#my friend said he looks like a blonde fisherman i

[ariellewm]

"Whispers of the Enchanted River" A Short Story by Arielle W.M.

Author's Note: Thanks to my Brazilian friend that introduced me to some Brazilian folklore that inspired this story. I've wanted to try my hand at writing a fantasy mystery.

Warnings: Kidnapping, hypnosis (for those that are uncomfortable with those scenarios)

Summary: Strange disappearances have been occurring lately along the Amazon River close to the riverside town. Alipha reassures herself that her visiting American friend Rose would be safe. At the last minute her family found Rose a place after her rental was mysteriously cancelled. Although the cabin is a few blocks away from Alipha's family house, it just to happened to be right along the Amazon River itself. Will Alipha and Rose be safe from the mysterious occurrences?

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The riverside town was lively as the afternoon sun brought warmth to the locals. Amidst the hustle and bustle was a large family seated outside the riverside restaurant. Everyone was engaged in conversation filled with chatter and laughter as they waited for their drinks. They arrived not long after their daughter, Alipha, received a text from her friend that she was on her way.

One of the servers came around with an array of drinks on the large tray.

“Cafés, waters,” the server said, placing the cups of coffee and glasses of water down at the table before reaching for Alipha, “and one strawberry caipirinha for the senhora.”

“Obrigada.” She thanked the server.

“Filha,” her mother glanced at her, “daughter, it’s only the afternoon, and your already drinking?” “Why not?” “Why now? Don’t you want to wait until your cousin’s festa later today?”

Alipha replied, raising her glass, “Might as well start celebrating earlier than later.”

She took a sip of her caipirinha, anticipation building within her. She hadn’t seen her foreign friend in many years since she graduated from an American college. The river gently lapped against the dock as small boats passed by the restaurant. She wondered how much further her friend was. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Ei, ei, va embora! Get away!” The fisherman spoke aloud.

A small river boat titled for a moment, almost causing a patron to fall over. She gripped tightly on the edge of the boat. The fisherman noticed her pale face hovering over the murky water. Her blonde hair stuck to her neck from the excruciating heat.

“Are you alright, miss?” He called out to her.

Ignoring his question, of course she wasn’t alright. She already dealt with a delay that almost made her miss her international flight; the Airbnb she rented out was canceled for unknown reasons. To top it all off, she was riding in a small, somewhat functioning fishing boat only fit for two people on a hot, humid day. Then there was the sea sickness issue. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths in and out to calm herself.

I’m almost there. Rose said to herself. Then I can finally meet up with my best friend from college.

It’s been three years since their graduation. Back then, Alipha and Rose were inseparable and went everywhere together. They would go bar hopping, go on shopping excursions, and try new restaurants that opened nearby. Since Alipha returned home to Brazil, life for Rose hasn’t been the same. Conversations consisted of texting or reacting to other socials.

Rose’s sapphire eyes opened to notice something in the water. It rose gracefully up and down by the boat. It was a dolphin. This dolphin, however, wasn’t just any ordinary dolphin she’s seen by the marina back home. It was pink, like her grandmother’s kitchen tile walls. It looked almost alien with its triangular shape and long, thin snout.

She turned back to the local fisherman that Alipha had arranged for Rose, “Pink dolphins?”

“Sim, yes, river dolphins.” He kept his eyes focused ahead, “They’ve lived in these waters for as long as I can remember.”

The pink dolphin was getting rather close to the side of the boat. It seemed that the creature was trying to get a better view of the pretty human, with his head popping up occasionally. Rose noticed its small, playful black eyes staring back. Smiling, she reached down to gently stroke the creature. The dolphin squeaked back, enjoying her gentle touch. Like a cat, it nudged the boat several times, seeking more attention. She chuckled, reaching down once more to pet it. It wouldn’t be long, though, before they arrived at the village. As they got closer to the docks, her new friend circled and disappeared into the depths of the river.

“ROSE!” She saw her friend by the dock, waving her down. In tow from behind was her family. They all had warm smiles and greeted Rose as soon as the boat docked. Her father tipped the fisherman while her mother and Alipha got Rose’s belongings off.

While sitting outside of a small family-operated café, Rose told them of the mysterious cancellation of her rented-out Airbnb within the village.

“Meu amor, Palo, you know of someone who has a place for Rose, don’t you?” Alipha’s mother asks her husband.

“Of course I do! There’s a small, lovely cabin nearby the river.” Palo reached for his cellphone. “I’ll try to give them a call to see if it’s available.”

The place was vacant, to her surprise. Luckily, it wasn’t far from Alipha’s parents’ home, and she didn’t have much to bring. A large suitcase, a travel backpack, and whatever money she was able to exchange beforehand. So, she made the trek to the cabin, and as soon as she arrived, she was in awe.

The cabin’s cleanliness was quite impeccable. Crisp white linens, a small wooden box filled with sweets, and a welcome card on top of the pristine countertop. There were double sliding window doors to reveal the backdrop of the Amazon River, with a dock included for renting out boats. If only she could stay a little longer. Rose received a text from Alipha that read,

Don’t settle in too quickly, amiga! We have a festa to go to! I’ll come back to pick you up.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The outdoor birthday festa was lively, even in the late evening. Rose was happily getting along with Alipha’s family, along with Alipha’s cousin, who happened to be the birthday girl. They danced, they laughed, and they drank the night away. Rose had never had such fun outside of her own country before. It was the first time in a long time that she felt comfortable getting loose and having fun.

Rose excused herself to get another drink at a secluded bar far off the dance floor. She decided to order herself another round of one of the fruity cocktails her friend had introduced her to. It was her third drink of the night. Fumbling for her Brazilian real, she felt someone nearby approach the bar.

He was the most collected gentleman Rose had ever seen. She looked over his polished white suit, noticing hints of fuchsia along the collars and vest area. It was almost hard to see his face with his broad-brimmed white hat on. He looked up to notice the beautiful foreigner staring. Quickly, she looked back at the bartender crafting her drink, fiddling with her money.

The gentleman leaned in slightly, his arm resting on the countertop with his hand on his cheek. A charming smile appeared on his handsome face, “Olá beautiful.” 

Startled, she turned to see him, nervous as ever. It was the first time any man had ever greeted her in this sort of setting. “Umm, hi there.” She turned back to notice that her frozen concoction was ready to be consumed.

“Senhor, I’ll order what she’s having,” he spoke to the bartender. She handed the money over, but a warm, tanned hand stopped her, “and it’ll be on me.”

“You’re too kind, sir. Thank yo—I mean, ahem, obrigada.”

He chuckled at Rose’s nervous response, “De nada, your very welcome.”

While they waited for his drink to be finished, they made small talk. Rose talked about graduating from college, starting a new job, and visiting her friend. Even after his drink was made, they continued to talk on and on. Clearly, there seemed to be some chemistry between the two. Alipha, from a distance, even noticed how close they were getting.

Another bartender came back from his break to notice the man, “Excuse me, senhor, but are you even part of this gathering at all?”

The white-suited man was surprised, “Oh, my apologies, I thought this was a public bar tonight.” “I’m afraid no—”

Out of the gentleman’s pocket, he gave the bartender a gracious tip. “No need for trouble tonight, meu amigo, I’ll be on my way.” He smoothly slides off the stool before reaching for Rose’s hand.

His soft lips touched the back of her hand, his dark onyx eyes looked into hers, “I hope to see you again, querida.” He soon rushed off into the dark part of the street, almost as if he had vanished, blending in with the shadows.

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“How could you forget his name?!” Alipha asked as both walked back to the cabin, “The two of you seemed to really hit it off.”

“I never got his name to begin with.” she said, a little disappointment in her voice. “We were so lost in conversation that by the time he left, I forgot to ask. He just left so suddenly. I honestly thought he was part of the party.”

Alipha sighed, “My parents got super worried about you. My mother apparently has seen him at other bars and festa’s in the past.” “Really?” ��Yes, so just be careful, especially on your own out here.”

They reached for the front door as Rose fiddled for the keys in her purse.

“We aren’t far from here if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Alipha, for everything. Have a goodnight.”

“You too, Rose. See you tomorrow.”

Later that night, she could’ve sworn she heard someone calling out to her. It was a lovely, honeyed voice. She was tempted to open those sliding doors. To see if it was the white-suited man. Those dazzling onyx eyes, that charming white smile. She was too exhausted to leap out of her memory foam bed, sleep taking over.

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For the next two days, Rose’s itinerary was planned out by Alipha’s relatives. They would take her around town and to all the historical sites nearby. It would end with them visiting other family members, including her grandparents. After having lunch on the second day, they all decided to take a walk. The trail they followed was near the river. Rose noticed from behind that Alipha’s grandfather looked uncomfortable. He kept glancing back at the river and back at the girls.

Alipha pointed out something peeking out of the water, “Hey, look Rose!”

Rose caught a glimpse of her pink dolphin friend. Squeaking, it tried to get Rose’s attention. It swam as close as it could get. The dolphin paused to get a better look at its friend. Rose smiled back at the creature, remembering her encounter earlier in the week.

Alipha’s grandfather rushed over to the girls, spooking the dolphin before it got any closer. It dove back down into the water.

He cursed under his breath in his language before continuing their walk. Alipha was confused by her grandfather’s actions.

“That creature is dangerous!” He told her, especially toward Rose. “You must never go near the river. Bad things happen to those who stray near the water. And especially at night. It grabs yah and takes you down with it.”

Alipha rolled her brown eyes. “Oh, avô, please. It’s just a myth.” “A myth?! I may be old, but I’ve seen things before your time.”

She whispered to Rose, “Don’t listen to him. My grandfather had too many of those Brazilian papaya cream desserts from earlier.”

“Eu ouvi isso! I heard that!” He groaned. They giggled in response as they made their way back to the house. 

The dolphin popped up its head once more without the grandfather looking. It then dove back into the murky water. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun subsided over the Brazilian horizon. Another day is gone. No more being dragged around by Alipha’s parents. Rose could finally enjoy the large feast her parents hosted outside of their casa. She could already smell the illecebrous aroma that lingered in the air. Grilled and smoked meats are placed on skewers or on large platters around the large table. At the center was a traditional Brazilian seafood stew she had been wanting to try since her arrival, moqueca.

The gathering continued. Family members mingled about, laughing at jokes, and simply enjoying the evening. Rose was finding herself growing tired. The rich, savory food had caused her to grow weary. She excused herself, thanking Alipha and her family for hosting. Rose was reminded once more that if she needed anything, she could call them. So, she left, but not without getting plenty of leftovers for the next few days to have back at the cabin.

Rose decided to sit outside for the rest of the evening. A gentle breeze swept by, carrying the scent of florals around the cabin. Her legs were kicking over the edge of the dock, staring out into the lapping of the river. The crescent moon illuminated the vast expanse of the night sky. Stars that seemed to dance high above the dark abyss.

She found solace in this very moment. No loud music, no annoying relatives speaking loudly. Just serenity by the water. If she wanted, she could leave everything behind in America and make a place for herself here. Alipha’s family would be more than happy to help with her move. But unfortunately, she had other things going on back home.

A low, melodious song broke out, stopping all thoughts. There was a sense of familiarity to the faint, hauntingly mesmerizing voice. Her eyes looked around her surroundings, and the gentle breeze tousling her long hair. Could it happen to be the same voice that whispered to her the first night in the cabin? A shiver ran down her spine, trying to locate the person or thing that was singing to her. There were no fishing boats or any sort of creature on the water.

Her heart raced in anticipation and eagerness. The voice seemed to slowly emanate somewhere beneath the dock. Taking a deep breath, she cautiously leaned over the edge, peering down into the water. Rose felt a strange presence in what lay below. She was transfixed, her eyes slowly swirling into a dark, pearlescent daze.

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“Ô filha?!” Alipha’s mother called out from the kitchen to her daughter, “Have you heard from your friend lately?”

“Não mother.” Alipha joined her parents and grandfather at the table. She sighed, reaching over for the warm bread rolls, “I’m sure she’s just enjoying herself around.”

It had been two days since the last time she or anyone in her family heard from Rose. Not even the locals in town had seen her. It was too soon for her to leave, as the same fisherman who brought her over hadn’t seen her. She had about three days left before leaving to head back to America.

Her grandfather crossed his arms, “Somethin’ isn’t right.”

Alipha looked at her grandfather, “Avô?”

“I’m sure Rose is having a lovely time.” Her mother responded, “She’ll respond back.” “Mãe, it’s been two days.” Alipha took out her phone, showing her mother, “Nothing back from her. She hasn’t seen any of the messages I sent. Even the one I sent her last night.”

The old man got up from the table, grabbing his jacket from behind the chair. He groaned as he pulled up his jacket, “I’m going to get a search party.”

Alipha’s mother stopped him at the door, “That’s going a bit far, isn’t it pai? Perhaps Alipha should visit the cabin to check up on her.” “No.” “Wha—”

Opening the door, he turned back on his daughter and granddaughter, pointing at each of them with assertiveness, “I don’t want neither of yah you to go near that god forsaken cabin! There’s somethin’ strange about that place.”

In the past, when outsiders visited the cabin, they were usually by themselves or with a significant other. It was uncommon for families to stay at such a place. Occasionally, the place would be vacant, so those who had trouble booking could stay for a night or a week if need be. The last time they had a visitor was during Festa Junina, when a single lady from another town was visiting. She was reserved to stay for a week, only to notice her belongings were gone after day five of her visit.  

He continued, “Haven’t you or Bernardo noticed that whenever the place opens, it’s always during a festa? No one bats an eye when they notice they’re gone early. They just assume they have gone elsewhere.”

Bernardo shook his head before taking another sip of his espresso. He pondered in silence before opening his mouth, “I could call the man that owns the place—” “NO! You estúpido idiota. We do this my way! Do meu jeito!”

His daughter was hurt by Abilo’s harshness toward her husband. She was about to open her mouth before she noticed someone missing from the table.

“Alipha? Alipha!”

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Alipha rushed out of the house before her mother realized she was gone. She just couldn’t stand the bickering from her family. Another part of her felt there was something odd about that cabin. Her grandfather had always speculated that it was haunted. Even before its renovation.

As a child, she and a few other children explored the abandoned cabin. The locals had no recollection of who the past owner was. Some claimed that the owner had perished or simply neglected the place. Children would play hide-and-seek there and sit by the dock to throw rocks into the river. During her grandfather’s time, there was a drowning incident in the river near the cabin. This caused many of the locals to fear what sort of evil surrounded the place. Children have been forbidden to visit since.

As time went by, a new owner bought the property and began renovating. Alipha couldn’t remember what the owner looked like. In fact, no one knew. It was a mystery who the man was. Some say he was a rich American man, while others claim he looked to be outside of the Americas. All that they knew was that the owner rarely ever showed up, and Alipha’s father somehow had his number in case a foreigner needed a place to stay.

Overwhelming thoughts rained over her. Could perhaps the person who owned the place take Rose hostage? The place had security in place. There were cameras outside and around the cabin. The police would’ve already started their investigation if that were the case. But it wasn’t common.

Then her grandfather’s statement sent shivers down her spine.

“Haven’t you or Bernardo noticed that whenever the place opens, it’s always during a festa?”

Of course! Why hasn’t she thought of that? In the past, she noticed that whenever a party or festa was happening in town, the cabin would be open the day of. Other times, it would be vacant for tourists during American vacations or a holiday getaway. It had been happening since her arrival back home. 

Her heart raced as she approached the cabin. The sun was already settling, creating a warm glow over the dark river. The dock she once sat among with friends shared no boats or birds around the area. No cars were parked in the lot, and there were no bicycles near the neatly organized porch. The dirt pathway remained untouched other than Alipha’s footprints, which left a trail from behind.

A chill ran up her spine as she approached the door. Her heart pounding with every step. She raised her hand, knocking hard against the wooden door.

“Rose? Rose?” She knocked again, “It’s me, Alipha! Open up!” There was no answer, to which she released a long sigh. This was concerning.

With a reluctant groan, the door creaked open. Surprised, Alipha’s brown eyes peered through the crack. “Hello?” Cautiously, she opened the door further.

The cabin was cleaned to her surprise. Not a single speck of dust. Polished countertops with a welcome basket filled with fresh fruit and other goodies. She made her way toward the small kitchen. The fridge that held Alipha’s leftovers was gone. The small pantry next to the fridge, which had a couple of Brazilian snacks Rose had gotten, was empty. Her gaze went over the pristine countertops to the neatly made queen bed. Blankets and decorative pillows were tidily placed for its next guest. There was no sign of Rose’s bags either. It really did seem as if she had left the place.       

Alipha slid the back porch sliding doors open. She stepped outside upon the wooden floor, the dock stretched out toward the dark water. The sun had completely disappeared, casting a blanket of stygian night. She then glanced at a dark figure from afar that alerted her. It emerged gracefully from the river before planting himself at the edge of the dock near the unilluminated lanterns. Alipha was puzzled.

Who in their right mind would go swimming at this hour? It’s far too dangerous to be in the river at night. Even the locals in town were aware of the dangers within.

The figure moved their arms, reaching for an object to put on its head. A hat, perhaps? It’s rather odd to be carrying a hat while swimming.

It straightened its back, turning its body and head sideways before turning its attention toward Alipha. She froze, unable to leave the porch. It was too dark to tell if the figure’s gaze was locked on her in the darkness.

Then, a soft and calming voice slithered into Alipha’s consciousness.

“Venha até mim,” it spoke, its whispers tickling her ears, “Come to me.”

Her legs had a mind of their own, carrying her down the length of the dock. Her heart was fluttering in her chest. There was anxiety, yet fascination, about who was calling out to her. The little part of her mind was telling her to stay put, to resist the call. She tried to grasp at anything as she slowly passed by. The railings, the poles—anything to keep her from approaching toward it.

The ethereal susurrus continued to beckon her.

“Don’t be afraid, darling,” it whispered, “não tenha medo…that’s it…come closer…”

Each step Alipha took felt heavier. The groaning of the aging wooden dock grew louder and louder as she continued. Her legs refused to stop or turn around. She wished that, at any point, the old wooden platform would collapse on itself, preventing her from reaching toward the figure. She regretted all of this. She should’ve listened to her grandfather to begin with.

The hypnotic voice ceased, causing Alipha’s legs to stop. This was her chance. She could finally take a break for it. Leave this haunted place and admit that her friend had been taken by this mysterious being. Her pulse quickened at the revelation of the figure.

The flickering of the lantern that obscured her vision had now stayed on. It was a man—a finely dressed man. His presence was otherworldly and yet alluring. But this man, however, she had seen him before. Many days ago, in fact, on the night of her cousin’s birthday festa.

“You’re… you’re the—” She gasped at the sight of the man’s lower half. A pinkish-grey tail was in replacement of the gentleman’s legs. Its faded purple caudal fins undulated as the tail lifted slightly. There was an absence of scales; instead, the merman’s tail looked smooth and rubbery. “Y-you’re a boto encantado.”

A dolphin shapeshifter. Enchanted beings of the Amazon River. Beings that could turn into handsome men, luring women, and children through their charms. They came from Brazilian folklore her grandfather told her as a young girl.   

She had several more questions for this being, “You’re the one responsible for all those disappearances, aren’t you? Espiescally of Rose.”

The shapeshifter smirked, “That’s quite the accusation, minha bonita.” He shifted himself upon the dock, still in his tail form. He continued, “What makes you think I’m responsible for such an act?”

“You’re the owner of that cabin, are you not?” She pointed behind her to the vacant property, “You only open it’s vacancy when there’s a festa happening in town.”

He chuckled once more, “Inteligente girl you are my dear. Yes, I am the owner of the place. I renovated that place years ago.” “And you kidnapped those girls, those women that stay there?”

These benevolent, sadistic creatures were known to do such acts. Charm female humans or innocent children to the point of no return.

“Me?” Innocently, he responded, “Kidnapping? Oh, I would never do such a thing, bonita. Have you mistaken me for another of my kind, perhaps?”

Alipha was losing her patience, “Then where is Rose?”

The encantado puzzled for a moment in thought. Humming to himself, Rose wasn’t having it, “Answer me, boto!”

“Oh! Your amiga from America?” He leaned up against the pole, turning his handsome face back to Alipha, “She’s quite the woman your friend is. We had a lovely talk one evening about meeting the Amazon manatees. I assure you though she’s well, and…wha—what are you doing?”

Alipha dropped to her knees. Tears slowly trickled down her freckled cheeks. Whatever this shapeshifter was hiding from her, she didn’t believe that Rose was well. No, she knew her friend was in danger or worse.

“Please,” she begged, “please bring back Rose. I beg of you, shapeshifter.” She covered her face, unable to control her anxiety over her fear of her friend’s fate.

“Shh, shh… não chore, don’t cry.” He cooed to her, reaching a hand toward her. His hand was shockingly warm on her soft cheek, causing her to abruptly open her eyes. Alipha had a better look at the man.

His face was chiseled by a master sculptor. He had a strong jaw that paired well with his chinstrap beard. Deep, onyx eyes pierced into hers. His tanned thumb continuously wiped the tears under her brown eyes. Another hand stroked her chestnut hair back. She closed her eyes, leaning into his gentle touch.

“Não chore bonita. I tell the truth.”

She gradually opened her eyes, “She…she is?”

“Have you heard of the place my people are from, lovely human?” She shook her head, and the shapeshifter smiled, continuing, “Encante, that is where your friend Rose is. She is among others who have entered the underwater city. It’s a peaceful, wealthy city.” He sighed, “Unfortunately, those that enter the boundaries of the city are forbidden to leave. There is no need for tears. They will treat her like a queen.”

He glided his smooth hand toward her chin. Alipha took a deep breath, glistening eyes fluttering open. She gasped at the sight.

His ethereal voice returned with the capture of black swirling pearlescent eyes, “I could always bring you to her. That way, the both of you will never have to be separated again. Doesn’t that sound nice?”          

The brown in her eyes slowly transformed into a mystic black haze. Alipha sighed, smiling and forgetting about all her worries and concerns. Rose was safe. She could be with her, together. Never be separated again by continents or from other worlds. Alipha nodded in response.

“That’s a good querida…” He leaned in toward the dazed Alipha. His cool lips met hers, indulging in a passionate kiss. An arm coiled around her thin form, bringing her closer to his shockingly warm body.

The shapeshifter’s hypnotic trance on the human was cut short. A group of men, along with the barking of dogs, headed straight to the cabin. Flashlights led the way, along with the loud noises of members of the group calling out for both Rose and Alipha. The boto encantado noticed the female awakening from his magic spell.

Blinking, Alipha shook her head to realize just how much closer she was to the enchanting man. For a moment, she felt like she was in a dream. Now, it turned out to be a nightmare. It was probably how Rose fell for this being—from not only his mesmerizing eyes but his musically entrancing voice. She struggled in his tight grip on her. Unable to get free, she began to scream out to the group.

The boto cursed himself. Quickly, he placed a hand over her mouth, muffling her calls for help. She twisted and turned her body, trying anything to get out of his grasp. He pushed himself off the dock, with another female human, into the cold river. Her Clothes soaked, the freezing water causing her to spasm.

She screamed through the palm of his hand once more before descending into the water, never to be seen again.

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To this day, no one has been able to find Rose or Alipha.

The town, including her family, searched all parts of the area. From searching in all parts of the town, the jungle trails, and the riverside. Nothing. There was absolutely no trace of either of the girls. After many months, they had given up their search.

The people of the town eventually blocked access to the cabin by the water and destroyed it. No one was allowed to build anything in that area. The dock, however, remained standing for unknown reasons.

Three years had gone by, and another festa was around the corner. The people would celebrate the lives of Rose and Alipha at Alipha’s family’s casa. Just then, an attractive woman made an appearance at the festa. She sat in silence, stirring her cocktail of choice at the table.

She arrived in town about a year ago, taking residence at a condo residence near the river. The lady was generous enough to help Alipha’s family during the tough times. Since then, she has always been invited to the family’s gatherings. It was rare, though, as she was busy with many other things out and about.

“Why, you look just like Bernardo’s daughter.” A local complimented the lady.

Another had asked, “Do you have relations to the family?”

“Porque sim, yes. A family friend of theirs.” She smiled back.

Before they could ask any more questions, both locals were called over for help inside the house. She took a sip of her pink cocktail. The fancy-dressed lady lifted her head, careful not to mess around with the white extravagant hat upon her head.    

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[jofdiamonds]

A tavern on a cliff.

Like something out of a fairy tale.

The sun was disappearing behind the horizon as Aki and Alexander made their way inside, accompanied by a few other men of their crew that also found strong liquor to be the solution to aching muscles and long days spent at sea.

The place was well taken care of. A fire was burning – it was warm outside still, but something told Aki the nights could get chilly. A few patrons here and there, most of them with sour faces, drinking their troubles away; it was too early for anybody else to be there, but no doubt the place would be buzzing with activity in a few hours.

As such, the girl behind the counter had a bored expression. Brown, big eyes and red curly hair, like fire. A round face with full lips and pale skin. She was saying something to a man. Aki couldn’t see him very well, only his back and hair; the former, broad, the latter, curly and dark.

He approached the conversing couple. It was his official duty as the first mate to introduce the crew when the captain was not present, and his unofficial one to buy a first round for everyone present. For their hard work, as a way to keep their spirits high. Aki didn’t care. He was well aware he would get most of his money back later on, when they started getting too drunk to play cards properly and their bets turned riskier and perilous.

‘Good afternoon. I am…’

‘Here for a drink, I assume?’ The young woman cut him, raising her brows and muttering numbers under her breath. She was counting how many of them there were, and her dark eyes only returned back to Aki after doing so.

‘Exactly. My name’s…’

‘Thirsty for what, exactly? Beer, something stronger?’

‘Something stronger!’ A voice behind him, laughter at seeing a woman who was not even in her thirties so… commanding. A curious and strong personality, she had. Aki found himself smiling.

‘Something stronger, yes. We have spent days at sea.’

‘I can tell,’ she simply said, with a crooked smile, putting bottle after bottle at the counter, and tankards beside them. As she was busy doing so, Aki turned to Alexander, hoping to find amusement in his friend’s young features. Instead, Aki saw him looking wide eyed at the young woman, as if he had found a magical creature instead of a mischievous girl.

‘Forgive her, she’s always like this,’ the man who the bartender had been talking with had been the one to talk. He was handsome, with a strong nose and jaw, heavy-lidded eyes and tanned skin, probably as a result of days spent working under the sun. A fisherman, perhaps? He had callused hands, so whatever he did for a living, was certainly physical.

‘Oh, sir, don’t worry. You have a beautiful wife, and beautiful women are allowed to do this sort of thing,’ Aki replied, guessing their relationship… wrong, apparently, because both the man and the woman looked at each other and broke into laughter.

The man shook his head. ‘We are siblings. As if anyone could put up with Cass long enough to marry her.’

