supposed to feel, not for his victims at least. That was not how he had been built, how he had been trained.

"I just have a lot in my mind these days," San explained. "It's not something you should worry about."

"I won't pressure you into telling me if you don't want to," Hongjoong explained, "but you can't stop me from worrying, you're part of my crew, my family."

"You really don't make things easier, you know?" San groaned, wanting to smash his head against the wall and end with his difficulties.

"Yunho tells me that often," Hongjoong chuckled.

"Well, your boyfriend is right," San huffed. "Why haven't you told the rest of the crew about it, by the way? It's not like you're doing a great job at keeping it secret."

"Well on one side, there was the bet," Hongjoong said, reminding him about the bet they had made on who would ask them first. "But also because we keep our relationship in line when it comes to work, sure we display affection sometimes, but I'm still his boss."

"Isn't that hard?" San asked, resting his head on his hands over his knees.

"Sometimes," Honjoong nodded, "he's a very devoted person. Sometimes he forgets we're equals, and I have to remind him he doesn't have to die for me, you know?"

San nodded, although he didn't actually understand what it meant, wanting to die for someone. He wondered if he ever would. He had been taught to seduce, to pretend, to act out feelings, but he had never learned about what it was to actually feel it. With all he had done, he probably didn't deserve it anyway.

"You're fortunate to have each other," San mumbled, surprising himself with his words, but still getting them out. "I'm kind of envious."

"Don't be," Hongjoong smiled. "One day you'll find someone like that for you, you're a good person San."

His heart skipped a beat and he hid his face in his hands. He wasn't deserving of those words, but Hongjoong didn't know, so he wanted to be selfish and let himself bask in them, just for a moment. He heard Hongjoong stand up and pat his clothes to get rid of the dust. He felt a warm hand pat his hair softly and looked up just for a second, breathless.

"I gotta go check up with our guests to make sure they're doing fine," Hongjoong explained. "See you later."

San watched him march away and cursed Hongjoong in silence, for making everything more difficult for him.

Seonghwa felt so much better after he had been given proper water and food. The shower had taken away all of the dirt and sweat that had settled onto his skin, and the clothes he had been given felt soft and comforting on him. He had been tended to and all his injuries were now bandaged. He did have one broken rib that had already begun to heal, and he guessed he hadn't noticed because he was always in pain.

He had been given a bed in the infirmary along with other victims that were in more drastic conditions like him. He watched as the rest of the ex-captives walked into the infirmary to receive indications from the Captain. Seonghwa had been itching to have a personal talk with Captain Hongjoong, wondering if he also knew about Wooyoung and if he had been the recipient of his cry of help, but he hadn't had the opportunity yet.

"Thank you for being patient and reuniting here with me, I'll be brief." Hongjoong said once he had gotten everyone's attention. "We unfortunately can't return you each individually to your homes, so what we're planning to do is arrive at a commercial planet and help you contact your embassies there so they can guide you home.

"We think a commercial planet would be best since they have the most embassies available," Hongjoong explained, "We're also looking into contacting a non-profit organization that will make things easier with the lack of documentation, so you'll be protected in case something goes wrong."

"We should anchor somewhere in a few days." Yunho added. "For now, just focus on getting your strength back. We also have an intergalactic communication device available, if you would like to try to contact your families."

Seonghwa felt panic. Sure, the plan sounded great for people that wanted to go back home, but he didn't want to return to his family. Despite all that had happened, he didn't want to go back to feeling useless and like a dead-weight all the time. Plus, there was Wooyoung. Seonghwa needed to find him and his best shot was to stay with these people that were somehow connected to the Somnum as well. He couldn't go home.

"Wait, please!" Seonghwa called them.

His voice was still hoarse, but Hongjoong and Yunho heard him and approached him, stopping him from standing up and following them. Seonghwa was still feeling weak, and standing up would have probably been a bad idea. Hongjoong and Yunho looked at him in confusion, not really knowing who he was or what he wanted from them.

"I can't go home," Seonghwa said quickly, trying to explain himself now that he had gotten their attention. "I can't go back there, please don't send me back." He almost begged. Hongjoong and Yunho exchanged a look of confusion.

