Runaway (Ranboo x Reader)

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The air was damp with fresh rain, sending a cold chill across the skin of those who wandered the docks with gold coins in hand. Birds of the sea cried from above as they watched the people of the town indulge themselves with the treasures pirates brought with them- each piece stolen or scavenged from other ships that they had cleared and raided. Marbled clouds left from the storms strayed across the sky, casting a grey light across the surface of the hills.

The ships rocked with the waves licking against the sides, the hull never steadying since it had been placed on the water many decades ago. The interior had a permanent smell of mould and mildew that no amount of scrubbing could rid of.

You took a breath of the stale air below deck, eyes staring above to trace the cracks of light that peered through the boards. The footsteps from above echoed through the empty space you occupied, your thoughts simple and plain of silence. Your mind had long since forgotten how the sun felt across the skin of your wrists, shackles binding you to a life craving freedom.

For months you had been tucked away in the hull of the ship as nothing more than cargo, your worth weighed by how well you could work for another. Your friends had been the rats that accompanied you in the darkness, fingers occasionally grazing their infested fur as you awaited for the ship to port for however long they needed.

You had forgotten what the cool rain felt across your face.

With the ship docked, you knew you only had a short amount of time left down here. Soon you would be out under the blazing sun of mid-summer.

Like you had predicted, your body flinched as the trapdoor opened above you, grey light pouring into the dirt-filled hull you had grown accustomed to. From the top of the stairs you could see the brown coat you had learned to associate with the captain of the ship. He was referred to as Capitan Malek, King of the Waves according to the shouted of drunk men durning the long travels you spent below deck- a strong man who had speared many whales of crushing sizes before he took upon robbing royal ships for loot, dodging the law while also taking upon himself to burn the hull of ships he raided.

His boots shone with a freshly applied wax, gold accessories clinking together against his coat. For a man well known for turning the ocean red with blood, he liked to decorate himself with endless treasures he had gathered from many of those who had fallen to his blade. Each piece a token taken and places from each ship onto his coat. His diamond cutlass glinted in the light while your gaze met his own, watching as his hands pulled a key from his pocket.

"Get up." He spoke, clicking the key into the lock that held your wrists to the boards of the floor. You followed his orders in an instant, legs quivering after months of tossing and turning along the sway of waves. Malek had made sure to wrap the chain that lead you around his hand, tugging you along the stairs that lead to the outside world.

Your senses were overloaded after the time spent in darkness- the clouded light dulling every colour brighter to the point that was just bearable to your sensitive eyes. Harsh wind danced across your skin like a gentle kiss of welcome, the warmth it brought calming your jittering nerves, however it was when your feet finally stepped off of the constant moving deck to the steady earth did your heart soar. The steady shake of the boat had been ingrained into your mind to the point you had forgotten what steady land felt like under your feet, and you had not wished to dare go back to the boat ever again.

"Make sure to present yourself nicely this time." Came the Capitan's words, passing along not only your ears, but to anyone around you as well. He gave a hearty yank on your chains, yanking you towards him with a clumsy stumble- straightening yourself quickly as to not displease him.