Aki didn’t know about that. One look at Alexander told him the young blond marine was more than willing to, at the very least, try.

In fact, as much as Aki would have liked to speak with his friend now that the ground was still beneath their feet and they could do so without being surrounded by at least five other men at all times, Alexander only had eyes for Cass. Words for Cass. He made her laugh a few times and he looked like the proudest person to ever have lived.

It wasn’t long until Hércules – that was the curly-haired man’s name – substituted his sister behind the bar, Cass leaving with Alexander somewhere else. Last Aki saw of any of them, their lips were already pressed together.

‘A rare occurrence. As I say, most people can’t put up with her.’ Hércules laughed, rolling his eyes at watching his sister disappear with a stranger. His tone was, however, earnest and affectionate. The man clearly had a lot of love for his sister.

‘Alexander is a patient man.’ Aki shrugged, also smiling. He could respect a man who loved his family. ‘I guess getting to know someone must be difficult around here. Most of them leave after a couple of days, I assume.’

‘Yeah, that, or the mermaids eat them.’

Aki tilted his head towards one shoulder and squinted his eyes, about to choke on his drink. The mermaids? Was Hércules teasing him? Was this some local running joke that Aki knew nothing about? No. The man was serious. Drying a tankard with a piece of fabric with an expression not different to that he would have had had he been talking about the weather.

‘Mermaids?’

‘Yes. Do you want to see them? They will come, if I ask.’

Aki thought about it for a second. Was this man going to take him to the beach and rob him? No, the tavern seemed to be doing well, these people did not need money. Then, what was it? Was this offer… real?

Aki nodded.

───⋆☆─────────────

Hércules hadn’t lied.

Aki wondered once more if someone hadn’t slipped something on his drink. If he now got drunk with four or five beers, instead of the usual ten, if the months at sea had taken their toll on him.

But no, there was something in the water. Scintillating scales, the colors of the rainbow, and something above them… algae, certainly. Then, why did they look so much like the honey blonde hair of a naked woman?

‘Andro is not around today,’ Hércules said, giving Aki a flask filled with liquor. One that burned his throat, one that made him cough and spit.

‘Andro?’

‘Our older sister. The Sea Witch, Airi… that, right there, do you see her? She turned her into what she is now. A mermaid. It’s a long story, perhaps for another day.’

Aki nodded. He still couldn’t be quite sure that these were no the delusions of an alcoholic, or a drug addict, or simply a person whose mind wasn’t healthy. But the truth was that there was something in the water, and that that something climbed a rock, and stared right into his eyes with ones equally as dark as his, of unfathomable depth.

And afterwards, only one question burned brightly in Aki’s mind – would her lips taste like sea water?

───⋆☆─────────────

Months passed. Cass was pregnant.

‘We didn’t expect it, but she told me the news and… I have asked her to marry me,’ Alexander had told him, with the brightest smile Aki had seen on a man. He was still a sailor, but he now went on shorter trips, always stopping at the tavern where his beloved awaited his return.

Aki had felt very happy for him. For them. They deserved such a thing – both of them had lived hard lives, until then, and the fact that they had found each other, well. Every man deserved hope, and warm arms to return to.

‘The mermaids will take care of you, my love. Come back to us,’ Cass had whispered after hugging Alexander goodbye, with a hand on the lower part of her belly. Not low enough that Aki hadn’t heard.

And, turned out, it was true. The mermaids followed the boat. The mermaids sang the storms away. The mermaids controlled the winds so that they would reach their destination as soon as possible, so that Alexander could return safely and before the baby was due. A black-haired one captaining them, beautiful and deadly, with eyes like an abyss and sharp teeth. Most days white. Some, stained with red.

He sometimes saw the blonde one, too. The one that had been plaguing his dreams. The one whose lips he could still conjure on lonely nights. Airi, Hércules had said.

Aki would find himself going to the ship’s bow and whispering it. Airi, Airi, Airi. Like an incantation, just to see if she appeared.

When she did, Aki wasn’t ready. But how could someone prepare to meet the love of your life?

A night spent talking.

The following one, when they had docked the boat in some small coastal town and as Aki walked through the beach, a shared kiss, that tasted of salt and iron and a little too much to drink.

[mycoolwritingcorner]

The Calm Before The Storm Chapter 3: Crumbling Facade

After being seated at the Rokuten’s outdoor dining area, Rei and Minako began to flip through their menus.

“Man, I almost forgot about this place. We only came here one time, right?” Rei pondered while looking over her menu.

“Speak for yourself.” Mina replied, having already closed her menu and set it to the side. Before long the duo had ordered and Mayako, the co-owner of the restaurant, brought the food out to them herself. 

“Enjoy you two!” She said with a warm smile.

The two began digging in, but Minako was soon met with a bit of introspection from her raven-haired companion.

“Who would’ve thought that Ami of all people would have found someone before you or I did?”

“Well it wasn’t like she did it on her own. The two of us did a pretty good job playing cupid if I do say so myself.” The blonde responded before taking a proud sip of her drink.

“Heh, I guess you’ve got a point there.”

“I get what you mean though. We definitely have more attempts under our belts than Ami on that front.” Minako said before taking another bite.

“Well, failed attempts.”

“Hey, they weren’t all failures. What about Yuichiro?”

“You mean the guy who I never officially dated and hasn’t shown his face for nearly a year?” Rei shot back with a raised eyebrow.

“Well when you put it like that…”

“Yeah, I just don’t know what it is. There was him, Mamoru… others…” Rei said, biting her lip and turning away with a light blush.

“Would ‘others’ happen to include a certain bunhead we know?” The Guardian of Beauty said with a devilish smirk, prompting Rei to snap her head back in her direction with wide eyes.

“What… how…”

“You guys should know by now that you can’t hide this stuff from me.” Minako said, leaning back in her chair.

The raven haired girl let out a large sigh, “Alright, alright, I admit it. I did have a… brief, small crush on Usagi.”

“Wow, take out the words ‘brief’ and ‘small’ and that’s actually a true sentence.” Mina teased.

“Okay, fine! I was kind of super in love with her for, like, a year and a half! Happy?”

If Minako were to be honest, happy wasn’t the word she would use to describe her feelings about Rei telling her she had been in love with someone else, but she was glad that her friend was opening up to her. 

“See? That wasn’t so hard.” The blonde shot back.

“But I really am over her. It took a while but ultimately I just had to accept that she and Mamoru are happy together.”

“Well, sure but… what about your happiness?” Minako questioned.

“If she’s happy, I’m happy.” Rei said sincerely, “And besides, there’s plenty of fish in the sea. I just… y’know… apparently am not the best fisherman.” She finished with a chuckle.

“Well, maybe the right fish is… closer than you think?” Minako said nervously, hoping she wasn’t being too obvious.

“Heh, maybe. But hey, why are we only focusing on my love life? It’s not like everything’s been peachy for you either!”

“What do you mean? I’m doing fine!” Minako exclaimed.

“Oh let’s see, should we start with when you dated two supervillains in one day? Or how about the time a guy broke your heart so bad you faked your own death? Or how about the time your old volleyball friend asked you out even though he already had a girlfriend (I still think you should’ve let me beat him up for that).” Rei finished before taking a sip of her drink.

Normally Mina would be upset about someone reminding her of all her past failures in the field of romance, but she would be lying if she said that Rei wanting to commit violence on her behalf didn’t make her a little happy.

“Is that bad? That’s probably bad… oh well” She thought to herself.

“Okay… so maybe I have had some… missteps, in this department. BUT, I will have you know that I have put all of that behind me.” The blonde said, crossing her arms proudly.

“Oh, did you find someone new to obsess over?” Rei asked with a smirk, prompting Minako’s eyes to shoot wide open, “Heh, figured, so do I know him?”

“Oh, um, well…” Minako stuttered, her eyes darting around the outdoor dining area, “P-p-probably not.”

“Are you okay?” Rei questioned, clearly picking up on Minako’s nervous energy.

“I’M FINE!” Minako all but shouted, earning her some confused looks from the other restaurant patrons.

“Oh, wait, I get it.” Rei said, causing Minako’s heart to skip a beat.

“You do?” Minako asked, nervously.

“It’s a girl, isn’t it? Mina, you know you don’t have to be embarrassed about that, I think it’s pretty apparent by now that, like, none of our friend group is straight.”

Mina was somewhat baffled that Rei could come so close to hitting the mark, yet still not quite get there, “Uh… well… I will neither confirm nor deny.” Minako said defiantly, shoving a large bite of food into her mouth.

“Uh huh. Well, whoever she is, she’d better be good enough for you.” Rei said before returning to her own meal.

“Good enough for me?” Minako thought, sneaking a look back up at her raven-haired friend, “She’s perfect.”

--

And that is where we will leave chapter 3. Sorry for the shorter chapter, but next time we get to see Mrs. Mizuno's reaction to her daughter's relationship! Will she approve? Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out!

Also, for those who don't remember, the Rokuten Restaurant is from the SuperS episode "Mansion of Secrets! The Menu of Love to You". Figured it would be more fun to have them go there then just have them sit at Crown for the millionth time.

Please let me know what you guys think! Comments, reblogs, likes, etc. are much encouraged and greatly appreciated!

And come back next time for chapter 4.

Previous Chapter

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[reikuto]

CONTENT! quirkless!au, bakudeku, angst, established relationship. SUMMARY! completely inspired by the movie little fish. this is NOT my idea. in a world where there’s a global memory-loss pandemic called neuro inflammatory affliction, katsuki struggles to help izuku keep his memories. A/N! enjoy!! (p.s. this fic takes places over the course of several months!!!) UNEDITED. i was too excited to post!!!!!! GO WATCH LITTLE FISH, ITS FREE ON AMAZON PRIME

HE SHOULDN’T HAVE IGNORED THE SIGNS. it’s not like he hadn’t seen the news; the fisherman who jumped off his boat to swim home, the marathon runner who forgot to stop running, the pilot who forgot how to fly a plane mid flight, katsuki had seen it all and yet he shrugged it off. instead he’d shift his focus to the man beside him, who somehow always uttered the most factually incorrect sentences in hopes of getting a reaction out of the blond. bakugou katsuki would narrow his eyes at the freckled man, whose lips quirked up into a knowing smirk. “was it something i said?” izuku midoriya chuckles, sliding the blonde his coffee.

“that’s not what happened.” katsuki scoffs, bringing his mug to his lips. “but whatever.”

“you sure?” izuku cocks an eyebrow. “pretty sure that’s how it went down.”

“nope,” katsuki says simply, resisting the urge to take the bait. “it’s alright though, i know you’re just trying to piss me off.”

it’s never been anything but a stupid joke; a silly way they - mostly izuku - would poke fun at each other. the freckled man would smile cheekily as he spewed out some half-assed version of the truth and katsuki would roll his eyes before almost always giving izuku the exact reaction he wanted. in the end, it never mattered, the blonde would still begrudgingly accept the shorter man’s soft kisses and teasing apologies. it was never serious, it was never supposed to be serious, katsuki was never supposed to feel genuine fear inking through him when izuku recalled a memory incorrectly.

the government said there was no known cure for NIA; there was no avoiding it, no preventing it, no stopping it. people would inevitably forget their memories, some steadily and others in one fell swoop, but they’d lose it nonetheless. katsuki believed - prayed - that somehow he and izuku would be spared, that there was some sort of immunity and they had been fortunate enough to get it.

there wasn’t.

for izuku midoriya it happened slowly, over the course of six months. katsuki didn’t know if he was supposed be grateful for the steady decline; while it gave them more time together, it only made it harder to witness the man he loved lose everything that made him…him. the first sign of NIA that katsuki had recognized in izuku occurred on a chilly saturday morning. walking back to their shared apartment, hand in hand, when izuku nodded at a restaurant they’d frequent at and said: do you think that place is any good?

it took a couple seconds for his question to register, but when it did, katsuki brought the two of them to a halt. “what did you say?”

“hm?” izuku innocently turned to katsuki. “i asked if you thought it looked like it was any good.”

“are you being serious?”

“yes?” izuku laughed. “it’s close to our place, we should check it out.”

“we’ve been eating there for months, deku.” katsuki frowned, and the way izuku’s smile faltered made him wish he would’ve just kept his mouth shut.

katsuki refused to give up though, adorning every picture in their apartment with sticky notes of names, ages, and their relationship to izuku. he’d talk about their childhood at dinner, ignoring the pang in his chest at izuku’s reactions as if these memories weren’t his too. he’d let izuku spend hours scrolling through social media, grateful that their friends had always documented every birthday and outing. he’d watch izuku take in the pictures and videos in awe, with only one thought on his mind: why was the universe trying to take izuku away?

one early morning, when izuku thought katsuki was still asleep, he had gotten up and stared at the pictures littered on their dresser. katsuki watched with a knot in his throat as izuku’s fingers delicately traced the frames, the way his hands trembled as he picked them up, and the way he looked around their apartment as if he were a guest sleeping over for the first time.

katsuki sat up then, his rustling garnering the attention of izuku, who only stared at him silently. katsuki could almost see the gears turning in his head when at last, izuku said, “bakugou?”

katsuki ignored the churn in his stomach because this didn’t mean anything. they could still get past this, the fact that izuku still knew his name is a good thing right? katsuki just had to work a little harder to make izuku remember details.

“kacchan,” katsuki corrected gently. “you call me kacchan.”

“kacchan,” izuku repeated, and katsuki felt the relief wash over him when he sees izuku smile. “good morning, kacchan.”

unfortunately, katsuki wasn’t always as successful, such as the time he and and izuku were cuddled on the couch watching tv when izuku’s phone started ringing. with a sigh, izuku picked up his phone and glanced at the screen before tossing it aside.

“who was it?” katsuki asked, absentmindedly playing with izuku’s fingers as he watched tv.

“someone named uraraka.”

katsuki tore his eyes from the television to look at izuku’s phone. “you’re not gonna answer?”

“i don’t know an uraraka.” izuku shrugged.

bakugou’s eyes furrowed, picking up the remote to lower the volume. “yeah you do. ochako uraraka? we graduated with her.”

izuku remained silent for a couple seconds, “what was she like?“

fuck. “uh…short, round cheeks, nice.”

izuku laughed, and the sound eases katsuki’s heart. “that doesn’t really help, kacchan.”

katsuki took his hand off of izuku’s, crossing his arms as he tried to think of any information on the girl. “you dated her for a while. a long time ago. you’re still friends though.”

“oh,”

“listen, i don’t know her all that well but i know you two are close.” katsuki shrugged a shoulder. “she would’ve liked to talk to you.”

izuku didn’t respond, instead he quietly got up from his spot beside katsuki and walked over to the kitchen. internally debating whether or not to answer the call and let izuku hear her, katsuki mumbled a curse word and stood up to follow him into the kitchen. he recognized that the shift in izuku’s expression meant that he was struggling to put pieces together.

“what’s your name?” katsuki urged.

izuku pursed his lips, grabbing a glass and pouring himself water. “i’m fine, kacchan, we don’t have to do this right now.”

“when’s your birthday?”

that question made izuku roll his eyes but nonetheless he answered, “june.”

katsuki barely succeeded in hiding the slight temble of his lips, “june what.”

izuku took a long sip of his water before setting the glass down, staring at the counter as he struggled to recall a date. “i don’t know.”

bakugou sighed, walking around the island to pull izuku into an embrace, who accepted it in defeat. katsuki squeezed him a bit tighter, taking a minute to appreciate izuku’s warmth. “july.”

“what?”

katsuki’s voice came out in a whisper, “your birthday’s july fifteenth.”

the two of them stood in silence, arms wrapped one another with the looming dread of the situation sitting heavy in the room. katsuki often wondered when he’d wake up from this nightmare, when it would all be over. katsuki didn’t think he was capable of facing the day izuku forgot him entirely.

“your birthday’s in april.” izuku stated softly, and it’s enough to have katsuki’s eyes welling up in tears. izuku never stated anything anymore, his words always carried traces of uncertainty, always waiting for katsuki to confirm or deny them.

“yeah, it is.” katsuki nodded, his hand reaching up to rest on the back of izuku’s head.

“you’re katsuki bakugou.” izuku was just speaking out loud now, reinstating what little he could remember. “you’re twenty-four.”

“keep going.”

“we met when we were…in kindergarten.” the confidence in izuku’s voice faltered. “you were mean to me.”

that made katsuki laugh, and he pulled away from their embrace to cradle izuku’s face in his hands. “yeah, i was real mean to you.”

“you’re crying,” izuku frowned, gentle hand reaching up to wipe katsuki’s cheek. “you don’t have to cry, i’m okay.” a lie.

katsuki closed his eyes, feeling another tear fall as he rested his forehead against izuku’s. “i love you, deku.”

“i love you too, kacchan.”

katsuki wanted to scream out into the sky. curse the world for taking izuku away from him like this. for taunting him with the crippling fear of waking up and finding that izuku’s doesn’t recognize him anymore. katsuki’s almost convinced himself that it’s a punishment. he’s finally paying for the years he spent being so negligent of others. why else was he being tormented like this? forced to watch izuku succumb to this virus, forced to watch izuku forget him, forced to watch as izuku stopped loving him. karma was the only logical explanation for the position he found himself in today, standing across from a distraught izuku midoriya in their shared bedroom, trying to remind the boy of his identity.

“hey, hey, could you stop for a second?” bakugou begs, trailing behind izuku as he leaves their bedroom in search for his clothes. “listen to me, deku.”

“that’s not my name.” izuku hisses as he snatches a pair of pants off the floor.

“please, just stop—“

“i’m sure we had a great time, but really, i need to go.” izuku apologizes as he zips up his pants, although his kindness is strained as he keeps his distance from the blond.

“you live here,” bakugou says, finally closing the distance between them to show izuku the photos on his phone. “we live here.”

on the screen was the two of them at mina’s halloween party a couple years ago, the picture capturing the moment izuku pressed a kiss on katsuki’s cheek. the blond slid his finger across the screen to reveal another picture, a selfie taken by izuku of the both of them cuddled up on their shared bed. izuku finally settles down, cautiously taking the phone from katsuki and swiping the screen. the next image was of them at the beach, izuku latched onto bakugous’s back with a big grin. the blonde can do nothing but watch in silence as the images register in izuku’s head.

after what felt like ages, izuku looked up at him with watery eyes. “i-i’m-i don’t—“

“it’s okay,” katsuki hushes, feeling his own blood pressure ease up once he wraps his arms around izuku. “just take a deep breath.”

izuku hesitantly reciprocates the hug, and katsuki feels the way his body instantly relaxes in his embrace. the dam broke then, izuku beginning to sob as he mumbles why can’t i remember anything? katsuki feels like someone is trying to pull his heart out of his chest, unable to do anything but murmur soft words as he gently rubs izuku’s back.

after a couple minutes, izuku’s cries finally soften, but katsuki still holds him in him arms. in fact, if it were up to him, he’d never let izuku go, maybe then izuku wouldn’t forget him. hands clenched around bakugou’s shirt, izuku exhales a breath before whispering, “april.”

“what about it,” katsuki pries gently, careful not to overwhelm him.

“y-your birthday’s in april.”

“that’s right.” katsuki nods, “keep going, deku. whatever you can remember.”

“you’re twenty-four.” twenty five now, but wasn’t going to tell izuku that today was his birthday.

“what about you, can you remember anything about yourself? the smallest thing.”

“my name is izuku...” he hums before abruptly pulling away from the embrace, “we talked about getting married.”

katsuki can’t hide the surprise on this face as he wipes away the tears on izuku’s cheeks. “you remember that?“

the conversation occurred earlier that year, barely a month after moving into their apartment and before the virus was brought onto society. they were chatting idly on their balcony while drinking wine — because deku is a grandma — while the hour pushed four in the morning. katsuki had never been one to stay up late, but he’d always cherish that night; no noise, no work keeping them apart, no hectic schedules, just izuku.

the topic of marriage had come up, and he easily recalled the way izuku’s cheeks had flushed. ‘we’ve only been living together for three weeks, kacchan.’ izuku had mumbled. is it so bad that i want to spend the rest of my life with you?’ kacchan had responded in a drunken haze - not that it didn’t reflect his true feelings. nonetheless they proceeded to talk about the must-haves at their wedding, bakugou butting in whenever izuku’s vision got a little bit too ambitious.

“i do remember. ” izuku smiles breathlessly, “and i think we should get married.”

“what?”

“i want to marry you, kacchan, while i’m still me.” izuku pleads as he takes katsuki’s hand in his. “while i still remember us.”

katsuki couldn’t say no even if he wanted to, he just wishes these weren’t the circumstances that they were getting married under. had this virus never occurred, he would’ve given izuku the wedding he knew he wanted, with all those stupid extras and their families gathered together. they’d take a sweet honeymoon and everything would be perfect because why wouldn’t it be, they were together.

instead, they both agreed on eloping secretly; katsuki’s parents had long succumbed to NIA while izuku had forgotten the existence of his mother entirely. their friends most likely had their own set of problems so it felt unfair to pressure them with premise of a wedding. besides, it wasn’t guaranteed that they remembered who katsuki and izuku even were. ever since izuku’s memory began to fade, katsuki hadn’t dedicated any time towards keeping up with any of them.

they found themselves in the lobby of a courthouse on the beautiful saturday morning of may second. katsuki couldn’t recall the last time izuku had looked so happy, hand squeezing his own, “i’ll be right back, yeah?”

katsuki gives him a small smile and watches as izuku goes into the bathroom. he feels the anxious churn of his stomach because holy shit he’s gonna marry izuku midoriya. the day he has long awaited is finally here, and maybe now it’ll be easier to remind izuku of the role katsuki has in his life. from now on, when izuku has his episode, katsuki can say ‘it’s me, your husband’ because that’s sure to hold more weight than boyfriend, right? from now on, izuku will have a ring on his finger to remind him that he has someone else in his life, even if katsuki isn’t right next to them. today feels like a hopeful step forward, and katsuki let’s himself get swept up in the potential of their future.

the anxiety that sat in his gut dissolves the longer katsuki stood in that lobby. he looks around the room and takes in the decorations, analyzes the occasional employee that walks by him, and his eyebrows furrow as he turns around and cautiously exits the building.

the sunlight hits katsuki’s face, making him squint out at the world around him. the grass on the buildings is dewey, the breeze is cool and slight against his cheeks, there are people walking their dogs and cars driving by. katsuki pats his body, feeling something in his pocket and shoving his hand inside to retrieve a phone. the screen lights up to reveal a wallpaper of sleeping man, drowning comfortably in sheets, his face hidden. when the phone asks for a passcode, katsuki scoffs, shoving the damned device back in his pocket.

“excuse me?”

katsuki turns around to meet the bright, green eyes of another man, and he can’t help but take a mental note of the freckles that adorned his nose and cheeks. “yeah?”

“did you by any chance see who i walked in with?” the man asks nervously. “i think i’m supposed to meet someone here but..i can’t remember.”

“no,” katsuki grunts stiffly, watching as the man’s face contorts into confusion.

“okay, well thanks.” he mutters, turning around and walking away, although it’s obvious that he doesn’t know where he’s going.

bakugou katsuki watches him leave, the remnants of something foreign in his chest that he can’t quite place.

[defiant-firefly]

Oh yeah fun fact about those escape room games me and my mum have been playing: they make no fucking sense. Not in a 'we can't solve them' way, they're actually fairly easy (for me anyway but I think that's cause mum gets bored) but because the protagonist is a detective with stupid reasoning sometimes.

Mostly saying this because she got shot at and kidnapped (by the guy wearing the keffiyeh so like... yeah that's not helping her case here), ended up in a cabin in the woods, found this guy's camera in his backpack, and said one of the photos on it was suspicious. Two of the three photos were pretty sus. First one is of the protagonist and her friend (I think) investigating the disappearance of a woman at the petrol station from the previous chapter. It's from an angle that makes you think he was just camping out in the fucking trees to take this photo, so yeah that's a bit weird. The second is of the missing woman sitting on a bench reading a paper, taken from within the bushes. Pretty sus, right?

But it's the third one that gets logged as vital evidence. That's the one that makes the protag think there's more than one kidnapped woman here. Clearly, super important! So what was it?

A wedding photo. The culprit's wedding photo with a blond woman hugging him. She's wearing a flower crown that's part of a puzzle, but otherwise, that's it.

The protag thinks a wedding photo is more suspicious than a photo of a woman taken from within the bushes. The Arabic man can't have married a conventionally attractive woman! No villain like this has ever been married before! No no no that's just not right! She must have been kidnapped too and coerced into this! How cruel! /s obviously

Like. Come on. They could at least have made the woman look even remotely like she didn't want to be there if they were going for this. They're not even trying to be subtle about this.

The REAL fucked up thing about this man should be that to get into the attic, he has to pull down the mounted animal heads on the wall in the right order. And he had a fucking lightbulb in a draw that only opens when the guns in the rack are in the right places. And he didn't notice the distinct lack of boards over tha attic window when he pulled up outside. And his number plate combined with a fishing bait catalogue is the security pin for the basement door that unlocks from the inside where the victims are.

The more fucked up guy is the fisherman who locked his car jack behind a number code box. And the protagonist for spending like an hour solving puzzles to put out an engine fire rather than get the fisherman out the fucking car before it explodes.

The culprit is actually cool btw. He has a fucking secret cave behind a waterfall as a secret spot to hang out in after he kills someone. A secret cave!!! Behind a waterfall!!! With a comfy hammock in it!!! And he's trying to kill this dumb fuck protag!!! Sure he might be a murderer but I'd forgive him if he kills this racist, judgemental idiot that has to spend forever organising the box of donuts before she can take one, and locks her office phone inside a locked draw you can only open with the key from a safe, where the code is the amount of squares on the files in the cabinets she also has to organise before she can use them.

Like damn bitch, you live like this?

I get it's an escape room puzzle game, but like. There are some things that maybe just make your characters look insane if you make them puzzles ngl

[xafright]

so this was cos of this tweet

[aareyna]

(Yay! I love your writings!) Prompt: Ocean

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild Pairing: Sidon / Link Rating: T (depiction of wounds) Word Count: 1.6k A/N: I had this finished almost twice... and guess how many times my laptop had rebooted before that. So in theory I wrote 4.8k. Bon appétit ;* and thanks ♥

[AO3 link]

___________________________________________________________

“Please, be careful out there.”

Link good-naturedly rolled his eyes as he hoisted the heavy net into his small ship.

“It’s not the first time I go out there, Zelda,” Link retorted as he turned towards his friend. Her golden hair had been tied up into a messy bun; a fruitless endeavour since the wind had loosened most of her strands again.

“Yes,” Zelda replied with her hands clasped in front of her chest, “but you never went alone before.”

Link picked up his little bag containing the knives he would need later this day. Laying a comforting hand on top of Zelda’s shoulder he said, “It’s going to be alright. I’ll be back by the evening.”

Zelda looked unhappy, but in the end, she knew that she couldn’t convince her friend to stay.

