pirate king (pirate!au) ➵ ateez ✔️

just a memory

"Let's go onto land!" You cheer excitedly, grabbing onto Jongho's arm and he looks at you with wide eyes, surprised. You're practically bouncing up and down in anticipation, waving your new arm about, and Yeosang smiles at you fondly from the side. It's the most energetic he's seen you for days. "Come on! Let's go and buy Yunho some grilled squid or something to cheer him up!" Your grin is radiant.

"I'm glad you're so excited about it." Your captain's voice comes from the door and Jongho whirls around to see Hongjoong standing there, wiping the tiredness from his face with a damp cloth, wearing a small smile. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he sees your face go ashen for a second at the sight of your captain before your smile returns, although it seems a little forced. He frowns. "If you want to go onto land, remember to bring Jongho with you."

"Alright." You say quietly, suddenly so much more subdued than you were prior. Jongho and Yeosang exchange looks. What is that all about?

"I heard you helped design the arm." Jongho hears you add on, and your smile is... difficult to say the least, tender but brittle, cracking at the edges. But the gratefulness is your voice is genuine and true. "Thank you, captain."

"I told you, call me Hongjoong." His captain corrects with a fond smile, and Jongho finds himself frowning at the sight of it, wondering if... perhaps... but before he can think too much into it, Hongjoong is already stumbling across the cabin and clambering into his hammock. He must be exhausted from the recent events and steering the ship almost the entire way. The three of you watch him as he yanks his red jacket off to cover himself, before he makes a noise of annoyance when his fingers slip through a couple of gaping holes and slashes in the sleeves and sides. "This thing is falling apart."

"It'll become more holes than fabric soon." Yeosang mutters under his breath sympathetically and Hongjoong groans, burying his face in his hammock so you can see the outline of his features against the rough fabric. "It's going to be so cold soon." He laments.

"We could start a fire on board." Jongho pipes up and Hongjoong scrambles to sit upright, waving his fist at him.

"Are you trying to burn the Treasure like a piece of matchwood? No, Jongho, you shall not-" He nearly falls out of the hammock and you rush to flip his hammock back upright, the suspending ropes swinging dangerously. "That's it, Jongho, you're on bilge bailing duty for the next week-"

"I'm joking, I'm joking." Jongho reassures him and Hongjoong gives him a glare out of the corner of his eye, as if not quite convinced. "We'll be leaving you to your nap in peace now, captain."

"Nighty night." Yeosang whispers, as if he's talking to a little baby and the three of you tiptoe out of the cabin, leaving your captain sulking in the hammock behind you.

>>>

It's a good three hours of more negotiations and steering the ship into the docks before you, Yeosang and Jongho are strolling through the port marketplace, a cluster of white makeshift stalls set up with canvas awnings, selling brightly colored trinkets made from a rainbow of elegantly carved seashells.

"These are pretty!" You exclaim to Jongho, picking up a hair clip made of iridescent blue and green shells, while Yeosang heads down a few stalls to peruse a few maps. Jongho manages a smile, patting you on the head lightly. "Yeah, they are. You want one?"

"Nah, I have one already." You say, patting the silver hairpin Wooyoung had given you resting subtly in your belt, the aquamarine inlaid in the middle still shining clear, the light rippling through the stone like sunlight through the ocean. "It's the only one I need."