Transient Waters

7

YeoSang had been relieved when they had found WooYoung. They had been searching navy ships for a good half a year, or so it felt, before they got any luck and finally managed to find the one that WooYoung was on. It was really just a gamble in which they went from ship to ship trying to find him. They had all been worried when they got separated and WooYoung had ended up arrested. They had been even more terrified, wondering if maybe he would have been executed before they could get to him. They had not seen the commander of the ship and therefore had no idea what was going to happen to him or even where to really start looking. Needless to say, it had been a very hard and stressful entire thirty one days for all of them, but especially HongJoong and San.

"WooYoung!" San rushed towards WooYoung, a bright smile on his face, eyes twinkling and barreled him into a hug, which had the other needing to take a few steps backwards in order to adjust to the weight. "Youngie," The other breathed into the side of his neck, unable to stop as tears began to fall from his face, too relieved that they had finally found him, and horribly emotional because of that. "You are okay," San swallowed, pulling back from him, and staring at the Beta with tears in his eyes, unable to stop the somewhat choked sobs that left his mouth. He was happy, too happy to really register the mix of emotions that had suddenly flooded through him.

"Sannie," The response was simple, but meant everything.

"Let YeoSang check over you," San had stated sternly, pulling WooYoung over to the Medic in order to get him checked on. The rest of the crew had been huddling anxiously as YeoSang did a very basic check up.

"He is fine, surprisingly." YeoSang had stated, to the relief of everyone.

"YeoSang, you will need to give him a more thorough check when we get back to our ship." YeoSang nodded and the Captain turned to WooYoung, giving the younger a smile, "It is amazing to finally have you back. We have been searching for you for..."

"A while," WooYoung said with a helpless laugh. "I know, I knew you guys would keep looking, no matter what."

"No matter what. We can't exactly enter paradise without you Youngie." HongJoong said with a small smile moving his hand out to tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear. "And really, it is..." Everyone startled when they saw WooYoung suddenly ripped away from them. Hongjoong just stared, YeoSang had to admit, it was quite laughable, had it been another situation. Not many caught the Captain off guard after all.

"He isn't a member of the crew," YeoSang whispered, loud enough for HongJoong to hear, as though it was not obvious with the way he was shielding WooYoung not holding him in front and threatening the other, as well as downright staring down their Captain. Plus they had seen HongJoong slay the captain. They always watched as the Captain got killed, usually, that was if they were capable of doing so. Most Captains were rather cowardly in the end. They were usually the last to go just like this one had been. The entire situation was somewhat funny just because it was not something that they would have expected, and definitely not from a stranger, and they were rather distracted, curious as to what HongJoong would do, before a small voice caught their attention again.

"No, Youngie, stop." The nickname. It was said, fondly, too, not mockingly. Whoever this was, they had gotten close to WooYoung over the last, however long it was that they had been together. HongJoong finally made his way closer to the stranger.

"What is this?" He moved to stand right in front of the stranger who had pulled WooYoung behind him now, still staring HongJoong down defiantly. YeoSang knew that somethign was wrong though. Despite the obvious challenge he was giving HongJoong, it was straining. Obviously, the boy was not used to glaring down someone of HongJoong's caliber, then again people of HongJoong's caliber were very...rare. YeoSang saw the shaking increase the longer he did so, but he did not back down. "Fascinating," YeoSang found himself having to agree with the Captain. It was fascinating. "Do you even know who we are? Who I am?"

"That would imply that I care enough about you to have learned." HongJoong couldn't help the laugh that tumbled from him at the biting words. YeoSang just outright stared in shock, and he could tell that San was shocked as well as the rest of their small crew. Barring WooYoung, who seemed to have expected the words.

"Oh?"

"It doesn't matter either way." YeoSang could tell the other's fear was beginning to get stronger and stronger. He moved forwards a bit hesitantly, knowing something bad was probably about to happen.

"It doesn't?" HongJoong whispered, curious, YeoSang could tell. "Now, now, I would normally love to play these games with you, but we really need to get going, so if you will just hand over that boy you got hidden behind you we can be on our way."

"Hyung!" WooYoung whispered. YeoSang could tell that he was attempting to calm the stranger down, but it was clearly not working. Anger had easily replaced the fear that had coursed through the young man moments before. He looked down on HongJoong, using his height to his advantage.

"You have to go through me first." The words were probably the most daring that YeoSang had ever heard in his life, and he even saw San startle at them. The man was not getting jealous though, the tale-tell grown absent, which was also interesting, and also likely meant that the man was lower than an Alpha, but that was expected considering, despite the glare down he was having with HongJoong, the other was not used to challenging anyone.

"That can be arranged," HongJoong stated matter of factly, causing WooYoung to shout a refusal. YeoSang couldn't help but gasp at the shock of hearing WooYoung talk to HongJoong like that, let alone the fact that he rarely shouted with intent.

"You can't hurt him."

"Can't I?"

"He helped me, all this month, he's been...He..."

"Don't move an inch." The stranger threatened, his eyes flashing with something at HongJoong. Yeosang was not really able to catch what was said between the two that were now crouching on the floor, but he could tell from HongJoong that it was not what he expected. When WooYoung finally seemed to calm down from whatever it was that had happened, and rushed towards HongJoong, the stranger gently tugged at his sleeve. YeoSang got the feeling that this stranger was not really used to being around...people. Not much.

HongJoong spun back towards them walking up to the group.

"WooYoung wants that guy to join us." HongJoong said simply, looking, particularly, towards San. "What do you think, Sannie?"

"Let him,"

"Huh?" Yunho asked, shocked that San was so enthusiastic. YeoSang knew that Yunho was shocked that the infamously jealous San wasn't jealous of some stranger that had tugged on WooYoung and wiped his tears was surprising.

"He helped WooYoung, who knew what sort of person we would have come back to now, a month later, if he wasn't here. Besides, he protected WooYoung from HongJoong, despite the fact that he is clearly not an Alpha, and it is obvious that he isn't exactly feeling all that good in the first place, let alone on top of challenging someone against his biological code? He did not hesitate. That is the sort of person I have to admit, I am glad that WooYoung had."

"YEOSANG HYUNG!" YeoSang jumped, whirling around to fix his eyes to WooYoung, who had the stranger in his arms. "Can you come here for a moment please?" YeoSang was already walking. "I think, I don't..." The boy was panicking a lot. HongJoong tried to reassure him, pulling him away from the stranger.

"Hyung....he said..." Yeosang did not really hear what WooYoung was saying but he did hear HongJoong's order quite clearly. YeoSang got Jungho to help him lift the stranger up so they could bring him over to their ship.

They had put him in the medical bay immediately, YeoSang instantly doing a check on him, bandaging his wounds, of which while there was a lot, none were really that bad. Nothing too severe. It was something to be grateful for as he was certain that things could have been worse.

Like when he woke up and started attacking him without question.

Now, reentering the room, YeoSang was eyeing SeongHwa, the now named individual, carefully, not wanting to startle him, but also having HongJoong say that the other was not going to really hurt him...he was not sure how much he trusted this new individual, not to actually lash out at him.