*

A few weeks ago, Impa and Link had found a rock structure a two-hour ship trip away from the main coast. While too small to be considered an actual island, the underwater structure did offer hiding and spawning opportunities for many fish; a perfect place to catch them.

Link threw the anchor into the water and waited for it to grab hold of the rocky ground underneath before securing the anchor’s rope on a metal hook.

Thinking back, Link never would have thought that he would end up becoming a fisherman.

Always dreaming about the big, wide world, he always had thought that he might go down the path of science or military. But fate had had other plans in store for him, and in order to support his parents, he had had to put his dreams to rest.

It wasn’t bad, really. He enjoyed being out in the ocean, especially on days as fine as this one.

Sunshine and wind; in Link’s opinion the perfect match.

The blond leaned over the railing.

Instead of the net’s silhouette, only bits and pieces of the net’s rope were visible. It looked like it had been torn by something big; a big hole gashed through its middle and part of the fishing net seemed to be… gone.

Link frowned.

It looked like something big had pulled the ropes apart, but in his knowledge, nothing big enough to be able to lived in these waters.

Feeling a slight unease settle in the pit of his stomach, Link looked back up and scanned the waters nearby. It was difficult to see anything underneath due to the sunshine; the bright light’s reflection sparkled in tandem with the rippling of the surface waves.

Sighing, Link discarded his shirt. Years of fishing had taught him one thing: never underestimate how cold it could get on the ocean while travelling with wet clothes.

The blond took the hooking rod and started fishing out the parts of the net he could find. Some unfortunate fish got tangled inside the cold yarn, but the haul was less than satisfying. At least they wouldn’t have to go without food, Link thought slightly ill-humoured. Who didn’t like having nothing but fish on their meal plan?

After he fished the last visible piece out of the water, Link lifted his gaze in search. At least half of the netting was still missing. While he wouldn’t be able to use the destroyed item in the future anymore, he didn’t just want to leave it in the waters.

Scanning the area, his eyes got caught on a strip of rope peeking out of the water right behind the rock.

Alright, time to start up the engine again, hoist the anchor and relocate the ship.

Moving the ship was a task of only a few minutes. Stop the engine, throw out the anchor, get the hook.

Link leaned, hook in hand, over the railing to check for the remaining net. The water looked tainted and when he lifted his gaze-

Golden eyes stared right back at him.

Link stumbled back, heart in his throat, and stumbled over the discarded rope on the ground, falling down hard. He couldn’t feel the pain in his back through the shock and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

He tried to calm his breath; he had just imagined looking into eerily human eyes, right?

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Link got back up onto his feet.

He had to have been imagining things, that much he was sure of. But, just for safety measures, he grabbed the fishing spear leaning behind him as he slowly approached the ship’s railing once more.

More and more rock exposed itself to his gaze and- Those eyes were still there.

Link tried to swallow down the fear as he gripped the spear tightly and put it protectively between himself and that- thing.

A creature was sitting on one of the rock’s ledges, of deep red and bright white colour. It looked humanoid – and yet, still like a beast with its (his? her?) teeth bared. Despite there only being the sound of seagulls and waves, a deafening noise filled Link’s head.

He had heard of stories talking about terrifying merfolk; big and deadly. Mainly the older villagers told tales about them; Link had always marked those stories down as old sailor’s yarn. Nothing more than phantastic stories with the purpose to keep kids away from the deeper waters.

And yet, right in front of him sat a creature fitting the old tales.

It was huge; at least two times Link’s height. Even the fins around its head looked huge; adorning its face like nothing living he had ever seen.

Its eyes were golden, almost catlike. If fear hadn’t gipped his heart as tightly, Link could have thought of them as beautiful.

Then, his eyes landed on the creatures left upper arm.

The unmistakable rod of a harpoon stuck out of the creature’s – no, merman’s – muscle. Blood flowed down the arm in rivulets, the creature’s clawed hand with an iron grip around the arm. It was even painful just to look at the damage, and with that, the grip around his heart loosened.

With the vanishing fear, clarity got its hold back on him.

The merman didn’t look threatening, not even dangerous, not like he he had thought just mere moments ago - he instead looked scared. Link’s heart made a decision for him without consulting his head first.

He let the fishing spear fall back and took a step towards the railing. The merman flinched back, his teeth still bared and visible distress written all over him.

Taking a deep breath Link raised his hands.

“I will not hurt you,” he began explaining, “but you need help. The harpoon in your arm needs to go and you won’t be able to get it out yourself.”

Link took another cautious step forwards.

“Do you understand what I am saying?”

So many moments passed that the blond started to believe the merman couldn’t understand, until he was gifted with a small, tentative nod.

Link smiled disarmingly as he lowered his hands again.

“I’ll take the first-aid kit and come down to you, is that okay with you?” Another nod.

Quickly, but without any sharp, sudden movements, Link discarded his boots, gathered the kit and jumped over the railing into the cold water. Swimming with one arm incapacitated was more difficult than he had anticipated, but not impossible.

The merman watched him wearily as he climbed upon the ledge and settled, kit between his spread, kneeling legs, right across the enormous creature.

Surface water washed around Link’s knees as he regarded the wound. He blew air out of his nose. This was going to hurt.

“I am going to get the harpoon out. It will be unpleasant, but I’ll try to be as fast as possible, okay?”

Link waited for the answering nod before he started to dispatch the harpoon’s spear head. The enormous body in front of him tensed and a pained hiss escaped the merman’s lips. The blond grimaced in sympathy – this had to hurt a lot.

He tried to work as quickly as possible and was, after a few minutes, able to remove the metal from the merman’s muscle. The merman slumped in visible relief and Link opened the kit.

“The worst is over now. I’ll disinfect the wound and then sew it shut. You can’t go back into the water if it keeps bleeding like this.”

The merman nodded once more. As Link started to clean the wound, he could feel those golden eyes glued on his own, much smaller form. An electrical feeling climbed up his spine, but this time not out of fear. He ignored his quickening pulse as he set the first stitch.

“I never believed them, you know?” he started rambling instead. “The elders, I mean. They talked about merfolk – you guys – but I always thought the stories were made up.” Link chuckled. “But civilisation down there makes more sense than up here, right? Since there is more ocean than land on this world.”

One side down, one more to go.

“I-“ Link faltered for a moment as he regarded the wound. “I am sorry. About this. Not all of us are like that.”

While Link only killed to sustain his and others lives, some of the people he knew were greedy and killed everything and anything non-human they deemed special.

He finished stitching up the backside of the merman’s upper arm and sat back on his heels.

It didn’t look pretty, but it would do its job.

The merman stared at him and heat creeped up Link’s neck.

The enormous red body leaned over and for a moment, the blond's heart forgot how to beat.

Their faces were only inches apart, when-

“I know now.”

A warm kiss on his cheek followed.

“And we are called Zora, not merfolk.” With those words, spoken by a melodious, beautiful voice, the Zora disappeared.

Link lifted his hand and rested it atop the skin the Zora’s lips had touched, eyes glued on the spot the other had been just moments before.

A shiver ran up his spine and he looked down towards his soaked pants.

Well, it looked like he had to drive back shivering after all.

[itstheendofthegoddamnworld]

Male Selkie: Jaemos

Anon ask: Could you write a love/lemon story about a lonely 17 year old who goes to the ocean to shed seven tears into the sea in hopes to summon a male selkie? And perhaps you could have the selkie be named Jaemos or Robert. As for looks the selkie should have a fair complexion, sparkly hazel eyes, and gorgeous curly brown hair. Tysm. ;)

I would feel uncomfortable writing a lemon since the reader would be under 18, but I will probs write another part to this soon.

Warnings: some language

Male monster x GN Reader

Seven Tears to Shed

It seemed easy enough, but it appeared ridiculous. But in the end, what more could you lose?

The water waded through you, swaying and parting as you got deeper into the lake of sapphire. Hopping into your small boat and sailing out, you appreciated the weather being so calm – thank God – with few to no ripples that swayed the boat you sat on the further you got out. You didn’t want to be dealing with nausea if the boat was swaying from bad weather, so that was something to be thankful for.

Would this work though? You held your scepticism, unveiling the crude crumpled note from your jeans pocket, the scribbles of jotted notes you had taken that you had copied so plainly. Seven tears to shed to gain another. The fable was spread from fisherman wives than to book and to social media; some holding the theories that it worked compared to some who thought of it as nothing more than a hoax.

But you liked to think of yourself as someone who expected so much but only got so far for disappointment, knowing full well that this would not go so well.

You looked to the jotted down instructions, each numbered with your own notes added to help your thoughts. Now, the easier part was done, the hardest was getting into the mood to cry. Easier said than done. You snorted, looking over the calm water, seeing the glum figure you couldn’t recognise staring back up at you.

Number one: Someone you once loved.

You snorted unflattering in the cold air to yourself, “This is ridiculous.” 

But the ridiculousness of it all would help. Someone you once loved, simple: your crush of Jeremy Miller in the 7th grade. Popular, smart, blond hair and blue-eyed, he was the golden child, not a jock like all the other boys your age, Jeremy was well known for his love for acting. You had only shared a conversation with him maybe once, and that had been by accident, but you and your naïve mind looked way into his simple word of kindness for someone like you. But that crush died and crumbled like ash to the ground when you found out that your secret crush on him had been spread thanks to your cheerleader Eloise got hold of your diary, choosing to tell everyone and him. He turned out to be just as much as a dickhead as she had been, and for the rest of the year, you chose to hide along the school walls, the standing joke everyone looked for.

That first tear had come easier than you had expected: the anger helped especially. It ran down your cheek and slipped into the water with little force to break the surface, disappearing. So long, fucker. You anger dissipated before moving on.

Number two: Someone you lost.

This was more sentimental to you, and upon seeing the way how your handwriting became illegible, shaky to the end of the line, it told you it would be rather difficult. You clasped the side of the boat with an unsettling exhale, the one person that only came to mind was your grandmother you had lost a few years ago. Old age had taken her but it had taken her away so beautifully, bringing her to join the nature you were surrounded by now. You could feel her no matter where you went, a twirl of the breeze in your hair, a canary’s singing when your window was open, you knew she was always there.

The second tear was followed with a cry that resounded in your chest, too close to your heart, and took some time to finally calm. The water rippled with its decent to guide your tear gently, engulfing it smoothly. You wiped the back of your red wet face with the back of your sleeve, telling yourself to resume before you got too caught in the moment.

Number three and four were similar, both requiring you to of lost something but for you to gain it once again. In the end, it didn’t matter whether that thing was personal to you, you had to say goodbye to it. You had lost the happiness you once felt as a child, but to the benefit of it all, you resided to your privacy by drawing. It wasn’t much, but it helped keep bad thoughts away on some days, allowing you to do what you loved best.

Number five was someone you missed the most in your life, and although the memories stung like the previous tears, the face that stuck was your best friend at the time, Jade. And although the good times could be seen, it didn’t hide the stuck up and two-sided personality she wielded, using you for her own gain. In the end, the friendship ended with much more ease than sorrow. But seven years’ worth of torment could get anyone relieved for it to be over, and so those tears were in her farewell.

Number six and seven had arrived with little to no faith you held in how it would end. Proving that maybe after all that crying, it would be pointless. You sighed heavily, reading over the last two, drawling the right thoughts.

Number six: Yourself

Though there were many things you loathed of yourself, you didn’t want others to feel sympathetic to your story, nor other the fact that you were indeed lonely. Your story was long and convoluted, but you wished someone was good and decent enough to read it from the beginning. This farewell for your own loneliness was the one you wished to see gone the quickest.

All these tears: one for anger, two for loss, two for relief, one in farewell whilst the last was for a new beginning. It could be anything you wanted, wished or craved for – but better beginnings sounded all too promising.

Number seven: A final wish

“I wish… I just wish for someone patient to listen, not to question, but let me feel something.” You said aloud, finally ripping at the paper as you scattered it to the wind, allowing that final droplet to run down your cheek.

You weren’t expecting instant miracles and in those seconds of having said your wants and crying away the past, you listened to the rush of water surging closer to your boat, and at that moment when you opened them, you were surprised with a little visitor.

The fur of the seal was plump and grey, silvery in contrast to the murky waters as it twirled and moved closer to your boat, its wide black eyes staring up into yours as it made eye contact with you as it continued to travel, passing by you and coming up behind the boat, where you believed it would disappear on with its journey.

You snorted to yourself, “I’m losing it. I can’t believe I was talking to a seal.”

“Correct, but I suppose that’s what people like to believe.” A sudden voice was so clear as rain, smooth and whimsical startled you so that you almost rocked off the side of your boat, coming from behind you. “These waters have never been so calm, heh, though… it’s not every day someone comes to shed their seven tears.”

This couldn’t be true… you were in the middle of a lake, yet you were certain you could hear a clear voice almost next to you. “Who’s there?” Your confusion and worry were evident in your tone, where the voice - clearly male - replied, “You could call me what you want, but I would like to call myself your listener.”

“That’s bullshit—you must’ve followed me… there’s no way you could’ve magically appeared… unless,” then it hit you. The grey seal, following along the side of your boat when you cried your final tear, moving behind the boat. No-

You turned to peer over the edge of your boat with some hesitancy, believing all you would see would be a small adorable seal, when in fact you were totally wrong. The first thing that came into your sight was the blinding porcelain white skin that seemed almost blinding in the deep waters. They were drenched, with only their mop of wet curly brown hair on show, and wide hazel eyes that seemed to almost sparkle in the water’s surface. This man was too beautiful to be anything but your saviour. No, maybe a swimmer coming through or just a weird dude who was creeping on a 17-year-old-

“You seem lost, dear,” the handsome male stretched up until more of his bare torso was out from the water. “Penny for your thoughts?”

This person could’ve been a madman, preying on young people like you, and you were out in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to defend yourself with. That’s what you should’ve been thinking, but your mind only came to think of one thing at that moment.

“You’re a seal?”

“A selkie, your people usually call me, though it’s not every day I’m called that.” The male laughed, supporting himself so casually by propping his lithe arms against your boat. “Any other questions?”

You shook your head in disbelief, trying to gauge at what you were really believing. Was your head that mad that you were imagining a completely different creature to you? “Were you listening to me? Listening to me cry?”

“As creepy as it seems, to shed seven tears grants you the final everlasting wish you so dream for,” the selkie replied. “You wished for someone – a friend – perhaps, and well… here I am.”

“So, you listen to everyone crying and you grant wishes? Do you grant the same wishes to everyone?”

“Not quite,” he laughed. “Everyone has different wishes, and so did you, but I just so happen to give the perfect gift of all.”

You titled your head, eyebrows raised incredulously, “Yourself?”

“My power does not lie between what I allow and grant, but… I thought I would allow myself to help with your certain request.”

There was an awkward pause that waved itself in the air between the two of you. “So, you’re like my friend or something?”

“I’m a protector, whatever you wished for, so a listener,” there was a loud thud that resonated within the boat, and when you looked, he had thrown something thick like a grey blanket in, sopping wet. “That there is yours to keep.”

“What—your skin?”

“You don’t know many things about selkies, do you, dear?” He laughed, pointing to the pelt. “When a human catches a selkie and keeps its pelt, the selkie cannot transform or return to the water. So, forever more until you get bored of me, I am forever bound to you.”

You snorted out in disbelief, “No, you can’t be serious.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I cannot lie, I tell the truth as we speak.” This man-

“No, listen, I’m 17. What are my parents going to say when I return with some naked stranger who I found in a lake? They’ll think I’m insane, more so than already!” I can’t be this guy’s carer, I can barely even look after myself.

“Hey,” the selkie’s voice was calm yet cheerful when he brought you out of your freak-out. “We’ll get through this together. I’m sure your parents wouldn’t mind me looking after you.” If only you knew my parents. You dreaded, before finally coming up with an idea.

“I cannot keep your pelt.”

The pale male’s face had dropped suddenly at the drastic sombreness of your words, his eyes turned downcast. “Oh, right.” He went to let go of the boat’s side but you were quicker to grab his hand, making him turn back to you with surprise. “No, what I mean is, for the safety of both of us, you can stay here. Where you’re at home, and I can come to visit, since if you are to be my listener, we need to make sure you’re comfortable too, right?”

He wanted to reply to you, his mouth opening and shutting but finally, he said, “I guess. But, you must promise. If we are to be friends, we must trust each other. I am certain on my word, are you?”

You still couldn’t believe everything that today had thrown at you, let alone you were wanting to agree, but you were too curious for your own good. “Yeah, sure. I promise.”

He beamed a white smile back at you again, your chest rising and falling as something warm replaced what was usually so empty, fading again before you could realise. It was… nice. 

“What’s your name then, Mr seal?”

The selkie was halfway through putting back on the seal pelt, melding seamlessly with his human body as if he was zipping up a costume without needing a zipper. It looked comical to you, but it was still amazing to witness.

“Jaemos, or Robert, though that was thanks to some little girl deciding to call me that one time,” he laughed to himself, his teeth just as white as his skin. His bright eyes looked back into yours once more. “Whatever is easier to remember.”

“Jaemos it is then since it was the first option.” You smiled softly, grabbing at the ores to begin your way back to the shore before you looked back on him. “Hey, if it’s not too much trouble, could you lend me a flipper to push me back to shore?”

“You would never be too much trouble, dear,” he replied, lifting himself onto the side you were on so suddenly, almost like he was throwing himself in the boat, before affectionately twisting a piece of your hair behind your ear, laughing when he saw your beet-red cheeks warm. “That’s something troubled people would say.”

[theaviskullguy]

What's a mermaid to a king? A lover, apparently

i wrote this a while ago on my Wattpad, bringing this here for Mermay!

Ship: Emperor x Gloves

Fantasy AU!

Please, enjoy!

-----

It was a simple run along the cliffsides, but a misstep caused Emperor to fall off of them. It happened too fast, it seemed. The blonde let out a cry for help but no one seemed to care.

Even though the cliffs had water, Emperor was sure that when he hit the surface he would die-the  cliffs were high up.

So, he closed his eyes and braced for the impact. And when it came, he passed out.

..Only to awake on the shore.

Emperor opened his eyes, rather groggily, and saw startling, pure coral pink eyes-sclera and all- staring into his own. The next thing he noticed was tan skin, and seaweed green hair and...scales?

The creature smiled, showing sharp teeth. "Great! Thought you'd never wake up, two-legged!"

The blond was confused, obviously, and sat up, pushing the green beast off in the process. "What...What happened to me?" He asked.

"You seemed to take a nasty dive off of the cliffs. I found you, swam you to the surface so you could breathe, and brought you here!" They explained, lifting...a green betta-fish like tail.

Emperor backed up. What this real? Did he actually get saved by a freaking mermaid?

The mermaid only tilted their head. "What? Did I scare you?" A look of realization dawned on their face. "Are you scared of me?"

"No, I'm not. In fact, I am in your dept." Emperor answered, still a bit shaken. "Just...I thought mermaids were nothing more than a child's nursery tale, not real beings.."

"...Guess that makes sense." The mermaid shrugged, and held up and out a hand. "The name's Gloves. Nice to meet you!"

The blond took it and gave it a firm shake. "Emperor Castilo."

Gloves' eyes widened in excitement. "Castilo? As in the Royal Family Castilo?"

Emperor only nodded and Gloves smiled widely. "Oh, sweet!! I get to tell my friends I rescued a prince!"

Said prince chuckled. "I suppose you do. Now...need help getting back into the water"

Gloves nodded, and chuckled a bit sheepishly. "Yeah... Will I ever see you again?"

Emperor nodded. "Meet me at the cove tomorrow, when the sun rises. I'll bring something for you then, alright?"

"Okay!" They smiled, and Emperor scooped them up bridal style and walked until he was waist deep in the water, and released Gloves into it.

Gloves gave a small wave, before swimming off into the ocean.

---

Days of meeting at the cove turned into weeks, into months and soon, a year. Every morning, Emperor and Gloves would meet at sunrise and talk well into the day. On a few occasions, the prince would even get in the water and swim around with the mermaid.

Gifts were given both ways; Emperor gave Gloves beautiful golden jewelry that wouldn't really weight them down or get in the way of swimming if they wore the pieces correctly. In return, Gloves gifted Emperor with small trinkets from their little collection of junk that fell to the bottom of the sea, or some beautiful piece of coral, a shell, or even an occasional pearl. The prince would tell the mermaid the object's name and purpose or treasure the object dearly, putting it up in display in his room.

Slowly but surely, Emperor fell in love with Gloves, finding himself wanting to be able to run away from the stress and responsibilities that came with being royalty and spending the rest of his life by the seashore, with his fishy lover.

But, one day, Gloves did not come. Emperor waited until the sun set.

For weeks the mermaid didn't come. The prince felt his heart break every day his friend was a no show.

Two months after Emperor last saw Gloves, his father called him to a freak show of sorts. To see what scum his people would be.

The prince wished he could save each and every being there. And then... someone caught his eye.

In a small tank, there was a mermaid with coral pink eyes and hair and a tail of seaweed green, golden adornments on their wrists. They were curled up, as small as they could make themselves, but even then their tail had to drape over the side of their tank.

It was Gloves.

Emperor ran over to the tank, his father following.

"Now, that is a mermaid. They're terrible creatures," His father started. "Sabotaging our fisherman's hauls. This one got caught in a net trying doing just that. Don't stare at it for too long. It'll think you're a meal."

The prince just stared at Gloves with a look so sorrowful you'd think his brother would have died. He reached out a hand to touch the glass and Gloves put one against his.

The king scoffed and walked away, leaving the two practically unsupervised as Gloves poked their head out from their tank. "You came."

Emperor nodded. "But it seems a bit too late... The show is moving out tomorrow and I have until sunrise to help you all escape."

"Midnight." A separate caged being said. Emperor turned to face them.

It was a kitsune, with 6 fluffy orange tails and in the form of a human with ginger hair and emerald green eyes. "Come at midnight. No one guards us then and the keys are left lying around."

The prince nodded yet again. "Alright. Just...try and stay alive."

Gloves nodded. "Will do."

------------

The full moon shone high as Emperor snuck out of his window, a cloak over his figure. He headed to the freak show with purpose. He needed to save his people. And most of all, he needed to save Gloves. No aquatic creature should be stuck in a tank that small.

With the lockpick he was given by the mermaid once upon a time, he picked the lock of the building and headed in, to find most of the creatures asleep, and the hall completely devoid of guards.

Perfect.

Emperor took the keys from the stand they were on, and unlocked the cages. Some beasts simply flew away. Some thanked him and others used claws or talons to help with others.

Soon all of the cages were empty and the beasts were freed, but... Gloves was no where to be seen.

The prince felt himself begin to panic, but the kitsune brushed his shoulder with his tail. "The back room. They were taken in there after getting sick."

"Sick?" Emperor asked, rather concerned.

"Mermaids can't survive any part of them being dried for more than a few weeks. They got deathly dehydrated." The kitsune stated.

Emperor nodded, and raced to the back room, unlocking it.

Inside, there was a small but simple pool, and in it was an unconscious Gloves, who looked almost deathly pale. The prince bit his lip to keep from loosing his cool, and knelt down to gently shake the mermaid. "..Gloves?"

Gloves stirred, and opened their eyes. "...E-Emp?"

Emperor nodded. "It's me, Gloves. Listen, I'm going to get you out, but I need to lift you out of the pool. Alright?"

The mermaid nodded and allowed themself to be lifted by the prince, who dashed out of the door and ran to the ocean. The cove, more specifically.

As the two arrived, the sun was starting to rise, reflecting off of the water with a golden light as Emperor lowered Gloves in it. "There..."

Gloves smiled, already starting to look better, "Thanks, Emp... And, can I ask you something?"

Emperor nodded. "What is it?"

"..Can I kiss you? Not in a romantic way I promise! Just.. A mermaid's kiss can grant someone the ability to breathe underwater and I want to show you something.

"...S-sure?"

The mermaid nodded and leaned up, their lips being met by Emperor's own as the prince felt the power flow through him. And then he was pulled into the water by Gloves. "A-ACK-"

Gloves giggled, their hair billowing now they were both fully underwater. "Gotcha!"

Emperor huffed, taking a deep breath to find he really could breathe under the water now. "...I'll get you for that."

"But for now, follow me?"

The prince nodded and followed the mermaid as they led him to a smallish cave-on the outside at least. On the inside, it was huge and full of wonderful things. Even a makeshift vanity on a shelf-like rock formation, using fragments of mirrors. Much of the jewelry Emperor gave to Gloves was on this shelf, but other pieces were on other shelves or adorning Gloves. The prince guessed this was their home.

Gloves stopped after finding a bottle full of some strange gold liquid. "I got this a while ago at a market." They explained. "I... I wanted to give it to you to drink."

Emperor raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, it's apparently a potion that can turn a human into a mermaid. You often expressed how stressful the prince life is... I thought it'd help." Gloves explained. "I could help you with learning the basics of stuff, and you could even live with me!"

This seemed to be something out of a dream! But, Emperor wasn't willing to go. Not yet. "..I'll consider it, Gloves. I still have things to do on the surface."

Gloves looked a bit down, but nodded. "I get it... Well, take it in case you decide to drink it." The handed the potion to Emperor, who nodded and placed it in his pouch.

-----

The elixir was kept in a locked safe of sorts and almost forgotten. A few months after that exchange, Gloves didn't bring it up. But Emperor had been shown more and more of the watery neighborhood Gloves lived in; from the motherly siren and his selkie husband, to a sea nymph in love with a kitsune who lived on the surface, the prince had become as well known and respected as if he actually lived in the area.

Every night, Emperor would consider packing a bag and writing a note and drinking the elixir, to live there with Gloves permanently. And each time he decided not to drink just yet.

That all changed one day.

"Son," The king said. "I'd like you to meet your fiancé-"

Emperor tuned out her name, being frozen in fear. He didn't want this at all! He just... all he wanted was to spend his life with his mermaid friend!

So the moment he could, he sprinted up to his room and grabbed a waterproof bag, filling it with keepsakes of his brothers, along with the things Gloves gave him and the rest of his adornments (He wished to give some to his new neighbors, along with keep at least two matching rings for himself and Gloves). He grabbed a piece of paper and a quill, writing a note that simply he was running away, and to not look for him.

And with that, he unlocked the safe containing the elixir and headed out the window and to the cove with his bag.

When the prince reached it, he smiled in relief. Carefully, he stripped himself of his clothes and folded them to set on the rocks, keeping his circlet. He opened the bottle of the potion.

"Well, bottoms up.." Emperor said, to only himself. He downed the liquid in one fell gulp and jumped into the water.

He felt a weird sensation in his lower half but he didn't look until it was gone, and he saw a gorgeous and elaborate yellow mermaid tail, with specs of iridescent purple scales. Upon looking at his arms and feeling along his spine, Emperor noticed he grew fins as well, along with fin-like ears much like Gloves, though the ex-prince felt he paled in comparison to the mermaid of his affections.

