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yerimacoustic · 1 month ago

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𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙚 ( 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪 )

part summary : the first day on the amaranthe, the largest ship on the world’s most reclusive cruise line, proves to be one for the books.

chapter content warnings : s coups x reader, mingyu x reader, photographer!reader, security guard!s coups, bartender!mingyu, love triangle, angst, fluff, suggestive content near the end, lots of swearing, pining, mentions of alcohol, anxiety around water, social anxiety, customer service things, rich people are jerks. 8k wc!

author notes : please like and reblog if you enjoy and keep up with the rest of the series ( masterlist here )

join my taglist : @02shuuu @smiileflower @tokitosun

the salty sea air was oddly soothing every time you took a deep breath through your nose. the amaranthe hadn’t even left the dock yet and your heart was ready to burst from your chest completely. the excitement that came with a much needed change of scenery mixed with anxiety of water travel seemed to provoke your increased heart rate.

you’d never been on a cruise before. in fact, most of your memories with the water involved canoeing or kayaking on the lake in your youth, the wobbling from the tiny boats heightening your anxiety. come to think of it, you weren’t exactly sure why you’d taken the job as a cruise line photographer. after all, you could only reassure yourself so many times that the 200,000 ton ship was highly unlikely to sink.

besides.. you weren’t one to complain about free food, drinks and a chance to finally see the caribbean.

with the pink and blue patterned strap around your neck, you held on securely to your camera with both hands. one advantage of being a staff member (technically) was boarding the boat and getting situated before anyone else. waivers had been signed, allowing you to snap beautiful candid shots of every aloof and eccentric guest boarding the large ship.

you’d never seen so many chanel pantsuits in your life. or giant hats, for that matter. a few guests nodded towards you with decently friendly smiles, a few ignored you. one man, whom you immediately recognized from countless newspaper headlines and good morning america appearances, caught one tiny glimpse of you with a camera in your hand and glared harshly after the flash’s impact barely reached his eyes.

“delete that,” he barked at you.

you chuckled nervously, feeling your heart drop to your stomach. “what?”

“delete that. right now.”

you could have argued with him. you could have chewed him out for signing a waiver he clearly didn’t properly read through. you could have pleaded with him not to yell at you, someone who was just doing their job. hell, even a simple explanation for his hostility would have satisfied you. yet.. the sight of his insufferable friends laughing sleazily at the exchange was a righteous contender for your most embarrassing moment of all time.

so you complied. you stepped closer, showing him the perfectly timed photo on your tiny screen. his eyes were narrowed in your direction, his knuckles white around his large suitcase- you would’ve laughed if he wasn’t currently breathing over your shoulder. you quickly deleted it, the previous guest’s photo taking its place on the tiny screen.

“there. it’s gone.” you looked back towards him, managing a decent enough smile with false sympathy. “i’m really sorry about that, mr. carlisle-”

he grumbled in response, leading the rest of his team further onto the ship. snickers and guffaws filled the air as they shuffled through the main hall, only furthering the aching sensation in your chest and giving rise to a dry, awful taste in your mouth. years spent working in customer service clearly had done little to train you for a little berating every now and then.

“i wouldn’t think too much of it.”

a gentle voice behind you captured your attention, shocking you away from your trance and prompting you to whip your head back. a man with jet black hair to his neck and a modest button down shirt stood not too far away from you, his features angelic and his smile laced with the utmost sympathy.

you chuckled and shrugged your shoulders dismissively. “i guess you’re right. i should’ve known some of these guys couldn’t be bothered to read the fine print.”

“especially not carlisle,” he chuckled, a knowing smirk twisting his pouty lips.

you raised an eyebrow, stuttering as you asked, “you know him?”

he brushed off your apologetic expression with a nod, explaining, “i’ve been working with him for a while now, yeah. i recently got promoted to the rank of senior salesman at his company. so.. i guess you could say i know better than anyone that he can be..”

“arrogant?” you offered, snickering.

“i was gonna say a bit of a dickhead, but that works too,” he laughed, and it must have been the most infectious sound you’d heard. he extended his hand, a silent offer for you to do the same. “jeonghan.”

“y/n,” you cautiously let go of your camera in favor of shaking his hand, offering another smile of gratitude. it wasn’t long before the kodak found its way in the security of both of your palms. “i should get back to it, but.. it was nice meeting you.”

