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womstarave · 17 days ago

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the longest thing i’ve read on here and i would read it all over again

[Wonderland]

Pairing: Pirate!Kim Hongjoong x Fem!Outlaw!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Angst, Smut, pirate au, lovers to enemies to lovers

Synopsis: You only had one goal in your life, take revenge for your parents death. However, when Kim Hongjoong, the man who you believed had betrayed you, comes back into your life, you find yourself reeling as old wounds, affections and mysteries that you had buried deep into your heart threaten to re-emerge.

Warnings: Blood, gore, death, knives, guns, thievery(the usual pirate stuff), Woosan are dating, reader and Hongjoong are disgustingly down bad for each other, Kingdom Wonderland Hongjoong(this is a warning cause that era is dangerous and can cause death), like two smut scenes(smut warnings below the cut)

Word Count: 19458

Smut Warnings: oral(both receiving), cunnilingus, cum eating, fingering(f receiving), marking, unprotected sex(don’t be sick, cover your dick)

You hated the rain. It always ruined your plans. Perched on the roof of the building opposite the head of the police, Park Jinyoung's house, you were trying to discreetly face his bedroom to get a clear shot. Unfortunately for you, the rain decided to pour down the exact moment you had a clear shot.

The thunder rumbled and Jinyoung woke up with a start. If he turned his head, he could get a clear view of you, suspiciously perched on the roof with a gun pointing in his direction.

You had to hurry before he caught sight of you. You had lost your chance and before you got discovered, you had to get away. You slipped off your perch and hurried to the other side, out of sight.

You unloaded the gun and slipped it back into its case, grabbing your mask and concealing yourself so that only your eyes were visible.

You caught hold of the pipe you used to scale up and slid down as quickly as you could. Hurrying out of the dimly lit alley, you tried to work out which route was the fastest.

Making up your mind, you made a sharp left to walk into another alley. Just to your luck, however, you saw two police coming out of the same alley. You turned on your heel to avoid them and started walking towards the port.

This proved to be a mistake because on the port, a crew of what you assumed was pirates was in an intense fight with the police.

Oh well, you thought, at least no one will pay any attention to you.

Swerving your body so that you could see them but they couldn’t see you, you tried moving past them, silently. You should have kept your focus on yourself and not given in to curiosity because the moment you looked up to get a better view of the crew, you locked eyes with him.

The one person you never thought you would see again.

The one person you never wanted to see again.

Kim Hongjoong.

Hongjoong wasn’t particularly superstitious. He was as realistic as a pirate could be. But even he couldn’t ignore the weird chill that settled in his bones as his ship drew near the land of Utopia.

He told himself that it was because he was visiting this place after a long time. After all, the memories he had here weren’t all that happy.

“Are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost” Seonghwa said.

Hongjoong shook his head. “I’m all right. It’s just, coming back here feels…strange.”

Seonghwa gave him a worried look. “We can turn back, you know.”

“No! I’m fine, seriously. Besides we’re running low on resources. We won’t survive another journey, if we turn back now.”

Seonghwa still looked apprehensive, so Hongjoong tried giving him the most reassuring smile he could manage.

“We're here.” Yunho announced as the ship drew closer to the port.

As the ship docked in the port, Hongjoong’s strange feeling of uneasiness grew. He ignored it the best he could and forced a smile in front of his crew.

“Let’s go. We have a day to collect the supplies we need and meet the people we want to meet. Hurry and be back before nightfall.”

With that, they got off the ship to run their errands.

Almost immediately, things went south. As soon as the ship was out of sight, they were cornered by the Utopian police force, like they’d been waiting for them.

Whipping out his guns, Hongjoong yelled at his crew to fall back, shooting some of the policemen, with San on his side. He saw Mingi, the sniper, climbing up to get a better aim and shot the man following him.

Wooyoung and Yeosang were standing back-to-back shooting at anyone who tried approaching them. Seonghwa and Yunho were already retreating to protect their ship, Aurora. Whereas Jongho, who had somehow used all his bullets was in a hand-to-hand battle.

“Captain, we need to get back to Aurora before they kill us all.” San said.

Hongjoong shook his head, “We can’t afford the risk. If they gain control of Aurora, we’re done for.”

San maneuvered around him, shooting two people at once and then stepped away to help Jongho.

Hongjoong’s eyes swept over the area, trying to find an exit. A mistake because his eyes locked with you. Hongjoong froze in surprise, even though your face was covered with your mask, he recognized you immediately.

Your eyes widened when they met Hongjoong’s and you saw him freeze in place. Tearing your gaze away from him, you saw a man trying to attack him from the behind. Acting on instinct, you pulled out your gun, reloaded it and shot the man through the head in one swift moment.

The other police turned around in surprise, not expecting anyone to save the so called ‘pirate king’. Cursing yourself for drawing attention to yourself when all you wanted was to sneak away, you quickly sidestepped the bullet that flew towards you and shot the man who had tried to shoot you.

Meanwhile, Hongjoong, who had found his bearings again, slipped back into the battle.

“You should go back before they get reinforcements.” You mentioned to Hongjoong casually, as if you were talking about the weather.

“Right. Reinforcements. Yeah. Uh–let’s do that.” The great pirate king stammered.

Walking backwards to not give any chance for the enemy, the two of you quickly made your way to Hongjoong’s crew.

Quickly ordering Ateez to get to the ship, Hongjoong and his crew fought their way back to their ship. You dragged your feet, not wanting to get on the ship but not wanting to stay and get killed either.

As you came closer to the ship, you saw Mingi and Seonghwa hanging from the rigging and shooting any police that dared to come close to the ship with their muskets.

A bullet whizzed by dangerously close to your ear and you twisted around to see a group of police following you. You stopped in your tracks, turned around and started picking off the police closest to you.

Hongjoong, who hadn’t noticed this, kept running to the ship and jumped on. Before he realised that he had left you behind, the Aurora started pulling out of the port.

Honjoong heard Mingi yell something and looked up, to see Mingi climbing down shouting something at him.

“What?” Hongjoong asked.

“–Y/n! You left– “Before Mingi could complete his sentence, Hongjoong had already jumped off the ship and started swimming back to the land, back to you.

You shot a man who was running in the direction of the ship and turned around to warn Hongjoong, only to see the Aurora pull out of the harbor, with none of your (temporary) allies in sight.

“Of course”, you gritted out, “of course he would leave you, Y/n, you’re a fool for thinking he wouldn’t.”

You knew you had to get out of here, soon. In your haste to escape, however, you made a fatal mistake. You swear that you looked away for only a second but that was enough for a bullet to hit you in the leg.

Your leg gave out on you and you almost collapsed in pain. Managing to not fall down despite the unbearable pain, you tried limping away, blindly shooting in all directions.

You were clearly not thinking logically because you would have never wasted your bullets like that if you had your wits around. Hongjoong’s reappearance and his betrayal (again), combined with your leg injury was affecting you more than you initially believed.

However, loss of bullets aside, it proved to be a somewhat useful choice because you were able to limp away and sneak into a hidden alley.

You leaned against a wall which hid you and caught your breath, trying to assess the extent of your injuries. You had a few shallow cuts on your face, hands and hips but the main problem was your leg. The bullet had thankfully not cut through any bone, but it had dug in your muscle and was stuck. The bleeding hadn’t stopped and from what little you knew about healing, you knew that if you tried to remove the bullet, you might risk losing your leg for good. You had to find a healer, fast. For the time being, though, you tore the sleeve of your shirt and made a makeshift bandage. You hoped that it would be enough for now.

Next, you tried thinking about a way out. You had no doubt that your hiding spot would be discovered soon enough and the more you stayed here, the more dangerous it was. However, you couldn’t exactly leave because there were police out trying to find you. You couldn’t sneak out nor could you escape them with the way your leg was. The only option you had was scaling the wall to travel by roofs which, again, wasn’t a very practical way.

Since you were running out of time, you decided that you had to scale the wall if you wanted to live. The rope that you carried around for this purpose was definitely not the best option but it would have to do. You neatly tied one end of the rope into a knot and threw it so that it fit around the edge of the ledge just below the roof. Then, you tied the other end around your body to keep you from falling.

“I know you’re here, little snake. Come out before we find you and maybe we’ll let you live.” You heard a someone sing faux sweetly, their voice twisted with disgust.

You had to move fast before they found you. Ignoring the flaring pain in your leg, you forced yourself to start scaling the wall. It turned out that you were a minute too late because when you climbed halfway, you heard a patter of footsteps and the police arrived.

“Oh there she is. Told you we’d find her here.” A policeman said, smugly. “Come down, little outlaw, don’t make us mad.”

You kept climbing, the mix of adrenaline and fear giving you a speed boost. You heard someone click their tongue, like a disapproving parent. A policeman threw a knife at you, trying to cut the rope but missing and the knife buried itself in your back, making you cough blood out. Or maybe they were aiming for your back, in which case, they had achieved their target perfectly.

“Don’t kill her you idiot! Our orders are to bring her alive.” Another police, seemingly of higher rank, reprimanded him.

“I can’t wait to see what the legendary outlaw, Halazia looks like under that mask.” A voice gloated.

“Why do you always call me Halazia? What does it even mean?” You asked Hongjoong, smiling softly when he dropped a kiss on your lips.

“Do you know that you’re the light of my life, love?” Hongjoong asked.

You blushed. “What does that have to do with my question? Are you trying to avoid it? Now I’m even more curious.” You said in mock offense.

Hongjoong just laughed and pulled you in a kiss that made you forget about anything else.

You shook your head, snapping out of it. Now wasn’t the time for reminiscing, especially not about the man who was the reason of your predicament. Panting heavily, you pulled yourself on the ledge with difficulty. Immediately, you collapsed, your body giving up on you.

You heard some thumping down and idly wondered if they were following you up. Barely mustering up the energy to pull out your dagger, you prepared yourself to die as there was no way you would let them take you alive.

“Wait! Please don’t! It’s me, Y/n It’s me, Hongjoong.” A frantic voice called out.

You could recognize that voice anywhere, no matter what. Great, now you were imagining things too.

“You’re not imagining things, love, I’m really here.”

What…? “Hongjoong?” You rasped out.

“Yes. I'm going to pick you up now; it might hurt a little.” He replied and you were gently picked up by a pair of strong arms.

Hongjoong quickly made his way down, as gently as he could to not hurt you more. The feeling of panic he had been experiencing all day got worse when he saw how badly you were bleeding.

“How are you here? I thought you left again.” You mumbled, the delirium from pain making you emotional vulnerable and painfully honest.

Hongjoong felt a pang in his heart at your vulnerable state.

He hurried on, picking up his pace. He had to get you on the ship, to Yeosang, the healer. He couldn’t lose you again. Your head rolled to a side, your eyes closing involuntarily.

“Don’t close your eyes please, Y/n. Please. I can’t watch you die” Hongjoong pleaded.

Hongjoong burst through the door of your childhood house, his eyes searching for you desperately. The moment he saw you, he ran towards you, pulling you close to him.

“Thank god, you’re all right, Y/n. I was looking everywhere for you. I thought I–“

“They’re hanging my parents tomorrow. Jinyoung was successful in framing them.” You cut him off, your voice emotionless. “I’m sure they’ll come for me next. Jinyoung wouldn’t leave me alive.”

“Let’s run away then, Y/n, please. We were going to leave soon anyways. We can leave sooner. The Aurora is almost completely built and I can tell the others that we need to leave earlier. I’m sure they’ll understand, Y/n, please, they love you. Please, darling, I can’t watch you die.” Hongjoong pleaded.