He took his bag from the shore and quickly swam to where Gloves' cave was, his tail beating the water as hard as he could to get their faster.

When he arrived, he simply knocked on the stone, and was greeted with a tackle of seaweed green as Gloves hugged him tightly. "EMP!!!"

Emperor chuckled and embraced the betta fish back. "I missed you, Gloves."

Gloves smiled and looked Emperor up and down. "You drank it. You..."

"What can I say? Why would I not want to stay with the one I love?"

Gloves' face turned a shade of red, and they nuzzled into the crook of Emp's neck. "...I love you too, Emp..."

---------

When Prince, Regent, and their father found the note, a search for Emperor was called for. The kingdom searched far and wide before anyone thought to check the cove. All that they saw left of the kingdom's heir was his royal robes, folded neatly on the rocks with an empty bottle.

As for Emperor himself? He moved in with Gloves, permanently, and the two got together for reals. After a few years the two were married, and had two wonderful children. One was named Princess, and the other, Prince.

Some say the family learned of a way to turn into a humanoid form and roam the land as humans, and returned as the royal family when the kingdom fell to the grasp of chaos, but no one knows for sure.

All we can say, is this truly was a happily ever after.

The end.

-------------

The father shut his book, and the faces of his two children lit up.

"Are you saying you and Zaza are MERMAIDS?" The young girl asked.

The father only laughed. "Don't be silly, Princess. It's simply a story. A child's tale."

The son hugged his plush betta fish. "Y-yeah, sis. It's n-not real."

Princess pouted. "Awww! But that would be so coooooool!!"

"You know what else would be cool?" The father asked. "If you two went to sleep, now. I let you two stay up past your bedtime, your Zaza is going to get mad at me."

The two children nodded. "Night papa!" The son called.

He smiled. "Goodnight, Prince. You two, Princess." He blew out the light, and headed out of the room.

The other parental unit, Zaza, was waiting just outside the door. "Telling the kids the story again. Huh, Emp? "

"Gloves! You startled me there, love." Emperor stated. "And, yes. Princess won't stop thinking it's real."

"Well, who knows?" Gloves placed a kiss on Emperor's cheek. "You thought mermaids were a child's tale and yet you met me."

The king rolled his eyes playfully. "I suppose you're right. Now, it's been ages since we've done a good one, so..."

Gloves raised an eyebrow. "Midnight swim?"

"Midnight swim."

The two lovers headed out of the palace and to the cove, hands intertwined under the moonlight. they stripped away each others clothing as not to ruin it, and dove into the water.

A flash of colors followed, then green and yellow mermaids swam around the large cove, their laughter like springs of fresh water.

They got their happily ever after, after all.

[nightships]

The Captain’s Cabin Part 1 (again)

It’s been ages, but @everything-person sent a kind ask about a broken link! I have a sneaky feeling tumblr didn’t like my shirtless edit of our fair Killian that I originally uploaded with the fic. There is ALMOST CERTAINLY a better way to do this, and maybe i’ll get the energy to go fix the links in the old posts, but in the meantime here’s a re-upload of chapter one! reminder that it’s also on ao3. check my “jess writes cs” tag for the rest.

“The Captain’s Cabin?”

Emma squinted up at the sign, covering her eyes to keep the morning light from turning her blind. It was a ridiculous name, if she said so herself. (Never mind that this was their first day in town, and she’d been the one to choose the place.)

“I don’t know about this,” she said, sliding her eyes back to the blonde girl at her side. “We could just get back in the car and find a nice, motel-side Arby’s.”

“We just spent five hours in the car, not counting the five minutes it took to find that parking spot, Emma,” Elsa whined, “If I don’t get to eat whatever it is I’m smelling right now, I think I might cry.”

Emma ceded, but only because the smell of fried seafood was calling to her too.

The two of them stepped out of the misty morning and into the little dockside restaurant, Emma shaking her hair out of her hooded anorak jacket and Elsa flinging her braid back over her shoulder. The lunch crowd was still milling about, mostly older citizens and young parents, and the two were only too happy to take their time finding seats. The walls were stained dark, as if the warm drizzle outside had penetrated the wood, and covered in weather-worn treasures that undoubtedly came from the nearby sea. One side of the small building stood on ground level, but the other seemed to stretch out toward the water. It was nice, Emma had to admit, nicer than the dorky sign on the front had led on.

The two of them chose seats at the end of the long bar, despite all earlier protests about sitting for any prolonged periods (ever again, Elsa had promised, one foot up on the dashboard and the other hanging out the passenger window.) Elsa busied herself tracing the faces of old sailors and fisherman pictured on the walls, while Emma watched the tide coming in.

It hardly looked pleasant out, but she was certain those little black blobs in the distance were boats. She ran her hand over the windowpane to get a clearer view and squinted again, trying to figure out exactly what kind of vessels had caught her attention.

“Can I help the both of you?”

Emma swiveled on the little barstool and found herself eye-level with a toothy, if welcoming, grin. The man was standing on the other side of the bar, his black shirt emblazoned with the same logo from the sign outside the restaurant. She had no idea how he snuck up on her like that, but Elsa answered him before she could voice her question back.

“You definitely can. We’ve been in the car for far too long, and we need food.”

“I’ll have to see if we’ve got any laying around, then,” he said with a bit of a laugh, seeming to relax into his smile as he regarded Emma more thoroughly. "Where are you traveling from?”

“Boston,” the both of them answered, tiredness coming through in Emma’s voice and restlessness coming through in Elsa’s.

He clicked his tongue and handed both of them menus, leaning a hip against the bar as he played with one of the bottles on the counter top. “Quite a long ways away, but at least you chose a beautiful day to come up. It’s not always this nice out.”

“You call this nice?” Emma chuckled, wrinkling her nose as she nodded toward the window. “It’s about to rain.” “On the contrary, lass. I’d reckon the sun’ll be out before you’ve finished your meal.” His smile was challenging her now, as if he was about to reach out into the air and ask her to shake on it.

“Speaking of,” Elsa said, swiveling her menu toward him and pointing at a dish. “Can I get this with curly fries?”

“There’s no way,” Emma said, shaking her head at the man. He was leaned over the counter, arms folded out in front of him. She thought she could see the beginnings of a tattoo on the inside of his arm but refused to inspect any further, knowing his eyes had been following her a little too closely already.

“Ah, but there is,” he sang out. “When you’ve lived here as long as I, you tend to get accustomed to the signs.”

"Nobody’s that good,” She pressed, crossing her arms in front of her. He’d been keeping them (well, keeping her,if Elsa’s less-than-subtle looks meant anything) company ever since they’d ordered a meal, and since then she’d come to know quite a bit about him. His name was Killian Jones, and it didn’t sound like an American name because it wasn’t. He and his brother had come over from the United Kingdom a few years ago and started up business here. They had a sailboat, of all things, moored out at the end of the restaurant’s dock, and that apparently gave him the ability to predict the weather. “You have to have checked an app, or something.”

He shook his head again, eyes sparkling as they regarded her. “I could show you, if you’d like,” he said, a bit of extra something in his voice as he made the offer. “Liam’s not quite done with your orders yet, and it won’t take long.”

Emma gave him a challenging look of her own, then, wondering just how many tourists got an invite out onto his sailboat while their meals were made ready. On the other hand, though, her legs weren’t nearly stretched enough after driving for so long, and she did like the idea of standing again.

“Oh, go do it,” Elsa said, tearing her straw wrapper into tiny little squares atop the bar. “I’ll wait here for when the food gets out.”

“See? She’ll wait here, for when the food gets out,” Killian said, sweeping his arm out toward Elsa and raising his brow at Emma. “Come on, Swan, don’t make a man beg.”

Again, Emma relented, but only because she would never hear the end of it from Elsa if she acted like going with him was a big deal.

“What made you pick Maine, of all places?”

They were both leaned against the rail of his sailboat (which was more than a little impressive, Emma grudgingly admitted. With something like this at her disposal, she’d probably spend a few cloudy days on the water, too) and watching the little town ferry pick up passengers from the neighboring dock. It’d made three trips since they came outside,  passengers snapping pictures and laughing at the sea spray when they passed over particularly large curls of wake.

“I could ask you the same,” he countered, twisting his neck to regard her. She didn’t remember him coming to stand so close, exactly, but then the past twenty minutes had gone by without her thinking of a single excuse to run back to Elsa. (It definitely had nothing to do with the way he seemed to talk about the sea like it was his first love, that was certain.)

“It’s different,” she told him with a small laugh. “We’re not moving in.”

“We didn’t think we were either, to be honest. Liam and I had plans to sail up and down the coast, to pack up every time we thought we were getting too rooted down.”

“Guess that worked out for the two of you,” Emma countered, nodding back toward the restaurant. “Big change of plans?”

“You could say that.” His smile turned wistful then, almost dreamlike, and Emma found herself watching him as he turned his eyes back to the sea. She couldn’t tell if it was the way the sun was now warming their faces or simply the way he was born, but the ocean seemed pooled right there in his eyes, too. He turned to her then, catching her off guard once more with his closeness. “I’ll wager your food’s waiting for you now, love.”

Surprisingly reluctant to leave the peaceful, salty air out on the docks, Emma nodded, letting him lead her back inside. Most of the lunch rush had taken off by then, and it was almost too easy to hear her friend’s voice carrying through the restaurant as they stepped back through the doorway.

“- she’s not really my sister, even though she looks it, but we always take this big sisterly road trip in the spring to celebrate meeting each other. She pretends she hates long trips, but I know that - Emma!”

Emma’s eyes widened considerably as she saw her friend chatting up a dark-haired stranger, one whose head looked exactly like Killian’s from the angle she had on him. He turned then, a lighter shade of blue eyes meeting hers. He was wearing the same shirt as Killian, too, but all brotherly resemblance ended below eye level.

“You must be Emma,” the man said, straightening up off the barstool and reaching out a large, square hand. “Liam Jones, privilege to be at your services today.”

Emma could see Elsa’s bright eyes behind him, switching frantically between delight and panic. She had always been terrible at improvisation, especially when it came to someone she wanted to impress. Emma only smiled and shook his hand warmly, not missing the gigantic plate of curly fries that Elsa had placed between them. (She didn’t miss the look Liam gave to Killian, either, but she found herself wishing she’d seen it from Elsa’s perspective instead. As it was, he was standing too close to her for her to see.)

“Nice to meet you. Are you the one I need to thank for the sandwich waiting over at my seat?”

“I am, especially since my second-in-command was nowhere to be found,” Liam said pointedly, aiming his smirk at her instead of his brother this time. She managed not to blush, but there was no hiding the snort that came from Elsa at her seat.

Seeing the food on her plate reminded Emma of their reason for visiting, and she found herself lingering there long after her plate held nothing but crumbs, swapping travel stories with the two men who held the sea in their eyes. It was comfortable, just as much as her ride together with Elsa had been, and suddenly she found herself wondering what else they might have missed if they hadn’t pulled off the interstate to fuel up in the little seaside town.

(Elsa, for all her part, wasn’t even trying to be subtle as she offered Liam the last long curly fry on her plate, complaining when he told her it’d be ungentlemanly to take anything more from her plate than he already had. Her argument was that he’d made them, after all, and deserved to spend a little time savoring the dishes he made. They didn’t even notice it when Killian snuck the thing off her plate and ate it himself.)

“So,” Killian finally asks, stepping up to tackle the question they’d all been dancing around, “How long are the both of you in town?”

"Oh, we only planned on stopping for a few-” Emma felt the point of Elsa’s shoe dig into her shin then, effectively cutting her off before she could say anything drastic. Emma swiveled back and gave her just as deliberate and obvious a look, wondering what the hell had gotten into her.

“A few days. Maybe a week or two,” Elsa supplied, sipping at her water and refusing to meet Emma’s eyes. “We don’t really have to be back any time soon.”

Emma let it go after a moment, but only because she didn’t want that to be the last smile she saw on Killian Jones’ face.

[zeal-ascendancy]

Pulling up on the shore near Dorino, Crono and Marle thanked Ben the fisherman. The old man smiled and waved to them as they made their way up the beach and towards the village of Dorino.

The townsfolk were helpful. A young woman said the road south of the village would lead them straight to Porre but warned them to watch out for the Mystic Army. Many fiends had been seen in the woods to the south. She also confirmed that Glenn had made his way past the town.

Not wanting to waste any time, Crono and Marle departed and made their way down the long road. By late afternoon, it was getting dark. That’s when Marle spotted a large house in the middle of a field.

“Do you think they’ll let us stay for the night?” she asked. “I’d hate to be walking all night.”

Crono nodded. “Worth a try…. My mom did pack a couple of tents if we can’t stay.”

Arriving at the house, Marle knocked on the door. A young woman with blond hair, wearing a brown dress, cracked open the door. “Oh! Travelers. Please, come in.”

Crono and Marle entered the house. The woman put a kettle over the fire. She turned to the two of them and said, “Please make yourselves at home.”

They set their belongings down and sat down at the table in the main area. The woman brought over some cups of tea and sat down as well.

“My name is Fiona. I haven’t seen many travelers since the war has gotten more intense,” she said. “My husband Marco is out fighting for Guardia right now. Tell me, where is a young couple like yourselves going at such a late hour?”

Crono almost choked on his tea. He coughed and said, “Uh, we aren’t-“

“We’re just friends,” Marle replied. “We only met a few days ago. We’re going to Porre to look for a friend of ours. Maybe you’ve seen him?”

They described Glenn but unfortunately Fiona hadn’t seen him. They helped around the house before getting some sleep. The next morning Fiona offered them some breakfast. As they ate, she looked out at the fields outside.

“There use to be a forest here but the fiends cut down or burned much of it in the war,” she lamented. “I hope that Marco returns from the war so we can replant the trees.”

“That sounds like a lot of hard work,” Marle remarked. Fiona nodded. “It will be worth it though.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Crono said as he picked up his and Marle’s belongings. Fiona smiled. “Safe travels and good luck finding your friend.”

Departing Fiona’s villa and heading south, Marle looked back at the house then at Crono. She wondered how he felt about referring to him as ‘just a friend’. She certainly thought he was handsome and she was impressed by his bravery and kindness, but did he think of her as more than a friend?

The rest of the journey down to Porre was fairly uneventful, the awkwardness of their time at Fiona’s fading to the back of their minds. Crono was grateful that his mom packed so much for him and that she packed two tents. He suspected it was a huge hint to take things slow with Marle. Admittedly, he did like her a lot but he wasn’t sure how she felt about him.

[amethystroselilith]

Intertwined Fates (Chilumi/Zhonglumi) - Chapter 2

Uni is hell .-.

Also if you see any mistakes, please don't be shy to point them out so I can correct them haha, I'm might've missed them even with rereading rip

Can be read in ao3 here

SUMMARY: As an unexpected event happened, Lumine had to decide if she’s really ready to step forward and officially leave the past.

“Lumine, I thought you were going to bring the Tartaglia boy.” her mother sighed in disappointment as soon as Zhongli left, crossing her arms as she leaned back on their sofa, expensive wine in hand.

“Mother, must you be so rude?” Lumine can’t help but glare at her mother.

“How was I rude, dear? I was just getting to know him.” her mother smirked, “What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t see the type of man my only daughter is dating?” 

“You weren’t getting to know him, you were judging his financial situation.” Lumine frowned, “And if that wasn’t enough, you pried about his family history, which is a very insensitive thing to do.” 

Her mother rolled her eyes, “You’re dating a man who had criminals for parents, is that really how you want your future to be? What would your aunts and uncles say when they find out about this? Do you know how bad our family will look?”

Lumine huffed, fully knowing well that her mother isn’t talking about their actual relatives but instead the pretentious and arrogant friends she has. 

Her mother was an only child of a rich family, her father one of several siblings of a poor fisherman. Her mother was spoiled, getting all the things she demanded, while her father had to work for several days to get a decent meal once in a while. 

Her father, however, never gave up on his dreams; to live happily with his own family. So he worked and worked until he earned a high paying job. He now wanted a family, but unfortunately for him, he fell for her mother. So hard he couldn’t see he was manipulated. He didn’t notice her slowly pushing his own family away, he didn’t notice her slowly changing him, he didn’t notice her leading him into a loveless marriage.

When the twins were born, her father was over the moon, her mother wasn’t too exactly fond of motherhood, but she didn’t mind the attention she got. Though that was until the twins were in the toddler stage, their mother wasn’t interested anymore when there’s no one to impress, so they were usually left with their nanny. While their father always tried to be with them, their mother would always nag about him missing work for unnecessary things. Their mother always had her fingers wrapped around their father, and when their father finally realised how he’s being controlled, it was way too late. He loves his children more than anything, so glad that his twins didn’t grow up like their mother, and he has their nanny to thank for that, a kind old woman with a big heart who never had children of her own. 

The twins had always felt sorry for their father ever since they’re aware of how things are going between their parents. They may play the happy and perfect couple, but they can see the sadness in their father's eyes and how he’s just going through the motion for the sake of keeping the family intact.

“Didn’t Dad come from a poor family as well? And Zhongli didn’t grow up with those parents, he took the courage and left with Xiao so they can have a better future.” Lumine said, fondness in her heart with how much she admired her boyfriend’s bravery and love for his family.

“Your father was already raking in good money when I met him, and while I still don’t like talking about his past with everyone, I think being a peasant’s child is better than a criminal’s.” her mother sneered, “He’s taking advantage of you that’s for sure.”

Lumine bit back a reply for her having the audacity to talk about taking advantages, but she chose to defend her lover instead, “Zhongli is the most hardworking and selfless man I’ve met.” 

“Isn’t Ajax as well?” her mother raised an eyebrow, “With his money, he’s pretty much the perfect man for you, for our family, and aren’t you great friends with him already?” 

“Ajax is different.” Lumine argued, “I love him and believe he’s an amazing man even without his money, but we just don’t think about each other that way.” 

Her mother rolled her eyes before standing up, “Love isn’t always going to give you a roof under your head, Lumine.” she snickered before walking to her daughter, grabbing her face and making her look straight into her eyes, 

“Now, dear, unless you’re seeing Ajax or someone on our level, you’re dead to me.”

Lumine could still remember the malice in her mother’s voice.

Could still remember her horrified shriek from the phone when she called her parents to inform of her engagement.

Could still remember being walked by Ningguang and Beidou instead, the parent figures of Zhongli and Xiao, during her wedding.

Could still remember never getting any allowance from them again.

Lumine remembered how bad she felt when Aether’s was cut as well, but her twin never held it against her, choosing instead to work hard with her in the starting bakery like they’ve always dreamt of building together. 

She remembered it all.

What she doesn’t remember though is her mother being so warm and happy as she played with her child.

“Grama and Grandpa bought you lots of gifts, sweetie, would you like to open it together?” her mother cooed as she tickled Qiqi.

“Yes please!” Qiqi laughed before staring at awe when her grandmother brought the first present in front of them.

A bitter feeling still lingers in Lumine’s heart as she watches them. 

“Ah, no one can replace my children’s pastries.” her father sighed contentedly as he took a bite from the desert.

Lumine’s heart warmed as she turned to her father, a huge grin on her face, “I see you’re still our number 1 fan.” she said before leaning against her father’s shoulder.

It was more than a month ago when they reunited with their parents. 

Almost the same timeline when Lumine and Ajax publicly announced their relationship.

It was a huge shock to the twins seeing their parents in front of their bakery. Lumine wanted to scream at the woman who disowned them, the woman who probably manipulated her father to do the same.

Aether was the one who controlled the situation, calmly taking them at the private room of the bakery to talk. 

Her mother started talking about how she regrets everything she did, how cold it was to cut them off like that. 

Though they can see the insincerity in her eyes, they agreed to fix their family when they saw how horrible their father’s condition is, not physically but mentally. He looked so drained and tired of everything. The twins can’t help but shudder at the thought of what might’ve happened if they never reunited. 

They can remember how their father broke down to them that day, how he regrets not fighting for them.

Thankfully, their father is doing better now, especially upon meeting Qiqi. Oh how elated the twins were that day, they haven’t heard or seen their father that happy in a long while.

Their mother didn’t share the same excitement, but the twins were shocked when she voluntarily interacted with Qiqi. She knows that Qiqi is Zhongli’s, but she doesn’t seem to care who her birth father is as long as the current father standing is someone she likes.

Ajax knew about Lumine’s family as Lumine had opened up to them before, though she skipped the part about how her mother wanted her to be with Ajax. While he’s as uncomfortable as Lumine when Qiqi’s near someone as horrible as her, they just agree that they’ll do it for the sake of her father, and never to leave Qiqi alone with her. 

Their visit was expected, her mother called Ajax a week before to inform them. The fact that her mother is so fond of Ajax just confirms Lumine’s suspicions on why she’s back in her life, and while it greatly disgusts Lumine, she couldn’t kick her out of her life again when her father talks about how her mother seems to be happier at home which means they’ve been fighting less. There was hope in her father’s eyes, so bright that Lumine doesn’t have the heart to tell him that she’s probably at ease now because her children are seeing someone she finally approves of; Lumine with Ajax, and Aether with Keqing, a powerful businesswoman. The twins decided to let it go, seeing as her mother is only concerned about who they’re seeing and as far as they’re concerned they don’t see themselves dating anyone else.

“And I’m glad no one has replaced me.” her father smiled and the happiness in his eyes sent a warm glow in Lumine’s chest. “Ah, Ajax, everything good at work?” he greeted Ajax as the ginger entered the living room.

“Yeah, they just needed to go by something to me. I’m sorry about earlier, Sir and Madam.” Ajax smiled sheepishly before sitting next to Lumine, giving the blonde a soft kiss in the forehead when she instinctively leaned against him.

Her mother couldn���t be more delighted, “Oh, Ajax, honey, we’re family now, call us Mom and Dad.” she giggled from the floor with Qiqi, who was in awe with the new cooking play set she received.

“That’s right, son, I can see how amazing you’re treating my daughter and granddaughter well.” her father smiled.

Ajax beamed, “Well, I just want the best for my family.” he grinned.

“Such a perfect man for my daughter.” the woman sighed in awe before gently moving Qiqi off from her lap, “Excuse me, sweetie, grandma just need to stretch her legs.” the young girl nodded too interested with her new toys.

Her father began talking about business-related topics with Ajax while her mother began roaming around the living room, probably judging how Lumine decorated their home. Lumine stopped watching her from the corner of her eyes when Qiqi decided that she’s going to be her first customer as she started bringing a plate of food toys to her from her playset.

It was relaxing for a while; Lumine’s father and Ajax had begun talking about fishing, her mother asking about the photos decorated in the living room, Lumine answering her and at the same time humouring Qiqi’s imagination.

It was pretty domestic and calming and Lumine finds it really comforting. 

“Oh, wow!” her mother exclaimed, making all of them turn to her, an opened little velvet box on her hand.

Lumine felt Ajax tense up, “W-Wait-” 

It made them all curious to what her mother was holding, and then it hit her. Her mother was only a few feet from them, making them clearly see the point of interest.

“Oh, oops!” her mother gave them a sheepish look, “I didn’t think I’d be seeing an engagement ring this early.” she released an awkward chuckle before closing the box.

Lumine was frozen, and Ajax was panicking internally before standing up and gently taking the box from her mother, “I… uhm…” he stuttered.

“Engagement ring?” Qiqi’s curious voice perked up, “What’s that?” 

“Ah, it’s what a person gives it to someone they want to marry, dear.” her mother smiled, clearly excited with the idea of Lumine marrying Ajax, “It means your Papa wants to marry your Mama!” she grinned mischievously, to hell with them not being ready, she needs something to brag to her friends as soon as possible, and what better to brag than your daughter marrying someone as powerful? 

She just can’t let Lumine pass this opportunity.

“Marry?” Qiqi’s mind trying to make sense of her grandmother’s excitement.

“It means you’ll officially be a family and you’ll get some playmates soon!” she smirked when Qiqi’s eyes widened with excitement.

"Playmates. Mama, Papa. Quick. Qiqi wants playmates!" the little girl ran to Lumine in excitement.

Sensing his wife overstepping their stay, her father cleared his throat, “Uhm, Dear, maybe we should let them talk about this?” 

“Why, of course! I’ve been to a beautiful wedding recently and got the planner’s contact card! Message me as soon as possible, sweetie! Congrats, you two!” her mother played ignorant to the tension in the air, instead gave the frozen couple a hug and a kiss in the cheek before dragging her husband out with an accomplished smile.

She’s confident no break up will happen since according to her observations, Ajax has a ring already, and with Qiqi on the line, there’s no way Lumine will give her a broken family. The worst-case scenario is pretty much how long Lumine will make them all wait. And with that in mind, her mother starts to think of plans to further push the wedding if deemed necessary, completely ignoring her angry husband.

Back inside, Ajax was the first one to grasp the situation they’re in.

“Lumine, I…-”

“Qiqi, I think it’s nap time, why don’t we go take a nap, yeah?” Lumine hastily picked Qiqi up, ignoring her protests about having playmates as quick as possible and carrying her to her room.

