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#BUT I AM ALSO CURIOUS. COME ON LETS BE PIRATES.

the-anxious-youth · 7 months

Text

Bubbles

Pairing: Buggy x gender neutral!Reader

Summary: While he's being held captive by the Straw Hats, Buggy won't shut up, which gives you an idea.

Warnings: none, this is all fluff, some mentions of insecurities from Buggy but nothing too angsty

Word Count: 4.2k

Author's note: This idea came to me while I was daydreaming the other day, and I just had to write it down. This is based off of the live-action Buggy, although I am only on the second episode so it may not be canon-accurate. Also, he has long hair in this cause I said so (begging to see Jeff Ward with long hair next season). Hope y'all enjoy and let me know if you want to be added to the tag list! There will be a part 2, don’t worry <3 (The banners are from cafekitsune)

Edit: part two is up!

“So now what?”

The collection of Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and yourself stood in a circle, discussing what to do with a certain clown pirate’s head. Usopp is the first to speak up after Luffy asked the question.

“Well, we can’t leave him unsupervised; who knows what he’d get up to.” Everyone turned to look at Buggy’s detached head, which wore a cheeky look, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“I vote Y/N to take care of it,” Zoro states blankly, crossing his arms as he speaks.

“Hey! I’m still a person, even without the body, so don’t refer to me as it!” The objection comes from the animated head, vexation seeping through his tone. Your mouth momentarily twitches upward at his little outburst, it was almost reminiscent of a kitten hissing after unwanted pets.

“Why do I have to babysit him?” You turn to Zoro, matching his apprehensive stance. He meets your gaze with a cold look. You hadn’t been a part of the straw hat crew for long, and Zoro was taking his sweet time warming up to you.

“Because you’re the newest here, and that’s how hierarchy works.”

His tone left no room for argument. Your shoulders slump, and you let out an irritated sigh, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

“Fine.” Rolling your eyes, you walk over to pick up Buggy, making sure to be gentle. The clown winks at you, a flirty smile on his face. You take him back to your cabin, not wanting to risk accidentally dropping him overboard. Despite only being a head, a smug aura radiates around him, already planning ways to mess with you.

You reach your cabin and kick the door open with your foot. Being the newest member of the straw hat crew, you were given the smallest room, not that you really minded. You place Buggy down on your bed, moving to sit at the small desk in the corner of the room.

“So what are we going to do first, darling?” Buggy smirks as he talks, clearly trying to get under your skin.

“We? There is no we. You’ll sit there quietly while I go over these maps.” You bark, not even bothering to spare him a glance.

“Aww, but where’s the fun in that?” You can hear the tease in his tone and can tell that he’s grinning without having to look at him.

“You’re not here to have fun. You’re being held captive, remember?” Smoothing your fingers out over the maps, you tilt your head, trying to focus.

“Yes, but who says captivity can’t be enjoyable?” His question shocks you, and you turn to gaze at him with an unamused look. Realizing that he’s completely serious, you let out a scoff.

“You really are crazy, clown.”

He smiles smugly, not bothered by your comment.

“It’s more fun that way.”

You roll your eyes and turn back to the maps, choosing to pretend he’s not there. ‘He must really like the sound of his own voice’, you think to yourself. The clown continues to talk your ear off, but after a while, you’re able to tune him out. Before long, you’ve analyzed all the maps. Turning back to him with a curious look, you realize he’s gotten to the end of some story you couldn’t care to listen to.

“And that’s why you don’t fall asleep on the beach.” Buggy smiles at you, enjoying your annoyance, watching you tilt your head at him.

“Cat got your tongue?” He purrs. Rolling your eyes, an idea pops into your head.

“Hey… I think I know how to get you to be quiet.” A sly smirk crawls its way across your face, and the clown’s chipper mood falters.

“Oh yeah? What might that be?” He tries to keep his confident demeanor, but the look on your face scares him.

You nibble on your bottom lip without responding before walking over to him and picking him up. This immediately wipes the smirk off his face, and he looks up at you, suddenly concerned for his safety.

“Hey now, what are you doing?” He asks nervously, secretly afraid you’ll throw him overboard for talking so much. You place him on top of your desk and move to grab the empty basin in the corner of the room.

“I’m giving you a bath,” you shrug nonchalantly, a cheeky smile on your face. He pales at that and laughs nervously.

“Wait, what do you mean? Are you going to waterboard me or something?” The look on the clown shows that he thinks it’s a real possibility, which causes you to chuckle.

“No, I’m just going to give you a bath; you smell like you could use one.” He just stares at you silently, quickly dropping his playful persona.

“What, cat got your tongue?” You mock him, and he gulps quietly. The fear in his eyes is quite amusing, you admit to yourself.

“You mean you’re literally going to bathe me?” A confused look crosses him, all the confidence in his voice gone.

“Yes.” You nod. “You look like you haven’t showered in weeks. Besides, now I’ll finally get some peace and quiet.” A smirk crawls across your visage, enjoying seeing the trickster squirm. It wasn’t often the clown had the tables turned on him, and he definitely didn’t expect it coming from you.

“Now, wait a minute, I can be quiet without that.” He looks up at you worriedly, the idea of a bath visibly rattling him.

“But I thought you wanted to have fun?” Your smirk widens and you put a hand on your hip.

“Okay, I take it back. I’ll be good, I swear.” A nervous laugh emerges as he tries to break the tension.

“Too late.” His face drops, triggering a small chuckle from you.

“Oh, relax, will you? I’m technically doing you a favor.” This time, a genuine smile graces your face, which does nothing to calm his nerves. “Now stay.” You put your hand up as if you were talking to a canine, to which Buggy rolls his eyes, your other hand holding the metal basin.

“I’m not a dog,” he mutters softly, not having the courage to stand up to you entirely.

You leer at him, opening the door to leave before shutting it behind you. Sitting there quietly, Buggy questions how he even got here. Not before long, you return, the bucket full of warm water. You place it on the ground, grab the towel off your shoulder, fold it, and lay it on the bed.

“You’re serious?” He says quietly, watching you semi-curiously, shocked that you weren’t kidding. You hum softly and nod your head.

“I am.” Looking up at him, you can see the fear on his features, and your eyes soften a bit. “I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

He eyes you suspiciously, not sure whether or not to believe your words. Grabbing a small pouch, you pull out a bar of soap and a small bottle, which Buggy assumes is shampoo. Lastly, you grab a small wooden board and place it over the center of the tub.

“So you don’t drown,” you utter, his question practically visible on his face. He nods slowly in response, having a hard time believing the situation.

“I’ll have to take this off,” you gesture to his bandana and he bows his head in agreement, deciding not to fight it as you seem pretty determined. Gently removing the striped cloth, you fold it nicely and place it on the other side of the desk. Secondly, you remove the hair tie that kept his bright blue mane in a ponytail. Buggy watches you silently, interested in your next move. Softly grabbing the sides of his head, you place him on the wooden board that lies across the center of the tub.

“I’m going to wash your hair first, okay?”

He nods in response, curious eyes never leaving your face. You grab a small cup and fill it with warm water, asking him to lean his head backward so it doesn’t get in his eyes. The clown does as you say, though instead of closing his eyes, he keeps them glued on you, not trusting that you won’t dunk him in the water. You gently pour the water over his hair, moving your other hand to shield his eyes as he seems to want to keep them open. The usually talkative clown stays silent, not wanting to admit to himself that the warm water feels quite pleasant.

“When was the last time you actually washed your hair?”

He raises an eyebrow at your question, pondering it momentarily before replying.

“I, uh, I’m not sure.” A nervous chuckle escapes his lips, expecting you to laugh at him. Instead, you smile gently and continue pouring water onto his hair.

“I can tell.” The words contain no malice as you utter them, merely expressing an observation. Seeing that his hair was now thoroughly damp, you grab the small bottle of shampoo, pouring some out into one hand. Rubbing your hands together to form some bubbles, you move to start massaging the soap onto Buggy’s head.

“Were you born with this?” You ask curiously, referring to the cerulean color of his tresses. He raises his eyebrow at you, not expecting the question.

“I was.” Nodding as he speaks, his eyes continue to analyze your face as if you were a puzzle he was trying to solve. You smile at him, continuing to lather the shampoo into his hair.

“It’s pretty. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Your words are soft, making sure that his whole scalp is covered in suds. He scoffs at this, thinking that you’re making fun of him. Momentarily pausing your movements, you lower your gaze to meet his eyes, finding insecurity dancing through them.

“I’m being serious. I wish I had brightly colored hair, maybe purple or something. Guess I wasn’t so lucky.” Going back to massaging his scalp, he looks up at you, utterly flabbergasted.

“You really think so?” He asks softly, timidity laced through his tone. You nod in response, a gentle smile on your face. Humming softly, the clown takes in the new information, wondering what else you think about him. He didn’t want to admit it, but the way your fingers carefully danced across his head felt incredible, not being able to remember the last time someone treated him so gently.

Reasoning that his hair was thoroughly soapy, you dunk your hands in the warm water to get rid of the remaining suds and quickly dry them with a towel. Subsequently grabbing the cup, you fill it with water and begin to wash the shampoo out of his hair. He stares at you all the while as if he is trying to commit your face to memory. After all the soap is washed out, you squeeze the ends of his hair to rid it of any excess water and grab a towel to wrap around his head. Leaning back to get a good look at him, you smile, finding his curious expression cute.

“Now for the face,” you utter, moving to grab a fresh towel and the bar of soap.

“Wait a second, you’re going to wash my face too?” asks Buggy, his timbre uneasy. You nod in response, replying in a steady tone.

“You’ve been wearing the makeup for so long that it’s partially gone.” Smiling at him softly, not expecting him to be so nervous. He laughs bitterly, not an ounce of humor in his voice.

“Can… can you just leave it?” His question is soft, and your surprise is visible on your face.

“You do know that leaving makeup on for too long is bad for your skin right?” You quip, trying to lighten his mood. Letting out a shaky breath, he shakes his head softly, and you can tell he doesn’t know what to say. Your smile drops, and you watch him for a moment, figuring out what to do next. His face paint seems to be a sensitive topic, and you don't want to push him too far.

“How about this,” you start, a kind smile returning to your face, “If you let me wash off this old makeup, I’ll redo it for you so it’s nice and fresh.” Sitting across from him calmly, you try to give off a safe and non-threatening aura to make him feel more comfortable around you. He stares at you for a moment, astonished that you would offer such a thing. You stay silent, patiently waiting for a response.

“You’d do that for me?” he asks after a moment, the surprise in his voice evident. You nod, making sure to maintain the soft smile on your face. “You’re in luck because I just got some new face paints.” Leaning over to open the drawer of your desk, you pull out a palette with every color of the rainbow on it and some clean brushes, holding them up so he could see. He tilts his head in response, trying to discern whether or not you were serious. After what feels like forever, he finally returns your smile and nods.

“Deal. Can you make it match how it normally looks?” He looks up at you with a soft smile, secretly hoping that you’ll do a decent job.

“Of course.” Grinning, you grab the towel and soap, excited that he’s letting you do this. You wet the soap bar, rubbing it between your hands to generate some bubbles, and gently start the wash the old makeup off his face. The clown continues to stare at you, though his energy is much more relaxed than before.

“You’re really pretty,” he comments after a moment, causing your hands to falter. Feeling the heat rise to your face, you smile, taking a moment to meet his gaze.

“You’re pretty too,” you mutter softly. Now that his face is mostly clean, you see a light blush begin to form on his cheeks.

“I’m nowhere near as pretty as you.” The confidence is back in his voice, and he winks at you flirtily. You can help breaking out into a smile, choosing not to say anything in response. He watches you quietly as you wash the soap off of his face. Unbeknownst to you, Buggy never let anyone see him without makeup, but something about you told him that he could trust you. He’d also be lying if he said that he didn’t enjoy the view of your face being so close to his.

“Now for the fun part.” Grabbing the palette with one hand and a brush with another, you grin at him, excited to replicate his face paint. Truth be told, you loved doing makeup, but the only person who would let you do it was Luffy. There was one time Nami let you do hers, but it was after everyone else went to bed and she wiped it off immediately after. Your smile faltered at the thought of the orange-haired girl, and you remembered why Buggy was with your crew in the first place. The clown immediately noticed and looked up at you inquisitively.

“You okay?” He asks softly, already missing your smile. You nod and debate on telling him the truth, ultimately deciding that you should.

“I’m just thinking about Nami.” You force a smile back on your face, but Buggy can tell it’s not real.

“That’s the girl Arlong took, right? Fiery personality with hair to match?” He asks, and the description of her causes a genuine smile to come across your face. You nod softly.

“That’s the one.” Staring at him with interest, you wonder if he’ll tell you Arling’s location since he clearly knows it.

“We both know I know where they are, and truth be told I had no intention of telling any of you, but something about you is special.” Your eyes widen at his words, was he really going to give it up that easily?

“He’s at Arlong Park, and I’ll bet she’s with him. I’ll take you there, as a thank you for all this.” You beam at him, ecstatic at the thought of saving Nami. It’s at that moment when Buggy decides your smile is the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” You rush out, your excitement getting the best of you. He chuckles at your enthusiasm and nods, a smile on his face as well.

“Now be quiet so I can do your makeup,” you say cheekily, dipping the brush into the white knowing that it’s the base for his signature look. He laughs in response but has one last thing to say.

“Do you need me to tell you how to do it?” He looks at you as you shake your head, your smile still prevalent.

“I’ve seen so many of your bounty posters, I’ve practically got it memorized.” His eyes widen at this, and his grin gets bigger.

“Oh, do I have myself a secret admirer?” The clown asks smugly, and he notices the blush that falls upon your face. If he knew it was so easy to make you flustered, he would have done it far sooner, finding you absolutely adorable.

“Shut up and let me work.” You bark, your tone not holding any aggression. He laughs again but does as you say, and you begin to paint his face white. For once, he remains silent, watching you work. Before long, the base is done and you move on to the blue triangles above and below his eyes. You stay silent as your brush runs along his face, wanting to make it look perfect until a thought comes into your head.

“You know something?” He hums, prompting you to continue. “You have the most captivating eyes I’ve ever seen.” Said eyes widen, never having been told that before. Buggy silently thanks the universe for the makeup covering his face because he can feel the heavy blush rising to his cheeks.

“Th-thanks,” he mutters quietly, not sure how to respond. You tilt your head at him, curiously studying his face.

“You’re not used to receiving compliments, are you?” Smiling at him softly, you watch as he shakes his head, letting out a nervous laugh.

“Usually I’m the one giving the compliments.” He looks up to meet your gaze, partially expecting you to laugh at him. You do nothing of the sort, instead smiling at him gently.

“Well, that’s a shame because I think you’re pretty handsome.” You wink at him, wanting to make him feel more comfortable since flirting seems to be one of his pastimes. His eyes widen again, the surprise written all over his face. Without saying anything else, you finish the blue around his eyes and move on to the red, cleaning the brush and dipping it into the face paint. The clown stays silent as you work on the red smile around his mouth, internally wondering if you meant what you said. When you get to his nose, he tenses up, a clear indicator that he’s insecure about it. You make sure to be extra careful as you paint the red onto his skin.

“I meant what I said, I do find you quite attractive.” His eyes search yours for any hint of insincerity but find none. The king of flirting himself is stunned into silence, feeling his heart flutter at your words. You say nothing else and go back to finishing the makeup. Deciding to observe your face while he had the opportunity, he notices that you stick your tongue out slightly when concentrated, and he swears he’s never seen anything cuter.

“All done!” You pull away proudly, assessing your work. It looks almost identical to his bounty picture, and you internally pat yourself on the back for your memory. Getting up to grab a mirror, you find one in the small dresser and bring it towards Buggy, holding it up so he can see his reflection. He looks in the mirror and instantly grins, impressed with your makeup skills.

“You know, you would be a wonderful addition to my crew.” You chuckle in response, not thinking that he’s being serious.

“You need a professional makeup artist?” You joke, internally glad he thinks you did a good job.

“No really, we could use someone like you.” His proposal shocks you, not expecting him to say something like that.

“You don’t know me,” you speak quietly. He just smiles at you, taking in your beauty.

“I know enough. You’re kind, funny, and great at makeup.” The clown winks at you, enjoying the surprise on your face. “I’ve also heard you are quite the fighter.” Smirking at you, he gives you a look that tells you he means what he says. You just stare at him in silence, having a hard time believing your ears.

“So, sweetness, what do you say?” Gaping at him, you blink a few times, processing his offer. After a moment, you sigh, indecision written all over your features.

“I don't know, I’d have to leave the straw hats, and I’m not sure I could do that.” Surprisingly, his face softens at your words.

“Tell you what, let’s head off to save your friend and find my body, and then you can decide.” His smile remains soft, which is unusual for the clown. “I don’t think your current crew appreciates you. I mean, look at today, they gave you the task of babysitting me when you have so much more to offer.” Eyes widening at his words, you realize that maybe he’s right.

“Luffy appreciates me,” you whisper softly, though you’re not sure whether you’re trying to convince him or yourself.

“He might, but grass head certainly doesn’t.” You want to smirk at the nickname for Zoro, but there’s too much going on in your mind for your facial muscles to pull through.

“All I’m going to say is this, you’d have a real place in my crew, and not just on the bottom of the totem pole. Besides, I think you like my company just as much as I like yours.” He gazes at you, studying your body language, and you realize that he’s right, you do enjoy his company. You start nibbling on your lip out of nervous habit, and he picks up on it immediately.

“You don’t have to decide now, we can go rescue your friend first, okay?” He watches your shoulders visibly relax at that, and smiles in return.

“Okay.” You say softly, smiling back at him. “Your hair should be dry now.” Moving closer, you carefully take the towel off his head and giggle at the fluffy blue mess.

“Thank the stars I have a brush.” Buggy chuckles at the comment and watches you grab the hairbrush with a smile on his face. Softly working through the tangles, you watch as his hair goes from frizzy to smooth. As you’re running the brush through his mane one last time, the door opens, revealing a shocked and somewhat appalled Zoro.

“What the hell is going on in here?!” Yells the swordsman, and you turn to him with a confused look.

“Well, you told me to watch him so I did.” You shrug, not liking the attitude coming from your crewmate.

“I said watch him, not give him a makeover! Did you do his makeup too?” The horrified look on Zoro’s face made Buggy laugh, not used to seeing the man lose his cool.

“You guys never let me do your makeup, so I had to improvise!” You bark back, crossing your arms. Zoro just stares at you silently, clearly having difficulty processing your kindness towards the clown. After a while, he rolls his eyes and scoffs.

“Whatever. Luffy needs him so we can find out where Nami is.” He mirrors your stance, crossing his arms.

“I already know where she is,” you spit, growing tired of the way he speaks to you. The swordsman scoffs, not believing you for a second.

“Oh, really? How?” A faux smile creeps onto his face, prepared to catch you in a lie.

“Because Buggy told me.” Zoro’s face drops and the man is stunned into silence. The clown immediately bursts into laughter, enjoying Zoro’s dumbfounded look. The green-haired man gawks for a moment, before moving his hands around, silently asking the question ‘how’.

“Because they’re nice and you’re an asshole,” Buggy says smugly, and you can tell he’d be crossing his arms if he had the rest of his body. You break out into a soft chuckle at this, which snaps Zoro out of his trance.

“I’m not explaining this to Luffy, so you better take the head and go find him.” The swordsman scoffs again before leaving the room, shaking his head the whole time. Rolling your eyes, you move back toward the clown, mumbling to yourself while putting his hair back in a ponytail.

“Don’t let him get to you, he won’t know what he has until it’s gone.” Buggy’s cheeky grin triggers your own, and you laugh softly, gently picking him up to go find Luffy.

©️ the-anxious-youth, 2023

Please do not replicate/repost :)

#my writing #buggy the clown #buggy the clown x reader #buggy x reader #buggy #one piece #one piece x reader #buggy one piece #op buggy #op buggy x reader #buggy fanfiction #buggy fanfic #buggy the genius jester #buggy one piece x reader

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bvidzsoo · 2 months

Text

Fine Line Of Our Worlds

Author: bvidzsoo

Warnings: cursing, suggestive

Pairing: Song Mingi x female reader

Word count: 40,3k

Summary: Song Mingi didn't choose to become a Pirate, but after getting saved by the crew, he decided to stay. Nobody at home would miss him, they didn't like him much. However, he would miss his riches dearly, teeth always aching for gold and money. He was a little kleptomaniac, it's mostly why he was punished so often back at home. But here, with Ateez, he was free to do whatever and he loved the idea. You were also rich, very rich. You had ties to the royal family, but never said much about it since it was due to your mother's bloodline, who died giving birth to you. You were daddy's little girl, always getting whatever you wanted, never reprimanded for anything. But your life was boring, you were closed inside your mansion's walls all day long and the only people you could torment to have fun were your maids, who grew tired of your antics. Let's not forget the fact that you also loved stealing. It started out as a little talent of yours when you were just a child, but growing up you realized it became a very unconscious habit. And one night, Mingi seemed to come into your life just at the right moment, sweeping your off your feet, quite literally, and taking you onto a Pirate ship, your fates interlacing forever. (Reader is called Yoon Areum in the following oneshots.)

A/N: Oh, my God, my lovelies!!! I swear to GOD this was NEVER supposed to be this long I can't believe I wrote something THIS long, like I'm CRYING TEARS OF JOY. This is the longest and biggest oneshot I've EVER written and oh my God, idk what to do with myself anymore. I am so so curious what you all will think of it, so please, let me know your thoughts about this monster of a fic lol! I am really sorry for the super long wait for this part, but I believe nothing is accidental, and the timing is perfect for this fic as I'm sure months ago this story wouldn't have turned out like this, because I wasn't so feral for Song Mingi back then, LOL. Check out the previous parts if you haven't already, as they are tightly woven together! I hope you enjoy, and happy reading now!

Taglist: @pingyu-in-wonderland @marievllr-abg @lelaleleb @loveforred @horanghae8 @jeonghanscarat7 @orshii @mundayoonimnida @m3tavita @silentcry329 @icarusignite @cooljuni @sharksandminhos @mountiiny

Series Masterlist ↭ Previous Part

The light padding of feet echoed around in the quiet room as I pressed my head further against the pillow, irritated by the sudden disturbance. Then, the ring of a small bell and the sound of curtains being drawn apart, and a blinding light, which flooded my grandeur room. I groaned loudly and pulled the thick covers over my shivering form, eyebrows furrowing when that damned ringing wouldn’t stop. Who would dare interrupt my beauty sleep? Who would dare wake me up from a dream where a charming prince was just about to confess his everlasting love for me?!

“Miss Yoon, it’s almost noon,” A soft voice called out, the ringing of the bell finally gone, “Your father inquired about your whereabouts.”

I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut tighter, burying my head into the pillow even more. I didn’t want to get out of bed. It was so warm and comfortable. I wanted to sleep all day long and dream about a prince, which would finally whisk me away from this place and treat me like the royalty I am. Well…the royalty I would have been if my mother didn’t die and cause a rift between our family and hers. Certainly her being third cousin with the Queen would’ve granted us a spot in the palace. I would’ve very much liked that. To be pampered all day long with expensive things, living a lavished life without having to worry about anything. What a life that would’ve been. Instead, I was stuck in a golden decorated mansion where I suffered of bored all day long, and top of that, my two maids were incompetent too. If only father would sometimes listen to me…we wouldn’t be here still.

“Miss Yoon,” Another quiet voice said, “your father’s friends will be arriving soon, he doesn’t want you to miss greeting them.”

“I couldn’t care less about my father’s friends!” I hissed, sitting up abruptly, glaring at my two maids. They were shorter than me, and skinnier, their clothes clinging to their bodies in an uncomfortable way. I have offered some of my dresses to them, but them being ungrateful, refused to take them. If a warm-hearted woman like myself offered me a dress made of silk and littered with gems, I wouldn’t even think about refusing it. Not everyone was as generous as myself, the thought made me roll my eyes.

“Miss Yoon,” The blonde maid, Soyeon, said, “Sir Yoon asked me to let you know that the friends would be here in an hour.”

I opened my mouth to tell her that I wouldn’t get out of bed, but the black-haired maid, Soojin, cut me off before I could make a sound, “Your bath will get cold, Miss Yoon.”

I scoffed and leaned back into my pillows, crossing my arms in front of my chest, “I’m not getting out of bed today, get lost, you two.”

The maids said nothing as they fidgeted around, glancing at each other. I closed my eyes and hummed contently as my muscles grew soft once again, allowing the bed’s warmth to wrap me in a cocoon of comfort and serenity, which of course, didn’t last for long as one of the maid’s cleared their throat very quietly.

“Your breakfast will also get cold, Miss Yoon—”

“Fine!” I exclaimed and sat up with a glare, huffing as I threw the covers off myself, “Are you happy now?”

Before they could say anything, I got out of bed, almost tripping in the sheet as it had fallen to the floor, making the maids gasp as I quickly stood up straight, narrowing my eyes at them. They quickly looked away and I tsked, pulling the hair out of my eyes as I stepped into my fluffy slippers, and stormed past the two pathetic women, headed for my spacious bathroom. The walls and floor were a dark green marble, my favorite color, and the big window was opened to allow fresh air inside. The breeze was warm as I let my silky nightgown slip down my body, and I quickly got inside the bathtub which was decorated with golden accents, my father had made it specifically for me. I heard my maids hurrying inside the bathroom as I lowered myself further down in the warm water, wetting my hair and washing my eyes as I got above the surface, Soojin with the soap and sponge in her hands as she approached me. She didn’t look in my eyes as she started washing my body, and I rolled my eyes as Soyeon finally showed up with my breakfast.

I was starving.

Pancakes with maple syrup and blackberries were my favorite breakfast, our personal chef certainly knows me well. It’s like he read my mind that I was craving something sweet, but healthy, today.

“Are you going to wait until the night comes upon us?” I deadpanned as I looked at Soyeon, leaning forward when Soojin tried to wash my back without saying anything. Stupid girl, she couldn’t even use her mouth for a simple request.

“Apologies, Miss Yoon.” Soyeon slightly bowed her head and came near, getting on her knees to be at a more comfortable angle. I smiled at her widely as she raised the fork up towards my lips, pancake and blueberry on it. She certainly knew how I liked eating my favorite breakfast. I hummed as I closed my eyes and chewed the food, my mood instantly getting better. These two girls could perform their duties really well, they just needed little scolding and motivation from time to time. I sighed in contentment as Soyeon continued feeding me while Soojin thoroughly washed my body, not an ounce of grime on my skin. I hated being dirty, on rather hot days I would even bathe twice a day. The opened window allowed the warm breeze to waft inside, the crashing of the waves distant, but strong enough to be heard as our mansion was rather close to the beach. Once I was done with my breakfast, Soyeon handed me my cup filled with tea and I took a few sips, washing down the food, and enjoying the minty taste of it.

“Miss Yoon,” Soojin spoke up hesitantly as she washed my hair, voice quiet, “I overheard your father talking about a ball this morning—”

“A ball?!” I exclaimed, eyes shooting open as I sat up straight in the bathtub. A little water splashed over, Soyeon’s eyes stuck to it as she sighed quietly.

“It’s nothing certain, Miss Yoon, I don’t even know when it’ll be.” Soojin quickly explained, regret in her voice. If my father didn’t want me to know about it, then he had bad luck, because my loyal maids always told me everything that happened outside of my room’s doors.

“Soyeon, pick out my prettiest dress and prepare it for the ball!” I demanded, hissing when Soojin pulled on my scalp harshly with the towel. She quickly apologized and I rolled my eyes, Soyeon seeming lost as she looked at me before looking at Soojin.

“We don’t know when the ball will take place—”

“I said, prepare my dress for the ball.” I raised my eyebrows at her, daring her to disobey me. Soyeon quickly nodded as Soojin wrapped my hair in the towel, stepping aside to search for the one for my body. It was next to Soyeon, and she was quick to help out her fellow maid as she handed the towel to Soojin. I grinned with distaste, unimpressed by how eager they always were to help each other out. Yet, they would never helped me out, unless I demanded it. Two faced little demons is what they were, “Help me out.”

My voice was sweet as I raised my hand, halting Soojin’s movements. Soyeon’s eyes fell on me and I let a slow smile stretch onto my lips, eyebrows raised. She hesitated as she glanced at Soojin briefly, before taking a reluctant step towards me. I delicately raised my left arm too, barely placing my hand on Soyeon’s open palm. I didn’t necessarily like holding dirty things with my hands. I stood up and allowed Soyeon to guide me to my feet, eyes staying on my face as I stood naked in front of the two girls. I felt Soojin step closer from behind and wrap the towel around myself, my fingers tightening around Soyeon’s hand, a smirk forming on my lips. She looked down uncomfortably and that just allowed my next move to be easier than I thought it would be. I forcefully tugged on Soyeon’s hand, and suddenly, she was falling towards me with a loud cry. I released her hand as she fell in the bathtub, splashing water all over the floor and on the towel around my body. My amused expression dropped as I looked down at the girl with disgust, hand still in the air. She was gasping for air as she tried to get her hair out of her face, Soojin standing to the side with a shocked expression. When I glanced at her, she pressed her hands against her mouth and I rolled my eyes, stepping out of the bathtub. They certainly looked pathetic right now.

“Perhaps that taught you not to question when I say something, Soyeon.” My voice was cold as I turned around and took off towards the door, halting in the doorway, “Go get changed quickly, do you think Soojin is capable of braiding my hair the way I like it?”

“Yes, Miss Yoon, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Soyeon’s voice quivered as she hauled herself out of the bathtub, Soojin rushing to her side to help her out. I rolled my eyes and walked back inside my room, sitting at my vanity table as I looked out the window, a peculiar ship appearing on the horizon as it seemed to sail. Whether if it was coming towards our Kingdom or departing from it, I couldn’t tell, and I wondered what type of people were on it. Sailors, perhaps? But they were too far away from the shore, it couldn’t have been them. Or perhaps it was a merchant ship. Or maybe the Navy’s fleet. Oh, how handsome those soldiers were. Especially Lieutenant Kim. Pity he wasn’t rich or from an influential family, I would’ve long married him if that were the case, and of course, if my father wasn’t so overprotective of his little daughter. He barely let me out of his sight, even at my fragile age of nineteen. He was scared his little girl would get whisked away by some handsome man, and oh, how I wished for that to happen. But with my father always breathing down my neck and monitoring each step of mine, none of that was happening anytime soon. He had always thought his little friends were better, more mature, more respectful. But when he wasn’t looking our way, those old grimy men would send me flirty looks and whisper sweet nothings about a life lived in posh if I were to accept their proposals. But that’s not what I needed, nor wanted.

I wanted someone good looking. Someone, who was tall with sharp features and demanding eyes that made my heart race wildly. Someone, who made me forget my own name. Someone, who fell so madly in love with me that he’d worship the ground I walked on. That’s what I needed, and tons of money, of course, not some sticky fingers and fat old men who only wanted to taint my innocence. They thought they were sleek, but I was even sleeker. My eyes fell on the expensive watch placed on display on my vanity, making me chuckle to myself as I reached for it, tracing the leather with a finger. Lord Lee was still looking for it, pity he’d never ever again find it. I smirked as I reached over and opened my little chest filled with all the shiny goods I stole, although I prefer calling them borrowed, from my father’s business partners and friends. The floorboard creaking from behind made me look up, and through the mirror I saw Soojin walking inside my room, holding a pale blue dress. My eyebrows furrowed and I turned in my seat, tsking.

“Is that what you want me to wear to the ball?” My tone was snappy and skeptical as it made Soojin pause, eyes averted as she remained silent, “You can burn that old rag, I won’t wear it ever again.”

“Yes, Miss Yoon.” Soojin’s voice was small and as I continued looking at her, I could see the yearning in her eyes as her grip tightened around the fabric. I scoffed and faced my mirror again, Soyeon finally walking back inside, her clothes dry and hair disheveled as her eyes were red. God, this stupid girl had been crying again. These two maids were so sensitive, it was embarrassing at this point, “God, you two are so pathetic. I wonder why my father keeps you around still. I should just get a competent maid like the Queen has at her Palace.”

There was silence as Soyeon walked over, grabbing an oily lotion and putting it on her hands before she massaged it into my smooth hair, making me sigh in content as I closed my eyes. The floorboard creaked again and I figured Soojin was on her way to pick out a new dress, “You want to keep that old rag?”

Soyeon paused for a second before I felt her grabbing the brush from my vanity, making me open my eyes and hiss when the brush got tangled in the knots in my hair. I gave her a glare through the mirror as she bit her lower lip, embarrassed. If she cries another time I’d rather just jump out the window right now and save myself of this clownery.

“I cannot accept anything that was once Miss Yoon’s—”

“Oh, Lord,” I muttered with a groan, glaring at Soojin through the mirror, “Just keep that wrenched dress, nobody will have your head for it! I’m letting you wear it. Do you need anyone else to give you permission to do so?”

Soojin shook her head as she averted her eyes, and I hummed, settling back in my seat as Soyeon finally started braiding my hair, “Good, then stop whining and asking for attention and keep it.”

“Miss Yoon, your generosity is unlimited.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes at Soojin’s obvious flattery.

“Of course, it is.” I muttered and watched Soyeon through the mirror as my other maid disappeared back inside my huge closet filled with pretty dresses to the brim. Soyeon kept sniffing and avoiding eye contact as my stare turned insistent, but her hands worked diligently as she braided my hair the way I liked it. My curly hair was long as it reached the middle of my back and dense, making it hard for everyone but Soyeon to maneuver it any way she wanted to. Two curly front pieces were left alone to frame my face as the braided the rest from the sides, creating the impression of a small crown in my hair. She usually put gemstones in it and left the rest hang freely against my shoulders after she ruffled it up to make it fluffier looking. When she was done with my hair, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and threw her a glare, watching as her body visibly tensed.

“Did I mess up, Miss Yoon? Do you not like your hair?” Her voice was squeaky and I huffed.

“At least look me in the eyes when you speak to me, brat.” I snapped and Soyeon quickly looked up, her eyes filled with tears. I groaned loudly at her theatrics and leaned forward, opening my chest of stollen, borrowed, goods. The first pearl necklace that my eyes fell on belonged to a maiden from a charity event, and I grinned as I grabbed it, raising it up to my eyes to inspect it from up closer. Soyeon watched me through the mirror and I stood, turning around. I was almost two heads taller than her, “Take it and stop being a cry-baby. But don’t let my father know or he’ll have your hands for stealing it.”

“Is this—not yours, Miss Yoon?” Soyeon asked reluctantly as Soojin walked back inside the room, holding a gorgeous sage green dress that once belonged to my mother. I grinned as she raised the dress up, my eyes drinking in the lace and small flower designs on it. It would be perfect for the ball; I couldn’t wait to wear it now.

“Of course, it’s not mine, Soyeon. Do I wear such cheap jewelry such as this?” I chuckled and pressed the pearl necklace forcefully into my maid’s hands. These two knew about my little hobby of stealing from others, but I made them swear to never tell my father as he’d certainly punish me for doing such lowly things, and forbid me from going to balls and tea parties with the ladies from the neighboring houses. I couldn’t let that happen, I was already bored and dying every day in this boring mansion surrounded by servants and my father. I needed something which would bring life in me, excite me and show me what the world consisted of.

“I cannot accept this—”

“I said, take it, and stop crying so much.” I huffed and walked away, watching as the maid struggled not to drop the pearl necklace, “Get lost, now, I will change on my own.”

And it didn’t take long for the two maids to scramble out of my room, leaving me alone as I sighed loudly and walked inside my dressing room. The curtains were drawn but I opened them as I stared out the window again, longingly watching the ship in the distance as I grabbed my stockings to wear over my undergarments. What would a life on the sea feel like?

After wearing a soft pink dress and making sure I looked presentable, I made my way to the gardens to greet my father first before we walked to the little fountain where his friends were gathered around, laughing about something inaudible to us. I plastered on my sweetest smile as my father gripped my arm slightly tighter, signaling that I should stand up even straighter. I chuckled, but cursed him in my head as the corset I was wearing was already constricting enough. If I stood any straighter it would dig into my flesh and make it bleed by the evening, but I obliged to my father’s wish as Mr. Lee noticed us and grinned like a Chesire cat. I hated that ugly man. He was always eating something, his fingertips greasy because of it, and he was greedy. All he saw were the assets he placed into something and how even the smallest business could bring more money to him. My father was blind to his schemes of trying to rob us, but thankfully, his smart little daughter was always there to convince him against doing business with Mr. Lee, and thus saving our legacy.

“Mr. Yoon!” Sir Oh exclaimed, an obnoxious and quite annoying man, waving happily towards us, “Lovely sunshine, we thought you’d never make it here today.”

The man around him laughed and I chuckled, although I wished to spit at them and press their heads under the water of the fountain. I hated it when they called me any names, and certainly Sir Oh was my least favorite as he found a stupid new nickname to call me by for each time he came to visit us.

“Friends, it’s been a while, hasn’t it been?” My father asked with a chuckle as he patted my hand, then released me, finally. It’s been exactly two weeks since these idiots have seen each other, yet they were being more dramatic about it than me and my tea party ladies would ever be.

“It certainly has been.” Mr. Yu, perhaps the man I hated most as he was quite unashamed with his advances towards me, and he was hitting the age of fifty. Who wanted a scrawny old man good for nothing but reading his newspaper and crying about the weather? Certainly not me, “Miss Yoon, just as beautiful as always.”

I chuckled as I masked my disgust, plastering on a fake smile, “You flatter me, Mr. Yu.”

My father chuckled and beckoned everyone over to the round table, asking us to sit down. I certainly did not want to be here and entertaining these fools, but I had no choice but to appease my father as he promised to buy me a ruby sometime next week, if I behaved well today. My little gemstone collection hadn’t been updated in long, it certainly was about time I got something new and shiny. A diamond would’ve been better, but my father said he couldn’t find one in our region just yet—how tragic. Before my father could sit, he seemed to remember something and he quickly excused himself, hurrying back towards the house. He left me alone with the wolves, and I remained collected as I watched his friends eyes taking me in closely. I chuckled and leaned back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest. It didn’t help that the corset was already pushing up my breasts, sitting uncomfortable due to the metal digging into my waist.

“Lovely weather today, isn’t it, Mr. Yu?” I spoke up disinterested, but the men didn’t seem to notice as he went off about how the weather was lovely, the breeze just perfect, and the waves not too harsh if anyone wanted to go for a swim. And of course, the sun was just perfectly hot today, not strong enough to burn your skin, but enough to leave a nice tan. Good thing I didn’t expose much of myself, then.

“Any charming men on the horizon, Miss?” Sir Oh inquired with a small laugh, but it was easy to see the curiosity on his face as he leaned forward in his seat, eyes twinkling. Of course, to men like him it didn’t matter that a wife and three children were waiting for him to return home. All he cared about was young flesh for a night, something to satiate his needs and reassure him that he’s still got in him, that he was still capable of charming ladies left and right. It was sad how Sir Oh failed to notice that it was just his money drawing in clueless ladies, ready to extort him of it. It was rather hilarious, yet disgusting at the same time.

“Tell me, Sir Oh, what can you see on the horizon?” I raised my eyebrows as all three men across me turned their heads towards the sea, which was perfectly visible from our veranda overlooking it. I didn’t have to look to know that the ship was still there. I smirked as they remained silent, telling that they didn’t know more than I did.

“You must have surely heard of pirates before, Miss Yoon.” Mr. Lee said mystically, head turning to look me in the eyes, “There’s rumor that Ateez had sailed close to our shores—”

“Ah, nonsense!” Mr. Yu exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed, “There’s no such thing as those dirty criminals nearing our shores. The Navy fleet will take them out in no second!”

“I wouldn’t bet too much on that, Mr. Yu.” Mr. Lee chuckled, his eyes traveling back onto the sea. Intrigued, I also looked towards the sea, eyes finding the ship in the distance. Pirates, they say? Doesn’t that sound exciting? I grinned as I imagined what they must look like and what they might want from our humble town. Surely if they were looking for our Queen, then they were in the wrong spot. Our Queen was miles away from us, unfortunately.

“Are these so-called pirates dangerous?” I asked with feigned ignorance, and Mr. Lee snorted as if I had asked a hilarious question. I refrained from glaring at him as I turned my head to face the men again.

“Dangerous?! Pray they never find a young woman like yourself and ravage you.” My glare was instant as I didn’t even try to hide it, jaw clenching at Mr. Lee’s blatant offensive remark. He had no shame, it was disgusting.

“Mr. Lee!” Sir Oh exclaimed, looking alarmed, “Apologize to Miss Yoon, right now!”

Mr. Yu looked just as appalled, acting as if he hadn’t tried sleeping with me not even one week ago. It still made my skin crawl as I bit back a snarl, raising my eyebrows at Mr. Lee.

“My apologies, Miss Yoon, that was harsh—”

“It merely mirrors your own thoughts, Mr. Lee.” I cut him off with a spiteful glare and the men looked shocked for a second as my face morphed into pure hatred, “You all act like saints in front of my father, and then you try to have your way with me behind his back. Pathetic, especially if your wives were to know.”

The men remained gaping as I stood up, plastering on a wide smile when I heard the clanking of cups against a tray coming from behind. My father must’ve gone back to ask the servants to bring tea and cookies. The three men in front of me struggled to gathered themselves and fix their expressions, but when my father appeared next to me, they quickly did so. I gave them a look before turning to face my father.

“Papa, all this sitting in the sun is making me feel lightheaded,” I made my voice sound soft and weak as I pouted, grabbing my father’s hand, “Would you mind if I were to excuse myself?”

“My dear, not at all!” He exclaimed and pressed a palm against my forehead alarmed, “You’re burning up, head inside quickly!”

“Thank you, papa.” I pressed a kiss against my father’s cheek and he squeezed my hand reassuringly before turning to face a servant, Shindong.

“Please, walk my daughter back to her room.” My father instructed softly, “Make sure she has enough water and ask the cook to prepare soup for her. Let her maids know about her early return too, Shindong. Thank you.”

The servant bowed his head and extended a hand towards me, prompting me to hold his gloved hand as he helped me away from the chair and around the table. I knocked my leg into the foot of Mr. Yu’s chair as I passed behind him, acting as if I stumbled a bit. I leaned down and grabbed a silver spoon from the ground, which obviously wasn’t there but I had grabbed it off the tray before Shindong could realize, and pretended to pick it up.

“Mr. Yu, when did you drop this?” I asked with confusion as I held the spoon in my hand, eyebrows furrowed. Minhyuk, the servant who was setting the table looked alarmed for a second, counting the spoons on the table and the ones still on his tray, looking lost as he looked at the one I was holding. I tried to bite down my smirk, amused by their confusion as to how the spoon landed on the ground when one hadn’t even been served to Mr. Yu yet.

“Oh, thank you, dear.” Our fingers touched and I suppressed the shiver threatening to shake my body, Shindong gingerly holding my hand as I bowed my head lightly, swiftly pulling my hand back from Mr. Yu’s. My father shooed Shindong and I away, and I happily obliged as the servant walked us back towards the house, my fist hidden behind my back as the weight of a silver ring laid heavily in my hand. Away from everyone, I allowed the smirk to finally plaster on my face as I yanked my hand out of Shindong’s, raising the silver ring up Mr. Yu had on his finger a few seconds ago. Shindong gave me a small glance, but remained silent as he lead the way back to my room, telling me that Soojin and Soyeon would be soon here if I needed anything. I entered my room without saying anything, inspecting the huge ruby molded into the silver. I didn’t have to wait another week to get my hands on a ruby, after all. Maybe Mr. Yu was good for something.

The day seemed to drag on after I returned to my room, jumping on my fluffy bed face down and groaning loudly as the waves crashing against the rocks echoed inside my room through the opened window. It was indeed a lovely day and I found myself craving to go on a walk, but with my father’s friends here, I couldn’t go, because my father never allowed me to leave the mansion without him by my side. I could’ve gone with one of the servants, or even guards, but he never trusted them enough to let me out with them. Or maybe Shindong had snitched on me after the few rare occasions I was allowed to go outside with the guards as I have disappeared for a few hours. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, so I didn’t understand their distress and my father’s anger and concern when he came storming inside my room and yelling at me that I was to stay in my room for the next week. It was horrible, but with the help of my maids, I did manage to sneak out to the gardens every night, laying in the soft grass and gazing at the bright stars, daydreaming about a life where a rich prince whisked me away on his white horse. The reason why I even disappeared for a few hours was simple, and many would’ve laughed at it, not punished their child for it. I just wanted to buy some pastries and roam the cobblestone covered roads of our buzzing town, later headed to the beach to take a quick swim. But my father couldn’t look past his worry and anger to realize that I was merely craving some fun and freedom from his close watch.