“yeah, see you around.”

he left your side but his presence seemed to linger.. there was something about the young stranger that was incredibly captivating. the mysterious knowledge in his large eyes, the smirk that seemed to be fixed upon his lips.. he looked, for lack of a better word, quite devilish. but in the best way possible. you’d love to spend even just five minutes with him and attempt to pick his brain apart.

eventually, the withdrawn captain announced that the boat would be leaving the port very soon. your expensive camera, being the top priority, lingered around your neck without your hands leaving either side of it for even a split second. you found the closest empty seat (a barstool, which was a lot less desirable), trying to think about anything besides the fact that in just a moment or two, you would be stranded in the middle of the sea with a bunch of snobby, uptight strangers. at least the ship had enough buoyancy not to rock just as you remembered the tiny canoe from decades earlier had.

everything’s fine, everything’s just fine…

you must have taken to audibly reassuring yourself this time around because a faint chuckle sounded from behind the bar. as you hurriedly lifted your chin, you weren’t sure how you hadn’t noticed the bartender until now; he was handsome. so, so incredibly handsome. he didn’t even seem real.

he was tall with beautiful tanned skin and short jet black hair. he wore a dark polo, accentuating his broad shoulders and biceps.. you couldn’t help but stare as he shook the cocktail bottle vigorously. he went wide eyed when you caught him in his gentle, quiet fit of laughter, resembling a deer in headlights.

“oh- sorry, i didn’t-“

“no, no it’s fine,” you laughed, feeling blood rush to your cheeks and hoping to hell that your smile didn’t look too idiotic. “is it obvious i’ve never been on a boat before?”

he raised his eyebrows, surprise taking over his features. “never?”

you shook your head, smiling hesitantly and sheepishly. “no. i mean, i’ve been to the lake as a kid, of course but- i’ve tried to stay far away from the ocean. until now, i guess.”

he nodded with a bright smile, pouring another guest’s drink into a frighteningly large martini glass and setting it aside. then he devoted his full attention to you, wide eyes filled with warmth and.. dare i say curiosity. normally, this particular bartender prided himself upon his exemplary customer service.. but normally he was never gifted with a pleasant distraction. the least he could do was chat with you, at least for a little while.

“so.. what’s someone with a crippling fear of the ocean doing on a cruise ship?” he asked with a gentle laugh.

“good question,” you snickered, holding up your camera. “i was hired to take some photos for the line this week. i guess.. rich people anywhere means good publicity.”

he nodded again in understanding. “is it worth the seasickness, though?”

you pressed your lips to a thin line- the possibility of dabbling in seasickness somehow never crossed your mind. “maybe.. but i mean- i’m basically being paid to go on vacation so i’m not complaining. i’m sure you understand. it must be really cool, working as a bartender on a cruise ship.”

he chuckled again, bowing his head for just a moment and pondering. suddenly the space, the bar, between the two of you seemed too prominent. too much of a reminder that technically speaking, both of you were still on the clock. “hmm… i guess i’ve been on this boat too long to call it a vacation at this point.”

“really?” you chuckled in disbelief.

“i mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s still really cool. i get to travel a lot, see places i never thought i’d see.. but-“ he paused, briefly tilting his head to the side and biting his cheek. “i don’t know. maybe that’s how disneyland employees feel. the magic’s not really.. yours.”

you understood where he was coming from. after all, the luxuries on the ship weren’t really his to enjoy.. sure he got free meals, drinks and a decent enough view of the water from the bar. but the activities, the sunbathing, the leisure in and of itself didn’t belong to him. it could always be worse, of course. or.. so he kept telling himself.

“you know how they call them cast members? not employees?” you chuckled, watching the man in front of you smile giddily at your response. “do they call you guys anything special?”

he shook his head and you couldn’t help the snicker that escaped your lips. he was so charming without even trying too hard, so funny without so much as a word.. no one had been able to bring that same heat to your cheeks or that giddy smile to your lips in quite a while. you quickly found yourself wanting to chase that feeling..

“i have no idea what they’d call us anyways. sailors?”

“good point.”

you bowed your head, suddenly feeling quite bashful. both of you sat in silence for a moment while you inwardly berated yourself and searched for another conversation starter. really you were desperate to keep talking with him. he was so.. so cute that you couldn’t pull yourself away.

luckily, he spoke first. he pointed towards your camera, a small towel still in his hand. “is that a kodak?”

you perked up upon hearing his voice, more so the genuine curiosity laced within his words. you quickly nodded your head, feeling all the more flustered since he’d shined the spotlight on you, so to speak. and his curiosity felt.. real. like he wasn’t just making conversation to pass the time.

maybe you were reading into things too much, but you replied with a beam, anyways. “yes. i’ve been saving up for one for a really long time. glad i finally get to use it.”

“it looks really cool,” he noted with a tilt of his head. “i’d love to see more of your work sometime..”

“yeah, that would be awesome. and.. i’ll be taking a lot this week so i’ll be sure to show them to you, maybe get your stamp of approval.”

the bartender chuckled again, surprised at how he felt so comfortable around you in a matter of minutes. he stared at you for a moment through curled lashes, maintaining that bright, vibrant smile. once he finally seemed to catch himself staring, he cleared his throat and snickered. “yeah! yeah, absolutely. keep me updated.”