Leaving a stunned Ajax in the living room.

~~~

Never did Lumine think there would come a time where she wished Qiqi will put up more fight when it comes to nap time, Qiqi usually does, however this time, Qiqi had passed out as soon as she hit the bed. Lumine blames it on her father playing tag with her earlier.

So now she has no excuse but to face Ajax outside.

It’s not that she doesn’t want to marry Ajax, hell they probably will be down the road, but this soon? Lumine just didn’t expect it, while she knew him for so long, they’ve only been together for 2 months, though that didn’t invalidate the things Ajax did for her the past years.

Zhongli flashes in her mind, she still carries his last name, and Qiqi wears it too. 

Is she ready to leave Mrs Morax and be Mrs Tartaglia? 

Wearing Ajax’s last name gave her a feeling in her stomach, the same feeling she had with the thought of finally sharing Zhongli’s last name before. There is still, however, a little painful tug in her heart.

She already gave her heart to Ajax when they started dating, but is she ready to give her soul as well? 

Though when she thinks of it, they’re already living like a married couple, what’s the harm in making it official?

Lumine isn’t really religious, but she values the bond marriages symbolises.

And if Ajax was going to propose soon anyway without her mother’s interference, how would’ve she reacted?

Lumine sighed before getting up from Qiqi’s bed, “Never really thought you’d be the type to bind things as soon as possible.” she murmured to herself.

She took a deep breath before opening the door, no use of having these troubling thoughts when you can discuss it with someone.

She walked back to the living room, Ajax’s back on her. He was sitting on the sofa, chewing on his nails, something Ajax does when he’s anxious, and an anxious Ajax is a rare thing to find. 

Lumine can’t blame him though with how she acted earlier, she would be anxious as well.

With another deep breath, she entered the living room, “Ajax.”

Ajax jumped in surprise, quickly standing up and pulling her in his arms as soon as she saw her, a flurry of words came out of his mouth as he apologised. All Lumine can hear clearly is how there’s a misunderstanding, how no one is supposed to find out about the ring, how he is sorry.

How she shouldn’t leave him.

The tremble that starts to lace his voice worried Lumine, “Ajax, calm down.” she pulled away from his chest to grab his face, she could see the worry glazing his eyes.

Did she really scare him that much?

“Hey, it’s okay.” she said, brushing her fingers through his hair to calm him down, “It’s okay, breathe for me please?” she said gently.

Ajax did as told, her warm golden eyes calming him down.

Lumine led them to the sofa, pulling Ajax in her arms when they lay down. She never thought Ajax would be this upset.

They were quiet for a while, just staying in each other’s arms until the blonde decided that Ajax is calmed enough to talk.

“I’m sorry my mother did that.” she decided to apologise, “She can never read the room… well, actually she can, she just decided to ignore it for whatever she wants to happen.”

Ajax just sighed, face still buried in her neck. 

“It’s not that I’m planning on proposing- Ah, I mean I will, but not this soon.” Ajax explained, “Remember that time when I visited my family last month?”

Lumine nodded.

“Well, they really love you and can’t wait to make you part of our family, well in a legal concept since you and Qiqi are my family already.” she felt his smile against her neck,  and Lumine will be lying if she said her heart didn’t leap in joy for that simple statement, “So they already gave me this ring before I even mentioned anything about weddings.” he showed the box, not opening it, “My parents had crafted it, you know them and their hobby.” he chuckled.

Lumine chuckled, remembering how his parents had taken up crafting as some sort of hobby to entertain themselves since they don’t really have to work that much on their successful winery. It still surprises Lumine that they chose that for leisure activities, her own parents would prefer more “refined activities”, as her mother described, like going sailing or golfing or something like that. Lumine can still remember rolling her eyes when her mother asked why they can’t just buy whatever they’re crafting at the moment, but Lumine also recalled the warm feeling she got when the couple explained how doing a crafting project together just makes things more meaningful for them. It was cheesy, but Lumine also finds the idea romantic.

“...May I?”  she gestured at the box when Ajax seemed a bit hesitant to open it.

He just nodded and placed it on her hand.

Lumine gently opened it, gasping at the sight of a beautiful diamond ring. She could already tell the diamond was big earlier, but seeing it closer and clearer takes her breath away.

The band has the traditional silver colour, the upper half of the ring is carved to look like waves, tiny diamonds engraved in them, on top of the band, a star shaped frame sits, encasing a big round shaped blue diamond.

(AN: The jewellery store said it was inspired by various games, but I thought it was perfect for Chilumi. Source: https://takayascustomjewelry.com/blog/sea-stars-paopu-fruit-inspired-engagement-ring)

“This looks so beautiful.” Lumine admired the work.

“They really want to welcome you.” Ajax chuckled before clearing his throat and sitting up, “I didn’t think you’d want to deal with that this soon so I just kept it hidden.” 

“...In a bookcase…” 

Ajax blushed in embarrassment, “We share the same room, closet, drawers, where am I supposed to hide it?” 

“You’re office maybe?” Lumine hummed.

“You go there too, there’s still a risk of you finding out.” Ajax defended, “And there’s a reason I chose the top shelf, you know.” 

“Are you saying I’m short?”

“Well, I’m not saying you’re tall…”

They laughed together, Ajax feeling comfortable again to pull her to his chest, “I didn’t really expect your mother to dig through our stuff like that.” he sighed in defeat.

“Why’d you think I had my online shopping delivered to someone else’s place? Mother always goes through my things.” Lumine murmured.

They both eyed the ring, not really sure how to approach the subject.

“I’m not forcing you to do anything, please remember that.” Ajax began, “I’m sure you’re still conflicted about us dating. Sometimes, I can’t help but think you’re here because I forced you to.” he chuckled, it was meant as a joke but Lumine can sense the sadness in his voice. 

Lumine sat up to look at him, “Ajax, we talked about this,” she said as she lifted his chin to look at her, “I’m here because I feel the same way as you, I’m here because I fell in love with an amazing man who stood by my side no matter what. I’m here because I love you, and only you.” she declared, a soft smile gracing her lips as she gently caressed his cheek.

Words couldn’t express how happy that made Ajax, so he expressed it in the best way he could, pulling her into one of the most passionate kisses he could give.

Lumine’s lips curled into a smile before wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss in the process.

They had always been better at showing emotions in actions rather than words as they poured all their feelings in this kiss hoping that the other could feel what they meant. And they do.

They pulled away, well their lips did while they rested their forehead against each other as they caught their breath.

“You’re so amazing.” he smiled softly, “And I can’t wait to see that ring around your finger in the future.” he admitted with hopeful eyes.

Lumine bit her lip, debating.

A few moments of silence, Ajax decided that they should just move on from this, he was going to ask for the ring back until Lumine spoke up.

“What if that future is now?” Lumine said so quietly that Ajax would’ve missed it if he wasn’t this close.

His heart stopped.

He pulled away from Lumine to look at her clearly. She stared back at him, golden eyes wide and shy, face red as she bit her lip in anticipation, “I… I mean…” she broke the staring contest, looking away in embarrassment.

“It’s just a ‘what if’... We don’t have to…” she began to blurt out apologies as her embarrassment grew, perhaps Ajax wasn’t ready as well and she read the room wrong.

As she’s busy panicking, Ajax smiled, taking the box from her hand and kneeling on one knee, “Lumine, love of my life, my starlight, my partner in crime, will you marry me?” 

Straight to the point and cheesy, the only thing Ajax could manage at the moment. He made a mental note to prepare a romantic night for them in the future, though he can definitely prepare something romantic in the sheets for tonight.

Lumine stopped her flurry of words and stared back at Ajax, a smile growing on her face, 

“With all my heart, yes.” 

She’s ready, the past is in the past, there’s no way to go besides forward.

~~~

AN: As you can see, I’m so bad at thinking of names Lumi’s parents didn’t have any lmao, maybe in the future if I get an idea or someone suggested something lol

[everlarkbirthdaygifts]

Happy Birthday, b-boop5!

Happy Birthday, @b-boop5! We hope you’re having a wonderful day so far, and that you’ve got something equally wonderful to look forward to later! To start your party right, the lovely @endlessnightlock​ has written a story just for you!

“You know, I don’t understand how you managed to do this-'' Peeta Mellark tosses the words over his shoulder, with an expression on his face that I would describe as mildly put upon. 

I could not say why. Peeta is undoubtedly not the one in a precarious position- that would be me. 

What can I say? I am a bit of a high-spirited young woman- always known for getting into scrapes and mischief, not usually of my own doing. Though, at nearly five and twenty, the word “young” cannot apply to me much longer. Gale Hawthorne, my good friend, likes to tease that I will soon be ready to put out to pasture myself; he finds that joke particularly humorous because of my father’s profession as a sheep farmer.

While I maintain my precarious position on the tree branch, Peeta murmurs something under his breath, but I cannot hear his exact words- he did not direct them at me. 

I am beginning to wonder if he was annoyed by the summons to come to my rescue, although irritation of any sort seems odd coming from Peeta. I hadn’t caught him yet in any state of genuine anger, not even that one occasion on his farm when I watched him get kicked between the legs by one of his rams. His calm, quiet persona is one of his many mysteries. 

Peeta’s been in our county for nearly six months now; he arrived as a virtual stranger and took ownership of old Mr. Thread’s farm that neighbor’s my father’s place. 

Being a young man, he thus opened himself up to a world of gossip, not the typical line of inquiry either, such as how he came to have ownership of an eighty-acre sheep farm at such a tender age. Most of the discussion surrounding Peeta was on the topic of his wavy blond hair and broad shoulders, and his eyes, which are as blue as the lake in the middle of summer. Above all, conversation surrounded his lack of a romantic partner and what that could mean for our community’s unmarried ladies. 

In fact, since his arrival, Peeta’s been the most-talked-about bachelor since that fey Irishman Finnick Odair, who snuck away in the middle of the night with Annie Cresta, the daughter of the vicar. The pair eloped and afterward was the village’s talk for many weeks. 

It was not long after their marriage that he left our village to become a fisherman. The new couple moved to the coast, and I’m told by those who’ve seen them of late that the Odairs have a beautiful bronze-haired baby boy now.

But I digress- back to Peeta Mellark; I must admit he is very likable, and a handsome man to boot. He will have no troubles in his search for a wife when that time comes. I will be sad to see that day come; I have formed a deep affection for him that I surely must let go of once he finds a wife. The thought of Peeta marrying pains me, although I cannot say why.

Regardless of all those thoughts of marriage, I am rather grateful to him despite his current grumpy countenance. I don’t know if I would ever admit to such a thing- he already likes to joke with me too much. 

I think Peeta Mellark’s greatest joy in life is to tie my tongue up between my lips. I must admit that I don’t mind his teasing too much- he is too gentle of a man to ever be cruel in it. 

He is coming to my rescue- courtesy of Prim, that conviving sibling of mine who is currently nowhere in sight. She has never been one to pass up an opportunity to meddle in my business. Prim has been after me for months now, repeatedly saying that it has not gone unnoticed the way I have turned Peeta’s eye and that the village girls are quite jealous of me.

Balderdash! What would a man like Peeta find about me to be to his liking? I’m too wild by half; no sane man would wish to marry me. It’s pure foolishness when there are dozens of prettier, more wifely girls available in the village. He simply regards me as a friendly companion, and that is all there is to it.

Above the particular limb, beneath which Peeta is trying to get his wagon situated, is my straw bonnet, firmly stuck in the tree. My hat’s particular indignity of being stuck in there is woeful enough without the added misery of my head’s firm ensconcement inside its woven-straw prison. 

I am entirely stuck- neither my head nor hat will budge, no matter how much I struggle against my confinement. And I have struggled, but it’s all been in vain. A sharp stick must have impaled itself through both the straw brim and my braided updo at the same time. Fortunately for my neck, which I would prefer not to break today, the limb below where I sit keeps me in place for now.  

“It is a tremendously dull story, really,” I reply, hoping to maintain the breezy tone of voice I was trying to affect. While both of my feet remain dangling from the trunk beneath my bottom, keeping my dignity is no easy task. 

Peeta laughs, and the sound makes me feel a little lighter. “I very much doubt that- nothing is ever dull with you, Ms. Everdeen.”

“You’re correct- my comings and goings are rarely dull,” I admit with a resigned sigh. It was no use pretending otherwise; everyone was aware of the scrapes I often found myself involved in.

If I were at home in my breeches and my boots, this particular incident would never have happened. It is much easier to move about freely when I am unencumbered by this foolish style of dress. 

Also, if my sister’s orange demon-feline were not so horrendous in the first place- not to mention if Prim had left him home today instead of smuggling him inside her spare basket, this wouldn’t have happened. 

Bring him along she did, very unwisely, I might add, to today’s church picnic, and then erred further by leaving him plenty of opportunities to escape the confines of his basket and hightail it for the tallest tree in the churchyard. 

If it weren’t for any of those things, my feet would still be firmly on the ground as they should with my shoes’ soles kissing the earth. 

After a flurry of movement on the ground, Peeta is climbing the tree to dislodge me, aided by a leg up on his wagon. He is not such a good climber as I, he has admitted to me on more than one occasion. Still, he climbs, and it is not long before he is making his way across the branch towards me.

Once he reaches my side, I can see that all traces of his earlier irritation are gone, replaced by the glee in his eyes. I shall not be so lucky to go without some teasing remark, though. As I have said, I do not mind.

“What am I going to do with you, Ms. Everdeen?” Peeta asks, his eyes skating across my face. 

His eyes catch mine, steady and true, and warmth fills my chest. I am delighted to see him, so I cannot keep the smile from my lips as I reply. “I do not know. I would say that you should put me somewhere safe, but I do not know that such a place exists.” 

“Safe from you? I should have to agree.” Peeta holds my gaze. In just a moment, he should be able to get me loose. “Are you quite alright- are you in any pain?” he asks, his hand going to my hat.

I shake my head- well, as much as I can move while it is held in place by the sharp stick in my hair and hat, that is. “No, I am as comfortable as one can be while stuck.”

“Good.” He moves closer to get a good look at the situation involving my hair, hat, and the sharp stick. “Ms. Everdeen, may I ask you something while we are alone?” he asks after what is quite a prolonged silence for such a talkative man. I thought he was taking an inordinately long time.

“Certainly,” I answer, realizing that my heart is doing an odd thing inside my chest at his proximity. I feel a tug on my hair then, indicating to me that he is pulling the stick out of it. My eyes close when his hand goes to my head to keep the hat in place and dull the tugging sensation at my roots.

“Would you allow me to court you?” Peeta asks- his eyes on my hair. He seems apprehensive. “It’s just that I care for you a great deal. You must know that, Ms. Everdeen.”

“Court me- you wish to court me,” I answer dumbly, my brain a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. 

Peeta wishes to court me- he wants to be my beau.

“Yes,” he repeats himself quickly, “I would very much like to if you will allow it.”

At that moment, I realize my head is free, so I look up at Peeta. The sun is behind him, and its glow illuminates his eyelashes, revealing their incredible length to me. 

What a funny thing that I have not noticed that until now. I have not been so aware of Peeta before now, but that has changed in an instant. He is a very wonderful man, both outwardly and in. 

And yes, I realize, I would like him to be my beau. Perhaps more? I think, sudden thoughts of living in his little stone cottage together filling my mind.

My breath catches in my throat at the loveliness his smile when I grin at him. His expression reinforces my newly realized knowledge that I care much for him. 

“I will allow it,” I answer, but quickly add on a disclaimer when he reaches to embrace me; I’ve spent enough time up in a tree for one day. “But only after we are safely on the ground.”

[hiatuswhore]

Mainlander

Out of all the glitz and glam that came with your family’s wealth there was always one event you went to annually that you were excited for.  Since a baby, your family had been attending the Midsummer Party.  This event brought all the wealthy families that owned property on the expensive side of the island together.  It was not exactly the event itself you were excited about but the boy with the funny name you had seen every year since you were a girl there.  While your parents rub elbows with other pretentious people you would explore with the fisherman’s son, Pope.  This was the only time the two of you would interact as when the night was over you would return to your kook life and him back to the pogues.   Walking through the party you could see him standing with his dad, his back was facing the area you were. 

“(Y/n)? My have you grown,” Looking over Ward Cameron was stopping you in your tracks as he smiled.  Offering a kind smile, you had mastered how to make it reach your eyes so it was believable.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cameron,” You greeted, shaking both their hands hoping it would be a quick hello in passing.  

“Please call me Ward.  You remember Sarah, Louisa, and Rafe right?” Ward asked, signaling both his children over.  Fighting the urge to roll your eyes as they strolled over you had no interest in any of them.  Sarah was out of touch with real-world issues and Rafe had the tendency to be a prick constantly.  Louisa just being a child you could only assume she’d follow in the rest of her families footsteps.

“Of course I do,” You said smiling at them Rafe’s eyes traveled down your body slowly.  Not only did it feel invading but somewhat predatory, Sarah offered a kind smile as well but as she looked around it was apparent she was distracted.

“Nice dress,” Rafe said, taking your hand he brought the back of it to his lips.  Fighting the urge to rip your hand away you only smiled explaining your mother had it made for you.  It was not too over the top but the beige silk complimented your skin perfectly.  While everyone wore long gowns your dress reached a reasonable and yet still questionable length.  Leaving a lot and a little to one’s imagination.  Your father was not the biggest fan of the vexing dress, mellowing them out with nude scandals there was little to nothing really done with your hair.  Leaving it natural you looked beautiful.  Showing no care to being flashy or done up for others. Excusing yourself Pope still had yet to turn around and his father had walked off somewhere. Pressing yourself to his back you poked your finger into his side imitating a gun.

“Listen closely Islander I need information on a Pope Heyward.  One wrong move and I’ll have to kill you,” You whispered and at first you felt him tense but as you spoke you could feel his entire body relax.

“Easy Mainlander I’ll tell you whatever you want to know but I ask for one thing in return,” He said, playing into your on-spot concocted fantasy just like you would both do as children.

“What might that be?” You asked jokingly stepping back as you holstered your ‘weapon.’

“A hug,” Pope said turning around seeing you standing there a quiet gasp left his lips.  Every year it felt like he was seeing you for the very first time.  Each time more beautiful than the last. 

“I think I can arrange that,” You joked, pulling him into a hug and the two of you laughed as you embraced each other.  Back on the mainland most of your friends assumed the Islander named Pope that you were infatuated with was not real.  This was always the best part of the summer for you.

“You look amazing like always,” Pope complimented, smiling sheepishly a grin crept onto your face.

“Still super smart I see,” You joked, jokingly pressing a hand to his chest in shock you rolled your eyes as your giggled.

“Was there ever a doubt?” He asked, shaking your head you were sure Pope was the smartest guy your age you had met.  You attend Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, one of the best private schools in the country.   Asking him what was new he explained his scholarship interview coming up.

“You know my Mom could write you a recommendation letter.  She has a lot of notoriety just in case you’re nervous.” You offered but you knew he would decline the offer.  Talking for another few minutes as you were pulled away from Pope by your parents you had to smile and pretend to care about the other guests. Excusing yourself to the bathroom on your way there you slammed into a blonde boy in a hurry, more so he slammed into you.

“I’m so sorry are you okay?” He asked, looking past you quickly he looked panicked as he helped you up.  

“Are you okay?” You asked looking in the direction he kept watching as Rafe Cameron and his idiot friends came into view you quickly realized what was happening, “Go that way those doors will lead you back to the party.”

“Than—” He began but you quickly pushed him toward the doors as Rafe’s eyes landed on you.

“Rafe, Topper, boys,” You said, dusting yourself off from the fall they were all watching you carefully.

“You see a blonde guy run through here? Dressed like waiter and has couple bruises?” Topper asked, hating yourself for what you had to do next it was the only way to convince them you were telling the truth.

“Ugh yeah, that idiot ran into me and then kept running toward the bathrooms.  I’m getting security what is wrong with these people,” You scoffed, imitating most of your peers as well as you could.

“Don’t worry about that (Y/n) we’ll handle him from here okay,” Rafe said, brushing his hands against your own.  Wanting to gag you kept it to yourself as you smiled at his flirtation.  Walking toward the ladies’ restroom there you took a moment to check your phone. There were only Instagram notifications and a few snaps from friends at school. All on lavish vacation the destinations varied but the poses for pictures did not.

Rejoining the party as you stepped outside Rafe and the guys were back outside, so was the guy who had run into you.  Only this time he was with accompanied a security guard. 

“Look man I can walk myself I got legs,” the boy said, drawing attention from the guests of the party the boy was becoming the main attraction.  As he walked past you he smiled holding his hand up for a high five and you returned it, “Thanks for the save beautiful. You look amazing.”

“Alright move it,” The security guard said, pushing the problematic boy ahead before you could even get a word out.

“I really appreciate what you did back there also Mr. Security guard sir—let me just walk out. Oh Mr. Dunleavy I see you got your drink.  Good, that’s really nice of you I’m actually gonna down that,” The boy said taking Mr. Dunleavy’s drink he through it back without issue.  Walking over to your parents as you heard them mumbling complaints about the boy you found him rather entertaining, “Whoo! I really appreciate the discretion Daryl, you know? It’s okay, everybody! Do not panic. Leave it to the men and women in uniform, huh! Let’s hear it for them. Rose! You look like Lady Liberty. It’s good to see you again.”

Watching him slowly being dragged out of the party you wanted to help him but you knew nothing of him.  You didn’t even know his name.

“Let go of him! You can’t just boot him!” Looking over Kiara Carrera was yelling from the porch.  You knew of her but the two of you never really interacted despite your parents and hers both being in the same social circles.  As children, you would play but beyond that, the two of you were practically strangers to the other, “I invited him here. I’m a member of this club.”

As her parents tried to stop her everything soon spiraled out of control.  While the security guard was distracted the boy used it as his opportunity to push the man away from him. 

“Oh sorry about that. Hey, mandatory power hour at Rixon’s, Kie. Pope you as well right?” As the boy addressed Pope you looked over realizing these were his friends.  Despite the commotion watching them a small smile was fighting to break the surface of your face, “Rixon’s Cove. Let’s roll. All right Kie come on.  Workers of the world unite. Throw off your chains!”

Despite the boys’ recklessness, his words were oddly inspiring, you were not a part of the workers of the world but there were chains you wished to free yourself from. Looking at Pope he was watching Kiara with hesitation. She was first to walk from her parents and began running through the party. Pope followed suite as his father was shaking his head, he removed his apron.  Scanning the room as his eyes landed on you, you could see he was inviting you.  Watching as Kiara ran into the blonde boys’ arms and Pope embraced another dark-haired boy there was a big part of you that wanted to go with them.  Pope looked back one more time watching you as he ignored his father’s yelling.  Slowly lifting your foot taking your scandals into your hand one shoe at a time Pope smiled holding out his hand.  Your parents followed Pope’s gaze onto you but before they could try to stop you it was too late.  Running over taking Pope’s hand you giggled as the two of you ran after his friends into the part of the island not well lit.  

The rush of adrenaline coming to an end as you all finally came to a halt you felt a bit awkward as you were surrounded by unfamiliar people.  As the blonde boy started a fire and the brown-haired boy pulled out some beers while you stayed at Pope’s side. The silence made it apparent they had wanted to discuss something just between them.  As the silence continued a knot twisted in your belly.

“I’m sorry for intruding I just—uh wanted to throw off the chains like he said,” You said, breaking the silence and they were all unsure of what to say.  The fire reflecting off of your face looked beautiful as your earrings sparkled from the moonlight.

“Guys this is (Y/n). (Y/n) this is Kiara, JJ and John B,” Pope introduced, smiling at them they all looked puzzled.  Watching all of them Kiara was the first to go from puzzled to shocked.

“Oh my god, you’re Mainlander. How have I never connected those dots!” Kiara explained, making relief wash over you.  

“You talk about me?” You muttered to Pope with a smile as he sheepishly stumbled over his words.

“All the time and I quote the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen,” John B said, earning a nudge from Pope but they were relentless.

“Well, we’ve heard great things about you Mainlander.  Not only are you a beauty and kook but you saved me from Rafe and those idiots.  So if we pogues are all in agreement I JJ Maybank representing the pogue delegation doth you honorary pogue,” Touching your left shoulder and then your right. 

Clearing your throat preparing your best British accent you stood up in front of JJ, “Why thank you, kind sir. I am honored but before I accept this first I want to express my utmost gratitude.”

“Alright Pope she’s a keeper,” JJ said laughing at your response, sitting back down you all drank and enjoyed the campfire.  It would have been nice for the night to last forever.  As everyone went into separate side conversations you nudged Pope signaling him to take a walk with you.  

“I like your friends they’re very,” Pausing for a second trying to find the right word for his fun but peculiar friends, “Eccentric.”

“Yeah, they’re something,” Pope said walking the shoreline as the water reached your feet you jumped.  

“Tonight has been fun,” You said, stopping as you looked at him, you wanted him to kiss you.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Pope said, avoiding your gaze for a few seconds as he finally looked at you.  Staring at each other you leaned in a bit but stopped waiting for him to meet you the rest of the way but he didn’t.  

“We should head back,” Pope said, nodding your head slowly you said nothing as you both walked back to the others. During the walk though as you were caught up in your head, Pope pulled you out of it as he interlaced his hand in your own.

Outer Banks Masterlist

[sitp-recs]

Hello!! I hope you're well ☺️ I love and save all your Drarry fic recs and was wondering if you could do a rec list for Drarry fics that include well written OCs and who are actually important to the story. My example for this would be The Man Who Lived by SebastianL. Thank you and take care ♥️

Hi anon! I’ve seen better days but thanks for asking, hope you’re doing well! Erm I gotta admit that I don’t really keep track of OCs 😬 it’s nothing against them - I just don’t get too attached and since I usually avoid fics where they get romantically involved with Harry or Draco, I don’t think I’ve read many fics where they’re particularly important to the story. I’m listing just a few fics below (you prob already know them) but I’m sure my followers will be able to help with more recs :)

We Might Be Too Old for a Bildungsroman by @wellhalesbells (2015, Teen and Up, 21k)

Harry finds something he’s been looking for since the war’s end. Admittedly, the packaging’s a bit odder than he expected.

Here's The Pencil, Make It Work by ignatiustrout (2013, Explicit, 50k)

Harry thinks "Why is Malfoy working in a coffee shop in muggle London?" is a much simpler question than, "Are you going to accept that auror offer and, if you don't, what will you do?"

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (2020, Explicit, 61k)

Harry Potter, of all people, knows that life isn’t always fair. And no one gets to be happy all of the time. But surely there’s something more—something better—than a rubbish Ministry job, and a lonely old house, and that feeling that everyone out there is doing a better job of living than Harry is.

And it really doesn’t seem fair that Draco Malfoy is back in Harry’s life, all of a sudden, and even though he’s wandless, and living with Muggles, and making his mother cry with his lifestyle choices, he’s happy. So what's he doing right, that Harry isn’t? Because things don’t really change, do they? And if Harry can’t be happy, he’ll settle for a good night’s sleep, some posh antiques, and the opportunity to find out what Malfoy has been up to for all these years. And that’s what starts it all.

Headlights in the Snow by Saras_Girl (2016, Mature, 71k)

What’s big and purple and smells like tea? Harry is about to find out.

Wild by orphan_account (2016, Explicit, 92k)

“No,” Harry said, by way of greeting. Malfoy’s blonde head rose slowly, carelessly. “Get out.”

“I feel as though we’ve already established this, Potter,” Malfoy responded. “And I feel that what we established was that you telling me to get out of places really doesn’t make me more likely to vacate them.”

I Am Not Who I Became by mab_di (2019, Explicit, 93k)

Draco left England after the trials and has travelled the world meeting wizards and Muggles from different cultures and with vastly different relationships to magic, each other, and the natural world. Now he's a fisherman in Finland on commercial vessels. Harry has been struggling since the war and has become a recluse while trying to write his autobiography. An invitation to the Hogwarts class of 1998's 15th reunion isn't welcomed by either of them, but neither could predict how the night, and their reunion, will upend their lives.

All Missing Things (Can Be Found) by daisymondays (2017, Explicit, 100k)

After a drunken hook up ends badly, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have no intention of ever speaking again -- but when they're assigned to solve a case of young child disappearances, they have to put their past behind them.

All Life is Yours to Miss by Saras_Girl (2013, Mature, 114k)

Professor Malfoy's world is contained, controlled, and as solitary as he can make it, but when an act of petty revenge goes horribly awry, he and his trusty six-legged friend are thrown into Hogwarts life at the deep end and must learn to live, love and let go.