You had to pull yourself out of your memories once again. Your delirium was making you remember things you would much rather forget.

You also knew that Hongjoong had a point. If you let your eyes close and let yourself drift away, you might not come back. You fought against your body, which was telling you to rest, with every bit of your remaining will.

Hongjoong reached the port, and boarded the ship, taking you to the infirmary on the ship.

“Yeosang! Come here quickly.” He ordered

Yeosang hurried towards you, assessing your injuries. He glanced at Hongjoong who was hovering around nervously.

“You’re distracting me, Captain. Get out.” He said firmly.

“I-ok.” Hongjoong turned away from you and walked back on to the hull of the ship. He wanted to stay beside you but he knew that that would only disturb Yeosang and besides he had a job to do.

Hongjoong walked towards the man who was kneeling on the hull of his ship, hands and legs tied. The same man who had thrown a knife to your back.

He stopped a little away and watched as San punched the man straight on his face. The man’s pained whimper almost drew a smile out of Hongjoong.

He walked up to them and whispered to San, “I’ll take care of him.”

San nodded and stepped away. Hongjoong faced the man with a dark smirk. He untied the man and offered to help him up. The man watched his hand warily, choosing to stand up on his own. Bad move. Hongjoong’s smirk widened as he slapped the man hard with the same hand he had offered help with.

The anger that he had been barely suppressing after seeing you hurt had burst out like a volcano.

“I’m going to ask this once and only once. Tell me who tipped you off about us and who ordered you to attack us.” Hongjoong said.

“And what makes you think I’ll tell you that?” The man leered.

"Oh I see what this is. You’re not afraid of us yet, huh.”

Taking out his dagger, Hongjoong circled the man humming thoughtfully. “Hmm, let’s see. You stabbed her somewhere here, didn’t you?” He asked, plunging the dagger in and out of the man’s back, causing blood to spurt out.

The man fell down, crying in pain.

Hongjoong took out his gun, putting is dagger away. “And you shot her…. was it this leg?” He shot the man in his leg.

“Oh, oops! I made a mistake. It was the other leg. Guess I’ll have to rectify that.” Hongjoong said, shooting the man in the other leg too.

The man was sobbing on the floor, a mix of blood, sweat, tears and drool pooling around him. “Please! Please don’t kill me, please. I’ll tell you everything! It was Park Jinyoung. We were just following orders.”

“Oh? I never said I was going to kill you, did I?” Hongjoong said, in mock surprise.

“Please just let me go.” The man begged, weakly.

“Let you go?” Hongjoong murmured as if he was contemplating. “I’ll let you go alright.”

The man sobbed in relief, thinking that he was saved. He was proven to be mistaken however, because Hongjoong stepped over the pool of blood, picked the man up and tossed him in the sea.

For a moment, there was complete silence. Hongjoong turned to his crew members. “What? I let him go, just like he wanted me to.” He said innocently.

“Well, couldn’t you have chosen a less dirty way of doing that? I’m the one who has to clear the whole mess up.” Wooyoung whined, drawing a laugh out of Hongjoong.

At that moment, Yeosang stepped out gaining everyone’s attention. “Y/n's going to be fine. I healed her wounds but she needs to rest to recover all the blood she lost. So don’t go in there and risk waking her up. Let her rest.” He announced.

When you woke up, you were sleeping in an unknown bed and the floor was rocking gently. You turned your head around to get a better look at your surroundings. The dimly lit room looked like an infirmary but all the beds, except yours, were empty. The décor was unique, almost reminding you of– Oh.

You were on board the Aurora.

The haziness in your brain slowly decreased as you remembered what had happened. You helped Ateez. They left you. You were going to die. But then…. he came back?

The fact that Hongjoong came back for you left you dumbfounded. It caused a flurry of a lot of complicated confusing feelings inside you; feelings that you thought you had already gotten rid of.

“Oh, you’re up.” A voice said from the door.

You shot up and then immediately slumped against the bed as you felt your head spin.

“Wait no! Don’t get up. Yeosang said that you need to rest to recover.” Hongjoong said, panicked.

“How long was I out?” You asked, internally cringing at how gravelly your voice sounded.

“About half a day. Are you feeling better now?” He asked, his voice weirdly soft.

The softness in his eyes and voice was throwing you off, the image of him that you had so carefully built in your mind to protect yourself had started to crack.

“Why did you come back? I thought leaving people behind when they need you was your speciality?” You tried making your voice harsh but it came off as miserable more than anything.

Hongjoong didn’t react, almost making you think you hadn’t said anything at all. Instead, with a careful voice he said, “You should rest more. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“We’ll talk now.” You said, firmly.

“I had forgotten how stubborn you could be.” Hongjoong scoffed. “Fine. We’ll talk now but after that you have to get some rest.”

You knew that if you resisted, Hongjoong would just leave so you gave a single small nod.

“What do you want to know?” Hongjoong asked.

“Start at the beginning.” You replied.

“The beginning? You mean– “

You cut Hongjoong off. “Why are Jinyoung’s men after you?”

“Oh. That. Well, I've been attacking his ships. Also, he just dislikes me.” Hongjoong smirked.

“Why? I thought you and him were best of friends?” You asked, sarcastically.

Hongjoong just shrugged, not giving you an answer.

You stared at him, waiting. You realized that you weren’t getting an answer out of him and you packed that information away in your brain.

You changed your approach. “Why did you come back for me?”

“Why did you help us?” He challenged.

This was getting you nowhere. Besides your mind was too addled to answer his(or yours) questions.

You sighed. “This conversation isn’t over. We’ll talk again in the morning.”

Hongjoong fought back a smile and stood up, walking out and closing the door behind him. Once the door was closed, you slumped down regretting getting outwitted.

This won’t do, you decided. You couldn’t get put off your game when you goal was so close. You had to somehow stay alive while outwitting both Jinyoung and Hongjoong. You were too close to give up.

You woke up as soon as the sun rose, feeling much better. You got off the bed and walked towards the mirror, to assess your condition. Yeosang had done a really good job of healing you. Apart from a few trivial scratches that he didn’t bother to heal(not that you wanted him to considering how tired he must have been after trying to keep you alive), you were completely alright.

Next, you had to work on the issue of your clothes. The clothes you were wearing were in a bad condition thanks to the fight yesterday. Or was it the day before?

Your glanced around the room, hoping to find something you could wear. You spotted a pile of clean clothes beside your bed and wondered how you had missed it. You picked up the clothes to examine them. You had no doubt they were Hongjoong’s, indicated by the little ‘hj’ on the collar.

You sighed. You really didn’t want to wear his clothes ever again but you had no choice.

Just as you were buttoning up the shirt, Hongjoong walked in. He saw you and stopped looking like a deer caught in headlights. His eyes ran over your figure and his lips parted, letting out a huff.

You smirked. “My eyes are up here, you know.”

His eyes shot up to yours and he acted nonchalant as he turned away but you caught sight of the redness of his ears and barely suppressed a giggle.

Buttoning up your(his) shirt and tucking it in your(his) pants, you told him to turn around. You had stuff to do and getting distracted by a very attractive pirate wasn’t on your agenda.

You walked towards a chair settling down and motioned for Hongjoong to take a seat opposite you.

Hongjoong sat down and you let your eyes meet his, waiting.

“So…” He begins awkwardly.

“Where are we?” You ask, your voice bland.

Hongjoong looks surprised, he hadn’t expected your talk to go this way. “Just off the coast of Utopia. We’re waiting to see when we can go back.”

“I know a place where you can dock. It’s a little far off from the city but your ship will be safe and undiscovered there.” You said, all business.

“I–ok. Why are you helping us?” Hongjoong asked, seriously.

You shrugged. “You saved and healed me. I owe you.”

“You saved us first and only got hurt because of that. You owe us nothing.” He fired back.

“Then let’s just say that I want to get back as soon as possible and cooperating with you is the only way I have.” You replied.

“Ok.” Hongjoong said.

“Okay….?”

“Don’t you have more to say?” Hongjoong asked, confused. He had expected this conversation to go like the last one the two of you had.

“Oh, yes, where are my things? Return them to me.” You said and gave Hongjoong the directions to the dock you were talking about.

It was an old dock which was used before the city shifted away and soon it was forgotten. You had found it on an accident when you were searching for a place to use as your hideout.

“I’ll tell Yeosang to return your things.” Hongjoong said, pulling you out of your thoughts.

When Yeosang entered the room, he was met with your smile.

“Thank you, Sang–uh, I mean Yeosang, you saved my life.” You said, gratefully.

He handed you your things. “You can call me Sangie, you know. Or have I lost that privilege? And I did not think you needed to thank me for anything.” He said, fornoly.

Your smile dropped. “I do need to thank you now. Also, I don’t think we–any of us–are on a nickname basis.”

That seemed to anger Yeosang. “Why aren’t we? We used to be best friends, Y/n, all of us. You know us. Do you really think we turned into whatever image you’ve painted of us?”

“I never painted any image of you, Yeosang. You say we used to be best friends but tell me why I’ve never heard a word from any of you all this time. You're talking to me now because I’m on your ship after helping you guys escape but would you have talked to me if I hadn’t helped you? Hell, even if you hadn’t been attacked at all. Would you have talked to me if you were in Utopia right now like you planned to be?” You scoffed.

“I would have. We would have.” Yeosang said, confidently.

“Sure, keep telling yourself that.” You answered coldly and brushed past him to go to the deck.

Yeosang sighed. He knew you had a point and he was sure you were not going to treat any of them as your friends before your misunderstanding was cleared. He had no idea how to do that, though, since you would not believe anything they said.

Yeosang had to find a way to fix things because even though none of them said it, your presence(or the lack of it) was felt deeply by everyone. You were a part of the crew. No, you created the crew with Hongjoong, you were practically the co-captain. Even though you wanted nothing to do with them, you had saved them. Yeosang hoped that that was a sign that you did not hate them as much as you pretended to.

You stood at the deck, staring at the waves as you tried to organize your thoughts. You had figured out that whatever you thought about your the crew might be a misunderstanding. But you also knew that you had a point. If it was a misunderstanding why didn’t they contact you? Why did they not explain themselves immediately?

It was the day you had decided to run away with Hongjoong and the kids. Hongjoong had convinced you to run away, to come back and take your revenge later. After all, he had said, revenge is a dish best served cold. And you had believed him. You believed him when he said he loved you and you believed him when he said he was completely and always your side.

The Aurora was ready to sail and you were hiding in your quarters because if you were spotted by Jinyoung’s men, it would put everyone in danger.

You had dared to hope. Hope that you would be alright, if not now then soon. As long as you had Hongjoong and your crew you’d be able to face everything. Oh, how naïve you were.

It was departing time and you waited for the ship to start. However, you could not feel the gentle motions which would have Indicated your freedom. Instead, the ship stood still and your anxiety grew. You tried to convince yourself that there must be some minor problem or even that you had miscalculated the time and it wasn’t departure time yet.

You heard the banging footsteps of someone coming closer and flinched. You knew that it wasn’t one of your team because their footsteps were never this loud. You scrambled to pick up your knives as you mentally searched for a route of escape.

As the footsteps grew closer, you positioned yourself behind the door so that you could launch your attack right away.

The door swung open and a tall, burly man wearing the uniform of the police walked in, holding his gun up. As you drove your dagger in his neck, you mind was already in an overdrive. No doubt Jinyoung had found out about your plan. Saving the crew, especially Hongjoong, was the only thing that your focus zeroed on as you hurried to the deck.