“perfect.”

another pause of silence.. but oddly enough, this didn’t feel awkward. neither of you felt pressured to speak up next, the strong, aching feelings that customized natural anxiety around strangers melting away. was it truly so crazy to feel so comfortable around someone you just met?

he was the first to speak up, his gentle voice lowered. “do you want a drink? on the house?”

you were quick to shake your head, grinning. “no, thanks. i probably shouldn’t drink on the job.”

he laughed again, just a little harder than you expected. it was charming, of course. “we’ve got more than just alcohol, you know. we got iced tea, coffee, bottled water..”

you chuckled, listening to his voice trail off and watching his head tilt to the side. he resembled a puppy in every sense of the word; his friendliness, his enthusiasm.. really, the bartending position suited him so well. you wouldn’t have been surprised if he, alone, contributed to a majority of the line’s great reviews.

however, you would soon learn that he had a horrible habit of getting distracted (and would soon feel guilty knowing that you were the main cause of it). someone to your right cleared their throat, terribly loudly at that, startling the two of you and even causing the brawny man across the bar to jump a little bit. you whipped your head in the direction of the untimely cough, preparing an apology before a frown tugged at your lips.

for who else would have been the suspect if not the particularly rude man from earlier?

you felt that you didn’t owe him another apology. you watched in silence as the bartender’s smile fell from his lips, which were pressed to a thin line as he stepped closer to mr. carlisle’s seat. he kept his voice quiet, afraid the man would take offence to any tone even an octave higher. “sorry..how can i help you?”

the man sat a few stools away from you, his prideful exuberance filled to the brim and positively dripping with condescension and self-importance. even the knowing, cocky smile that tugged at his thin lips made you want to reach across the bar and slap it off on your new friend’s behalf. however, a small part of you found the change of expression in the older man’s irises fascinating, witnessing, in real time, a realization hit him.

“mingyu?” he asked in disbelief, chuckling in a manner that made your skin crawl. you hated the way the handsome man’s name sounded coming from this other horrible man’s lips. “well.. isn’t this rich?”

the bartender stayed silent for a moment, clenching his sharp jawline. immediately, you were filled with dread and confusion.. evidently, these two had a really terrible history.

the older man barked out another laugh that would have startled you if you weren’t watching mingyu so intently for a reaction. you were quick to empathize with him, of course, your heart aching at the sight of such a lively man appearing to feel so dejected in the blink of an eye. you, obviously, were the only one who shared that sentiment.

“i gotta say- of all the places i imagined you washing up, i never pictured seeing you here. taking orders for a living, once again.. but i guess if the shoe fits, wear it. right?”

mingyu didn’t dare to look in carlisle’s eyes. he felt blinded, overcome with rage as he stared at the marbled bartop, the combined sound of clinking glasses and muzak playing through the speakers growing muffled as he focused only on his slowing heartbeat. “i didn’t come here for that,” he bit back miserably.

carlisle’s ever present laugh annoyed you for multiple reasons, the sound like nails on a chalkboard. “no, no, i get it,” he ‘reassured’ him, the condescension in his voice palpable. “after you left us, obviously you must have been desperate. it’s completely understandable. gotta pay the bills somehow.”

mingyu refused to look up, even as annoyance filled his voice. “i didn’t leave.”

you finally chimed in, having had enough of witnessing such blatant entitlement. “excuse me, are you gonna just shut up and buy a drink or keep harassing the poor guy?”

he seemed taken aback by your words, by the challenge. as if it was such a rare occasion for him to be put in his place. carlisle quickly brushed off the flustered sentiments, biting back, “or what, you’ll snap a few more photos of me without my permission?”

“yeah, i just might,” you snapped.

“oh, alright! then i’ll just toss that shitty camera of yours overboard.”

it was your turn to laugh, the surge of newfound confidence unfamiliar yet.. incredibly alluring. quite the contrast from your encounter with carlisle earlier. “i’d like to see you fucking try.”

he rose to his feet and your hands instinctively fell to shield the camera resting on the bartop in front of you. mingyu drew in a deep breath, parting his lips to throw in an interjection before someone beat him to the punch. another man dressed similarly to mingyu but donned with a radio and a bright gold badge stepped between the barstools, effectively putting much needed distance between you and carlisle and blocking the sleazy old man from your line of vision.

the way he seemingly blipped between the two of you felt supernatural. one blink and he was there, hands resting on his hips. oddly enough, despite the circumstances, you weren’t unhappy to see your long lost love standing beside you, his authoritative presence immediately defusing the situation. what were the odds..