But I knew how to use my father’s friends being here to my advantage, and after changing into a dress lighter than the one I wore in the morning, I tied my hair in a low bun and sneaked out of my room. There were few times when I was allowed to read whatever that wasn’t essential to my education, and so I skipped my way towards the library, hiding from the servants who’d roam the halls as they were headed to their duties. I knew if Shindong saw me he’d snitch to my father, that loyal bastard. He was very good at his job, but perhaps too good as he was my father’s second eyes, never failing to notice any missteps I had taken. At least he was smart enough to keep it to himself when he caught me borrowing goods from others. I knew my maids were looking for me, Soyeon’s desperate calls quiet as they carried down the empty hallways, prompting me on to do better and hide so that they wouldn’t find me. And my plan of reading in the library from the forbidden section, which were actually my mother’s most favorite romance novels, turned into me playing hide and seek with my very desperate sounding maids as they ran mindlessly up and down the hallways, searching every room as I stood hidden behind curtains, trying to contain my giggles. However, my fun was short lived when Minhyuk easily found me, his lips pulled into an amused smile. He was barely twenty-five and we were never allowed to be in the same chambers on our own, but my father was apparently looking for me, and Minhyuk was the first one to find me. I stuck my tongue out at him as he lead the way towards my father’s study room, ushering me inside with a chuckle when I threw him a glare.

“You had called for me, papa?” I asked with a sweet smile, voice soft as it carried around in the quiet room. My father hummed as his eyes raised from the map he was inspecting, suddenly looking tired. His foolish friends must’ve tired him out with their stupid stories.

“Did you happen to see a silver ruby ring, by chance, my dear?” My eyebrows furrowed as I jutted my lower lips out innocently, and shook my head no, “I understand, thank you, my dear. Mr. Yu swears he lost his ring here somewhere, but we both know that man is just simply forgetful.”

“And old and ugly.” I muttered under my breath with a sneer, which was quickly gone when my father looked at me with raised eyebrows. I fixed my expression and smiled sweetly at him.

“Oh, papa, don’t you wish to go on a walk with your dear daughter?” I asked as I walked closer to him, letting my hand rest on his as I leaned against his sturdy desk, “We’ve still got a few hours before sunset, it would be lovely to take a walk on the beach. You look tired, the fresh and warm breeze will do you good, papa.”

My father smiled and hummed, turning his hand around to grab mine in his, squeezing our hands together, “You are just as bewitching as your mother once was, my dear. But I must refuse your proposal, I’m afraid.”

“But papa—” My whiney voice got cut off by my father’s chuckle, shaking his head as he released my hand and pushed his chair back.

“You didn’t let me finish, my dear.” He grinned as a mischievous look appeared on his face, making my eyebrows raise in curiosity, “We’ve been invited to Mrs. Boo’s ball, you might want to get ready for that—”

I squealed loudly as I leaped at my father and pressed a kiss against his cheek, twirling around in his spacious study as my heartbeat quickened. So my stupid maids were right, after all! And I didn’t even have to wait much more until we’d get to attend the ball, this was like a blessing, “Papa! I must get ready then! It’s been too long since we’ve been to a ball—and oh, the balls organized by Mrs. Boo are always so—majestic.”

My father chuckled as he listened to me ranting, just nodding his head as I hurried towards his door, “See you before sunset, father. I shall be ready by then!”

“You better or else you’ll be staying here.” His threat was empty, but I still pretended to be scared as I clumsily saluted him, making my father laugh as I left his study in a hurry, running down the hallways to reach my room as fast as I could.

“Soojin! Soyeon!” I shouted as I passed by the kitchens, where these two seemed to spend most of their time if they weren’t with me, “I’m going to a ball tonight!”

And the preparations for the ball took time, because everything had to be perfect. Even the curls in my hair had to sit perfectly, enhanced by Soyeon as we decided to let my hair fall freely tonight, barely braiding a few strands at the sides, which she clipped back so that the front pieces would frame my face nicely, enhancing my sharp cheekbones. Soojin helped by adding blush to my cheeks, which looked absolutely lovely as it complimented by sun kissed complexion and the lip tint was a dark cherry color, making my lips pop with color. A little bit of glitter had been added to my eyelids and I stood proudly in my dressing room, twirling around in front of the big mirror, admiring the way the sage green dress complemented my frame and skin complexion. The skirt was big and made me feel like a princess, the corset underneath tightly pulled together to keep my posture straight at all times. It got restricting after a while, lungs feeling like they were compressed, but I sucked it up and plastered on a smile despite the growing discomfort if I had to sit rather than stand. The top of the dress was off-shoulders and had long, loose sleeves, and the fabric around my breasts was held together by strings, similar to my corset as lace decorated the surface of it. With sunset nearing, and feeling pleased by my appearance, I headed to the front gates of the mansion, and got inside our little carriage as my father was already there and waiting for me. His eyes widened when I sat across from him and they filled with tears, making me confused as my first thought was that I didn’t look sufficiently good enough for tonight’s ball. I adjusted the golden necklace around my neck uncomfortably, waiting for my father to speak up first.

“You look stunning, my dear.” He whispered before sniffing loudly, looking out the window of the carriage, “Your mother wore this dress the day we met—I didn’t even know you had it.”

I cleared my throat and shrugged, looking down at my hands, “I had visited her chambers not too long ago. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not, my dear.” My father quickly reassured me as he reached out for my hand, “She would absolutely love seeing you wearing it, and I am happy as well. You truly did inherit all of her beauty.”

I chuckled as I became shy, lightly bowing my head in gratitude, “In that case, I can’t wait to meet my own rich husband, soon, hopefully.”

My father’s face became grim and he hummed, looking all of a sudden disinterested in the conversation. Of course he did, he always did this when I brought up the subject of husband or even just a simple suitor, “Focus on your studies for now, my dear. Men come and go, but your virtue stays.”

“You always say that, papa.” I mumbled with a sigh and my father tsked.

“A lady does not mumble; she speaks well and clearly. And I always say that because I know what men are like, and until the day you find a man who’s worthy of you, I shall continue deterring the bad wolves away from my little princess. Understand, my dear?”

I hummed with a pout and looked at my father with slight irritation, unable to slump against the plush seat of the carriage due to the corset I was wearing, “Yes, I do, papa. I hear this at least twice a week.”

“Very well,” My father looked amused as he retreated his hand from mine and sat back with a pleased expression, “It means you’ll never forget it.”

And I had remained silent as the carriage finally took off, and for the rest of the ride as well. I couldn’t say that I was mad at my father, but I could still resent him a little bit for keeping me away from every man that I showed even the slightest interest in me. It seemed like nobody was worthy enough. And even when they were, my father somehow managed to find some dirt about them and scare them away, consoling me that he was only showing me the dark side, the secrets these suitors were trying to hide from me. But perhaps, if my father allowed them enough time to stick around for longer, they would’ve told me themselves of these missteps they have taken along the way. Nobody was perfect, despite my desires to believe so, and as long as they had enough money, I could overlook some of their flaws.

The carriage ride didn’t take too long as Mrs. Boo and her family lived quite close to us. I could hear the music from outside the gates already as we have finally stopped moving, and got out of the carriage. My father helped me down and then crossed his arm with mine, keeping me close to himself so that I wouldn’t slip away. I knew it would take only a few glasses of champagne for me to be able to do so anyways, perhaps even faster if the people he knew came over to talk to my father. Most of the times they talked about things that were none of my concerns, and therefore I was allowed to roam around the place as long as my father could see me. And I did just that as we entered the marble covered vast chamber of Mrs. Boo’s family, her ballroom. It was spectacular, like every time, decorated in burgundy and golden accents. It screamed prestige and money, and I was pleased to see that I was the best dressed out of all the young ladies attending the ball tonight. It always brought pleasure and pride to me when I was the prettiest at these events, and it was only proven right when I noticed the jealousy in the other ladies eyes as my father and I walked by them. I grinned at them and mockingly waved, curling my fingers before ignoring them completely. We were barely inside, yet my father already had a glass of champagne in his hands as we were headed towards Mrs. Boo to greet her and thank her for inviting us. I put on my best smile as we arrived in front of her, her puffy cheeks disturbingly pink. Her makeup choices had always been questionable.

“Oh, Mr. and Miss Yoon.” She said delighted as she clapped her hands once, “Lovely seeing you made it.”

“My daughter would have had my head if I dared skipping tonight’s ball.” My father said cordially and I refrained from rolling my eyes.

“The decoration is marvelous, Mrs. Boo, you never fail to amaze me.” I complimented the woman, knowing how much she liked hearing such words. Besides, I knew it meant I would get invited to her next tea party and that was exactly what I was hoping for.

“Thank you, lovely.” She chuckled as she looked past us, her eyes narrowing slightly before she composed her expression quickly. It didn’t take long to realize it was because her son was coming over, face a constant mask of judgement. The two of us had nothing against each other, Seungkwan could be a pleasant companion if he put in a little effort, but otherwise the man was too nagging and posh for my taste. He couldn’t even pull the chair out for himself, let alone for his lover.

“Ah, Junior.” My father chuckled as Seungkwan came to a stop next to his mother, and he released my arm to shake Seungkwan’s hand. I smiled as Seungkwan kissed my hand next, curtsying to him in return.

“It’s been a while, Miss Yoon.” He said cordially and I hummed, smile fixed on my face.

“Indeed, I see you’re just as healthy as always.” I noted, and Seungkwan’s mother laughed as she patted her son’s shoulder.

“Of course, he is. There isn’t a day my boy doesn’t eat his vegetables.” I nodded in understanding, but didn’t miss the way Seungkwan almost rolled his eyes, “Mr. Yoon, should we leave the young ones alone? I’m not sure you have met Sir Bae yet, father of the Navy fleet’s commandant?”

My father’s eyes widened and he threw me one small glance before he was agreeing to walk with Mrs. Boo, interested in expanding his friend and business list. I scoffed and stepped next to Seungkwan, facing the crowd as we both looked at the dancing people in front of us.

“He’s still breathing down your neck?” Seungkwan asked, finally dropping that irritatingly sweet tone of his. I chuckled and crossed my arms in front of my chest, stealing a grape first from the tray next to me on the table.

“Obviously, I should buy your mother something generous for always seemingly stealing him away at balls like these.” Seungkwan threw me an amused glance before stealing a grape from my hand. I threw him a glare and quickly ate the rest.

“Of course she does. She keeps saying you’ll never find a man if he keeps breathing down your neck.” I chuckled and turned to face Seungkwan.

“And how right she is,” I pinched his cheek teasingly, making him snap my hand away, “Did she play matchmaker again? Where’s your lady for the night?”

“Don’t say it like that,” Seungkwan looked uncomfortable as I chuckled and smirked at him, “She thankfully didn’t have the time to find anyone for the ball, so I’m on my own tonight.”

“Poor you.” I teased and Seungkwan threw me a swift glare as suddenly a man was headed our way. My heart skipped a beat as I straightened my stance, and plastered on a sweet smile on my lips, eyes falling on the tall body of Lieutenant Kim. His body was adorned in his uniform, form lean and strong as the well-worked muscles bulged through the fabric just slightly. His short black hair was swept back, leaving his forehead on display, and I tried to hide my blush at the dashing smile he sent our way. His canines poked through and his cherry-red lips looked soft, complimenting his gorgeous tan skin. Kim Mingyu was a dreamy man, hardworking, and dedicated. He was respectful and extremely smart, and quick on his feet. Every man envied him. He could have anyone he wanted, yet he chose to dedicate his life to the Navy—after I turned him down. Many had called me crazy, but my father was glad. He said Mingyu wasn’t who he portrayed himself to be, and even if that were true, that wasn’t the reason I didn’t want to marry him. Despite his looks and personality, he never actually managed to sweep me off my feet. He never stole my breath away, and he never made me yearn for him. And if love wasn’t like that, I didn’t want it. And I wouldn’t stop until I found this type of love, ethereal, everlasting.

“Good evening,” Kim Mingyu bowed his head, making Seungkwan chuckle, “Mr. Boo. Miss Yoon.”

I giggled quietly when he grabbed my hand with his big one, pressing a lasting kiss against my knuckles as he held eye contact, making Seungkwan scoff next to us.

“The girl rejected you once, Mingyu, what are you doing?” Seungkwan teased his best friend lightly and I chuckled embarrassed, subtly elbowing the man in the ribs. Mingyu had a similar blush on his cheeks to mine as he cleared his throat and threw a warning glare at his friend.

“I’m merely greeting her the way a man is supposed to, Seungkwan, jealous?” The banter between the two was natural, their love language full of teasing and nagging each other.

“You wish I were.” Seungkwan chuckled and whisked away three glasses of champagne from a tray as a servant passed by with it. I made sure my father wasn’t looking as I accepted one, clanking my glass against the other two men’s.

“How are you feeling tonight, Miss Yoon?” Mingyu looked at me and I hummed, looking over the dancing crowd, an idea occurring in my mind. I looked back at the tall man with a grin and pressed my glass of champagne into Seungkwan’s chest.

“I would be doing a lot better if a handsome man cared to ask me to dance.” The cheeky smile kicked Mingyu into action as he pressed his own glass into Seungkwan’s chest, making him groan. Mingyu took my hand tenderly and gestured towards the dance floor.

“May I, then?” He asked dashingly, his smile leaving me a blushing mess once again. I chuckled, out of embarrassment, and then nodded as he lead us towards the dancing crowd.

“Of course, leave me all by myself, you two!” Seungkwan called after us, but didn’t seem too sad as he got to drink not only his champagne, but ours too. Mingyu lead us towards the end of the room, where the crowd wasn’t so dense, and where my father couldn’t see us well, and I chuckled. Mingyu knew about my father’s rules as I have told him once, and he always enjoyed breaking them, angering my father a little each time. Perhaps that was the reason why he didn’t like Mingyu. Mingyu’s calloused hand took a firm hold of my waist as his other held my hand gingerly, and I allowed my hand to rest against his firm shoulder, the fabric soft under my tender touch.

“You look gorgeous, Miss Yoon.” Mingyu said, sounding almost breathless as he looked down at me. I chuckled and bowed my head slightly as I followed Mingyu’s lead, the orchestra playing a slow and lovely song.

“Thank you, Lieutenant Kim, you have been certainly turning heads as well tonight.” Mingyu laughed as he nodded, looking over the crowd. He was taller than most people in here, even in my heels, the top of my head barely reached above his eyes.

“I have noticed,” He said as his eyes fell back on me, and I raised an eyebrow teasingly, “But my eyes were only on you the whole time, Miss Yoon.”

I didn’t mean to blush as hard as I did, and Mingyu chuckled, squeezing my waist for a second as I cleared my throat, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. Averting my eyes to avoid blushing even more, I looked at the beautiful necklace hidden beneath Mingyu’s uniform’s collar, and I found my fingers absentmindedly toying with the gold. Mingyu didn’t seem to mind as he hummed along to the music, swaying us expertly to it. I looked around and noticed my father glaring in our direction furiously before Mrs. Boo noticed as well and whisked him away, pulling him towards a smaller crowd of both men and women, who seemed to be deep in discussion. Mrs. Boo and I made eye contact and she winked sneakily, making me grin as I looked back at Mingyu. He was already looking down at me and I cleared my throat.

“How were your days lately? Is the job demanding?” I made conversation, genuinely curious of Mingyu’s wellbeing. Mingyu’s lower lip jutted out as he hummed and maneuvered us around a couple almost strategically, so that we wouldn’t crash into them. They apologized before continuing on dancing.

“I’m afraid my job will be always demanding,” Mingyu started with a little smile, “but I enjoy it, so I can’t whine about it too much. It’s been quiet, the waters, I mean…until these past few days.”

“What happened?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowing. The orchestra changed the pace and I followed Mingyu as his long legs moved faster, steps still careful so that he wouldn’t step on my heeled toes.

“An unidentified ship has been seen on the horizon,” Mingyu explained, and my eyebrows raised as I suddenly remembered what Mr. Yu had said earlier today, “We can’t really do much if they don’t trespass the border, but we’ve been keeping an eye on them—”

“Do you think they could be pirates?” I didn’t mean to cut the Lieutenant off, but in my excitement I forgot I wasn’t supposed to be this eager when speaking about pirates, so, I quickly fixed my expression as Mingyu looked at me perplexed for a second.

“We know they are pirates, but, Miss Yoon…how would you know that?” Mingyu looked slightly alarmed as he lowered his voice and I just shrugged, looking off to the side.

“Word travels fast around here, you shouldn’t be so surprised, Lieutenant.” I gave him a teasing wink and Mingyu chuckled, opening his mouth to say something, when a loud crashing sound disturbed the ambivalence of the room, people gasping and turning their heads to look at where the sound came from. Curios myself, I quickly turned my head around, only to be met with an unfortunate scene. A servant lay on the floor with a tray full of dessert scattered around him, delicious looking sweets now ruined and uneatable. However, what caught my attention was the peculiar actions of the man crouched down next to the servant, who was scrambling around to put everything back on the tray. I could see the profile of the unknown man as he grinned at the servant, mumbling something to him before stealing a cherry off the tray, making the few ladies still watching gasp as he ate it. My eyebrows furrowed and nose scrunched up at the action, but the man seemed not to care that the cherry had been on the dirty floor just seconds ago. As he stood up, I was taken aback by his height. Perhaps he lacked a few centimeters compared to Mingyu, but he was still toweringly tall. He cleared his throat and fixed the collar of his long, black, velvet coat, sweeping his hands through his long, blonde hair. My eyes followed the action and remained fixed on the stranger’s ringer clad fingers, the jewelry huge, shiny, and expensive looking. His whole outfit looked expensive, but I didn’t get the chance to have a better look at it as he patted the servant on the back and waltzed off like nothing had happened, his shoulders broad as he had a looming figure.

“Miss Yoon?” My head snapped back around, looking wide eyed at Mingyu as his eyebrows were furrowed.

“Excuse me, I got distracted.” I admitted and quickly cleared my throat, suddenly not in the mood to dance with the Lieutenant anymore. Who was this stranger? I knew everyone who frequented Mrs. Boo’s balls, so who was this mysterious man? My heart skipped a beat at the thought of a new person having moved into town, young and rich. If he was handsome too, I might have just hit the jackpot.

“I was just asking if you got startled.” Mingyu said, bringing me out of my thoughts once again. I plastered on a fake smile and brushed him off.

“Of course, I got startled,” I chuckled and lightly pushed myself away from Mingyu, “Excuse me, but I must hydrate myself now, it’s becoming too warm in here.”

Mingyu looked disappointed as he was forced to let go of me, bowing his head slightly before he led us out of the crowd, saying something, but I wasn’t paying attention to him anymore as I was looking around, eyes searching for the blonde, tall man.

And my night went on just like that, searching the crowd relentlessly for the stranger, yet never quite finding him. I was only able to catch glimpses of him, he moved as if he was a ghost, gliding through the crowd as if he was trying to evade the people. It was becoming frustrating, and it got even worse when my father found me and demanded I remain by his side as he was unimpressed by me dancing with Mingyu. I said nothing and did as was told, sneakily drinking some more champagne when my father found himself in heated debates about things I wasn’t interested in. But my curiosity sparked even more as I heard a raspy, deep voice laughing not too far from us, the deep baritone carried over even the music. I tried not to be too obvious as I craned my neck and looked around for the voice, eyes widening when they fell on the stranger. He was merely a few feet away, talking to some ladies. He was leaning against a tall table, his fingers circling the rim of his champagne glass as he played with it, red lips pulled into a charming smile. I gulped as my eyes took in every curve of his face, his tall nose and his sharp eyes, his defined cheekbones and a jawline that was very sharp. His eyebrows were thick, but they complimented his features nicely, and his skin looked slightly burnt, like he had been out in the sun excessively. His blonde hair was long and brushed back behind his ears, the roots barely showing. I could see the way the ladies he was talking to were trying to push their chests our even more than their corsets already did for them, and it was hard to miss their blatant flirting as they tried to touch his hand at any given chance. My eyes narrowed as I watched the interaction, every nerve in my body begging me to walk over and introduce myself to the stranger, to earn his undivided attention. My eyes soaked him in, taking in his black outfit, the velvet clinging to his toned body, and I was startled to find he wore nothing underneath his black vest, a vest that didn’t even reach the waistband of his velvet pants. It was a scandalous outfit, too daring, and it was obviously gaining more and more attention as men glared at the stranger and ladies tried to approach him. Perhaps that was the point, to draw attention to himself, and it was working.

I gulped as I watched his lips move, pulled into a smirk as he reached out and fixed the hair of one of the young girl’s, and it made me scoff as I was aware of what he was doing. What I didn’t expect was the way his eyes snapped to me, as if he knew where he had to look, who he had to look at. My eyes widened slightly, but I didn’t avert my gaze as his remained fixed on me, raising an eyebrow just slightly. I misjudged the distance between us as he very well heard my scoff, and now he was taking me in, a challenging glint in his eyes. My fingers tightened around the glass I was holding and I smirked as I brough the glass up to my lips, taking a sip as the man smirked back, subtly tilting his glass in my direction. Our little exchange caught the attention of the ladies he was with and as they looked at me, they scowled and sent glares my way. I didn’t care, nothing mattered as I was enticed by the handsome stranger, features unique, quickly engraved into my brain.

But our little moment was broken the second a very drunken Sir Oh loudly called out, weaving towards me with his wife on his side, “Little sunshine!”

I tried not to grit my teeth as I was forced to look away from the stranger, but thankfully my father didn’t see the exchange between the two of us as he suddenly started ignoring the man trying to convince him that investing into diamonds was smart as he went to hug Sir Oh, as if they haven’t seen each other just hours ago. I sneaked a subtle glance towards the stranger, but he was gone, and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed as I sighed loudly, suddenly wishing to go home…or just leave this party.

And leave the party I did, of course, after making sure my father was drunk enough to not notice his little princess slipping away. There was nothing enjoyable about the ball anymore. All the men were boring and they only wanted one thing…to get into my good graces, because I come from a well-off family. But they were boring and quite ugly, most of them on poorer side too. I had no interest in listening to their fake stories about all the things they haven’t actually done, but were saying just to try and impress me. I’ve been looking out for the handsome stranger all night long, but I never caught a glimpse of him again. It’s like he suddenly vanished, gone as quickly as he had come. It was disheartening, and I found myself pouting at a boy not even my age, who was boasting about visiting the royal castle and seeing the Queen.

“She is majestic, just like in the stories. Her eyes sparkle, and her crown is filled with diamonds—” I couldn’t listen to him anymore as I scoffed.

“And does Her Majesty drink her tea at five o’clock like everyone else does? Are her dresses of the latest trends made of silk and wool? Please, I am directly linked to the Queen, do you think I haven’t met her already? Talked to her, and spent my days with her?” My tone was snappy, the continuous glasses of champagne I kept sipping on made my world hazy, I couldn’t filter my words like I would usually do so, “Save yourself the grace and get lost, little boy.”

The man standing across me gasped, looking appalled before he turned around, pushing his nose high up in the air. I scoffed and reached forward with a smirk on my face, fingers delicately latching onto the golden chain hanging out of his pocket carelessly. Perhaps this boy should be more careful with his belongings.

And after that, I just slipped through the crowd, making sure I didn’t linger long enough for anyone to notice who I was and where I was headed to. I took a final glance towards my father before I quickly hurried through the wide doors of the ballroom, barely avoiding running into Seungkwan. But it seemed like he didn’t notice me slipping away, and so, with a smile on my face, I was quickly headed towards the outside with one goal in mind. Leave the Boo estate and go find something fun to do for the remaining of the night. I couldn’t tell what time it was exactly, not that it mattered judged by the slight hammering of my head and the haze surrounding my thoughts, and the dizziness clouding my vision. People threw curious glances at me as they noticed me walking without my father, but I just ignored them and smiled widely once I had reached the front gates. The two guardians looked at me with confusion written all over their faces as they shared a glance.

“Miss Yoon, everything alright?” One of them asked, and I smiled sweetly as I nodded wordlessly.

“Leaving without your father?” The other one inquired, crocking an eyebrow. I chuckled and subtly pushed my chest out, not missing the way their gazes fixated on the exposed skin of my collarbones.

“He’ll be here in a moment,” I spoke up, voice sickly sweet as I smiled charmingly at them, “I will go ahead and find our carriage.”

“But Miss Yoon—”

“Ah, ah, ah.” I tsked and shook my finger at the two bewildered men, “I am very capable of being on my own, gentlemen, don’t you think so?”

They said nothing as they shared a look, but ultimately allowed me to walk past as they sighed in unison, shrugging. I flashed them another wide smile and took off, giggling as my feet carried me towards the unknown, enjoying the warm salty breeze of the night, the waves crashing against the huge rocks loud as I was closer to the cliffs here. I took a glance behind myself, making sure nobody was following me, before I stopped to take a deep breath, closing my eyes. Freedom has never felt so good before, and I couldn’t help but raise my arms in the air and twirl around while chuckling, watching the way the skirt of the dress swirled around with me. But perhaps twirling around wasn’t a smart idea when your world was already spinning, and I came to an abrupt stop as nausea suddenly washed over me, making my eyebrows furrow as bile raised in my throat. There was absolutely no chance that a lady, a princess, like myself would throw up, therefore I took three deep breaths and anchored myself. No sudden actions should make this fine. I nodded to myself and took off again, headed to the town square, where I knew some pubs would be still open at this hour. Perhaps going to a pub alone, a beautiful woman like myself, wasn’t the brightest idea, but I wanted to see what it was like. I’ve never been to one, I only heard stories from the ladies I spent the tea parties with. I wanted to experience the same fun they had each time when going to a pub, I wanted to meet new people and perhaps…find a suitor. That was all I needed to remember the handsome stranger, and I couldn’t help but blush as I remembered his sharp eyes holding eye contact with me, his plush lips curling up into a dashing smirk, glint playful in his eyes. Everything about him screamed confidence, and I couldn’t help but giggle as I envisioned him sweeping me off my feet, carrying me effortlessly in his strong arms.

My journey came to a quick stop as Mrs. Boo didn’t leave too far from the square, and my attention was easily taken by the loud pub from the corner of the street. The lights were on inside and music poured out through the open door, very different from the soft music the orchestra had played at Mrs. Boo’s ball. The music was livelier here, heavier and louder, I found myself liking it as I approached the pub, taking in the exterior of it. The bricks were white and the windows sparkling, the dim lighting of the place pouring outside. A man stumbled through the doors clumsily, clutching his hat to his chest as he mumbled incoherent things to himself. His eyes fell on me as he looked up, and his face looked funny. It was oddly red and his eyes looked crisscrossed as he tipped his head in my direction, making me frown at him. The stench coming off him was disgusting and I quickly walked past him, marching inside the pub. The music got louder now that I was inside, but it wasn’t unbearable, you could still overhear the conversations people had…maybe because almost everyone was shouting. There was a weird smell in the air, and I covered my nose as I walked further inside, looking for a free table. Most were occupied by men and women, gathered around in large groups. The dim lightning and the weird smell made my head spin more, but I was proud of myself that I managed to walk in a straight line, eyes set on the free table towards the back of the pub. In my tipsy state, I missed the curious or hungry gazes sent my way, men watching me like haws, women scowling at me, acting as if I was here to steal their men.

When I finally reached the table, I gripped the chair and pulled it back, surprised by its heaviness as it dragged loudly against the wooden floorboards, but thankfully the music was loud enough to mask the atrocious sound. Despite being—probably—tipsy, I managed to sit down graciously, adjusting the skirt of my dress so that nobody would step on it and that I wouldn’t pull a string loose. The dress was dear to me, after all, it once belonged to my deceased mother. And it is also a very pretty, and pricey, dress. The corset seemed to get tighter for a second as I found myself gasping for air, eyebrows furrowing as I straightened my back to the point my back muscles were numb. I couldn’t dwell on the sudden ache for much longer as someone approached the table, looking rather perplexed by my presence here.

“Miss,” It was a young boy, perhaps fifteen, “What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?” I fired back, raising my eyebrows unimpressed.

“I work here.” He answered, looking away for a second, “And if you sit down then you must order something as well.”

“Fine,” I huffed, looking around the place. I had definitely seen worse places before, they certainly must have something that is worth my money here, “Bring me your finest wine, then.”

“Can you afford it?” I was appalled by the blatant mockery in the young boy’s tone, eyebrows raised and expression demanding as I snorted loudly, digging my hand down the front of my dress, between my breasts. The boy’s eyes widened and he quickly averted his eyes, cheeks flushing. I rolled my eyes before pulling my hand out of my dress, bringing it above the table and opening my palm. The sudden loud clanking caught the young boy’s attention as he turned his head, eyes widening as he looked at all the goods I had disregarded on the wooden table. I smirked at him, leaning my arms on the table as I leaned towards him.

“Do you think I can afford it?” I asked arrogantly, cocking an eyebrow. The boy just gulped and averted his eyes quickly.

“I’ll be by with our best wine, Miss.” I smiled and shushed him away quickly, looking back down at the little treasures I had borrowed throughout the night. A hairpin filled with tiny emeralds, a golden chain attached to an old looking golden pocket watch, three engagement rings with diamonds, a simple golden chain with a cross medal, and Mingyu’s necklace with a trident pendant. I placed my hands over them and pulled them towards myself, making sure nobody could steal them away from me. I debated whether or not in giving Mingyu’s necklace away as well, but in the end settled on slipping it back inside my corset, patting my chest down to make sure it was secured between my breasts. I didn’t have it in myself to part with this item, after all, Mingyu wasn’t a bad man nor ever had any bad intentions towards me. But as we danced tonight, I just couldn’t help myself. By the time I noticed what I had done, the thin golden necklace was clutched tightly in my palm, the trident pendant digging into the skin of my palm, a reminder that what I had once started doing as a joke, had now turned into a serious issue. I never truly meant to steal people’s things, but after realizing that I was so swift they wouldn’t even notice me taking their things away, it became a game to me. A curiosity to see how far I could get before somebody finally caught me. I knew my father would be devastated that his little daughter was a thief, or a kleptomaniac, and I would also probably go to prison since I was too wealthy to have my hand cut off. The constable would never do such horrendous thing to a girl like me.

My attention was suddenly caught by the man shuffling next to my right, head slightly bowed as he gripped a pint of beer in his clammy looking hand. His hair was already greying and his face was wrinkly. To be fair, he looked quite disgusting as he raised his head and flashed a yellow toothed smile my way, making me cringe. I covered away when he stepped even closer, mouth pulled into a grimace as the man tried to smirk, but he could barely stand on his feet as he had to lean into the table for support.

“Youn’ girl like yerself shouldn’t be in her’.” His words were slurred, but he seemed too determined to speak to me to realize that, “It’s dangerous.”

“I can see that,” I eyed the beer he held in his hand, dangerously close to my dress, “I would like it if you kept your cheap beer away from my dress.”

“Yer a spoiled one, eh?” He snickered, raising his beer up to his lips as he took a huge swing of it. I cringed at the action and looked around, trying to find the boy working here. He must surely tell this weird man to leave me alone. He would do that for me, right?

“And you’re disgusting, old, and poor.” I snapped back, glaring viciously at the man as he suddenly cackled as if I said something funny.

“The feisty ones are good in bed.” My jaw would’ve probably hit the floor if it could, eyes widening at his disgusting words. I huffed loudly, blood boiling at his blatant audacity. My hands clenched into fists and my jaw tightened as I glared furiously at this disgusting pig, a few seconds away from kicking the pint of beer out of his hand and smashing the glass on his head. But just as I pushed my chair back to scream at the man and chase him away, a tall figure inserted himself between the man and myself, black velvet coat way too familiar. It took a few seconds for my hazy brain to catch on that it was the stranger from Mrs. Boo’s ball. My eyes widened as I stared at the back of his head awestruck, wondering whether this was real or if my alcohol infused brain was playing tricks on me now.

“What did you just say?” The man’s voice was very deep, sharp, and it made me shiver as I continued staring at his blonde hair. His shoulders were incredibly broad from up-close, and I suddenly caught a whiff of something very sweet, almost vanilla like. It hadn’t been there before the stranger’s arrival, and it made me bite my lower lip as I felt even more drawn to the stranger.

“How dare you talk to a lady like that, you disgusting pig?!” The stranger’s voice was gravely and I watched taken aback as he took another step towards the old man, towering over him almost dangerously, “You’re lucky there’s too many people watching—otherwise I would’ve cracked your skull open, asshat.”

The old man seemed speechless as he stared up at the handsome stranger with shaking eyes, seemingly at a loss of words, “What—yer asking for it, son! Uneducated prick. How dare you talk to a lord like that? I will call the constable on you—”

“And I will tell the constable that you had been harassing my betrothed.” My heart skipped a beat as my eyebrows rose, staring at the stranger’s profile as I cocked my head to the right. Very subtly, he turned his head towards me and we made eye contact for a second. His lips twitched and I was sure he was trying not to smirk. My alcohol infused brain found the situation hilarious but also interesting, and I found myself playing along as I stepped up next to the handsome stranger, latching onto his right arm.

“Can you make this pig go away, love?” I asked with a pout, throwing a side glance at the old man. His face had turned red and he was glaring dagger at us, it almost made me chuckle. As I looked up in the stranger’s small, but sharp, eyes, the wind was knocked out of my lungs. He was so handsome, breathtaking from up-close. His features were sharp and nothing like I had seen before, a stray strand of blonde hair falling in his eyes. His dark eyes were warm and inviting, even playful as he chuckled, nodding his head at me.

“Will you turn away if I have to punch him?” His deep voice caught a lighter tone and I gulped, trying to ignore the rapid beating of my heart. I was sure my cheeks were warm, tinged red due to this handsome stranger. My body was reacting in a way it never had towards a man before.

“You shouldn’t bloody your pretty hands because of an incompetent leech.” I found myself saying, my left hand slipping down his arm and intertwining with his fingers. I could hear my own heartbeat, it was very loud and it was in my throat, thumping fast and strongly as the stranger tightened his hold against mine, his cold rings digging into my skin. His palm was calloused and big, almost engulfing mine wholly in his. They were warm and it made my skin feel even hotter than it already was before. Suddenly, he turned his head and his jaw locked, eyes narrowing at the old man.

“Get lost.” His words were punctuated and I watched as a dark look crossed his features, for a second making me question whether he was dangerous or safe to be around. But as he faced me again, his features relaxed and he flashed a wide smile at me, his teeth impeccably white, the front ones protruding a little, giving him a boyish look. His tall nose scrunched and his small eyes became even smaller, and I found myself completely enticed by him. I didn’t realize I let out a small sigh, having forgotten about the old prick as he had finally walked away, muttering profanities under his breath. I couldn’t care anymore as I kept staring into the handsome stranger’s eyes, seeing galaxies in them, dark brown chocolate swirling around his irises. I had completely forgotten that we were holding hands, too taken by his face, and suddenly, he detached himself from me. My body instantly felt cold as he took a small step away from me, a smirk adorning his lips. My eyebrows lightly furrowed as the dim lights swirled around me, but it was clear that he was about to walk away. And I couldn’t let that happen.

“Wait,” I reached out, griping his hand once again, stopping the handsome stranger from leaving, “If you leave right now, that old man will come back to bother me more. Since you lied, we better stick to it.”

The stranger’s eyebrows lightly furrowed as his eyes slowly fell onto our joint hands, and I swiftly let his hand go, feeling my cheeks flush in embarrassment. He looked at my face again, but I couldn’t hold eye contact with him just yet.

“You’re right, darling.” My eyes snapped up at the nickname, skin tingling and my stomach doing a weird flip at the hear of it. The stranger smiled at me dashingly, pointing for me to sit as he pulled out a chair for himself. I gulped, not quite considering what I was getting myself into as I took my seat at the table. It was silent between us as the stranger settled down too, our eyes meeting again despite me shying away quickly, all of my confidence suddenly out the window. The handsome stranger opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the young boy working here appeared with a glass of wine and two tall glasses in his hands. My eyes snapped to him as he placed everything down on the table, looking at me expectantly once he poured wine for us. I chuckled and gathered the jewelry I had borrowed and placed it in his open palm. However, the boy didn’t leave right away, he picked at the golden pieces with a frown on his face, looking back at me with narrowed eyes.

“Wasn’t there another necklace?” He asked, his voice judgmental. I chuckled as I grabbed my glass of wine and raised it to my mouth, smelling it. It seemed sweet, but not very fresh. It probably wasn’t from around here. I looked at the boy as I took a small sip of the wine, the taste not quite like I was expecting it to be. Ah, perhaps this is the best this pub could offer.

“Will you serve me actual good wine if there was another one?” I raised an eyebrow, smirking in victory when the boy rolled his eyes, storming away while mumbling, ‘spoiled princess’ under his breath. I chuckled, having forgotten for a second that the handsome stranger was sitting at the table with me. His snort alerted me and I quickly looked at him, but he just stook a large sip of his wine, eyebrows scrunching almost in distaste.

“Oh, well, that’s damn sweet.” My eyebrows raised at his choice of words; his voice gruff as he grimaced. He looked like a gentleman through and through, it was quite rare to hear them cursing, let alone around ladies. This stranger was quite interesting. I took another sip of my drink, checking for the taste again, but I didn’t find it as repulsive as the stranger made it seem to be. I chuckled, quirking an eyebrow in his direction.

“Do you not like it?” I asked lightly, motioning around us, “Would you like a pint of beer like all the other disgusting pricks from inside this pub?”

The man chuckled like I had said something funny, when my question was meant to be very serious. I wanted to know who I was dealing with.

“No, darling, I prefer rum.” He said with a smile, winking as he gulped down the rest of his wine in one go. My eyes widened at that and I glanced back down at my glass, finding that I had barely drunken anything from it. I had to catch up with him, I supposed. This was stupid, deep down I knew it was. What was I doing in a scruffy pub drinking wine with an insanely attractive stranger? This was so dangerous, I could get in so much trouble…yet my mind was focused on different things at the moment due to the alcohol intoxicating it, like the huge ruby ring this man wore on his left middle finger. His hands were placed on the table as he was playing with the glass, passing it between his large hands, his lower lip sucked between his teeth as I didn’t miss the way his eyes ran over my body, checking me out, “What are you doing here all alone, princess?”

I chuckled at the nickname, my stomach doing another weird flip as I took a bigger sip of my wine, suddenly getting bolder under the watchful gaze of the stranger, “What makes you think I’m alone and not with my guardians?”

“I had to step in to help you, didn’t I?” The stranger chuckled, “I doubt your guardians would’ve let that old asshat harass you like that.”

I couldn’t help but giggle when he said ‘asshat’, finding the word new in my vocabulary. I have never heard anyone saying it before, “You’re cursing quite boldly around a lady, love, don’t you fear your gruffness might drive me away?”

“Is it driving you away?” The stranger asked lowly as he suddenly leaned over the table, getting incredibly close to my face. I gulped as I felt at a loss of words, suddenly very aware of the painful thumping of my head. Would drinking more wine help in making that go away?

“No.” I found myself whispering, mesmerized by the glint in his eyes as the stranger hummed, settling back in his seat. My eyes were drawn back to his hands as he started playing with a particularly big ring, a letter carved on it. I couldn’t quite make it out, but it suspiciously looked like the letter A.

“You wear a lot of jewelry, it’s attractive.” I found myself mumbling absentmindedly, eyes widening when I realized the handsome stranger had heard me. He was in the middle of pouring himself another glass of wine, his eyebrows slightly raising as he looked confused for one little second, complacency quickly overtaking his features. His eyes narrowed slightly as he flexed his fingers, wriggling them even, before continuing to pour some more wine for himself. I cleared my throat and straightened my stance, holding my head high, “I haven’t seen you around before. Have you moved here recently?”

The stranger seemed to ponder for a second before he hummed, looking me in the eyes as he took a sip of his wine, “My name is Song Mingi.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Song.” I smiled brightly at him, finally associating a name to the handsome face, “My name is Yoon Y/N.”

Suddenly, he reached over the table and grabbed my hand, pulling my arm towards himself rather forcefully. I watched with interest as he raised my knuckles up to his plush lips and pressed a lasting kiss against it, his nose pressing into my skin, his breath hot as it hit my skin. Suddenly, everything felt hot around me as I watched him, feeling his soft lips and hot breath against the sensitive skin of my hand, it felt overwhelming as goosebumps covered my skin. I knew my face was flushed, but perhaps it wasn’t from the alcohol anymore. As he finally pulled my hand away from his face, I felt like I could breathe again and at the look in his eyes, I felt forced to take another large sip of my wine, curious as to where things were leading with this mysterious Song Mingi.

“I’m not quite from here,” He explained, still not having released my hand, “But I am from the Sun Rise Kingdom.”

I hummed, hand getting clammy in his grip, so I gently pulled it back, flexing my fingers as I gripped my glass of wine with both hands, “And what are you doing in this quiet town?”

Mingi chuckled, a playful expression on his face, “Hmm, I’d say I’m a traveler.”

“We don’t have many of those here.” I mumbled as I took another sip, coming to the realization that I had finished my wine. My head spun and body felt hot, the air sticky inside the pub, but I couldn’t find it in myself to move just yet. My father was probably losing his mind by now if he noticed his little daughter was gone.

“Have you traveled outside of your little town, Y/N?” Hearing him say my name felt strange, it sent a shiver down my spine. The way his baritone shook with the pronunciation of my name made my mouth go dry all of a sudden, and to my surprise, Mingi was pouring me another glass of wine. It had completely gone over my head that he was being rather informal with me despite having just met each other. For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

“Of course I have, Mingi.” I paused for a second, watching his reaction to saying his name so casually, but it didn’t seem to bother him, he looked used to it, which was strange, “I’ve visited the Queen’s castle quite a few times already.”

“Oh,” Mingi suddenly seemed quite interested as he leaned forward, one hand reached out on the table, close to mine, “How come?”

I chuckled and shrugged, taking another sip of my wine as Mingi seemed to be patiently waiting for me to continue, “Well, we’re acquittanced, you know?”

His eyes widened for a second, but then he quickly fixed his expression and an overly friendly smile appeared on his lips, “Really? I would have never thought so.”

“Is that so?” I chuckled, licking my smooth lips. It seemed like Mingi thought he might’ve offended me, because his extended hand was suddenly placed over mine, his warm palm pressing against my smaller hand.

“My apologies, darling,” He batted his eyelashes at me, a quite comical look coming from a man, “I did not mean to assume anything. You look quite exactly like a Queen would look like.”

I didn’t mean to laugh so loudly, it was un-ladylike and against everything my governess had taught me, but for some reason I found Mingi’s flattering hilarious. And it was a compliment I hadn’t quite heard before.

“Oh, my, seems like you have met plenty of Queens in your lifetime, then.” I teased him with a cheeky smile. Mingi chuckled, looking down for a second before his gaze connected with mine again.

“I have, and none were as beautiful as you, Y/N.” The obvious and generic compliment shouldn’t have made me blush so deeply, but I opted to blame it on the wine I was consuming currently. I didn’t miss the way Mingi’s lips twitched into a small smirk before he tried to look friendly instead of smug again.

“Don’t you have a way with words, Mr. Song?” I mumbled before taking a small sip of my wine.

“Mingi is just fine.” He corrected and I felt his long finger grazing against my knuckles, caressing them. My heart skipped a beat. I had never been so taken by a man before. Everything about Mingi seemed to draw me in. His looks were the main reason I even paid attention to him in the first place, but his personality was mysterious yet exciting, it kept me wanting to talk to him.

“Mingi, then.” I said with a smile, flipping my hand upside down, Mingi slotted his fingers next to mine instantly, “You must be quite wealthy if you attended Mrs. Boo’s ball tonight.”

Mingi’s smirk returned, but it was cheeky this time, “What if I told you that I sneaked in? Will you continue talking to me? Or will you leave me alone, here at this table, princess?”

I hummed in thought for a second, considering his words. He certainly didn’t look like someone who would sneak into a ball like that, but his behavior was indeed weird. I allowed my eyes to run over his physique, and instantly regretted it as I was presented with his bare chest, the singular vest he had on doing a horrible job at covering the man up. The single silver chain dangling around his neck had my eyes fixated on it, and I had to force my hazy brain to focus on anything else but the way it sat against his collarbones.

“Since you’re being so vague I will continue talking to you, love.” Mingi chuckled, nodding his head, looking quite pleased with my answer, “I only asked because only the richest attend her balls.”

“Oh, really?” Mingi raised an eyebrow and took another sip of his wine, fingers flexing against mine.

“Really.” I said, mirroring him and taking another sip of my wine.

“So, that means you’re filthy rich?” He asked without any hesitation and I laughed again, grinning at him, enjoying how upfront he was.

“Yes, and I would be even richer if my mother hadn’t died.” I might’ve sounded like a spoiled, ungrateful, brat, but I was merely stating the truth. Mingi’s face lit up, an expression unfamiliar overtaking his face. He almost looked hungry…greedy, perhaps. I gulped and watched him, wondering whether saying that was smart or not.

“How come?” He asked nonchalantly, yet the glint in his eyes said otherwise.

“My mother was related to the Queen of the Sun Rise Kingdom, therefore I’m also a descended of the royal family.” If Mingi’s grip on my hand hadn’t been firm, now it turned almost painful, but my heart was racing and I didn’t want him to let go, his skin warm against mine.

“Oh, really?” Mingi grinned like a mad hatter, “So, you’re a princess then?”

I chuckled, shaking my head slowly, “Sadly, I am not. Even though I should be—look at me!”

“Oh, I am looking.” Mingi bit his lower lip as he said that, his intense eyes raking over my body again and suddenly I felt hot all over again, mouth going dry at the sudden shift of his tone and expression, something like hunger appearing in his eyes again, but I couldn’t decipher what it was this time. And I didn’t want to know as my skin tingled once Mingi’s fingers trailed up to my wrist, caressing my soft skin with his lip between his teeth still, “I think you’ve had enough drinks for tonight, princess.”