A Secondary Education by Thunderbird587 (2018, Explicit, 234k)

Fleeing the aftermath of his recent divorce, Draco Malfoy takes up a post as the new Potions Master at Hogwarts. At first he believes his hopes for a fresh start are dashed when he sees that a certain boyhood rival is on staff there as well. But Harry Potter is being weirdly nice to him, leaving Draco no choice but to play along. As Draco reckons with his ex-wife's infidelity and questions about his own sexuality, he finds himself going to an openly gay Potter for guidance. As their friendship deepens, Draco realizes that there is quite a lot that Potter can teach him. And that he is surprisingly ready to learn.

Foundations!verse by Saras_Girl (2013, Explicit, 264k)

Harry is about to discover that the steepest learning curve comes after Healer training, and that second chances can be found in unexpected places.

Tales From the Special Branch by Femme (2017, Explicit, WIP)

When Gawain Robards asks him to form Special Branch seven-four-alpha, Harry Potter knows they'll have to work outside the confines of the law--even though they are the law.

Thanks for the rec @uggghhhwhy:

Taking Chances by @gracerene09 (2018, Explicit, 135k)

After the war, Draco disappeared and started over in America, vowing never to return to Great Britain and the fraught past he left behind. Unfortunately, when his mates convince him to sign up for an exchange programme for the last year of their Auror Training, Draco learns that he doesn't have much of a choice in the matter.

[hwalovs]

Second Star to The Right

→ Pairing: Yunho, Reader  → Genre: Angst, Fluff, Smut, Pirate Au    → Word count: 17.3k → Warnings: Fighting, blood, unprotected sex, low-key soft sex, (I’ve never written smut before give me a break), multiple orgasms, I mean- teasing??, yunho with a lot of RINGS, yunho’s an asshole sometimes, hes a softie to you, lots of whispering, ANGST at one point, mostly fluff.  → Summary: Yunho once found a map leading to the island of Peter Pan, telling you the story that whoever found the island would be granted with immortality with the person they loved most. He promised you that he’d get you to the island, that you’ll live forever together.  → Note: you wont see much of ateez at first in this, mostly Yunho, but i promise they do appear. also im very aware this isn't accurate, it isn't supposed to be. its a fan fiction. I’m also pretty shit at summary’s oops.

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The skies were absolutely beautiful in the morning, with the sun just peaking over the horizon. With the streets deserted and families home asleep, children are not yet ready to get up and torment their siblings or fathers. Near the docks, ships were tied off and empty. Their Captains all in Inns resting before having to put on their sea legs again. Only one or two ships still sail on the open waters, and those people were titled ‘Insane’ for staying up all night. 

It was only when the village would slowly wake up, when the children would rub their tired eyes and cry out for their mothers. And to a normal woman, an everyday thing would be putting on their morning dress, heading down to the bakery to collect their morning bread and milk. Then heading home to commit themselves the rest of the morning to making breakfast for their lovely husband and four children. Afterwards, their lovely husband would go to work and they would stay home and take care of the kids, teaching the ladies how to do housework and how to be ladylike, and the boys would go out and run around with their friends. A certain group of boys would go down to the docks and point out the different types of government ships, to the bright ones that were just built, to the ones that just came back from fighting the filthy pirates. On some days, they would see a giant ship on the horizon, black flag blowing through the skies. The dark wood contrasting against any other ship, the sails large and intimidating, a pure white that made the clouds seem like impostors. 

This ship was their favorite out of the other pirate ships that they saw, the others were faded more, looked broken and scary, intimidating them when they would slowly come closer and closer, but they never docked. Some would be so close you could be the men on board, pushing other people around and laughing gruffly, their swords reflected off the sun and their skin looked so dirty, these ships didn't even compare to the one that actually docked. 

If they were lucky, the ship would dock. Of course, it would be after all of the government ships had left. They would watch the men leave the ship with torn clothes, the small bags at their sides full of gold coins. The men would leave the ship by rank, they came to learn. The last leaving always being the captain and his girl, they didn't know if they were married or if he just kept her around for fun. 

Today was one of those days, the seven boys crowded by the dock gates, watching the crew walk off of the ship in uniform. The captain was wearing a large brimmed hat, a feather adorning the top. There were chains hanging around his waist and the black jacket he wore was unbuttoned to show off the crisp white shirt underneath. Following him was his girl, she was in attire close to his. Tight black pants with a crisp white shirt, the sleeves flowed around her arms, stopping tightly at her wrists, the ends hanging limp around her hands. She smiled shyly at the captain, linking her arm with him. The other men that came off before them quickly went into the small village to the nearby jewelry stores to pawn off what they stole, others going to the pub to drink or the market to stock up for their next journey. The captain and his girl always stayed by the docks, waiting patiently for their crew to come back. The girl sometimes came and talked to them, but would be called back over not a moment later by the captain. She always gave the excuse that he was just protective over her. 

“Hello boys,” You said quietly as you walked closer to the boys, they all scrambled around each other to get Seonghwa, the oldest of the bunch, to talk to you. 

“H-hi, ma’am,” He said with a small smile on his face, you smiled back, bending down so you were at their height. He glanced back to see the captain watching them, leaning back against the storage boxes with his arms crossed. Seonghwa glanced back at the others, watching the smallest out of the bunch, Wooyoung, make his way even further away from you. He was the shiest of the bunch, and did this every time you would come around. 

“How’ve you guys been? I’ve missed all of you so much~” you cooed before reaching out and pinching his cheeks, seonghwa smirked shyly before leaning towards you a little. 

“I bet I've missed you more,” he said, almost letting a stutter pass, shoving his hands in his pockets. You looked shocked for a moment, noting his sudden confidence. Suddenly smiling and reaching forward, grabbing the sides of his vest and pulling it back into place. 

“Aw~ how sweet~ How about you boys come with me this time? We’d have lots of fun together,” You said with a wink, testing the small boy. Seonghwa gulped, his cheeks dusting a deep red. You laughed, standing at your full height and looking back at the rest. Smiling at how small Hongjoong and Wooyoung were, how San and Mingi were looking back at the captain. Watching him slowly walk closer, it was evident that they liked the look of your captain.  

“How old are you now, Seonghwa?” you questioned, watching how he brought a hand up to scratch at the back of his neck. You knew that his birthday was sometime in the summer, remembering that he told you one spring morning how his father was going to buy him a new practice sword.

 “Uh, 14?” he said back, almost as a question. You hummed, nodding your head while looking back at the Captain, who was close to standing next to you now. The brim of his hat covering the honey blonde hair on his head, the chains on his hips tapping together as he walked. 

“You hear that, Yun? Our boys growing,” You cooed towards him, the captain looked towards you and sighed, shaking his head while putting his hands in his pockets. 

“He’s not our boy, you know that. None of them are, actually,” you pouted and leaned against his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. Yet, you decided to stay a little further away from him, so you didn't gross the young boys out. Yeosang was glued to Jongho’s side, as usual, the baby of the group seemingly the most buff. He didn't talk to you much, but Mingi said it was from his mother asking him to rip apples apart. The captain looked towards the village and then back down towards the kids, taking note of the stars from the old fisherman and the pristine looking women by the tackle shops. 

“Can we take em with us? Please?” You said again, leaning your head against his shoulder. The other boys looked towards each other, silently fighting. Some of them wanted to go with them, some of them didn’t. Seonghwa looked back and made the decision for them.

“We’ll go once we’re all of age, Jongho’s only 12. So come back once he’s, uh, 16!” he said rushed, stepping back from the two adults. you looked back down towards him and sighed, leaning back down. “Seonghwa, we’re not going to come back for a long time, hell, we might not come back at all,” you said softly, reaching out and softly grabbing his free hand. Seonghwa frowned, not fully understanding what she was saying. Mingi and San glanced at each other, then back up at the captain, who just looked back at them. Smiling softly at Mingi, he smiled back, eyes turning into small crescent moons. 

“What?” Seonghwa said, brows furrowing. You pursed your lips, turning to look at the captain. 

“Yunho? Help me out here,” you said softly, Yunho looked at her for a moment. He knew that you cared about the 7 kids, and that you only got off the ship so you could come and talk to them. He took his hat off with his free hand, blonde locks falling into his eyes. Bending down onto one knee and smiling softly at the young boy. 

“We’re going on a journey, a very important one in fact,” he said, still holding his hat in hand, leaning forward towards seonghwa, he taps the brim on his nose. Seonghwa scrunched his nose and rubbed it.

“What kind of journey? We can help!” Jongho said from the group, you let out a laugh, leaning towards Jongho for a moment to ruffle his short brown hair. Yunho smiled brightly at Jongho, shaking his head with a glint in his eye. 

“Have you boys ever heard about Peter Pan? And the story of his island?” He spoke, amusement lacing into his voice. 

“No, but we would if you told us,” Yeosang said, Yunho glanced at you with pursed lips, who nodded in a silent agreement to tell the boys. Yunho side eyed the boys, smirking before fully looking at them again. 

“Well, it's said that if you manage to find his island with the one you love most, you’re granted immortality and can forever live on the island. I found part of a map that leads to it, and we’re going to go off and find the island, but people also say it's hard to find since the waters around protect it from invaders coming to use the power for evil,” Yunho said, the boys looked at him with intent, seonghwa stepped forward, his shoes almost touching the captains. 

“We can help find it, my mom used to read Peter pan to me when i was little,” Yunho chuckled at Seonghwa while shaking his head, standing up and grabbing your hand, tilting his head at the small boy. 

“Maybe in a few years if we still haven’t found it,” yunho said with a slight smile, bringing the large hat up and dropping it down onto seonghwa’s head. It covered most of his eyes, him having to push it back to see up towards the two adults. The other small boys looked towards seonghwa with a bit of jealousy in their eyes, since they also wanted a Pirates hat. 

“Now dont you let anything happen to that hat,” Yunho said, a smile gracing his face. Seonghwa gave him a thumbs up, feeling Mingi pull at the feather that adorned the top. 

“And don't you let any bad guys think you’re a pirate now, you’re still a babe,” You said, watching how his cheeks tinted pink at the title of ‘babe’. Only his mother called him that, he didn't even consider himself a baby. 

Yunho bought a hand up to his lips, bringing in a large breath and whistling loudly, the small boys jumped in surprise, still not used to it even after hearing it every time they came to town. The two adults in front of them looked back down, You smiled while leaning back down and kissing seonghwa’s cheek softly, leaning over him afterwards to pinch at Jongho’s chubby cheeks and ruffling San's hair. you linked arms with Yunho, both of them waving goodbye to them before turning and walking back to the ship. Their feet walking in sync. 

“Do you think they’ll come back, Seonghwa?” Yeosang said softly, his brows furrowed. Seonghwa pursed his lips, bringing his hand up to push his hair back. 

Walking back onto the ship, yunho turned towards you quickly and softly slapped the back of your head, you yelped and brought a hand up to rub at the spot he slapped.

“What’s that for?” you said, glaring at him.

“We can't take them, (y/n), you know that. If we do it’d be kidnapping and child endangerment,” He said towards you, you just grinned, shrugging your shoulders. 

“I just wanted them to think they could come with us, I've seen them with their mothers yunho, they're so mean,” you said softly, brushing your hair back from your shoulders. 

“They may be mean, but you know they wouldn’t survive with us,” he said softly, watching the way you signed and nodded your head. 

Both of them walked up to the upper deck, looking back at the village. The crew was rushing to get back to the ship, some with large back of food and others with medium size bags of gold coins they managed to get from pawning. Yunho glanced at you, noting the way you watched the group of small boys running down the main road, the large hat slowly disappearing from sight. 

“You’ll see them again, maybe if we manage to find the island, we can somehow find a way to get them there,” he whispered, causing you to turn towards him. Stepping closer and wrapping your arms around his waist, he put an arm around your shoulders, noting how small you were compared to himself. 

“Every time you guys get close like that, it makes me wanna throw up,” A voice stated, causing you to turn and glare. Woohyuk smiled at your expression, carrying a small barrel of gun power. Changmin followed closely behind his brother, walking past quickly and slapping the back of his head. Changmin looked towards you both and gave a sweet smile, you began to mirror it before you remembered Woohyuk’s comment. 

“At least I have somebody to do it with,” You said with gritted teeth, taking pride in the way Woohyuk’s cheeks tinted pink. Yunho rolled his eyes and watched as he set down the large barrel next to the others, disgust settling in his gut when he saw how dirty his hands were. Changmin quickly disappeared with whatever he was carrying, but you knew he would be back to collect his brother if nobody else did.

“Go wash your hands, they are filthy,” Yunho stated, Woohyuk only smirked and walked closer to the captain, holding his hands out in a teasing way. “Oh no~ My dirty fingers are gonna taint your purity~”

Yunho quickly let you go, stepping backwards with a harsh glare on his features, "Woohyuk, I swear to god if you touch me with those filthy hands, I’ll throw you over myself,” He growled out, watching the way Woohyuk wiggled his fingers as he got closer. 

“I’m gone for one moment, and he’s already acting up,” You heard Jinhyun say from behind you, you looked back towards your boatswain with a smile. He had two bags of oranges in his hands, his eyes glazed with fatigue of running around trying to find everybody. “Looks like you missed this one,” You said softly, crossing your arms and leaning onto the large pillar housing the main mast. 

Jinhyun groaned before stomping his foot on the ground, grabbing the attention of the Powder Monkey and Captain. You laughed at how mad Yunho looked, paired with Woohyuk’s small smirk. 

“Would you get your ass back to work? We set sail in ten,” He said, causing Woohyuk to roll his eyes and walk away. He was more than likely going down to the lower deck to tend to the cannons, he couldn't forget to clean them before they parted from shore. 

You glanced around and noticed Eunhyuk already on board, he was up by the wheel watching everybody on the main deck. He didn't have a smile on his face, but that didn't stop his eyes from showing amusement at the current quarrel. “Can somebody help, please?” You heard Chan say softly, his arms full of large white bags filled with different foods. 

You were about to rush over and go help, but Minhyun, your quartermaster, was already there behind him. He grabbed one of the heavier bags and helped him carry them to the kitchen. Chan was always soft spoken, but Minhyun was always there to listen to him. 

Looking around and taking roll, you pushed off of the pillar and made your way up the stairs towards the wheel. Yunho was hot on your heels, nodding towards Eunhyuk. 

“Everybody here?” Yunho questioned, brows furrowing and looking towards you. 

“All crew have been accounted for,” You said with a smile, you quickly covered your ears when yunho brought his fingers up to his mouth once more, letting out a shrill whistle. Everybody on board began to move around then, Woohyuk appeared from the lower deck and began to crank a pulley to bring up the anchor. Jinhyun began to bark orders to everybody, his voice wasn't as demanding as Minhyun’s or Yunho’s, but it still got the point across. 

Changmin quickly rushed over to the main mast, pulling on many ropes and letting the main mast fall from its ties. You never got over how beautiful The Aurora was, her main masts were a beautiful white. The flag that adorned your ships insignia was a white compass, with a blue and black background. 

“Let’s begin,” Yunho said, and with that the ship began to move slowly away from the docks, the village slowly leaving your sight. 

----

It had been a few weeks since your last visit with the 7 boys, and being on a ship wasn't all that bad. Sure, there was the occasional sea sickness and rough storms that happen sometimes, but there was also the clear blue skies and the water that was almost see through on sunny days. Currently, you were on the main deck, leaning over the side of the ship. Looking down, you could see the waves crashing against the side of the boat, the paint fading with time. Yunho was currently inside his room, probably talking to Eunhyuk about navigation. Eunhyuk was a nice guy, he was a giant flirt, but he was able to get the ship to any point in the ocean. 

With the skies being clear as can be today, it was the perfect time to steer the ship in the correct direction. Eunhyuk was able to somehow pinpoint the location of the island, he was just trying to locate different villages to stop by for food and clothes. Yunho didn't want to stop, you knew he didn't, but Eunhyuk said it was vital. Your Yunho was a determined one, he promised in hushed whispers that he would get you to the island. 

You met Yunho when he was 16, he was a mere boatswain at the time. Being in charge of ensuring the condition of the ship, the captain was an old man who favored him way too much, taking him in when nobody else would, but the quartermaster, the man who ensured the captain's orders were fulfilled, didn't. He saw his position as second to the captain threatened, and brought you onto the ship so Yunho would get distracted, enraging the captain. The quartermaster was right, you did distract yunho. With sneaking around and stolen kisses throughout the day, the captain noticed it all. While the quartermaster thought he would get mad, in reality he was anything but upset. He was happy the once small and closed off boy was happy, holding hands and running around like an idiot in love. 

After the captain died, giving his position to Yunho, the quartermaster left, cursing the now 18 year old to hell. Yunho closed himself off afterwards, staying locked away in his room and cursing the world for taking away the only father figure he had. He didn’t lock out though, he let you hold him when he cried, let you kiss away his tears and brush his tangled hair in the morning when he was too tired to do so. After a month of his sulking, you finally kicked him into gear. Yelling at him that the crew needs him to be a captain, and the ship needs to see the world. He was able to put on his fresh black brimmed hat and step up to the plate. 

“What’re you doing out here, Little girl?” Speak of the devil, you heard Yunho call out from behind you, hearing him walk closer. You smiled and turned your back to the ocean, leaning up against the low rail, tailbone resting against the dark wood. 

“I’m just waiting for you, Captain,” He raised an eyebrow, wrapping his arms around your waist, leaning back to look down at you. Smiling, you brought your hands up to his shoulders. 

Leaning down and resting his head on your shoulder, his hands came down to rest on your hips, giving them a squeeze. You hummed, closing your eyes and resting your head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat. Feeling him lean down and put his head against your neck. He’s gotten taller over the years, you use to be the taller one, now Yunho towers over you. It sometimes amazed you how much he’s grown, from the scrawny 16 year old to the now wide-shouldered and healthy 21 year old. His skin had a healthy glow from the ocean sun, and his eyes showed a mature shine you’re sure you didn't reflect. Yunho was a man, while you considered yourself still a child. Yet, you weren't that much younger than him, only 2 years younger. 

“I’m sorry for making you wait so long, baby,” he said softly, turning his head and kissing your cheek softly. 

“It’s alright, time passes quickly when you look at the pretty waves,” you replied softly. You felt him smile against your neck, wrapping his arms tighter around you. Sighing, you brought your head back and looked at him, Yunho reminded you of a bear, with his soft blonde hair and honey colored skin, he gave off the aura of a teddy bear a small child would get. 

“But, I did get lonely, the waves can only do so much for a lovesick woman,” You said with a hum, slightly swaying from side to side. Yunho smiled, leaning back and looking down at you. The wind blew through his hair, making it seem messy and unkempt. You reached your hand up, brushing your fingers through it. 

“What should I do to make it up to you, baby?” He said, tilting his head slightly. You hummed, bringing a finger up and tapping your chin softly. “Can I have a kiss?” You questioned, he laughed, nodding and leaning down. 

The first time you kissed Yunho, it was messy and wet. Neither of you knew what you were doing, but it was okay. You remember how his hands were trembling on your waist, you felt him hold his breath, having to stand on his toes slightly to kiss you. Now when he kisses you, it takes your breath away, how his soft lips felt against yours. His kisses range from soft and loving, to fast and desperate. You felt his hands tighten on your hips, pulling you closer. He let out a sigh, breaking the kiss for a moment before continuing. His lips moved against yours easily, learning what you liked after so many years together. You wrapped your arms further around his neck, playing with the short hairs on the back of his neck. 

You felt him groan, pushing you against the railing. Feeling your balance slip, you quickly slapped a hand against the railing to ensure you didn't fall backwards off the ship, even though you knew Yunho had a tight grip on you. He pushed further, his knee coming between your legs and moving between them. Reaching both arms down to grab under your thighs, lifting you up onto the railing. You laughed softly, breaking the kiss and looking at him, his cheeks were a soft pink, opening his eyes and showing you how dilated they were. Whining softly, he chased after your lips. You met him halfway, tilting your head to the side to allow him more access, biting his bottom lip softly. 

His hands slowly made their way up your thighs, slipping the tips of his fingers underneath your shirt. You arched your back, feeling heat beginning to pool at the bottom of your stomach. Feeling Yunho smirk against your lips, he licked your bottom lip, asking for entrance. You gladly accepted, the both of you fighting for dominance, but Yunho easily won. His hands slipping fully under your shirt and holding your back. 

Suddenly remembering where you were, you pulled away and put your hands on his chest. He frowned, taking his hands away and placing them at the top of your thighs. 

“As much as I'd love to continue this, we’re in public,” You whispered to him, glancing around and noting the eyes that glanced at you both every few moments. Yunho furrowed his eyebrows, looking around as well and glaring at the onlookers for ruining his fun. Looking back at you, he gave you a smirk. 

“That hasn’t stopped us before,” He teased, stepping as close as he could, his hips pressed against your, you could feel the outline on him on your thigh, not surprised that just your kissing riled him up so much. You blushed, lightly smacking him on the shoulder. 

“That was after everybody went to bed, not in broad daylight, idiot,” you hissed, glaring at him while pushing him away. Jumping down from the railing and walking towards his room. Turning around and walking backwards, you winked softly at him. You laughed when you saw him pull at his collar, looking around and further glaring at the other men. 

“Get back to work! I don't pay you to play around,” he hissed, you laughed, turning and climbing the stairs to the upper deck. Walking down the hallway on the side of the ship, you heard quick footsteps behind you. Already knowing who it was, you slowed down. Feeling arms coming to wrap around your waist, kisses being laid on your neck. You laughed softly, grabbed the hands that were wrapped around your waist. 

Twisting the knob to your and Yunho’s bedroom, he pushed you both through, turning you both around so your back was pressed up against the wood. You gasped when his kisses got more rough, more desperate than the ones before. Yunho reaches down, grabbing the back of your thighs and lifting you up. Wrapping your legs tightly around his waist, arms tightly around his neck. He connects your lips again, this time more desperate and rushed. Dominating your mouth, he pulled you both from the door, navigating his way to the bed on the other side of the room. 

You let out a yelp when you were suddenly dropped, back being cushioned by the soft bed. Looking up at yunho, you felt yourself getting wet with the sight in front of you. His eyes were dark, lips red and swollen, the collar of his shirt loose, he looked absolutely amazing. He tilted his head slightly, smirking down at you. Reaching up and untying his shirt, the multiple buttons and ribbons holding it tight to his body, you made yourself with also untying your shirt, being only left in your thin nighty, it was see through, a pale nude color against your tan skin. 

Yunho looked at your skin with hunger slowly clouding his eyes, watching the way your nipples grew hard when hit with the rooms air. 

“What were you thinking, hm? Looking at me like that on deck?” He growled, putting a knee on the bed while throwing his shirt to the floor, you gulped, throwing your shirt and leaning back on your elbows. He reached down, pulling at your nighty’s elastic strap before letting go, making contact harshly with your skin, making you jump back. It didn’t hurt, he only pulled it back slightly. 

“Answer me, baby,” he said, bringing his hands back up and unbuttoning the top of his pants. The gems on his fingers shining in the light, his fingers looked delicious. 

“I was thinking about you, and how good you look,” you said softly, goosebumps rising on your skin from the way he looked at you. He bit his lip, leaning over you and kissing you again, reaching down and grabbing the bottom of your mighty, pulling it up and away before throwing it with the other clothes on the floor. He pulled back, turning his head and kissing down your jaw, sucking on the skin. You moaned softly, reaching up and pulling at the hair at the base of his neck. He groaned against your neck, reaching up and grabbing your jaw to keep you in place. His rings brushing against your skin, he pushed your legs aside to fit between them. 

“You look even better than me, baby, do you know how hard it is for me not to fuck you on every surface this damn ship has?” he said, pulling back. You moaned softly, pushing your hips up against his, feeling him getting harder through his pants. He groaned, reaching down and unbuttoning your pants, pulling them down slowly. 

You knew your panties were soaked, you saw it while he was pulling your pants down. He must have seen it too, groaning and throwing them to the floor, leaning back down to your neck and sucking another mark onto it, he began to kiss down your chest. Stopping to bring a nipple into his mouth, you sighed, letting your head fall back against the sheets. He pinched your other nipple with his fingers, feeling your legs wrap around his waist and grind up into him, making him even harder than he already was. He pulled away from your chest, reaching down and pulling the rest of his clothes off. 

Yunho’s cock wasn't big to where it would hurt you, but it wasn't small to where you couldn't feel anything. It was perfect for you, being able to reach your sweet spots and make you see blinding pleasure. Pressing his hips against yours, his cock rested between your lips, moaning out, you lifted your hips the same time he pressed down, his tip catching onto your clit, causing both of you to moan out. Yunho leaned back down, taking a nipple back into his mouth. Swirling his tongue around the sensitive skin, biting it softly while grinding into you. 

“I assume its very hard, but right now you have an opportunity to fuck me, why not take it?” You questioned stupidly, he pulled away from your nipple, he looked up at you with a raised eyebrow, “What do you think i'm about to do, baby?” He said, coming back up and kissing down your neck, his tongue darting out to swipe against your sweet spot. You arched your back, his hips not faltering in grinding against you. You could feel the coil in your stomach tighten, breath coming out in short bursts, “Please move faster,” you whispered, he smirked at you, slowing down his movements. You cried out, the tight coil disappearing as soon as it appeared. You looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed. “I was about to cum, you bully,” you said with a breath, slapping his arm. He laughed, leaning down and biting your ear before taking the lobe between his lips, sucking on it softly. 

“Please fuck me, i need you,” you pleaded, feeling the way your wetness coated your thighs from the grinding, glancing down and seeing how it coated both you and him. Yunho reached down between you, fingertips dragging up your slit, collecting your juices before bringing his hand up to his mouth, looking at you while sucking his fingertips clean, groaning softly while licking down to the rings. 

“You always taste so good for me, baby girl,” he said, you moaned at the sight. He brought his hand down again, this time sinking a finger into you. Moaning out, you brought a hand up to his forearm, gripping it tightly. “Baby, please,” you gasped, feeling him add another finger, curling both up against your sweet spot. His thumb slowly began to circle your clit, pumping his fingers at a brutal pace inside you, he ensured that his rings would touch your skin, he didn’t want to hurt you with the metal. You groaned, elbow collapsing from your weight, falling back onto the bed. “I know you want me to fuck you, but you have to be patient baby girl,” he said roughly, your legs tightened around his waist, the coil in your stomach coming back. You arched your back off the bed, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows, gasping out, “I’m gonna cum- please, let me cum-”

“Then cum baby, all over my fingers,” he said, pumping his fingers faster into you. Crying you, you felt the coil snap, pleasure running down your legs. Tightening your thighs around his waist, he slowed his fingers inside you, helping you ride out your orgasm.  “You’re such a good girl for me, always have been,” he said quietly, pulling his fingers back and popping each digit in his mouth, licking them clean. 