“everything alright over here?” the guard asked, looking from you, to carlisle, and then back to you again. as the words left his lips, you couldn’t recall a time you’d felt more shame; you were never one to cause a ruckus. and for him, of all people, to notice and step in?

you were quick to chime in, ignoring your flustered state, ignoring his notable performance (how could he pretend so easily not to know you?). “not really. this man’s being really rude to my friend so i asked him politely to stop.”

friend?

mingyu tried not to let the one beautiful yet inconsequential word, your gentle phrasing, echo throughout his mind for too long. biting back a tiny smile, he quickly shook his head, effectively tousling his gentle curls. “it’s fine, seungcheol.”

he hummed, seeming thoroughly unconvinced. especially considering you, of all people, were behind the altercation. for as long as he’d known you, you never proved to be one to cause a scene.. whatever this man was telling mingyu, a man whom seungcheol had only worked with on two previous occasions, must have been terrible for you to put a man with power and influence in his place.

he turned his attention to carlisle, whose face was beet red with frustration; he appeared to have been holding his breath out of spite. he seemed unbothered by the esteemed patron’s demeanor, his own expression blank as he instructed, “just.. keep your thoughts to yourself, okay, pal? don’t want to agitate the guy handling your drinks on the first day of the cruise. or disturb any of the other guests, for that matter.”

carlisle furrowed his eyebrows, scoffing. “seriously? why aren’t you getting mad at him?”

“because from the looks of it, he hasn’t even made you a drink yet and you clearly have no reason to be provoked by him.”

“i think that speaks more to the insubordination of the crew,” carlisle huffed. “maybe i’ll have a little chat with your superior.”

seungcheol chuckled shortly, folding his arms across his broad chest. “go ahead. he’ll tell you the same thing i told you.” he paused, picking up his radio and showing it off to the older man. “i could call him over here, if you want?”

carlisle gazed at the radio in his hand, as if to be seriously contemplating seungcheol’s ‘offer.’ he avoided your gaze, opting instead to stare daggers at mingyu. then, he finally spoke, his words filling you with so much more rage than you thought possible, “just.. make me an old fashioned.”

seungcheol chuckled bitterly as mingyu got to work, snapping the tiny mouthpiece back into place. “good choice. and if i were you, i’d keep the threatening remarks to a minimum, too.”

he walked off with a dismissive nod of his head, leaving you dumbfounded and slightly.. hurt. not for the first time.. you looked towards mingyu, telling him you’d return shortly, before following seungcheol out of the dining area and around the corner. god he was just as handsome as you remembered. his hair was still long and wavy, somehow he’d gained even more muscle during your time apart, though he was still just as tall. and god it angered you..

you called out to him before you could fully comprehend the fact that you were standing not five feet behind him. especially after he’d left you unsure if seeing him ever again was at all a possibility.

“hey.”

he stopped in his tracks, pausing before turning on his heel to face you. his expression remained somewhat stoic, emotionless as he gaze slowly shifted from your head to your toes. then... it seemed to finally catch up to him. “y/n? what are the chances?”

“apparently, pretty high,” you retorted.

he scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “i guess so.”

you hated how awkward things had become between the two of you. how both of you seemed to forget all about your time together, how it felt like meeting just another acquaintance. the exchange with him earlier only added salt to the wound, allowing him to see you in an unflattering light.

he kept his distance as he spoke, not just physically speaking. even his tone suggested indifference of a sort. “so.. what are you doing here? besides starting fights with random strangers.”

“that wasn’t what you think,” you sighed, glancing down once more at the camera in your hands. “but i’m here to take pictures for the website. i’m a professional photographer now.”

“right..” he hummed in response, briefly turning his attention to the camera. he furrowed his eyebrows and you couldn’t help but wonder if he was struggling to remember your mentioning of an interest in photography. “well.. just try to be more careful next time.”

“careful? what do you mean by that?”

“believe it or not, some rich people don’t really like it when photos of them wind up on the internet. no matter how innocent the photos are.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, scoffing. “well.. everyone signed a waiver before they boarded. they’re bound to at least show up in the corner of a photo at any time. it’s not my fault they didn’t read the terms and conditions before throwing their money away.”

“you don’t know what these people are like,” he spoke ominously, finally taking a step closer to you. there was a note of hesitance within his words and he looked around, briefly surveying his surroundings before his dark eyes fell to yours. “he threatened to throw your camera away because $4,000 is nothing to him. who’s to say he wouldn’t do something worse?”

“i can take care of myself,” you assured him with a cocky smile. “besides.. i’m not so concerned about a camera i keep on my person at all times as i was for mingyu.”

he raised his eyebrows, almost appearing vaguely amused by your words. “you know him?”

“no,” you answered a little too quickly. “we were just talking. then carlisle started pestering him for no reason, just like i told you.”

“mingyu can take care of himself. both of you should just forget this ever happened or you could get in a lot of trouble.”

although you hated to admit it, seungcheol brought up an excellent point. you would hate to find out that carlisle, choosing to add insult to injury, got him fired from the cruise line (especially considering their mysterious history). you were sure he could easily get you fired as well; a man with that much wealth and influence undoubtedly had connections in the media.

you sighed, “fine. i’ll mind my own business from now on.”