“Do I?” I challenged as I downed half of my glass in one go, regretting it as it burned my throat slightly. Mingi laughed for the first time, loud and wheezy, head thrown back slightly as he gripped my wrist firmly, fingers hooking around my delicate bracelet. I felt the action and found myself gripping his wrist unconsciously too, linking our hands so nobody would separate us. The silver chain on his wrist dug into my skin, and I found myself gripping it subconsciously, fingers softly feeling around for a clasp. But Mingi suddenly stood, taking my attention off the bracelet my fingers itched to slip off his wrist.

“Darling, let me walk you home,” He carefully pulled me up to my feet, making me aware of how badly my world was spinning around me at this point, “I would hate it if any gentleman took advantage of you.”

“I would hate that as well.” I said as I looked up in his eyes, his body suddenly too close to mine, my eyes landing on his exposed collarbones. Mingi’s hand slipped back down and he intertwined his fingers with mine as suddenly there was a finger underneath my chin, tilting my head up.

“Should I lead the way?” He asked almost breathless, staring down in my eyes deeply. I licked my lips as I watched his lips form the words, lips which looked soft and plush. I wondered what they tasted like.

“Yes, please, lead the way.” I whispered, daring to look back in his eyes once again.

“Good, princess.” And then he maneuvered us out of the pub, the air now chilly as we walked down the dark streets of the town. My world was spinning with me nauseatingly, and the dark made it harder to see anything. I knew which way I had to walk to reach the Yoon Manor, and surprisingly Mingi did too as he lead the way confidently. For someone who wasn’t from here, he knew the roads extremely well. Or maybe I was simply too drunk to realize that Mingi wasn’t leading me back to the safety of my manor, but towards the beach which my room overlooked. The breeze was pleasant despite the chill in the air, and I realized I was struggling to walk in my high heels, ankles aching with each step as Mingi had to steady me, allowing me to lean into his side as he threw one arm around my shoulders, while interlocking his fingers with mine with his other hand. Nothing much was said between the two of us as we continued on walking, huffs and puffs leaving my lips way too often, my eyes threatening to drop every second.

“Mingi,” I whispered, body completely worn out, “I don’t think I can walk anymore.”

We stopped walking, and I felt a hand cupping my cheek as I closed my eyes and nuzzled into the warm palm. Suddenly, the familiar sweet scent of vanilla engulfed my senses and I was a second too late to realize that I wasn’t standing on my feet anymore, “Let me carry you, princess.”

I hummed as I allowed my eyes to fall closed shut, arms around Mingi’s neck as he carried me, holding me securely in his strong arms. The vanilla was even stronger, now and I couldn’t help but notice the added scent of salt and…gunpowder? I inhaled deeply as my nose pressed against Mingi’s collarbone, and I heard him gasp quietly.

“Are you sure you know the way towards the Yoon Manor?” I mumbled into his skin, my lips pressing against his warm flesh. Mingi’s hold seemed to tighten as he cleared his throat, voice sounding raspier than before.

“Of course, princess. You can go to sleep now.” And because I was drunk and foolish, I followed his command, closing my eyes and falling asleep to the steady beats of his heart, failing to notice that we were way too far from the Yoon manor…and we’d only get even more far away from it.

A loud crash resounding around me made me suddenly stir. My body felt cold and stiff as I lay unmoving, eyes squeezed tight shut, suddenly aware of the soft rocking of the bed. It made me wonder where that could be coming from or was it…the alcohol’s fault? Almost as if thinking about it sent some sensors off in my brain, my head started pulsing harshly, making me whine as I raised a hand to press against my forehead, softly rubbing my sweaty skin. My nose scrunched up as I tapped my forehead, then face, realizing the air was quite damp around me as my dress stuck to my skin. With a grimace expanding on my lips, I became aware of the weird stench surrounding me. It smelled like the sea and…fish. And I hated fish, it almost made me gag.

“Soyeon, Soojin.” I croaked out, almost inaudibly, surprised by how dry my throat felt. I gulped a few times, clearing my throat in an attempt of trying to get my voice to work as I called out again, slightly louder, “Soyeon. Soojin.”

I waited a few seconds, listening to the thudding of feet against the marble floors, the opening of my door, but there was nothing. My maids were nowhere to be found…or heard. I huffed and turned onto my side, nuzzling my nose against the silky sheet of the pillow, a little off-thrown by the vanilla scent of it. That’s certainly not what my pillowcases smell like, but perhaps the servants scented it differently this time and failed to let me know about it. That was something they would be reprimanded for as I didn’t like it when they did something without asking me first. I quite enjoy the fruity scent of my pillowcases.

“Soyeon.” I snapped, voice harsher, “Soojin.”

Eyebrows furrowing, I waited for my maids to finally spring into action, but there was nothing still, “Soyeon! Soojin!”

Eyes snapping open furiously, I was about to huff and puff loudly, but my whole blood froze in me. My eyes widened and anger vanished instantly as I realized I was in a foreign room. Eyes turning to the pillow I had my head on, I realized it wasn’t mine, and I instantly sprung up into a sitting position.

What was this?

Where was I?

With a gaping mouth, I took in the room, appalled by its simplicity and—by how mucked up it was. The large closet right next to the bed seemed eaten up by wood-beetles, the door quite off its hinges. Suddenly, I was thrown back into the bed and I groaned, eyebrows furrowing as I couldn’t quite fathom what was happening. There was a rather loud groan coming from somewhere outside this beaten down room, and I sat back up, continuing to take in the room. There was a desk underneath the small round window, and it was littered with books. My interest would’ve been peeked if I wasn’t in an unknown room, which, by the way, made my skin crawl due to its state. There were three large chests on the wall opposite of the bed, all closed, and apparently locked with an iron locket. My heart was beating fast and I felt myself sweating even more as I realized I could’ve been kidnaped, that some disgusting, crazed, man decided to take me captive and only God knows what will happen to me now—Mingi. Wasn’t…didn’t I leave with a man last night? A very handsome stranger, no, Song Mingi. That was his name. But he said he’d take me home, so why was I here right now?

I gasped, pressing my hands against my mouth as the thought occurred that perhaps something happened to Mingi. That would be such a shame, the man was too handsome for his own good. My skin tingled just at the thought of him, and I couldn’t help but blush as hazy memories of being in his arms, nose pressed against his bare skin, resurfaced in my mind. But reality quickly washed over me as there was another tumble to this strange place I found myself in, making me panic once again as I realized I had to get out of here somehow. I needed my father; he would know what to do. Even my maids would know! My lips quivered as I realized I was left alone and defenseless, this crazed man who kidnapped me could do anything to me right now, and I wouldn’t be able to protect myself. I blinked away the tears in my eyes as I reluctantly threw my legs over the edge of the bed, deciding that I needed to do something for myself right now. My father and maids weren’t around to guide me, I had to use all my knowledge while I remained calm and level-headed. But I couldn’t help trying once again, hopeful that this was just a bad dream that I haven’t woken up from just yet.

“Papa!” I screamed loudly, gripping the bedsheets tightly in my hands, “Soojin! Soyeon!”

And suddenly, there was another loud crash coming from outside of the room and I jumped, muscles tensing as my eyes snapped to the door. There was a loud deep groan, and then this weird place rocked violently again, sending something crashing into the door from the outside. I could hear a muffled voice cursing loudly as the door was suddenly flung open, making my eyes widen as I sprung up to my feet in fright. I didn’t know what was about to happen right now, but I was ready to put up a fight if this monster of a man, who dared to kidnap me, tried doing anything to me. But the scream I was ready to let out got stuck in my throat as I was met with a rather familiar face.

In the daylight, he looked completely different. His long blonde hair was in a manbun, a few shorter strands falling out of it as it framed his face. His skin looked to be glowing as sweat sheen on his exposed chest, the skin tan, and smooth looking. Mingi looked even taller in the rather small room we were in, his white shirt unbuttoned down to his chest, three different length silver chains adorning his neck, falling against his tan skin. Leather black pants clung to his muscular thighs, and I was slightly taken aback by his narrow waist, the thick leather belt hugging it tightly, his shirt tucked in. I knew a few ladies who would’ve killed to have his waist.

“Hey, quit screaming.” Mingi hissed, his thick eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me with his sharp eyes, “Not everyone is up yet, princess.”

I gulped, trying to gather my thoughts. Why did his voice sound even deeper compared to last night?

“What am I doing here?” I managed to ask, blinking my eyes fast when I caught myself staring at his rather firm chest. Mingi remained silent for a second, staring at me with amusement washing over his face.

“Well, princess,” He started, walking further inside the room, making me step back as the back of my knees crashed into the bed behind me, I felt caged in, “You needed a helping hand last night as you were a tad bit too drunk.”

Mingi chuckled as he watched confusion written all over my face as I tried to place the missing pieces together. Well yes, he wasn’t wrong, I might’ve had too much to drink last night, but that still didn’t explain why I wasn’t currently in my room, with my maids there to take care of me, and with my father screaming at me for running off last night. I could only assume this was Mingi’s place, and it was disgusting. Wasn’t he rich? And if he was, why did his place look like this? Certainly there must be nicer Inns in this little town, why did he willingly choose to stay in the dirties and most beaten down one?

“Well, I—” I cleared my throat as it still felt dry, I found it a little bit hard to speak, “I certainly had a little bit more than a lady like myself is supposed to have.”

I tried to look confident, ignore the light flush of my cheeks as I remembered more of what has happened last night, the way Mingi’s fingers curled against mine, his rings digging into my skin. Almost as if on cue, my eyes travelled down towards his hands, and I wasn’t surprised to find them decorated by big and thick rings, the red ruby on his middle finger almost glinting in the sunlight coming through the small round window of this wretched room. Mingi hummed, making me look back up at his face as I tried to ignore the knowing smirk on his lips. But he didn’t say anything, and it made me nervous as I sniffed, fidgeting on the bed for a second before I stood once again, glancing around the room. Since I wasn’t kidnaped by a scruffy man, but Mingi…did it mean I was here because…something that I failed to recall has happened between the two of us last night?

And as if Mingi could read my mind, a chuckle left his lips, “You move around a lot in your sleep, princess, I certainly got an elbow to my ribs once or twice during the night—”

“During the night?!” I didn’t mean to exclaim as my eyes widened, mouth going even drier, “We—we slept in the same bed?!”

Mingi raised his eyebrows nonchalantly and took another step towards me, making me clutch onto the skirt of my dress, “Of course, we did, princess. Did you think I would offer up my precious bed to you and sleep on the hard wooden floor myself?”

“Well, I—yes.” I said as I threw him a small glare, “That’s what a gentleman is supposed to do.”

Mingi chuckled, giving me a cheeky smile, “But I’m not a gentleman, darling. God forbid I treat you like the princess you are.”

I wasn’t an actual princess, but I didn’t feel like correcting him, “But if we slept in the same bed—oh, no.”

I let out a harsh breath, eyes widening as I glanced behind myself at the bed, heart suddenly thumping wildly. My ears started ringing and I bit my lower lip, eyebrows furrowing as I wracked my brain to remember anything…inappropriate that’s happened between myself and Mingi. But I was coming up blank, and it only unsettled me more as Mingi remained unphased, an amused smirk on his lips when I looked back up at him.

“Oh, no, what, darling?” He closed the gap between our bodies and suddenly reached out, twirling a curly strand of my hair between his fingers, “Do you not remember? Didn’t think you’d forget based on the way you were screaming my name last night.”

“Wha—what?!” I stammered mortified. Mingi had the audacity to pout as I swiftly slapped his hand playing with my hair away, skin burning, and face beat red. For a second, I couldn’t breathe as Mingi remained silent, obviously enjoying my distress as he chuckled loudly, leaning slightly down to be eye level with me. My eyebrows furrowed and I leaned back, hands fisting the skirt of my dress so tightly that my grip was becoming painful.

“Your face is precious right now, darling.” Mingi chuckled, and I felt on the verge of passing out from embarrassment and anger, “But as much as I love the look on your face, I have to admit that it was just a bloody joke, Y/N. I like my partners conscious and sober when we have sex, darling, and you were passed out and far from sobriety. And even I, myself, certainly wasn’t in the right state last night to even think of doing anything to you.”

I needed a moment to truly understand Mingi’s words, soak them in and analyze them, to finally realize that we hadn’t actually done anything. Like he had said, I passed out from drinking too much, and based on his words, he was also too drunk to attempt doing anything. Knowing this settled the frantic beat of my heart, but I still didn’t feel at ease. I was a respectable and an exemplary lady, even just sharing a bed for a night with a man would ruin my reputation and pure image. My father would certainly lose his mind if he were to ever know.

“Good,” I snapped, bunching up my skirt around my ankles, glaring daggers at Mingi, “and you’re not funny, Mingi, your sense of humor is quite lacking if you enjoy watching a lady in distress due to such sensitive topic. And if we’re done here now, then I’m leaving.”

I went to push past Mingi as I huffed loudly, but his hand shot forward all of a sudden, and he gripped my upper arm, “You’re not going anywhere, Y/N.”

“Yes, I am.” I snapped with a tsk, yanking on my arm, but he didn’t want to release it. Mingi just rolled his eyes and tightened his grip, leaning closer in as his own eyes narrowed at me.

“No, you’re not.” He emphasized his words, voice imitating mine, slightly deeper as he was glaring back at me now, looking rather intimidating. A blonde strand fell into his eye and I was rather flabbergasted when I found myself wanting to tuck it behind his ear.

“Oh, really?” I smirked, stepping so close to him that the toes of our shoes pressed against each other painfully, our faces barely inches away as I raised my head, “And who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do, Mingi?”

“Well, for starters, I’m Mingi.” The stupid smile that showed his adorable front teeth was irritating, and my jaw clenched as Mingi’s fingers teasingly glided down my arm, fingers intertwining with mine, yanking on my hand so that I fell against his chest. I gasped, craning my neck to look up at him, heart beating fast as our exposed collarbones lightly brushed against each other, “And I’m a pirate, sweetheart. And I’ve taken you hostage, so until daddy dearest pays up, you’re staying here with me.”

My eyebrows furrowed as I studied his face for any signs of amusement, but Mingi was serious. Too serious all of a sudden, and I found myself panicking once again as I lightly shook my head no, “Right, and you expect me to believe you, because—”

“Because the whole town is looking for you right now as we speak, and unless daddy dearest decided to sleep in—which I highly doubt—then he’s found a letter with my pretty handwriting on the desk in his study room, and is writing back to us just this second, probably desperate enough to pay us the requested money, if that means he gets his little gemstone back.” Did Mingi consider that I was like a gemstone, then? I subtly shook my head, getting rid of such silly thoughts in such serious situation. This couldn’t be real, I must be still asleep, having a nightmare. There’s no possibility that I was kidnapped by a pirate, who’s now asking my father to pay him copious amount of money if he wants me back. It felt like my stomach dropped all of a sudden, and I felt nauseous just like last night as my eyebrows furrowed.

“I—I—” I took a deep breath and gripped Mingi’s fingers tightly, gritting my teeth as I refused to allow this stupid pirate to play around with me, “I refuse to be your hostage.”

My words sent Mingi into a fit of giggles and my glare just deepened as he seemed to gloss over my words, throwing his head back as his giggles turned into loud laughter. Wasn’t I supposed to stay silent because other’s were still sleeping? Did that not apply to Mingi as well? But his momentarily lack of attention served me just right as I remembered he never bothered to close the door of the room, or lock it for that matter, and it was my chance for an escape. It was too easy, too perfect, and I took advantage of that to the fullest. Just as Mingi opened his mouth, seemingly having calmed down, my right leg rose as I aimed for his neither region, kneeling him hard in the balls. Mingi’s lips parted in a loud cry and I chuckled as I was able to push him back, send him tumbling into the desk as he doubled over, face scrunched up in pain as he started moaning in pain. I didn’t waste any more time as I took off towards the door, sprinting out of the room, a little disheartened when I noticed the long hallway littered with doors on both sides. But I noticed light pouring down from one direction and I took off towards it, the skirt of my dress raised above my knees as I felt thankful for being a fast runner, my feet carrying me to the stairs in no time, able to hear the waves crashing against the shore and the salty air as I ran up the stairs, momentarily blinded by the strong sunlight. I have reached my freedom, Mingi had no chance of catching me, and I would return home to my father unscathed, saving him from having to give out God knows how much money to this stupid pirate.

But I wasn’t prepared for the scene unfolding in front of me as I reached the top of the stairs. A man held a big sword in his hands as he seemed to be sparring with a red-haired woman, their swords loud as they clashed against each other. There was a man climbed up high and looking over the water. There were a few men walking around, pulling barrels or just sharpening their knives, but perhaps, what was the most shocking was how far away the shore seemed to be. It sent my heart into a frenzy as I stepped further outside, realizing that water was the only thing that surrounded us, making it harder to breathe as I spun around in one place, taking everything in. The stench in the room, the sea and the fish, the constant rocking and loud waves—we were out on the open sea on a large ship. I gasped as I pressed a hand against my mouth, trying to catch my breath as my heart was pumping wildly, making me dizzy as the loud clanking of swords came to an abrupt stop, becoming eerily silent around me as I looked up. All eyes were on me, and I gulped nervously, unsettled by the weird looks the older men were giving me. Or perhaps I should calling them pirates. I wasn’t so curious to find out anything more about them, I just wanted to go home to my father. There were some rapid thuds behind me, until I became aware of the footsteps headed heavily towards me, catching me off guard when a harsh grip was settled around my bicep. It didn’t feel like Mingi’s grip, however, and I found myself struggling against it instantly, uncaring of the people watching. I had to free myself, I needed to get away sooner than later while I was still up on deck. Perhaps I could swim back to the shore.

“Let me go you filthy—” My eyes widened as I whipped my head around, yanking against the grip, only to be taken off guard at the extremely gorgeous man back staring at me, unbudging despite my attempts to free myself, “oh, you look quite pristine for a pirate.”

An amused chuckle left the black-haired man’s lips, and his hair was in a manbun similar to Mingi’s, however his hair was a lot longer. His eyes were big and his lips plump, his skin tan. His outfit was put together and looked to be in perfect state, a dark corset around his torso as a long coat hung off his shoulders, I’ve never seen a man wear a corset before. He was tall, but not as tall as Mingi.

“That’s a compliment I hadn’t gotten before,” His voice was deeper, yet his chuckle high pitched. He talked smoothly and elegantly, confusing me the longer I took him in, “But I must ask who you are, love.”

“You first, love.” I snapped, eyes narrowing at the stupidly gorgeous man. He chuckled, lips curling into a rather unsettling smile as his round eyes lost their friendliness.

“Park Seonghwa, Quartermaster of Ateez, pleased, love?” His tone was mocking and rather cold, unappreciative of my demanding nature. I gulped and nodded, but refused to speak up. I wasn’t about to give away my identity, it meant not everyone knew who I was. Maybe it was just Mingi who knew, and I intended on keeping it that way.

“And just who brought this yapping brat on my ship?” There was another voice calling out, higher pitched and snappy, and I gasped offended as my eyes snapped up towards the voice. There was a cat-like eyed man leaning over the railing, features sharp and well defined as his aura was demanding and intimidating, glaring daggers at me.

Before I could say anything, there was another unknown voice speaking up, “Probably Mingi, you know he has an affinity for shiny new things—”

A groan cut his words off as I looked his way, surprised to find the red-haired woman glaring at the tall man, he seemed to be around Mingi’s height. The man chuckled sheepishly, looking away from the woman with a shrug, “What? You know it’s true.”

“Yunho.” The woman reprimanded as my eyes remained on them, noticing the quick yet obvious loving look in the man’s eyes as he smiled at the woman, his hand finding hers, fingers intertwining. It made me think of Mingi as he often did that, and I found myself blushing stupidly as I huffed out loud. It caught the attention of the man holding me and I quickly yanked my arm free, stumbling as I had thought he wouldn’t release me so easily. I caught my footing quickly, however, and quickly patted down my dress, pulling my shoulders back and holding my chin high. The man holding me previously and the other one leaning against the railing chuckled almost simultaneously and I scowled, giving them both a glare that would’ve shut up any servant back at the manor, but these two idiots seemed even more amused as they started snickering while they shared a glance.

“Hey!” There was suddenly a commotion downstairs, until loud thuds hit the wooden stairs as my head snapped towards the sound, “Y/N! Come back here! I will—”

Mingi froze as he got on deck, now all eyes on him as his chest was heaving, eyes widening when he looked up towards the railing, “Captain!”

“Good morning, Mingi.” The man smirked, placing his chin in his open palm, “Care to explain yourself?”

“This isn’t like last time, I swear!” Mingi was quick to exclaim, and gone was the cocky and confident man as his eyes widened, and he scrambled to explain himself to the, apparently, Captain of the ship, “She’s like—super rich. She’s a princess, Hongjoong! We’re gonna get so much money this time, that we won’t have to trade for a whole month!”

“Is that so, Mingi?” The Captain looked intrigued as he quirked an eyebrow, looking in my direction. I scoffed and crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at the man, “But Wooyoung and Haneul are taking care of that issue currently.”

“Sure, but we’ve still got some weeks until we meet up with them, surely the plus income comes in handy, right, Seonghwa?” Mingi raised his eyebrows as he looked towards the other man with a manbun, who’s lips were pursed as he hummed.

“I’m always up for more money, but it depends what our Captain wants—”

“I’m not a princess.” I suddenly stated loudly, all eyes snapping onto me. Mingi’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked confused for a second before his eyes narrowed.

“Too late, princess, you’ve already told me last night—”

“And I lied.” I smirked, looking at Mingi challengingly as his eyebrows furrowed even more as he took some steps towards me.

“No, you didn’t—”

“I am related to the Queen, but I am not a princess, although I should be one.” There were a few snickers but I didn’t look to see from whom as I watched Mingi’s expression fall, and face contort into anger. It felt nice to have the upper hand for once, having tricked him into believing I was royalty. I chuckled, grinning as he came to a stop in front of me.

“In that case, throw her overboard.” My eyes widened at the Captain’s nonchalant sentence, attention already elsewhere as he went back to the wheel, looking out onto the sea.

“Hongjoong—” The red-haired woman started, but I cut her off as my heartbeat picked up again.

“I’m rich!” I exclaimed, looking between Mingi and the Captain, “My father can surely pay however much you ask of him. We are…filthy rich!”

Mingi chuckled, looking at me smugly, and it made me want to grab onto his manbun and yank on it.

“Is that so?” The Captain called, but looked rather uninterested as Seonghwa also seemed to turn his attention elsewhere, looking like he started patrolling, talking to the other pirates on deck. Yunho and the red-haired girl also went back to sparing, and I just now noticed that the man high up in the sky was watching everything unfold beneath him.

“I’ll take care of her, don’t worry, Hongjoong.” Mingi mockingly saluted towards the Captain before he gripped me by the nape and turned me around, forcing me to walk towards the stairs. I hissed and tried to get out of his grip, but Mingi just grunted in warning and made me walk down the stairs, leading me back to that God-awful room, probably.

As the minutes went by, I started to realize that this man was just as stupid as any other one, not one complete or smart thought in his head as he stood glaring in my direction, seemingly having ran out of patience. I scoffed as I glared back at him, just as fed up with him as he was with me. As Mingi opened his mouth to speak, I quickly spoke up with a loud and clear voice.

“For the last time, Song Mingi, you are not chaining me to your goddamn bed!” My voice cracked at the end as I was turning borderline hysterical, body starting to shake. There was no way in hell that this man was chaining me to his dirty bed!

“And for the last time, Yoon Y/N, I am chaining you to my goddamn bed!” Mingi snapped back, his deep voice a few octaves higher as the huff he let out was loud, eyes ablaze. My jaw tensed and I crossed my arms in front of my chest, staring him down challengingly.

“If you touch me, I will break your fingers and then Lieutenant Kim will have your head for it—”

“Is that the man you were dancing with at that ridiculous ball?” Mingi cut me off, jaw tense like mine as his grip tightened around the chains he was holding in both hands. They looked heavy, and I refused to have those rusty things touching my skin.

“Why?” I smirked, uncrossing my arms, “Are you jealous?”

Mingi scoffed, rolling his eyes theatrically, “As if…you wish, darling.”

“As much as I love a little drama,” I smiled sweetly, raising my hand to look at my nails nonchalantly, rather unpleased to see the nail polish already peeling off. Soojin had always been quite incompetent when it came to applying nail polish, “I’d rather not have a stupid and incompetent pirate and a gorgeous but poor Lieutenant fighting over me—”

“How arrogant to think that’d we’d ever want to fight over you.” Mingi cut me off, snappy as he stormed up to me, glaring down at me. My lips curled into a mocking smirk as I grabbed his hands and squeezed them harder over the chain he was holding, making him hiss.

“Surely you didn’t take me hostage just because I’m rich,” I chuckled, trailing my forefinger from his wrist right up to his elbow, watching as Mingi gulped nervously, “If I wasn’t as beautiful as I am, you wouldn’t have even as much as glanced my way, pirate.”

Mingi seemed to fidget for a second, but he cleared his throat and looked at me intently, eyes narrowing, “You seem to think rather highly of yourself, princess, so let me set some things straight. In fact, I did not give two flying fucks about your or any other lady’s looks from that ball when I was looking for my next prey. I’m not here looking for a partner, I’m here looking for money. And whoever has the bigger wealth, is whoever I pick. Maybe this will humble you a little, darling, but you were the easiest prey last night as you had stupidly exposed yourself to everyone by leaving that God-awful ball…and you just made my job so much easier, thank you for that, peasant.”

I gasped at the last word, slapping Mingi’s exposed chest before pushing him backwards, glaring at him furiously as a wide smirk stretched onto his lips, watching me smugly and pleased of himself, while I tried to control my rage. How dare he disrespect me like that?! Who was he to say such things to me, a noble and higher up on the social anarchy?! He was the peasant here, not me.

“And a peasant must be put on chains, unless we want them causing any more problems—”

“A peasant,” I took a deep breath, trying to control the tremor in my voice, “doesn’t have to beg for others to give them money, to blackmail a poor father after kidnaping his daughter, nor does he have to think about how to fend for himself day after day—oh, wait! That is what a peasant does, pirate, sounds like you two have a lot more in common than I, a noble, and a peasant does. So who exactly are you calling a peasant here, idiot?”

Mingi’s jaw locked as he bit his lower lip, nodding his head wordlessly, staring down at the wooden floor, chains rattling in his grip as he shook his hands. I continued to hold my head high as Mingi slowly looked up, eyes ablaze and face turned into a scowl as a venomous expression spread over his face, “Excuse me, your highness, that not all of us are raised in puff and lavish. That not all of us have thirty servants fending for our mansions and castles, maids who wipe our asses because we don’t know how to do that ourselves, or chests filled with gold to the brim, awaiting to be spent on useless items, such as the newest dress the Queen thinks is fashionable. And now—shut up, Y/N, I’ve had enough of hearing your stupid voice and ignorant words! I’ll chain you up, and you will shut up, unless you want me to gag you as well.”

And then he suddenly marched up to me, the backs of my knees already pressing into the bed, leaving no space for me to run away. My eyebrows furrowed and I whined as he took hold of my left wrist forcefully, trying to push me down on the bed, but I held myself strong, glaring daggers in his face as we made eye contact. Mingi was visibly furious, a constant sneer on his face as he hissed, a silent warning in his eyes for me to stop. But I wouldn’t stop, did he think he could scare me with empty words? If he treated me like this, I would be his worst nightmare. And just as he went to grip my other hand to push me down on the bed, I moved faster, right hand going above his head and fingers tangling tightly in his manbun. Mingi’s eyes found mine, and for a second, he looked confused, but then he gasped as I yanked on his hair hard, tilting his head back as I made sure all of my fingers were tightly tangled into his blonde locks, nails pushing against his scalp.

“What the hell, Y/N!” He screamed, voice high pitched as the chains suddenly hitting the floor made a loud noise, making me cringe and whine in pain as they hit my bare toes. That would certainly bruise, and so, with a glare, I looked back at Mingi, who was grabbing my wrist with both hands now, trying to pull my hand away, only failing and making me yank more on his locks, “Hey, stop it!”

I scoffed and pulled his head lower, making Mingi’s back bend backwards as I stepped around him, pulling him forcefully after myself. Mingi was fighting back, but having to crouch down and walk at the same time didn’t allow him much choice, he couldn’t push me off himself. I didn’t know where I was headed, but walking him around the room like this perhaps taught him a lesson, so, I started walking us aimlessly, pulling harder and harder on his hair, Mingi’s whines turning into loud groans and hisses.

“Oh, you’re asking for it, Y/N, when I get my hands on you—”

“What, will you chain me to the bed?” I asked sweetly, abruptly stopping, Mingi crashing into my side. I leaned close to his face, grinning wickedly as I yanked on his hair again, which was surprisingly soft, making him grit his teeth at me, “Will you gag me and taunt me more? Poor little Mingi, his fragile ego hurt by a woman merely stating the truth—”

“You are a bitch.” I gasped and yanked him forward, sinking my other hand into his hair too, our bodies pressed against each other as Mingi struggled to keep up.

“Maybe I am a bitch, but when I get back to my papa, I will continue on living my life like nothing happened, while you’ll have a target on your head that will make you and your crew perish,” I grinned evilly, Mingi’s face twisting with another wave of anger, “I wouldn’t say you got much out of this whole ordeal, Mingi.”

To my surprise, he stopped struggling against me, his grip loose against my wrists, making my eyebrows furrow. I thought I had finally knocked some sense into him, but suddenly his hands moved, and I felt his large palm against the back of my head, long fingers tangled into my hair, silver rings digging into my scalp. My eyes widened when I realized what he was about to do, and a loud gasp left my lips as Mingi finally yanked on my hair, tilting my head back. I yelped loudly, tears springing into my eyes as he used more force than I did on him, the fragile strands pulling my scalp harshly, making it burn.

“How does it feel to get your own treatment, princess?” Mingi’s tone was mocking, but he still hissed when my fingers flexed, “I bet your maids hate your fucking guts, Y/N. You’re horrible—”

“Say something new if you want to actually insult me—” I yelped again as Mingi yanked harder, the corset still tight around my body, not allowing me to bend my back anymore backwards, “Stop it!”

“If you let me go first—”

“Never.” I hissed, making Mingi groan.

“You’re so fucking stubborn—I won’t chain you to the bed, for fuck’s sake, just let me go!” Mingi screamed, voice raw and annoyed, aggressively puffing his chest out into mine.

“You first!” I screamed back, adamant on not letting go first. It would give him the upper hand, I wasn’t stupid! Mingi groaned loudly and suddenly the burn was gone from my scalp, his fingers untangled from my locks, hand gone from my head. As he opened his mouth, I did the same and Mingi hissed, standing up to his full height, glaring daggers at me. My heart seemed to jump into my throat as we stood pressed chest to chest, our breathing rather ragged, jaw gritted and glare sharp, the tall man looming over me.

“You vex me.” Mingi hissed, fisting his palms at his side.

“And you irk me.” I hissed back, looking him in the eyes with a defying look. He just shook his head and stepped back, leaving me rather confused as he walked to his closet, not before kicking the chains to the side, and opened the door. It almost came off and he had to steady it with both hands to stop it from falling down, but suddenly he dug inside and when he pulled his hand back, he turned his head to throw me a glance. And then, clothes were thrown in my face and my eyebrows furrowed as I scrambled to catch the items before they fell, giving Mingi a confused look.

“Change out of your clothes, you stink.” I rolled my eyes before looking down at the foreign clothing items. Were those pants? I’ve never worn such thing before, they were for men…but then again, that red-headed woman up on the deck wore pants as well. Was this the latest trend? Couldn’t be, I never heard the Queen saying anything about it.

“I don’t stink,” I gave Mingi a look as I placed the clothes on the desk, placing my hands on my hips, “However, you do.”

Mingi scoffed, mirroring my stance, “Oh, really? My apologies, princess, but we’ve run out of milk and roses a week ago. I will make sure to pick these items up the next time we dock down, cannot go around smelling like dead fish and sweat, now, can I?”

“At least you’re aware.” I muttered with a smirk, making Mingi close his eyes for a second as he inhaled and exhaled, suddenly looking tired as he opened his eyes.

“I don’t stink.” He snapped and I chuckled, grabbing the white shirt to inspect it. I brought it up to my nose, and was rather taken aback to find it smelling like vanilla. My eyes found Mingi’s and his eyebrows were raised as he stared at me, but I refused to voice my thoughts. How could a pirate smell like vanilla?

“Well,” I snapped, placing the shirt down again, “Will you turn around? I have to change.”

Mingi made to pretend he was thinking, pressing his forefinger into his plump lower lip, his eyebrows furrowing cutely, “Hmm, let me think—no!”

The smirk on his lips made my skin crawl as he shamelessly racked his eyes over my body, making me feel suddenly naked under his darkening gaze despite being fully clothed. I gulped, aware of my cheeks suddenly flushing, but not out of embarrassment. I was flustered and…before I could dwell more on it, I grabbed a book from the table and flung it at Mingi, making him grunt as the book’s spine crashed into his exposed chest.

“Heavens, you’re so infuriating.” He muttered as he rolled his eyes, finally turning his back to me. I smiled in triumph and then quickly went to undo the buttons of the dress at the front, careful with my actions as the dress was valuable and had sentimental value to me. The fabric was soft and fragile and once the last button was undone, I carefully slid the sleeves off my hands, skin covered in goosebumps as the temperature was rather low in Mingi’s atrocious room. I was careful as I finally stepped out of the green dress, folding it in two and placing it onto the back of the chair. I tensed when I heard movement coming from Mingi’s direction, but when I looked, he was still facing me with his back and he seemed to have opened the book as he hummed, probably flipping through the pages. It’s rather peculiar that a pirate is interested in literature. The books on his desk were almost identical to the one’s in my father’s library from the forbidden section, my favorite ones. I quickly unclasped the item that Soojin and Soyeon called the ‘upside-down basket’, the one that made the skirts of my dresses big, princess like. I raised it overhead and placed it onto the ground next to me before pushing my stockings down my legs, glad that my skin would finally stop being itchy. My undergarment was covered by a silk gown that reached mid-thigh and the last thing I had to get rid off before I could wear Mingi’s clothes was the corset. I reached around myself, feeling up my back to find the strings, and then pulled. But nothing happened. I sighed quietly, pulling again and hoping I could untangle it, but nothing happened. The corset was still as tight as ever, my hands couldn’t reach far back, I couldn’t do this on my own. My eyes ventured towards Mingi, but I quickly shook my head at the ridiculous idea. I’d rather die than have Mingi help me…but then again, if I had to wear this corset for much longer, I might just die. My torso felt numb, and it ached as the corset dug into my skin uncomfortably, my breasts also aching from being pushed up for such long time. I sighed again and looked in Mingi’s direction, biting my lower lip. He surely wouldn’t do anything inappropriate if I were to ask him to help, right?

I cleared my throat and shuffled uncomfortably, “Mingi…”

There was no response at all, it seemed like he hadn’t heard me, “Mingi.”

“What?” His tone was snappy, and I licked my lips, looking at the floor.

“I, uh—can you undo my corset?” I asked quietly and glanced up, watching Mingi’s body tense as silence followed for a brief moment.

“Can I what?” He asked bewildered.

“Unlace my corset, Mingi.” I snapped, impatient, “I can’t do it myself; my hands don’t reach that far behind.”

“Oh.” Mingi muttered and he took a deep breath before wordlessly nodding his head. I wasn’t exactly prepared as he turned around, cheeks slightly red as he seemed to be looking at my face only, biting his lower lip nervously as he slowly approached me. I averted my eyes and cleared my throat awkwardly, swirling around as I grabbed my own arms, rubbing at my cold skin, trying to offer myself comfort as I heard Mingi come to a stop behind me. There was a soft thud and I glanced back to see the book placed on the table.

“Alright, I’ll unlace your corset.” His raspy voice was low as it was quiet, and my body tensed when I felt his fingers brush against the exposed skin of my back. I had to remind myself to breathe as I was too hyper focused on every move of Mingi’s, the softness his fingers worked with as he started undoing the knots, gently pulling the strings apart. I licked my lips as his finger brushed against my heated skin, untangling the top two knots, already bringing even the littlest relief to my body as I exhaled harshly.

“Did I hurt you?” Mingi asked quietly, stopping. I quickly shook my head as my fingers dug into the skin of my arms, trying to find a steady breath as my heart was beating faster and faster. My face felt hot and I knew it was probably red.

“No, I’m fine.” I whispered, and Mingi grunted once before I felt his fingers move again, slightly yanking my body backwards as he probably couldn’t untangle a knot that easily. Soyeon and Soojin always tied my corsets tightly and expertly, otherwise I would’ve fired them long ago. I cleared my throat as Mingi started humming quietly, suddenly aware that his body was close to mine as his warmth engulfed mine, luring me in with his vanilla scent, mixed with the sea and gunpowder, which was more prominent now than it was last night. My cheeks flushed even more when I remembered the way my nose had pressed against his exposed collarbone, breathing in deep his scent, finding comfort in it and the way Mingi’s larger body seemed to hold me so securely, making me feel the safest I ever have. I gulped, rather loudly, and felt even more knots come loose as suddenly the pressure was taken off my ribs, allowing me to breathe freely, my lungs finally able to fill with air to the fullest. I gasped quietly, palms balling up into fists as Mingi’s fingers brushed against my clothed back, and it arched subconsciously as my skin erupted in goosebumps. I heard a loud gulp from behind and tried to ignore the way I could hear Mingi breathing, making me shudder involuntarily. He suddenly sniffed loudly as he undid more knots, lower ribs freed too, and I closed my eyes as I exhaled quietly in relief, body no longer straining and aching from the restriction the garment offered. I smiled in content, body relaxing and unaware that I leaned back against Mingi, arms hanging limply next to my body as I relished in the feeling that taking off the corset meant after so many hours of wearing it. However, I flinched when I felt Mingi’s large hands wrap around my waist, firmly gripping me. I froze, unblinking and unbreathing as I waited for his next move, which to my surprise, was to yank the corset apart, strings coming undone, slipping from their bindings. My eyes widened a little and I quickly stood up straight again, confused as to why I was disappointed that Mingi no longer held onto me. I felt Mingi slipping the corset upwards and I raised my arms, accustomed to this due to my maid always helping me, and allowed Mingi to take the corset off. I whirled around, about to thank him and act like nothing had happened, but the look on Mingi’s face was startling for a second. His own cheeks seemed to be flushed and he was biting his lower lip, eyebrows slightly furrowed and eyes darker than their usual color, pupils blown wide. I gulped as I looked at him, pondering my next move as I reached for the corset, muttering a quiet ‘thank you’ as Mingi released the fabric. He didn’t say anything and I felt myself mesmerized, unable to move quite yet as Mingi reached forward, fingers lightly tangling at my sides into the silk fabric of the short gown. The thin strap had slipped off my left shoulder, and as Mingi’s eyes racked over all the skin exposed to him, I finally realized I was standing almost as good as naked in front of him. My eyes widened and I took a big step back, averting my eyes as Mingi coughed, rubbing his nose before his fingers tangled into his hair, undoing his manbun. His hair was messy, but he looked off to the side as he quickly retied the messy bun, caused by me, and cleared his throat.

“Uh, finish up quickly.” He sounded almost breathless as he swiftly turned, offering me privacy once again. I hummed and nodded even if he didn’t see me, settling into motion quickly. I threw the corset onto the bed and grabbed his white shirt, pulling it over my shoulders and almost chuckled at how big it was on me. But I quickly started buttoning it up, making sure that my chest was covered well as I stopped at the last button underneath my chin. The shirt was as long as my gown, they both reached mid-thigh. I grabbed the pants and gave them a distasteful look before slipping my legs into each pant leg, the feeling foreign as my exposed legs were instantly wrapped up in warmth, the feeling not as repulsive as I had imagined it to be. I tucked in the shirt and glared at the end of the pants, pooling around my feet. Despite not being short myself, Mingi was too tall for me to comfortably wear his clothes, but I did appreciate it…even if he probably thought I didn’t. I watched the front of the pants in confusion, wondering if the lace was to lace them up like a corset.

“Uh, how do I lace this up?” I asked in confusion, making Mingi turn around, looking just as confused. His face flashed with amusement as he caught onto what I meant, and he walked close again, a small amused smile on his lips.

“Yeah, like this.” My skin tingled when our fingers brushed against each other and my cheeks instantly flushed, I was glad Mingi was focused on the lace and not my face. He pulled tightly, and I gasped as I was yanked towards him, having to steady myself on his broad shoulders, making Mingi chuckle as he cast me a quick glance. Lacing up these pants was a lot easier and quicker as I watched Mingi demonstrate it, something I would be able to do on my own too from now on. When he was done he patted my waist twice, and I tried to keep my eyes off his face as my heart lurched at the action again, stepping back and crouching down to fix the problem at my feet as I rolled the pants up. Mingi watched me with amusement written all over his face.

“You’re a dwarf.” I heard him say with a short laugh, making me roll my eyes.

“No, you’re a giant.” I said as I stood up straight, hands on my hips, “So, do I look okay? I assume you don’t have a mirror here, so you’ll have to tell me yourself.”

Mingi’s eyes ran up and down my body, taking me in, and I found myself blushing again, but his words were quick to chase away the fluster I felt, “Nah, you’re hideous. Don’t worry, at least the sirens won’t want you.”

“Sirens?” I asked with a pout, eyebrows furrowing, “I thought only mermaids existed.”

“Oh, Jongho will be elated to talk to someone about all of that, come.” And before I could even put up a fight that I didn’t want this Jongho guy talking to me, Mingi was pulling me after himself, fingers intertwining with mine once again.

Three days have passed since I was taken hostage, and my papa still hadn’t paid up. Did he not love me anymore because I misbehaved and left the ball without his permission? Did he not love his little daughter enough to bring her back to the safety of his mansion? Was Mingi asking for too much? No, that couldn’t have been the case, we are rich. My father could pay however much Mingi asked in exchange for me, so that couldn’t have been it. But if that was true, why was I still here? It made me huff desperately as I twirled the golden coin between my fingers, looking at it intently. These past three days had been quite horrible. There was nothing I could do on this ship, everyone was rude, dirty, and quite smelly. They did the same things every single day, and refused to let me join them, throwing insults such like, ‘I was a spoiled brat who never shut up’ or that ‘I was rude and had no manners’. Those words were bold as they were coming from some nasty old pirates. The only acceptable man on this wrenched ship seemed to be that Jongho guy, who happened to be fascinated with folklore, and seemed rather eager to tell me everything he knew about it. I wasn’t quite interested per se of what he had to say most of times, but it took my mind off the pressing issues at hand. That being that I was bored out of my mind, and that I hadn’t had a normal milk bath in four days, and that the salty air had cracked my skin, drying it out. Every time I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror in the sad of an excuse of a bathroom they had on this ship, I jumped, and once even almost cried, barely believing that my beautiful skin was now burnt around my nose due to the harsh sun I got exposed to daily when I was up on deck. I wasn’t doing well; my thoughts were turning grim as well. I just wanted to be back at my mansion, surrounded by the cool air, the spacious rooms, my books, the nice perfumes wafting through the rooms, the beautiful garden, and my father. I couldn’t live like this anymore. I was supposed to be pampered, not mocked, insulted, and ignored.

And Mingi was making the whole experience even worse, annoying me at any given chance, playing with me, and taunting me. Yesterday, he refused to let me have lunch, stating that ‘I had misbehaved that morning, and now I was being punished for it’. If it weren’t for Taeri, the red-haired girl, then Mingi would’ve locked me in his room, leaving me banging on the door and screaming after him. Despite not liking most of the pirates on this pathetic excuse of a ship, Taeri seemed to be quite enjoyable. She was soft spoken and very nurturing, and she checked in on me every morning, making sure that Mingi didn’t make me uncomfortable. I found that rather generous of her, and quickly begged her to let me be her roommate for as long as I had to stay on this ship, but she nicely let me down, telling me that she was, unfortunately, already sharing a room with Yunho. I found that rather peculiar, but after close observation of the two, I came to the realization that they were in love. I have never felt that emotion, but based on all the books I have read, their romance looked exactly the same like in those beautiful stories. Their eyes were filled with warmth, and Yunho would never stop smiling when Taeri was next to him, and I didn’t fail to notice how protective he was of her as well. Perhaps I was jealous that Taeri managed to find her lover, meanwhile me, a very desirable woman was still waiting for her prince. It was rather sad, but I decided not to dwell more on it while I was on this pirate ship, I would find my prince surely once I get back to my old life.