He leaned back down, kissing you, licking into your mouth and tangling your tongues together. You could taste yourself on his tongue, the taste making you sigh softly. Pulling back, you reached down and grabbed his shaft, pumping it slowly. He groaned, leaning down and sucking on your neck. You leaned closer to him, “Fuck me now, Yunho, i need you,” you whispered, he growled, sitting up and grabbing onto your thighs, bringing them higher onto his waist and shuffling closer to you. Slapping your hand away and grabbing his cock, leaning forward and rubbing against your slit. You whined, bringing your hips up in hope you’ll catch his tip. 

“What’s the magic word, baby girl?” He growled, glaring down at you. Gulping, you spread your thighs wide for him. “Please,” you said softly.

“Good girl,” he said, pushing into you in one smooth motion, hips pushing fully against yours, you moaned, gripping the blanket in your hand and arching your back. He always filled you up perfectly, his tip just kissing your cervix. You took little time adjusting to him, moving your hips slightly. 

“Move, yunho, please,” you gasped out, hand coming up and gripping his arm again. He groaned and moved his hips, setting a slow pace at first, but it quickly sped up, a steady rhythm with him moving into you with skilled movements. You moaned out, pulling his arm softly to get him closer to you. He leaned down, one hand resting on your waist, the other resting on your thigh. He looked so pretty like this, his hair messy and tangled. His cheeks were red, lips swollen, eyes dilated. You whined, letting go of the blanket and wrapping an arm around his neck. He smirked, reaching down and looping an arm around your leg, bringing it up higher. It allowed him to reach deeper into you, bringing more pleasure. You moaned out, nails digging into his shoulder. He hummed, “What is it, baby?” 

His hips didn't stop, his pace non faltering, you could feel the coil in your stomach appear again. This time stronger than the last, you knew you wouldn't last long. “Please, don't stop,” you said, looking at him. Sweat beading his hairline, you probably didn't look any different, you could feel your hair stick to the back of your neck, baby hairs sticking to your forehead, evidence of you both and the sun’s heat outside. 

The coil in your stomach tightened, about to burst, yet it wouldn’t, you needed more. More of Yunho. “Baby- i need more, please” you rushed out, watching the way his lips tugged up into a smirk. He leaned back slightly. Licking his thumb and reaching down between your bodies, he began rubbing your clit with quick, tight circles. You yelped out, a loud moan following. He could feel your cunt tighten around him, groaning out at the feeling. 

“I’m so close baby, please-” you said quickly, feeling him pick up his pace, hitching your leg higher until it was on his shoulder, leaning back and rubbing your clit harder. You reached beside your head and gripped the blanket there, arching your back off the bed and feeling your orgasm quickly approach. You could hear the bed softly creak under you, how Yunho groaned every now and then, his grip tightening on your hips. 

“Cum for me, cum all over me sweet girl,” He growled, pressing his fingertips into your skin. By now, you wouldn't be surprised if there were bruises. 

Feeling your orgasm wash over you, you moaned loudly, walls tightened around Yunho, causing his movement to falter. Slowing down to help you through it, he leaned down and kissed you, swallowing your moans. You pulled away from him, reaching up and brushing his hair away from his forehead, turning his head slightly, he kissed the pad of your thumb. “Cum for me, Yunho,” you said softly, causing him to groan and pick up his pace again. You moaned out, feeling the waves of pleasure become overwhelming. He leaned down, kissing your collar bone, feeling the coil in his stomach tighten quicker than he wanted, you just felt so good he couldn't stop himself. 

Gasping, he felt his orgasm wash over him, pushing his hips against yours, feeling him paint your walls white. He groaned out softly, “Fuck,” he whispered to you, causing you to moan softly, feeling him drop your leg from his shoulder, you wrapped your arms around his neck. While holding him close, you wrapped your legs around his waist, keeping him against you. 

After feeling him relax against you, you relaxed your legs and let them fall from around him. Feeling drowsy already, humming to yourself in content while closing your eyes. Feeling him push off of you, pulling out while he does so, he fell beside you. Turning his body and pulling you against him, you put your hand on his chest, drawing small circles as sleep began to take over your vision. 

“Do you miss them?” Yunho suddenly whispered, looking up to him you noticed his head turned towards the open window on the other side of the room. The sun was slowly setting, casting orange and red hues over the ocean. “Them?” You questioned, voice small and masked with fatigue. He nodded, glancing down at you and reaching up to run a hand through your hair, making you hum in contentment. 

“The boys in the village, the ones you always talk to when we dock,” he said, turning his head back to look out the window, you looked out the window as well, watching the waters become more and more calm as time passed. 

“I suppose so, i think it was San’s birthday last week,” you said, breaking the silence. 

If you had to pick a favorite boy, it would have to be San, he always had a passion for doing what he loved. Whether it be singing or learning taekwondo at his father's small studio. He was quiet when you first met him, he was so young, but after you broke through to him he warmed up to you so quickly. He would run around and sing with the other boys, but he warmed your heart so much when he told you that he loved singing the tunes you taught them, whether you learned it while sailing or from your own mother. Seonghwa was protective of the other boys, so was Hongjoong, Hongjoong introduced them all first, acting as a little leader to them all. And Mingi was so sweet to you, anytime he smiled his eyes would disappear into crescent moons. Yes, they all managed to squeeze into your heart, but San did it first. If he was alone, you’d gladly adopt him, take him with you and show him the world. 

“Was it? Maybe we can bring him something from the island,” Yunho said softly, his hand under your body pulled you closer, rubbing your back with small circles that matched your own. 

“Why would you bring them up if we’re not even going to take them with us?” You questioned, raising your head to look at him. He pursed his lips and avoided your gaze, keeping his eyes locked on the ocean. 

“We’re running out of supplies, we didn’t grab enough when we were at the village, and it's the closest one to us right now that doesn't crawl with government ships. We can either risk it at another village and get supplies there, or turn back and lose the progress we have now,” Yunho huffed out, eyebrows beginning to furrow with stress. “We’re already out in open ocean, by the time we get back it’ll be the end of summer, and then the water would be cold, who knows if the water around the island freezes during winter.” he said, bringing his free hand up and brushing his hair back. You stayed quiet, thinking of what to say to him. Yunho was always the stubborn type, once he set his mind to something he tended to keep going at it until it satisfied him. 

“What do you think, sweet thing?” He questioned, finally looking down at you. Looking into his eyes, you could see the conflict in them, for once this was something he couldn't decide on his own. You gulped, weighting over the options he gave you. 

“I think we should keep going, turning around would only make us lose more materials and time, no?” You said quietly, licking your lips. He hummed, looking up to the wooded ceiling. It was dark in the room now, only a sliver of sun peaking over the horizon. 

“Yeah,” he said softly, chest rising and collapsing with a sigh. You wrapped your legs around him, pulling him closer. With the sun gone, it was slowly getting colder in the room, the waves crashing against the side of the ship made it sway in a slow rhythm. 

“For now, lets just sleep. I’ll speak with Eunhyuk tomorrow about it, get his input,” yunho said. 

You nodded your head, feeling him move into a more comfortable position while reaching down and pulling the blacker up and over your shoulders. He hummed a bit, a tune he remembered from childhood. He would hum it to you after days like this, either pull of pleasure or stress, or both. It always managed to lull you off to sleep. 

—-

For the following days, you’ve been at a nearby town. It was small, the people from one side knowing the people on the other side. You and Yunho were currently in a small inn that was near the shore line, you could easily look out the window and gaze over at your ship, currently it was being cleaned down and restocked by your crew. Yunho decided to stay the night, saying it would be better instead of staying up late to ensure navigational correction. 

Sitting down on the bed next to Yunho, you leaned your head down onto his shoulder. You felt him slightly shift, opening the compass in his hand. He had gotten it from his old captain, said that it’ll point to what he desired most. As he opened it, the arrow began to spin wildly, pointing off in a different direction and then back at you. 

“If it doesn't stop on me, I’ll cry,” you said softly, a chuckle following. A moment later the arrow stopped on you, causing a smile to grow across your face. “Looks like you wont be crying,” Yunho said softly back, leaning his head on top of yours. You both sat in silence for a moment, listening to the footsteps outside of your door, you could even hear the lady at the front desk if you listened hard enough. 

The small in you both were staying in wasn't that fancy, but it wasn't that bad either. The bed was freshly cleaned and there wasn't dust anywhere. The dresser had four drawers to hold your belongings, but you both did not have any, yours were on the ship. 

“Do you wanna explore the town?” Yunho said suddenly, tilting his head slightly to look down at you. “Not really, can we just stay here until they want us to come back?” You replied, feeling his shoulders rise and fall with a sigh. He shrugged your head off, standing up and walking towards the window. You didn't mind that he shrugged you off, he did it often when he had nothing to do. 

Yunho looked like a fallen angel standing by the window, but he was far from an angel to you. He had on a white long sleeve shirt that was paired with a dark vest. His pants were black, tan boots paired with it. Usually he had his long jacket on, a gold intricate design etched into the sleeves and down the back. Currently, it was thrown across the bed, his new hat resting on top of a pillow. 

“Do you really think we’ll be able to find the island? There's already things going wrong,” he said, voice breaking you from your thoughts. Humming, you stood. Walking over to him and grabbing hold of the hand that held the compass. Feeling how tense he was, you sighed and wrapped your arms around his waist. 

“I don't know,” You said, honesty lacing in your voice. With the way Yunho was pouting, you could say he looked like a puppy, maybe one of those puppies that the king and queen would get. 

“You look like a puppy,” you said suddenly, causing yunho to furrow his eyebrows and look down at you in confusion. “What?” He said, glancing over at the bed quickly to toss the compass onto it. Turning back to you and wrapping his arms around your waist. 

“A puppy,” You started with a smile, “One of those gold ones the king and queen would get,” Giving off a laugh while pulling you closer. You watched with a smile how his eyes formed into small crescent moons, and how lips curled into a perfect smile. 

“I guess I’m your puppy then, huh?” He said as he stopped laughing, but his beautiful smile stayed. You could feel butterflies erupt in your belly, and how your chest felt light and airy. 

“If you want to be, then you can be,” You replied, your hands rubbing up and down on his upper arms. You could feel how much muscle he’s gotten over the past few weeks. Some of the crew managed to get another few barrels of gunpowder, even some more ammo if it was needed. Yunho decided to help, carrying a barrel and even a few balls of ammo. With that, and the constant pushing and pulling of ropes and crates, his arms had gotten much bigger. 

“I just want you to be happy,” He said, his voice sounding serious. That caused you to stop smiling, the butterflies and the heavenly feeling both disappearing as well. 

There was a dark side to Yunho that the crew didn’t know about, how he has his own demons he sometimes has to fight each and every day. You tried to help him every chance you got, but sometimes he just wanted to be alone and work though it by himself. Today must have been one of those days. 

“I’m happy, honey,” You said softly, watching how different emotions clouded his eyes. “What’s wrong?” You asked, voice barely above a whisper. Yunho was known to have major mood swings sometimes, one minute he would be in a good mood, then the next he would be on the edge of tears. 

“I don't want you to think I'm doing all of this for myself,” he said, voice low. You sighed, shaking your head. Why did he have to start thinking of this now? 

“I don't think that, i never have,” You replied, bringing your hand up to his cheek, thumb rubbing back and forth. Yunho pursed his lips, hands gripping at the white shirt you were wearing. You tilted your head at him, hair falling off of your shoulder. 

“Are you sure? The compass doesn't point to just you anymore,” he said, bottom lip beginning to shake a little. 

“Just because the compass doesn't point to only me, doesn't mean you don't want me anymore,” 

“I know, but i don't want you to think that i don't want you anymore. You’re the only person I actually want,” he whispered, leaning down and resting his head on your shoulder. You brought your hand up, running your fingers through his hair. 

There was a sudden knock at your door, causing the both of you to pull away from each other. Yunho huffed, walking over quickly and throwing open the door. Woohyuk stood there, sweat ran down his forehead and his clothes were a bit disheveled. His chestnut hair was frizzed out from the humid weather and he was panting. Yunho leaned out to look down both sides of the hallways before glaring at the young boy in front of him.

“What is it?” He questioned, glancing back at you. 

“S-sir, its Jugeom- he has Aurora pined-” Woohyuk said, his usual sarcastic attitude gone. 

Aurora was your ship, Yunho decided to use it after kissing you under the Aurora Borealis, and you couldn't agree more. Aurora was pinned? Who would wanna pin her? Had the government finally caught up with you both?

“What?! When did this happen?!” Yunho yelled, turning and rushing over for his hat and coat, pulling his coat on harshly before nodding to you as a sign to follow. After all, Aurora was your ship. 

Yunho ran out of the room, you and Woohyuk hot on his heels. 

“How did this happen?!” Yunho yelled, causing the lady at the front desk to look at you all weirdly. You ignored her, trying your best to keep up with Yunho and Woohyuk. 

“I don’t know, one minute me and Changmin were helping take stock, then the next fucking Jugeom was shooting up the place-”

“Shooting up the place?!” You shouted, boots slapping against the brick street. Woohyuk looked back at you with pursed lips, his forehead shown to the world with all the running. How he wasn't out of breath astonished you. 

“Yeah, he was spewing some shit about that compass you always have cap, but none of us know what he’s talking about,” Woohyuk said, turning his attention back towards the front. 

As you all got closer to the coast, you could see the bright red and black flag of your enemy, Kim Jugeom. The man had his ship right up against yours, sails tangling together and black smoke rising from your beautiful ship, evidence of the fire he had set to your main mast. You could feel your gut fill with worry, where the hell was your crew? Are they all okay? 

By the time you made it to the docks, you could smell the broken barrels of gunpowder, and you could hear Minhyun putting up a fight, could hear him yell out to get off the ship, how he’ll shoot him if he doesn't. It only made your gut drop, wishing you had your sword or your gun with you to be able to protect them. 

Yunho suddenly stops, arms stretched out so you and Woohyuk run into them. Woohyuk glares at his captain, not appreciating the arm to the throat. “Woohyuk,” Yunho said coldly, not taking his eyes off the Aurora. 

“Yeah?” He replied, staring at Yunho with furrowed eyebrows, Yunho only pursed his lips. 

“Do you still have that compass i gave you?”

“Uh, Yeah? Don't know why you gave it to m-”

“Let me have it, now.” Yunho growled, he reached down and unhooked his compass, he had managed to swipe it off of the bed along with his coat back at the Inn. Woohyuk did the same, reaching down to his belt to untie the old compass. The old thing was Yunho’s first ever compass, it broke not long after he bought it, causing it to never point to true north. Yunho held out his hand and Woohyuk gave it to his quickly. 

“(y/n), Take this, and don't you ever give it to anybody,” Yunho said, thrusting the good compass into your hands, you glanced down at its black casing before looking back up at Yunho. 

“What’re you planning, cap?” Woohyuk said, the sword at his side glimmered, the golden handle tinted with gunpowder. “Something neither of you are going to like,” He said honestly, deciding not to look back at both of you. 

“Yunho- Yunho!” You called out behind him, watching him for a moment how he began to stride forward. Woohyuk followed behind you, making sure that you were okay. 

You stopped behind Yunho once you both got onto Aurora, the gut feeling only getting worse when seeing Chan tied up by the stairs, his eyes wide with fright. You could feel your eyes begin to burn, looking up and seeing Minhyun bloody and bruised on the floor. Yunho glared at the men dressed in old dirty clothes before him. Jugeom stood in front of a kneeling Minhyun, the way the older man was smiling made your stomach curl. Yunho could only stand before him, he didn't have his gun or his sword. He didn't know that this was going to happen at all. Minhyun leaned down onto his hands, his head following forward. 

“Ah, Welcome to the party, Yunho,” Jugeom stated, the cigarette between his lips moving with every word. Yunho glared at him, not moving from his place. You slowly put the compass behind your back, tying it to your pants and sliding the bottom of your shirt over it, hoping that nobody could see it. Changmin was near Minhyun, also knocked out cold. There was a pistol not too far away from his body, meaning he tried to fight for The Aurora. He didn't look too bad, only having a split eyebrow. 

“How are you here?” Yunho questioned, staring at the old man while taking into account where the rest of his crew is. Jugeom sighed and rolled his eyes, not wanting to explain everything to the younger. 

“We simply tracked you, took note in where you stopped before and followed you every since. You know- You all are pretty dense to another ship following you,” Jugeom stated, a chuckle following. 

“The hell do you want, Jugeom?” Yunho growled, hands curling at his sides. The man next to Jugeom smirked, walking over with another man to further surround you and your crew. Woohyuk turned around behind you, pointing his sword at one of Jugeoms men.

“You know what i want, little boy-”

“We both know i'm not little anymore, ass-hat,” 

Jugeom only let out a deep laugh at that, the hat on his head tilting back to reveal an ugly scar that covered the side of his face. You had only seen him once before, and that was when you were little. Yunho went to take a step forward, but was stopped by the man on the other side of Jugeom, a blade now pointing at Yunho. 

“And we both know i'm not going to give it to you, what's mine is mine, now get off my ship,” Stated Yunho, you could feel the dark aura pulse off of him, how he was holding back from jumping past the man and tackling Jugeom to the ground. Minhyun was trying to stand, blood trickling past his broken lip, but another one of Jugeoms men walked forward and pulled his foot back, releasing it to kick Minhyun in the ribs, a sickening crack following. You jumped, tears forming in the corners of your eyes from how Minhyuk cried out in agony. You didn't look at how he slumped to the ground, how the same man kicked away his sword before stepping back in line with the others. 

“But I have a proposition for you, little boy!” Jugeom said with a smile, glancing back and nodding his head. Yunho furrowed his eyebrows, hands relaxing at his sides. You peered around his body, feeling dread creep up your spine with what you saw. 

Seonghwa looked horrible, his hair was matted and he had a black eye beginning to form. His clothes were torn and his skin a sickly pale, tripping over himself. He came out first, the other boys soon following, but they didn't look any better. 

This is when you rushed forwards past Yunho, but his arms circled around your waist to keep you further away from the sick man in front of you. Jongho and Wooyoung cried out for you, trying to rush forward and into your arms. Yet, the men that held them pulled them back, causing them to fall onto each other. 

“You’re sick!” You cried out, gut curling with the way Jugeom only smiled at the way you were acting. Yunho quickly put you down, yet pushed you behind him and into Woohyuk’s awaiting arms. You continued to cry out and yell, but they soon died down when Yunho turned and looked at you. 

“Now, if you want the boys, then you give me what i want,” Jugeom stated, nodding towards the boys and then back at you. Yunho cursed under his breath, the last thing he wanted was to give him the compass and the maps leading towards Pans Island. Even if he gave him the items, he would more than likely kill the boys before letting them go, Yunho knew Jugeom way too well. 

“What if you take me instead, they won't be able to find it without me. I’m the only one who desires it the most. Plus, we both know you won't leave unless blood is spilled,” Yunho stated, stepping forward while holding his hands out. You could feel all the air leave your body, you could only hear static after he said that. 

“Are you fucking crazy?!” You yelled out to him, yet Yunho didn't look at you. You could feel the way Woohyuk froze behind you, and how your other crew mates were staring at Yunho like he grew three heads.

“Hm, and whose blood will I shed, eh?” Jugeom questioned, stepping forward and shrugging his shoulders. 

“You already beat the kids, and Minhyun. You’ve burned my ship, and now you’ll get the captain. Yet, once i go with you, you’ll never bother The Aurora again, or i'll kill you in your sleep,” Yunho growled, watching the way Jugeom’s smile turned into a smirk. 

“Yunho, we can figure something out,” Jinhyun said, you hadn't even noticed he was tied to the main mast. Next to him was Eunhyuk, the younger having a cut running down the side of his cheek. Yunho shook his head slightly, sighing through his nose. Jugeom had a sick smile on his face now, his teeth an ugly yellow. 

“Not this time, we’ve been avoiding confrontation for awhile now, haven't we, Jugeom?” Yunho said, his voice was hard. You could feel your energy draining, you couldn't even tell if you were breathing or not. 

“I suppose we can solve it with you coming with me, huh?” Jugeom said, making you look up at him. Even with your vision blurred with tears, you could see how the boys looked petrified, how Wooyoung and San were trying to cling to each other. 

“You let those boys go first, then i'll go,” Yunho stated, watching the way Jugeom sighed and looked at the seven kids. 

Once Jugeom nodded his head, the boys were released. Each one flying past Yunho and into your awaiting arms, Woohyuk let you go slightly to let you grab onto them. You clutched them to you, a sob escaping past your lips when you felt their hands grip at your shirt. You looked back up at Yunho, but already found him looking back at you.  “Please, don't do this,” You said softly. 

Jugeom’s other men slowly began to make their way back onto his ship, their smirks and smiles made Chan’s eyes fill with tears. Minhyun was still losing blood on the main deck, his body looking broken and beaten, the wood underneath beginning to color red. Jinhyun had a hard glare on his face, his hands red from being tied tightly. Changmin was slowly starting to wake up, but was kicked by one of the men that was walking past, causing him to let out a grunt before losing consciousness again. 

“I’m sorry,” you heard him say softly, causing your heart to shatter. You could feel the tears beginning to fall down your cheeks faster, the boys you were holding hid their faces in your shoulder, some being held by Woohyuk’s free arm. “Yunho!” You cried, but he ignored you. Walking forward and coming nose to nose with the other captain. Jugeom smiled, bringing his hand up and patting his shoulder. 

“No! Yunho- please!” You yelled, attempting to free yourself from the smaller boys, but with Woohyuk’s arm around you, you couldn't go anywhere. 

Yunho glanced at you once more, his eyes rimmed with red. Another sob escaping you when you watched him turn around and walk onto the neighboring ship with Jugeom, the thin board connecting the two looked close to breaking from the mean body weight. 

The last man following your Yunho and Jugeom held a gun up, pointing it at you and Woohyuk. Changmin was still knocked out cold, you could hear Chan cry quietly, his arms probably rubbed raw. Jinhyun and Eunhyuk stayed tied to the pillar, tears falling down their faces slowly at hearing your cries. 

“Yunho!” 

----

“(y/n)?” 

There was a knock at the door, the soft voice and knocks breaching through your silent sanctuary. You were curled up in bed, eyes swollen and probably red. The thin blanket was wrapped around your body making you seem like a butterfly in its cocoon. You knew that whoever was on the other side didn't leave, you knew they’d come in anyways, just like everybody else did. 

Yunho has been gone for three days now. 

The yunho shaped wound left by him still stung just as bad as the day he left. Each time you closed your eyes you could still clearly see him walk away, not even giving you a second glance. Why did he have to go? Why couldn’t he just give them the stupid compass? 

“(y/n) I’m coming in, please be dressed,” you heard the voice say again, but you didn't shift your eyes away from the window. The soft blue and pink tones gave off the first glimpses of the new day. The beginning of the fourth day without Yunho there, without Yunho to kiss you goodnight or mess around with Eunhyuk or Minhyun. 

“Good morning, sleepy head,” with the voice clear, you knew it belonged to Chan. Suddenly, you could see how scared he looked when tied up. How his wrists were bleeding when Woohyuk took the ropes away, how his lips trembled with fear of losing his life. He was young, he had never experienced an enemy ship boarding. 

The bed dipped behind you, and you heard Chan sigh. “How’re you feeling?” He said softly, his voice cutting through the air like a thick knife. You didn't say anything, didn't move, just kept breathing. That didn't stop Chan though, he kept talking like you were going to respond. 

“The little ones are doing okay now. Sure, they’re still shaken up, but they’ll manage,” He said, a chuckle following. 

He swallowed, licking his lips. He knew that you weren't going to respond, not after Yunho leaving. He watched the way you broke down, how you cried until your throat was cracking and raw. He was the one who got you to drink and eat his food, though it was difficult at first. You cried for hours on end, he and everybody else was there for you. 

“We need you, (y/n). Y- He may have been captain, but you’re our first mate. We need somebody now,” he started, turning to look down at your form. You still hadn't moved, your breathing still even. It made him wonder if you were asleep, or just ignoring him completely. 

“Minhyun said that once the ship is in working order, we’re heading for him. Seonghwa said that the village’s gone. It was in flames by the time Jugeoms ship left the dock, seonghwa said that they don't have a home to go back to; so we’re going to have to take them with us,” Chan said, his eyebrows furrowing. He listened closely how your breathing stopped for a moment, then how your shoulders began to shake. Small whimpers passing by your lips. 

“Just come out when you’re ready, please, we miss you,” Chan said while standing up quickly, walking to the door and exiting quickly. He shut your door softly behind him and walking back out onto the main deck.

“Any luck?” Minhyun said, Chan responded with a shake of his head. 

Minhyun had been the first to get treated after Woohyuk had untied Chan, after recognizing that his wrists were injured, he ran to Minhyun’s side, evaluating him and yelling at Woohyuk to get a crap ton of bandages from the med room. Currently, he was leaning against the railing right by the wheel, his waist was wrapped with bandages, and his face had been clean and stitched. 

“You know, i might as well become the new damn captain if she isn't-”

“She’s devastated, Minhyun!” Chan yelled, his eyebrows furrowing in anger. The other boys on the deck stopped what they were doing to look up at the two. 

Chan had only raised his voice one other time, and that was when Woohyuk took it too far with him in the kitchen and almost blew the entire ship up. Now here he was again, making Chan yell. 

Minhyun could only stare at Chan with a glare etched onto his face, hazel eyes covered in a mix of pain and anger. Chan couldn't match up to his glare, but his dark brown eyes showed guilt, sorrow, and pain. 

“You need to understand where she's coming from,” Chan seethed through gritted teeth, he clenched his hands (even though he could feel pain pulse form his wrists, wrapped in a layer of gauze). 

Minhyun lost his glare for a moment, looking at him like he was crazy. “I have two broken ribs, a cut eyebrow, and a cut lip. You really think i don’t know where she’s coming from?” 

Chan was then reflecting the look he was given, his eyebrows furrowing and eyes closing for a moment to recollect his thoughts. 

“She practically lost her husband, she actually lost the love of her life to the enemy,” Chan paused for a moment, lowering his voice, “Usually they kick ass together, but i think seeing us all hurt and unavailable made him recall his shots, and i guess she thought the same after seeing all the kids she practically calls-” Chan stopped himself, knowing that he was starting to rant off. Minhyun sighed and brought his hand up, rubbing at his jawline where it didn't hurt. 

“Calls her own, i know.” Minhyun said softly, his hand falling down to his side. He glanced off to the side, looking down at the kids, one or two of them being tended to by the remaining crew on board. 

“They all talk about her like she’s their mom, or older sister. They’re really worried” Minhyun said softly, looking back at Chan. 

The two of them stood in silence for a moment, listening to San’s small giggles at Changmin. Even though they were all hurt, emotionally and physically, they pulled through in the last four days. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon now, the blue hues turning into beautiful golden rays. Tonight was the first night everybody stayed awake, all telling stories to take their minds off of the chaos around them. 