"Why not?" Yunho asked, looking at Seonghwa suspiciously.

"It's just-" Seonghwa struggled with the words, nor really wanting to tell them what had happened to him back at home. "There's no place for me if I go back."

"Then, would you like us to drop you off somewhere? I'm sure that can be arranged." Hongjoong added, trying to placate Seonghwa, who seemed desperate.

"Can I stay with you?" Seonghwa was quick to ask. He wouldn't be able to find Wooyoung otherwise, since he seemed to be connected to this ship. He needed to stay. "I'll make myself useful. I'm very good with numbers and I have a lot of connections, I can get you deals for anything you need to buy." It wasn't a lie. His father didn't want him to inherit the family business, but that didn't mean Seonghwa hadn't learnt about it.

"Wait a second," Yunho said before pulling Hongjoong aside.

Seonghwa observed them talk, desperate to be accepted into the ship. He didn't want to go home and the slave traders had stolen all his stuff, so he didn't have anything to continue a journey by himself if they didn't let him stay. Still, he knew he was suspicious, since he didn't have anything to prove his identity anymore. Yunho and Hongjoong finished talking and approached him again.

"Okay, you can stay," Hongjoong said. "But we still need to get back your paperwork and identifications, so you're gonna have to help us with that." Seonghwa nodded enthusiastically, relieved that it had worked.

"Thank you so much," Seonghwa sighed, finally feeling like he could rest.

"What's your name, lad?" Hongjoong asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Seonghwa, Captain." He replied firmly, leaving his last name behind.

"Well, welcome to The Crescent, Seonghwa."

San paced around the hold bitterly, mentally preparing himself for the scolding he was going to get. It had been a while since he had last contacted his boss, and he still didn't have good news about the mission he was supposed to be doing. In fact, he only had bad news about it, but of course he couldn't tell his boss that. Despite everything, San was still trying to get out of it alive.

"Hello, code CS-710-28. I assume by your expression that you don't have good news." His boss said as soon as San opened the communication channel.

"My apologies, sir." San said, head down. He knew his apologies were no good, but there was nothing else he could say.

"Right," his boss scoffed. "What was it this time, then? Why haven't you finished it off?"

"We got into a fight with another ship, they were a lot more so I was busy fighting," San explained, "I tried to force him to be uncovered, but Yunho is always by his side, it was impossible." San sighed, the lies flowing out easily like water. "I believe he was injured, but since we're back on the ship he must be getting treated right now."

"You're fucking useless, code CS-710-28." His boss laughed, and San just fixed his eyes on the ground, hopping this would be done quickly. "I'm disappointed in you. You better hurry up with your mission and come back, the Black Room will be waiting for you."

The transmission cut off and San let out a long sigh. He leaned against a wall and let himself slide against it until he was sitting on the floor. Everything was becoming worse and worse for him, now even if he returned victorious, there was a punishment waiting for him. His body shook involuntarily as he remembered the Black Room, and the times he had been in it before.

The Black Room was just like its name promised: a small, squared room with every inch painted in the darkest black he had ever seen. It was cold and dark. It felt like being entombed but with enough space to move and breathe. It was impossible to tell up from down or left from right when you were trapped in it; time didn't pass but it felt like an eternity all the same. San hated the Black Room with all of his being, and he didn't want to go back there.

But as things were, he also didn't want to fulfill his mission. In fact, he didn't want to be part of it at all anymore. Who could seriously want Hongjoong dead? He was the kindest and most selfless person San had ever met. Hongjoong didn't deserve to die, didn't deserve to have an invisible price tag over his head. The thing was that if San didn't carry out the mission, someone else would, and they probably wouldn't hesitate like him. He needed to do something.

He needed to discover who was behind all of this.

Wooyoung had been waiting nervously for who knows how long, hoping someone would go to sleep soon so he could visit them and see how Seonghwa was doing. He waited until he couldn't wait anymore, and then tried to go to sleep. Wooyoung tried to visit Seonghwa's dreams first, and although he could feel him sleeping, Seonghwa was so exhausted that he wasn't dreaming, and Wooyoung couldn't reach him.