Currently, Mingi and I were crammed up in his small and ugly room, a floorboard near his bed cracked in, which I have discovered two days ago with disdain as my foot went through the hole, ankle almost getting stuck as I screeched for Mingi to get it out, fearful of all the insects and rats that would touch my skin. But Mingi, like the asshat he was, just stood laughing and making fun of me, walking closer, and mocking me until I broke down in tears, making his eyes widen as he finally crouched down and gingerly pulled my leg out of the hole, muttering something about me being overly dramatic before he left the room, offering me time to change into day wear clothes. I was lucky with Taeri being here, her clothes were almost a perfect fit as she was nice enough to borrow me one of her leather pants and two shirts. However, Mingi refused to let me wear Taeri’s shirts, and hid them on top of his closet, where I couldn’t reach them. He was a menace and he loved tormenting me, so deciding to turn this against him, ignoring every particle in my body screaming at me to act like the lady I was, I went ahead and unbuttoned the top buttons of Mingi’s shirt each morning, leaving my cleavage exposed, the silky gown the only clothing item that covered my breasts. The first time Mingi saw me, he turned red like a tomato, and spluttered on about me being inappropriate as he marched up to me and quickly buttoned the shirt up, giving me a warning look to keep it that way while we were up on deck. But, of course, I didn’t listen to him, and to my utmost disgust, I had a slimy pirate grabbing after me, spluttering disgusting things in my face about my body and what he was going to do to me, until I raised my fist up high and connected it against his wrinkly nose, hearing a loud crack. Mingi was by our side in a moment, reprimanding me for my actions, up until I told him why I had done what I had done, shocked to find Mingi throwing another punch at the old pirate, blood flowing down his face after the second blow to his nose. The Captain had rudely called for us to stop and scramble off, calling for a man named Yeosang, apparently the crew’s doctor. And if I thought today I would have a normal day while Mingi dragged me up on deck in the morning after the both of us got changed, I was extremely wrong. I had pulled my hair in a low bun and was watching Yunho and Taeri spare, eyes following their moves curiously, wondering what it felt like holding a sword. Mingi had abandoned me, apparently having to help Yeosang in carrying some heavy barrels from some chamber under deck, up on deck, both of them sweaty by the time they got up. I was sitting on a barrel, playing with a golden coin I had borrowed from Jongho last night at dinner while he was too busy showing me the drawings of this one supposed Siren that he had met. It was rather hard to believe, I had thought the man was simply crazy, but Seonghwa was there to confirm, that they indeed have captured a Siren not too long ago, but due to some issues with another pirate crew, the Siren escaped.

I had sighed loudly, the wind carrying it away, as my eyes fixated longingly on the shore, which seemed to be even more far away than it was when I had arrived on this ship. Jongho had said that the Navy’s fleet had been scouting the waters, having a hunch that perhaps I had been kidnaped by the pirates, so we had to sail out a little bit further, where they wouldn’t find us. The thought was disheartening, knowing that Lieutenant Kim wouldn’t be able to save me. I had quite quickly grown bored of watching Yunho and Taeri spare, so I jumped off the barrel, and walked towards an opened chest, finding it filled with different sized weapons, some big shotguns in it as well. I leaned over and brushed my fingers against the sharp blade, gripping the handle of the dagger curiously, dropping it in exchange to hold onto the end of a shotgun. I had seen weapons before, my father would hunt every now and then, but I was never allowed to hold one. As my curiosity got the better of me, and nobody was actually paying attention to me, I took the shotgun in my hands and straightened up, surprised by its actual weight. I pursed my lips as I raised it up, narrowing my eyes as I continued to inspect the shotgun, noticing that it was covered in gunpowder. I suddenly realized that Mingi smelled the same, and it made me wonder why that was. Could he be the one who wielded these shotguns? But before I could dwell more on that thought, firm arms suddenly wrapped around my middle, pulling me into a sturdy body, and I gasped loudly as I almost dropped the shotgun.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Mingi’s deep voice whispered into my ear, his lips brushing against the skin just barely, “Might have to up the sum for daddy dearest.”

My heart was beating like crazy, hands slightly shaking from the fright he had given me, but also from the sudden proximity, and body pressing into mine. Mingi didn’t seem to be too bothered by the lack of space between us, and I cleared my throat, hands tightening around the shotgun.

“Maybe I should try and see how this weapon works,” I smirked, turning my head to look up at Mingi, “I choose you to be my target.”

Mingi chuckled, lips pulling into a dashing smile, and for a second I forgot how to breathe. His once long blonde hair was now extremely short and spikey, sticking up in all directions. Two days ago, it came quite as a shock seeing him before dinner as he had walked inside our shared room, muttering about how he didn’t want to risk getting his hair pulled like I had done, therefore, he got rid of his long locks. At first I had thought he was crazy for cutting his beautiful, soft, long hair, but one day later, I realized maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. His already sharp features were even more highlighted now, eyes appearing sharper, his cheekbones high and well-defined, certainly attention grabbing, and his jawline chiseled. It also made his tall nose stand out more, the little mole underneath his eye and close to his jawline only adding to his charm.

“Hmm, I thought you were my target, princess.” Mingi muttered, eyebrows raising as he snapped me out of my thoughts, suddenly aware of how badly my face was burning. And it wasn’t from the sun.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, “I’m hardly a target, love, I could fight you anytime. I thought you had seen how I punched that old fool.”

“Yeah,” Mingi smirked, raising an eyebrow as his arms tightened around my middle, making my breath hitch, “But that’s an old man, not a young one full with strength and life. Just because I let you have your way around, doesn’t mean I’m weaker than you—or that you can overpower me, darling. It’s quite the opposite, actually.”

As I opened my mouth to retort back, I was suddenly very forcefully pushed forward as Mingi veered me slightly to the side so the chest wouldn’t be in the way, and suddenly, I was caged in between the railing and Mingi’s body. My hips dug into the sturdy wood harshly, making me groan as one of Mingi’s hands slowly slipped up my torso, grabbing my jaw harshly. I hissed and tried to yank my head free, but I couldn’t as Mingi wasn’t budging. My heart beat frantically as my grip on the shotgun tightened, trying to focus on what was happening. On what Minig’s real intention was by doing this, trying to find a way out.

“Cat got your tongue now, Y/N?” Mingi whispered, voice low and close to my ear, rather sinister. I gulped, but remained silent, refusing to back down, “I could overthrow you without even lifting a finger, precious, and you wouldn’t even be able to scream for help.”

My eyebrows furrowed as I opened my mouth to do just that, knowing that Taeri was still on deck, but suddenly the hand holding my jaw tightly slipped to my neck and Mingi’s fingers covered by rings suddenly curled around my throat, squeezing just enough to make my body tense as my air was cut off. I started to panic as Mingi just chuckled and watched me struggle against him, his eyes glued to the side of my face. I gripped his left arm with my hand and dug my nails into his skin, hopeful that it would make him release me, but he just chuckled and applied more pressure to my throat, making my eyes widen as I realized I was slowly starting to choke. Caged in, unable to push him off or even move away, I realized I had to find another way to break free. But my brain was losing air and my body had started shaking, I didn’t know what to do. I could only hope someone would notice and finally stop him, but it seemed like nobody cared. Not even Taeri, so, I had to save myself again. And so, as a last-minute desperate thought, I raised my left leg high and brought it down hard on Mingi’s foot, hopefully cracking his toes. He let out a loud howl, instantly releasing me and stepping back, making me double over as I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, heartbeat fast and skin burning. I threw the shotgun on the floor and gripped the railing hard, feeling tears spring to my eyes. The audacity this stupid pirate had, made me beyond furious.

“You might be stronger,” I hissed as I turned to glare at Mingi, “But I’m smarter, you asshat!”

And with that, I had stormed off, tears rolling down my cheeks as I tried to calm my breathing and reassure myself that nothing actually has happened to me, that Mingi was being an idiot and was only trying to piss me off, which he had succeeded in doing. So, hours later, he was paying for it. I hadn’t spoken to him since that incident this morning, and after he finished whatever stupid duties he had on this stupid ship, he had come down to his room. He had paused in the doorway when he saw me sitting at his desk, feet up as I sat low in his chair, playing with the borrowed coin from Jongho. Mingi said nothing, but his eyes slightly narrowed as he walked further inside, coming closer. Despite my heartbeat picking up again, I ignored him, slightly surprised that he left me alone for once. He grabbed a book and very loudly jumped towards his bed, groaning as his large body got tangled in the sheets smelling like vanilla. I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes, and found him leaned against the wall, feet dangling off his bed as he had opened the book, lips sucked in as his eyebrows furrowed. He wore a black tank top today, his muscular biceps on display, a shiny golden forearm bracelet hugging his left bicep tightly. It was a sight that threw me off guard, only to realize that I quite liked the visual it offered. Mingi’s narrow waist was once again highlighted by the thick leather belt tied around it, the black tank top tucked inside his matching leather pants. He had a pearl necklace at the base of his neck, hugging the skin tightly, and another longer one that reached between his pecks with a moonstone as a pendant.

I smirked, an ingenious thought forming in my mind, serving as revenge for what he had done to me this morning. I pushed the chair a little bit further back, making it screech deliciously against the wooden floorboard, quickly averting my eyes when Mingi glanced my way over his book. I crossed my legs over one another as I relocated them towards the edge of the desk, sighing loudly as I slipped down lower in the chair. I flipped the golden coin between my fingers, tapping my nails against it occasionally. I checked to see Mingi’s reaction, but he seemed unbothered so far, so I smirked, and let out another sigh, louder this time. I licked my lips and groaned as I threw my head back, pouting in the process, staring out the small round window. I felt eyes on me for a second, but I ignored Mingi as I continued with another loud sigh. Then, I paused, making sure he was reading again before I started tapping the desk with the heel of my right leg, hitting the edge of it just the way I had wanted. I chose a steady rhythm for it, sighing every so often, putting the next step of my plan into action.

“What is my papa up to right now…” I muttered with a pout, “I wonder why he hadn’t paid up yet…”

I sighed loudly again, hitting the desk rather harshly, the sound louder. There was the flip of the page, Mingi didn’t react—yet, “Is there possibly something wrong?”

I hit my heel against the desk again, “Did something happen to my papa as well? I wouldn’t be surprised if these ugly and stupid pirates somehow got to him too…”

I heard Mingi shuffling on the bed before he cleared his throat, but I just continued acting oblivious as I was pouting, still staring out the window, “Or what if he never got the letter…oh, no…I’m stuck here forever!”

I started sniffing, making quiet crying sounds as Mingi cleared his throat again, eyes set on me with a glare. But it didn’t faze me as I quickly shook my head, taking a deep breath, my heel coming down against the desk rather harshly, “What if…what if he doesn’t love me enough to save me?!”

I sniffed loudly, tapping my leg against the desk louder and more frequently, stare boring into the coin in my hand as Mingi huffed loudly, but didn’t speak up just yet. Fine, then I would try this in a different way, “God, I’ll never see Lieutenant Kim ever again! How I wish I never turned him down! Then I wouldn’t be in this God-awful place, rotting away, my beauty hidden from the world…”

There was a scoff but as my eyes snapped to Mingi, he was looking at his book, his mouth pulled into a sneer. I smirked, tapping the desk lighter now, eyes boring into Mingi’s handsome face, “Oh, the luxuries he had promised me. I should have said yes, he is the perfect match for me. He cares for me so deeply! He would’ve done anything for me—I wouldn’t even be here now with this—irritating, smelly, ugly, and dumb pirate, who’s room is falling apart and smells like rotten fish.”

Mingi’s jaw locked as he licked his lips, eyes narrowing as they quickly snapped up, making me avert mine as I sighed dreamily, eyebrows in a frown. The boat was rocking rather softly today, the waves not as harsh as yesterday, “Oh, and this terrible ship is so awful! Every day I get more and more homesick. I wish that my papa would just—ow!”

I yelped loudly as something hard hit my head, making me bolt up from the chair, eyes wide as I whipped my head around to look at Mingi. He was glaring at me as he had his arms crossed in front of his chest, biceps bulging.

“Just shut up, Y/N, heavens, I can’t listen to your annoying voice for any longer!” He hissed; voice irritated as he glared daggers at me. My disdain turned into amusement as I leaned my hip against his desk, smirking at him.

“Oh, poor little Mingi, bothered by a fragile woman who can’t even defend herself.” I mocked him, pushing my lower lip out in a fake pout, “God forbid he can’t read his stupid fairytale book, or else he’ll turn into a whiney toddler—”

“I’m one fucking second away of gagging you, Y/N.” Mingi hissed, pushing himself off the wall. I rolled my eyes with a snort.

“Your threats had been all empty so far, love.” I smirked, flipping through his book lazily, “You’ll have to do more if you want to scare me into silence.”

“Oh, yeah?” Mingi’s voice dropped and my eyes snapped to him when I heard the bed creaking, slightly widening at the annoyance clear on his face. As he went to stand up, I panicked and did the first thing that came to mind, threw his book at his face. Mingi barely dodged it, eyes widening as he looked offended.

“Hey! Stop throwing my books at me!” He exclaimed, glaring at me as I stormed up to him, towering over his sitting form.

“You started it now!” I hissed and reached around him, grabbing the book off the bed to hit him over the head. Mingi gasped and tried to shield his head at my continuous attacks, making me smirk when he couldn’t swat at my hand to make me stop. It was rather amusing, watching the tall ‘scary’ pirate trying to get away from a smaller woman, but unable to do so. I started laughing as Mingi whined loudly, leaning backwards and moving his torso in funny ways to escape me.

“Stop it!” But I didn’t care to listen to him as I continued laughing, finding the situation amusing, until I felt something soft hitting my side forcefully. I gasped, eyes going wide as I froze, staring down at Mingi. I had placed one knee up on the bed to be able to reach his retreating form, and now it was Mingi smirking at me as he held his pillow in his hands, raising it overhead to hit me with it. The impact left me huffing loudly as I dropped the book on the floor and dived for the only other pillow before Mingi could get his hands on it too and leave me defenseless, twisting my body so that I could hit him with it. It made contact with his face and Mingi groaned as I started giggling, hitting him some more as I got on the bed on both of my knees, amused that Mingi couldn’t hit back as he had to recoil from my constant pillow attacks. But then, he was suddenly straightening up and throwing a menacing glare at me, which made me laugh harder, as he started hitting my side again. My stomach started hurting from laughing too much, but I couldn’t stop as Mingi continued to whine and ask me to stop while I continued hitting his back with the pillow. He wasn’t even getting hurt, so I didn’t understand why he was so whiney about it. It was fun.

He released the pillow with one hand and tried to grab at my waist, but I kept hitting his arm with my pillow, making him huff and puff in irritation. Then suddenly, he threw his pillow to the ground, and as I smirked in victory and raised my arms to hit him over the head with my own, he lunged forward, making me yelp as his body crashed into mine. I dropped the pillow and wrapped my arms around his neck as I felt us falling backwards on his bed, my back hitting the soft sheets soon enough. My chest was raising and falling rapidly, and so was Mingi’s, as his breath hit the side of my neck, sending me into another set of giggles as I stared up at the ceiling amused. Mingi’s hands gripped my waist firmly, his weight crushing me as his lean body melted into mine. My legs fell open on both sides of his hips, and as my giggles finally stopped, I could hear Mingi snickering as well, his warmth engulfing mine, and making my cheeks burn once I realized the position we were in. I had never had a man all over myself, certainly not while lying in bed, with him nestled between my legs and almost laughing into my ear. The scent of vanilla mixed with gunpowder was strong, and I sniffed quietly, unconsciously taking a deeper whiff of Mingi’s familiar scent. I gulped loudly, arms tightening around Mingi’s neck for a second before I slowly withdrew my arms, hands dragging against the skin of his neck. I felt the silver clasp of his pearl choker before my hands continued on tracing his shoulders, until the fell on both sides of my head. Mingi slowly pushed himself up, resting on his elbows as his eyes ran over my face. I gulped again, my stomach flipping weirdly as Mingi shuffled a little, his lower half pressing into mine, making me gasp quietly as Mingi’s eyes bore into mine. I licked my lips, watching as Mingi’s eyes dropped onto them, his own mouth slightly opening as his breathing got heavier. My eyebrows furrowed as he bit his lower lip, head very slowly lowering as he glanced back up in my eyes, my heart beating so fast I could feel it in my neck. But as his hot breath hit my face, I realized that whatever we were doing was unethical and would ruin my purity surely, so I acted on impulse. My left hand raised and I opened my fist, dangling Mingi’s pearl choker between our faces. He suddenly froze, eyebrows furrowing as he looked at the choker bewildered before looking back down at me, a questioning look on his face.

“What?” He muttered quietly, touching his neck with his left hand lightly, as if to make sure that I did indeed take his pearl necklace without him noticing. I chuckled as I smiled at him cheekily, just shrugging as I played with the necklace, admiring it for a second. But my amusement was quickly gone as Mingi gave me a long stare, a smirk slowly blooming on his face as he raised his left hand, a golden hairpin clear as day in his hand. My mouth dropped open as I stared at it, raising my hand to touch my, now nonexistent, bun. When did he pull it out of my hair? And how? Nobody could get it out of my hair without pulling on the strands painfully, not even Soojin or Soyeon.

“How?” I whispered impressed, making Mingi shrug as he smirked proudly.

“I have my ways.” He winked, and then suddenly pushed himself off me, dropping the hairpin on my stomach. He cleared his throat as he got to his feet, ruffling his spikey blonde hair before patting his clothes down, extending his hand out towards me. I placed the necklace in his hand and watched as he quickly clasped it back around his neck.

“I’ll go help Yunho now, don’t wander around, San isn’t in a good mood today.” Mingi instructed as I sat up, twirling the hairpin in my hands.

“Who’s San?” I asked confused, and Mingi paused in the doorway.

“He’s…not someone you want to meet, so, please, stay here.” His tone was the most serious I had heard him use, and I nodded in understanding, “I’ll send Taeri to entertain you.”

“Thank you.” I flashed him a small smile, and he was out the door, leaving me with a frantic beating heart, and a hotness all over my body that I had never felt before. What was Song Mingi doing to me?

It would seem like today wasn’t out day. Arguments would ensue too often throughout the day, and I could only blame Mingi for it as he always found something to bother me with. If the pathetic scare he tried giving me this morning wasn’t enough, he had went off on a rant right before dinner that I was taking up all of his space, and barely offered him any privacy. He also accused me of stealing a few of his precious jewelry, which I had not done as I had zero wishes to steal anything that belonged to this dumb pirate. And despite seeing said jewelry around Yunho’s wrist and neck during dinner, Mingi made no effort to apologize to me for the accusations he’s made earlier. And if that wasn’t enough to put me in a bad mood, certainly him telling this other girl on the ship, Jung Hana, that I was a nuisance and stuck-up brat, so she shouldn’t even bother talking to me, set me off as I had slammed the silver folk down on the table, whipping my head around as I flashed Mingi a deep glare.

“Would you stop trying to veer everyone away from me?!” I had snapped, voice high pitched, “Maybe I’m not the problem here, Mingi, but you.”

Mingi had snorted, spoon in his mouth as he had taken a bite of his dinner, “Sure, there’s no possible way that a spoiled princess is the problem instead of a humble pirate, who’s trying to simply live his life—”

“A rather pathetic excuse of a life.” I cut him off, unaware of the eyes on the two of us, “And you’re far from being humble, Song Mingi. You always try to bring me down, but you fail to realize that you’re just as horrible, arrogant, and annoying as I am, you asshat. Telling Yeosang yesterday that despite being a doctor for so many years he was quite shit at stitching people up, berating Jongho for having his head in the clouds instead of taking his duties more seriously, laughing at Taeri when she failed to lift that horribly heavy chest filled with weapons, and even telling your own Captain that his decision making had been questionable lately, are certainly out of good intention, right, Mingi? And not because you’re just an arrogant man who thinks highly of himself, certainly not looking down on the people around him?”

Mingi’s jaw had clenched as he gripped the spoon tighter in his hand, knuckles whitening, “You know nothing about me, and I advise you shut up if you don’t want to become shark dinner.”

“Oh, spare me, Mingi.” I hissed, nose flaring, “Unless you mean what you say, stop wasting everyone’s air.”

“Get up!” Mingi’s voice was suddenly deep as it boomed around us, making a few pirates flinch as they weren’t bothered enough to watch the exchange between the two of us, “Get the fuck up, right now!”

“You will not tell me what to do, you filthy—” I gasped as Mingi grabbed my bicep and yanked me up to my feet harshly, making my eyes widen. I pulled on my arm, but his grip tightened as he tried to make me step over the bench we had been sitting on, but I wouldn’t budge as I held onto the table. Somebody cleared their throat, but my eyes were set on Mingi only, my face red from anger as my heart started racing. His eyes had significantly darkened, and his breathing was heavy, eyes narrow slits. Gone was the playful and arrogant Mingi, instead a frightening man stood in his place, probably finally ready to throw me overboard as he had reached his limit.

“And you will learn your lesson tonight, princess.” Mingi hissed, making me tumble almost to the floor as he pulled on my arm harshly, forcing me to step over the bench.

“Song Mingi.” It was clear who’s voice it was, Yunho sounded slightly concerned, “Stop.”

But neither Mingi nor I were paying attention to anyone but the other, “Do you think I don’t hate this as much as you do, Mingi? You ripped me away from my life and forced me to live on this—ship filled with pirates, who would love to do bad things to me—and you expect me to just listen to you and respect you?”

“Have I given you any reasons not to?!” Mingi’s voice raised as he closed the gap between our bodies, his hot breath fanning against my face, “Have I treated you like any of those pirates? Haven’t I been looking out for you?! Haven’t I been keeping you safe?”

“You kidnapped me!” I screamed and tried to push him away, but he didn’t even flinch.

“For your money!” Mingi screamed back, “I demanded nothing else of you when I could’ve! I could’ve done horrible things to you, and I didn’t.”

“And do you want me to bow down, and thank you for that?” I scoffed, sneering at him, “You want me to thank you for acting like a human being with me?”

“Yes, you could fix your attitude starting there.” Mingi snapped, and I bit my lip in frustration, uncomfortable now that I realized everyone was watching us, gaping at us. I didn’t want to do this anymore; I don’t even understand why we had to snap at each other every single time a little inconvenience happened.

“Excuse me if my papa failed to teach me how to apologize, because I will be not apologizing to you when you only insult me all the time.” I tried to yank my arm free again, but Mingi still wasn’t budging. His eyebrows furrowed and he leaned down, looking me in the eyes.

“When have I insulted you?” He chuckled, and I released a deep breath to try and stay level headed.

“Just right now?” I asked with a disbelieving laugh, “You think that I’m stupid and good for nothing, that I don’t respect people, and only use them when I need something from them. You keep saying I’m stuck up and look down on anyone who’s bellow my status—when have I treated you like that?”

“Don’t tell me when you saw me at that stupid ball you didn’t only want to approach me because you thought I was rich?” Mingi scoffed, rolling his eyes as I bit my lower lip, heart hammering in my chest.

“I didn’t—it was one of the factors, but not the main one—” My thoughts were running a mile per hour. Mingi was right, in some way, but he also didn’t know everything. He couldn’t possibly have realized that I stopped caring whether he was rich or not.

“What’s the main one then, huh?” Mingi snapped, cutting me off as I averted my eyes to the floor, cheeks flushing. I didn’t want to say it, not in front of everyone. I was embarrassed, but Mingi’s fingers only tightened around my bicep, and I sighed, swallowing my pride for the first time in my life.

“The same reason for why I trusted you since the moment you made that creepy man go away at the pub. Because you made me feel safe, because despite not knowing me, you looked out for me. Because you never once tried to approach me at the ball, unlike every other desperate man there, and you didn’t even want to stick around at the pub. I know—I know it was probably part of your stupid scheme, but if you wouldn’t have been gentle and nice to me, I would’ve never allowed you to hold me like that while I was drunk and out of it.” I took a deep breath as I felt Mingi’s grip loosen significantly, “The same reason as to why I didn’t throw a tantrum when you wouldn’t sleep on the floor, when you refused to put pillows between us while sleeping. For the same bloody reason, Mingi, why I asked for your help with my corset when I could’ve easily asked Taeri.”

I let out a shuddered breath, feeling Mingi’s hand slowly slip down my arm, covering my skin in goosebumps in its wake, lips slightly trembling from the embarrassment I felt admitting all of that without an ounce of privacy, “I can’t help it that I was raised like this. I can’t help but look at my maids and feel little compassion for them because serving me is their job. And I know I’m mean and vile to them, but I care for them. I always did. They’ve been there for me when nobody else was. I never had friends because my father wouldn’t allow me, but Soyeon and Soojin were there, they played with me and cheered me up. I know I’m horrible, but I always showered them with gifts, and anything that I didn’t need anymore.

“I can’t help the fact that when I look at you I see a simple man, hard-working, but just barely making it through each day, when my father raised me to be able to pinpoint the differences between a poor and a rich man. It’s not my fault that the first thing I look at are your clothing, shoes, and jewelry, to determine your wealth. It’s not my fault that my governess taught me etiquette, and that I was reprimanded every time I would slouch, laugh loudly, or even as little as mumble my words. I never had a mother, she died while giving birth to me. I can’t help the fact that I cling onto whoever gives me even a little bit of affection and care. I was never allowed to do what I wanted; I was never allowed to explore. I’m locked up in my mansion all day, listening to my father and his disgusting old friends, wondering when a prince would finally find me and whisk me away. I’m sorry if you think I’ve been a…bitch to you, but I do not know how to act when I’m around people like you. I only see hierarchy. and the filth that surrounds me here.”

I fell silent for a second, taking a deep breath as Mingi watched me stunned, gripping my wrist almost as if afraid that I would disappear. The silence that stretched on was awkward, even when Seonghwa softly whispered my name from the table, “But it doesn’t mean I’m not open to learning. To forgetting all the prejudice I was raised with. To letting go of society’s norms, to find myself and learn who I really am underneath all the lavish and puff, the huge dresses, and fake tea parties. I was willing to learn, Mingi, but you never gave me a chance. You just…assumed I’m a stupid, stuck-up bitch, and went with it, never failing to remind me of it. You never saw how curiously I watched you each time you were working, discussing the guns with Seonghwa and your Captain. You never paid enough attention to notice the longing stares I would give Yunho and Taeri whenever they were sparring, wanting to learn as well. And you never looked long enough to see the smile on my face each time I would spot my favorite book on your desk, fingers tracing the title, fondly remembering the time I had snuck the book out of my father’s library to read it overnight, getting punished for it the next day because I had taken something from the forbidden section.”

“Y/N…” Mingi sounded breathless as I stepped back, suddenly aware that tears were rolling down my cheeks, even more embarrassed when I glanced towards the table. Hana was cuddled up into Yeosang, who looked sorry, Seonghwa and Taeri mirroring his expression. Hongjoong was eating, looking rather irritated by the commotion, but I didn’t miss the exasperated glare he sent at Mingi. Yunho was glaring at his best friend, arms crossed in front of his chest as he shook his head, and Jongho looked mad as he was glaring at Mingi. I cleared my throat and tried to ignore the rest of the pirates I didn’t know as most seemed amused as I quickly wiped my tears and looked at Seonghwa.

“I’m sorry, my appetite is gone.” I muttered, stepping back from Mingi, and giving him a look when he tried to grab me again, “But dinner was delicious, even better than the one’s at home usually are.”

Seonghwa smiled warmly, nodding his head once, “Wooyoung is our original cook, but he’s still got some weeks until he returns to us. It’s a pity you won’t get to meet him.”

“Yeah, a pity.” I sighed, not knowing whether I was happy or not about it, “I wish you all a good evening, I hope I hadn’t ruined your evening.”

“Y/N!” Mingi called out as I turned and stormed off, almost running into a man out in the hallway as he was about to step inside the kitchen. His already sharp eyes narrowed and I furrowed my eyebrows, my skin covered in chills due to the dangerous smirk on his lips. His eyes traveled over my body and he chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you a treat, princess?” His voice was smooth and as he attempted to step towards me, I held a hand out.

“You must be San, then.” I recalled Mingi advising me to stay away from him, something about him being really dangerous.

“Oh,” He chuckled, making me tense up as he licked his red lips, “and who are you?”

“None of your business,” I snapped, glaring at him when he tried to step closer again, “I’m here with Mingi, either way.”

A defeated look crossed his face for a second, before he hummed, “What a pity, you would’ve made us a lot of money.”

My eyebrows furrowed as I took a step back, unsettled by his words just as much as I was confused, “Of course Mingi would pick you, a noble just like him, but even richer. I bet his mother would be elated if he returned home with you, all of his sins forgotten.”

“Good night.” I snapped, feeling uncomfortable as I didn’t want to find out about who Mingi was by someone else. I wanted him to tell me about himself, but after the argument, I was sure he’d ignore me until my father finally pays up. I stormed off towards Mingi’s room, not waiting for San to say anything else, weirded out by his whole aura and the hunger in his eyes as he watched me.

And the evening passed by fast after that, I had changed into my night gown, borrowed from Hana, and laid in bed, contemplating over everything that’s happened to me so far. I really wanted to go home and forget everything that’s happened, ready to close this chapter and leave it behind me. Perhaps there was a moment when I had considered Mingi to be the prince I have been longing for, but after tonight, I have concluded that the two of us didn’t belong together. We are too different, too prideful and stubborn to ever admit to our faults, to even try to fix our damaged…friendship? I didn’t know what to consider ourselves, but Mingi was the closest thing to a friend I could ever have, with Taeri, and perhaps, Jongho as well. I had been laying in the dark, on my back, when the door opened and Mingi’s tall frame walked further inside the room, closing the door carefully. The floorboards were old and creaky, yet I could hear him being careful as he shuffled towards his closet, taking a peek at me. I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep, to which Mingi moved even more carefully as he opened his old closet door, gasping when it almost moved off its hinges again. I carefully opened an eye, taking a peek in Mingi’s direction. He had his back to me and both of my eyes snapped open as pulled his black tank top off his body, his broad back exposed to my eyes. My face flushed as I watched him change, until I realized he might want me to offer him some privacy, prompting myself to squeeze my eyes shut. I stopped breathing when I heard him moving around again, only to feel the bed dip next to my body. Mingi’s room was small, and so, his bed wasn’t very spacious for two people, but we somehow made it work to stay far away from each other when sleeping. The blanket shifted for a second and I felt Mingi slip in underneath, softly releasing the breath I had been holding as I shifted, turning my back to him. Mingi sniffed once and didn’t bother to speak up, so I forced myself to keep my eyes shut and just fall asleep. The quicker the next day comes, the better.

But it was easier said than done when my mind was reeling with thoughts, forbidding me from sleeping. I bit my lower lip as I shifted for the nth time, facing Mingi, but never opening my eyes to see him. I could feel his gaze on me, but I didn’t want to actively acknowledge it. I was embarrassed by the scene we had caused in the kitchen, and especially for saying those things to him in front of everyone. That wasn’t how I wanted to pour my heart out to him, to admit that I had started feeling something for him. I couldn’t define what it was, but it was something. And it made me hope that I would be able to leave this place soon, scared that I would fall for the pirate. Nobody’s ever treated me as humanly as him before, teaching me that I wasn’t as special as I once had believed. Perhaps I was privileged, and I had failed to notice that. With a quiet sigh, I turned back onto my back, the old mattress shifting with my movements as a low groan came from Mingi. I almost opened my eyes, but instead decided that now I would fall asleep—except that suddenly there was movement next to me, and suddenly a weight was pressing me down into the bed, making my eyes snap open as Mingi grabbed my arms and pressed them on each side of my head, grip firm. I gaped up at him as he sat on my hips, eyebrows deeply furrowed. It was dark in the room, but the moonlight shone through the little round window, falling on Mingi. The shadows falling on his face made him even more intimidating, and I came to the startling realization, that Mingi’s shirt was completely undone, his torso exposed. Before I could stop myself, my eyes glazed over his well-defined body, toned chest and firm stomach, cheeks flushing as I looked back up in his eyes, throat dry all of a sudden.

“Stop moving so much, I can’t sleep.” Mingi snapped quietly, eyebrows furrowing.

“I can’t sleep.” I muttered, frowning back at him, “Is it necessary to pin me down, Mingi?”

“Well—” He seemed to realize what he had done, cheeks turning darker instantly, but he made no effort to move, “Will you stop, then?”

“Once I fall asleep—”

“I’ll kick you out.” Mingi quickly cut me off, making me roll my eyes. My heartbeat was steadily quickening, a warm feeling overtaking my whole body once again the longer Mingi sat on top of me.

“Kick me out, then, I’ll go sleep in Seonghwa’s room or something.” I scoffed, adding quietly, “Maybe even Jongho’s.”

“No.” Mingi’s tone was serious and his hands slightly tightened around my arms, making me raise an eyebrow at him, “I mean, no, you don’t have to do that when you can sleep here…with me.”

“Not if you kick me out.” I muttered, body softening under Mingi. He gulped and paused for a second, sitting back on his heels as he slowly released my arms, my fingers brushing against his with a small smile. My face was burning, but so was his, so I didn’t pay it much attention. He must feel flustered as well, then.

“I won’t kick you out.” Mingi whispered, looking off to the side. My smile widened as my fingers firmly grasped the sturdy object in my hand now, feeling around the silver ring. It was warm, due to Mingi wearing it all day long, and it was almost a little crooked, as if Mingi had been wearing it for a long time now. I raised my hand and looked at it, but held it in a way Mingi couldn’t see it. My movement caught his attention and he looked back at me, eyebrows slightly furrowing as he pouted, turning his head to try and see what was in my hand.

“Did you know I really liked rubies?” I asked nonchalantly, swiftly slipping the ringer on my ring finger. Of course, it was rather large for me, but I could still play around with it.

“No, you never told me.” Mingi whispered, closely watching me.

“You never asked, about anything for that matter,” I looked up at Mingi, licking my lips, “You never bothered to get to know me, you know?”

As Mingi opened his mouth to say something, I turned my left hand around, watching as it took a few seconds for Mingi to realize what he was staring at. His eyes widened and he went to quickly check his own hand, his ruby ring indeed missing.

“How did you do that?” He asked, sounding slightly disturbed, as he caught my hand in his, “I didn’t even feel it.”

I smiled cheekily, allowing him to slip the ring off my finger to place it back on his middle one, “I’m quite good, aren’t I?”

Mingi chuckled and nodded once, slightly leaning back down, my muscles tensing at the shift of his weight on top of my body, “I think I should be given some credit too; don’t you think?”

My eyes widened as he casually dangled my favorite bracelet in my face, which had been on my right wrist before Mingi had gotten on top of me, “How did you do that?”

“Just like you did.” Mingi chuckled and motioned for me to extend my arm towards him, so I did. He carefully placed the thin bracelet around my wrist and clasped it shut, fingers softly grazing against my skin. I gulped as I looked up in his eyes, an intense look crossing Mingi’s face. My heart started racing again, and I found myself yearning to feel him closer to me, just as close as he had been earlier today after the pillow fight. The thought was alarming, but I couldn’t help but want it more. But to my surprise, Mingi moved off of me, laying back down next to me, his hand brushing mine after he settled underneath the blanket again.

“I owe you an apology, Y/N.” He muttered and as I glanced at him, I found his head turned towards me as he was looking at me with a solemn look on his face, “You were right at dinner, I made no effort to get to know you, to look past your attitude and actually try to see who you truly are. I’ve insulted you countless times and even tried to turn the others against you, I’m sorry.”

I hummed as I turned my head to be able to look at Mingi easier, biting my lower lip for a second, “I’m sorry too, I was horrible with you. I know I’m difficult, but I was scared, and just wanted to go back home. I’ve never been away from the manor like this and everything is just…new. I didn’t know what type of man you were, so I thought remaining cold would push you away, and you’d just leave me alone and return me to my father sooner.”

Mingi chuckled and lightly shook his head, “Nothing you do could veer me away from money.”

I chuckled and nodded; however I felt a little bitter knowing that Mingi only needed me for my money. That perhaps he wasn’t even in the slightest interested in me, just my money. And it was possible that that was the case, “Are you just…really not interested in me?”

It was weird hearing myself sound so small and almost insecure, wanting to understand Mingi’s thought process.

“That’s not it,” Mingi sighed, turning his head to look up at the ceiling, “I see myself in you, you know? That’s why I never bothered to treat you better, because I knew that once I got what I initially wanted, you’d be gone. You’d be back to living your perfect posh life, marrying some rich guy and never once having to worry about anything. And I found myself jealous of you.”

“Jealous?” I asked surprised, turning onto my side to face Mingi, my undivided attention on him.

“Yes,” Mingi whispered as he gulped, taking a deep breath, “I was born and raised in the Sun Rise Kingdom as well, just like you. And it would surprise you, Y/N, but I’m from a rich family. Not as rich as yours, we could never afford ourselves a mansion, but we did bathe in milk thrice a week. And my parents were affluential people in my town, had some ties with the Queen as well, but I was never too invested in the family business to learn more about that.”

My eyes had widened as I looked at Mingi, who’s eyes found mine as he turned his head, a small smile on his lips, “I was raised by a harsh governess, who lectured me too often about my behavior. I was never good enough or smart enough compared to my older brothers, and I was never talented enough. My parents neglected me quite often, my middle brother turned into my main caretaker, basically.”

Unconsciously, my hand moved under the blanket until it found Mingi’s hand, and our fingers intertwined as I squeezed his in reassurance, “Things only started getting worse when they found out I stole from people. Anything I could get my hands on, would end up in my grasp by the end of the night. I knew it was bad, but I couldn’t stop myself. It’s like I wasn’t in control when I was doing these things, it was very humiliating. Especially when the constable caught me and locked me up for a whole week. My parents were very disappointed, and after that, they never treated me the same.”

“Mingi.” I whispered and he smiled sadly, eyes glistening in the moonlight.

“They rarely allowed me to leave the house, but I would sneak out to play with the neighbor’s kids. They didn’t like me much, but I was desperate to do anything to play with someone, and so they would often chase me towards the cliffs, where they would tell me to leave them alone unless I wanted to get in trouble.” Mingi chuckled, but a somber look crossed his features, “My luck ran out one day. I stood too close to the edge and slipped. I don’t remember much from there, just the sharp rocks and the cold water, my lungs burning and eyes stinging.”

“That is horrible.” I whispered as my eyebrows furrowed, and without thinking first, my right hand went and cupped Mingi’s cheek, his skin soft and warm underneath my palm. Mingi’s eyes fluttered closed for a second, before he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again, smiling softly.

“I woke up a week later, on this ship.” He chuckled, amusement written all over his face as he lightly pressed his face more into my palm, nose brushing against my wrist, “I was terrified, everyone looked so scary. I was raised by posh people, surrounded by aristocracy and cleanness all my life. The stench on the ship was horrible and I threw up way too often until I finally got used to it. At first, I begged Captain Kim, Hongjoong’s father, to take me home, but the closer we got towards the shore of the Sun Rise Kingdom, the harder I started realizing that this was the most freedom I had ever felt my whole life. Nobody treated me bad here for not being smart, nobody lectured me for misbehaving, and Captain Kim even seemed concerned over my well-being as he had raised two sons of his own. He was gentle with children. And some of the boys were already here, Yunho took me under his wing almost immediately. It was a foreign feeling having a boy close to my age so friendly and nice to me. He genuinely wanted to be my friend, and I finally had stopped feeling alone. I had realized I didn’t want to return home anymore.”

I chuckled, fingers lightly grazing against Mingi’s cheekbone, “So you stayed and became a pirate? How did you manage, Song Mingi? The once rich boy, now poor and smelly.”

I giggled as Mingi rolled his eyes, “I’m not smelly. But yes, it was hard at the beginning. I had to work to earn my money, and I wasn’t good at anything. Until Captain Kim showed me how to deal with guns, training me to become their best gunner. And I found a family within the crew, although some of them are questionable people, I still consider them my family.”

I smiled as I nodded, a warm feeling settling in my chest. So much made sense now, his gentleness and understanding. He was respectful, and carried himself with grace. He looked nothing like a pirate once out of his silly clothes, and it all made sense now as to why, “But why are you jealous of me?”

Mingi chuckled, and I was startled as he pressed a small kiss into my wrist, looking down as his cheeks suddenly flushed red, “Your father cares about you. He loves you and would do anything to have you back. I never had parents like him. I’ve always felt lonely and weird when I was around my family. Despite my middle brother taking care of me, I knew he wasn’t too fond of me and was only doing it because he felt pity towards me.”

“Just because my father loves me, doesn’t mean I don’t feel lonely.” I whispered, suddenly overcome with emotion. I’ve never opened up to anyone before, “I—I don’t have any friends. I’m alone in the mansion, unless my father is at home. I can’t talk to most servants as they are around my age and my father forbid them from doing so. I only have my two maids, who hate me. And my governess always preached on about me having to remain pretty so that a man would want to marry me. She taught me manners that would appeal to a rich man to take me as his wife. I learned everything else I know on my own, browsing through my mother’s books, which are in the forbidden section of the library. I never got to know her, and yet I miss her every day. I wonder what she would have been like, if she would have treated me like my father or not. If she would’ve locked me up in the mansion like my father does, or would’ve let me discover the world on my own. You taking me here is the most fun I’ve had my whole life, Mingi. I don’t hate it as much as I say I do. Although, the stench does get horrible at times.”

Mingi chuckled as his eyes found mine, and I grinned, “You deal better with it than I did.”

“Because I’m better than you.” I teased and Mingi rolled his eyes, suddenly shifting closer as he turned onto his side too, our bodies facing each other as our knees touched underneath the blanket, our fingers intertwined, “Did you know people who have this urge to take things, to collect them, are called kleptomaniacs?”

Mingi’s eyebrows furrowed and he slowly shook his head no, “Well, I think you might be one.”

“Really?” Mingi asked quietly and I nodded.

“Yes, because I think I am one too.” I grinned as I started playing with Mingi’s ruby ring, his eyes falling on the item, “Because I also take things from people. It started out as a prank at first, back at the mansion. I would take things without people noticing and wait for the servants or my father to start searching for them, wanting to see how long until they realized they weren’t there. But I always got away with it, so I became bold. I started stealing from other people, and I was never caught. I’ve been stealing jewelry and smaller items since I’m ten, Mingi.”

“What?!” Mingi looked alarmed, and I giggled, nodding my head.

“It’s bad, I know.” I shrugged, “But what started out as a joke became a serious issue as I couldn’t stop anymore. I do it without noticing now. I just see something pretty that I would like to have, and the next second I find it in my hands. If my father were to find out, he’d certainly be horrified by his little daughter not being perfect anymore.”

“I think you’re perfect.” My cheeks flushed as Mingi whispered, eyes racking over my face, almost as if searching for something.

“Your compliments feel a lot more sincere than the ones I’ve been getting back home from all the other men.” I muttered, finding myself thinking out loud. Mingi’s fingers tightened against mine, and I looked away embarrassed.

“Because they are sincere.” Mingi’s tone was firm, his voice deep, “I wouldn’t say something I don’t mean.”

I chuckled, raising an eyebrow, “So, I really am a bitch?”

“At times.” My eyes widened at his sincerity, but before I could pull away, Mingi chuckled, “But you’re also quite cool. I never expected a lady like you to punch a man, let alone break his nose.”

“I was mad.” I tried to defend myself as Mingi hummed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I realized I had my hand on his face still, so I quickly pulled it away and noted how calm I felt, wrapped in the vanilla and gunpowder scent.

“I think we’ll get a letter from your father soon.” My eyebrows furrowed at Mingi’s words, something in my stomach suddenly dropping. Why did the thought not feel so inviting anymore? Why did I find myself wanting to spend a little more time with Mingi?

“Oh.” I whispered barely, eyebrows furrowing, “Will you tell me stories of your childhood?”

“Do you want me to?” Mingi asked surprised, and I nodded with a smile, “Alright, so…”

And I closed my eyes to listen more attentively, his eyes too distracting to be looking at Mingi’s face, but I found his deep voice soothing as it lulled me to sleep.

Waking up in the mornings had always been difficult back home, in my comfortable Queen-sized bed, but here on the ship it seemed to get even more difficult. Perhaps it was the even rocking of the ship, or the warmth, which enveloped my whole body, making me feel content as I would nuzzle further into the silky pillow, Mingi’s vanilla scent strong as I could hear him snoring lightly or groaning in his sleep. But today, the vanilla and gunpowder scent seemed more prominent, the warmth emanating from next to me almost making me feel hot, and instead of the silky pillow, my head was pressed against something harder, firmer, and certainly warmer. I had started to stir upon hearing some loud voices down the hallway, outside the safety of Mingi’s room. I couldn’t understand their words, but a woman and a man were certainly arguing. Yeosang and Hana never seemed like the type to argue, and meanwhile Taeri and Yunho could get riled up by each other, I’ve never actually heard them argue in front of everyone all these days I’ve been here on this ship. A door down the hallway was slammed shut loudly, and I sighed loudly, licking my dry lips as I pressed my cheek a little harder against my pillow. It took a few more minutes to become aware of the weight around my waist, or the way my bare calf was brushing against another clothed leg. Growing suddenly stiff, my eyes snapped open, only for my jaw to fall slack as I was presented with an alarming image.