If you weren’t so frantic, you would have noticed how tranquil it was. There were no sounds of struggle at all. It was as if there were no invaders on the ship.

You were met with the most dumbfounding sight when you climbed on the deck. The crew and the police were standing side by side, as if there wasn’t any enmity between them. What was even stranger was Hongjoong and Jinyoung talking to each other like they were friends. Hongjoong was laughing like he had no worries in the world, like he hadn’t just betrayed you.

Your footsteps came to a halt as your brain took in the entire scene. The shock was enough to momentarily disable you from doing anything and that’s when Jinyoung spotted you.

“Oh there’s the lady of the hour!” He sneered. “What did you do to the man I sent to fetch you? Don’t tell me you killed him. That’ll just add to your long list of crimes.”

“That would please you, wouldn’t it? To have an actual crime to convict me of.” You spat out, mirroring his sneer.

Jinyoung actually laughed at that, his laugh dry and cruel. “Come on boys, catch her.”

“Don’t forget our deal.” Hongjoong's melodious voice rang out.

Jinyoung rolled his eyes and nodded.

Your head snapped towards Hongjoong, even as you were struggling to escape. “What have you done, Kim Hongjoong?”

“Oh my dear, I have done nothing but make a deal.” He said, calmly.

“What deal?”

“It was a very easy deal, in fact, the safety of my crew in exchange for you.” He grinned.

The crew looked at you with mixed emotions of pity and apology but they did not make a single move to go against their captain.

“What about us then, Hongjoong?” You asked, dreading the answer but also looking forward to it so that your heart could finally break and you’d be free from the torturous clutches of hope.

“Us?” Hongjoong scoffed. “What us? Ok, I’ll admit, I had fun fooling around with you but do you really think I would love a traitor’s child who is a wanted criminal? I did not think you were that stupid, Y/n.”

You take it back. You would've rather that he said nothing at all. You shouldn’t have asked, because you were sure that the pain in your heart was lethal. Ironic, wasn't it, that you realised the true extent of your feelings for Hongjoong when he was crushing your heart to smithereens and laughing about it.

If looks could kill, Hongjoong would have dropped dead. Your glare was burning, rage and betrayal and pain pouring out of your eyes. Even as you were dragged away, your eyes never left Hongjoong’s, burning through his soul.

You brought yourself back with a sigh. No, you decided, you were not mistaken. There was no way it could be a misunderstanding when even just thinking about it broke your heart all over again as if it was happening to you right now. You were just starting to recover from his betrayal that had left you a shell of the person you were before. You would not subject yourself to more suffering at Hongjoong’s hands. You had had enough heartache.

You stood at the deck just staring at the waves and feeling the breeze on your face long enough for the ship to pull in the port and for Hongjoong to approach you.

He cleared his throat. “We’re here.”

You let your disinterested gaze settle on him. “Well I guess this is it then.”

“Right. Uh, yes. I just–“ He swallowed.

“Don’t. Whatever you’re going to say just don’t.” You cut him off.

“Can you at least let me explain? I’ll never bother you again, if that’s what you want. Please.” He pleaded.

The anger you had tried to suppress burst out at that. “What do you want to explain Hongjoong? The part where you handed me off to Jinyoung without another thought? The part where you told me that whatever we had was just ‘fooling around’? Or the part where you said that you could never love the child of a criminal? Just what do you want to explain?” You snapped at him, making him flinch imperceptibly.

But Hongjoong was never the one to back off from a challenge. “Well, you’re alive right now aren’t you?”

You actually laughed at that. “Tell me Hongjoong,” You said looking at him straight in the eye. “Do I look alive to you right now?”

Hongjoong had heartbreak written all over his face and you had to fight the urge to laugh again. You could not believe the audacity of his to look heartbroken after what he had done.

“Just…I know you probably wouldn’t believe me but I just want you to know. I love you. Always have, always will.” Hongjoong said softly.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you. I can’t believe you.” You turned and walked away before you could see his face fall.

As soon as the ship stopped, you climbed off.

Hongjoong saw you get off the ship and he was reminded of the last time he saw you, when you were getting dragged off.

It was the day before Hongjoong and you had planned to leave with the kids. Hongjoong was on cloud nine because you were going to be alright and with him. He was sure that the plan had succeeded and Jinyoung had no idea about your plan. Nothing could go wrong and the nine of you would finally be happy. Or so he thought.

Hongjoong stepped out of the house you were hiding in and as discreetly as possible, he made his way to the main street. He still had to gather some supplies for tomorrow.

He felt someone following him and took a detour. He had to be careful to make sure no one knew anything about the plan.

He kept his footsteps calm and acted like he hadn’t realised anyone was following him. He turned a sharp right which would hide him for a moment and swiftly hid in an alley, silently.

The follower stepped around the turn and when he couldn’t see Hongjoong, his footsteps fastened as he sped past the alley without another glance.

Making sure that there was no one following him any more, Hongjoong breathe a sigh of relief. He stepped out and took a different route to the market.

However things went wrong almost immediately. As soon as Hongjoong had stepped in a different alley he was cornered by a dozen of men. He recognized them from their uniform. Police. Jinyoung’s men.

Though Hongjoong was sure that no one knew of your whereabouts except his crew, he still felt a pang of fear when he thought about you. He hoped that you were alright.

“Well looks like the prey finally stepped in the trap.” Jinyoung’s sneering voice sounded.

Hongjoong glared at him.

“Now, now stop giving me that look. I’m only here to talk.”

“Ah yes, because having a dozen swords pointed at my throat puts me in a great mood to talk.” Hongjoong replied sarcastically.

Jinyoung actually had the nerve to laugh at that. He ordered his men to drop their weapons.

“Now Hongjoong. Let’s make a deal shall we? I know that you are planning to smuggle Y/n out tomorrow in your ship.” Jinyoung said.

Hongjoong realized that Jinyoung had no idea where you were if he had to come find Hongjoong like this. “A deal huh? You must be truly desperate. What if the people find that you cornered an innocent civilian and threatened him like this?” He said, acting like he wasn’t affected.

Jinyoung sighed. “Fine. I didn’t want to take it this far but you leave me with no choice. Either you help me or I will bring the entire force of the police on your ship tomorrow and massacre your crew. And I will make your beloved beg for death in front of you. Or should I make you beg for death in front of Y/n?”

Hongjoong blanched at the mention of you. He realized just how much he had underestimated Jinyoung. They should have had been more careful. Of course Jinyoung would know that they were planning to set sail tomorrow morning. Of course he would doubt that they were smuggling you out. Practically everyone knew how close the nine of you were. And Jinyoung had been your father’s friend. He had witnessed firsthand the bond between the nine of you.

Jinyoung continued like nothing had happened. “Or you could help us and we’ll let the eight of you go free. We’ll never be of any hindrance to you. Tell you what, I’ll even make sure that Y/n remains alive. The decision is yours.”

“Why would you go to such lengths to get Y/n and then promise that she remains alive?” Hongjoong asked, confused.

“Oh, kid, you have no idea of how the world works do you? Your betrayal would be a far worse torture for her than anything that I could come up with. Now, we’re running out of time. Make your decision.” Jinyoung laughed cruelly.

Hongjoong knew what he was going to do would tear apart you and him in the process. He knew that neither of you would be the same again. But he told himself that it was better than seeing you die. At least you’d be alive. You’d hate him but you’d be ok. That’s all he could wish for.

Hongjoong took a deep breath, readying himself. “Fine. I’ll cooperate with you. But if you ever break our deal, ever, I will find you. And I will tear you apart limb from limb and deliver your remains to your house.”

The glint in his eyes had Jinyoung shivering and he wondered for the first time if he had threatened the wrong person.

Hongjoong walked out of the valley and went back to his house, where the rest of Ateez had gathered. They looked up surprised when their captain showed without the supplies and he explained what he had done. There was a lot or anger and a lot of tears but a look of mutual understanding passed between them. They understood why Hongjoong had done that. He knew they would. After all they loved you too.

When he saw you being dragged away, he clenched his fist, fingers digging into his skin to stop from reacting. He had to stop the disgust that welled up in him when Jinyoung laughed and the pain that overcame his heart when he saw the betrayal in your eyes. He clenched his fist tighter and did not stop even when his fingernails broke the skin and blood started dripping down his hands.

Hongjoong knew that this would be the last time he would see you so he drank in your features, committing you to memory. He forced himself to not flinch when he saw the hatred in your eyes directed at him. He accepted it all and told himself that this was the least he deserved.

Hongjoong pulled himself out of his memories. He knew that it would do no good to anyone now. You would not listen if he tried explaining and you had every right to. Besides, it would just sound like excuses or worse, lies to you.

So he made a promise that even if he had lost you forever, he could still help you without you knowing. He could love you from afar. That would be enough.

You travelled through the thick forest as fast as you could. You knew for a fact that Jinyoung had no idea that Yeosang had healing powers so that meant that you had the advantage of time. He wouldn’t be expecting you to be back on your feet so soon. In fact, he might even think that you had died. His guard would be low so you couldn’t waste this chance. As much as you hated meeting Hongjoong again and as much as you hated the fact that seeing him again made you realise you still loved him, you had to admit that one good thing came out of it.

Your thoughts turned to Hongjoong and the crew. You wondered if he still needed something to hug to sleep. You wondered if he still overworked himself and wished he didn’t because you could no longer help him. And then you cursed yourself for still caring about him. You cursed yourself for opening your heart again just after meeting him once. But you couldn’t forget how he had held you close when he came back to save you. How he had begged you not to close your eyes. And how he was so careful with you as if you would break any moment.

Turns out, your treacherous heart was your worst enemy after all because it still longed for him.

You had to focus, you told yourself. You had to be very careful if you didn’t want Jinyoung to discover you before you were ready and getting distracted would be dangerous. You had to put your feelings aside for the moment.

Swiftly making your way out of the forest thanks to the trail you had memorized, you soon reached the outskirts of the town.

Slipping off your usual mask and outfit, you opted for an outfit that looked like a normal girl’s. You did not need your mask because you were sure that nobody knew of your identity. No one had unmasked Halazia and lived to tell the tale and you knew that Jinyoung hadn’t told of your real identity to his men.

Mingling with the crowd, you made your way to your hideout making sure no one noticed you and even if they did, all they saw was a simple town girl.

You slipped inside the house that everyone thought was dilapidated making it the perfect hideout. You still made sure no one saw you, though, because that would attract unnecessary attention.

You walked inside, spotting a note from Lee Minho who was your informant and old friend. No one except you knew that Minho was still alive because like you Jinyoung had killed his family. He had put Minho’s house on fire and Minho had barely survived but his family died.

Minho knew that you were Halazia. So he agreed in helping you take both of your revenge.

You took care of the actual ‘killing’ part, while Minho provided you with whatever information you needed. The two of you communicated through notes that you left for each other in the hideout, like this.

The note that Minho had left you read: “There are rumours that you died. Jinyoung seems to believe so. I don’t. I know you’re alive. Jinyoung has lowered the security. His wife and daughter are out of town.”

You knew exactly what Minho was saying. Since the security was low and Jinyoung’s family was out of town, this was the perfect chance to attack. You had already made it clear to Minho that you weren’t going to harm his wife or daughter since they were pretty much innocent.

You decided that you would launch your attack tonight. You left a note for Minho that simply said: “I’m alive” and made your way out of the hideout after donning the outfit that you used when you were Halazia.