“good.”

you watched him take two steps backwards before turning his back on you fully. helplessly, your eyes remained fixed upon his broad shoulders and arms.. you would have loved nothing more than to run down that hallway to him and allow the man you once loved to catch you in a warm embrace.

instead, you called out to him once again, this time with unwanted bitterness, “you’re still as bossy as i remember.”

he stopped again, and unbeknownst to you, a tiny smile crept upon his pouty lips. “funny,” he spoke, keeping his eyes on the floor. “you’ve got a lot more bite in you than i remember.”

–

for the rest of the day, you complied with seungcheol’s request and went about your own business. group activities on the upper deck seemed as good an opportunity as any for some website-worthy photos with decent lighting. the first day involved dance classes. tango, mostly. even if you didn’t get many pictures, watching lots of patrons without a graceful bone in their body was entertaining enough.

oddly enough, feeling so high above the beautiful green and blue waves felt.. comforting. close enough to witness the waves crash against the boat without feeling the gentle splashes against your skin. far enough to stop contemplating the risks of falling overboard and drowning.

among the class attendees, oddly enough, was jeonghan. he had partnered up with a young woman close to his own age, most likely a stranger, judging by the way he spoke so shyly with her. you took a few photos of the two of them as they waltzed along the deck, smiling to yourself; they actually made a lovely couple.

after group photos were taken and you had a sufficient gathering of material, you leaned against the railing and skimmed through your works. you couldn’t help but smile proudly to yourself while skipping through the gallery on the tiny screen, for there was barely a blurry photo in sight.

“fancy seeing you up here.”

you looked up to see mingyu standing in front of you carrying a small tray of champagne flutes and donning a bright smile. you watch him set it down carefully, brushing off his hands on the tiny apron wrapped around his waist. his waist…

you snapped out of your daze, returning the smile. “so we meet again. is your shift almost over?”

he nodded, keeping that same grin and stepping closer to you until he was leaning back against the railing. “i’ve got about an hour left. what about you? or.. are they just letting you do your own thing?”

you chuckled, nodding. “for the most part, yeah. i’ve covered a lot of ground today so i should be good for the rest of the night.”

“oooh what are you gonna do with your time off?”

“i’m not sure yet,” you confessed with a small laugh, looking over to him with wide eyes. try as you might, you couldn’t get over just how much larger he was than you, how he seemed to have more energy than you could conjure up even on your best day. it only hurt you to remember someone on the boat, for whatever reason, appeared to have it out for him. “listen.. i’m really sorry about what happened earlier. i didn’t mean to cause a scene; i just hated seeing him talk to you like that.”

his smile faded a tiny bit, his eyes filling with melancholy as he reflected on the embarrassing moment back at the bar. truthfully, he wouldn’t have thought much of it if you were not there to witness the entire exchange. he shrugged his shoulders, allowing a half hearted smile. “don’t apologize. i appreciate you sticking up for me like that; you really didn’t have to.”

you shook your head immediately in reassurance. “i worked in customer service for a long time, too. i know what it's like to deal with pricks that think minimum wage employees aren’t even people.”

“yeah..” he sighed, shrugging once again. “it’s nothing i haven’t heard before. i’m just upset i’m stuck on this boat for a whole week with him, of all people.”

you nodded in understanding, snickering. “hopefully he found something wrong with the way you made him that drink earlier. then he’ll avoid you like the plague.”

he laughed softly and it relieved you to see him in good spirits again. he had such an infectious little laugh, his smile only growing brighter in his ministrations. “no kidding. we can only hope.”

there was another gentle pause, the two of you watching the dance class attendees slowly break apart from each other in favor of lining up to walk below deck. a few of them lingered, conversing lowly as they partook from the drinks mingyu’d just brought to them. however.. both of you seemed uninterested in anyone else on the deck.

“this is gonna sound crazy,” mingyu started with charming hesitance. “but would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

“oh, uh-“ your eyes went wide as that familiar heat rushed to your cheeks.. immediately, you didn’t want to seem too eager. “are...employees usually allowed to eat with other guests?”

mingyu tilted his head, as if in pondering. “well.. not usually. but i’m sure it won’t be a big deal; technically you’re a staff member this week.”

you really didn’t want to get him in any more trouble after the incident at the bar.. but technically speaking, he was right. you were showed to your room before any of the customers, you had a staff identification lanyard, and you were basically on the clock at all times (in a sense).

he seemed to read your mind, already too familiar with your conflicting thoughts. the look of hesitance in your eyes, alone, was a dead giveaway. “don’t feel pressured, please,” he assured you. “we don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable. i just thou-“

“no, no,” you interrupted, your eyes immediately finding his again. “i want to.”