I was laying all over Mingi, right leg thrown over his hips as it was comfortably slotted between his legs, my right hand intertwined with his left one as Mingi’s fingers would absentmindedly flex around mine. I gasped as I looked down, the blanket hanging low around our hips, the skirt of my nightgown ridden up to my thighs, making my cheeks flush. My heart was hammering against my ribcage, and I couldn’t help but not only feel embarrassed, but…I was suddenly overcome with a fiery need as my fingers tightened against Mingi’s, holding his hand a little firmer. My breathing progressively got harder, and I allowed my eyes to rake over his tan chest, muscles now soft but toned, Mingi’s chest rising and falling evenly as he was still asleep. I couldn’t help but gulp as I found the sight of Mingi completely ravishing, a foreign need in my body urging me on to press a kiss against Mingi’s right pectoral. Mingi sighed softly, and I raised my head slightly to watch as his eyebrows furrowed before he settled back down, seemingly still asleep. I bit my lower lip, eyes fixated on his perfect face as the sunlight poured in through the little window, perfectly falling on his handsome face. Mingi mumbled something, and I froze, eyes widening in fright that I was caught. But his eyes were still closed and he sighed again, his tongue peeking slightly out as he licked his lower lip, gulping before another sigh left his lips. My eyes had been fixated on his plush lips, and I found my heart beating faster as I envisioned what they would’ve felt like pressed against mine, soft and warm, no doubt devouring mine in a feverish kiss. I gulped as shivers ran down my body, stomach clenching, and I realized that I had to get away from Mingi, that I needed fresh air to clear my thoughts. To sort out these weird yearnings of my body towards this pirate, decide whether they were happening because I’ve been spending too much time with him or because, indeed, I had started falling for him.

So, I very slowly tried to peel myself off Mingi, but when I went to move my right leg off his body, suddenly his hand holding mine released my hand and went to my naked knee, grabbing it and holding it flush against his hips. I froze as I bit my lower lip, realizing that this would be harder than I thought initially. I sighed quietly and tried again, but his other arm only tightened around my waist and I was suddenly yanked back into his body, making me fall back against his chest with a loud gasp.

“Stop moving.” Mingi croaked out, his morning voice gravely deep as he groaned. My cheeks flushed instantly as I found my body shivering, something coiling in my lower stomach. I have never felt like this before, having never been this close to a man, never so desperately having to hold myself back from doing something I might regret later.

“Mingi,” I whispered, trying to collect myself, “we have to get up.”

“No, we don’t.” Mingi groaned, and I stiffened when I felt his calloused palm caressing the back of my thigh, reaching just a bit higher, underneath my nightgown. My heart was racing in my chest, right fingers fisting the bedsheet next to Mingi’s torso. Mingi’s breathy voice and closed eyes were a clear enough sign that he hadn’t fully woken up yet, and I tried to ignore the way his fingers dug into my skin around my waist, “It’s too early.”

“I don’t think it is,” I mumbled, turning my head to look towards the window, “The sun is high up in the sky.”

Mingi scoffed, and I felt him shrugging, “So what?”

“Don’t you have duties you have to attend?” I whispered, looking up at him, and I had to stop myself from pressing a kiss against his jaw.

“Nothing too urgent,” Mingi sniffed and then groaned as his fingers flexed against my naked skin, “they can wait a little longer.”

I’ve never in my life before had the urge to straddle someone, and my jaw clenched as I raised my head off Mingi’s chest, staring down at his face intently, “Mingi, I need fresh air. Right now.”

He tsked and only grabbed me harder, hitching my leg higher up on his body, and I gasped as Mingi pulled me on top of himself, large palm pressing against my lower back as he gingerly started massaging me through the light fabric of the nightgown, “What are you doing?”

Perhaps the strain in my voice finally snapped him wide awake, or the fact that our lower bodies were pressed against each other, something pressing against my thigh as I gulped, afraid to move. Mingi’s eyes snapped wide open and he raised his head, looking down at me. He froze as he took me in, no doubt my whole face flushed, and lips red from how much I had been biting them. Mingi’s face reddened instantly, and he averted his eyes, which had started slipping down my neck and chest, the nightgown having slipped a little lower across my chest. It didn’t help that Mingi went to sleep with his own shirt unbuttoned, firm torso on full display as I suddenly pressed my hands against his bare chest, sitting slightly up.

“Fuck.” Mingi hissed as he threw his head back, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he gripped my waist, stabilizing me. I had thought the same thing, but I couldn’t say it out loud as I was a lady, but his hardness was suddenly pressing against me in a rather sensitive spot, making me gasp. Mingi’s fingers tightened around my waist as I shifted subconsciously, the friction foreign but not unpleasant at all, “You have to get off.”

“I’ve been trying to,” I was breathless as Mingi looked at me, his chest rising and falling rapidly, “But you wouldn’t let me.”

He gulped and nodded once, eyebrows furrowing, seemingly in deep thought for a second, “Because I want you.”

My eyes widened at his words, lips parting as I gaped at him, never having heard those words from a man before. I knew what it implied, I had read a romance book once where things took an unexpected turn, but nobody has ever said those things to me up until now. It made my skin tingle, my cheeks flush a darker color as Mingi’s intense eyes stared up into mine, eyebrows slightly furrowing.

“But I’m going home soon,” I whispered, completely at a loss because I found myself wanting him as well, “And I…we can’t.”

“I know.” Mingi gulped, trying to mask his disappointment, but I could hear it still tinge his tone, “Of course I do. I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be.” I cut him off, almost desperately, “I—I think I also—”

The door suddenly slammed open and I jumped as Mingi instinctively pulled me down against himself, bringing the blanket over my body as he hugged me into his body around my middle. I watched with wide eyes and a racing heart as the Captain walked a little further inside the room, arms crossed in front of his chest, giving us a scrutinizing gaze. He looked unimpressed and almost exasperated as he sighed loudly, rolling his eyes for a second, “Your father wrote us a letter. He wants you home today, the money is prepared. The exchange happens at noon, so get up.”

Something dropped in my stomach when I heard those words, and I found my fingers curling into Mingi’s shirt, as if I didn’t want to leave, to let go of him. But wasn’t that what I’ve wanted all this time? To go home? To forget about Mingi and everyone else, and just continue living my life the way I was supposed to? To find a rich husband, marry into a rich family, and raise children of my own? Wasn’t that the plan all along?

“Aye, Captain.” Mingi’s tone lacked any cheeriness or playfulness, and I found myself reluctant to look at him. It sounded like he wasn’t ready to return me to my father just yet. But the Captain grunted once before he stormed out, slamming the door shut behind himself.

Mingi and I moved at the same time, his arms freeing me as I scrambled off him, suddenly aware of what I almost allowed to happen if the Captain wouldn’t have walked in. I was ready to give myself to Mingi, and I didn’t know what to do with that revelation as I stumbled for a second, hissing as I had almost stepped into that wretched hole in the floorboards. This is why I needed to go home. I didn’t belong here; I didn’t belong with Mingi. I was an aristocrat, Mingi was a lowlife. We would never work out our differences. We weren’t right for each other.

I stiffened as I grabbed my clothes, realizing that they weren’t even mine in the first place, and would have to wear the dress I had arrived in. But I didn’t have it in me to put it on myself, not when I haven’t had a milk bath in almost a week. I couldn’t dirty my mother’s dress like that, it had already been damaged, much to my dismay.

“I’ll go change, be back in ten.” Mingi’s voice was small as he got off the bed as well, headed towards his closet.

“Just change in here,” I found myself muttering, turning my back to him as I slipped the nightgown off myself. I knew I just exposed myself to him completely, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care anymore. Everything felt bitter, my mind a mess as I suddenly didn’t know what I wanted anymore, of where I belonged, of who I was. Mingi remained silent and I heard him shuffling around, probably changing too. I quickly wore my short silky gown, and pulled on the low V-neck black t-shirt Mingi had borrowed me yesterday over it, saying that it would be cooler today. I tucked the material inside the leather pants belonging to Taeri, and then quickly put on Mingi’s white shirt, only buttoning it up to my chest as it was covered by a different material underneath. I gazed at my corset longingly, remembering seeing Taeri wear it once like that, over her shirt. So, I grasped at it and sighed, placing it around my torso. It brought little sense of familiarity, of something that I once wore daily not even a week ago. But now it felt weird, still undone yet already constricting, a reminder of who I was, of what I was walking back to.

“Mingi?” I cleared my throat, finding it rather dry all of a sudden. When he hummed, I spoke up quietly, “Could you lace up my corset?”

His intake of breath was sharp, perhaps a reminder that not even six days ago he was the one undoing it, welcoming me inside his life, now about to send me away from it. He hummed without saying a word, and I heard him as he walked closer, taking the lace from my hands as he softly started pulling on them, securing them.

“How tight?” He asked, his voice raspy and low as my jaw clenched.

“Tight.” Was the only thing I said, and gasped lightly when he pulled on the strings harshly, forcing me to brace myself against the chair in front of his desk. My fingers curled around the sturdy wood with each constricting knot, biting my lower lip as my lungs were once again struggling to fill to the brim with air. This is what I was used to, a little reminder of what my life was like before Mingi whisked me away from my monotonous days. Before he made my days more enjoyable, and showed me that there was a life worth living, a life you could enjoy to the fullest.

“Are you alright?” His voice sounded small, and tight, and I hummed as he laced it up fully, tightening the top and doing the last knots to it. I took a deep breath and sighed loudly, palms turning into fists as Mingi gently tapped my waist as a signal that he was done, that I was ready. But I didn’t feel ready, I was far from being ready. I bit my lower lip as my heartbeat picked up again, conflicting thoughts racing in my head as I heard Mingi inhale sharply, prompting me to whirl around.

Our eyes locked, and before I could list all the reasons why this would be wrong, I lurched forward just as Mingi grabbed my cheeks, our lips smashing together. My eyebrows furrowed as I finally felt his plush and soft skin against mine, lips exactly the same way I had imagined them. I’ve never kissed a man before in my life, but it felt right to have Mingi be the first one to do so. My arms quickly wrapped around his neck as I pushed up on my tip toes, leaning my body against Mingi’s as he pulled back for a second, before pressing his lips against mine again, slotting his upper lip between mine as he lightly sucked on my lower lip. Everything felt new, but exhilarating as my cheeks burned, lips pressing against Mingi’s desperately, trying to allow him to lead, to guide me as the feeling was foreign, but oh so good. His warm hands left my cheeks in exchange to grip my waist and the back of my head as his ring clad fingers tangled into my long locks of curly hair, his nose pressing into the warm skin of my cheek as I found myself desperate to feel more. I became aware that I had quickened the once experimental pace Mingi’s lips had set, and was now pressing my lips harder against his, ravaging his mouth as Mingi whined when my fingers subconsciously tangled in his short hair, delicately yanking on the strands. His grip on my waist tightened, and I felt him walking me backwards hurriedly, his lips pressing bruisingly against mine as I was suddenly overwhelmed by the strong scent of vanilla as I tried to inhale through my nose, lungs long burning due to the corset, but due to Mingi stealing my breath away as wll. My left hand slowly slipped down to his jaw to hold onto him as our teeth suddenly clanked together, slightly startling me, but only urging me to chase after Mingi’s lips when he attempted to pull back. My teeth latched onto his lower lip as the back of my legs hit the desk behind me, and I sucked on Mingi’s lower lip as he pushed me down onto the desk, groaning against my mouth as I found myself licking at his lips, wanting even more of him. I didn’t recognize myself for a second, but this is what I’ve wanted, and I was done repressing my wants and needs because they were wrong or not lady like. I wanted Mingi, and I would get what I wanted from now on. Nobody could control me anymore. I was my own person.

I gasped as I felt Mingi’s big hand slip down from my waist towards my thigh, and his calloused hand firmly gripped it as he yanked me lower on his deck, back arching when I felt his lean body pressing against mine, stepping between my legs. My hand let go of his jaw as Mingi instead of holding the back of my head proceeded to tilt my chin up with the steady grip he had on it, and softly, but surely coerced my lips open, mouth parting for him. I sneaked my hand around his narrow waist covered with his leather belt, moaning into his mouth when I felt his tongue just lightly, teasingly, slip past my lips, licking inside my mouth. My body felt alive, skin tingling, and senses heightened as Mingi’s whole being enraptured mine, the only thing being him on my mind as he explored my mouth, liking at my tongue as my legs wrapped around his hips, caging him against myself, and Mingi groaned, his kiss turning feverish. Our tongues danced together, and I normally would’ve been embarrassed by the soft keens leaving my mouth, but this was Mingi, and I knew he wanted me, and I wanted him back just as badly. I didn’t want to ever let go of him; afraid we’d never find our way back to each other. My lungs had started burning as dark spots started appearing behind my closed eyes, and as much as I never wanted to part from his addictive lips, I needed air. So, I softly pulled back, gasping loudly as my chest was rising and falling rapidly, lips parted as I intake small gasps of air. Mingi leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine, his breathing just as ragged as mine as our breaths tangled together, our pants loud in the quiet room. There was the occasional wave hitting the side of the ship harsher as we tried to regain ourselves, but I found myself clinging tighter and tighter against Mingi, both legs wrapped around his hips and pulling him into myself as my fingers dug into his black silky shirt, silver chains dangling around his neck and chest as he was slightly leaning forward.

“I’ve wanted to do that for the longest time now.” Mingi whispered, voice raspy as he sounded breathless. My eyes slowly fluttered open, and I watched as his eyes were still closed as he looked at ease, almost content as his lips were swollen, even plumper than they usually were.

“I’ve never been kissed before.” I found myself admitting as Mingi slowly opened his eyes, a small smile slipping onto his lips as he cupped my cheek with one hand, pressing a lasting kiss on my forehead first. My heart was hammering in my chest violently, and I flushed even more as he kissed my temple, then my eyes, my cheeks, nose, and the proceeded to plant a lasting kiss against my lips, making me clutch onto the collar of his shirt, refusing to allow him to pull back just yet. Our lips slowly started moving against each other again, and Mingi shuddered when I bit his lower lip again, yearning to remain close to him, wrapped up in his warmth and comforting vanilla scent mixed with gunpowder.

“I couldn’t let you go just like that.” Mingi’s eyebrows furrowed once we pulled just slightly away, our noses brushing against each other. His eyes were casted downwards, and I felt my stomach clenching as I realized what he was implying. Suddenly, there was a desperate need clawing up my chest to never let him go, afraid of what that implied. We barely spent a week together, but I couldn’t imagine my life without him anymore. Even if we fought and teased each other, getting on each other’s nerves, leaving him behind felt…wrong. What if we could work on our differences? What if Mingi could teach me, and guide me towards being a better person? What if I just…left my old life behind to live with this silly pirate? Would my father understand? Would my mother be proud of me up in the Heavens?

“I don’t want to go,” I found myself confessing, Mingi’s eyes snapping open as he stared at me in disbelief. I gulped as I took a deep breath, body slightly trembling, but conviction in my eyes. I have made up my mind, and as I leaned forward, lips brushing against Mingi’s, I felt his body soften into mine, hands cupping my cheeks as I whispered against his lips, “I want you, Mingi.”

The wind was harsh and cold as it rocked the small boat, the two pirates struggling to row against the big waves. Salt water sloshed inside the wooden boat, and I tried to keep my feet away from the water, but instead, a stronger wave managed to hit the side of the boat, big droplets of water splashing my side, making me gasp loudly as it soaked my attire. Mingi had an amused look on his face as he sat facing me, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up almost to his biceps, straining as he was rowing as well, sweat shinning on his forehead in the beaming sunlight. Mingi had been right, the weather today was colder compared to the other days, and I was grateful that he borrowed me thicker clothes. As I looked over Mingi’s shoulder, my fingers clenched against each other as they were resting in my lap, intertwined, as I had noticed my father pacing up and down the shore. He seemed to be alone, nobody else in sight, and I could only assume that the deal would only proceed if he didn’t bring anyone with himself. My body was tense, and my stomach coiled the closer we got to the shore, eyes traveling to the high hill, falling on the window that I knew was my room. I was so close to returning home, barely minutes away from being in my father’s arms. But as my eyes fell on Mingi, who had turned around and instructed the other three pirates with us to stop rowing, I realized my life would never be the same. I didn’t want to go back to how it once was. Mingi turned in his seat, sharp eyes finding mine.

“Are you ready?” He asked, and I nodded once, making myself smaller as I caught another glimpse of my father, who had stopped pacing, and was now looking our way. My heart was hammering in my chest.

“Proceed with the plan.” Mingi’s firm voice instructed the other three pirates, and I gulped as two got off instantly, their feet barely reaching the sandy ground of the sea. I watched as the third person wearing my mother’s beautiful dress reached his hand out, almost comically elegantly, the two other pirates hauling him out of the boat. To my father, that man looked like it was me, a white veil covering his head to make him unrecognizable. I watched as the three pirates went closer to the shore, the one looking like me staying behind, making almost desperate sounding noises as he seemed to be slightly struggling to swim forward. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I watched his caricature performance, but wondered if that’s how these pirates had been viewing me all this time. As if sensing my doubts, Mingi’s hand reached forward, and he grasped mine tightly, leaning down to look me in the eyes, but still making he was covering me with his broad form from my father’s eyes.

“Are you sure, princess?” His voice was firm, “You can still change your mind, I won’t hold you back.”

“Mingi,” I sighed, intertwining our fingers tightly, “I have made up my mind. I want this. I want you.”

A beaming smile appeared on his face, and I don’t think Mingi had been ever handsomer than he was right now in the sunlight, his adorable front teeth slightly more forward than the rest, his sharp eyes disappearing, and nose scrunching. My stomach clenched and heart stuttered, and I found myself wondering if it was just a matter of time until I realized that I had fallen in love with him the second I had laid my eyes on him. At Mrs. Boo’s ball, when he had knocked that servant with all the delicacies over, leaving nonchalantly as if nothing happened, eating that cherry that had landed on the floor like it didn’t even happen. He was a genuine man, different from all those trying to court me just because I had money. Those men never tried to look past my wealth and beauty, they never actually cared about my thoughts and feelings. Not even Lieutenant Kim. But Mingi saw me,and wasn’t afraid to correct my mistakes, to enlighten me. He listened to me, he was curious about me, and he wanted me just the way I was. I couldn’t help but smile back at him, blinking away the tears that formed in my eyes, blaming it on the harsh sunlight. But my attention was quickly back on the pirates in the water as I heard my father’s desperate cries.

“My little daughter!” The third pirate was still far from reaching my father, but he was still waddling towards him without much struggle, “Oh, my precious Y/N! Are you alright?”

There was no answer, and I could see the worry on my father’s face as he grabbed the smaller chest he had by his leg, eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he had grown older these past days, and suddenly I felt sorry for him.

“Give us what we came here for, old man!” A pirate holding a sword demanded of my father as he finally reached closer to the shore, and I watched as he pushed the chest clumsily towards the pirate, before recoiling as the sword was now pointed at him, “Nobody knows about this, yes?”

“No, no!” My father quickly exclaimed, sounding desperate, making me pout as Mingi chuckled, “I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone—I just want my daughter back!”

“Good.” The pirate chuckled, and started pulling the heavy looking chest further inside the water as the other pirate, who had been paddling just behind, reached him, helping him out with the chest. They both started returning to the boat, moving a lot slower due to the added weight. The third pirate looking like me was still not close enough, but my father could certainly see him better now.

“Oh, dear Lord, thank you for returning my daughter!” I heard him call out as he took a step towards the water, grimacing as his boots got soaked, “Come, Y/N, come, papa is here.”

“Your father is a hilarious man.” Mingi muttered as he watched my father with a snicker, making me throw a glare at him.

“Don’t make fun of him, he’s been very concerned, probably hadn’t slept in days.” I scrutinized him, making Mingi’s smile turn sheepish, “I feel bad for what I’m doing to him, but it’s time I take control of my own life.”

“You can still go back—”

“Mingi,” I snapped, eyes narrowing at the handsome pirate, “I’m starting to think you don’t want me anymore—”

“I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life, Y/N.” Mingi’s words were rushed as his fingers tightened against mine, eyebrows furrowing.

“Good,” I smirked and yanked on our linked hands, making Mingi fall forward as the boat swayed dangerously with his movement, “Because you will never get rid of me now, love.”

“That was the plan, darling.” We chuckled at the same time before Mingi’s lips pressed firmly against mine, salty from the wind, but soft and warm. My eyes fluttered closed as I grabbed his nape, breathing him in, impatient to get back to the ship and learn of everything he had to offer me. But just as Mingi would’ve deepened the kiss, there was a startled shout coming from the shore, and we broke apart, turning to look towards my father. He looked shocked as the pirate had ripped the veil off his head and was laughing loudly, sticking his tongue out at my father before he turned around, and started swimming quickly back towards the boat. The other two pirates had reached us, and Mingi stood to help them place the chest inside the boat, watching as they got in the boat as well, waiting for their mate.

“What is the meaning of this?!” My father screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran inside the cold sea water, waggling his finger towards us, “Where is my daughter you filthy pirates?!”

“You really are his daughter.” Mingi chuckled as he cheered on the third pirate, motioning for him to swim faster, but the dress seemed to be rather constricting.

“Stop it.” I huffed as Mingi just flashed me a cheeky smile, completely amused as he watched my father trying to desperately move closer, but he was afraid of the water. He couldn’t swim, he’d never be able to reach the boat here. That’s the reason why we had stopped here, because I had told Mingi to stop here.

“Where’s my daughter?!” My father screamed again, slapping his hands angrily against the water, “When the Navy fleet finds you, you dirty pirates, you’ll be finished! Finished! You will all perish; you’ll be punished for what you’ve done to my daughter! I will watch your execution with my own eyes, you filthy pirates!”

“He’s not very creative with his words, I must note.” I slapped Mingi’s ass hard, making him yelp and jump, almost tipping the boat over as the other pirates yelped, holding onto the sides of the wooden construction.

“Stop being an asshat!” I snapped, standing up as the third pirate finally reached us, whining about how heavy the dress felt, and that he wanted it off himself. The other two helped him in, and Mingi sat down, the three pirates now starting to row, taking us back to the large ship, to the notorious pirate crew, called Ateez.

“Papa!” I screamed, heart breaking a little upon seeing the shocked and desperate look on my father’s face, “I am completely fine! Papa, they didn’t hurt me!”

“Y/N?!” I heard my father scream back desperately, looking lost.

“Papa, I want this! I want to stay with Mingi!” I screamed back, waving at him happily, “Papa, I’m finally happy! Mingi is going to take me on so many adventures! I promise I will write you letters, papa!”

“Come back here right now, Yoon Y/N!” I heard my father scream at the top of his lungs, now looking furious as the pirates rowed against the currents, taking me further away from my father. I just giggled, and waved some more.

“I promise to return sometime! Look forward to my letters!” I blew a big kiss, beaming towards my father, “Farewell, papa!”

And all he could do was watch me helplessly as I became smaller and smaller the closer we got to the big ship. From this point on, I dictated my own life. I did whatever I wanted to, I behaved however I wanted to, I lived however I wanted to, and loved whoever I wanted to. My eyes fell on Mingi, and he was looking up at me with a proud and warm glint in his eyes, smile dashing and beaming as I finally felt free.

I chuckled, and sat back down, cupping his cheeks as I pressed a kiss against his lips in gratitude as he nuzzled his nose against mine.

“Your adventure, Yoon Y/N, starts right now.”

A/N: I want to thank all of you who stuck through the stories with me, it means so much to me, you wouldn't even understand. Writing is a great passion of mine and I dedicate a huge part of my time to it, they are always little pieces of me as I love what I'm doing. I know this part is extremely long, and I feel slightly bad for it, but if you've reached the end and you're reading this, I just really want to thank you all for your continuous support and love shown through all of my stories, you have no idea how happy you all make me! Tbh, this story is one of my absolute favorite ones from the Black Ocean series, and I know our beloved Y/N here isn't the best at the beginning, but I promise she learns next to Mingi and becomes better in the future. I have planned a spin-off for San's part, no promises when I'll finally commit to it as I have to write my thesis as of now, but I say stay tuned for it if you enjoyed his part, I have zero intentions of romanticizing anything too much as his story is quite heavy.

I want to thank you all again for following through on this journey with me, I will always cherish it, their stories dear to me. I hope you enjoyed everyone's part and that my writing is enough for an enjoyable story, I know I still have a lot to learn to become even better. I'm just blabbering on right now LOL because I don't want this to end *CRIES* but every story comes to an end, and so here I shall close this chapter. I appreciate all and every one of you, thank you again for everything, and check out my masterlist if you'd like to read more of my stories! *kisses*

Masterlist

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zeewritez · 3 months

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The Sailor and The Samurai - I

Mizu x Femme Shipmate/Pirate Reader

Hi my lovelies! I haven't updated in so long and I'm sorry but college has been kicking my ass. (Why tf am I studying biochemistry - because I hate myself). Anyways, I hope to update my other stories soon (I've had chapters for months now, they just need to be edited lol). So for now, here's a little BES fic because I'm in love with this show :)

(Notes: Reader's father is Irish in the fic but she will not be described physically except for having super long curly hair because I like projecting my hair goals onto stories, also I will be using he/him pronouns for Mizu since they are currently being perceived as a man.)

Part 2 now out

Y/n woke up with a splitting headache from the rum she had the previous night. She made a note to self to not attempt to out drink her father, even if he was pushing 60. Rolling out of her cot, she slipped on a blouse and trousers she had acquired from a crew mate at some point. They barely fit, but it was far better than the dresses and corsets she wore whenever they docked back home.

She walked onto the deck just in time to watch over the vast ocean as they approached the isolated island of Japan. She'd been there many times in her career but had only ever been to the ports to assist with loading goods when the crew needed it. Today, there was no need. Instead, she watched with mild curiosity from the crow's nest as crates were loaded onto The Banshee.

The cargo seemed standard: silks, swords, exotic fish. The things nobles in England dreweld over. Yet the passengers were anything but standard. Y/n could barely believe her eyes when the infamous Abijah Fowler was brought on board with guards on each side of him. He was brought to the detention cell, which would have otherwise been used when her father was tired of a crewmate's drunken antics.

Y/n was so taken aback by Fowler's presence she nearly missed the passenger behind him: a young man, a few years older than y/n herself, clad in Japanese garb and yellow glasses. It seemed odd to her, as it was rather overcast outside but she didn't give it a second thought. What she was truly curious about was why Abijah Fowler was on their vessel.

As the ship took sail, she climbed down from the nest and made her way to the detention cell with a curious, if not mischievous, grin.

"I never thought you'd be joining us for London," she teased as she stood outside of his cel, as though dangling her freedom like a carrot. She did not like Fowler one bit, but she found him almost as amusing as she found him vile. Entertainment was hard to come by at sea, so who could really blame her?

"Well I for one am always happy to see you," he said, grabbing her hand through the bars and kissing her knuckles. She rolled her eyes as she pulled her hand back from him.

"What brings you back to the isle?" she asked. "My father doesn't even enjoy England, and he's still in good standing, legally speaking."

"Perhaps he's a better Irishman then me," Fowler said with a shrug. "What does it matter to you?"

The girl looked up in faux innocence. "Oh, I'm just curious."

"Well, why don't you hunt down the samurai that's on board and he can let you know why I'm going back to London," Fowler finally told her. "You've picked up quite a bit of Japanese, haven't ya?"

"Alright, I'll see you around then," she said as she turned to leave.

"You have your mother's rear!" He shouted out, as though y/n had forgotten why she had disliked the man so much. She said a silent prayer thanking the heavens he wasn't roaming freely as she roamed the ship looking for the mysterious man with glasses, which was simple enough.

He stood on the poop deck, staring out onto the ocean, as anyone who has ever treaded water has. The waters had a way of commanding one's attention.

"Hello good sir," the young woman greeted she climbed the stairs, stopping to curtsey out of habit. She'd managed to have some resemblance of good manners despite being raised at sea by a captain with a drinking habit.

The young man stared at her, which was a common response from many men upon seeing her for the first time, regardless of national origin. In fact, Englishmen seemed most taken aback by her appearance. Her hair was long and unkempt, falling down her back in ringlets instead of being pinned into an updo of a proper lady. Her shirt nearly fell from her shoulders and around her neck was a long, beaded necklace that seemed to trail down between her breasts. Y/n giggled at the man's reaction, having expected nothing less.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he spoke casting his eyes away from her eyes out of embarrassment, then down to her strange necklace, then back up to her eyes.

"Don't worry about it," she said, leaning against the Banshee's railing. "It is lovely to make your acquaintance, may I ask your name?"

"Mizu," he answered, finally less taken aback by the strange woman. "And you are?*

"Y/n," she said, reaching out her hand limply, again out of habit more than anything else. Mizu looked at her with pure confusion, almost fear. Y/n giggled again, this time to hide her embarrassment. "It is expected to kiss a lady's hand where we're going."

Mizu nodded and cautiously took the girl's hand, which was smaller then her own, and cool to the touch from the ocean winds. He kissed it with the gentleness most men she encountered lacked.

"You'll make a proper gentleman," y/n remarked as she retrieved her hand once again and placed it under her head. She scanned Mizu as had her. Admittedly he was rather dashing. So much so she'd forgotten what she was originally there to ask him. Fowler was the last thing on her mind. "What's with the spectacles?" she asked.

"My eyes are unnatural back home," he told her.

"Is that so?" Y/n asked rhetorically. Perhaps without thought for personal space, she leaned forward and took the yellow frames from the man's face. She was greeted with eyes that would put the sea herself to shame. "You needn't wear these anymore, your eyes are beautiful." The young sailor folded the glasses and handed them back to the blue eyed man.

A small smile graced Mizu's face at the first genuine compliment he'd heard in regard to his eyes. He looked over the beautiful yet foreign face of the woman in front of him. The journey to London was certainly something to look forward to now.

#mizu blue eye samurai #mizu x reader #mizu #blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai x reader #blue eye samurai x you #reader insert #mizu x you #netflix #bes #bes mizu #blue eye samurai fanfic

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allwaswell16 · 5 days

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A fic rec of One Direction fics in which a character had experienced abuse of some form in the past as requested in this ask. Please don't forget to leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here.

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🧱 vatican cameos by nightwideopen / @themarshalstale

(T, 14k, asexuality) sometimes louis gets sad and sometimes harry lets louis write on him

🧱 Just a touch of your love by @thegirlontheblackhoodie

(E, 12k, omegaverse) Harry is a touch starved omega trying to get through it on his own. Louis happens to be the only alpha around to realize it and offers to help.

🧱 You've Got A New Life (Am I Bothering you?) by LilyBlue28

(NR, 5k, omegaverse) the one where Louis is an omega who suffers from PTSD and is triggered one day. He doesn't know how to ask for help from his doting alpha, doesn't think he deserves it, and tries to handle it on his own.

🧱 I Don't Wanna Hurt Anymore by offwiththeirheads / @hazzabooween

(M, 5k, kidfic) Harry walks a thin line between breaking his best friend’s heart and fighting a losing battle.

- Rare Pairs -

🧱 Sugar, We're Going Down by sunsetmog / @magicalrocketships

(E, 131k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw) At 37, Nick has everything he could possibly want in life: huge success in business, a Bachelor of the Year award hanging in his toilet, piles of money, and a rather odd little habit of visiting a cafe with terrible service on his way into the office every morning.

🧱 It's You by happily_missy

(E, 56k, Zayn/Liam) Liam is a PA for a famous fashion designer and Zayn is their gorgeous new model.

#ficrec #1dficvillage #pastabuse #trackinghappily #trackinghome #tracksintheam #hlcreators #hljournal #1dsource #larry fanfiction #ziam fanfiction #tomlinshaw fanfction #weeklyficrec

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nethhiri · 2 months

Text

Marooned: Chapter 7

Kid x FemReader x Killer

Warnings: Sort of suggestive at the end

Now Boarding

It took you no time at all to make it back to the treehouse. Recently, you had pictured yourself jumping for joy when you were finally going to leave this island, but now, you were just really ticked off. Whatever the lady equivalent of blue balls was, you had it. Guess I didn't realize how pent up I am. "Your fucking crew is already pissing me off, Blondie." You poked him in the center of his chest to punctuate every word. "By the way, you're getting off this shithole. Be grateful you were only here a few days instead of years." Laying the back of your hand against his neck and forehead, you thought maybe his fever had gone down. He at least wasn't sweating like he was before.

You grabbed the stuff you wanted to bring with you, wishing you had some kind of bottoms among your things to wear. All it would take is a curious hand reaching for your shirt or a strong breeze and your business would be on full display. You strongly doubted Kid pirates were the type to keep their hands to themselves. You also strongly doubted their captain would appreciate you breaking the crews' fingers in return. Or maybe he would. After all, he seemed to enjoy your bad attitude.

A discordant collection of voices and loud laughter signaled the return of a group of Kid pirates. Before they came to fetch their vice-captain, you made the hasty decision to pull your gun out of its parcel, along with the leather holster you custom made to fit its strange shape. You started to put it around your waist over your shirt and thought better of it, instead putting it in the same place but underneath. That way it couldn't be seen and you could get to it if you needed to. It would mean giving someone a full moon but you didn't think you would mind if the occasion called for it.

A pirate with blue-gray dreadlocks and patchwork skin called up to you, "Captain told me to come get Killer. Can I come up?"

A pirate who asks permission? Interesting. Poking your head out of the hatch so that your voice could be heard, "Knock yourself out." You thought about how difficult it was for Kid to get Killer up here in the first place and wondered how hard it would be to get him out. Could always break the floor to make a wider opening. Since no one is coming back. The thought made you a little sad and a touch anxious. You were stepping out of your territory and into Kid's. You made a mental note to try to behave. The less attention drawn to yourself the better.

A soft knock against wood announced the arrival of the blue-haired pirate. He cleared his throat. "I'm Heat." He pushed himself through the hatch.

"Okay." You gestured to where Killer was leaning against the wall.

The pirate called Heat threw Killer over his shoulder, pausing at first when he saw Killer's face without his mask. His long blond hair obscured his face like this anyway, and it was pitch black outside with the exception of the torches the group held. He started to descend then cleared his throat again, "Captain told me to get you, too."

"Should I get on your other shoulder?" Heat offered a laugh through his nose. You continued, "I'll come down but... just don't look up." You looked away before your cheeks could get hot. Again it was dark, still you didn't need to reveal yourself...or that you were armed...to anyone right now.

Heat nodded and slipped out of view with Killer. You took one last look around, grabbed your pack, and followed. The conversation and laughter ceased when you walked over to the group with Heat. "Let's go," he commanded. It was awkwardly quiet and you felt very out of place being at least several inches shorter with a much smaller frame than the surrounding party. You kept your eyes forward as you felt several stares here and there.

You watched as one of the men grabbed an oddly-shaped, enticing, yellow fruit from on overhanging branch. "I would leave that," you helpfully offered. The man snorted at you and rolled his eyes before shoving the entire thing in his mouth. That was my shot at being nice. He would regret it, that you were certain of. You estimated in around three to five hours he would be experiencing some of the worst cramps of his life. Stoplight fruit was so called because if it was red, you should stop eating it and if it was green, it was safe to eat. Therefore, yellow was in-between, not deadly but not benign either. You knew of that one before ending up here. It was common on islands in the area. You swear you saw Heat stifle a laugh. He must know, too.

The Victoria Punk was beautiful. Both because you hadn't seen a ship in years and because it simply was a beautiful ship. You didn't get a good look the first time you had encountered it. The skull figurehead was incredibly impressive in person, and huge. Illuminated by torchlight, the teeth glowed orange like molten iron. It was probably the last thing some sailors saw before getting sunk. The nostalgia of being on a ship and feeling the wind in your face pulled a smile out of your sour features. Your admiration was cut short.

"Havin second thoughts, girlie?" The voice startled you a little, not having noticed Kid get off the ship.

"Not at all, Captain."

"Then get yer ass on board. Heat will show ya where ya can stay."

"Not without Mini. Remember the deal?"

Kid rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Hurry up." He wondered how long you would wait for an imaginary friend to materialize.

You put your hands around your mouth and yelled towards the trees. "MINERVA, LET'S FUCKIN GO. LAST TIME I'M ASKIN." You would be lying to yourself if you thought you wouldn't be sad leaving her behind. She was wild, like yourself, though, and you couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do. Nothing happened for a minute and Kid tugged the collar of your shirt like he was a millisecond away from dragging your ass. Suddenly, the sound of snapping branches accompanied by a soft rumble quickly approached, saplings being toppled closer and closer to the beach. A wall of sand and dust flew up as the beast skidded to a stop a few feet away from you. A huge, wet nose with sharp tusks poked out of the dust and snorted into your face. "I said I was sorry. What more do you want from me?" As the sand settled, a massive shape with reddish-brown fur and a black stripe down the back was revealed.

Apparently, Kid was now the second largest red-head on the beach. "YER OUTTA YER FUCKIN MIND IF YA THINK THAT FOUL THING IS GETTIN ON MY SHIP." A fucking boar. A huge fucking boar. This bitch is something else. Mini turned her attention to Kid and lowered her head, giving Kid a better look at how big and how sharp the tusks growing from her snout were.

"Package deal." You crossed your arms over your chest, staring at Kid. "And she smells better than most of your crew." Your hand rustled around in your bag before pulling out the tincture for Killer, tutting as you did so.

Kid growled, hating that he would have to relent. He grabbed your chin and made you look up at him. In the background, Mini tensed. "One chance. Do ya hear me? One. Or we will have the finest fuckin pig roast on the entire sea." He pulled you close enough that his breath was hot on your ear, at the same time you felt cold metal tracing up the back of your thigh. "Did ya think I wouldn't notice?" He laughed and sent a shiver up your spine, maybe for the wrong reasons. The cold metal reached up the back of your shirt despite your protests and tugged your weapon from its holster. "Yer absolutely rotten." Kid stood back up to his full height and turned it over in his hand. "Cute." He added it to his bandolier. He grinned and gestured towards the ship as you stared daggers at him.

"Fuck you," you spat in his direction as you walked past him. That was fine. You were pretty good with your own two hands when it came to defending yourself. I don't think he recognized my gun. But Killer might.

Kid gave your ass a slap as you walked by, much to the delight of his crew, who laughed and taunted from the deck of the ship. "Yer gonna," Kid promised. He decided that he would show you around instead of Heat, starting with his cabin.

#one piece #x reader #marooned #kid x reader x killer #eustass kid x reader #killer x reader

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mochiroreo · 7 months

Text

Welcome to: Mochiro’s Halloween fiesta!

Dropping in (redacted), A mix of dark, kinky, and tooth-rotting smut one-shots + a halloween special for my fic “Oh Goodie!” will be posted throughout October (edit: due to personal reasons, this got pushed back throughout November onwards. Please don’t be shy to send in requests just to let me make up for it💖)

Curious to see what I have in store for you and your beloved darling? Prompts under the cut~ ⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙

P.S. all of these would be Dark/Dead dove: do not eat. Halloween themed request would be open for the characters that did not won the poll (refer to my character sheet to look at the other characters that I can write💖) might open requests for these 4 when everything is posted.

Steddie - Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson (Stranger Things)

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ Just when you thought you were the one luring them in, you were the one caught in their trap. Don’t you look pretty, all tied up? (Siren!reader x Pirate Captains! Steddie)

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ “Quick! Whoever and whatever must have hurt you might still be here!” You said,grabbing their hands before dragging along two strangers towards your house in panic. (Non-human, urban legend beings!Steddie x human!reader)

Rafe Cameron & JJ Maybank (OBX)

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ You can’t run. You cannot hide either. After all, you belong to them. (Werewolves Alpha!Rafe Cameron & Alpha!JJ Maybank x Omega!reader)

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ Rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair. Let the prince come and pay a visit, let him hear you sing your captor’s name. (Dame Gothel!Rafe Cameron & Prince!JJ Maybank x Princess!Reader)

Eddie Munson

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ You just want to have a taste. Its been centuries since you had something delicious and sickeningly sweet. He is soft, luscious, and everything you’ve craved. (Modern!Eddie Munson x Vampire!reader)

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ “You were mine before. What makes you think you are not going to be mine again?” He breathed out against your skin, wearing his signature smirk that you loathe but also used to love. (Mean demon!Eddie Munson x Crybaby Angel!reader

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ They said he was the definition of danger. That their is something odd about him, that you should’ve quit and not even take a step towards him nor his house. But of course, you didn’t listen. After all, you’re his favourite. And he never showed you any “bad” sides of him. Till now. (Vampire!Eddie Munson x Maid!reader)

Steve Harrington

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ ”Look— I—“ you stuttered, eyes bulging out of its sockets when your eyes went downward through the dark curls where a humongous appendage rests,making you cover your eyes with a shriek, making the handsome and very much naked “incubus” (what he said when he appeared in your room) chuckle. “No, you look at me.” He stated. “My name is Steve, and you followed that tutorial and here am I, at your service. Now, what fun things do you have in mind?” (Incubus!Steve Harrington x curious human!reader)

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ “Steve. Steve. Steven.” You tried to shook him out of it, mouth agape while his eyes slowly blink. “Nope— nope! Halloween is like— in a week! Why— why do you have wings?! Wings?! Where— what shop did you even get them?! A-and and why are they moving?! Oh god. Yeah I must’ve been dreaming— dreaming!” (Bestfriend!Steve Harrington x Angel!reader)

Rafe Cameron

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ ”Now, Rafe, what’s your favourite horror movie?” “If I find out whoever the fuck you are, I’m gonna kill you.” “Aww, wrong answer. Try again before I come in and make you.” (Rafe Cameron x Ghostface!Reader)

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ “There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin.” Finding his hands wrapped around your neck, you closed your eyes and accepted that this is where his hands belong. (Priest!Rafe Cameron x Nun!reader)

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ You don’t know what you were thinking to even tell your friends that you’ll distract the killer on the loose while they escape. You always peg yourself as the “final girl.” I guess not. You just hope that the psychopath hesitates to kill you. (Serial killer!Rafe Cameron x reader)

JJ Maybank

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ ”You— you!” JJ pointed his finger at you, making everyone look at you confused while you giggle. With a sultry smile, you sat down on his lap. You tilt your head in mock confusion with a dramatic gasp, your hands gripping his shoulder blades. “Me? What about me?” (JJ Maybank x Succubus!reader)

⋆˙⟡♡⟡⋆˙ When you told JJ that you’re a witch, he didn’t believe you. Mocking you for having a wild imagination. So you drank one of your potions and a set of cat ears popped up on top of your head. Standing there in shock and awe, he suddenly grabbed a bottle and drank all of its contents thinking that he’ll have the same thing, not knowing its a VERY potent potion meant for something else. (JJ Maybank x Witch!reader)

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tootoomanycats · 7 months

Text

Smut Teaser #2 for "Performances"

18+ only | Minors DNIW | Buggy Smut Greetings Folks! I promise I am working on getting the first chapter out as soon as I can. For now, I wanted to grace you with something absolutely -filthy. This little scene popped into my brain in the middle of editing last night, and would not leave me alone until it was finally down on paper. If your curious Sabrina Claudio’s : Put On Repeat was the inspiration. Just for clarity's sake how I write about our favorite clown is always from the viewpoint that he is a switch. Able to free flow from dominating to submissive and all the little groves and crannies that are in between. So let's see what unfolds when the main female protagonist also happens to be the same. I give you *drum roll* The Closet Scene

Note: Please remember that all teasers may and will be edited by the time the chapters are posted.

Warnings:

Taller Fem oc x Buggy | Hand Job | Light breath play | Praise Kink | Buggy is happily submissive with a switch of dominant energy peeking out at the end.

She leaned them against the wall with one arm, Buggy's shaking breath fanning across her jaw as he pressed his head back into the solid structure, trapped between the two. His palms pressed flat to the smooth surface, not wanting to break the rules of the game. Sarisha leaned forward just enough for her cupid's bow to brush the clown’s bulbous nose as she spoke.

“Good Boy, now stay very, very still.”

She pulled her head back just enough to glance down and see the small tent starting to form against the crotch of his pants. Free hand moving slowly from his sternum, drawing small circles with the tips of painted nails before rotating her wrist for fingers to face downward, palm once again flush against him, the heat from his lower belly radiating into her digits.

Buggy gulped at the sensation that her hand made, especially when her nails had outlined their circles. Suddenly the cotton texture of his shirt against his chest hair became too obvious in the front of his mind. His eyes never left her face as he watched the subtle expressions that showed from her continuing menstruations. His own hands now gripping their nails through white gloves and into the groves of the wood behind him, the fabric piling between nailbeds. He was fighting between the loud voice of impatience internally screaming at him to move and the low vibrations coming to life from his body.

His breath caught in his throat when her fingers moved lower, smoothing over the leather of his belt, and then hovering with a barely their touch at the seam in the front of his pants. Her eyes glanced back to his when she saw the tremor in his right shoulder, a barely there smile in the corner of her lips forming.

Using her index finger to hook into the pocket of the belt, she unlopped it from the buckle. A sly smile grew at seeing the captain's chest shake from the tension that was once around his hips loosened. The loss of strength from the belt allowed his pants to slouch down by an inch, the fabric's friction against his growing erection forcing a quiet hiss to be pushed from behind clenched teeth. The sound of his nails scratching against the closet's wood was audible to them both.

“You are doing such a good job, remember to breathe.” Buggy nodded his head fervently before licking his lips and letting out another shuttered breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Sarisha’s words sounded so soft and low; a honeyed calm compared to the electrifying sensation her touch was causing. He had to remember too that they were in a precarious place that she pushed them into. The closet was dimly lit and was also passed frequently by the occupants of the ship.