Eunhyuk had found that the map room was ransacked, they took the maps leading to the Island. He was devastated, even almost started crying if it wasn't for Yeosang who came up and held his hand for comfort. Minhyun was trying his best to keep everybody together, from the maps to the compass, he really was trying. He talked to the boys a little bit, learning about each one. Jongho was his current favorite, but don't tell Wooyoung that. 

“She’ll come around, she just needs time,” Chan was quiet when he spoke, but Minhyun was able to hear him. The amount of comfort in Chan's voice made his stress levels decrease just a bit. 

--

The next following days had some, peculiar progress. You had managed to come out of your room, a frown was still etched onto your face, but the Seonghwa and Wooyoung managed to make a smile crack onto your features. 

The ship had managed to get back into shape, and was now at sea. The mask was ripped in a few places, and the flag that bared the ships insignia was still burned on the edges. You managed to take over as captain of the Aurora, but you let Jinhyun and Minhyun do most of the heavy lifting. There was still a dark shadow over your heart, the events of that day still haunting your every waking moment. 

The boys had found home on the ship, the makeshift bunk beds on the lower deck was more than enough. They were read to before bed, Eunhyuk did that. He would read them some of his books he used to study English literature with; he would read the books when the sky was clear, and when the seas would rock the boat slightly to give off the illusion of the rocking chair his mother used when he was a baby. 

Chan went back to cooking, his mind getting lost in the various ingredients and combinations of different flavors. Hongjoong would help with the cooking, but he was in charge of watching the water and telling Chan when it was boiling. Mingi also helped, his job was to mix all of the chopped vegetables together in one large bowl. Jinhyun went back to barking out orders to everybody, and Changmin went back to the lower parts of the ship where he and Woohyuk played poker every moment. The two brothers were inseparable, Woohyuk would always win the games, making Changmin yell so loud everybody on board would be able to hear him. 

Although, with Yunho gone, there was a constant shadow. Not just over your heart, but over everybody's. Eunhyuk was trying his best to find out where they might have gone with the remaining maps that were left, and he once said he was close to a theory on where they could be. 

That was where you were currently heading, off to a nearby village that was fairly small, but made profit off of their large fishing market. Eunhyuk said that when he got a glance at the ship before they boarded, they looked to be low on materials. You jumped onto the idea quickly, telling him to take the Aurora there as soon as possible so they wouldn't miss them. 

It had already been a week, you knew that if you were lucky they would still be there. It was a long shot, but you were willing to bet Yunho made them stay for a dumb reason. 

You were sitting next to Seonghwa, his hands had gotten dirtier over the days helping Woohyuk and Changmin clean spilled gunpowder from the lower decks. You were leaning against the railing, elbows perched on it. Seonghwa was more daring, sitting directly on top with his legs dangling over the edge. You had yelped in fright when seeing him jump up onto the railing, instructing him to hang onto the rope that connected to the main mast next to him. Stating that if he were to fall, he would be able to hang on until you saved him. 

Your eyes were closed, listening to the waves crash against the side. You imagined for a moment, that Yunho would come up behind you and wrap his arms around your waist while peppering kisses down your neck. 

“I really like it here,” Seonghwa said, causing you to turn your head slightly to look at him, cracking one of your eyes open. Smiling softly, you hummed. 

“Everybody's really nice, and everybody likes it here too,” he said again. By everybody, you guess he meant the other boys. You knew they did, from the way they all ran around and had fun. To the way their laughter filled the empty parts of the ship, and how they brought the bright aura back. Almost chasing away the lingering sadness, almost. 

“I’m glad,” you said softly, turning back and closing your eyes. Drinking in the sun and hearing the birds sing above you. The little boy next to you was silent though, but you knew his mind must have been working a million miles a minute. 

“Do you think I belong here?” you suddenly heard seonghwa ask, you opened your eyes and turned to him. He pursed his lips and looked at you creepily. 

“Hm,” You hummed, furrowing your eyebrows. Seonghwa sucked in a breath, holding a hand up to you. 

“It’s just that- well- after what happened to my village I- we,” he paused, eyes brimming red for a second, “We don't have anywhere we belong,” he stated, his voice breaking off at the end. 

“Well, nobody really belongs anywhere,” you began, watching the way his eyes snapped to meet yours, “we all choose where we want to be, we all choose our path in life. I think that wherever you want to be the most is where you belong. Whether that belongs with us, or with a family in a village,” you said, thinking of your Yunho. 

He had said those same words to you once, when you were both young and stupid. He had taken to the back of the ship, kissed you senseless and made you breathless. Whispering how much he loved you, how much he wanted to run away with you and get married. How he wanted to get your own ship, name it after you and let you run it all by yourself, a woman captain. You had asked him suddenly ‘where do i belong then, with you or the ship?’ 

Even though you said it in a teasing way, he only smiled at you, pulled you closer and kissed your nose briefly. Telling you that only you could decide where you belong. 

From that moment on, you only wanted to belong to him. To grow older with him and marry him, but now he wasn't here, and you felt so lost without him. 

“Then i wanna stay with you and the captain,” seonghwa said suddenly, causing you to look at him in shock. He smiled at you, teeth a bright white, eyes a cute crescent moon. You smiled back at him, leaning over and pulling him into your side for a small hug. You paused for a moment, looking over at the horizon with teary eyes. 

“Yunho,” You said, it was the first time you uttered his name since the day he left. It felt like heaven leaving your lips again, but it hurt all the same that it wasn't Yunho himself you were saying it to. 

“What?” seonghwa questioned, looking up and raising his eyebrows at you. Laughing for a moment, you licked your lips, a sad smile taking over your face. 

“The Captain, his name is Yunho,” you said softly, tears quickly blurring your vision. You blinked a few times, successfully making them disappear. 

“I never really knew the captain,” he said in a hushed voice, lips forming a small line. You looked back out towards the sea, the sun's reflection making it seem like there were a thousand diamonds floating on top. 

“Can you tell me about him?” He said again. His voice was hesitant, as if he was scared to ask you. 

You only smiled at him, bringing your hand up and brushing his black hair out of his eyes. “When we get him back, you’ll be able to talk to him all you’d like with the others,” You said. Leaning your weight on one foot, crossing the other one over. You hand went back down to support your body weight against the railing, and you were sure there would be wood indents on the bottom of your arms. 

“You’re going to let the others stay too?” Seonghwa said excitedly, a smile creeping onto his cherub face. 

You nodded, “of course, i love all of you guys, how could i not want you all to stay?” he couldn't help the smile that fully took over, looking at you like you blessed the world with candy before looking back out to the open water. 

Glancing behind you, you noticed Chan coming out of the door that led to the kitchen. He looked towards you and smiled, raising his hand and waving. He then turned and rushed up the stairs, going towards the bell and grabbing the short robe connecting to the pendulum inside. Covering the ear closest, he began to swing it widely, the high pitched ringing breaking the calmness the ship possessed before. Seonghwa jumped, eyes wide with shock from the sound. You laughed, pushing yourself away from the railing and grabbing his hand to help him off. 

“Let’s head to eat, I'm sure you're starving.”

---

With the sun just peaking over the horizon, blue water painted a gold. You saw the village, the small homes dark and the streets empty. The sight of Jugeom’s worn ship made your stomach twist, the thought of Yunho on board making you sick to your stomach. You were standing beside Eunhyuk, his hands gripping the wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white. Changmin was sitting with Minhyun not too far away, and you turned to them slightly. 

“We need swords, guns, and ammo. Make it happen before we anchor down,” You said, eyes narrowing when looking back up. Changmin nodded before shooting up and running to the lower decks as quiet as he possibly could

You managed to make it to the village unseen, the familiar sight of Jugeom’s boat caught you off guard since you thought he would have made a break for the island by now. You told Eunhyuk to anchor the boat further away from the docks so you wouldn't be seen, and you left Chan to watch over the six boys. Although they were sleeping currently, you knew that wouldn't last long. 

You quickly turned and rushed back to your room, slipping on your jacket and switching out your deck boots for the thicker boots you use when you go into any type of battle. The compass Yunho gave you was sitting peacefully on your desk, untouched since you took it off the day you stumbled into your room and sobbing mess. Looking beside it, you saw Yunho’s favorite ring. He wore it when he knew he would be fighting a battle that was going to be difficult to win, just like you were now. The band was thick and silver, while the diamond placed in the middle was a beautiful blue, there were engravings on the side, and even a few smaller diamonds placed throughout. You smiled softly, sliding the ring onto your thumb. Reaching over and grabbing your glove. 

While Yunho often held a sword with his left hand, you held it with your right. He said it felt more natural that way, but you still called him weird. One day a year or two ago, he brought home a pair of gloves, one being bigger than the other. He stated that the leather will help with gripping the sword better, and he thought that it’d be cool for the two of you to be matching while kicking ass. So your right hand now adorned a glove, while the left held a gun. 

“Are you sure about this?” Minhyun asked while you walked out of your room, you nodded your head. The only sounds in the hallway was the clicking of your boots. 

“We’re getting him back, not tomorrow, not the next day, today.” You seethed, wanting to get yunho back as soon as possible. You knew Minhyun was worried, after all, he wasn't able to go with you. It would just be you, Changmin, and Eunhyuk. 

“It’s dangerous, (y/n),” Minhyun said, voice hard. You glared at him, seeing Changmin holding guns and swords in his arms. 

“Yunho would do the same for any of us,”

“But Yunho would want everybody to be safe-”

“All i want to do is slip in and out- even though i really want to kill the son of a bitch, i won't. Right now, my main priority is getting Yunho,” you said harshly, not feeling sorry for how Minhyun flinched. 

The three of you made your way off the ship, stopping to give Minhyun a quick hug. The sword on your hip tapped against your thigh as you walked, and the pistol strapped against your thigh itched to be used. Eunhyuk and Changmin walked closely behind you, their feet in time with yours. 

As you got closer to the small town, you took in how pretty it actually was. The houses were different colors of an off white, light blue, brown, and even some soft pink. All having the same brown details, white curtains hanging on the inside to bring out the windows. The roofs a dark brown, sloped towards the sky. The streets were paved with stones, flowers and bushes occupying some corners. 

To ensure that you didn't get caught by any of Jugeom’s crew, you stayed pretty close to the sides of the streets, making sure to quicken your feet as to not alarm anybody who could have just woken up. You stopped for a moment, turning sharply into an alley with the two other boys to talk to them. 

“He has to be at an inn somewhere, any ideas?”

“I saw a town map at the entrance, there's only one,” Eunhyuk said, you sighed in relief for his keen eyes, since you didn't see it. You raised your eyebrows and waved a hand around for a moment, “Well? Where is it?” you said, causing him to let out a quiet “oh,” before looking around a moment, pointing down one of the adjoining roads. 

“It could possibly be down that way, i could be-” You didn't give him time to finish, already making your way out of the alley and to the street. Changmin chuckled softly while slapping his shoulder lightly, rushing over to keep up with you, “wrong.”

The inn was an adorable place, the building a soft pink while the shutters were a pristine white. It shocked you for a moment to think that Jugeom would actually stay there. You noticed two of his men sitting out at a table, the umbrella still up from the previous day. One was a blonde, he was sleeping with his head resting against his arms on the table. The other, a brunette, was sleeping on a chair, his head rolled back uncomfortably. 

Changmin coughed softly to get your attention, “should we kill em?” he said, unsure of what you wanted to do. You shook your head, pursing your lips, “Yunho wouldn't want that, but do it if they are in the way,” you spoke softly, making sure to keep your eyes on the sleeping pair. 

“Damn,” Changmin whispered, you could feel a laugh rise in your throat, having to swallow it down. 

You huffed a breath, crouching down slowly and rushing to the side of the building. There was a window that overlooked the harbor, the curtains open slightly from the inside. You peered inside and saw an empty bedroom, quickly ducking and going to the next. This window was open slightly, the curtains’ edges softly kissing the morning air. Walking closer and peering in, you quickly pulled back once seeing who was inside. Turning around and heading back to where the other two boys were across the street. 

“He’s not over there, and there's no windows on the other side. We’re going to have to go inside,” you said, causing the two boys to nod. Eunhyuk's fingers danced over the hilt of his sword, the gold fading into silver from how much he had to grab it. 

“We’re going to have to sneak by those two idiots, once we make it inside, leave the doors cracked,” as you spoke your voice got lower and lower, pursing your lips once the boys gave you an agreement. 

Turning back around and walking closer to the main double doors, you could hear the soft snores of the men get louder and louder. The main two doors were wooden, you were certain they opened to a large empty area. 

Slowly getting closer, you managed to make it directly next to the brunette before he began to stir, you froze in place, feeling fear creep up your spine, but his head fell to the side, hand coming up to rub at his nose before his movements settled down again. 

You let out a silent sigh of relief, reaching your hands forward and grasping onto the handles, slowly turning them and pushing the doors open slowly, the hinges creaking loudly once or twice before going silent. You stood corrected, the doors opened up to a restaurant type area, a few tables and chairs being draped over with table clothes. There was a podium by the door, probably where a server stood to sea you. There was a hallway to your right and left, probably leading to bedrooms. 

You glanced back at the boys and watched how the doors were left slightly cracked, giving them a nod and heading down the right hallway. It was the hallway that didn't have any windows, you assumed they’d put Yunho here so he wouldn't know where he was. 

Stopping by the first of three doors, you grabbed the knob slowly. Turning it, only to find it locked. You grimace, if they were to keep Yunho here, of course they'd lock him up.

That meant you needed a key, you needed to find Jugeom. 

You had already done that, peering in through the open window that faced the ocean. You had also noticed how he was awake, sitting on his bed while looking down at maps. You leaned your head forward and placed your ear against the door. 

Changmin and Eunhyuk had taken to the two entrances of the hallway, eyes peering out and feet ready turn turn and rush back if one of them saw anybody. 

You couldn't hear anything, not breathing, not rustling, nothing. It was dead silent and you breathed a small sigh of relief that the doors were so thin. Moving onto the middle door, you grabbed hold of the door knob slowly, turning it. You cheered internally when finding it wasn't locked, and pushed the door open softly, the hinges did not creak. 

Walking in, you almost started to cry. Tears welled in your eyes, breath choking. 

On the bed in the far corner, was Yunho. His body curled against the pink tinted sheets, hair matted with blood, hands and feet being tied together, that must have kept him from running. He wasn't wearing a shirt, his body only being covered by the pants and boots he put on so many days ago. There was an oil lamp still lit, giving off just enough light to see around. You brought a hand up to your mouth, keeping in the small whimper. He looked asleep, with his body slowly rising and falling with his breathing. 

Picking up your pace towards him, you brought your hand down to touch his shoulder. His body shooting up, eyes wide with an emotion you couldn't quite decipher. 

He froze when he saw you, and you took that time to give him a proper look over. His jaw was bruised, eyebrow cut along with his lip. Red marking covered his neck, his chest had a large cut across it. From the look of him, it made your stomach clench with dread and breath come out in short spurts. 

When he finally regained himself, he reached as far as he could forward and grabbed onto your shirt, pulling you harshly forward. You did your best not to hurt him as you circled your arms around his shoulders, hugging him as tightly as you could. Tears fell freely down your cheeks, emotions bubbling to the surface quickly. You could feel his tears hit your neck, his hair covering his eyes. 

“I knew you’d come for me,” he whispered, his voice so quiet and broken you almost didn't hear him. You smiled, pulling back to crash your lips against his. His lips were dry, but that didn't stop any of the love he felt for you to be shown through the kiss. You felt his hands grip at your shirt harder, a sigh escaping from both of you. 

You heard a throat clear from behind you, turning harshly and snapping your hand down to your sword. Your eyes met with Changmin’s, his arms up in a surrender. 

“Hey cap,” Changmin whispered, Yunho only nodded his head back, knowing that if he were to try and speak, his throat would be too dry to produce any words. 

Changmin looked to you, “the suns almost fully over the horizon, it's time to go,” he rushed out, turning around and quietly walking down the hallway to tell the same thing to Eunhyuk. 

You turned back to Yunho, taking a step back before unsheathing your sword. He knew what your plan was and held out his hands, pulling them as far apart as his strength would let him. You slipped the tip of the blade between the ropes, stepping to the side for an anchor and using a quick motion to easily cut his hands free. He pushed the now cut rope form his wrists, reaching down and pulling it away from his feet. 

You chose not to sheath your sword, having a bad feeling about trying to leave with Yunho injured as badly as he was. You noticed the bruising on his rib cage when he stood, stomach lined with black and purple splotches. Taking a step forward and wrapping your arm around his waist, he holds onto his stomach with the other. 

“Let's go home, Yun,” you said softly, walking out of the room quietly. Eunhyuk and Changmin were waiting at the end of the hallway, watching with worried eyes and sad smiles at the two of you. 

Your small group began to walk out into the main room, the main doors still cracked just like you left them. The room was starting to brighten with the rising sun, the rays shining through the windows. Getting Yunho back to the ship seemed so close, you just had to pass through the main doors and down a block or two. 

Suddenly, the main door were slammed shut, and a chuckle was heard from behind you. Your stomach dropping as you turned, Changmin and Eunhyuk unsheathing their swords. 

“If you really thought you’d be able to get away that easily, you’d be mistaken,” Jugeom said, three of his men appearing from the shadows. You let go of Yunho, dropping your hand to your side. While your fingers slowly traced your gun, you spoke out, “We knew it wouldn't be easy, yet that didn’t stop us, now did it?” you managed to pull your gun from the holder silently, turning it so the handle brushed against Yunho’s fingers. 

Jugeom kept talking though, his old eyes not being able to detect the transition you just made, “that boy belongs to be now, he gave himself to me,” he seethed, his hand reaching up and unsheathing his sword, his men followed. Eunhyuk and Changmin focused their attention on one crew member each, yet always managed to glance quickly back at you, waiting for your signal. 

“He doesn't belong to anybody but himself,” you growled, rushing forward and lifting your sword. 

Eunhyuk and Changmin took that as the signal, quickly raising their swords and rushing towards a crew member. Yunho stood, gun pointed at the last. His eyes holding a fire of pure rage, finger pressed unhesitatingly against the trigger. The man in front of him widened his eyes, beginning to drop his sword and raise his hands, but it was too late. Yunho pulled the trigger and he let out a painful scream, filling to the floor while holding his shoulder. 

First it was the gunshot, then it was the sound of your sword hitting Jugeom’s. The blades cutting across each other once, before hitting twice. It was almost like a deadly dance, whoever misses a step, death for them. Jugeom’s sword was bigger than yours, but that just meant it was harder to use. While you were quick and nimble, cutting at his arms and body. He was slow and steady, only able to cut at the air around you when you were able to dodge his attack. 

Yunho felt his legs give out then, the lack of food and water taking a toll on his body. His knees hit the floor first, and when he raised his gun back up at the man in front of him, his arm was too tired to take aim and fire. Then, as quick as a bee, Eunhyuk dashed in front of him and slid his sword across the man's chest, his shirt ripping and skin tearing under the blade. He yelled out again, his blood dripping down onto the wooden floors. 

You were still fighting with Jugeom, his actions still going strong. You were becoming tired, getting a few cuts on your arms. You could feel your thighs go numb from having to push your body in different directions to dodge some of his fatal attacks, but he wasn't letting up at all. “You should’ve heard him cry out for you,” Jugeom seethed through gritted teeth. The remark made you chest tighten, your other hand coming up to hold the blade. You tried to stay focused, “shut your damn mouth,” you growled out, anger rising further in your chest at the sight of his damn smile. 

“Oh, and you should've seen the blood,” you glared harshly, kicking your body into full gear. He was now the one to block your attacks, the both of you jumping and pushing tables and chairs around, “his blood was so red too-” That made you snap, a cry reigning from your lips as you kicked your leg up and into his side. 

His body fell into a table then, the top breaking off. His body fell to the ground, white shirt tinted with blood from the cuts littering his body. You could hear Eunhyuk and Changmin behind you, swords meeting. You could also hear the cries form his men, their knees hitting the floor. 

“I could kill you,” you said, fury laced deeply in your words. The sounds from behind you drawing down into small groans and whimpers from Jugeom’s wounded men. 

The man in front of you only smiled, teeth on display. You brought your foot down harshly again, this time the toe of your boot came into contact with his face. Pulling it away, you saw the way his nose was turned the wrong way. How blood quickly spilled from it, his eyes still having that teasing look. 

“Then do it, i won't stop you,” he said. 

You brought your sword up then, but hesitated, remembering that if you killed this man, you’d be a murderer. You had never killed anybody before, you only injured them and left them for the government to let them be arrested. Yet, with the way he took Yunho, how he almost beat him to death, it made your chest fill with rage. 

“You got in the damn way of my happiness, you vermin,” you said, bringing the sword down quickly. The blade impaled into his throat, his hands coming up and gripping around the blade, palms being sliced int he process. His eyes widened, the life slowly beginning to leave them. He choked out, blood spilling from his lips. 

Pulling the blade, you cringed at the blood the dripped off the tip. When you looked back down at Jugeom, his eyes were lifeless, hands limp by his chest. 

“I thought you said no killing,” You heard from behind you, looking towards Changmin, you glared at him. 

“This was different, leave everybody else for the government,” you said, yet when you looked towards the kneeling Yunho you felt all the anger in your chest be replaced with worry. Sheathing your sword quickly and rushing over to him, you helped him up. He groaned at the pain that spread from his stomach, the large cut on his chest being split open from the sudden movements. 

“We need to get back, you’re lucky there was nobody here, but,” Eunhyuk started, coming up to Yunho's other side and taking the gun from his grasp, throwing it to Changmin. He lifted Yunho's arm, draping it over his shoulder, “Chan’s gonna have a field day when we get back,” He finished. 

Yunho smiled, trying to keep up with the quick footsteps as Changmin threw open the door. He lifted the gun in his hands, cocking it quickly and firing two shots in the two waiting crew boys who were asleep this morning. He shot them in the stomach, blood beginning to stain their shirts as they fell to the ground. 

Some women on the streets screamed upon seeing you four rushing down the street, but none of you cared. Yunho did his best to keep up, but his feet slipped a few times, leaving a wince to cross his face from the pain that would bloom in his ankle at the feeling. 

When the boat finally did come back into view, Yunho felt relief. He was finally home, with you and everybody on board. 

“Chan!” You yelled out once you got close enough, seeing the man's head pop out, he did have a smile on his face, but it vanished once seeing the state Yunho was in. He rushed away, coming out a few seconds later with a pillow case type bag filled with all the types of bandages and medical items a doctor would love to have. 

There were a few boys awake, but they were still downstairs in their room. Woohyuk and Minhyun came running right behind Chan, their hand coming up and stabilizing Yunho to the best of their abilities. 

“Take him to the bedroom, i’ll help him the best i can,” Chan managed to get out, you quickly let go of Yunho, letting the other boys take him back into your bedroom. Yunho turned his head to look back at you, lips turning into a small smile before all the boys disappeared into the bedroom. 

---

“(y/n),” You heard Chan call out from behind you, you spun around quickly. He looked tired, eyes lined with red. You glanced down to the boys, you were telling them a story about one of your childhood stories. 

“Can i?” you said softly, with a smile Chan nodded. You took off in a rush towards your bedroom, knowing that Chan would stay and keep the small boys company. Minhyun was leaning against the wall outside of the door, giving you a small smile paired with a nod before opening the door for you. 

It had been a couple hours since you brought Yunho back, the Aurora was back on the open ocean, heading in the direction of the island. You figured that with Yunho around the strange compass he left with you, and the maps, you’ll be able to head straight for the island. 

“Hi baby,” he said, a smile gracing his beautiful face. He was tucked in nicely, his wrists and arms wrapped in bandages. His head had a bandage around it, but his lip was still cut. His jaw was still bruised, but that didn't stop him from smiling beautifully. 

When hearing his voice, his pure voice. Not the one from the room, the one that sounded broken and fearful. You could feel the way your chest swelled with this bright light again, eyes brimming with tears again. It only increased when he reached his palm open. You rushed over to his side, interlacing your hand with his and bringing it to your lips for a kiss. He chuckled at that, pulling you forward and making you crash down on top of him. 

Pulling away from him and lifting yourself up, you finally smiled at him. Even though your vision was blurred with tears, he loved your smile. He reached up, thumb wiping away the falling tears. 

“Welcome home, my love,” you said softly, leaning down and capturing his lips in a chaste kiss. 

“It feels good to be back, but i won't fully be back until i can lead again,” he said, helping you when you began to lean over him so you could lay down beside him. Your fingers were still interlocked. 

“You’ll always be captain, just because you can't yell at people freely, does not change facts,” you said, your voice quiet. He hummed, leaning forward again and kissing you. 

You didn't blame him for wanting to kiss you, you wanted to kiss him just as hard. You wanted nothing more than to lay down and kiss him until your lips were swollen and numb, but he needed rest, you knew he did. He pulled away from you with another sigh, his nose rubbing against yours. 

“We’re heading towards the island, the boys are coming with us-”

“I know, Chan told me,” Yunho said softly, kissing the tip of your nose. 

“You’re alright with it?” You said, slightly shocked that he would just agree so suddenly. He nodded his head, licking his lips. 

“I don't want them to go somewhere they feel like they don't belong, and if i remember correctly, Chan also mentioned something about them wanting to stay. I don't mind, I think it'd be nice having them around-” he paused for a minute, collecting his thoughts while closing his eyes. 

“You don't mind having kids run around?” You said, him nodding in response. 

“I’ve already thought about, you know, our kids running around. I wouldn't mind having them here too,” he said softly, your heart warmed at the mention of your future kids. Yunho only mentioned kids with you once before and that was right before he became captain. 

“And the island?” You said, chest already so full with happiness. 

“It was my goal to get us there,” he said, and you furrowed your eyebrows suddenly. “Now it’s my goal to get everybody there.”

The sun had managed to hit the ocean just right, the reflection caused streaks of light to invade your room. It made Yunho look ethereal, like he was an angel sent down to love and cherish you and everybody around. It almost looked like a scene out of a fairy tale, the light shining into the room, making shadows more prominent, you and yunho curled up together on the bed whispering sweet nothings to each other. The day was spent with just you and him together, occasionally one of the boys would come and talk. Seonghwa stayed the longest, and the way Yunho and him spoke and looked at each other made your heart flutter. Mingi also stayed for a long time, Yunho and him made a connection rather quickly. 

“Hey,” he said suddenly, making you open your eyes and lift your head from his chest. 

It was now sunset, the sun casted beautiful colors into the bedroom. The boys were gone, probably helping Chan make dinner, or help Eunhyuk read maps. Yunho smiled at you, bringing his hand up and running his hand through your hair, stopping to cup your cheek. 

“I love you,” he said softly, and you smiled back at him, reaching your hand up and lacing your fingers together. 

“I love you too,” You replied, the sweet warm feeling returning to your chest. 

Stay Tune for the next one!

Next: On my fingertips (Wooyoung)

ending note: This is my very first story I’ve every done, so im sorry if it isn’t that great, but I’m proud of it no matter what. 

My asks are open 24/7