“great,” he laughed gently and smiled in relief. “yeah, yeah that’s great. should we just meet in the dining area around.. seven, maybe?”

“seven sounds great.”

“great,” he let out another little laugh, speaking more to just how flustered he felt. “sorry, i gotta clean up now, but i’ll see you then?”

“yeah, yeah, of course. i’ll see you then.”

it was almost comedic, the way you both waved awkwardly to each other, nodded, and parted ways. once your back was fully turned on him, however, you broke into a giddy smile and chuckled to yourself- this was definitely not the direction you expected your (not so) vacation to go in.

—-

moving on from a serious partner years after a relationship was one thing. having dinner with someone while on the same boat as the aforementioned partner was another thing entirely. it seemed more like a plotline from a sitcom than your own experience; especially seeing as you were technically on the clock.

you had to smile at the absurdity of it all, a small laugh leaving your lips as you stepped out into the deserted hallway. the few hours you had to kill before your ‘date’ seemed unending and you were dying of boredom. what better time to figure out the layout of the ship?

near the staff’s reserved floor was a mysterious door, just at the end of the hallway. it wasn’t numbered, there was a gentle glow peeking from the cracks in the doorway, there was a faint humming coming from the other side.. perhaps a security control room?

the door whipped open before you could contemplate being even more nosy. you stepped backwards, stumbling a bit, before seungcheol stepped out and glared at you. it wasn’t harsh by any means..moreso conveying his confusion.

“what are you doing down here?” he asked, placing his hands on his hips.

“i’m staying down here,” you stated a little more haughtily than intended. still..you couldn’t bring yourself to apologize.

“oh. would’ve assumed you’d be staying up with the rest of the guests.”

you snickered, “i wish.”

seungcheol seemed annoyed to be crossing paths with you once again. not that you could blame him, of course, it was incredibly awkward. the tension between the two of you was palpable and both of you felt pained to even make eye contact. he drew in a deep breath, his chest rising with the impact before he finally sighed heavily.

“can we talk for a second?” he asked, tilting his head towards the mysterious door.

“in there?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“why not?” he shrugged.

once he opened the door by just a tiny crack, you were unsure why you bothered to comply with his request. the room was tiny, most of the space taken up by a large desk donned with monitors. live footage of several parts of the ship were displayed upon the screens, most notably near the edges of the ship. wires were scattered all over the floor, making it difficult to take a step without the fear of tripping. or worse, compromising the expensive equipment.

you stood in front of him with your arms folded, finally tilting your head up to look in his eyes. god you’d missed his eyes.. “what?” you demanded quietly.

he sighed again at your response, moving a hand to brush through his hair. “i’m sorry about the way things went down earlier. carlisle’s company has been cruising with us for a while, he’s been cruising with us for a while.. so i know how he reacts when people provoke him.”

there it was, that sinking feeling in your chest. seungcheol’s words, gentle and unassuming as they may have been to anyone else, sounded ominous. “i understand. you’re just trying to keep the peace.”

“more than that,” he chuckled faintly, briefly looking down at the floor. your feet had no space on the ground, your ballet flats nearly kissing his tennis shoes.. you were less than a breath’s distance away from him, yet.. you seemed so far away.

putting his complicated feelings aside, he continued lowly, “i don’t think you know how powerful he really is.”

“i already told you i’d mind my own business,” you reminded him with a shake of your head. “i don’t need you looking after me. alright? you had your chance and you blew it.”

he paused, allowing you to watch him part his beautiful lips once he seemingly drew a blank. it felt as if you were watching your spiteful words sink in for him, and admittedly, you hated the sight. “you..” he started, swallowing. “you can’t put what happened between us in the past?”

“i already have. but have you?”

it felt cold in the tiny room, the tiny hairs on your arms rising, as if being called to defense. you kept your arms folded across your chest, hanging onto hopes of a response from him, an explanation for his abandonment, perhaps even an apology.. but it never came. the unnerving silence only reminded you of the cold, over and over again..

“alright,” you finally forced a smile, sighing heavily. as you reached for the door, it brought you closer to him, your chest briefly pressing against his. and you hated how it brought butterflies to your stomach. you hated reflecting how you’d spent month after month missing his embrace.

he took half a step backwards, bringing his back to the wall to give you more space. you heard him sigh, the sound filled with annoyance. he always did have a habit of muttering under his breath after an argument. but that was long ago. you didn’t have to argue with him anymore.

you turned around to face him one more time, your gaze softening. “let’s just..get through this week without any drama. can we do that?”