The sun was almost setting and soon it would be dark. It had taken you an entire day to reach the town, even with the trail you had marked so you knew that Hongjoong and the crew would still be stuck trying to find their way out.

You climbed on the roof of a building, choosing your preferred way of traveling by the roofs to reach Jinyoung’s house.

You slipped in through the back door, quickly picking the lock. You wanted to see the look Jinyoung would have on his face as you drove your dagger through his heart and shooting him from afar would not give you the same pleasure. You wanted to hear him beg for his life.

You walked towards his study, keeping your footsteps silent. You thought he’d be alone but you were surprised when you heard the voice of the vice-captain of the police talking to him

You hid behind the door, listening in.

“Is Halazia dead?” You heard the vice-captain ask.

“Yes.” Jinyoung chortled. “And you know the funniest thing? She died thinking that Hongjoong had actually betrayed her.”

So Jinyoung did think you had died. You wondered what he meant when he said that you ‘thought’ Hongjoong had betrayed you.

“What do you mean?” The confusion in the vice captain’s voice mirrored your own.

“Oh did I not tell you?” Jinyoung cackled, the entire story coming out with gleeful laughs.

Each word that came out of his voice made your heart sink lower and lower. Funny how you found out that Hongjoong had not betrayed you after burning the last bridge of reconciliation between the two of you.

“Some of my men saw Hongjoong’s ship heading towards the old port. Safe to say that the crew won’t be coming out of the forest alive.” The vice-captain said after he had gotten over the shock of Jinyoung’s revelation.

You felt the coil of dread grow tighter around your heart. You could not let Hongjoong or the kids die. Not after what you had just learned. You had to see him and apologise for the way you had treated him after everything he had done for you. Even if he wanted nothing to do with you after you had talked, you couldn’t, you wouldn’t, forgive yourself if anything happened to him

You were out of the house before you could hear Jinyoung’s reply. You travelled as fast as your legs could take you, reaching the outskirts of the forest in half the time you would usually take.

You scanned the forest trying to figure out where your crew could be. They couldn’t have come out already since they were not aware of your trail. You just hoped that they hadn’t gotten themselves lost or worse killed.

Tracking the crew would be much more difficult so you decided to track the police. The men Jinyoung had sent wouldn’t know the first thing about being discreet and would stick to the common but longer route. If you found them, you would find the crew.

Swiftly making your way to the common trail, you found numerous footsteps that indicated that you were right. Jinyoung’s men had passed by here and not a huge amount of time had passed as the footsteps were still fresh. If you hurried, you might be able to catch them.

You followed the footsteps, going deeper in the forest. Soon, you heard sounds that sounded like fighting. You picked up your pace, slipping in the shadows to not get discovered.

You had turned out to be right, your crew was indeed ambushed but they were fighting back and weren’t losing.

You climbed up a tree that gave you range and cover, pulling out your gun. You had only ten bullets and you had to make each of them count.

You looked at your crew, figuring out who needed your help the most.

Your eyes fell on Hongjoong who was holding his own against three men and forced yourself to look away, telling yourself that he was fine.

Wooyoung and San were back-to-back working efficiently, needing no help at all.

Jongho was fighting alone but Mingi, who was up in a tree like you, no doubt was carrying out his duties as a sniper perfectly and helping Jongho.

You spotted Seonghwa and Yeosang a few meters away. Yeosang was healing Seonghwa who had a bullet wound in his leg. You saw five of Jinyoung’s men heading towards them and you scoffed at the nerve of attacking a healer.

You readied your aim and started picking off the men who were trying to harm a healer. Five bullets gone, five men down.

You turned back towards the fight, half of your bullets used. You saw Yunho getting cornered and scrambled to help him, shooting two men, leaving him to deal with the other two. A man was about to attack Jongho from the back and Mingi hadn’t noticed so you took care of him

With just one bullet remaining, you turned towards Hongjoong. You felt the fear course through your body when you saw that more than half of the men were focusing on attention.

You one remaining bullet wasn’t going to be of much help but you fired it anyway. You slid down the tree, pulling out your daggers and rushed to help Hongjoong.

You jumped into the fight, immediately stabbing two men, your daggers singing. The men were surprised, they hadn’t expected you to suddenly appear. Their shock gave you an advantage and you cut through them quickly, making your way to Hongjoong.

Hongjoong was doing really good at holding them off and you noticed that thankfully he didn’t seem too hurt. He looked up and his eyes locked with you and he froze.

You pulled him away from a sword just in time and sent a dagger flying at the man. That snapped Hongjoong out of his trance and he quickly joined you in defeating the men.

The odds were turning in your favour but then you saw Wooyoung get stabbed and fall to the ground. No one except you had noticed and as the man who stabbed Wooyoung bent to finish him off, you sent your dagger flying to his heart and prayed that it found him before his did Wooyoung.

Your dagger found it’s mark and the man fell before he could hurt Wooyoung more. San noticed and ran to protect his boyfriend.

In your haste to save Wooyoung however, you lost sight of the man you were fighting and he sent a bullet flying towards you. Hongjoong pulled you out of harm’s way but the bullet grazed his cheek drawing blood. He sent a bullet of his own towards the man and the man crumpled.

You had no time to worry about that right now though as the two of you ran to help San. Yeosang had successfully healed Seonghwa and the two had joined Yunho. The eight of you, excluding Wooyoung, managed to beat back the remaining attackers.

After scouring the area to make sure there were no attackers left and catching your breath, you leaned over Wooyoung to assess his injuries.

The crew looked like they had questions for you but you gave them a look that said, ‘later’.

“Yeosang, do you think you could heal Wooyoung right now?” Hongjoong asked, focusing on the priority.

“Well, I could try but I doubt I’d be able to. My healing isn’t strong enough right now and it’s pretty much exhausted.” Yeosang answered, solemnly.

“Even if you could, it wouldn’t help.” You spoke up. “Your healing only deals with wounds not poisons, doesn’t it? Look at the area around the wound, it’s blue. The dagger was poisoned.”

“What? I do keep a few antidotes on the ship but it’s too far away right. Besides I don’t even know much about poisons, our poison expert was always….” Yeosang trailed off.

“Me.” You completed. “You’re right, Sangie, the ship is too far away. Which is why we have to go to the town. I can get the poison out of him and then you can heal his wound.”

You were met with seven dumbfounded faces.

You rolled your eyes. “We don’t have time, guys. We need to move quickly.”

“Right. San carry Wooyoung. Yunho and Seonghwa, watch our backs. Mingi, make sure no one is following us. Yeosang and I will guard the front. And Y/n…. I suspect you know a faster way to get to wherever you’re taking us, don’t you?” Hongjoong said, not even stopping to doubt you and the crew followed, all of them trusting you completely.

Your heart melted at how quick they were to trust you even after everything that had happened. If you didn’t have more pressing matters at hand, you would have burst into tears for finally having your family back. Instead, you just blinked away the moistness in your eyes and started finding the trail you had marked.

As quickly as you could, the nine of you made your way out. Soon you reached the outskirts of the forest.

“We need to be careful from here. Jinyoung thinks that I’m dead and he must be thinking the same about you guys because you were ambushed. We need to make sure he doesn’t find out we're alive before we’re ready to let him know.” You spoke.

The crew nodded. “Can we get there without attracting attention?” Hongjoong asked.

“If we’re smart about it, yes.” You replied, already trying to work out the way you should take. You cast a longing look at the roofs before looking at the alleys. Thankfully, Utopia had a lot of secret alleys, most of which you knew like the back of your hand.

You told your crew to be quite as you lead them to the alley. They followed, silent and quick as mice.

Mapping out the twisting alleys in your head, you took them to your house without anyone noticing.

As soon as you were in, you got to business.

“San and Yeosang follow me. The rest just make yourself at home.” You ordered, leading San and Yeosang to the room you used as your infirmary.

You told San to lay Wooyoung down on the singular bed and checked the wound. The poison hadn’t spread too far but you could already see the effects it was having on Wooyoung. He was having a high fever and the paralysis would set in soon. You had to be quick.

You hurried to the cabinet where you stored the ingredients used for the antidote and took them out making an antidote as quick as you could. You had San make Wooyoung drink the antidote.

You stepped back and prayed for the antidote to work. You told Yeosang to heal Wooyoung's wound and waited as he worked his magic. Wooyoung’s wound disappeared, leaving only a scar.

It seemed like hours had passed when the bluish blemishes on Wooyoung’s skin started to fade. The antidote had worked. You breath out a sigh of relief and told Yeosang to go rest.

Then you turned to San. “He’s going to be fine, but it’ll take some time for the poison to get completely out of his system and for the fever to reduce. It might even take the entire night. I could look over him if you want to rest.” You said softly.

He shook his head, holding Wooyoung’s hand tightly. “No. It’s alright, Y/n, I’ll stay with him.” You could hear the unshed tears in his voice.

“Ok.” You said, voice softer. “If you need anything or even if you just want someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to call out. And San? Wooyo getting hurt isn’t your fault. Do me a favour and don’t blame yourself, okay?”

You pulled San in a hug, kissing his forehead. He nodded, basking in the comfort you offered long enough to pull himself together and then let go. You gave him a soft smile and walked out, closing the door behind you.

You found out that the kids had already gone to sleep. Seonghwa, Yeosang and Jongho passed out in the two rooms you didn’t use but still had gotten furniture for. While Mingi and Yunho had somehow managed to fit their 6 feet something bodies on your tiny couches.

That’s when it struck you that maybe the reason you had gotten such a big house and so much furniture was because unconsciously you wished for the nine of you to meet again. Even when you had almost gotten caught trying to get this house, you still never gave up. It even overlooked the sea and you had convinced yourself that you wanted this house because it was pretty much isolated. But perhaps you had wished to meet Ateez again. That thought made you smile.

You saw that Hongjoong was still awake, though. He looked like he was waiting for you. Or maybe he was just waiting to make sure Wooyoung was fine.

He was sitting on a chair in the kitchen, probably to not disturb the kids sleep. You realised with a pang that the chair he was sitting on was right beside the chair you usually sat when you had time to eat.

You slid in your regular chair, adjusting it so that you faced him. “Wooyoung’s fine. He’ll be back on his feet by tomorrow.” You said before Hongjoong could ask.

He practically melted with relief. “Thank god.”

You noticed the wound he had gotten on his cheek while saving you had not healed. You reached out and caressed it. “Why didn’t you have Sangie heal this?”

“He looked dead on his feet after healing Wooyoung. I didn’t want to exhaust him even more.” He said leaning into your touch.

A familiar mixture of exasperation and love welled up in you. He was still your Hongjoong. Your beautiful, kind, selfless, Hongjoong. You couldn’t understand how you had made yourself believe that he could be anything else.

You dropped your hand from his cheek, standing up and pulling him to his feet. “Come on, let’s get that thing disinfected. You don’t want to get an infection.” You said, leading him to your room and making him sit on the bed as you rummaged around for the first aid box you used for smaller injuries.

You nonchalantly pushed his knee away, slotting yourself between his legs to get a better look at the wound and ignored the way Hongjoong’s breath caught in his throat. You also ignored how his eyes were roaming over your face, drinking you in and choose to only focus on the wound.

You carefully disinfected it. The wound was not too deep and just putting a bandage would work so you apply a bandage over it, tracing your thumb over the bandage once. You quickly step away from Hongjoong, packing up the first aid box and putting it away.

Hongjoong was still staring at you when you turned back. “We need to talk.” It came out a whisper.

Hongjoong nodded and you sat beside him. Both of you waited for the other to start.

“Well..”