Normally the pirate couldn't care less about being caught with a woman, even sometimes pushing the border of voyeurism with his encounters, but this was…different. He was used to being the one in charge in these situations, his curiosity getting the better of him, because of her. Sarisha’s heart was racing to the point of even feeling the artery in her neck pulsing. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt a rush from having a man in such a submissive moment. It took control to not show the tremble in her arms or her own shuddering breath that mirrored his own. Her eyes dropped down when his tongue darted out, outlining both red-smeared lips, as a quiet huff came out when her hand pressed once again into his lower belly. Fingers nimbly undoing the top button before gripping the zipper and lazily pulling it down.

Starting to look down Buggy's head gave a soft thud when he pressed it back into place, the game's rules screaming internally with the reminder not to move. All movement paused, sky-blue eyes opened to connect with redwood brown, the coil in his belly tightening at their intensity. He could sense the subtly of her shoulders as they rose and lowered from deep controlled breaths.

“I adore your obedience.”

The tension of a spring being pulled back further and further filled the air as Sarisha adjusted her weight, shifting to be closer, looking down at him from the added height of stiletto heels. The strength it took to hold back from kissing him, no, devouring him at that moment had her gulping now. She had to do her job, and giving in too soon would not guarantee its success. Sarisha needed the pirate clown to become obsessed with her for this to work. This was work she had to remind herself…again.

Buggy’s mouth opened to form a silent O as the back of her knuckles ran the length of his still-clothed erection. His knees almost buckled with that one. But what made his eyes roll back was when the pad of her thumb rubbed at the wet spot of precum that stained his boxers. Long fingers gave slow and soft strokes to the underside of his now painfully hard cock. The friction of fabric was once again at the front of his mind.

The arm that was once used to steady her balance against the wall, cupped his makeup-caked cheek, guiding his head to tilt up just enough to watch what she did next. Once she was sure he had caught his breath from her recent teasing, she smiled and brought the same hand from his still-clothed cock up to her lips, letting a thick drop of saliva roll down to the meat of her palm.

Rubbing her fingers together to spread the slick moisture, showing Buggy the webbing that stuck between her pointer finger and thumb before slowly lowering out of view. When his eyes tried to follow where her hand was going, his head became pinned in place. The other hand that once cupped his cheek so sweetly now gripped his face. Thumb pressing into the knife of his jawbone, the other four fingers gripping the base of his skull, forcing his head to the wall. Panic did not even have time to set in before a wet hand slipped past the elastic band of his boxers. Sickened fingers wrapped fully around his cock, giving a languid pump from base to tip and base again.

“Oh fuck- hmph!”

Sarisha’s hand clamped over his mouth when his surprise moan was louder than it should have been. A wicked smile graced her lips as she watched the once overly cocky clowns body twitch, his core tightening and untightening as her hand stayed wrapped around the thick mushroom head of his painfully hard cock, fingers pulsing quickly causing suction to the overly sensitive tip. Her hands' hyperfocus brought a paralyzing sensation through his body that was even too much to cum. Just when dark spots started to fill the corners of his vision, the torture paused, and the palm lifted from his mouth. Head falling forward to rest on a willowed collar bone, lungs burning in their gasping for air. Body in shock and desperately trying to process what had just occurred. “Remember the rules.”

Buggy was slowly brought back from the gentle touches of a thumb rubbing small circles into his temple. Dark eyes watched intently as the once-red nose gained its rosy coloring back after becoming pale. Leaning forward to press their chests together for more physical contact, helping to ground the poor man from the high she pushed him into.

“Do you need a moment? I'm so sorry, we really should have talked about safe words before I started this Buggy. Why don’t we take a break.”

Sarisha’s words were filled with genuine concern. Her free hand, which was not lightly wrapped around his cock, unmoving, rubbed the back of his neck that had exposed itself when he leaned forward. A low chuckle filled the air of the small closet, growing into a quiet laugh. A finger lifted into the air, wagging before turning into a point under her chin. The seam of the glove nipped into her skin as it lifted her head high, forcing her eyes to strain to look down at him. Darkened blue eyes glared up at her through long lashes, skull tilted to the side, a hard-to-read crazed expression on his face mixed with blown wide pupils. Voice rough as he spoke.

“Oh, we are going to have a lot of fun together, aren’t we.”

#buggy x oc #buggy x reader #buggy x y/n #one piece buggy #buggy d clown #buggy the clown #buggy thoughts #buggy x you #captain buggy #buggy babbles #Spotify

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play-rough · 3 months

Note

So, this is about your classification AU, but not exactly about Chuuya and Dazai, so feel free to ignore this if you don't wanna answer lol

Have you ever thought about the classification of the rest of the ADA (and how that might influence their interactions with Dazai)? Personally, I love Little!Atsushi and Little!Ranpo, as well as Caregiver!Yosano and Caregiver!Kunikida, but I was curious on your takes.

Also, if you do think there would be other littles in the ADA, do you think there would be playdates once Dazai is back on track with regressing (probably after reconecting with Chuuya)? If so, would Dazai be more social because the other littles are people from the ADA that he cares about?

Yes! I do plan on doing some one shots that take place in the early days of Dazai joining the ADA (i just like writing in between when manga exists, it’s easier to play around canon events don’t touch me timeline don’t come for me)

Straight off the bat i go back and forth whether i want atsushi to be a little or an alpha and then vise versa with akutagawa. Right now i am thinking little atsushi and alpha akutagawa, but i could also totally see the classifications swapped. I’m not as confident in my sskk writing so I’ll probably tackle them separately in their own fics eventually too. I do think atsushi would have larger range of ages regresses to just depending on how safe or emotional he feels, I’m thinking from ages 2-8. Most of the time atsushi is really active and rambunctious and just wants to play, kind of kid you take to a park and just let him run around. He does drop smaller if he’s feeling vulnerable or upset, or if he just needs extra attention. He likes playing pretend and he always plays games at the playground that end up roping in a bunch of other kids like pirates or warrior cats and everyone loves atsushi and wants to be his friend 🥹🩷 and akutagawa as his seemingly reluctant grumpy caregiver that actually loves him sm and is there in a millisecond if atsushi scrapes his knee or if it looks like he’s getting bullied on the playground

But for the rest of The Ada:

Kunikida would absolutely be a caregiver and he would take it upon himself to look after Dazai once the office finds out he’s a baby. Ranpo’s main caregiver would be fukuzawa, but kunikida often babysits him too because they’re all a family. Pretty much everyone in the ada sees kunikida as their nagging older brother, even if they’re not little, but once Dazai is in the picture it’s easy for kunikida to work taking care of him into his schedule.

Ranpo is a little, and I do think Dazai and Ranpo would play well together once dazai’s classification is exposed and he loosens up a bit. I think Ranpo would be a chunky block Lego kid (the big ones for little kids because kunikida fears choking even though Ranpo is pretty good about keeping things that aren’t candy out of his mouth) and Ranpo will build things and Dazai will help by separating all the pieces by color so Ranpo has an easier time color coordinating his tower. Ranpo would be a good older brother, he’d be nice and plays gentle with the baby.

Yosano would be an alpha (she is when the healer goes in with the GUN) but she cares about her whole ADA family and is always looking out for them. Dazai’s immune system is bad, and it’s lucky that they have such a great doctor on staff. Adult Dazai avoids yosanos office (he dodged his initial physical exam) but he at least realizes yosano means no harm, baby is terrified of her office. Yosano is real patient and goes slow with Dazai when he’s little and sick, and eventually the baby learns to trust her too

Fukuzawa is an alpha and he’s very protective over his agency members. He insists ranpo cannot go home by himself when he’s little, so he will usually take him home with him after work (kunikida takes Dazai home and then atsushi when chuuya comes back into Dazai’s life).

I love early Ada days when the agency is small and the stakes aren’t as high and there’s time to just be a family and i will write fics for them soon 😭🩵

#💌

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madd-devil · 1 year

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Forget-Me-Not

Author note: Hope you guys will like this new story! :3 This will have a second part as well

Summary: As a member of Hook's pirate crew, you have to obey your captain. Even if he plans on using the new found crush of a blond haired lost one on you in order to get secrets...

How have you gotten yourself in this situation?

Freshly debarked on Neverland, you had been wandering on the shore as the crew was doing activities you were forbidden to. You didn’t mind: you didn’t enjoy cleaning the whole ship and hanging out with them. Being the only girl on the ship was… interesting in a way. You had been saved from the streets by the fearsome pirate captain Hook when you had tried to steal from him: he seemed to have admired your wits and your audacity but you knew you lived on a razor’s edge. The pirates didn’t hide their harsh feelings toward you and you had to look behind your shoulder most of the time. Good thing you were authorized to sleep in the same room as Hook.

So, you had been walking on the shore when you decided to explore the woods next to it. It was a bad idea, you knew that, but you were a curious girl: adventure was calling and you would respond to that call. At least, you had a gun with you and a sword that you knew how to use. It took you some time to master the art of fighting but you knew you had to learn it in order to survive. Walking in the woods, you came across some strange looking flowers. Kneeling down, you were mesmerized by how they looked and smelled: like a rose and lilac combined, with beautiful pastel colours. You unconsciously reached for them when someone roughly pushed you to the side.

“What’s wrong with you Jonas?! You know those flowers are-” The person spoke furiously and quickly before they marked a pause as you stood, brandishing your gun to them. “You’re not Jonas.”

“Do I look like a man?” You growled, making sure your gun was ready to fire.

“I don’t know, you tell me.” The person laughed as they raised their arms but they clearly were armed. “You can lower the gun, missy.”

It was a boy or a man, at least, he was stuck between those ages. He looked young but old at the same time, wearing different coats and clothes of dark colors and what strikes you most was the scar on his face, he definitely stood out from the crowd. His eyes were grey or steel blue, it was hard to see but they sparkled with some kind of curiosity when he looked at you, as if he hadn’t seen a woman for ages.

“You’re not from Neverland, how did you come here?” He asked as he tilted his head, his eyes looking you up and down. He seemed to analyze you and you didn’t like that.

“I won’t tell you.”

“Judging by how you are behaving yourself, I would say you are from Hook’s crew.” Your face decomposed when he said that, and he chuckled when he realized he was right. “Also, you dress like a pirate. I didn’t know Hook accepted girls.”

“It’s temporary- why am I even talking to you?” You mumbled under your breath but didn’t hide the gun away. You still didn’t know if you could trust him, he looked like a threat.

“Can you put the gun away? I won’t harm you, lost boy’s promise.”

“What’s a lost boy?” You had heard Hook talking about it in a hushed tone with Smee once but they stopped when you walked in. You decided to trust whoever that boy was and put the gun back to its holster.

“Hook didn’t tell you?” He sounded surprised as he approached you but stopped when you kept your distance with him. He then smiled. “Maybe I should introduce myself: Felix.” He gave you his hand to shake that you reluctantly took. You still didn’t trust him fully.

“(Y/N). I didn’t know people lived here.” You continued as you looked around, your eyes fixating on the strange looking flowers you still wished to touch.

“The lost boys do, which I am part of. It’s strange that the captain didn’t mention that to you, are you certain he cares about you that much? I mean, if I was him, I wouldn’t let you wander in those parts on your own…”

“I can handle myself, thank you very much!” You turned and decided to leave, this boy infuriated you. As you walked back to the shore, you heard him laughing and running after you, so you made sure to walk faster.

What was wrong with him? Why was he following you? You sighed, very exasperated and stopped when the ship was in your line of sight. While you disliked the boy, he didn’t seem to wish harm upon you and you would hate yourself if the pirates caught him talking to you. Usually the pirates would intervene when you spoke to someone, woman or man, child or old. They just didn’t want you to spill some secrets.

“It’s better if you stop following me, or they will throw you in a cell.” You warned Felix who just laughed again. “What’s funny, shitface?”

“You could do better with your insults, you know? And, I was send to speak to the captain anyway, with fucking Jonas who disappears all the time.” He seemed pretty angry about his friend who didn’t show up but you let him walk you back to the Jolly Roger.

As you stepped closer, you heard the familiar chatting of the crew which stopped when you climbed aboard with the lost boy. The atmosphere became tense instantly and you froze when you saw the crew approaching you with weapons, probably to fight Felix. Was it strange you wanted to stay at his side to protect him if anything happened?

Hook suddenly appeared, parting through the men, and he stepped furiously toward you. You gulped nervously, your body shaking a little. He knew you were afraid and frightened by him and what he could do. His piercing eyes went to Felix then to you, you made sure to avoid his judgemental gaze as he walked closer. The lost boy was not reacting, instead, he was watching.

“I told you to not go into the woods and you disobeyed me. Then, you bring that thing aboard.” The captain scolded as he pointed to your odd companion. “You know what will happen if you disobey me.”

“I-I didn’t mean to!” You whimpered, knowing damn well what Hook meant.

“I am here because of Pan. He sent me to you.” Felix chimed in, and you glanced at him. He had a smug expression on his face, unafraid of being alone amongst men who clearly wished to kill him. “I just happened to save your little soldier from a rosekiller. You should warn her about the dangers of Neverland, Hook.”

“Oh shut up. (Y/N), room, now.” The captain grasped your arm and yanked you into the direction of his quarters. You scrambled to get there as fast as possible, not enjoying humiliation in front of the crew.

Some hours had passed since that accident. You wondered if Felix was still alive, but you had heard no sounds of battle and killings. Laying on your bed, you played with your dagger, twirling it. The night had come, you didn’t have any dinner. Usually you would eat with the captain but maybe he wanted to punish you as well? It was not your fault if Felix came on the ship. If anything, he should punish Felix if it was possible.

The door swung open, startling you. The dagger fell on the bed and you quickly hid it under your pillows. You observed the captain as he strode in with the cook, who put several cooking pots on the wooden table. One thing that was good when you shared a room with a pirate captain was the food. When you were with the crew, the common men, you didn’t have a choice and ate whatever the cook did, which was stew or soup. Hook enjoyed grand and exquisite meals so your belly was often full. But, when you misbehaved, the pirate would not allow you at the table and you had to suffer watching him eat.

When the cook left, Hook beckoned you over. You strutted over and sat next to him as he filled your place generously. You thanked him and waited until he had started to eat to do the same. Even if Hook was a pirate, he seemed to enjoy the etiquette as he called it. He had taught you about it, like which cutlery to use when you ate a salad. Once, you chose to cut the salad and he stabbed your hand with his fork. Now, you had a scar to tell the silly story.

Hook was unusually silent, but it was not the silent treatment he gave you when you messed up. You also realised he was looking at you from time to time, which made you uneasy. Wondering what you had done wrong, you decided to be on your best behavior and to apply this whatever etiquette the pirate liked so much. When you finished your plate, you realised he was still staring at you.

“Did I do something wrong?” You asked slowly, eying his reaction.

“No. Tell me, is it true Felix saved you from the rosekiller?” He didn’t waste any moments to ask this question. You nodded, indicating it was the truth. The pirate captain hummed and leant back into his comfortable seat. You looked at him again, wondering what he was thinking about. “Interesting…”

“I didn’t mean to bring Felix back, he just followed me.”

“I know, I know. See, I know how Felix is, and he is not some sweet blond haired angel. He would have let one of my men die. He is a smart thing, he must have known from the beginning you were part of the crew.” It was logical, but why did he save you then? “I think he has a crush on you.”

“What?! Of course not!” You yelled, scandalized. Hook looked unimpressed at your outburst. “How can you fall for someone you had just seen?!”

“Some does. Just… He is sweets on you, I can see that. And we can use this to our advantage.” Hook stood up and put his hands on your shoulders. “Think about it: we steal Neverland’s magic, we defeat Pan… We can have all the riches in the world. Don’t you want that?”

“I don’t know what I want. I just… want to survive.” You admitted, not liking Hook’s idea. You didn’t want to play that game.

“What about living your life? Without the surviving part? When we get the magic, we will be able to steal everything we wish. Imagine this: you, in a castle, not having to work a single day of your life, not having to look behind your shoulder, not having to be afraid…” He whispered in your ears. It was tempting, and he knew it. You sighed, defeated.

“Okay, I’ll walk.”

“Good girl.” He rubbed your shoulders roughly which made you wince. “Go to bed now.”

A few days had passed since that discussion. Hook made sure you were prepared to manipulate Felix, who you learnt was Peter Pan’s second in command. So, he was a very important person, as he knew most of the secrets. You still disliked the idea of manipulating the lost boy: he had done no harm to you. He had just helped you. But, when you thought about what could happen after… You just wanted a comfortable life, you deserved it after spending so many years on the streets, stealing, sometimes killing, fighting… It was your reward.

Hook had sent you wandering in the woods again, in the hope of meeting Felix. You walked around, being careful about not touching any flowers that appealed to you. Sighing, you sat down on a boulder, observing the ladybugs, butterflies and other insects flying around. The pirates on the ship had spoken to you about the island after they saw you with Felix, the tales weren’t happy ones: fearsome beasts, dreamshade and other poisonous flowers, the deathly lost boys with a devil for a king and a fairy without wings that lurked around. They were dark tales and yet, from where you were sitting, Neverland seemed beautiful and majestic. Your views on the island were much more different from them.

“You look bored.”

The voice had startled you and you turned, a hand on your sword, to see who was speaking to you. To your luck, it was Felix. You gave him a smile and climbed down. You walked up to him, trying to act cool and collected. You felt disgusted with yourself for doing that, but you needed it. You needed that life you dreamt for so long.

“I am bored. Hook kicked me out for some time. He said I was annoying him.” That was not entirely false. The captain would often send you away and would then blame you for running off when you came back.

“He doesn’t seem very caring about you.” Felix hummed and swung his wooden club over his shoulder.

“He isn’t.” You replied with a snort. “If anything, he would sell me for a good price if I annoyed him too much. He wouldn’t mind.”

Felix looked shocked to hear this, again, it was the truth. You didn’t want to play the damsel in distress though… Your life sounded miserable when you spoke about it. Deciding to lead the conversation on another subject, you asked him how he found you. He replied with a smirk and whistled. A dark shadow flew above both of you, which started you and you tripped as you tried to take cover. That thing stared at you with hollow eyes then looked at Felix, as if it was waiting orders.

“Don’t worry, the Shadow won’t hurt you. Unless I told him so.” The blond said as the thing disappeared again. He helped you stand up. “I am supposed to tour the island for a bit, would you like to join me?”

“Sure, I don’t have anything to do anyway. And being stuck in a ship isn't good for walking.” You decided, following after him. He was walking very fast, you noticed. “How long have you been in Neverland?”

“I don’t really remember. Some centuries I guess?” He hummed before sliding down a path and watched you do the same, perhaps to catch you if you fell.

“Centuries?!” You exclaimed, taken aback by his reply. Felix didn’t look like a very old man, he rather looked like a young man. But that could explain how his eyes seemed old but the rest of his body didn’t. You wondered how that was possible to remain young like him. “How is this possible?”

“Neverland keeps us young. We don’t age.” He smiled, amused by your interest. “Well, it is Pan’s magic.”

Felix then talked about his daily life on the island. You listened to him while you explored Neverland with him. You were amazed by some of his stories, but you really doubted his capability of fighting a mountain lion on his own. Was he telling those stories to impress you? No one had ever tried to woo you, and you didn’t try to do so. Anyway, time truly seemed to stop when you were with him. You were back on the beach as the sun was setting, hearing another story. Watching him, you realized he was everything you wanted to be.

You envied how Felix and the lost boys were free. Neverland was beautiful, full of resources and exploration. From what Felix had told you, there were no girls amongst the lost boys, the reason was they never followed the music of Pan’s flute. You laughed when the blond said that, and he asked you why you thought this was funny.

“Oh Felix, if I had heard a flute, I would have stayed home too. I mean… Being on the streets taught me that I shouldn’t go to a place with too many boys.” You said with a sad chuckle, staring off at the ocean.

“I am sorry, I didn’t… You don’t talk about your life before Hook that much.” Felix told you in a soft tone. He seemed to know it was a difficult and rather traumatic thing to do.

“We have known each other for a few days, it is not a conversation I have upon meeting someone.”

“I know, sorry.” He apologized again.

The pirates had also told you all sorts of things about Felix. You didn’t know if it was to frighten you or to make you forget he was kind and nice to you so that you could act upon the plan just like Hook wanted. They talked about how intimidating he was, how carefree and a beast he was in a fight, and that once, he ripped a pirate’s heart and crushed it under his boot like it was nothing. But he didn’t strike you as such a monster. Or maybe he was like that because he indeed was sweet on you?

Still, you wished to know how he truly was. Was it that monster? Felix noticed how quiet you were and asked what you were thinking about. You kept your mouth shut and wondered if you should indeed ask him if he was terrible in a battle. Maybe he will be able to tell you the truth?

“I… I wanted to ask you this: is it true that… that you ripped a heart from a pirate’s chest and crushed it?” You asked with a nervous tone, fiddling with the hems of your sleeve’s shirts. What if Felix found out you were using him for secrets and killed you the same way? This thought was haunting you.

“Who told you that?” Taking a glimpse at him, you realised how dark his eyes were. As if a storm had appeared suddenly after days and weeks of good and sunny weather.

“The crew. They like to gossip. Unfortunately.” You stuttered out under his gaze.

“It’s true.” He then said with a shrug and a smirk grew on his lips as he went closer to you. “Afraid of me now, little pirate?”

“Of course not!” You jokingly pushed him away from you. “Thank you for being honest with me. I mean… No one is truly good or evil.”

“You’re right about that. I mean, look at Hook.” He chortled and you laughed with him.

“True. He saved me from the streets but he treats me like shit.”

“Perhaps you should head back. The night is coming. I wouldn’t want you hurt.” He noticed as the sky was slowly filled with stars.

“I am sure with you I am not risking anything.” You softly said as you stood up and started to walk toward the ship. Felix was not following you, but stood as you left. “I will see you later.”

“Do you still want to see me?” He asked with a snort. Why was he acting like that? Or… Or was he flirting? It was so hard to tell. But, deep down, you still wanted to be with him. if you could have spent the night and the day after… You would have been utterly happy.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” You smiled at him then heard someone yelling your name. You groaned and started to run on the sand, which was pretty hard to do.

When you stepped on the ship, you were welcomed with a bunch of laughing and drunk pirates. Rolling your eyes, you knew they would mess with you about your apparent love story with the lost boy. Well… It was not really a love story, was it? The crew was rather rowdy tonight, you disliked when they were like this. You couldn’t sleep, your ears were bleeding from their bad singing and they would call you names, treating you like a servant or a maid.

That night seemed not different and Hook had joined them as well. You shuddered as he approached you and clapped your back many times very roughly. You tried to make it stop as he blocked you from escaping his grasp. Searching for Smee, your potential savior, you saw him half asleep and half drinking in a corner. So much for friendship. You groaned when Hook started a speech about how you will be able to save them from Pan, how you would steal his magic. You tried to escape his grasp but it was near impossible. The crew cheered at each sentence of their captain and you thought you would go deaf after that.

Finally, after forcing you to drink a bottle of rum, you were able to escape and to go to sleep. You closed the door behind you and wondered if you should lock it. The key had disappeared so it meant Hook had it with him. Swiftly, you locked it and sighed in relief. You hated the taste of alcohol, he knew it, why did he make you drink? It was probably another punishment for something you must have done or not done.

You reached your area of the room and drew the curtains that separated your space from Hook’s. Ultimately, you changed clothes, cleaned yourself a little and drank water before tucking yourself in your bed. Your hands found the dagger under the pillow but also the stuffed animal you had since your birth was laying there, ready to be cuddled. It was one of the few things you had kept from your life before. Hook had tried to throw it several times but he had failed. He wanted you to be a grown up in a way, but he refused to see you were already grown.

The next morning, you snuck out of the room, careful to not awaken the pirates. You couldn’t handle being locked there, between four walls. You wanted to feel the wind on your face, to feel the sand between your toes and to touch the sea. Being on the ship made you a pitiful mouse but out of it, you did feel like a predator. Perhaps you could stay in Neverland? That way, you will be able to see Felix often.

As you climbed down the ship quietly, you realised how much the lost boy was occupying your mind and you started to have concerns over the plan, and more importantly, on how it will affect Felix. He had done nothing wrong to you, unlike Hook and his pirates. He was kind too, at least to you. You had never encountered someone like him. Groaning, you wondered why you were falling in love so fast, betting it was on the fact no one had ever been the way he was with you. You have to keep cool and to keep focused on the plan, then you will have all the riches in the world, have a good house and a good life. You deserved this. But you were conflicted.

You entered the forest, hoping to find the lost boy again. Perhaps this time, you could explore the jungle more? It looked dangerous, menacing and gloomy, that was maybe why you were attracted to it. It had the same feelings and vibes as the streets you grew in. It was oddly reassuring. As you stomped around the woods on your own, you wondered how Felix always managed to find you. Perhaps it was thanks to that weird and threatening being? Did that thing spy on you? You looked to the sky and sighed, reassured when you didn’t catch a glimpse of the shadow being. It was freaking you out honestly.

You came across a river that separated you from the other side, there was a dam that linked the two parts, probably built by the lost boys. Everything was strangely calm as well, which made you stop as you moved to access the makeshift bridge. The reeds were moving but there was no wind. Stepping back, you realised you had made a wrong choice coming all the way here alone. There was a reason why Felix hadn’t brought you to this area, even if you didn’t know it. It felt terribly wrong, you felt it in your guts, and your guts never were wrong.

Turning to leave, you yelped as a boy stood at your level, grinning. You fell on your back, surprised by him. He approached nonchalantly and looked down on you, still smiling. Something about him made you sick. There was something foul, you felt it. He had bright green eyes, like a king’s emerald.

“Well, hello there, stranger.” He said with a mocking voice, probably amused by your frightened self. Then, he tilted his head. “Or should I say pirate?”

You didn’t say anything and reached for your gun, but to your dismay, you had forgotten it back at the ship. You were helpless against that boy and you didn’t like that. Jumping to your feet, you attempted to walk past him but he gripped your arm roughly, you groaned and tried to wriggle out of his grip. Glancing at his face, you saw how his eyes sparkled with wrath and anger. He did not like you walking away from him apparently.

“Let go of me, you shit face!” You insulted, panicked because this boy may be smaller than you but his strength was incredibly big. He was going to break your arm and you were defenseless against him.

“Pirates aren’t welcome on my island, I thought my second in command told that to your captain. Did he send a pretty girl in, hoping that I take interest in you so you can stab me in the back?” To your defense, it was Hook’s plan, not yours. He seemed to have read your mind as a smirk grew on his face. “Oh, you are Felix’s secret.”

“Leave me!”

“No I won’t. I know what your game is now: you want to use him to hurt me. It might work, you know? I like Felix, he is loyal to a fault, reliable and incredibly violent. My type of friends.” He continued, unbothered by you trying to escape and you still couldn’t. “You are going to break his heart, love, and I can’t have you do that to him.”

“I don’t want to hurt him, I swear-” You blurted out unwillingly, your cheeks warming up in embarrassment. Finally, the boy let you go when you revealed that and he started to laugh.

“Don’t tell me you love him. Oh, you do. I wonder how Hook will take that. It is treason, isn’t it? He will make you walk the plank and die.”

“Who the fuck are you anyway?! Why do you care?!” You screamed, very alarmed.

“You aren’t very bright, I am Peter Pan and this-” He moved his arms to show the area. So, this was the fearsome Peter Pan, you had to agree with the crew, he looked beautiful but terrifying, like a rose with thorns. “Is my kingdom. I feel like I will enjoy playing with you, girl. You are such a cute thing to destroy.” He approached you so fast, you didn’t have the time to see him coming. Peter Pan grinned again and you wondered if his teeth were fangs, it clearly looked like that. “Poor Felix, about to get his heart broken.”

“I will not hurt him, I don’t want to. I am not… I am not a monster.” Like you, you wanted to add but bit your tongue. It was not the moment to die like an idiot. “I care a lot about him.”

“Speaking about your feelings with your enemy, that is a bold move.” Pan went on as he started to walk around in a circle. You felt like a mouse about to get eaten or toyed with by a cat.

“Pan! We have a problem with-” The voice stopped and you felt like you were about to faint. It was Felix. Your eyes went to the leader of the lost boys who simply turned to watch his second in command arriving. “What is going on?” He asked, and you noticed that his voice was shaking a little. He seemed nervous to see you with Pan and you were nervous as well.

“Oh nothing. I happened to stumble upon a lady in distress. I think she got a bit lost.” His voice sounded no longer threatening but was authoritarian. Is that how a friend speaks to one of his? You watched quietly and anxiously as Peter looked at you. “I didn’t know she was your secret Felix. You should have told me about her.”

“I am sorry but the occasion never… It was never the right time.” Felix explained as Peter hummed, acknowledging his reply. “She is not a threat.”

“Oh I know that, what kind of pirates could ever get to hurt us?” He mocked as he patted his second in command on the shoulder. “Have fun Felix, but you know the rules.”

In a way, you felt that this was also addressed to you. If Pan knew about the plan, then he could tell Felix and damage your relationship with him. But again, if you decided to pursue something with him, you were betraying Hook, and you will have a death threat on your back. However, if Felix knew about the plan, realizing you spent time with him on purpose, then you will both have your heart broken. You needed to know where your loyalty lies or it will kill you.

When Pan left and was out of sight, Felix quickly approached you and held you in his arms. His club fell on the ground but he didn’t seem to mind. You tensed when he touched you but melted and leant into it. Closing your eyes, you listened to his heartbeat. It was… comfortable and nice. His hands moved to your hair and he caressed you for some minutes in silence.

“I thought he was going to harm you.” He whispered and parted away from the hug. You tried not to show you were sad he pulled away and instead concentrated on the river. “I… Why did you come here?”

“I just wanted to explore the woods.” You honestly replied. It was such an innocent thing to say. “I… I hoped to run into you.”

“Pan is no… He cares about us. He doesn’t want us to have love, he says it will lead us nowhere and hurt us. You have to understand that he is a threat only to you. He could have killed you.” Felix scolded you. You felt like listening to Hook when something didn’t go his way.

“I know, I am sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just…” He gulped down nervously and you saw how red his cheeks were. “I will hate myself if something happens to you.”

“Thank you. For saving me I guess.” You wondered what Pan could have done to you if Felix hadn’t shown up. This boy… he was terrifying and that was the worst part! He really looked like a child tyrant and you felt embarrassed to be afraid of him.

“Let’s get you back to the ship. It is not safe for you here.” Felix replied as he boldly took your hand and took you away.

Hook was getting on your nerves now.

He didn’t like you getting nowhere with the lost boy. Well, to you, you were getting somewhere with him. You two had kissed many times and did even more than kissing. The pirate captain just didn’t understand, too preoccupied with his greed. The crew was also growing impatient and questioned your mere presence on the ship. It was a matter of time before getting kicked out, you knew it.

Sighing, you contemplated the landscape from the quarterdeck. You considered jumping into the ocean and drowning but you would hurt Felix, so you didn’t do it. Ugh that boy! Why did he have to occupy your mind like this? What was so nice about him that you couldn’t go through a simple plan that would work perfectly? Everything was so complicated. Life was complicated.

“Okay there missy?” Smee interrupted your train of thoughts as he approached, looking concerned. “You haven’t been yourself in a while.”

“I am fine, don’t worry about me.” You replied, attempting to reassure him. Out of all the people from the crew, you liked Smee the most. He wasn’t lewd, brutal or disgusting like them but rather… normal. “I was just thinking.”

“Ah yes, about your new life right? Can’t wait for that I bet.”

“Yeah…”

While Smee was rambling about what his life would be like after Pan’s magic was stolen, you wondered if you should just leave the ship permanently. What could stop you from running away? Felix seemed pretty open to the idea, he had told you many times he could hide you somewhere. It was tempting, and now, you were ready to do this. That way, you will escape Hook and this life you hated. What was wrong about double crossing the captain? He wasn’t a good person anyway.

“-and so, we decided to get rid of the lost boys so it can be easier for you to steal the magic. I bet Pan would be so mad he won’t see what’s coming to hit him!” Smee laughed and your face must have done something because he instantly grew worried and asked if you were feeling okay.

“Excuse me but what did you say about the lost boys?” You asked kindly, hiding behind that mask allowed you to get what you wanted with Smee, you knew it.

“We found their camp. Hook is going to distract Pan so we can attack and kill them, those filthy rascals.”

They will attack the lost boys.

They will KILL Felix.

You smiled at Smee and told him you were going to walk a bit on the beach, to get fresh air. He shrugged, told you to be careful and also to come back before the attack starts, so you can be safe on the ship. Of course, you said you would do that. When you found the right time, you slipped away from the ship and the crew’s watchful gaze (though that was the easiest part). They were too busy getting ready for the fight they didn’t see you leaving.

You had to warn Felix about what was about to happen. One day, Felix tried to teach you how to whistle and the different meanings behind them. However, you were pretty bad at it and he instead offered you a wooden whistle he had made himself. He promised he would hear it and would come as fast as possible. Hoping he would, you waited at the boulder you both first met and decided to give it a try. You begged and prayed to any gods listening for him to come. He had to know about the attack.

Thankfully, he showed up some minutes later. You didn’t question how he got there, you had your own idea about it. Instead of greeting him, you immediately jumped in front of him and blurted out a lot of information at the same time because of the panic you felt. Felix didn’t quite understood what you meant so you had to repeat yourself several times.

“It’s the pirates, I can’t stop them but they want to attack your camp!”

“Relax, no one knows where it is, outside of us.” Felix tried to calm you down but grew worried when you shook your head.

“I don’t know how they know but they know. You have to warn them to go somewhere and to hide or…”

“Is this why Hook scheduled a meeting with Pan?” He cut you mid sentence.

His tone surprised you. You looked at Felix, and he didn’t look at you the same way he had the last days. You realised he was treating you like an enemy, a prisoner even. Your mouth opened but no sound came from it, too shocked at this brutal change of his behavior. You had no idea about this until Smee informed you. Hook will probably scream at him for that as well; he was not really allowed to talk about those plans with you apparently.

“I don’t know, maybe? He just wants him out of the way to get you all killed so it can affect Peter Pan. You have to trust me.” You took his hands in yours and hoped he would have some faith in you. “Please. You know I wouldn’t do a thing to harm you.”

“Alright. I am sorry… I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Stay here. I won’t be long. After that… I can talk to Pan and make you stay here with us. I don’t think the pirates would be too keen on having you on board after that.”

He was right. You just had betrayed them. You felt a wave of shame and self loathing, even if the pirates had mistreated you, they had taken you in. Hook fed you, gave you clothes, some parts of the treasures he found. And you threw that away, in favor of love. You didn’t expect any of them to understand, because they won’t.

Felix had been away for what seemed like hours. You were on the boulder, it was the middle of the night and you wondered if everything was fine. You hadn’t heard anything suspicious as well and there was no smell of fire. So, you guessed the lost boys were fine, which was a relief. Then why Felix didn’t come back? Dread filled your body as you assumed the worst. Maybe Felix warned them but got injured? Maybe something else happened?

Hearing someone approaching thanks to a broken twig, your hand flew to your gun. You had the advantage of having the high ground. Felix entered the field, seeming unharmed. You sighed in relief and jumped down from the boulder. You ran to him, wanting to hug the lost boy but you stopped when you realised how… how mad and upset he looked. Something must have happened with the pirates, you were sure of it.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” You questioned him with a concerned voice. You prayed no one had been severely injured or killed. However, the boy only glared at you and it froze you instantly.

“When did you want to tell me you were using me?”

“What?” You asked, horrified; either your secret had been revealed and Pan spilled the beans about Hook’s plan to his second in command or… or he heard it from Hook himself.

“I said, when did you want to tell me you were using me? To get Pan’s magic? To get secrets about the island?” He accused and stepped forward, making you walk backwards until your back reached a tree and you couldn’t run away anymore. “Give me one reason to not kill you right now.”

“Who- Who told you that?”

“When Pan told me, I didn’t want to believe him. I thought he was maybe jealous but when Hook revealed why you started to hang out with me… It all made sense, you damn rat.” His eyes were so full of hatred and menaces that you wanted to melt to the ground and disappear forever. “Why did you do that?”

“I am sorry but he forced me! I didn’t want to at the beginning but… but you wouldn’t even understand! But I swear I meant it when I told you I wouldn’t want to hurt you!” You attempted to explain and Felix scoffed as he turned around, leaving the field. You quickly ran after him, you couldn’t let your happiness slip through your fingers like this. It was unfair."Felix I swear I didn't think it would get that far…!" You implored the blond haired boy as you scrambled to follow him. He was walking so fast you had trouble keeping up with him. He suddenly stopped and whirled to face you. You gulped down nervously, waiting for him.

"You used me! You told me you loved me, I kissed you and you just used me!" He screamed back and you were too stunted to do something. "Pan was right all along, you're just like them: a dirty pirate who only wants gold."

"That's not true! Hook forced me to do it but I swear Felix…" You repeated and you tried to approach the lost boy. You stopped when he threatened you with his wooden club. Tears started to roll down your cheeks from being tired, angry at yourself and sad you were losing him. “Please don’t leave me.” You whispered, your legs shaking, frightened about what was going to happen.

“Go back to your ship, Hook is waiting for you. And if I ever see you again, you won’t be breathing.” He stated menacingly. You let out a sob as he turned again and left.

Once you were truly alone and finished your crying, you picked yourself up and dragged you back to the beach. You were certain all of this was a set up from Pan, perhaps amused to see you suffer or to block Felix from being truly happy. But that didn’t matter anymore. You wrapped your arms around yourself, a futile attempt to reassure you from all that happened. You hadn’t expected that much pain from losing someone.

Climbing back on the ship’s board, you realised no one was here. The crew must be sleeping, but there was no guard which was odd. Maybe Hook had a truce going on with the lost ones? This was a possibility. You walked toward the quarter you shared with the pirate captain and you softly opened the door, finding at first empty. As you locked, you heard someone turning on the oil lamp. Sighing, you turned to face Hook. After losing Felix, you were ready for anything now.

He was leaning on his chair, staring at his shiny hook. You timidly took a few steps but stopped, stressed and scared. Finally noticing your arrival, his eyes met yours and he nodded toward the table. He wanted you to have a seat with him, how bizarre. You sat down and avoided his gaze, feeling like a kid who had been caught stealing.

“I am extremely disappointed in you.” He started, his voice neutral. “I thought we were on good terms together. I let you live with us freely. You don’t have to do all the hard work unlike the crew and you eat at my table. I ask you to do one simple task: get secrets and manipulate Pan’s second in command. And what do you do? You run off to him, spilling about another part of the plan.”

“I am sorry-”

“Shut your mouth.” He insulted, and you did so. You felt so little. “I should kill you. That’s betrayal. But you are young, inexperienced and down right miserable. I would say you have been taught a lesson however…” Your eyes met his and your face drained from its color when you saw this sparkle of mischief they held. "You have to be punished." He announced as he approached you and you knew what it meant by “being punished”.

"No, Hook, don't!" You protested as he dragged you toward a trapdoor on his room's floor. You squirmed and even bit him to get away but you couldn't. He opened the trapdoor with a sad sigh and threw you in.

“On our next stopover, I will find you a nice gentleman.” You heard him as you were paralyzed, too stressed to gain control of your body. “I’ll sell you off, get some money and you will have a happy ending like you always were meant to get.” He finished with a mocking voice as you heard him lifting something heavy. “Until then, behave.”

It was dark, cold and cramped. Your breathing began to be irregular and you pounded at the trapdoor, sobbing and shaking, begging the pirate to free you. Hook knew how you hated the dark, how and why you feared it. You heard him putting something heavy, like a carpet, above the entrance. Then, the door from the quarters slammed and you found yourself alone, in the darkness.

You don’t know how long you spent in the cold darkness. Your fingers were bloody from scratching the wooden doors, you felt weak and frail, like you were constantly about to faint. Your lips were dry from not being able to drink water. If anything, Hook was not trying to punish you but to kill you. Perhaps this was a fitting end. You never could have nice things before, why should you have here? If only you did as you were told… But, you met Felix, and you couldn’t even hate him for leaving you. You understood his anger. You just hoped he was doing okay.

Curling into the corner, you attempted to warm yourself up but you failed miserably. Since the trapdoor was so close to the water level, you felt the humidity from it, which was going to make you ill or it already did. You were sneezing and coughing from time to time but you always checked your body temperature, you didn’t appear to have a fever or even a sickness. Maybe it was the mold and the seaweed?

What was also strange was the lack of sounds. It felt like the crew left and decided to leave you to die. Why didn’t Hook execute you? It would have been easier instead of letting you rot away. You would have preferred it anyway. You were dozing off when you heard someone knock down the door. You knew that sound: yourself had used it to break into houses in order to steal. Weakly, you lifted yourself and tried to be silent, to make sure what you heard was not some kind of hallucination.

You almost started to cry when you heard footsteps. Someone was definitely upstairs, going through the room. Who was it? A lost boy? A crew’s member? Smee? Someone you didn’t know? You hoped they were friendly and willing to open the trapdoor. If not, you could promise them the captain’s secret treasure, you knew where it was, unlike the crew. You started to hit on the wooden door again, wincing as you did so. Your knuckles and fingers were bloody and injured but you didn’t have a choice: it was your chance to escape. The person seemed to notice some kind of noises as you attempted to knock on the door with full force and strength. You could hear them approaching the carpet that must muffle the sounds.

"Is someone down there?"

It was Felix. Your eyes shot up with excitement and relief and you started to trash against the door again. You needed him to open it, to free you. You didn’t know if he was willing to, however. But you had to try. You needed to get out or you will die.

"Please Felix, I need you to help me!"

"Wait… (Y/N)? Shit! What are you doing there?!"

"Please open me, please!" Your fists were getting tired against the hardwood but you pushed yourself to make more and more noises. You didn’t want to spend one more second down there.

Waiting some minutes, you wondered if Felix left you. It didn’t seem right, he sounded worried. He seemed to be searching for something to open the trapdoor, since Hook must have taken the lock’s key. You almost fainted when the door opened and strong arms pulled you out. Letting yourself fall, you stumbled upon Felix who held you tightly. It felt nice, it felt reassuring and comforting. You were hungry, thirsty and dizzy, but you tried to stand up and walk. However, after being locked for three days at least, you were extremely weak.

"Tell me you had some water at least?" Felix asked in a serious and concerned tone.

"No…" You croaked out, looking around for a water pitcher. Hook wasn't known for his love of water but he often kept one for you in his quarters, since you slept there with him. "There it is."

Felix sat you down gently on your much smaller and simpler bed than Hook's across the room and got a glass that he immediately filled to the brim. He strode back to you and put the cup to your lips, forcing you to drink all of it. Some spilled out, but you didn’t care: it felt so good, like you had reached an untouched paradise.

"Why did you lock you up? Is it… Is it because of me?"

"Amongst other things, yes. I think he is growing tired of having me around." You sighed, knowing your fate will not be a good one. You knew that day would eventually come, the pirate captain never hid to tell you he will not hesitate to sell you off to some man to get married. You shuddered and started to cry again at the mere thought of it.

"It's going to be okay." Felix tried to reassure you awkwardly, but he had failed to do so. You were shaking from crying so much and he draped an arm over your shoulder to bring you closer to him. "I promise."

"No, no, you don't understand. He will send me away, he always told me so."

"I won't let you go. I… I will hide you somewhere on the island. Not even Pan needs to know you are here." Felix continued, but it was futile: nothing escaped Pan. He could try all his might, Pan would eventually find you and kill you. "Let’s get you out of here first and I will find you a place to stay, and… and maybe I will find a magic bean, you will be able to leave."

"Why are you doing this? I thought you hated me." You sniffled miserably and tried to dry your tears.

"Let’s say I… I reconsidered all the events and came to the conclusion you are not the villain in the story. Hook is. You never meant to harm me."

"And I still don't want to." You assured him as you stood up on wobbly legs. You didn’t have a lot of personal belongings, except for some pieces of jewelry that your mother had gifted you before dying and some coming from Hook that you never wore, and some clothes. It didn't take too long to get your bag ready, which the lost boy insisted on taking.

There was no sign of the crew as you both left the empty ship and you grew concerned. Did they wait for Felix to come and rescue you? Was it a trap? You flinched when Felix touched your shoulder, perhaps to reassure you. He also looked worried but more for you. You understood: you must look and smell like hell after spending some days without water, food and other basic needs that you couldn’t do or have.

The sun was about to set, you noticed. Maybe it was the easiest to move at night on the island? When you stared at Felix, you also wondered why he came to the Jolly Roger in the first place. Did Pan send him to? Or did he go on his own? Perhaps to look for you? Your heart swelt at the thought but you doubted it was that reason. When you left him (or rather he left you), he was hysterical and furious. As you both walked down a muddy path, you decided to ask him the question.

“Truth to be told… I was worried about you.” He explained, studying the environment before helping you out. He lifted you down to another path, less recognizable. Felix seemed to know where he was going, so you didn’t bother to fret about that secret location you were both headed to. “Listen I… I was furious when I learnt that plan, Hook’s plan. I wasn’t thinking straight, I was really hurt you apparently tried to use me. But then… I thought that someone who didn’t care about me wouldn’t betray a treacherous and vicious pirate crew.” He finished and shyly smiled at you. You could have fainted listening to him: he was forgiving you! “Now, the most important thing is to get you somewhere safe.”