He decided to try with Mingi instead, who knew who Seonghwa was. It didn't take him long to find Mingi, already used to visiting him in dreams. When he appeared, Mingi greeted him with a warm smile, and Wooyoung immediately ran to hug him, happy to see that he was all in once piece. Mingi received him with open arms, albeit a little confused and embarrassed for the sudden display of affection.

"I was so worried!" Wooyoung exclaimed, hugging Mingi tight. "I knew everything would go well but I was still so nervous that my visions had maybe failed me, or something."

"We're fine!" Mingi was quick to reassure him. "Sure, there were a few injuries, but we all returned safe and sound, and we rescued all of the slaves."

"I'm so glad," Wooyoung sighed, relieved, still very much clinging to Mingi. "Have you seen Seonghwa yet, is he okay?"

"Actually..." Mingi's voice lowered. He had completely forgotten to look for Seonghwa because he had spent his time with Jongho and Yeosang instead, how embarrassing! "I still don't know who he is?" Wooyoung looked at him in surprise.

"Why not?" With how curious Mingi had been about everything Wooyoung had told him, he had expected him to go looking for Seonghwa already.

"Well..." Mingi tried to think of a lie, something he could say to evade the answer. "I was distracted with someone- I mean! Something! I was distracted with something else!"

"Let me guess, Yeosang and Jongho?" Wooyoung grinned, enjoying the way Mingi's neck and face turned all red.

"This is unfair!" Mingi complained. "Why did you ask if you knew already?"

"I didn't!" Wooyoung laughed. "You just confirmed it for me. I was guessing based on your dreams and my visions."

"Ugh." Mingi frowned. "I hate you." Yet, his arms were still wrapped around Wooyoung's middle.

"Sure, sure." Wooyoung smiled. "There's nothing bad with it, you know?"

Mingi just shrugged, not really wanting to talk about his potential crush on two of his crew members who probably didn't think as highly of him. He was content with their friendship, even if it was quite hard to be around them without his heart feeling like it was going to explode like one of his bombs. He could take it, though.

"I saw what you did in one of my visions, by the way," Wooyoung continued, this time his voice wasn't teasing, it was sincere. "I'm really thankful that you listened to me when I asked you to rescue Seonghwa. Thank you for being brave and telling Hongjoong, and thank you for getting into that ship and blowing it up."

"I didn't do much..." Mingi shrugged, a little embarrassed.

"You did a lot, they wouldn't have been able to get out without your help," Wooyoung smiled. "You were so cool back there too, installing the bomb and taking care that you all got out in time."

"Stop," Mingi blushed once again. "It's embarrassing when you say it like this."

"Like this how?" Wooyoung tilted his head. "All close and personal?"

Mingi let out a little unintentional squeak as he felt Wooyoung's arms tighten around his neck. Wooyoung let out a hearty laugh before standing on the tips of his toes and pressing a soft kiss to Mingi's cheek. Mingi squeaked again and took a step back, tripping. They never hit the floor, and instead just hovered softly a few feet from the floor. Mingi looked around and saw they were floating, and immediately turned to look at Wooyoung.

"Are you doing this?" He asked, hesitant.

"Yeah," Wooyoung nodded.

He was still holding onto Mingi, arms around his neck. The position had brought their faces closer, and they couldn't help but just stare at each other, hearts racing. Mingi couldn't remember ever being so close to someone, to the point that he could feel Wooyoung's breath like a ghost on the skin of his chin.

"I think..." Wooyoung breathed out, eyes briefly glancing at Mingi's lips before darting back up. "I should go now."

Wooyoung didn't give Mingi time to protest. He disappeared, leaving Mingi with arms held up where he had been hugging Wooyoung's back. He was still floating, looking up at nothing as his heart pounded fast inside his chest. Mingi was certain he was going to lose his head if he kept collecting crushes like he was picking flowers out in the field.