“So…”

The two of you said at the same time. Both of you laughed and Hongjoong motioned for you to start first.

Taking a deep breath, you started talking. You wanted to speak calmly but the story came out almost indistinguishable because of how shaky your voice was. Hongjoong understood every single word you said, however.

You told him of how you had sneaked into Jinyoung’s house to kill him, and how you had heard about what Jinyoung had actually done to the two of you.

Hongjoong listened carefully and filled in the gaps of your story. By the time you were done, both of you were crying.

You made the first move and jumped into Hongjoong’s embrace, his arms coming around you to keep you from falling. He pulled you in impossible close as if he would never let you go again. You wouldn’t either.

When the two of you had calmed down a little, he pulled away from you, looking you in the eyes and saying, “I’m sorry for not telling you earlier.”

You shook your head. “Don’t be. I wouldn’t have heard anyways.”

“Still. I’m sorry. I should have at least tried.”

“Well then, I’m sorry for not listening to you. For not giving you a chance.” You said.

“Stop apologising for that. You had every right to. You thought that I had betrayed you. I would’ve done the same.” He replied.

“See? I can’t accept your apology and you can’t accept mine. This will never end. So why don’t we just replace all of our “sorry”s and “thank you”s with “I love you”s? I would much rather hear that from you.” You said, gently.

Hongjoong agreed. “I love you, Y/n”.

“I love you too, Hongjoong.” You reached up and pulled him in a deep kiss that conveyed all of the unsaid words between you and Hongjoong.

The two of you drifted off in each other’s arms, finally feeling like you had found the part that you were missing.

That morning you woke up feeling unfamiliarly warm. You remembered the events of last night and smiled to yourself, burying your head in the crook of Hongjoong's neck.

“Finally up, huh?” Hongjoong said and you could hear the smile in his voice.

Without opening your eyes, you replied, “Were you watching me sleep? Wow, I can’t believe I’m dating a creep.”

Hongjoong sputtered. “Wait, what? We’re dating?”

You opened your eyes and looked at him, raising your eyebrow up. “Wasn't that obvious? Or do you think I kissed you and let you sleep with me just for fun?”

“Well when you put it like that…” Hongjoong said with a shit-eating grin.

You groaned, burying your head in his neck again. “It’s way too early for this.” You grumbled.

You could feel Hongjoong laugh, his body shaking under yours and you let yourself smile too.

You basked in his warmth and couldn’t believe you had survived with him for so long.

“What are we going to do now, love?” Hongjoong asked softly, suddenly serious.

You pulled away, meeting his gaze. “I never want to let go of you ever again, Joong.”

“Me neither. Will you join us?” Hongjoong asked, hopefully.

“Is there still a place for me on the Aurora?” You asked.

“Of course there is, Y/n. In fact I don’t think there was ever a time that there wasn’t a place for you. We all missed you too much. Of course, I missed you the most.” Hongjoong added the last part playfully and you giggled.

“Then of course I’ll come with you, love. But I have some things that I need to do before we leave. A few loose ends to tie up.” You said.

“I know that, darling. And we’ll help you every step of the way even if you don’t ask for it.” He promised.

You leant in and met his lips in a grateful kiss. “Maybe when we’re done, we could go in search of Wonderland.” You grinned against his lips.

“What do you want to do once we become pirates?” You asked Hongjoong curiously.

The two of you were laying on the roof in each other’s embrace, stargazing.

“And what prompted this sudden question?” Hongjoong laughed.

“Oh nothing.” You waved your hand. “Just curious.”

“Do you know the story of Wonderland?” Hongjoong asked.

“The story of what?” You asked, giggling.

“This is very famous story among pirates. Can’t believe you don’t know it.” Hongjoong scoffed, playfully and started his story.

“Long ago, there was a pirate who was well known for being kind to people who treated him well. Kind of ironic, don’t you think with the image pirates have? Anyways, while he was on a voyage, he spotted an island in the middle of basically nowhere. The island wasn’t marked on his maps either and he was pretty sure he had never seen it before. That pirate was naturally curious, so he turned his ship for the island. He apparently found an unbelievable number of treasures on it. When he came back to take his wife with him there, he couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful that place was and how everyone who lived there was happy. He called the place ‘Wonderland’. It’s every pirate’s dream to at least see that place once in their life.” Hongjoong finished his tale, dramatically.

You laughed. “Joong, I hate to break this to you but that place is probably imaginary.”

“Wow, Y/n I can’t believe you’re crushing my dreams before I even had the chance to chase them.” Hongjoong pouted.

You had an urge to kiss his pout away and so you did just that. Hongjoong deepened the kiss, causing you to moan in his mouth.

“Ew! Can you two not do that when any of us can walk in and see you?” Seonghwa yelled, clearly disgusted.

He had come to call the two of you for dinner and he had had to witness the traumatizing sight of the two of you kissing.

Seonghwa’s yell, made the two of you break apart, laughing shamelessly as you followed him down.

Hongjoong made a sound of surprise, breaking the kiss. “You still remember that?”

“Of course I do. Hwa’s expression still cracks me up.” You said, giggling slightly. “We should really go downstairs, though, before one of the kids walks in on us.”

“But it’s comfortable here.” Hongjoong whined. “And I really don’t want to get up.”

You shook your head, exasperatedly but still smiling. “Then you can stay here. I’ll go down alon–”

Hongjoong was up in flash, not letting you finish your sentence.

“Come on, get up. We have to get downstairs don’t we?” He said cheekily, offering you his hand.

You let him pull you up, still laughing and then the two of you went down, hand in hand.

The kids, it turned out, were still asleep. You sent Hongjoong to wake them up while you decided to find something for breakfast. Your kitchen was very bare, since you never had guests over but you managed to scrape together enough sandwiches for the whole crew. Or so you hoped.

Yunho and Mingi were the first ones to appear, the others following behind them. Wooyoung, who was looking much better, rushed to help you but you waved him away.

“Are you feeling better now, Wooyo?” You asked, gently.

“I–yes. Thank you, Y/n for saving me. San told me what happened.” Wooyoung replied, gratefully.

You shook your head. “You don’t need to thank me. It’s enough that you’re feeling well.”

Seonghwa and Hongjoong helped you serve breakfast and the nine of you dug in. When all of you had eaten, Mingi and Yunho volunteered to wash the dishes.

You sat back, marvelling the domesticity of it all. Hongjoong took your hand in his, caressing it softly as if he could read your thoughts. If the rest of Ateez saw the two of you holding hands, they did not comment on it.

Once the nine of you were done, you gathered around the table, the atmosphere turning serious. You stared at each other, the silence becoming thick.

“I’m assuming you found out the entire truth, Y/n?” Yunho asked. His tone wasn’t accusatory but you flinched anyway.

“Yes. And I want to apologize to all of you. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” You said, quietly.

“You don’t need to apologize, Y/n. You couldn’t have known. Anyone would have reacted the same way you did. Really, you have nothing to be sorry for.” San said, gently but firmly, the others nodding along with him. You sent him a grateful smile.

Hongjoong noticed and pouted. “So when I say that, you don’t agree but when San says it you agree? Wow, Y/n, I’m hurt.”

You laughed, blowing him a kiss.

“Ugh, not even a day back together and they’re already disgusting.” Seonghwa gagged.

“I know right.” Mingi agreed. “Y/n are you sure you want to date that guy again?”

“Mingi are you sure that’s the cause you want to fight for?” Hongjoong jokingly challenged.

“Oooh looks like Mingi won’t have a crew anymore.” Wooyoung whistled.

“Please. Hongjoong can’t leave me, I’m his only sniper.” Mingi smirked, confidently.

You giggled. “You’re not his only sniper anymore, Mings.”

“Does that mean you’re joining the crew again?!” Yunho asked, overjoyed.

“I thought that was obvious?” You said.

All of Ateez broke out into dazzling grins.

“Group hug!” San yelled, pulling you and Hongjoong.

Hongjoong grumbled but it was ruined by the huge smile he wore.

When the nine of you broke apart, Yeosang yelled, “Which one of you took my wallet?”

Eight pairs of eyes turned to you.

“What?” You grinned, sheepishly handing Yeosang his wallet back. “It was too tempting to not at least attempt.”

“Remind me to never hug you again, Y/n.” Seonghwa joked and you laughed shamelessly.

“So what now? Are we leaving?” Jongho asked.

“I still have some stuff to do before I can come with you guys.” You answered, regretfully.

“And we're going to help you with it.” Hongjoong said immediately.

“You don’t have to–“

Your protest was cut off by Seonghwa. “He’s right, we are. Correct me if I’m wrong but the ‘stuff’ you have to do is killing Jinyoung, is it not? I think we deserve to get our revenge by helping you too.”

You nodded, clearing your throat. “Thank you, guys.”

“How are we going to do it though? If we just go and kill him, there’s a high chance we’ll get caught and we definitely don’t want that.” Jongho said.

You smirked. “Oh we’re not just going to kill him. We’re also going to uncover his crimes to the people. Without getting caught of course.”

“And I’m guessing you’ve got it all figured out?” Hongjoong said, fondly.

You grinned at him. “You know me too well, Joong.”

You and Mingi were perched on the roof of the building right opposite to the pub Jinyoung was in. You were keeping a careful eye on it. In case something went wrong, the two of you had to be quick.

You watched as Hongjoong walked in, acting as if he hadn’t seen Jinyoung. He approached the bar, sliding on the bar stool next to Jinyoung. When Jinyoung noticed him, Hongjoong acted surprised as if he wasn’t expecting him to be there.

“What is the great Captain of police doing in a bar that is famous for serving to criminals?” Hongjoong sneered.

Jinyoung covered up his shock quickly. “I could very well be undercover on the chase of someone you know. What is a person who is associated with a well know criminal doing, trying to start a conversation with the Captain of police, huh? Do you not know I could arrest you right now?”

Hongjoong looked mildly bored at that, as if Jinyoung's threat didn’t mean anything to him. “And on what terms would you arrest a normal businessman who is simply trying to get a drink after a long day?”

“A normal businessman? You? You are a dirty pirate and you dare–“ Jinyoung was positively bursting with outrage.

“Do you have any proof of that? You would just arrest an innocent man based on your assumptions? Our police force is really amazing.” Hongjoong snarked.

“You dare to say that after you have attacked every single ship I sent out in the sea?” Jinyoung challenged.

“Oh, I see what this is. Someone attacked your ships and you’re just looking for someone to pin the blame on. You are absolutely pitiful.” Hongjoong said, in faux sympathy.

To any other person who was eavesdropping, it would seem like Hongjoong was really just an innocent citizen who the Captain of police was targeting for no apparent reason. You supressed your grin. Hongjoong was playing Jinyoung perfectly.

Mingi let out a low whistle. “Wow. Our captain could become an actor if he tried.”

You laughed silently. “Well he certainly has the face and the talent for it.”

Meanwhile, Hongjoong leaned over Jinyoung, under the guise of picking up his drink and whispered in his ear, “You’re absolutely right. I did attack all of your ships. But you can’t prove it, can you? If you could, you would have arrested me already. I bet it drives you crazy to always lose to me.”

Hongjoong sat back on his stool, a sinister smile on his face. Jinyoung was practically turning red with anger.

“Don’t you think he's provoking him a bit too much? We can’t have Jinyoung leave too soon, we need to buy as much time as we can for Wooyoung and San.” You said, worried.

“Don’t worry too much, Y/n, it will probably be fine.” Mingi said, but you could detect the uneasiness in his voice.