“yeah. yeah we can.”

there was so much more he wanted to ask you about the whole exchange..for example, why were you so quick to jump to mingyu’s defense? were you lying about a history with him, or lack thereof? he also wanted to explain his reasoning for pretending the memory of you eluded him.

but he had no time. he watched you walk down the hallway, resisting the urge to follow you. to call out for you. to do anything. because he’d finally come to realize that maybe you were right. maybe the time for him to speak up had come and gone and he was now left at a standstill of his own making.

—

you kept resisting the urge to pinch yourself while walking down the hall and through the dimly lit dining area; never in your wildest dreams did you imagine living out your titanic fantasy in real time. you never imagined finding yourself on one of the most expensive cruise ships, on a free trip, for that matter. yet in hindsight, you only wished you’d brought one of your nicer outfits; a tanktop and shorts just didn’t feel like the standard uniform for fine dining.

the first date jitters seemed to finally catch up with you. any move you made felt awkward, you weren’t sure what to do with your shaking hands, your stomach was beginning to twist into knots.. and once you got a whiff of the salty air, it only heightened your anxieties.

but you found it so easy to talk with him just a few hours earlier.. why were you just now feeling so nervous?

you spotted him sitting near the railing, keeping his distance from the other patrons. you were relieved to see he dressed similarly to you in a checkered button down and dark blue shorts. his hair seemed to get even more curly during your time apart, somehow, his dark locks just barely brushing against his infuriatingly long eyelashes. he seemed a little nervous, tense, but overall calm- he barely made a move besides wringing his hands.

before stepping closer to him, you allowed yourself a deep breath- reminding yourself that at the end of the day, he was just another man. there was a small chance that anything would become of this dinner, anyways; there was no point in overthinking it. even if mingyu had seemed to occupy all of your thoughts..

“hey,” you called out to him timidly.

he perked up, grinning and clumsily rising to his feet once his eyes found yours. “oh, hey. long time, no see.”

“right?” the two of you shared a quick hug, one that quickly left you wanting more the moment he broke the embrace. he was so warm, his broad arms carefully draping around yours in a gentle, comforting manner, almost like a heated blanket. maybe you were just imagining things, but you could have sworn you heard his heart racing near the shell of your ear.

after your orders were put in, mingyu leaned forward a little bit, his chin resting in the palm of his hand as he stared at you with such heartwarming attentiveness. he waited for a moment before asking, his tone low, “why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself?”

you chuckled after taking a sip from the tiny bottle of sprite, hoping it would soothe some of the seasickness. “well, what do you wanna know?”

“anything and everything,” he chuckled sweetly.

it felt as if you’d forgotten literally every detail about yourself, large and small, after being put on the spot. you chuckled again, letting out a gentle hum of contemplation. “well..i don’t really know. i work freelance most of the time-”

“wait,” he interrupted, gently holding up his other hand. “i’m so sorry, but- can we not talk about work? i just.. want us both to forget about that stuff for a while. i wanna know more about you.”

in your mind, it was a completely understandable request. to be completely forthright, you rarely wanted to talk about work with anyone else in a social setting if you could help it. there always seemed to be something more interesting to talk about. if a worthy distraction from societal pressures presented itself, wouldn’t you want to entertain it?

so you laughed lightly, watching his gaze fall to your hand as you tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. “trust me, i have no problem with that,” you assured him before pausing. “honestly.. i don’t do a lot in my free time. i’m growing tomatoes and peas on my terrace, i read, i love seeing movies, i have a cat.”

he hung onto every word you spoke, nodding with his chin in his palm. one word stuck out to him in particular, however, bringing him to raise his eyebrows. “ooh, i love cats. what kind do you have?”

“she’s a manx cat, she’s really sweet. here, i have so many pictures.” you heard him let out another sweet laugh as you pulled out your phone, displaying almost an entire gallery of pictures of the beloved cat. “her name’s bella.”

“awww,” he beamed, carefully swiping through the unending photographs. “bella. wow, she’s really cute; i’m happy for you. i’d love to have a cat. or even a dog.”

“no time for pets?”

“not really,” he shrugged. “i’m out at sea most of the time, probably home one or two days out of the week. if that.”

“maybe some day,” you nodded, offering a smile of hope and reassurance. “but i’m talking your ear off. tell me- what do you like to do on the ship whenever you have downtime? or on land for that matter?”

mingyu chuckled again, the gentle laugh warming your heart. “well.. it depends on wherever we land, but most of the time i’ll try to see at least a little bit of the attractions before i get some rest. i..really love trying new food so i’ll check out some of the restaurants. but..yeah, i don’t know. i like movies too, thank god i can bring my laptop. i love going to the theatre. a lot lately, especially.”

“movie theatres are the best. i feel like no one appreciates theatres these days, with all the streaming services and whatnot.”

“agreed. honestly it makes me really sad; going to the movie theatres always makes me feel so nostalgic. like i’m escaping the here and now.”