#kwritersworldnet #kdiarynet #kpopscape #8makes1teamnet #ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez fic #ateez fanfiction #atz #kpop #kpop fanfic #kpop fic #kpop fanfiction #crescent #bluenicorn writes

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j-ojoxiii · 5 years

Text

Follow Me || Hongjoong (ATEEZ)

Pairing: Mad Hatter! Hongjoong x reader

Genre: Fluff, some angst

Warnings: none

Summary: In a world far different and far darker from your own, you find your light in a man who everyone calls “Mad”.

Notes: Inspired by the song “Follow Me Down” by 3OH!3 //Highly recommend

(Y/N) = Your Name

Total word count: 1,766

“Where am I?”

You were lost. Horribly lost in a world you had never seen before. Animals and flowers talked, drinks and food could change your height, dangerous beast in strange places. In other words, this was a nightmare if you had seen any.

Nothing felt safe. You had met the White Rabbit and he made it feel like one wrong turn could lead to death. The Red Queen was proof that the Rabbit could very well have been correct. You barely escaped her with your head on your shoulders. It was like everything in Wonderland was out to get you.

You were currently on your way to seek solace in the court of the White Queen. You had heard that she had kindness like no other. You wanted to be safe again after days of running. You hadn’t found a way out of Wonderland, so you wanted to be safe with her. Even if you never found a way out.

“(Y/N)…”

You whipped your head in every direction after hearing something whisper your name. There was no one around for miles in the dark and tangled forest.

“(Y/N)...”

“C-Cheshire, is that you? This isn’t funny…Come out.”

You had met the Cheshire Cat a few times before and you knew that he was rather playful. He liked to disappear and leave you guessing. But it couldn’t have been him, now, could it? He would have shown up by now—or at least spoken as he seemed to love the sound of his own voice.

Your name was called a few more times and you realized that it was coming past the tree line. You edged closer, leaving the path to see if there was something. Indeed, there was.

Many dark shapes moved in the underbrush, eyes glowing in the mist, and odd shapes protruding off of them. They looked like tree roots from first glance, but they looked terrifying closer up. None of them looked to be friendly with how they snapped their jaws and attempted to charge you, menacing growls passing their mouths.

You knew that you needed to run, but your legs wouldn’t obey. Nothing would. You were going to die.

A louder, more sudden noise caught your and the monsters’ attention as something seemed to be crashing through the foliage. The shape of whatever it was appeared humanoid and colorful; a stark contrast to everything around it.

A young man came into view at a rapid speed. He grabbed your arm and yelled a hurried “Follow me” before tugging you along back down the path.

Together, the two of you ran as fast as you could as the creatures trailed behind with a chorus of wailing to remind you of the threat they posed. You wanted to close your eyes and then wake up from this dream. You wanted to go home and forget the horrors of Wonderland.

Forever seemed to pass before you both came to a stop, finally safe from the creatures that had tried to follow. You were out of the forest and the beasts had given up.

You collapsed to the ground, your body burning and begging to rest.

“Are you alright?” Asked the young man with concern in his voice.

You lifted your eyes to finally take a good look at him. He looked around your age, youthful features that said he couldn’t be much older than early 20’s. He had bright red hair and two-toned eyes, colorful clothes, and a top hat. It was a rather…eclectic look, but it worked for him.

“You don’t seem injured…” He said as he took it upon himself to inspect you as you were still rendered speechless.

“What…were those?” You finally croaked out, air still finding its way back into your lungs.

The man paused and hummed softly to himself, his eyes softening considerably when he looked back up at you. You wondered if he could see through you.

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

You shook your head “no” in response. To him, you were the cutest thing he had ever seen. He found himself wanting to take care of you and to keep you safe. How else would you survive?

“They were Boojums. Horrid things. You would have disappeared had I not found you.”

“Thank you, I suppose.”

He grinned, seeming proud of himself to doing something so heroic.

“Why, yes. Now, let’s get you to where you’re heading. To which way?”

He gestured to the split path ahead that would either take you to the White Palace or to somewhere else you had not intended to go.

“I’m going to the White Queen’s Palace.” You said softly.

“Ah. Follow me.”