Things went wrong as soon as he said that. Jinyoung grabbed hold of a bottle and swung it at Hongjoong but he was too slow. Hongjoong grabbed hold of the bottle, easily ripping it out of his hands.

“Sit down, old man. Or things will not end well.” Hongjoong said in an easy-going manner but with an undertone of a warning.

That seemed to anger Jinyoung more and he smashed his glass on Hongjoong’s hand. You and Mingi stared at each other wide eyed.

Hongjoong winced when the glass cut through his skin.

“This is bad.” Mingi whispered. “Should we intervene?”

You were about to reply when you saw Hongjoong glance in your direction and shake his head slightly.

“No.” You decided. “Not yet. He has it under control for now. Let’s wait a bit.”

Hongjoong threw a winning smile to the distressed bartender who was signalling to the security before slipping into the shadows. Jinyoung was dragged out, his protests being ignored.

You sighed as you and Mingi climbed down to meet Hongjoong in the alley. Jinyoung had left far sooner than you had taught he would.

Hongjoong was waiting for the two of you and you rushed to him, checking his hand. “I told you not to start a fight, Joong.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, well, I didn’t think he would get that angry.”

“We need more time. I doubt San and Wooyoung would be out yet.” Mingi said.

“Time for me to get to work then.” You grinned.

“Be careful. He’s already pissed off. Don’t let him kill you.” Hongjoong warned.

You kissed his cheek. “You worry too much. I have it under control. Now go find Yeosang to heal your hand.” With that, you jumped on the roof, following Jinyoung.

Hongjoong turned to Mingi. “Follow Y/n just in case she needs back-up.”

“Already on it. You listen to her and go find Yeosang.” Mingi replied, going after you.

San felt like he was going to lose his mind. He was sure he and Wooyoung had searched everywhere for the ‘proof’ you said they would find in Jinyoung’s house. They had found nothing and they were short on time.

“I doubt he’ll keep anything here where any one can find it. He must have hidden it well.” San said to Wooyoung who was shuffling through the drawers in Jinyoung’s study.

Wooyoung straightened up and sighed. “You’re right. The problem is we don’t have time. We need to get away from here before he comes back and Hongjoong and Y/n can only keep Jinyoung distracted for so long.”

San ran his gaze over the room. “If you had to keep such important documents safe, where would you keep them?”

“I’d burn them.”

“Thanks, that helped a lot.”

Wooyoung shot a grin at him, stepping away to look at the bookshelf. San followed, helping him search.

They could find nothing except rows and rows of books. San turned towards Wooyoung, breath catching in his throat when he saw how close they were. Wooyoung looked at him, his gaze falling to San’s lips. He gulped and took a step back, stumbling. San panicked, trying to catch him before he fell and his hand slammed against a book.

The book fell down, revealing a safe behind it. However San was too busy making sure Wooyoung was alright to notice. “Are you alrig–”

“What’s that?”

“What?”

Quickly, Wooyoung stepped towards the bookshelf, pulling the books hiding the safe down. He and San shared a look.

“So that’s why we couldn’t find anything.” San muttered. “It’s locked.”

“Of course it’s locked, San, who keeps a safe unlocked?” Wooyoung sassed.

He laughed when he saw San pout, kissing it away.

“Come on, we have a safe to unlock. What do you suppose the pin could be?”

“Maybe his birthday?” San suggested.

“Do you even know his birthday?”

“…..no?”

“Great! That only leaves us with like a million options.” Wooyoung replied, sarcastically.

“Maybe we could just take the safe with us?”

“No. Jinyoung would find that out immediately and we’d lose the factor of surprise. We need to catch him off guard.”

“Then we’ll have to try all the million options, I guess.”

Both of them looked back at the safe, sighing.

You watched as Jinyoung ambled down the street, still fuming from his run-in with Hongjoong. You were aware that Mingi was following you only a few feet behind. You were sure you wouldn’t need him but any help was always welcome.

Jinyoung was sticking to the main streets and that was making you worried. You couldn’t stall him in the middle of main road. You hoped he would use one of the many alleys that Utopia had. That would make your work easier.

As you got closer to Jinyoung's house, your anxiety increased. Fortunately for you, though, it looked like you were in luck because just a few roads away from his home, he ducked into an alley.

You leaped from the roof, landing in front of him, making him stop. The shadows hid your identity so Jinyoung looked at you in confusion.

“Get out of my way, I am the captain of the police.” He ordered.

You stepped in the light and Jinyoung’s face flashed with recognition. “I know exactly who you are, Jinyoung.” You smirked.

“Halazia. The legendary outlaw who had been stealing the funds of the nation. Or should I call you Y/n?” Jinyoung snarled.

You laughed. “Funds of the nation? Funds of the nation, huh. I wonder then why the nation hasn’t caught me yet? I mean the Captain of the police even knows my name. Surely it would be easy to track down a petty thief, wouldn’t it?”

“I was being lenient on you because your parents were the best of friends with me once and this is how you pay me back?” Jinyoung sputtered.

You knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to irk you with the mention of you parents. You did not give him the satisfaction, though.

“Oh no, I believe that it’s because those ‘funds’ are actually money you embezzled. You don’t need to worry, they’re in the hands of people who actually need them. Hmm…now that I think about it, they did become funds of the nation after all, huh.” You added thoughtfully.

Jinyoung threw a punch at you, which you sidestepped quite easily. The rebound made him stumble forward and fall flat on his face.

You stifled a laugh. “I wonder how they let such a crass man become the Captain of the police? Starting fights in dark alleys and all.”

Jinyoung got up, ready to hit you again but you were faster. You kicked in the legs causing him to fall on his knees in front of you.

You grabbed his hair pulling his face up and whispered darkly, “This is where you should be. On your knees. Begging for your life.”

The fear in Jinyoung’s eyes thrilled you. You had dreamed of this moment ever since that day when you were dragged off the Aurora. However, as much as you would have loved to kill him right there, you had a plan to execute.

You smirked as you hit Jinyoung's head against the wall hard enough to knock out for a little time but not hard enough to cause any real damage. The worse he would suffer from would be concussion, if you were lucky.

You looked around for a place to hide his body. You couldn’t leave him in the middle of the road for anyone to find but he was heavy. The best you could do is hide him behind the trash cans with Mingi’s help.

“Putting the trash where it belongs, I see?” Mingi chortled.

You couldn’t stop the loud cackle that left you. “Let’s go check on Woosan. Hopefully they’d have found what we need by now.”

Wooyoung was freaking out. They had not managed to open the safe yet and their time was running out.

“Seriously why does he need to keep it in a safe? He had already hidden it!” San bemoaned.

“Just break it.” A voice sounded from behind them, making them jump.

Wooyoung whirled around. “Hongjoong what are you doing here?”

“Trying to help you guys? You were taking way too long.”

“How did you even get in?” San asked.

Hongjoong rolled his eyes. “You kept the door unlocked. Do we really have time to argue about that?”

He strode forward pulling a drill out. Wooyoung and San stepped away letting Hongjoong work.

“Where did he get a drill from?” Wooyoung whispered to San.

“Well, he’s Hongjoong. Isn’t that enough of an explanation?” San shrugged.

Hongjoong had soon drilled through the safe and it creaked open slowly. Wooyoung leaned forward to check inside and sure enough the proof of Jinyoung’s embezzlement.

“This should be enough to get him arrested, right?” San asked.

“More than enough.” Hongjoong assured. “We just need to make sure they go to the right person.”

Wooyoung grinned in triumph. “Let’s get out of here then.”

The triumph was short lived, though, because they heard the front door open and someone stepped in. The three of them exchanged startled glances when the footsteps drew closer to the study.

The door opened and the Vice Captain of the Police stepped in.

When you and Mingi reached back home, the night had almost gone by. Your cover of darkness would soon disappear but you still had one last thing to do. Considering, of course, that Wooyoung and San had succeeded. If not, then your plan would be a bust and Jinyoung would start come after you with the full force of the police behind him.

You opened the door and walked in, to be met by silence. You spotted the proof you had fought so hard to find on the table and smiled in triumph. Your crew had succeeded, not that you had any doubts that they wouldn’t.

You picked it up, turning to Mingi. “I just need to deliver these now. I’ll be back before sunrise.”

“Y/n…where is the rest of the crew? If the proof made it here, they should have been here too.” Mingi said, with an undertone of concern.

You looked around worried. “I’ll check upstairs. You search for them here.”

You rushed upstairs, praying that they’d be there. However, the only thing that greeted you was darkness and silence.

You ran back to Mingi. “Any luck?”

“No. The house is empty.”

Fear clawed its way up to your throat. The crew wouldn’t leave without a good reason unless…

Unless….

Unless they’d been caught. Unless they’d bargained themselves, again, for your sake.

You did this. If only it wasn’t for your revenge and scheming and tricks. If only you hadn’t pulled them back, made them help you. If only you were a normal girl with a normal past and a normal life.

You chewed on your lips as your thoughts spiralled.

Mingi touched your arm, brining you back to reality. “Don’t make it your fault when we don’t even know if something’s actually wrong. And even if something’s actually wrong then we need you more than ever right now. We need to take Jinyoung down as soon as possible.”

You nodded. You weren’t a normal girl with a normal past and a normal life. Your life was full of revenge and scheming and tricks and if you couldn’t change it then you had to use it to your advantage.

The crew had given you a fighting chance by making sure you found the proof and you couldn’t waste it.

“Mingi, I need to go. This needs to be done before the sun rises.”

He squeezed your hand, reassuringly. “Do what you need to. I’ll try to find the crew in the meantime.”

“I’ll meet you back here in an hour.” You squeezed his hand back before leaving.

As you climbed the roofs, your mind was racing. You had to figure out where your crew went and if they were alright.

You knew Hongjoong would make sure that no harm would come to them. But you weren’t sure if he would make sure he remains alright too. You knew that he would sacrifice himself for them in a heartbeat and that scared you. What if he had–

No, you decided, that was a dangerous train of thought and one you did not have the luxury to contemplate. Hongjoong would be alright, you just needed to find them.

You had to focus on making sure you weren’t caught since you were heading to the elite area of the city. It was the most well-guarded area and even one misstep would lead to you being captured.

You hid and watched as the guards made their rounds. You would about five minutes to pick the lock of the window before the guards came back and you would be exposed.

You waited till the guards disappeared before quickly making your way down to the balcony. You were in plain sight as you had no cover here and if anyone peaked out of their window or if the guards came back, you would have no time to escape.

Lock picking was never your speciality, however, as you hadn’t quite managed to master it. And the lock on this window was proving to be more challenging than usual. Your time was running out, though and you could hear the footsteps of the guards coming closer. Just as the guards turned the corner, the lock gave way in your hands and you slipped in, silently pulling the window close behind you.

Prosecutor Bang Chan was not known to be a very tidy man so you weren’t surprised to find the mess on his table. But he was a fair man and was persistent in chasing his cases to the end. Most importantly, he’d been out for Jinyoung’s blood for as long as you could remember. For the Captain of the Police, Jinyoung had sure made some powerful enemies.

You knew that if Chan got his hands on this proof, Jinyoung was done for. So, you decided to help Chan out a little. You giggled to yourself. Jinyoung should’ve seen this coming.

You carefully placed the proof on the table, making sure that Chan would see it as soon as he walked into his office.

Your work here was done. Now all you had to do was get out of here safely.

You waited till the guards disappeared again and then got out carefully, shutting the window behind you and putting the lock in place. The only trace you had left behind of your midnight visit was the valuable information lying on Chan’s table.