“Where are we going?” You finally asked, concentrating on following him through thick bushes. Your boots were getting dirty from all the mud and water, you were in a kind of swamp. You panicked when you saw bright yellow eyes blinking and glittering at you. You quickly ran to Felix and held his hand, seeking comfort and protection. You were too weak to fight, and you didn’t know where your gun and sword were.

“A place where Hook and Pan wouldn’t think of finding you. Well, Pan could find you out but I plan on smuggling you out as fast as possible.”

“Will you come with me?”

He didn’t reply and you decided not to push the question further. You understood if Felix wanted to stay: his whole life was in Neverland. He was the second in command, he had to care about the other lost boys as well. He couldn’t leave all that for you. After all, it was indeed your fault if you were in that mess.

Finally, you reached your destination: it was a cave hidden deep inside the swamp. Felix informed you Peter hated this part of the island, so he will hesitate to come snooping around. You were a bit surprised to see furniture such as a bed, cabinet and table already there.

“It was an old hideout before Pan forbade us to come here.” He quickly explained when he saw you look around. “It’s dusty but… Better than a trapdoor, am I right?”

“Yeah, anything is better than that.” You agreed and walked over to the bed.

The second in command laid something on the bed and you realized he had stolen some things from Hook’s quarters. Actually, it was your blanket, so the pirate won’t be that mad. But he will certainly be astonished to see the trapdoor opened with no sign of your person in it. Perhaps Felix had an idea on how to escape the island? You wanted to ask him if he had a magic bean but you refrained from doing so. You were exhausted from being imprisoned and from walking. You laid down on the bed and tried to get comfortable.

“I am going to get you some supplies from another hideout not far away. I won’t be too long. Try to sleep.” Felix softly whispered and kissed your forehead.

“Thank you.”

When you awoke, Felix was nowhere to be seen. There were several new objects and a basket full of food and a pitcher. Your stomach growled and you leaped to your feet, almost rushing to the table. You were so hungry and absolutely starved, your hands greedily went through the basket. Felix seemed to have the time to prepare some sandwiches that you devoured without a second thought. It felt insanely good to eat. For you, this was better than the food you would eat with Hook at his table. You wondered if he knew where you went or if he didn’t care. Probably the latter, you thought. If he was willing to sell you off then he didn’t care that much about your person.

Bored, you walked toward the entrance of the cave. You didn’t have the time or the energy to observe your surroundings when you arrived. Your nose scrunched up when you got a scent from the swamps: it was disgusting and you gagged at the odor. That may be one of the reasons Pan hated this place and you completely agreed with him. It was inhumane. At least the yellow eyes were gone or so you believed. You had seen such eyes in books about nature and animals, perhaps alligators lived there. You smiled, thinking about the odd story the captain told you once at night: a crocodile apparently took his hand and now he was wearing a hook to use it. You wondered if those animals could talk so you could ask them to eat him.

Something moved in the swamp which made you hide further in the cave’s shadows. You didn’t have any weapons on you so it was best to keep a low profile. Next time, you would ask Felix to get you some. You couldn’t stand being without one, you felt naked. You instantly smiled when you saw a familiar head with blond locks advancing toward the cave. Still, you stayed well hidden before jumping in to hug him.

“Thank you for the food, I greatly appreciated that.” You told him between kisses.

“We have no time to waste. I fear Pan must know something.” He replied, sounding almost desperate and frightened. “I may know a way to keep you safe but… There is a price to pay.”

“You are scaring me Felix.”

“Listen, there is someone named Rumpletilskin, he makes magical deals with people, at unfair prices though. We could… call him. I will pay any price if that means you get to live away from here.” The second in command argued with a disaffected and trembling voice. He didn’t seem to trust that person as well, which did scare you a little.

“But I don’t want to leave you!” You complained, you could hide in there for a long time, you wouldn’t mind. It was going to be hard but you didn’t want to leave Felix.

“I know.” He sighed and closed his eyes. It was also hard for him, you could tell that. “But it’s the only way to secure your safety.”

“You should come with me. We could live together.” You tried to insist but you found yourself disappointed when he shook his head again.

“I can’t. I have responsibilities here, the boys… Even if they annoy the fuck out of me, I can’t just live them there, you know? I promise I will do anything to find you after.” He sputtered, you felt being the second choice for him but you somewhat understood what the issue is: he had known the lost boys for all his life (centuries as he told you) and you both have known each other for what? Some weeks? It was unfair for him to just leave everything for a girl he barely knew.

“Okay.” You agreed, defeated. He was right, this was the only issue unfortunately. “But what if Pan knows about that?”

“He won’t dearie.”

Felix’s eyes shot wide open and he pulled you behind him protectively, though you could stand your ground. You scowled upon seeing the man or rather… creature in front of you: he looked more like a crocodile or alligator, with scales and golden eyes. He seemed rather amused at your constant starring and you glanced at the lost boy who looked tense. He giggled as he approached and wandered around the cave.

“I can’t believe my eyes! The second in command of Peter Pan, calling me, to make a deal! And with a pirate, nonetheless. What for, dearie?”

“For her protection.” Felix said with a stern and serious voice. You didn’t know what else to say so you let him deal with the strange fellow. “To be away from Neverland.”

“It will cost you a great deal, my friend. And I don’t think you have something I desire unfortunately, except if you can bring me your leader’s head.” You froze at that statement, knowing he wouldn’t do it. Also, Rumpletilskin seemed very angry when he spoke of Peter Pan. Did they have a history together?

“A part of my heart, perhaps?”

“What?!” You turned to stare at Felix, shocked by his offer. What did he mean by a part of his heart?

“Tell me more.” Rumpletilskin clapped his hands together, visibly interested.

“My heart is special, pure red, extremely rare, that’s what Pan told me.” Felix replied without glancing at you. Your heart was thundering in your chest, speaking of hearts made you quite queasy. “If I give you a part of it, you will make sure she has a good life somewhere else, where she will be happy, safe and without any problems of any kind. Do we have a deal?”

“I want to see it first.” The being haggled over, but he didn’t hide his interest.

“Felix, you don’t have to do that.” You told the lost boy, squeezing his hand.

“I have to. For you.”

Rumplestiltskin appeared in front of Felix. Unlike you, he didn’t step back, he instead glared at the dealmaker. You wondered how he would be able to see Felix’s heart. How could someone do that? Will he open the lost boy here and there? It seemed very risky and unsafe. To your surprise and horror, the man didn’t do that. Instead, he stuck his hand in the chest of your lover and took out his heart. Felix moaned in pain and you let him leant against him. He looked extremely weak but tried to appear strong and unbothered by what was happening.

The dealmaker inspected the heart meticulously and methodically. It was making you sick: he was observing the heart as if it was some meat piece! It was revolting. Rumplestiltskin took his sweet time before snapping his fingers together. A piece of parchment appeared out of thin air, with a feather quill.

“We have ourselves a deal my friend.”

“Felix, I am not sure about this. Are you certain-”

“Anything to protect, I will pay any price if it means you get to live that life you ever wanted. You deserve this. Let me take care of you one more time.” He softly spoke and kissed you.

The dealmaker made a gagging sound and giggled when he realised how embarrassed you were. What a bastard. You understood why the lost boy didn’t seem to like him. Watching anxiously Felix signing the parchment, you pondered over leaving him on his own, without a part of his heart. Wouldn’t he die without it? Would it be painful?

You got your reply as the blond haired boy groaned in pain, louder than when his heart was first taken, and if you weren’t holding him, the poor lad would have fallen over to the ground. You held him and hugged him, not wanting to be separated but now you didn’t have a choice anymore. You watched as the dealmaker held a little part of the heart, a shining little thing, it looked like a ruby. It was truly beautiful.

“There lover bird, let me put that back where it belongs.” The creature talked as he roughly pushed the heart back in the chest. Felix took a big inspiration before standing up on shaking legs. Then, the dealmaker stared at you with a smirk. “You have five minutes to pack and say your goodbyes.”

At least you didn’t have to leave immediately. Rumplestiltskin whistled a tune before advancing toward the exit of the cave. When he was out of sight, you hugged and kissed Felix, thanking him a hundred times for what he had done for you. Still, you didn’t want to leave him. You wanted to drag him to a better place with you, it was unfair he had to stay here.

“I don’t want to be away from you. I will die if I don’t have you near me.” You complained as Felix packed your own bag. He had insisted on doing it.

“Don’t worry. I just hope you forget me.” He tried to joke and laughed, but stopped when he saw how sad you actually were. “Or not.” Stepping toward you, he cupped your cheek and you leant into his touch. “I will try to find a way so we can be together again. I promise.”

“Okay. I promise not to forget about you.” You smiled and kissed him. Deciding on giving him something so he could still remember you, you took off one of your necklaces and offered him the piece. It was golden, with a ring attached to it. You put it in his palm delicately.

“I have to give you something too now.” He chuckled and reached for a ring he always wore. You never asked him the story from it. “There, you can wear it around your neck too. I will get it back when we will be reunited.”

“Your time is up dearie!” Rumpletilskin announced, happy to ruin the mood. “Or do you want to get killed by Peter Pan?”

“No, I'm coming.” You said before looking at Felix for the last time. “I will see you.” You kissed him again but the dealmaker roughly yanked you with him. You both groaned at the loss of sensations and before you could blink, a strange cloud made of smoke blinded you.

Opening your eyes, you found yourself in an immense room, which you believed to be a living room of some kind or rather a dining hall. It was not lightened, except for some candelabras. Also, there were numerous art pieces on the walls. It didn’t feel like home and not something you would live in. Hearing the dealmaker giggling, you turned and realized he had been watching you the whole time. There was a sick sparkle in his eyes that made your stomach turn. Your gut was telling you to be careful and that something was wrong.

“Your friend doesn’t read, doesn’t he?”

“I don’t know, the subject was never brought up.” You replied quickly, being on the defensive.

“Good, because that fool will never ever see you again.” The crocodile man smirked and you found yourself bonded to a chair. You started to squirm but the binds went tighter and tighter. “Don’t worry dearie, it won’t be painful and it won’t take long. I just love messing with young naive lovers.”

His hand covered your face, you cringed under his skin and attempted to bite him. He didn’t pay attention to you, he instead seemed to be focused. You hoped he wouldn’t take away your sight or your eyes, he seemed to be very deranged. You gathered some bravery before trying to ask him what he was doing. However, you didn’t have any time to do so: you felt a warm and burning feeling in your eyes, after a few seconds, your head spun to the side and you fell strangely asleep.

When you awoke, you immediately jumped to your feet. You didn’t remember falling asleep at all. Worryingly, your eyes scanned the dining hall, making sure the owner of the castle was not around. Alas, he was there, swirling some wool through a spinning wheel, and to your surprise, gold came out of it. You were fascinated by the strands of gold and approached, which made the man raise his head to grin at you.

“Finally awake dearie! You should be grateful I let you nap, but the castle isn’t going to clean itself. I am expecting some guests over.” He requested, implying you had to yet again to scrub and wash.

“I had the strangest dream.” You told him as your eyes were mesmerized by the spinning. “A boy… He made a deal with you to ensure my safety. He was cute.”

“Interesting. Keep those silly dreams to yourself dearie, love… is a weakness.” The Dark One declared, now you could finally put a title on his head, your mind was extremely foggy. “Don’t forget you're here because that good for nothing pirate captain threw you out.”

“Of course. I will never betray you.” You confidently replied.

“Good. Now, run along and do your chores. I expect this castle to shine, I want to see my face on every wall or ground.”

Nodding, you decided to leave him and to indeed go back to your chores. Still, the image of that boy haunted your mind. Who was he? He felt so real… Too bad you couldn’t even remember his name, but you did remember his eyes, blue or steel gray, like a cloudy day before the storm. And he had a scar as well. As you reached the cleaning supply and started to mop one of the hallways, you couldn’t help but stupidly smile at the mere thought of seeing him again, in reality or one of your dreams.

#ouat #ouat felix #ouat felix x reader #ouat peter pan #ouat neverland imagine #once upon a time felix #imagine felix ouat #ouat felix imagine #ouat hook #i mean he is in the story lol

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moongothic · 4 months

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Yeah no I can't stop thinking about this. I need to get this extremely cursed theory out of my system. Let's just go.

Could Rayleigh and Shakky be Crocodile's parents?

So the thing is, I was gonna post about this like ages ago, but then I canned my original post. Because I realized that based on the timeline we have, for this theory to be true Shakky would've had to become pregnant at age 17 and given birth at 18 while Rayleigh was like 31. And needless to say, that's gross as hell. So yeah, I cancelled that original theory post because of that.

But then I realized that between Oda repeatedly treating 17 year olds as """not children""" in OP (see: Dragon literally saying Luffy isn't a child anymore at age 17), and other shit like how 16 year old Pudding was almost married to 21 year old Sanji

Like shit's creepy as hell. But alas, because Oda is Oda, it would actually fit in-universe. Like the theory is still fucking viable. Because fucking Oda, man.

And god fucking damnit the thought just keeps on haunting me. Because I am unironically curious whether or not this could be a genuine, viable theory. So yeah. I just need to get this theory out of my system. Let's just get it done with, alright

So what kind of started off this theory in my mind was remembering Buggy's off-hand comment/joke about Rayleigh being Luffy's uncle

Because that got me also thinking about some other, vaguely related theories, and like... Like we all know these theories, right;

that Luffy's mom is a Kuja (people speculate that's why Kuma sent him to Amazon Lily, that Luffy had a connection to the island)

that Crocodile has Kuja heritage (the Missing Empress is pretty much debunked but it is a popular, related and vaguely relevant theory too)

that Crocodile is Luffy's other dad

And I could not help but to wonder if these theories could somehow be combined together into one Giga Theory

And the funny thing is, we know that Rayleigh did marry a Kuja Empress, Shakky. Which actually does mean that the four theories could be mashed together. Like sure the other three theories could already be combo'd together but Buggy's theory would somehow really complement the other theories and bring them all together???

Of course, if Crocodad is real and Rayleigh turned out to be Crocodile's dad, then Buggy's comment wouldn't be fully accurate, since Rayleigh would be Luffy's other grandfather, not uncle. But it'd still be funny as hell in its own right, since the two would turn out to be blood-relatives. Like how the fuck was Buggy onto something there. Not to mention, as of now, two of Buggy's predictions in the Summit War Saga have already turned true (him becoming a Shichibukai and then a Yonkou, the only one that hasn't come true yet is him becoming Pirate King)

But indeed, if Shakky and Rayleigh were Crocodile's parents, then that would mean Crocodile would have Kuja heritage, it would mean Luffy's birthing parent was (technically) a Kuja, Buggy's joke would be kind of true and, yeah, Crocodad Real. That would be insane. We got a full fucken bingo over here

But then we have all these details to considder;

We know Shakky quit being the Kuja Empress and a pirate 42 years ago, when she moved to Sabaody and opened her bar. We don't know why she did this move, especially because at this point Rayleigh should've still been adventuring with Roger's crew

At that point, Crocodile would've been 4 years old

Based on Baby Croc's art, he isn't wearing Kuja clothes. If he had been raised in Amazon Lily then surely he would've been wearing their clothes*, but if he moved to Sabaody with Shakky and was raised there, then his get-up would fit in just fine

The trivia books claim Crocodile is a Grand Line native; regardless of if he was raised in Amazon Lily or Sabaody, both would add up

*(To be fair, if Oda had drawn Baby Croc in Kuja Clothes, that would've been a MASSIVE SPOILER to drop in an SBS. And Film Z did go out of its way to NOT include Baby Croc in the credits when all the other Baby Shichibukai were, so like, Baby Croc's art isn't Absolute Lore or anything, it is subject to change)

Indeed, if Shakky had decided to move out of Amazon Lily and went to Sabaody specifically knowing that if Roger's crew ever passed by then that would make sense, since it would mean she'd have an increased chance at seeing her husband again (if only briefly). It would also make sense if she moved out with her child and/or because she had a child, since it'd make it easier for her to ensure her child and the father could maybe get to meet and spend time together, as staying on Amazon Lily would've meant Rayleigh wouldn't have been able to enter the town even if he DID swam all the way there. (Also her options would've been to either leave her child behind or bring the child with her, and if she didn't want the kid to grow up in Amazon Lily for whatever reason then this would've been the perfect opportunity to remove that child from the island)

If Crocodile grew up in Sabaody then it could explain things like Baby Croc's serious expression and how he has a gun; there are dangerous people in Sabaody, the kid would've had to learn to defend himself from a young age (and I'm sure Shakky would've been happy to teach her child how to fight, since the Kuja are fierce warriors and being powerful is beautiful etc). It would also explain Crocodile's racism towards Jinbei, since anti-Fishman racism is a common issue in Sabaody. He would also have grown up in a place where slavery and other shit is a commonly known and seen thing, as well as the crimes of the Tenryuubito. This would explain a lot about his general attitude towards the World Government

Also, if both of Crocodile's parents were pirates, and his dad also happened to literally be on the ship of the Pirate King... Yeah it would explain his career choises. And why he had gone to Roger's execution too, since that would've been not just the Greatest Pirate In The World, but also his father's captain

And if these two were Croc's parents, it could explain his title; he could be "Sir" Crocodile because he is the son of an empress, or it could be a fucked up abbreviation from Silvers (note: it doesn't work like that in Japanese, since "sir" is like "saa" while "silvers" is "shirubaasu", but that's why I said "fucked up abbreviation")

Either way, his fullname would then be Sir Silvers Crocodile

A fitting name for a silver medalist, is it not

I just. I hate how much sense this would make

Also I'll throw this out there; don't want to put too much money on the whole "they look similar" thing due to Oda's same face syndrome, but there is an argument to be made about Oda's fem!Croc looking quite similar to Shakky, while if you squint your eyes, a younger Rayleigh could kinda look a bit like regular Croc (they even have the same haircut, awe), though it's hard to judge since we have so little art of young Rayleigh and old Rayleigh is, well, visibly much older than Crocodile

Really the only things I can think of that COULD debunk the idea are that Crocodile is MUCH TALLER than either Rayleigh or Shakky, and his bloodtype doesn't match (the two are A/AB while Croc is O). And my normal instinct would be like "if they were related then surely these details would add up because Oda is insane", but also. They are minor details. IDK man

Also, Crocodile aside. Shakky and Rayleigh have known each other for a long ass time, and Rayleigh's tendency to sleep around, it is entirely possible the two could have had a child at some point. And that really would explain why Shakky quit being an Empress. Like it doesn't even have to be Crocodile, it would just make sense if they had a kid and if that kid became the reason to Shakky quitting. The question is, who could that child then be?? And what happened to them??

#Moon posting #OP Meta #Sir Crocodile #Crocodad #Alright I had to get this cursed concept out of my system. It has been exorcised from my brain. Let us never discuss this ever again

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the12thnightproject · 5 months

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Chapter 31: Mitsuhide POV - Unasked: (Surprise) Gacha Chapter - Mitsuhide’s take on recent events.

All Chapters Archived on Ao3

Logline - With Mai, Hideyoshi, and Aki missing, Mitsuhide and Katsuko reluctantly team up. Disguised as a merchant and his concubine, can they outsmart the man known as the God of Deceit?

“Do not delay your return. With the resurrection of Motonari, it is imperative that all of my vassals be prepared for the next battle.” Nobunaga clapped his hand on Mitsuhide’s shoulder. Mitsuhide knew this was an acknowledgement, in fact, praise of the work he had performed thus far. That hand, and the light squeeze said, ‘thank you for your loyalty, I am glad you are at my side.’

Despite the praise, he was aware that they were still only at the beginning of the long battle for unification. Nobunaga had just ordered him back to Azuchi, but Mitsuhide had already known that his time in Sakai had come to an end. There was nothing left to be accomplished here that could not also be accomplished in Azuchi. Yet, even with that knowledge, he risked looking toward the deck where Katsu was carefully organizing their supplies. How would she feel about leaving Sakai with her mission unfulfilled?

Nobunaga followed the direction of his gaze. “An interesting woman, this ‘Kaya.’ Several months ago, a youth by the name of Katsu helped translate a conversation between a Nanban merchant and myself. At the time, I offered, er, him a place in Azuchi. Please inform… Katsu… that this offer is still available.” Though Nobunaga didn’t directly state that there would also be a place available in his bed, Mitsuhide knew that subsequent offer would be made to Katsu in due time.

Not letting his internal rejection of that idea show on his face, Mitsuhide simply nodded. “I will relay the information to Katsu. I have agreed to help her locate her missing father, though, as my lord wishes, I would be able to oversee that process from Azuchi.”

“Good. I like her.” Mai leaned into Hideyoshi’s embrace… in fact she’d hardly left it since they’d been rescued. “It will be nice to have another woman around.”

“Dear me, is living with Azuchi’s housemistress not enough for you, Mouse?” Mitsuhide included Hideyoshi in the teasing tone he rarely dared use with Nobunaga, and had the reward of seeing a faint blush on the man’s face.

“We can indeed prepare quarters for her in the castle. That is, my friend, if you can catch her.” Hideyoshi lobbed that teasing tone right back at him, and gestured to the docks, where Katsu was currently dashing away from the ship.

“Catching her is simple enough. Bringing her to Azuchi in one piece after that, is not something I can promise.” With a quick bow to them all, Mitsuhide took off after the brat. Odds were less that she was running away, and more that she had seen someone suspicious and gone in pursuit without thinking. Motonari?

Would she never learn to think before acting?

Keeping an eye on his wayward charge, Mitsuhide soon gave up trying to melt invisibly into the crowd, hoping that at the end of the chase, he would not find Katsu again in danger. Motonari would be less than friendly after she destroyed his fort. For that matter, Mitsuhide was not eager to spend another month searching for a missing person if the pirate-lord decided to take her prisoner again in revenge.

Nor would Nobunaga be as understanding when the missing person was not one of his generals or an Oda Princess. He would likely tell Mitsuhide to return to Azuchi at once and forget about Katsu and… that…

Thankfully was not a decision he need to make.

This time.

Katsu was standing in the middle of the crowded market, looking around in all directions. Whoever she had been following – and it was now clear she had been doing just that – had disappeared.

Mitsuhide put his arm around her and ushered her into an alley, away from curious minds. “Is it beyond your ability to stay in one place for any amount of time longer than a heartbeat?" Rhetorical question, for obviously not.

"But I thought I saw-" She gestured helplessly toward the marketplace, then let her arm fall limply to her side.

“Who or what did you see, Brat?" If it was indeed Motonari, then immediate plans should be made. Who or what would have made him speed back to Sakai? “Did Motonari return already?”

She sighed, sounding more defeated than she ever had – not even after her concussion left her emotional and insecure had she seemed so unlike herself. “No. I thought I saw someone from years ago. But now... I don’t know.”

“The man who tried to kill you? Iekane?” Were that the case, if Mitsuhide could lay his hands on him, Iekane would discover the true meaning of torture. A week in a tiny coffin without food or drink perhaps. Then again, it was possible that Katsu had run after someone she wanted to see. “Or… Akihira?”

What if it had been Yoshimoto? No… Mitsuhide dismissed that thought as soon as it came to him. The Imagawa was incapable of being inconspicuous. Mitsuhide would have seen him.

She shook her head and shrunk smaller into herself. “No. Someone who’s been missing for a lot longer… so… probably just in my imagination.”

Her quarry could be anywhere by now, as the emptying market only contained merchants who were rapidly packing up their wares in the glare of the setting sun. No use prolonging things. "Come along, we've much to do."

Without further protest, she seemed content to allow him to shepherd her back to the machiya, where Kyubei was waiting for him… waiting for him with an expression of concern not normally found in his placid mien.

“What is the news?” Mitsuhide asked his vassal. Peripherally he was aware that Katsu had retreated to the staircase, but had not bothered to escape to her own quarters. Though she was not near enough to be able to hear them, he guided Kyubei further away.

Kyubei simply handed him a sealed and folded message. “I intercepted this before it could reach Azuchi… but… it is meant for you.”

“You read it?” Mitsuhide could and did trust Kyubei to open and read messages that he deemed urgent. At Kyubei’s acknowledgement, he unfolded the letter. The message was short and to the point. The defeated Shogun, Yoshiaki, rather than meekly accept exile, had found a refuge with a rebellious daimyo and was gathering an army.

Once again, he glanced at Katsu, recalling the information that she had discovered weeks ago…

“The other thing… um, I had a source inform me that he had seen Shojumaru converse with an agent of Yoshiaki’s.”

“A source? I ought to commend you for having managed to turn an Imagawa into a spy, for Yoshimoto is the only person I can imagine who would realize that Shojumaru had a connection with the deposed shogun.”

That… changed a number of things. For one, it very likely meant that Motonari was either with Yoshiaki right now, or would be there soon. It also heightened the need to return to Azuchi to discuss this information with Nobunaga. But the end result would be the creation of a new disguise and a personal investigation into the shogun.

The search for Akihira… Mitsuhide rubbed the back of his head, wondering how he could be in multiple places at once. Sending Kyubei in disguise to spy on the shogun… no… he could not put his vassal into that danger. He would have to go himself… and by himself. On the back of that thought, he needed to figure out what to do with Katsuko. He knew her well enough to know that she would not be content to stay in Azuchi, especially if he took off on a mission immediately after their arrival.

And he absolutely could not take her with him into Yoshiaki’s den. There was too much risk involved. If anything went wrong, she would certainly be used as a weapon against him. The best thing he could do for Katsu would be to keep her far away from this latest complication.

“Kyubei, follow up on this, and see if you can confirm Yoshiaki’s location.” There was always the possibility that their source was mistaken, or that the original message had been stolen and replaced with a misdirection that would send him into a trap.

Kyubei, already in the disguise he had used when they were originally tracking Kennyo, bowed piously, and slipped out the door.

Crisis one handled, Mitsuhide turned his attention to Katsu, who hadn’t yet stirred from the moment that she’d flopped down unceremoniously upon the staircase. "Dear me, I hadn’t expected you to interpret 'don't move,’ so literally. You’ve never been this obedient in the past, and I’m defining ‘the past’ as earlier today."

Rather than argue, she asked, in a too-quiet tone. "May I have Aki’s letter now?"

Her behavior was somewhat alarming. By now he could tell when she was saving her energy for a larger argument. This was not the case here. She seemed to have given up. Still, he attempted to coax her into a better frame of mind. "Noticed it’s no longer in the box, did you?"

"I know you took it with you when you went to Azuchi. After that… it was less noticing and more of a logical assumption." She shrugged. "I would have moved it."

"If we're going to be making demands, would it not make more sense to have this conversation in the living area? You can't be comfortable." And perhaps once in the relative comfort of their private quarters, she would return to her more normal behavior. He missed teasing her and watching her eyes sparkle as she threw a cheeky response at him.

Slowly she stood up and began climbing toward the second floor.

"You're not heading for your doom." Though he still hadn’t forgotten the wave of fear when he saw Katsu and Mai in danger from Motonari’s soldiers, he was past the point of threatening and punishing her. It seemed nothing he said or did made a difference. She was who she was. "You may cease walking like a prisoner on their way to her execution any time now."

While she waited quietly for him, he took a moment to make tea. It was the one thing he could always count on successfully preparing – in fact, it was rather a point of pride that he made very good tea. Hopefully, that would settle her nerves, and allow them to have a productive… negotiation. These discussions wouldn’t be any fun if she didn’t fight back. "Akihira’s letter. Dear me, whatever did I do with it? My memory is so faulty these days. Perhaps it exists with the memory of you promising to do what I ordered."

Thankfully, either the tea, or the teasing finally snapped her out of her daze. She looked up and stared him directly in the eyes. "If you'd bothered to ask me what happened instead of assuming I willfully disobeyed you, you would discover your memory is not faulty at all. I meant to stay in the tree. I would have stayed in the tree, but Mai chose that night to overpower her guard, and the commander got suspicious. He sent another guard to check on her, and I was afraid that one would raise the alarm."

"Mai overpowered her guard?" Before he’d left the Oda ship, Mai had strongly hinted that there was more to her rescue than he realized, but he’d not understood until this moment that meant she herself had precipitated the event.

"She hit him with a bucket then garroted him with the chain. Well not permanently. I expect he'll have a sore throat for a while, but he should have survived." She stared into her tea cup, and took a fortifying sip. “I held back as long as I could, but the look on the face of the man the commander sent to check on her… I didn’t trust that look.”

Ah. Mitsuhide understood. The look she referred to was a look that he hoped Mai… or Katsu would never encounter. But of course having experienced the slave ship, Katsu already knew what it meant. He could understand why she had made the decision to leave the tree. That didn’t mean he agreed with it though. "You were wrong, as evidenced by the fact that Hideyoshi and I did have to fight our way to that building, so the very thing you intended to prevent occurred anyway. That said, I acquit you of disobeying my order on a whim. Though your conclusion was wrong, I agree that you had few options to choose from." He also understood that… she hadn’t trusted him. Surely, he had proven his worth to her by now. "I'm not sure what to do with you."

I don’t know how to keep you safe.

“Aki's letter? Please?”

Maybe the only way to keep her safe would be to let her go. He’d tried once already to remove her from the danger of Motonari… and failed. Yoshiaki represented a greater threat. "It's under my futon mattress. Had you ever opened up renegotiations, I expect you would have discovered it naturally, as it does tend to crackle during vigorous sleeping."

She got up and sent him a look of pure incredulous scorn. "Under your mattress? That's the most-"

"Obvious location.'' He took a moment to let that sink in before adding, "and yet you failed to look there."

She paused, but her feet were already pointing toward the stairs. "May I go get?"

So eager to leave his company. "Again, I find myself incredulous that you're finally located your manners. I was under the impression that you would simply take it."

"Well I would if you weren’t home, but it did feel a little rude, I suppose, when you were sitting right here." She shrugged and now that look of pure mischief lit up her face. "And I really don't want to wait until you go out... unless... you'd like to leave right now and let me think I am getting away with something?"

He could not think of an appropriate response. Between that lively… that beautiful expression on her face… and the fact that she had managed to verbally best him, all he could do for a moment was admire the sight of her. Arms crossed defiantly, chin in the air, and that attitude of pure devilment.

Admiration gave way to the realization of the humor of the entire exchange. From somewhere deep inside, laughter bubbled up, pushing past muscles that had been locked and rusted tight with lack of use. "Go. Go."

He could not remember the last time he had laughed like this.

Maybe never.

He couldn’t give this up.

He couldn’t give Kats-

Yoshiaki.

A dry voice at the back of his head, reminding him that every moment she spent in his company increased the danger to her. He had chosen this life. He had chosen darkness. He could not be responsible for dragging anyone else deeper into it. The narrow escape that Hideyoshi and Mai had just had should have carved that message on his soul.

But if he had to give her up tomorrow, he would at least have one more night in her company. One more night of teasing her. Of possibly sharing a laugh.

He set down his tea, and followed her upstairs, hoping to waylay her before she got too involved in translating her father’s letter. Aki had waited this long. He could wait a little bit longer.

Katsuko was still in his room when he reached the doorway. He watched as she smoothed out his bedding. Then she…

Leaned over his covers and sniffed them.

Interesting.

Gratifying.

It appeared she did not dislike him as much as she claimed. Nor was she indifferent. So when she looked up, and winced when she saw he had witnessed her action, he teased her once more. "I'm beginning to suspect you are indeed interested in renegotiation. Perhaps as a way to say goodbye to our sweet love nest before we go back to Azuchi tomorrow."

"Don't flatter yours-- tomorrow? What about Aki?” She pressed the letter against her stomach.

"I haven't reneged on our original contract." Unfortunately, he didn’t know exactly how quickly he’d be able to turn his full attention to helping her search. He would not go back on his promise… but how could he spend all his time focusing on one man, when the reemergence of Yoshiaki could destroy everything they had worked for… everything Nobunaga had already accomplished… everything and everyone that Mitsuhide cared about.

Now was not the time to have that discussion. He’d rather wait until he could ensure her continued safety while the threat of Yoshiaki was neutralized. "We appear to have exhausted our resources here in Sakai. In Azuchi, I have more tools at hand. As well you would have the booksellers as a hub of information."

She seemed to accept that explanation, although not entirely happily. "What are we doing here then?"

"Packing." He moved closer to her. Close enough to touch her. Close enough for her to touch him. "Or, if you're interested – renegotiating."

Close enough to touch… but neither of them did so. His fingers itched to brush her hair from her eyes, or trace the outline of her lips.

"Are you asking?" Her chin tilted up, challenging him to take that next step. In in that challenge was a refusal to take that step herself.

"No." He gave in and tugged on her hair. Let her interpret that how she pleased. "I am suggesting an activity that I believe we would both enjoy. You were the one who was treating my bed sheet like it was a flower." Since she hadn’t moved away from him yet, he tapped her nose once, twice, then let it rest against her lips. Her breath warmed his skin.

She stepped back and the room was instantly colder. "I have a letter to read."

He indicated the door. All she needed to do was walk past him. To walk away. "I'm not stopping you."

Not breaking eye contact, she walked past him. Head high.

But he could see the effort behind the unaffected pretense.

He listened as she made her way to her room… heard her door slid open, then shut, before he released the breath he had been holding.

He hadn’t expected her to renegotiate.

But he’d…. hoped she would.

Hope. It had been a long time since he had hoped for anything that would be purely for himself.

For Mai and Hideyoshi’s sake, he had hoped he would be able to find them alive. For Nobunaga, for the people of this country’s sake, he had hoped that the man’s campaign would be successful. For himself… he couldn’t even hope that he would live to see that success happen.

Tonight though, he had hoped for one last evening spent with Katsuko.

"Are you asking?" Her chin tilted up, challenging him to take that next step.

Apparently, yes, he was going to take that step. To ask.

He walked to her room, then…

She was just on the other side of the door. He didn’t know how he knew… but he knew. Just as he knew that by the time he mentally counted to ten, she would open her door.

He leaned against the wall to wait.

One…

Two…

Three…

Four…

Five…

Six…

Seven…

Eight…

Nine …

She opened the door, then glared as soon as she caught sight of him. "I'm just getting a drink of water.''

"Were you?" Neither of them would be forced to ask the obvious question. Instead, he simply… reached out his hand.

@selenacosmic @bestbryn @lorei-writes @lyds323 @tele86 @akitsuneswife

#10things #10 things I hate about Mitsuhide #mitsuhide not-monday #ikemen sengoku #fanfic #ikesen fanfic #ikesen mitsuhide #mitsuhide akechi #katsuverse #oc katsuko

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gaypirate420 · 2 years

Text

Forgiven // James Hook.

Captain James Hook x merman!male!reader.

Part one.

Summary: Hook says sorry, which is odd.

Was he too rude?.

That question has been on his mind since yesterday, since he was given a second chance, he thought it was finally the end.

You were so kind and caring with him.

You helped him, a mermaid, you contradicted yourself to save his life.

He reflected while he walked towards the beach, lantern on hand.

Will you be there? If he didn't know of your existence was because you were really hidden in those dark waters.

He needs to find you.

To apologize only for keep the mermaids on his side and not have another enemy or a war even, only for that.

Right?

And to learn about you, you're not registered on his notebook about Neverland.

You're a misterious creature and he wants to know everything about you.

The captain walked towards the beach, to the spot where you left him.

Where you kissed him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your tail brushed the seaweed, your hands petting an octopus that found your hiding place, your eyes spotted something shiny on the sand, you reached for it.

A pearl necklace, probably it fall out of the pirates row boat one day.

You're bitter.

Pirates, how does he dare to threaten you after saving his life?, Are all humans like this? If so good thing your sisters drown those ungrateful creatures.

A light above the water could be seen, definitely not from the moon, it was moving above on the shore.

You got closer.

A shadow, it's too big to be Peter, you swam closer and closer.

He sees your scales shining with the moonlight, they're beautiful, sitting down on the sand, waiting for you.

Your head peaked from the water, you meet eyes with him.

You got underwater again immediately.

"Wait!" He shouted, you rolled your eyes and got closer to the sand, you're still on the water, you don't trust him, Hook can see it.

"I am here to offer you a very well owned apology." Hook said softly, you got closer to him, he felt nervous all of the sudden, you were an unknown creature, intimidating.

"James Hook? Apologizing?" You said bitter.

"You—saved my live, you were kind and I mistreated you and for that I am sorry." He said, you finally got out the water, laying besides him.

"And thank you, for not letting me drown or be eaten by that crocodile." He said, he looked regretful at least.

"You called me a sea witch and that I needed to learn manners whatever that is." You said offended crossing your arms.

"And I am sorry for that too, all that I said last night wasn't right." What is he doing? never in his life has he been this apologetic, this regretful and angry at himself.

"You are forgiven, James Hook." You said offering a wide smile, sharp teeth, the captain's blue eyes widened in surprised.

You chuckled.

"You're cute, James Hook." You whispered.

"Cute?" He said arching an eyebrow, never in his life has he been called such thing.

"The way you look at me it's cute, those human eyes filled with curiosity." You said getting closer again.

"Well, I am curious about you." Hook confessed, you sat down besides the captain, your tail splashing some water.

"What do you want to know about me, James Hook?" You said looking at him, you were a bit creepy but he didn't care.

"What's your name?" He asked, you smirked.

"I'm _____" You said mocking his characteristic bow, how much do you know about him? And how come he never knew about you?

"What a beautiful name." It's all he can say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: HEYYYYYYY, so i hope you like this part, part 3 is in process, I do not intend on having a lot of angst and I'm sorry if Hook is ooc bc this is my first time where reader and Hook aren't already a couple. Also yes he is a """""simp"""""" idk threat him kind once and he will be smitten.

#captain james hook #captain hook #peter pan 2003 #pirates #james hook #captain hook x male reader #captain hook x reader #captain hook imagine #captain james hook x reader

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bi-bard · 1 year

Text

Taylor Swift Songs That Would Describe a Relationship with Nikolai Lantsov - Nikolai Lantsov Imagine [Shadow & Bone]

Title: Taylor Swift Songs That Would Describe a Relationship with Nikolai Lantsov

Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov X Reader

Word Count: 2,242 words

Warning(s): mention of violence

Author's Note: Yeah, I know the lyrics I used for "seven" were a little on the nose. Don't talk about it.

Also, he would so be a swiftie.

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

seven

And I think you should come live with Me and we can be pirates Then you won't have to cry Or hide in the closet And just like a folk song Our love will be passed on

Nikolai came from two different worlds.

I was never connected to royalty in any way.

Truly, there should have been no occasion where the two of us met.

However, Nikolai always wanted to find something new and exciting. It was a trait that could be seen vividly in his childhood. He would run from his home and find something that he found exciting and interesting.

I was the same way.

That was how we found each other when we were younger and it was how we ended up sticking together through most of our lives.

Until we got older.

We still saw each other, but our normal adventures slowed down as we each took on new responsibilities. But even then, I thought that we would always have each other in some way.

And then, he decided to leave.

It was a largely private thing for him. Just like how he used to sneak around and look for adventures when we were younger. He only told me because I was his best friend and he "needed to see that I was there" before he left.

He wanted my support. He would always have it.

I had only gone to say goodbye and wish him well.

Holding my tears back as I watched him get ready to leave broke my heart. I never wanted this day to come. I never truly wanted anything around us to change. I wanted to be the stupid, curious kids that we had always been without the pressure and responsibilities. It was so unbelievably childish, yet I couldn't stop it.

He looked at me from where he stood on the deck of the ship. I forced a grin and waved to him.

I saw something shift in his head. I couldn't place it, but I saw the look on his face change.

I was only more confused when he ran back down to me.

"What are you doing-"

"Come with me," he cut me off as he grabbed my upper arms. A wide smile was stretched across his face.

"What?"

"Come with me," he repeated. "It'll be just like when we were younger, but with more action... and maybe a little scarier."

"Nikolai, I can't just run off."

"Who says?" he replied. "Last time I checked, very few people would question it if you left by my instruction."

"You're pulling the royalty play?"

"Am I?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Please," he muttered. "I think we both deserve this."

I took a deep breath. I thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

"Really?"

I nodded again. "You owe me an extra set of clothes- Saints!"

"Deal!"

I let out a loud laugh as I was dragged into a tight hug.

I already knew that this was going to be the best choice I had made in my entire life.

I Think He Knows

I think he knows When we get all alone I'll make myself at home And he'll want me to stay

I don't know when my feelings for Nikolai changed. When I went from seeing him as a friend to seeing him as something else entirely.

I would love to say that it was a sudden thing. That one day I woke up and everything just changed. But I don't believe that's what happened. I think it happened very slowly over time and by the time I noticed, it was too strong of a feeling for me to avoid.

The first time I recognized it was soon after Alina and Mal joined our crew for a short time. At that point, I didn't have time to worry about my feelings. We had bigger problems on our hands than my little crush.

I wouldn't have to even think about confronting those feelings until we got to the Spinning Wheel.

It was after everyone had enjoyed dinner. After everyone had dispersed for the night, either to go to bed or to mindlessly toss and turn in some hopeless attempt of getting some sleep.

I was in the second party.

I had given up. Instead, I walked the halls until I found Nikolai's door. I hadn't been hoping to go there. It just happened.

He was still awake, sitting in the corner of his room, staring off into space.

"Not going to bed," I asked as the door shut behind me.

"Hasn't even crossed my mind," he admitted, standing from his spot. "What about you?"

"Dreaming of stopping the villains was much more fun when the villain wasn't real," I chuckled. "It was less scary to watch you fight air."

"Won every battle back then," he grinned at me.

I looked down for a moment, closing my eyes.

"Hey," my attention was drawn back to Nikolai when he spoke up. His hand touched my arm gently. "Everything is going to be fine."

"This isn't you sneaking in and out of your family's castle," I said. "This is going to be the worst fight that we've ever faced. I... I don't want to hear that everything's going to be fine. I want to hear a plan."

"Alina will find the third amplifier and then we can tear down the Fold," he explained. "That's all we can plan until that happens, but I believe that we will get through this."

I just nodded. "I hope you're right."

"Now, that didn't sound like you believed me."

I rolled my eyes.

"(Y/n)..."

His tone was teasing as I looked away from him. How could he change my mood so easily? It simply wasn't fair.

He was just too... perfect. He was too good to me. Even if I had known that I was falling for him, I wouldn't have been able to stop it because that damn smile would have dragged me in. I was hopelessly falling for him more and more each day and it felt like it was going to drive me mad.

And he seemed entirely unaffected.

And something about that made me upset. How dare he sit there and be completely calm while I struggle to not yell how entirely my mind has been consumed by thoughts of him?

Nikolai moved so he could look me in the eye again.

"Don't you trust me," he asked with that stupid old charming smirk that drove me up a wall sometimes. And seemed to be my final straw.

“No, you don’t get to do that,” I snapped before my brain could even comprehend what I was I was saying.

“Do what,” he asked.

“You don’t get to look at me with that little smile and charm in the hopes of comforting me."

"(Y/n)-"

"Also, You don’t get to be clever and funny and charming and kind. That’s just not fair! And honestly, very distracting. You are meant to have flaws- what are you doing?”

He was standing significantly closer to me than he was before. "Listening..."

He took another step closer, and I felt heat rush over my entire body as nervousness took over. I was suddenly far too aware of every word that had spilled out of my mouth. And now that they were there, I couldn't speak another syllable. Every word got caught in my throat like someone was strangling me. He was just so close to me. It was suffocating.

"I've never seen you speechless before," he muttered. He didn't need to speak any louder. He was close enough that I could hear him perfectly fine.

"You've never stood so close to me before," I pointed out.

"I see," he nodded. "So, it's simply my presence that makes you nervous. Why is that?"

"Nikolai," I forced a scoff and looked away from him. "I came here to have a serious conversation about what we're getting ourselves into-"

"You could have run," he stopped me. "You could have run after our first trip together, you could have run when I went out looking for the sun summoner, when we hunted the Sea Whip, or before we crossed the Fold. Yet, you never did. Tell me why."

I looked back at him, ready to lie straight to his face. To tell him that I was his best friend and I cared for him. Nothing more than strictly platonic protectiveness. But then, I saw that smirk again and I knew that any lie I constructed would be nothing short of completely pointless.

"I think you already know," I said quietly, embarrassed at how easy my feelings must have been to spot.

"Yeah, but I'd quite like to hear you say it," he shrugged. "Don't want to make too many assumptions."

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "It doesn't matter, does it? You're going to be engaged. That's all that matters."

"Not to me," he replied. "Please, say it."

I paused for a moment before finally speaking up again, "I have feelings for you, Nikolai."

His smirk only seemed to grow, which I was convinced wasn't possible.

"Can I go now," I asked. "Are you done embarrassing me?"

"Am I done embarrassing you? Yes," he nodded. "Can you go? Not yet."

"Nikolai-"

My exasperated complaint was interrupted by Nikolai leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine.

I froze for a moment as he kissed me. Soon enough, my eyes fluttered shut and I found myself kissing him back. My hands reached up to cup the sides of his face. His hands touched my sides, pulling me as close to him as he could.

I pulled away first, grinning at him. He grinned back at me, leaning his forehead on mine.

"How long have you known," I asked quietly.

"I wasn't quite sure until a few moments ago. I've had my suspicions... and I've... hoped for a while."

"Oh," I mumbled.

"'Oh,'" he repeated, chuckling as he leaned in and kissed me again.

