ATEEZ oneshots/imagines (x Reader)

• PIRATE Hongjoong

Pairing: Hongjoong x fem Reader
Words: ~1.5k

The trumpets were festively announcing the royals. Some were cheering, some were kneeling down as the princess stepped outside on the balcony. Feeling the love of their future nation would warm every royal's heart at once. However, for her, it had lost all its glow and meaning a long time ago. She didn't ever want to be queen in her life, but her coronation was moving closer and closer with every day that was passing.

After smiling and waving for her people, she sat down on a noble chair next to her father's throne who was still standing at the railing to enjoy the praise of his underlings. From up there, they would have the best view of the following happening.

After the king had sat down next to his daughter, the crowd grew silent again and was waiting in anticipation for the process to start. The hangman was already standing on the wooden stage they had prepared in silence. The trumpets stopped playing as a guard finally appeared, coming out of the catacombs where the cells for the kingdom's criminals were. The name of the prisoner was announced,

"Kim Hongjoong, known as the pirate king, captain of the..." the announcer spoke loudly, but then the princess's attention was drawn to something, or someone, else.

The guard was followed by his prisoner, a, compared to the guard, small brown-haired man. His mullet was messy with some small braids and several tiny accessories in it, typical for a pirate of his kind. His sharp nose and jawline were wet from the sweat of him being tortured in the catacombs beforehand. Princess y/n hated those methods deeply, seeing how people were suffering just to end their lives afterwards like an animal. Yet, the male's eyes were still fierce and not dull like those of other's who had been in his place before.

The man's hands were cuffed and from behind he was threatened by a sword, appealing to him to not stop walking or even try to escape. As he was walking up the small wooden stairs, he glanced over to the balcony where the royal family, or what was left of them, was sitting. The princess's and the prisoner's gazes met each other. A mischievous grin appeared on his familiar face.

Suddenly, all of their memories came back to y/n with a bitter aftertaste.

She remembered the days where she would sneak out of the castle to meet him, risking everything for a pirate. Not any pirate, perhaps the most wanted man in the country at that time. How he had introduced her to his crew of 7 people, 8 with him, named Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho. The times when they had spent days and nights on the beach, seeing the sunset right behind his precious pirate ship. The princess could still feel his soft lips on hers, captivating all of her senses. How truly happy she was with him.

Then she remembered the night it all had fallen. Hongjoong had ended things, even though there never officially was something between them. He had told her things like,

"I can't give you anything, I have nothing."

and

"You're better off without me, you're about to become queen."

If he had truly known her, he would've known that she never wanted to become queen. She wanted to grow old with the love of her life with no weight of having to rule a whole kingdom resting on her shoulders. But he didn't understand at that time, did he? Her own pained words still echoed in her head,

"But I have nothing without you here."

Her heart was ripped out of her chest. Not all at once, but painfully slow as the night he had left her carrying on. Ever since that night she hadn't seen him nor heard from him. The pirate had just disappeared without any trace.

And now he was about to get executed right in front of her eyes. The princess gulped as she held back her tears when he smiled at her. After he had been forced onto his knees, his head already laying on the guillotine, the guard left and he was left alone up there with the executor. The crowd was roaring and screaming in anticipation to witness the pirate's death.

"You shall proceed." the king said to his counsellor next to him.

The girl's hands were sweating. She couldn't possibly stop the execution, could she? Even if she could, her father would find out about them and that would be the end for both of them. The ending would be the same. She couldn't allow herself to show any kind of special emotion to that man down there. Needless to say, it was torture to see her loved one like that.

Just as the heavy blade was dropped, the frame, which kept his head in place, was opened by Hongjoong himself and he got out right in time. Y/n had watched how he had cut open his ties around his hands with a sharp rock he had carried the entire time. She gasped for air when the heavy blade hit the spot where his head had been just less than a second ago.

The brown-haired pirate knocked over the executer before he could act in any way. He then provocatively bowed down to the royals with another grin. The guards arrived too late, he had already disappeared in the crowd which was just as shocked as the royal personnel. As result, the whole court was silent as death.

In the evening, the king had decided to pronounce bounty on Hongjoong. He didn't care whether he was brought dead or alive to him, he just wanted the pirate king gone no matter what. The princess just stood there and listened to the endless discussions until she was finally able to withdraw herself from the stress. With a big sigh, y/n closed the door behind her. Her short moment of peace was destroyed by a figure standing outside on her balcony.

She knew exactly who it was, yet she couldn't believe her eyes. They must be betrayed her, right?

The girl quickly snuck outside and closed the glass door behind her. Every single light of the castle had seemingly been turned off, so the only light source was the moon and a little candle she had carried with her into her room. Her eyes hadn't betrayed the girl.

"They will easily find you here, they want you dead! You should escape as long as you can." The princess greeted the pirate as she leaned onto the railing next to him as he did.

"That's why I came here in the darkness. Plus, they won't expect me here." Hongjoong reassured her, still stargazing.

Then they were just standing there; stargazing in silence just like in the old times where they had no worries. Her eyes started to fill with tears as she turned her head to gaze at the defined side profile of her loved one. She had been missing him dearly, and so did he. Without their significant other, they were feeling empty, like the most important piece of themselves was missing. Then y/n finally had built up the courage to speak up with a shaky voice,

"Why are you here, Hongjoong?"

He sighed and said,

"Isn't that obvious?" the brown-haired answered and their eyes locked "I've missed you."

"But you were the one to-"

"Yes, I know" he interrupted her "And I deeply regret it. I thought we wouldn't have a happy ending and I just didn't want to put all of this suffering upon us. You deserve someone better, but I am very selfish, y/n. At least when it comes to you."

The princess was lost for words and Hongjoong just stood there and showed a genuine smile with his sparkling eyes. Before he could speak up again, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and started to sob uncontrollably. He quickly embraced her and held her waist with his left hand and her head with his right, caressing the back of her head.

"How could you just leave me like that day? You know that I'm nothing without you. Not one day has passed where I haven't thought about you and missed you. I need you, Hongjoong."

She pulled her head back so that their eyes met again. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks as his soft eyes were wet as well. His smile was pained, yet it contained another expression; hope.

"I know" he started "that's why I came back to you, y/n."

The princess sniffed as she expected him to continue.

"Will you be my pirate queen?"