You climbed up to the roof and started making your way back to your house. Your thoughts turned to your crew again and you hoped that Mingi had found them. That they were alright.

When you reached back you were again met with silence but this time the coldness was missing from the air. Walking in, you were met with the sight of Mingi and Yunho passed out on the couch again(they had claimed it for themselves) and you sighed in relief. At least they were ok. You had no idea what had happened but at least the kids were fine.

You silently opened the door of your room, expecting Hongjoong to be asleep too but to your surprise, he was awake, waiting for you. You shut the door behind you just as quietly as you had opened it, to not wake the others up.

“Are you ok? Are you hurt? What happened? Is everyone else alright—” Your worry spilled out of you, making your words almost incomprehensible.

Hongjoong cut you off with a kiss, that you melted into immediately, closing your eyes. It felt good to be held by him, his soft lips on yours, his hands caressing your face. It was so tempting to just stay like this, to let him kiss you till your lips bruised and your mind went blank but you had problems you needed to solve. You pulled away, making him chase your lips.

“What happened?” You asked, more calmly this time.

“You didn’t tell me that Minho became the Vice-Captain of the police.”

“He goes by Lee Know now—what does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, he wanted to apologise for setting up an ambush for us so he took us off the wanted list. We were catching up with him and we lost track of time. I’m sorry for making you worried. I didn’t think we’d be this late.” He said softly.

“So you’re free?! You can go back to sailing now without having to worry about being caught?”

Hongjoong nodded, making you smile.

“I know this is too much to ask from you,” he began, voice uncertain, “and I know you want a normal life after this is all over but will you join us? Will you come with me?”

“Of course I’ll come with you, Joong.”

“Really? But I thought a normal life was what you wanted?” Hope colored his voice even as he asked you that.

“Love. Look at you. Look at me. Do you really think either of us could have a normal life now?” A smile crept on your face. “Want to know a secret? I like it better this way.”

“Do you?”

“Mmhm, I do. Besides, pirates are hot.”

That drew a chuckle out of him. “Are they now?”

“Yep. They are. Especially the one standing in front of me.” You giggled.

And then Hongjoong was kissing you. Or was it you who made the first move? You couldn’t really remember. The kiss was needy and passionate and searing, making everything else fade. Your hands found their place in his hair, tugging on it, making Hongjoong growl in the kiss. The sound sent heat rushing straight to your core.

Hongjoong’s hands toyed with the hem of your shirt. “Can I?” He asked with an edge of desperation.

“Please.” You breathed back, just as desperate.

He made a quick work of your shirt, pulling it off you and throwing it somewhere. He wasted no moment to attach his lips to your neck, leaving a trail of kisses and love bites in his wake. You pushed him backwards, making him fall on the bed, you on top of him.

“My turn.” You whispered, unbuttoning his shirt and revealing his perfectly sculpted body. You dived right in, coloring his skin with your marks as if he was your canvas. You paused to admire him, his neck and chest covered with your marks, his lips bruised and you couldn’t believe that he was yours.

Hongjoong used that moment to flip your positions so that you were lying underneath him. His hands hovered over your pants, silently asking for permission.

“Joong, love, please. I need you. I need to feel you.” You pleaded.

In no time at all, your pants were off and he started sucking on your clit, making your hands fly to his hair and your back arch. Hongjoong ate you out like he had been starving for years and you were his only meal. It was messy and fervent and had you crying out in pleasure. His nose nudged your clit and your orgasm tore out of you harshly making you feel like you were floating.

Hongjoong and smirked when he caught you looking at him.

“You think you can handle coming again, darling?” He asked smugly.

“You look like you need it more than I do, Joong.” You said, pointing at his erection, which was leaking with pre cum.

Hongjoong’s eyes darkened. “Damn right I do. Tell me if it hurts.”

He entered you slowly, giving you time to adjust to his length. You whimpered softly at the stretch but soon the pain was replaced by the pleasure.

“You can move now.” You murmured.

As soon as Hongjoong heard that, he started driving into you at a speed that had you seeing stars. You brought his lips to yours, the taste of you on his lips only causing you to unravel faster. Both your and Hongjoong’s moans got lost in the kiss. His pace did not slow down even as you clenched around him, both of you chasing your highs.

“Cum with me, love.” Hongjoong grunted against your lips.

That was all it took for you to be thrown off the cliff, your orgasm almost blinding you. Hongjoong followed and you felt his cum fill you up. After the two of you rode out your highs, you collapsed against Hongjoong’s chest. He pulled out of you, cursing softly as some of his cum spilled out.

He pressed a kiss against your hair and then another on your shoulder. “Let’s get cleaned up, love.”

You shot him a lovesick smile. “Or maybe we could just go sleep.”

Hongjoong laughed as he brushed your hair out of your face and he picked you up, carrying you to the shower.

After showering together, and a quick second round, you were lying in the bed, cuddled up against Hongjoong. Your head was on his chest and he was stroking your hair.

“You know,” Hongjoong began. “I can’t wait to spend our forever together.”

“Who says I’m spending forever with you?” You teased.

Hongjoong scoffed. “That’s not what you were saying earlier.”

“Maybe I’m having a moment of post-nut clarity.”

Hongjoong shook his head, not able to hide the fond smile that was growing on his face. “Sure love, whatever you say.”

You buried your face in the crook of his neck, hiding the little smile of your own in his neck. “I love you, Joong.” You whispered against his skin.

Hongjoong’s smile grew as he whispered a confession of his own in your hair.

The next few days passed without any news and you could see that your crew was getting antsy. And to be honest, so were you but you did a better job of hiding it.

“Maybe the evidence wasn’t enough.” You said Hongjoong, not letting anyone else hear your conversation. “Or maybe something went wrong and Bang Chan never received it.”

Hongjoong shook his head. “Stop worrying, love, I’m sure nothing went wrong. Maybe the case is being investigated and they just haven’t announced it.” He said, gently.

You had always admired Hongjoong's optimism. But it did nothing to quell the myriad of doubts swirling in your mind. “I should go and check, then. Find out if anything is actually getting investigated. Or maybe I should just go and kill Jinyoung now.”

“You could.” Hongjoong agreed. “But then he would become a martyr who was killed by a cruel outlaw and the people would never know that the actual criminal was him.”

You sighed. You had to admit that he had a point. “I hate the fact that you’re right about this.” You whined, making Hongjoong laugh.

“Aren’t I always?” He retorted.

The deadpan stare you gave him cracked him up again, dissolving into a fit of laughter. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t hide the smile that grew on your face. The effect that Kim Hongjoong had on you was too strong.

Hongjoong caught sight of your smile but before he could even say anything, you shut him up with your lips. You felt him grinning in the kiss and pulled him deeper in, not giving him a chance to break the kiss.

Your worries were soon found to be uncalled for, however because the very next day the announcement of Jinyoung’s arrest was broadcasted over all Utopia. They had found him guilty on all charges and he was set to be sent to prison next week.

“You know,” Yeosang commented, “Utopia’s judicial system can sure be quick when they want to be.”

You barely suppressed your laugh but the others weren’t so subtle. “Good for us. We’ll be rid of this place sooner.” Jongho cackled.

You had to admit he had a point. You couldn’t wait to feel the sea breeze in your hair, to feel the waves lapping beneath your ship, to be back to the place you belonged to, to be back with the people you belonged with. It was a wonderful thought. A wonderful dream you hoped would come true sooner rather than later.

Hongjoong saw that your expression had turned pensive and dropped a kiss on the side of your head. “A penny for your thoughts, love?”

You sent him a wide, blinding smile that had his heart do flips in his chest. “Just… thinking about much I love you. All of you. And how lucky I am that you love me back.”

“Don’t say that. If anything we are the lucky ones. I’m the lucky one.” Hongjoong, the genuineness in his voice, words and eyes making you melt. Then he continued, cheekily, “But you love me the most right?”

You snorted. “It’s not a competition, Joong!”

“What’s not a competition?” Seonghwa asked, curiously, making both you and Hongjoong yell, “Nothing!”

“Wow, ok.” Seonghwa grumbled. “Guess we can’t even ask anything now, without the captains getting mad at us.”

“Captains….? Plural?” You asked, confused.

“Well, yeah, Y/n, when your referring to more than one person, you use plurals.” Seonghwa said, matter of factly, making Hongjoong snicker. The glare you sent him did nothing to faze him as his laugh grew even wilder after seeing your expression.

“If I’m the co-captain, does that mean I have the authority to push him off the ship?” You whispered conspiratorially to Seonghwa.

“As the first mate, I whole heartedly support your decision.” Seonghwa agreed, sporting a grin.

That snapped Hongjoong out of his laughing fit. “Hey!” He protested. “I can’t believe that two of the people I trust most are leading a mutiny against me!”

This time it was you who shook with laughter. “Is it a mutiny if everyone already acknowledges me as the captain?”

You ignored Hongjoong’s yell of, “Of course it’s a mutiny!” turning to Seonghwa and whispering, “Maybe we should do it as soon as we set sail.”

“Or we could just leave him here.” Seonghwa giggled.

Hongjoong stared at the two of you in mock betrayal make you smile widely and press a swift kiss to his pout. Hongjoong smirked in the kiss, pulling you closer.

“Ew. Ew. Ew. Can you not do that when I’m right here?” Seonghwa grumbled. “Why do I always have to witness this?”

You broke the kiss, laughing wildly when Hongjoong cursed at Seonghwa and Seonghwa walked away rolling his eyes. You were still laughing when Hongjoong swept you in for another, much deeper kiss.

It was the day. Jinyoung was going to be carted off to prison in front of the whole public. It was also the day you were going to leave Utopia behind with your crew for good. But first, you had some things to take care of.

You double checked your outfit, making sure your face would be covered. You did not want anyone recognising you as the whole plan depended on making sure no one could trace it back to you. Hongjoong walked over to you just as you were making sure you had everything you needed. “Are you sure you’ll be fine on your own, love?” He asked. Hongjoong trusted your skills but he couldn’t lose you again, not when he’d just found you.

“Of course I’ll be fine, Joong.” You sent him a reassuring smile, softly caressing his cheek with your hand. “I’m the ‘legendary outlaw’ Halazia remember? I know the streets of Utopia better than anyone else. Besides we need Aurora to be ready to set sail immediately in case something goes wrong.”

Hongjoong still looked worried but he nodded slightly.

“Guys? We’re getting late.” Wooyoung called.

You pecked Hongjoong’s lips, before dropping your hand. “Be careful.”

“You too.”

Sending a smile his way, you walked out.

You pulled your hood over your hair, climbing to the roof. The clock tower showed that you had about ten minutes to get to the town square where Jinyoung’s crimes would be read out before he would be taken away from the public’s eye forever. This was the best and last chance you had.

You were sure that the square would be packed. Practically every citizen of Utopia who could manage to come would be there. The emotions would be running high, everyone would want to kill the former captain of police. The perfect place and time to assassinate him.

You grinned to yourself, slinging your rifle over your back. You ran, jumping from roof to roof, making sure no one saw you. Not that there was anyone to see you. The streets were empty. Just as you expected, everyone was in the town square. As long as you remain hidden when you shot Jinyoung, no one would be able to find out exactly who killed him.

You reached the town hall and checked the time. Three minutes to go. You scanned the surroundings to find a place where you could get a proper aim and could also remain hidden.

There. It was the perfect place. The roof was high enough that if you were quick you could hide before anyone discovered you and it gave you a good vantage point.

The crowd below grew restless as the seconds ticked by. One minute left. You held in the maniacal bout of laughter that threatened to spill out of you as you picked you rifle and attached the suppressor.