What comforted you the most in your time in this odd place was his smile. It was so warm and welcoming and, in a way, safe.

From there, he was your travelling companion. At first you were unsure of the young man, but he soon made you rethink that. He was sweeter than sugar and he loved to make you laugh. Sometimes, he’d purposefully make a fool of himself at an impromptu teatime just to see you smile—especially if something had scared you. You liked it best when he sang to you because his voice was enough to calm your nerves. That, and his ears would always tinge with pink when you asked.

You had learned that he was known as the “Mad Hatter” and that his real name was Hongjoong. You personally liked his real name better and you didn’t know it, but he loved it when you said it. He loved you, really.

You had also learned that you had gotten off the path at some point and so the two of you had to find a new way to get to the Palace. Some of the route was dangerous, but he was there to lead you through it with a determined “Follow me” before you both hurried forward.

Arriving at the palace was a happy time. You could finally relax, and everyone greeted you as one of their own. Well, it was happy until it was time for Hongjoong to part ways. He couldn’t stay as the Palace wasn’t a place here he felt like he could belong. Everyone was quiet and he was a chaotic ray of sunshine. Never had you been so sad.

He spent a while with you, tucked away somewhere quiet so the two of you could say your goodbyes. It was the first time you really saw him frown with sadness. You had seen him worry or upset, but never sad. He didn’t want to leave you, but he did. He left you with a gentle kiss and a “take care, love” before he was gone from your side.

It had been weeks since you saw the Hatter. You missed him greatly and you wished for nothing more than to see him again. You had spent countless nights waiting on the balcony of your room, hoping to see him coming down the long path to the Palace. Your worries about the dangers of Wonderland were replaced with worries about him. Was he safe? Did he miss you like you missed him? There was no way to tell.

Your sleep had been restless, and you often forgot that coming out of your room was an option. The Queen took it upon herself to look after you. She was kind enough to take time out of her day to comfort you. She became a great friend to you. You could tell her anything and she’d do what she could to make it better. You couldn’t thank her enough.

Just when you had started to give up on the possibility that you would never see Hongjoong again, you were proven wrong.

It had been a beautiful day out and you decided that a stroll through the Queen’s garden would do you some good. It was peaceful and serene, much like the rest of the castle, but this was even more so. You often came out here to think and it really helped.

That peace came to a halt when you reached the veranda. Why?

You saw him.

Hongjoong stood with his back to you, dressed in his colorful clothing, and tending to the flowers that grew in their hanging pots. He didn’t seem to notice you but when he did, his smile was blinding.

“Hello, love.” He said softly, his smile making obvious that he was beyond happy to see you in good health.

You didn’t say anything. Instead, you ran to him and launched yourself into his awaiting arms. His hug was tight and secure. He spun you once, the both of you laughing as you went. Gosh, you missed his laugh.

“I missed you.” You finally said into his shoulder.

He stroked your hair and pressed little kisses to your hairline. Such little gestures made your heart flutter.

“I missed you, too, my dearest (Y/N). Far more than you could imagine.”

The two of you stood in each other’s arms for who knows how long until he pulled away to see you. His eyes held the stars in them, leaving you wishing that you could always look into them. Those two-toned eyes closed before soft lips captured your own. You knew in that moment that he was yours just like you were his.

When it came time for him to leave again, he didn’t go alone. You wouldn’t allow it. You had set aside your fears of the world outside the Palace and put your trust in him. You knew he’d protect you and you dreaded to let him go away without you again. He was all for the idea.

“Are you sure, my dear?” He had asked, his hand holding onto yours. In a way, he feared you would turn back.

“I’m sure. Wherever you are is where I want to be.” Was your reply.

The Hatter gave a laugh and laced your fingers with his. His lips pulled back into that beautiful smile of his and his eyes formed into little crescents; happiness in its purest form.

Hongjoong leaned down and pressed his lips to the corner of your mouth before the two of you began your journey to who knows where.

“Follow me.”

//Yet another one of my babies <3 I swear I’m loyal to Seonghwa...But Hongjoong...KHAGSRKVAGWEKJGRAKEVSJGRAL

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