Servant's Pride

26. Vengeance

Smut towards the end of the chapter!

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Hongjoong awoke in the middle of the night. Moonlight fell through the windows behind his bed to paint long stripes of bright light on the ground. Ever so gentle and calming, the ocean swayed the Grief beneath him. The rushing of waves created the best lullaby for him.

When something shifted behind him, Hongjoong blearily blinked his eyes around. His torso still throbbed with pain at every movement, but he felt the familiar wrapping of a tight bandage corseting his body.

A person sat on the other side of the bed, their face illuminated by the single candle dancing away to spend light. When he noticed Hongjoong shifting, Cabezon rose his eyes to him. They needed no words as their eyes observed each other.

"'Ow did ye find us out 'ere?"

Seonghwa pulled his boots off and set them neatly to the side. Too tired to scoff at his rigid cleanliness, Hongjoong just smirked.

"The caravans helped me out of the volcano. When I visited the city again to alert the local naval outpost, I was approached by a lady from the market. She told me the moon would shine the path to the owner of this bracelet. And it did." Seonghwa pulled up his sleeve to show Hongjoong the wristband with the moonstone. It wrapped around his arm prettily.

Hongjoong grinned with fascination.

"Do you want it back?" When Seonghwa moved to undo the laces Hongjoong shook his head.

"Keep it. It looks better on ye, anyway."

Agreeable in the silent night, Seonghwa shifted to join Hongjoong in bed. He stretched out his long limbs with a sigh. Hongjoong disliked the way his uniform pressed up against his naked body. For now, he kept his nagging to himself.

Seonghwa shifted to push his upper body up. He braced his hands left and right of Hongjoong's head, and looked down on him while his hip rested next to Hongjoong's. His care not to hurt the pirate was flattering.

"Why didn't you tell me the full truth? You left me in the dark even after several instances of it being so close. Was it to make me suffer?"

Hongjoong's fingers lazily fiddled with the useless tassels and cords on the front of Seonghwa's uniforms. He used them as a distraction not to look at Seonghwa's beautiful features. The man looked younger and far less grim when his face wasn't contorted in rage.

"I figured ye bein' brainwashed came with pain if ye remembered. At first, I did nay want to use that trauma against ye, but..."

It had been the only way to deter Seonghwa. And yet, he had returned.

"Do ye remember everythin'?" Hongjoong's eyes slid over the man's dark and sculpted brows. His locked jaw.

"I do. I remember it all. The beautiful boy I treated so roughly on the ground of the interview chamber." Seonghwa shifted his weight on one hand. The other one came to caress Hongjoong's cheek and jaw. His touch was like healing water on Hongjoong's skin. A sigh escaped his lips as his lashes fluttered.

"I had wanted to remember the fire in your eyes, but I couldn't. My yearning for men had me act out of order. I figured I would take you since I couldn't resist and keep it a secret from everybody. But guilt plagued me in my sleep."

Hongjoong heard Seonghwa swallow roughly. His eyes found the man again. Pain reflected in the man's gaze.

"I was the one to confess my crime to the priest. And I asked for punishment. They allowed me to forget and flee the truth. Since I thought you dead, it seemed like less of a cowardly act, but... you returned to hunt me."