“i totally get that. hopefully that changes soon.”

he shared a few bites of his own meal with you and it surprised you to see how openly generous and sweet he was. it was a breath of fresh air, honestly, yet it was so typical that you could only meet a guy like this on the ocean. he spent most of the meal staring into your eyes, if not brushing his fingers through your hair in his imagination.

“can i ask you something?” you spoke shyly.

“go on, ask anything.”

“that guy, carlisle-” you paused, guilt creeping up on your heart as you watched his expression slowly change. “it sounded like you used to work for him, right?”

he nodded, his jaw subtly clenching at the horrible memory. “yeah, that’s right.”

“and he..fired you?” you asked him cautiously, afraid to reopen the wounds.

he shifted a little bit in his chair, crossing his legs under the table. “i worked with him straight out of college. it was great at first; i made friends at his company, i made enough to start paying off my student loans. then.. i started working more closely with carlisle and saw his darker side. there’s a lot that goes on behind closed doors no one knows about, like.. he sees people below him as.. really below him.

“i don’t really wanna go into specifics, if that’s okay, but..just know he was really horrible to some of his staff. really horrible. i did something really stupid and threatened to expose him and then..”

“and then?”

he sighed heavily, his gaze falling to his now empty plate. “he planned this party for me, celebrating that promotion he’d offered me a few weeks back. he invited the whole company, all his friends. then he.. showed everyone a video of me threatening him and i’d never realized how pathetic i looked in front of him. then he fired me.”

you felt like crying as he told his story. actually, you felt like doing more than crying, more than giving carlisle a verbal berating. from what you’d come to learn about mingyu, he didn’t seem like the type of person to deserve such a devastating public humiliation.

“i’m..really sorry,” you frowned. “i always thought something about him seemed so fake. it’s always the filthy rich people.”

he shrugged. “it’s over now. i’m trying to forget about it and enjoy this next chapter, whatever it might bring. i’ve.. met some really great people. like you.”

“yeah, definitely. i’m glad to have met you too.”

you both shared a smile, your eyes falling to the table as mingyu laid his palm upwards, silently reaching for your hand. without much of a thought you let your hand fall into his, let him wrap his fingers gently around your palm. his touch was gentle yet assuring, soft yet strong.. it was hard not to get addicted to any semblance of physical contact with mingyu.

“are we finished up here?” he asked, gently squeezing your hand.

“yeah. yeah, i think we’re finished up here.”

your hands only broke apart within the brief time you collectively rose to your feet and pushed the chairs back. once your hands fell together again, neither of you needed to say a word; you led him through the hall down to one of the lower floors of the ship. however, both of you were completely unaware that a certain security guard took notice of your joined hands, the smiles you shared, and was able to brush it off in the blink of an eye.

mingyu walked alongside you, briefly gazing at your hair, your tanktop, your side profile out of his peripheral vision. he felt grateful to even be allowed the smallest glimpse of you. then his hand gently tightened around yours once you both had reached your bedroom door, feeling as if the wonderful moment between you had ended too quickly.

he stood directly in front of you, his other hand eventually finding yours and squeezing it just as tight. both of you shared a laugh, as well as the sentiment of not wanting to leave each other.

“would you..wanna come in for a little while?” you finally asked, hating the shy warble in your voice.

“are you sure?”

“i wouldn’t have asked you if i wasn’t,” you pointed out with a snicker.

“then.. in that case, yes. i will.”

it wasn’t a suite by any means, but you were in no position to complain. you traveled light, the suitcase standing upright near your bed still unpacked. you also kept your room clean, nothing on the table except your camera and laptop. it was dimly lit by a small lamp in the corner of the room; overall it was very cozy.

you turned around, facing him again with a small smile and trying to ignore your now racing heart. “well.. this is me.”

“it’s nice,” he laughed sweetly. “you keep it really clean in here.”

“i guess it’s only been less than a day-“ you chuckled, “but..thanks.”

silence fell, the kind that welcomed tension. you watched mingyu swallow and step closer to you, moving his large hand to cup your jaw. “can… can i-“

“please-“

your anxious heartbeat, your shaking hands.. you forgot all about it once his lips finally found yours and his arms fell around your waist. he lets out a gentle sigh into the kiss and your heart immediately melts as you feel his contentment, his relief. he’s so attentive towards you it brings a smile to your lips, which he quickly returns.

soon, with your arms draped around his neck you took a step backwards until the backs of your knees reached the bed. neither of you broke the kiss as he gently maneuvered you onto the tiny mattress and settled comfortably against you while still ensuring you, too, were just as comfortable.

he broke the kiss in favor of connecting his forehead with yours, his hand still practically glued to your cheek. he smiled through his chuckle as he felt you cling onto his biceps to ground yourself, tugging at the fabric of his shirt-

“is.. there anything off the table?” he asked you shyly.

“no.”

( stay tuned for part 2 )

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