I smiled into the kiss.

It was a feeling of peace that I had never been lucky enough to experience before. And I never wanted to lose it.

King of My Heart

Late in the night, the city's asleep Your love is a secret I'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep Change my priorities The taste of your lips is my idea of luxury

Tearing down the Fold didn't come without its sacrifice.

That sacrifice seemed to make everyone determined to hold on tightly to what they still had.

At least, that was what I assumed led to Nikolai waking me up in the middle of the night to try to quietly get us from my room to his.

I couldn't have escaped him that night. Not that I wanted to. His arms held onto me so tight that I was convinced he was going to crush my ribs by accident. He hid his face in the crook of my neck, refusing to even flinch after he was comfortable.

It was the first time that I had truly felt like I was the center of someone's attention. I was the most important thing in the world in that moment. Even if it was just for him.

Waking up to Nikolai the next morning only helped to solidify that feeling.

He was already grinning at me. I smiled back.

"Good morning," I muttered, rolling on my back as I stretched.

"Good morning..."

I let out a chuckle as Nikolai pulled me closer to his side.

His lips touched my cheek and my nose and my forehead... light kisses until his lips found mine. I hummed against his lips, kissing him back slowly.

Through all the loss and the injuries and the fear, this moment felt like setting a broken bone. Nothing had quite been healed or fixed, but there were intentions. A future that could be seen where that pain wasn't as strong.

"I could get used to this," I muttered as he pulled away.

He chuckled, nudging his nose with mine. "Me too."

There was a moment of silence between us. A moment where we truly enjoyed being together. Relaxing and holding each other properly for the first time. I never wanted to pull away from him.

But I knew that I would have to eventually.

"How do you plan on sneaking me out of here," I asked. "It would be a bit of a scandal if someone were to catch you spending the night with someone other than your future queen."

I meant for it to be a joke, but some kind of edge must've snuck into my voice before I could stop it. Nikolai let out a sigh as a guilty look crawled over his face. His thumb drew a circle into my skin.

"I'm sorry," he muttered to me. "About all of this."

"We could have never happened anyway," I shrugged, acting like the fact hadn't left a permanent scar in my heart. "Not officially anyway. You're doing what's best for Ravka. I understand that."

"'Official' or not, you always have and always will have all of me," he promised.

My heart swelled as I smiled at him. "And that's enough for me."

I had no interest in having a crown or an audience around to prove it.

As long as I had these moments then I would happily exist just as I was.

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galacticwildfire · 1 year

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Sad, Beautiful, Tragic | Alicent Hightower

Four

Alicent Hightower x Targaryen!oc

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Their fathers sworn enemies, Viserra and Alicent should never have been as close as they were, yet it was a connection neither could fight. What began as an innocent girlhood companionship becomes something scandalous, with the bastard daughter of Daemon Targaryen showing her true colours. As the dance begins she finds herself torn between her loyalty to her house and her love for her father. Yet neither hold a candle to her forbidden love for the new queen, a love which threatens to destroy them both.

Word count : 4.9k

A/N: so sorry it's been so long, life has been miserable with uni, also comment on taglist if you want to be added or removed

Father and I stand atop the walls of Hightide, watching the Velaryon fleet prepare to set sail.

"Why are we fighting this war father?" I ask him out of genuine confusion. "What threat can this crabfeeder truly pose to us?"

"It's not about the threat to us, it's the principle of it," he explains. "For the crab feeder to gain power and holdings so close to our shores reflects badly on our power as Targaryens. We have dragons yet we let pirates like the crab feeder and his men creep upon us. Like with rebellions, they must be put down brutally." He looks at me, almost as if he's studying me. "Did you do as I asked and see the blacksmith to have armour made and fitted."

"Yes," I answer, even if my heart pounded the entire time, it wasn't until the moment I secured the steel onto me that it became real. "Our dragons will be the first in generations to see true battle."

He has had me training with the master at arms morning, noon and night, and then with himself. Determined to give me the training I would have received if I was a son.

"They will be," he tells me. "My brother does not want to see it but by me being out here instead of sitting on my ass in Kings Landing my claim only grows stronger."

He wants it, more than almost anything he wants to be his brothers heir, except there is one problem. "The council would see it as this, if anything were to happen to you the crown would then be fought over by two girls, one a trueborn princess and the other a bastard. While I'm your heir your claim is forfeit." He's quiet as he knows it's true, even if he will not admit it. "I know Mysaria's pregnancy was a farce, but if you were to have a son I would be happy." He stills and looks at me in contemplation. "I have no desire for the throne as you do, and despite my love and loyalty towards Rhaenyra I know I cannot stop you if you decide to press your claim, but as your daughter I can only tell you the truth which is you will need a son to have any chance. I know you have always seen me as your heir but if you were to have a boy to inherit whatever you take I would be happy with that."

He knows what it is I'd be giving up if he had a son, what I would lose. He's lived his life in fear of Viserys fathering a son enough to know it. Yet he asks "You've truly never desired power for yourself?"

"I have power," I tell him. "Being a bastard with no obligations to marry or rule is more than power, it is freedom. A freedom I do not wish to give up."

He smiles. "Then you're wiser than I am."

It's then we're interrupted by Rhaenys who comes to join us. "I assume you will not be attending your brothers wedding."

"Considering I'm still in exile, no," Father answers plainly. "And I'd rather not see the look of pride on Otto Hightowers face."

I can't help myself as I ask "The wedding, when is it?"

I've been here on Hightide for the last month, acting as my fathers understudy as he and Lord Corlys have been planning their war. Deliberately away from the matters of Kings Landing.

"Tomorrow," she tells me, and her voice is curious. "I understand you and Rhaenyra both were very close with Alicent Hightower."

Father can't help the laugh he tries to supress, getting a strange look from Rhaenys. "Yes, very close indeed."

"If Alicent had it her way it would be Laena marrying the king," I try to tell Rhaenys. "She did not want this."

"And yet tomorrow she shall be queen," she says, not caring for what she wanted. "Something that should have been Laena's if Viserys didn't let his heart rule him."

I look to my father whose protective over anyone who dares attack his brother, but it's an assessment he can't help but agree with. "It has always been his weakness."

"Perhaps it has not been in vain," I tell Rhaenys, always careful with my words when it comes to her. "Laena does not yet have a dragon but all she talks of is Vhagar." She tilts her head at me. "What is a king compared to a conqueror's dragon."

"An interesting thought indeed," she says with a small smile. She had never taken interest in me until I'd arrived here at Hightide, no doubt due to my birth, but if I am being cautious I could say she's started to take a liking to me. And maybe she's the mother I wish I might have had.

She leaves us and my father looks at me, knowing my urge to set flight. "Go. You aren't the one in exile."

"And what, try to steal her away again?" I scoff. "If it didn't work the first time-"

"You love her, you'll regret it if you don't try," he tells me and gestures to the army below. "We're going to war, you might not get another chance."

I wear my armour as I fly to Kings Landing, armour designed to compliment my riding clothes. Red and black with steel forged in the Targaryen design like my fathers.

It would gather more stares than I would care for if I entered through the front gates of the keep in daylight, but I enter through the secret passageways in the dead of night.

Her chambers are empty when I reach them, and I begin to wonder if I should have changed into one of my gowns, perhaps the red one she loves so much, suddenly aware I reek of dragon, but when don't I? My dragon is as much a part of me as she is.

When the door opens and she enters I'm sitting on the edge of her bed, she stops at the sight of me, remaining in the doorway eyeing me with the same caution as she does my dragon.

Her voice wavers. "Are you here to convince me to run away again?"

I shake my head. "As much as I want to I've made my peace."

A lie, I've simply accepted my defeat.

"I haven't," she replies, closing the door behind her but remaining there, keeping distance between us. But I can't stop my heart nor my legs as I stand and march towards her.

"Good," I say as I reach for her. "Because neither have I."

I take her face between my hands and kiss her. She pulls away, looking at me with those big brown eyes before kissing me back. She doesn't question the armour I wear as she reaches for me, no longer timid as she pushes me against the door and breathes "I don't want to be his, I don't want him to take something I don't want to give."

There's a question in her eyes, one I'm hesitant to answer. "Alicent-"

"Please," she whispers, and I see a side of her I've never truly seen until now. "I don't want the first person to ever touch me to be him."

This isn't what I wanted. I never came to conquer her as if I'm no better than a man. I just wanted to hold her one last time.

"Do you love me?" I ask her and the question almost seems to confuse her.

"Of course I love you."

I shake my head and remove her hands from my waist to hold them. "I'm asking if you love me the way I love you." Something changes in her dark eyes at those words and my voice breaks "Please tell me you love me too."

She reaches for my face and answers me with a kiss, something so gentle it's heartbreaking, and she breathes "You know I do."

It's then I bring her hand to my armour. "Alicent, I'm not wearing this for nothing."

Her first thought is that I've come for a fight. "If you plan to spill blood-"

I just shake my head. "No. I'm not coming to start a war, I came to see you one last time before I leave for one."

She blinks at me with tears in her eyes, utterly blindsided. "No, you can't-"

"I am," I tell her and struggle to look her in the eye. "After the wedding I leave for the Stepstones."

"Why?" she asks me, her voice growing desperate as she pulls me in. "Why would you even think of going there?"

I look back up at her, knowing in my heart it's where I belong. "My fate isn't like yours, I'm not destined to marry a king or even a lord. I was born to fly on dragonback to bring fire and blood and that is what I intend to do."

"No," she demands. "I may not be queen now but tomorrow I can order you to stay here by my side-"

"I'll already be gone," I tell her, not knowing if I'll be able to bring myself to even attend the wedding. "I didn't come to fight, I came to see you one last time before everything changes."

She opens her mouth to protest before quickly shutting it, knowing there is no winning a fight with me once my mind has been made up. But something in her has changed.

"No," she insists, grabbing my face and her eyes are filled with fear. "I'm not losing you. I can't."

And that's when I kiss her, wanting to taste the fire I know we share, despite how deeply buried it may be. A fire I bring to the surface with every step I take towards her bed until her legs hit the back of it and my hands come to the laces at the back of her dress, tugging at them enough the neckline of her blue dress slips down so I can drag my lips down her neck, kissing the soft skin below her jaw all the way down to her collarbone until she's gasping out my name.

"Viserra-"

"Sit down," I breathe and she obeys, the shoulders of her dress slipping down her arms and her hair free. A beautiful mess. I bring my hand to her face as I come to stand between her legs, her dress sliding up past her knees as I run my thumb over her lips. Eyes asking me to take whatever she's willing to give, as if I was just a man.

Perhaps I'm no better than one as I kiss her and my hands tug her dress from her shoulders but it's not until I have her in my arms I'm fulfilled, not by flesh but by her.

We lay beside one another in the darkness, bodies bare and hearts fast. I should feel content, I should feel like a man would, but I don't. And it's a very dangerous thing as I look at her and realise I will never be content until she is mine and nobody else's. I am my fathers daughter, a jealous woman and a reckless one.

But I'll never know where I inherited my tender heart from.

"Alicent." She looks at me as I reach my hand out to her face, she's trembling now the pleasure has worn away, terrified of what awaits her tomorrow. "It's not too late."

"Please, don't," she whispers, voice pained. "Don't try to convince me to run away."

Little does she know running away with her is one of the least bloody things I would do to make her mine. "I don't want you to marry him."

She sits up, pulling the sheets up around herself and faces away from me, being utterly difficult when I could end this here and now. "It would be treason, no matter how much Viserys loves you, if you were to do this, if he were to know..."

"Do you think me afraid?" I ask her, sitting up and tucking my chin into the crook of her neck, kissing her shoulder as my hand slips around her waist to hold her to me. "I'm not. I've spent the last weeks since I left preparing for war, yet the only prospect that frightens me is the thought of losing you."

She looks back at me, confused. "Losing me? You're the one leaving court to fight a pointless war." It's then she turns everything I've said back on me as she grabs my face and pleads "Stay. Stay here with me."

"And be the queens mistress?" I ask her, hating myself, because I know I could never be content having only part of her. "Do you think it wouldn't kill me to know you'll be his? Do you think it isn't already?"

"I don't know," she confesses to me. "It's impossible to know what you feel Viserra when you come in and out of my life so erratically. One moment chasing me and the next fleeing-"

"Would you believe me if I told you love has made me mad?" I ask her, looking into her wide eyes, shining with tears. "Alicent. Ever since the moment I returned to court and set eyes on you I've been driven mad by you. Every moment I am not with you I'm aching, and the thought of you being with a man makes me blind with rage. You make me utterly senseless, can't you see that?" She's speechless as I take her face between my hands. "I don't want to have you like a man, I don't want to be a mistress, I just want to be loved by you. Can't you see that is all I want?"

"Viserra," she breathes as I kiss her and there's no more words left I can say to make her feel my love as we fall back down between the sheets, and all I know is this last night together, if I can't feel her heart I'll feel what little she can give. Anything to keep her from letting go of us.

She's already awake by the time my eyes open, reaching her hand out to move the hair out of my face. Neither of us say anything, we don't need to, and there's no words that could do what we feel right now justice. I lean over to kiss her, as if I could pretend for just a moment everything was fine, but just as my lips touch hers the door opens.

I jump up, sheets around me expecting a servant, expecting anyone but Rhaenyra.

She stands there mouth open at the sight of us, before leaving just as quickly as she came, slamming the door shut behind her as Alicent clamps a trembling hand over her mouth.

"It's alright," I immediately tell her. "Stay here."

She's too terrified to speak as I reach for my clothes, not bothering with the armour as I run out the door still lacing my blouse and running through the halls. I catch the attention of those walking past, not caring for anyone's theories but Rhaenyra's.

I expect to find her telling her father, but instead she stands by the weirwood tree, waiting for me.

"Rhaenyra," I breathe. "It-"

"Wasn't what it looks like?" she finishes and turns back to look at me. "I should have known. It was right there in front of me this entire time-"

"No, not until tonight," I tell her, but she doesn't believe it. "The reason I fled to dragonstone that night was because Otto accused me of seducing Alicent, a crime I was innocent of, at least until then." Whilst she is betrayed, she believes that. "And so I stole her away on dragonback so she wouldn't have to marry your father but she begged me to bring her back and so I did." She hates this as much as we do, but still, the anger in her eyes is all for me. "I just wanted to see her one last time."

"Well you did a lot more than see," she says stiffly and shakes her head at me. "The night before she's meant to marry my father-"

"And she will," I tell her, biting back the venom in those words. "As much as we both hate it, as much as she hates it, if anyone were to know the truth it would ruin her." Even she would not stoop that low. "Blame me, hate me for keeping her secret, for seducing her. I may be no better than my father but the only crime she is guilty of is falling in love with someone she shouldn't have."

She almost laughs at those words. "You know, my father would believe that. Anyone at court would. But not me." My face falls. "She is far from innocent and we both know it."

My voice is stiff. "Are you going to tell your father?"

"I should," she says, the power in her hands. "But you're right. It would ruin her. I don't know what you think of me anymore. One day we were sisters and the next you were gone without an explanation, not even a word."

"We are still sisters," I tell her, but as much as we both want to believe those words, we can't. "I still love you as my sister. That much is true."

It's then I see tears in her eyes. "How can I know that after all the lies? I needed you, but you chose to betray me and leave me standing there at the small council like a fucking idiot when they said it would be her, and when I went looking for you you weren't there."

"I'm sorry," I tell her, reaching for her but she steps away. "I just wanted to help her, I never wanted to hurt you!"

"Well you did!" she snaps at me and looks past me to where Alicent by now no doubt stands. "You both did."

I look between them, and it's then in Rhaenyra's eyes I see what Alicent thought she saw in mine. Jealousy. And I realise my father isn't the only one Rhaenyra's had eyes for. Rhaenyra's in love with Alicent.

It's then I break down laughing and both look at me as if I'm mad, and perhaps I am.

"Viserra?" Alicent says and I look around at the place the three of us spent our youth. A youth that has now ended.

"Look at us," I say, looking up at the sun. "Alicent is about to become queen, her children to usurp you as heir Rhaenyra, and me, about to go die in some pointless fucking war in the Stepstones." I smile, revelling in the pain it brings me. "That thought suddenly feels far more appealing than it did a day ago."

This is news to Rhaenyra, but Alicent's face is set in stone, and as I look her in the eye I see a glimpse of what Rhaenyra does. And for her sake I hope it's there, a conniving backbone to help her survive what's to come. A life not as a queen, but as a pawn for her fathers ambition.

I look back to Rhaenyra, not caring anymore how I leave things. Just wanting this to be over. "We're all fucked so how about we go put on our pretty fucking dresses and smile for the wedding." Both share the same look of disgust as they listen to me. "And let's drink to our ends."

"You-" Rhaenyra begins, not even having the words to do justice for her disgust and turns her back on me to leave, marching past Alicent without even looking at her, and suddenly I wish I'd done the sameas I see the utter rage seeping through her usually composed face.

"You truly are your fathers daughter."

"I am," I say shamelessly. "And you'll soon be one of us Targaryens, so welcome to the family."

I go to leave and she calls out "I forbid you to leave until after the wedding."

She may not be queen yet, and she knows it, but she is desperate. Desperate to keep me here.

"We'll see," I say and leave her there.

I sit in my chambers, my dragon riding gear discarded on the floor, too many wines deep to count as I watch from my window the court entering the throne room for the wedding. No Sept of Baelor it seems, nor a wedding in the Valyrian customs, but Otto seems to have spared no expense with a fortnight of celebrations planned. Usually the wedding comes in the midst of it but Otto must be desperate to get her married and bound by law before she can run away with me again.

I don't blame him, it's a valid concern.

Within the hour she will be queen, a perfect pawn in Otto's scheming. Within the hour Rhaenyra's position as heir will be threatened as it's never been before and Viserys is too blind to see it. I could so easily tell the king just what I did with Alicent last night, but she would be ruined.

And I love her more than my own desire to end this. I love her too much to betray her, even if it would mean saving her.

She will be looking for me now, waiting for me to enter the throne room, waiting for me to be there for this day she has dreaded for so long now.

And I can't deny her.

Which is why, a little less than an hour later I enter the wedding late and a little drunk, wearing the gown of crimson red she loves so much just as the ceremony has begun.

"We stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness-" the high Septon trails off as the entire room looks back at me standing there, a scarlet letter.

I look to Ser Criston Cole whose duty it is to announce me "The Lady Viserra of House Targaryen."

There's horrified looks from everyone in the room, no doubt believing I'm here to cause chaos on my fathers behalf, but I'm only looking at her as I walk down the aisle towards her and bow my head as I reach the end. It's then I finally see the look in Viserys's eyes, the simple understanding I am not his sweet niece, but my fathers daughter.

I don't say a word as I meet her mortified eyes and come to stand beside Rhaenyra who whispers "What are you doing?"

"Attending the wedding of our new queen," I answer as the High Septon clears his throat.

"We stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the union of man and wife: one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever.” She is beautiful standing there in white and red, but I know I cannot help but be the only one in the room looking upon this young girl, being worn by the Targaryen jewels and crown, believing she is too young for this. “Let it be known that Lady Alicent of House Hightower and King Viserys of House Targaryen, the First of his Name, are one heart, one flesh, one soul. Cursed be he who would seek to tear them asunder.”

It's then I feel Otto's gaze on me and meet his eye. He should be feeling victorious in this moment but I see it in his eyes, the fear. His daughter may be queen, but whilst I live he will always have an enemy who holds her heart.

“In the sight of the Seven, I hereby seal these two souls, binding them as one for eternity. Look upon one another and say the words.”

I can see her trembling as the High Septon binds their hands, her nails bloodied. “Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger…”

Her voice is barely audible over his, she's terrified.

“I am hers and she is mine. From this day, until the end of my days,”

“I am his and he is mine. From this day, until the end of my days.”

Rhaenyra and I both look to the ground as Viserys says “With this kiss, I pledge my love."

He kisses her as I did just hours ago and the room fills with celebration. Yet Rhaenyra and I are the only two who do not rejoice.

We look at one another, despite our anger, despite it all, in mutual understanding at being both devastated by this day.

Alicent is lead through the room, her eyes meeting mine briefly as she passes by us and the room follows to where the first feast is to be held outside.

"Long live the queen," I say under my breath. "It seems this day is a beginning for her, but an ending for us."

Tonight she will lay with Viserys, and may well become with child. Today her girlhood ends, being so abruptly torn away from her. As is ours.

"If you love her you won't do anything stupid," Rhaenyra says. "Not today."

"I already did, and she begged me not to again," I reply numbly. "After today I'll be gone, and I don't know when I'll return."

She knows where I'm going and her voice is quiet "As long as you come back."

She reaches for my hand and squeezes it before letting go and leaving with the rest of the crowd. I turn my head towards the throne my father desires with a pit in my stomach at what's to come.

I stand at the edge of the crowd, but far from hidden with eyes drawn to me with every step towards the king and his new queen. I do not miss Otto whispering to the Kingsguard as I approach.

Alicent looks up at me from where's she's seated beside Viserys, a silent plea in her eyes.

"Apologies for being late," I say and pull out a small box. "A gift for her grace the queen."

Hesitantly she takes it and opens it to find a ruby ring set in Valyrian steel, something my father acquired across the narrow sea. "Viserra-" she breathes, immediately knowing its value. "It's beautiful."

"A ring only befitting for a Targaryen queen," I state, Viserys on edge beside her. Not knowing what my motives are, but treating me with the same caution he would my father. I know damn well the assumption will be I'm here on my fathers behalf in vengeance for him being banished, no one would dare guess the truth of it.

"Thank you," she says and dares to take my hand. "Thank you for being here." Her brown eyes are desperate as she asks "Please, stay at court."

My smile is sad as I lie "Of course my queen." I run my thumb over the back of her hand before letting it go. "Enjoy the feast your grace."

As I go to leave the courtyard I take one last look back at her, the most beautiful I've ever seen her but also the most sad, before I leave to strip myself of this dress and dress myself in my dragon riding armour.

Yet as I make my way out of the Red Keep to return to the dragonpit I'm stopped by a member of the kingsguard.

"Did the queen order you to find me?" I ask Ser Criston.

"She did," he answers. "She asked me to prevent you from leaving."

"I am leaving to fight a war," I inform him. "I assure you the queen will not have you punished for letting me through."

"No, but she will be upset," he tells me, desperate to please in his new position. "There are many here who would rather you stay at court, myself included."

I tilt my head towards him, intruiged. "Is that so Ser Criston?"

"Yes my lady," he answers and I can't help how my lips turn upwards. "Is this amusing to you?"

"Not at all, I'm merely curious," I answer truthfully and tell him "Allow me to go to Darkfyre and tell the Dragonkeepers they need not prepare her for flight and I will return."

He's foolish enough to believe it and steps aside. "As you will my lady."

Now I am amused as I walk past him straight out the front gates of the keep and make my way to the dragon pit to find her prepared as I'd instructed them upon landing.

"Come on sweetheart," I say, running my hand over her black and red scales. "It's time you got out of this pit for good."

And so I mount her and take my leave from this city to meet my father at Hightide before we make our journey to the stepstones.

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just-dreaming-marvel · 2 years

Text

The Bond Between Us ~ 14

THE BOND BETWEEN US MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 4,430ish

Summary: Pirates ask for a ransom in trade for Count Dooku. As always, it doesn’t go as planned.

Notes: I honestly don’t know how I feel about this chapter… I definitely like the next two chapters more… I also think y’all will too. They will most likely also come out today.

Obi-Wan personally escorted you to see a medical droid, not believing that you would have if left to go on your own. He stood to the side as you were checked over. You could feel him worrying over you, so you used your signature to send a wave of calm to him. His lips form a think smile, quickly dropping when the droid began speaking. The droid told you that you would have bruises for a while, but that nothing major was damaged.

“Thank you,” you said to the droid as you slipped off the bed.

“Doesn’t she need to take it easy?” Obi-Wan questioned, stepping closer.

“Just watch her carefully,” the droid advised. “She should be fine.”

You walked over and placed your hand on Obi-Wan’s chest. “See? I’m fine, just need to be watched,” you said. “You’re good to do that, right?”

Obi-Wan swallowed nervously, your closeness getting to him. “Y—yes,” he stuttered with a nod.

The great Obi-Wan Kenobi was suddenly at a loss for what to do. He was just silently praying that you couldn’t feel his heart threaten to burst from his chest. You stared at him, curious as to why the usually confident man suddenly seemed to have lost all of that. A part of you wished to use your bond to see what was happening, but you both had only just verbally asked about it and you didn’t wish to cross a line without his permission. Besides, you wouldn’t want Obi-Wan to do that to you without talking to you first.

Both of your comlinks buzzed at the same time, causing Obi-Wan to cough and step away.

“Yes?” He answered it.

“We need you and Y/N,” Anakin responded. “Master Yoda and Master Windu have information on Count Dooku.”

“We’ll be right there.” He hung his arm down. “We should get going.”

“Right,” you replied with a nod, trying not to be hurt by the sudden loss of contact.

Obi-Wan hated how quickly he had become attuned to your emotions, mainly through the open bond. He felt your hurt, but couldn’t quite place why you were feeling that way. Instead of dwelling on it, he tried to get back into the mindset that a Jedi Master should be in. He turned around and headed to where he knew Anakin would be taking the call.

You followed behind, trying to get back into the mindset that the Council had taught you to be in. Since the war started and reconnecting with Obi-Wan and Anakin, you had begun to feel like you were changing. You were slowly becoming less of what the Council had trained you to be and more of your own person. You didn’t know how to handle it.

You arrived at the holo table, where Yoda and Mace Windu were already on. Anakin, Ahsoka, and Commander Rex were already around the table. Yoda and Windu quickly began informing you about how the pirate, Hondo Ohnaka, had Count Dooku and was asking for a ransom. He was threatening to offer it to the Separatist council if the Republic wouldn’t agree to it. Senator Amidala said that they wouldn’t agree unless the Jedi were allowed to come and see if the Count was in Hondo’s possession, but he had a stipulation.

“His only stipulation is that you arrive unarmed,” Windu explained.

“Unarmed?” Anakin questioned.

“We know very little about these pirates,” Obi-Wan stated. “We may be walking blind into what could very well be a hostile situation.”

“We can’t let Dooku slip through our fingers again,” Windu argued. “Report back as soon as you arrive.” The transmission ended.

“Well, this should be fun.”

“A whole lot of it,” you added.

“You aren’t coming. You need to rest.”

“No. I need to be watched carefully and you agreed to do it.”

“I don’t believe we need three of you down there,” Commander Rex admitted.

“Agreed,” Anakin said. “Y/N and I—“

“Wait, hold on, I am the Master here,” Obi-Wan interrupted. “I make the plan. I say that Anakin and I will go down there and grab Dooku. Y/N will stay here with Ahsoka. That’s final. Anakin, ready your ship.”

Obi-Wan turned and walked out of the room. You angrily followed.

“I thought you said that you were going to stop trying to do things that annoy me,” you said.

“It’s different when you’ve been injured,” Obi-Wan retorted, not even bothering to look at you as he walked.

“You know that I am not injured! You were there when the medical droid cleared me.”

“I am the highest ranking officer on this ship, as a General and a Jedi Master on the Council, I get the final say.”

You jumped in front of him, forcing him to stop harshly so he didn’t run into you. “You do not get to spout rankings at me, Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

His jaw clenched as he tried to formulate calm words. “There has been one assignment we’ve been on together where you haven’t gotten injured.”

“We’ve only been on three assignments together.”

“Proving my point. I cannot guarantee that I’ll be able to watch out for you, let alone keep you safe with those pirates.”

“Well, I’m sorry that I’m such a burden.”

“That is not what I said.”

“It’s what you meant.”

“Watch your emotions, my young Jedi. You are letting them control you.”

“Just as much as you are letting yours control you, Master.” You two stared intensely at each other. “I will contact my star cruiser and have them head this way. I will be out of your way before you get back.”

“Little star, that’s not—“ He reached out to you but you took a large step back.

“I’m not that little girl Master Qui-Gon found on Tatooine anymore, Obi-Wan. Even when I was her, I was strong and able to take care of myself. But I understand that you see that my help is not needed on this particular assignment.” You bowed your head. “Thank you for your time, Master Kenobi.” You turned and headed away.

“Y/N,” Obi-Wan called, only to be ignored. He sighed, disappointed in the way he handled the situation. He just wanted you safe, but you couldn’t see it.

~~~

You had pulled up a seat near the holo table, as you waited for your star cruiser to show. Anakin and Obi-Wan had gone down to Florrum to check if Dooku was alive. You were sitting there, eyes closed, trying to meditate through your range of emotions.

“General Y/N,” Ahsoka nervously called.

“Please, just Y/N,” you responded, still trying to keep your meditative state.

“Right. A transmission is coming in from my Master and Master Kenobi.”

“Pull it up.”

Ahsoka opened up the transmission, revealing that Obi-Wan and Anakin were back on the ship that they had taken down to Florrum.

“Ahsoka, we need the Chancellor on the line,” Anakin commanded.

“Yes, Master,” she replied, quickly getting to work. The Chancellor with Senator Kharrus, Representative Binks, and Master Windu behind him.

“Master Kenobi,” the Chancellor greeted, “have you found any information?”

“No question, they have Dooku,” Obi-Wan responded. “Send the ransom.”

“He’s being securely held?”

“Yeah. And very cranky about it,” Anakin commented.

“Good. Senator Kharrus and Representative Binks will be dispatched immediately.”

“Y/N, you will escort the Senator and Representative down to the surface of Florrum when they arrive,” Master Windu directed.

“Yes, Master,” you replied. The transmission from Coruscant ended.

“We will inform Hondo about the ransom being on its way,” Obi-Wan said. “Let us know when you are on your way down here.”

You nodded, quickly ending the transmission. Ahsoka eyed you curiously.

“Is something the matter, Y/N?” Ahsoka asked carefully.

“It’s nothing,” you answered. “Just want this assignment over with.”

Ahsoka nodded, unbelieving. “Does this perhaps have anything to do with the fight you had with Master Kenobi?”

“What?” Your head snapped toward her. “How did you—“

“You two aren’t very quiet.”

“Great,” you murmured. “I am sorry that you had to hear that, Ahsoka. It wasn’t very Jedi-like at all.”

“The way you two spoke and acted with each other… is there… is there something going on?”

“Are you accusing me and Master Kenobi of breaking the Jedi Code?”

“What? No! I—I would never! It’s just—“

“You are still very young, Padawan, and have a lot to learn. Be mindful of how you go about asking people questions.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.” She bowed her head at you.

“I will be here mediating if anything is needed.”

You tried to enter your meditative state again, only to be unable to due to what Ahsoka had asked you. What was going on between you and Obi-Wan? You hated to admit that your feelings toward him were becoming more and more inappropriate, according to the Jedi Code. But Obi-Wan couldn’t possibly feel the same way. He was so driven by the Code, so honorable. He would never break it, even for you. Obi-Wan was just worried about you all the time, right? You sighed, annoyed at how hard it was for you and try to find peace in the Force.

You sat in that chair for a little bit longer before standing up and pacing around. You could sense Ahsoka and Commander Rex watching you from the edge of the room. You didn’t care, you just need to try and find some peace. You were in the middle of turning around to pace back to the other side when you felt a warning from the Force. You froze in place, trying to decipher it. Ahsoka could tell that you were feeling something.

“What is it?” She stepped forward and asked.

“Something’s wrong,” you breathed out. You closed your eyes and reached out to Obi-Wan. Upon finding his signature, your brows furrowed. “That can’t be right… Obi-Wan is unconscious.”

“What? How do you know that?”

“I think…” You used your bond to search deeper. “I think they’ve been drugged.” You spoke out into the bond. “Obi-Wan… Obi-Wan…” Nothing.

“General L/N,” a clone trooper called. “The Senator and Representative’s ship just passed us.”

“Why? I’m supposed to escort them.”

“Perhaps they believe you are already on the planet.”

“Great. Ahsoka, you make sure to stay here in case anyone tries to communicate. I’m going down to deal with the ransom and find out what’s going on. Commander Rex, let them know I’m on my way.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

You ran off toward the hanger. Jumping into your starfighter, you hurried and flew off toward Florrum. You quickly got to a place where you could see the ship carrying the ransom. There was no relief though when you noticed a pirate ship come from behind them and begin shooting. You patched into the Republican’s ship comms.

“This is General Y/N L/N,” you called in. “I’m behind the pirate’s ship. Keep evading their shots, I’m going to try and shoot the ship down.”

“Yes, General,” a clone replied.

As you tried to hit the enemy ship, they sent missiles at the Republic ship, successfully hitting it. You kept trying to hit the pirate ship but was distracted when the Republic ship when in for a crash landing. The pirate ship flew away, forcing you to land and see if anyone was injured. You jumped out of your ship and ran over, seeing the wreckage.

“Senator Kharrus!” You yelled. “Jar-Jar!”

“Mesa here!” Jar-Jar responded.

You ran toward the blast opening on the ship. “Thank goodness. Where’s the Senator?”

“Mesa no see a Senator Kharrus.”

“How many are dead?”

“The pilots are dead!” A trooper announced from where the pilots were.

“Over here!” Another trooper called from the back of the ship. “I found the Senator.”

Your group turned to see the Senator in an awkward position. You could immediately sense that he was gone.

“Oh, no. He can’t be dead,” Jar-Jar said.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to contact Coruscant,” the head trooper said.

“Use my ship,” you offered. “Ahsoka and Commander Rex are awaiting news and will send immediate reinforcements.” You headed off the wreckage.

“Where is yousa going?” Jar-Jar asked.

“To find out why we were betrayed.”

“Little star…” You heard Obi-Wan’s voice in your head. You froze.

“Obi-Wan, are you okay?”

“Anakin and I were drugged. You are now bound to Count Dooku. We are working on our escape.”

“This whole thing was a set up. The Republic ship was shot down. The Senator is dead.”

“Stay with the wreckage. The pirates will be back to get the spice.”

“You’re right. I will deal with the problem here and then I’m coming to help you.”

“Get them to the star cruiser first.”

You turned around to see a clone carrying the Senator’s body. Jar-Jar and the clones had decided to bury the body. Your comlink buzzed on your wrist, you had accidentally forgotten about it.

“Yes?” You answered.

“Y/N!” Ahsoka's voice came through. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, but the Senator’s dead. I need you to bring a group of clones down quickly. I have a feeling the pirates will be back for the spice.”

“We will be down there as soon as we can.”

You turned to the commander as Ahsoka hung up. “Do you have a name?”

“Commander Stone,” the clone answered.

“Well, Stone, we need to use my ship to get a hold of Coruscant and hopefully detect when the pirates come back. Commander Ahsoka and Commander Rex will be here as soon as they can with a ship to get us out of here.”

“Yes, General.”

You went over and helped with the burying of the Senator. Jar-Jar took the Senator’s staff and plunged it into the pile of rocks covering the body.

“Yousa find rest, Senator,” he said. “Thosen with good in their heart, always passen too soon.” The geysers around the field began spitting moisture out. “We be missing you, Senator.”

“Ow,” you muttered, as something stung your arm. You looked down to see something eating away at your clothing.

“This place is dangerous,” the clone near you and Jar-Jar stated. “Those geysers are spitting out acid.” You noticed the acid was eating away at the trooper's armor.

“Get back to the wreckage for cover.”

Your order was quickly obeyed. You looked to your ship, where a clone was climbing in to send a transmission, when a geyser suddenly erupted beneath it, exploding it.

“Blast!” You exclaimed. Suddenly, you heard engines rumbling, quickly coming closer.

“Whatsa that?” Jar-Jar asked.

“You think this is trouble?” One of the clones asked.

“They could be the ones we’re supposed to deliver the ransom to,” Stone replied.

“I don’t think so,” you said, having a bad feeling in the Force. “I believe they are the ones to have shot us down.”

The Weequayans were approaching on speeders. As soon as you were in their line of sight, they began shooting at you.

“The General’s right!” Stone exclaimed. “Form a circle around the Representative!”

You ignited your lightsaber, using it to block the oncoming shots. Jar-Jar ran around frantically as the Weequayans circled around you. You jumped onto one of their speeders, cutting the front off before backflipping onto the next one.

“There’s not enough cover out here!” A clone shouted. “They’re cutting us off from the shuttle!”

A few of the speeders stopped, allowing the Weequayans to jump off and begin attacking by ground.

“We have got to regroup!” Stone said.

You took off two more speeders before one of the Weequayans through two bombs at your group of clones and Jar-Jar. You were tossed from the speeder, rolling to a harsh stop on the ground.

“Go without me, Commander!” You ordered. “I’ll hold them off!”

You jumped back up and began fighting again. You knew that you were outnumbered, but you had to give them a chance. All too soon, you were surrounded, guns drawn on you.

“Roll the saber over to me, Jedi,” one of them instructed. You did as you were instructed. “Now, hands behind your head and get down on your knees.”

“I can only assume that your group is not working with Hondo,” you said as you got down on your knees and placed your hands behind your head.

“You’d be correct.” A group of them came up behind you, pressing their blasters into you.

“Should we look for the clones in the crater?” One of the Weequayans asked the one that kept talking to you.

“No. Once that geyser goes off, they’re broiled. Get her tied up and on a speeder. The rest of you get the spice!”

Two Weequayans harshly grabbed you as another pulled your hands to your lower back and put electric bindings around your wrists. You could only hope that Ahsoka and Rex would get here before the clones and Jar-Jar were broiled. The Weequayans shoved you up and over to one of the speeders, connecting you to it.

Once the spice was loaded onto the other speeders, you were off. You didn’t know how close you were to the pirate base before the clones and Jar-Jar had caught up on the beasts that were out in the field. They shot, trying to miss you, as they aimed for the spice. A few of the speeders went down, including the spice. The speeder you were on sped away faster. At least they got the spice, you thought to yourself. When you arrived at the pirate stronghold, a muffle was quickly placed over your mouth.

“Can’t have you saying anything I don’t want to be said,” the Weequayan commented with a chuckle.

The Weequayan pulled you off the speeder and gripped your arm roughly. He dragged you down to the main room with a gun pointed at your side. You could feel Obi-Wan’s presence here, so you knew that it was only a matter of time until he reached out to ask why you were here. The Weequayan stopped behind a chair of whom you could only determine as Hondo.

“Captain?” The Weequayan called.

“Well, Turk, did the Republic arrive with my spice?” Hondo asked.

“The Republic deceived us! They didn’t send a ransom. They sent an army! They ambushed us in Doshar Field. I was able to bring back this prisoner. I suggest we counterattack with tanks.”

Hondo turned around. “Where are your men?”

“I was the only survivor. I think they will attack us to try and free the Jedi. That is why they sent another Jedi.” He shook your arm to prove a point.

Hondo groaned. “I wanted them. I didn’t want to torture anyone. But now, even in a galaxy at war, you hope to find some honor.”

“Let me take our tanks. I’ll make them pay.”

“Go. Stop them before they reach the compound.” Hondo took a hold of your arm. “I will deal with the Jedi.”

“Yes, Captain.” Turk rushed off.

“Get the other two Jedi out here! They have a visitor.”

A group of Weequay rushed out to go grab Anakin and Obi-Wan. While they did that, you were shoved into a large chair at the center of the room and bound. Obi-Wan and Anakin were brought in and led to the end of the room that you were facing.

“Y/N,” they both gasped.

Obi-Wan quickly noticed the muffle enabling you to speak. “Little star,” he said through the Force, “are you alright?”

“Hondo has a group of men that are working against us all, including him,” you replied. “Hondo has no idea.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

“I’m fine, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan and Anakin were hung by the cuffs on their wrists in the room. Obi-Wan decided to play dumb, trying to see what Hondo believed had happened.

“I take it the Republic didn’t arrive with the ransom,” Obi-Wan stated.

“Your Republic obviously doesn’t want the Sith Lord,” Hondo said.

“They didn’t show?”

“Oh, oh, they did… they did show, with a huge army that they thought would be enough to get the better of me, Hondo!” You rapidly shook your head, trying to indicate that that wasn’t true.

“That can’t be right,” Anakin said, completely clueless as to the truth.

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“Uh, isn’t that kind of what you do for a living?”

“You reject my hospitality, refuse to wait in your cell, and now you’re going to insult me?”

“I’m just saying—“

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan tried to reprimand.

“What? He is a pirate.”

“Yes, but this may not be the best time for you to speak.”

“But you—“

“At all, Anakin!”

Hondo pulled out a remote from his coat and pressed the single button on it. Obi-Wan and Anakin began to get electrocuted. They groaned in pain. You tried to yell out for them but weren’t able to. You could feel the pain from Obi-Wan, tears filling your eyes. The Weequayans around the room watched as the two Jedi hung and writhed in pain, yelling and cheering it along. Hondo turned towards you.

“Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about you,” he said.

He pulled out another remote and pressed its button. The whole chair shot out electricity. You writhed in pain. You tried to scream, but it was muffled.

“No!” Obi-Wan cried out. He could feel your pain with his now, just as you could. It was overwhelming but he wasn’t willing to close off the bond. “She didn’t do anything!”

“She’s the one that brought the army!” Hondo retorted.

Hondo turned up the electricity in your chair. Suddenly, the power cut, darkening the room and freeing you from the torture. You slumped in your chair, heaving breaths. You now could feel the pain from the rocks falling on you on top of this torture. Obi-Wan and Anakin were dropped from their hanging positions due to the power outage.

“What happened to the power?!” Hondo asked. “I was having fun!”

Obi-Wan and Anakin quickly summoned their sabers from the belts of two Weequayans and cut themselves free. Anakin quickly grabbed Hondo and held his saber to the pirate’s throat as the rest of the Weequayans surrounded them. Obi-Wan noticed your saber and summoned it to him as well. They slowly backed up toward you. With his saber still out, Obi-Wan grabbed you and pulled you into him. He could feel the pain you were feeling still and knew that he needed to get you out of here.

“What chance do you really have, Jedi?” Hondo asked. “Now, let me go, and I might let you live.”

“Approach us, and he dies,” Anakin warned.

Engines were heard coming closer. You all turned to see Weequayan tanks slowly coming to a stop.

“Looks like your forces were destroyed, Jedi,” Hondo said.

Jar-Jar suddenly appeared atop one of the tanks. “Ani! Obi!” He called. “Y/N/N!”

“Jar-Jar?” Anakin questioned.

“Mesa have arrived with the spicen.”

“Excellent, Jar-Jar,” Obi-Wan praised. “Assuming the pirates still have Count Dooku to trade.” A ship then flew from outside the hanger and off the planet.

“Well, that answers that question,” Anakin said, still threatening Hondo. You backed up toward an open ship.

“Commander, start the engines, please.” Commander Stone ran up the ramp.

“So what now, Jedi?” Hondo wondered. “You’re going to arrest me, eh?”

“No.” Obi-Wan put away his saber. “Anakin, release him.”

“What?” Anakin questioned.

“Captain, you have nothing we want. And since we’re not prisoners anymore, you have no bargaining power. Let’s leave on even terms.” Obi-Wan began helping you up the ramp.

“Jedi, after everything, you’re just going to walk away?” Hondo asked.

Obi-Wan turned back. “We have no quarrel with you and we seek no revenge.”

“Indeed. Very honorable, Master Jedi.”

“Captain, you will find that Count Dooku does not share our sense of honor. And he knows where you live.”

Obi-Wan finished helping you into the ship. He got you in a seat and quickly took the muffle from your mouth.

“Are you alright, little star?” Obi-Wan asked. “You’ve had quite the last few days.”

“I’m good,” you responded as he took your bindings from your wrists. “Tired, and glad to see you and Ani in one piece.”

“General L/N,” Commander Stone called. “I thought that Commander Rex and Commander Tano were supposed to meet us?”

“I am honestly grateful they didn’t, or Hondo would have been right and I did bring an army.”

“Here is your saber back,” Obi-Wan said, placing it on your belt for you.

“Thank you, Obi.”

“Try not to lose it again.” Obi-Wan moved to sit beside you.

“I do not lose it as nearly as much as Anakin does.”

“Hey!” Anakin exclaimed.

“Quite right,” Obi-Wan chuckled.

~~~

Back on the star cruiser, Ahsoka and Rex explained how they ran into a few snags along the way to help you. You told them it was better off that they hadn’t, before heading to get some rest. You were almost to one of the small bedrooms when Obi-Wan appeared beside you.

“I did want to thank you for coming to our rescue,” he said.

“Anytime,” you responded with a smile. “It’s kinda in the job description as a Jedi and a General.”

“Well, yes, but still.” You stopped in front of a door, causing him to stop too. “Are you sure that you’ll be alright?”

“Obi-Wan, how many times must you ask me that?”

“I don’t believe any of your answers since you lied about that shot to your hip.”

“Okay, okay, makes sense. But can’t you… can’t you sense that I’m alright?”

“I can… but I also sense that you’re tired, which can mean a multitude of different things.”

“In this case, it just means I’m tired, Obi, don’t worry too much.” You leaned in and kissed his bearded cheek. “I’m going to get some rest now.” You backed into the door.

“Right…” Obi-Wan was at a loss for words. The spot where you had kissed him was burning, but not in any sort of bad way. “Are you planning on leaving after this?”

“I won’t leave without saying goodbye, don’t you worry Obi.”

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