“Five,” you whispered, “Four. Three. Two. On—"

Jinyoung was forced to step out. You couldn’t control your laugh this time as your bullet travelled quickly and silently. It burrowed into his heart as a fountain of red shot out.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as the people tried to make sense of what just happened. And then all chaos broke lose.

You pressed your lips together to stop yourself from making a sound as you slipped into the shadows. You had to be as discreet as possible to not get caught, especially since the crowd would definitely notice the rifle strung over your back. By now you were sure that the shock would be fading off and the police would be searching for the culprit. Minho had promised you to keep them off your back but you couldn’t take any chances.

Quickly, you made your way away from the town square. There was just one thing you needed to do before you could leave with your boys. The streets were still quiet empty, a small blessing that you were grateful for.

You slipped inside a seemingly dilapidated house. This was the place Minho and you had decided to meet after. He said he had something to give you. And so did you.

You were staring blankly at the wall, when the door creaked open, rousing you out of the haze. Minho walked in, grinning and you relaxed.

“Hello, Y/n.” Minho said, smiling widely, “Missed me?”

You rolled your eyes at him, laughing. “As a matter of fact, I did not.”

Minho clutched his heart, dramatically acting like he was in pain. You couldn’t believe that they were going to make him--of all people--the captain of the police force and you told him exactly that. “Ouch, Y/n! After everything I’ve done for you.” He said, in a mock display of betrayal.

You couldn’t hold back your giggles and both of you dissolved into a pool of laughter. “I can’t believe we’re laughing after we killed a man.” You said, breathlessly.

That seemed to sober Minho up. “Yeah, right. You and I both have places to be soon so I’ll make this quick.”

“Make what quick?”

“Let me speak, Y/n,” Minho sighed exasperated. You nodded, pressing your lips together.

Minho continued, “Have you heard about a certain outlaw named Halazia?” He smirked. “Well guess what? Apparently she wasn’t really guilty of anything at all. Yeah, so she’s been cleared of all charges. I wonder who she was though. Guess we’ll never know.” He said, with the air of a man who was simply gossiping with his friend.

You stared at him, speechless. Halazia—no, you had been cleared of all charges? It felt surreal, like a very vivid dream.

“So—so, this, uh, Halazia person,” You said, trying to play along with Minho, but struggling to keep your voice even, “she can…she can just, you know, wander in the streets of Utopia, um, without covering her face?”

“Yes!” Minho answered, cheerfully. “it also means that now she has to come visit her friends because she has lost that excuse. She wouldn’t not come visit them would she? Especially since she’s leaving him all alone”

Knowing Minho, that was a thinly veiled threat.

You threw yourself at him, hugging him tightly. “Of course I’ll visit you, Minho. I’ll miss you too much not to.”

Minho hugged you back. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’ll miss you too, Y/n. So much.”

You squeezed him once and then stepped away, smiling. “Now, I have something to give to you too, although it’s nowhere as good as your gift.”

You handed him an envelope. Minho peered inside, curiously and then looked up at you shocked. “Is this….?”

“Yes. They’re still alive.” You affirmed. “I don’t know where they are but we’re trying to find them. This is all the information I have. I just thought that you should know.”

“Thank you, Y/n I—thank you.” Minho beamed, eyes teary.

“Of course, Minho. We’ll find them. But now, both of us must go. Otherwise we’ll both be late.” You said.

Minho blinked the tears out of his eyes. “You’re right. Goodbye Y/n, safe travels. And I wasn’t kidding when I said you had to come visit.”

You laughed. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I would, either. Goodbye Minho. You’ll find them.”

You walked out of the house, finally feeling at peace.

Minho clutched at the envelope you had given him, carefully to not crumple it. “I will. I will find you, my love. I won’t stop till I know you’re safe.” He promised.

Hongjoong was starting to get anxious. It was almost time to weigh anchor but you weren’t here yet. He hoped that you were alright, as he chewed on his lip nervously.

“She’ll be alright, you don’t need to worry so much, Captain. Y/n knows how to take care of herself.” Seonghwa said.

Hongjoong nodded but didn’t reply. Yes, he knew that you could take care of yourself quite well but there were hundreds of things that could go wrong. He didn’t want to find you bleeding out on a roof, surrounded by Utopian police ever again. That was the scariest day of his life, watching you die because you stopped to help him and being powerless to stop it.

Just as he was about to suggest going out and searching for you, he heard Wooyoung yell, “There she is!”

Hongjoong breathe out a sigh of relief when he saw you. There you were, running towards the ship that you had built with him and grinning like you had no worry in the world. it almost felt like he was back to the time before anything had happened, when both of you were free and young and so so in love.

The last one was still true, at least for him. He hoped that it was true for you too.

You climbed up the ship, thanking Yunho who had helped you up and waving at everyone else. You were still laughing and happiness was such a good look on you. Hongjoong thought that you looked the most beautiful when you were smiling.

You turned towards him and before he could say anything, you crashed your lips onto his. Hongjoong kissed you back immediately and he could almost taste your smile. Both of you ignored the disgusted cries of your crewmates, too lost in each other to notice.

When you finally broke apart, gasping for breath as your body reminded you about your need for oxygen, you noticed that you were alone on the deck with Hongjoong. Everyone else had left, and it seemed like Seonghwa had ordered for the ship to weigh anchor as the captain was a bit preoccupied.

You looked over to the said captain, who was coming to the same conclusion. Hongjoong’s hair was a mess and his lips were bruised. And he looked absolutely divine.

“I doubt they need you for a while.” “They could do without us for some time.”

Both of you spoke at the same time and you laughed. “Lead the way then, Captain.”

“Please don’t call me that.” Hongjoong groaned, intertwining your fingers with his and pulling you below deck to his quarters.

As soon as the door closed, you were all over him, kissing and nipping at his lips. Hongjoong matched your eagerness, his hands running over your body. You pinned him down on the bed, moving to unbutton his pants. His dick sprang up, already hard.

You smirked at Hongjoong, kneeling down and taking him into your mouth. He groaned as you bobbed your head, squirming and gripping your hair.

“Fuck, Y/n, that feels so good.” Hongjoong moaned,

You fought the urge to gag, as you sped up, determined to get him to his high. Your cunt throbbed and the sounds Hongjoong was making were driving you crazy.

“Ahh, fuck, Y/n, I’m going to cum.” He warned, right before he let go. You continued sucking him, determined not to waste a drop. Hongjoong shuddered at the sensation making you grin.

You let his dick slip out of your mouth, grinning and licking your lips once more, just in case. You looked over at Hongjoong, who was looking at you like you were a goddess and resisted the urge to blush.

“Come here, love.” Hongjoong pulled you over, lying you down on the bed as he took your panties off. You spread your legs, trying to hide your smirk at his entranced expression.

You were already wet enough that he could slip his fingers in without a problem. Slowly, too slowly, he slid his index finger in, causing you to moan at the sudden intrusion. Hongjoong started scissoring inside you, stretching you out for him. He found your sweet spot and you cried out in pleasure.

“That feel good, huh?” He crooned, his voice making you clench around his fingers.

Hongjoong sped his ministrations up, eager to be inside you. His impatient fingers made your toes curl as your orgasm quickly approached. However, as soon as you were about cum, he pulled away, leaving you tethered on the edge.

“I think I’ve stretched you out enough, Y/n.” He chuckled darkly, fully aware of what he’d done.

You whined in complain, making him laugh quietly. “I just want us to cum together, love.” Hongjoong said, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

He stroked his dick once before lining it up with your hole. Then he slammed down into you causing you to yelp in pleasure at the slight burn. He set a merciless pace, too desperate to slow down. You dug you nails into his back harshly, keening at the sensation. Hongjoong groaned at the sting, sure that there were going to be indents when he woke up.

Hongjoong’s quarters were full of the sound of skin slapping on skin and the little moans and groans the two of you were letting out. It was, in your opinion, the most beautiful melody in the world. As both of you chased your highs, Hongjoong came to the conclusion that your moans were better than any song he could ever hear. Nothing could compare to this.

“Ahh, I’m going to cum, Joong.” You exhaled.

You shuddered as you fell apart and Hongjoong didn’t stop thrusting into you until you slumped down, gasping for breath. He pulled out just after you were done, cumming on your stomach as he sighed in bliss.

He flopped down beside you, pulling you into his arms as both of you came down from your highs. You snuggled into him, chest heaving as you both caught your breath.

After a while of holding each other silently, you whispered, “Do you have a washcloth or am I going to have to walk to the bath covered in your cum?”

Hongjoong snorted. “I do have a washcloth, but I feel like I would like the second option much more.” That earned him a light hearted smack on the arm from you and he laughed again.

“Come on, let’s get cleaned up.” You nagged, unable to hide the fondness in your voice.

Hongjoong picked up the washcloth beside his bed, cleaning you up. You winced, still sensitive, when he wiped your core. As you cleaned each other up, you marvelled at the soft domesticity of it all. Here you were, pirate and outlaw, and yet you were so gentle, so loving with each other. Hongjoong, and Ateez, made you feel the most humane you had in a long time.

You collapsed back on the bed after you were done cleaning up and Hongjoong jumped in right after you. “Don’t you have to go check on the boys?” You asked, holding him closer to you.

“That’s a paradox,” Hongjoong teased, “You can’t tell me go while not letting me leave.”

You laughed, “Haven’t I always done that though?”

“No, I’m pretty sure I’m the one who did that.” He said, lightly.

“Then I guess the only option we have is not letting either of us go.” You spoke, meaning every word. “I love you, Kim Hongjoong.”

“I love you too, Y/n.” Hongjoong said, the genuineness in his words making your heart melt.

“But seriously, don’t you need to check on the boys? Seonghwa must be cursing your name by now.” You joked.

Hongjoong grumbled. “He can handle it. I’m too tired and comfortable right now to leave. Go to sleep, love, that’s a problem for tomorrow.”

You had to admit that you were too lazy to get up either. Yeah, Hongjoong was right, that was a problem for tomorrow. Right now, you would just enjoy your rare moment of peace and bask in the triumph and happiness of finally getting everything you wanted.

You smiled at Hongjoong, who had already fallen asleep, before drifting off yourself.

Epilogue.

You looked up from the loot you were rummaging through when you heard Jongho yell. If it was anyone else, you would have just ignored it, as them shouting without a reason was a very common thing. But no, this was Jongho. You rushed over and you saw that the rest of your crew had thought the same thing as you and they were going towards Jongho as well.

“What is it? Are you ok?” You asked worriedly.

Jongho didn’t reply, staring down at the bag he was holding in shock.

“Jongho?” Hongjoong said, tapping at his shoulder.

That seemed to shake Jongho out of the stupor, as he pulled out something from the bag. “It really is real,” Jongho whispered, voice shaky, “I was almost beginning to believe that it was just a fantasy.”

You looked at the thing he was holding and looked up again in amazement. You could hardly believe it either because you too were starting to think that it was just a myth. You exchanged glances with Hongjoong and the rest of the boys as their expressions begun to change from surprise to joy.

“We finally found it!” Wooyoung chuckled, thrilled.

You started joined in the laughter as the crew cheered.

Yes, you had finally found it. That thing that you were searching for months now, ever since you’d left Utopia behind. Ever since you were free to roam the seas. No, ever since you and Hongjoong had built Aurora.

Ateez’s last goal, the ending. Ateez’s beginning.

The Cromer.

Taglist: @hanjisungs-bigtittyg0thgf

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