Eight makes one crew

Rising sunset

Yeosang could feel Jongho lurking behind him. It seemed that the youngest of the crew was never far from his Prince. Yeosang knew that too and he didn't mind. Jongho had rescued him from perfect waving and long boring meetings that would've been his life as the heir once Seongwha took up the throne. 

"What are you looking at?" Jongho put a hand on Yeosang's back, hesitant almost.

"I'm just watching. I've never seen the sunset" Yeosang answered. The part of the day where the sun began to set was one of his favorites. If he could capture it in a painting, he would but he didn't have that kind of talent. 

"Did you grow up in a prison cell?" Jongho joked. Yeosang turned to the younger. He wasn't frowning but he wasn't smiling either and Jongho realized that maybe his joke wasn't funny.

"To a point. The royal children have never been able to go outside very far without guards at every corner. It sort of ruined the adventure so we mostly stayed inside. I know me and Seongwha snuck away a few times, at least until he turned thirteen and then it was just me" Yeosang nodded. 

"I'm sorry" Jongho wasn't sure why he apologized.

"Don't be. You saved me from that. I feel...light out here, free. Like a bird" Yeosang closed his eyes and stood as still as possible. Jongho watched him. He did not see how anyone could be so perfect and he used to believe it was impossible. Until there was Yeosang.

"You look like a bird. Like a nightingale" Jongho gently brushed Yeosang's hair out of his face.

"I've never seen a nightingale" Yeosang admitted. 

"Their beautiful, like you. So are doves, you could be a dove if you wanted to" Jongho added. Yeosang looked at him, confused and then he laughed. Jongho swore he could feel his heart skip a beat. 

"I can't actually turn into a bird. Besides, I'd fall to my death if I tried" Yeosang stated. Jongho wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling Yeosang into him.

"I'd catch you" He whispered, extremely close to Yeosang's face. The lack of space between the two of them made Yeosang shiver, in a good way. He had interviewed dozens of princesses, had thousands of possible marriages shoved in front him and yet none of them had made him feel the way Jongho made him feel. Without even thinking, and before he could regret it, Yeosang leaned into Jongho, letting his head rest on the taller man's shoulder. 

"I forgot how short you are" Jongho teased, tightening his hold on the runaway prince.

"Shut up! You're not that much taller than me" Yeosang huffed, standing back up straight. Jongho pulled him back into position, his lips brushing against Yeosang's ear. 

"Make me" Jongho whispered. Yeosang tensed up, a slight blush rising in his cheeks. 

"Umm....don't know what's going on over there but I feel like I'm keeping you two from making out or something" Wooyoung interrupted, standing awkwardly in front of the stairs. Jongho's hands immediately fell away from Yeosang's waist and they made sure to put at least an inch between them.

"Piss off Wooyoung! Do you have to ruin everything?" Jongho huffed, brushing past his long-time crew mate and going down the stairs. Wooyoung shrugged at that and turned back to Yeosang, who was still standing frozen in front of the railing.

"Captain wants us in his rooms. All of us" Wooyoung stated, his tone hardening just a little bit. Yeosang noticed but decided to ignore it. The only thing he could think was that him and Jongho had gotten so, so close to each other and it was freaking him out. He needed help or someone to talk to. With that in mind, as soon as the meeting was over, Yeosang barely paid attention anyways but he was sure it was something about the recent events and the continued pursuit against them from the Black Swan, Yeosang dragged Seongwha to his room and shut the door, making sure to block it. 

"You okay, Sangie? You seem kind of in a rush but I'm not sure for what" Seongwha pointed out. Yeosang paced back and forth in front of him. He had never been this nervous. Yeosang was always the quietest, most polite and respectful of the four princes. He never had a single hair out of place. 

"How do you know if you like someone?" Yeosang blurted out, stopping his pacing and turning to his cousin. Seongwha's mouth formed into an 'o'. 

"You mean Jongho?" Seongwha guessed.

"How did you know!?" Yeosang wondered. Seongwha laughed a little. How had he known? Definitely not by the way that Yeosang was always being followed by Jongho like he was a bodyguard, or the way their hands would accidentally brush against each other and they would look at each other before pulling away, or the way that when Yeosang was tired, the first person he went to was no longer Seongwha but Jongho instead. 

"I've seen the way you two are with each other. It's not hard to figure out that you like each other" Seongwha stated, taking a moment to sit down and motioning for Yeosang to do the same.

"You think he likes me too?" Yeosang hadn't expected that but he should have known. Seongwha gave him a dumbfounded look.

"Of course he likes you! He follows you around like a lovesick puppy" Seongwha laughed again, that was the most obvious thing ever but of course Yeosang couldn't see it. Was everyone this oblivious? Seongwha wondered if he was this oblivious, but he didn't think so. After all, it's not like there was anyone he knew that liked him in that way. 

"So, what do I do?" Yeosang questioned.

"Well, you definitely don't stay holed up in here with me. Go talk to him" Seongwha opened the door and pushed Yeosang out into the hallway. Yeosang bumped right into Jongho and looked up at him.

"How much of that did you hear?" Yeosang wondered.

"Enough. You like me too" Jongho stated. Yeosang could do nothing but nod because that was true.

"I think...I love you" Yeosang added, catching both Jongho and Seongwha, who was still watching, off guard. 

"I think I love you too" Jongho responded, leaning down to bring his face closer to Yeosang's.

"And they lived happily ever after! Okay, I think it's time we get some rest! Yeosang, would you mind going to find the others and make sure they aren't causing havoc anywhere?" Seongwha pushed the two apart. Even though he had just given his cousin relationship advice (seriously what was wrong with him?) that did not mean that Seongwha wanted to see his baby cousin kissing someone. Yeosang gave him a slight glare but walked off anyways. As soon as he was out of sight, Seongwha turned to him.

"Don't you ever fucking hurt him or I will feed you to the sharks and trust me, that is the more humane option compared to what I would do to you if you ever hurt a hair on his head. Is that clear?" Seongwha had to make sure and then he would back off and observe from a distance while his cousin was being happy with Jongho.

"You don't have to worry. I would never hurt him" Jongho promised, not only to Seongwha but to himself too. He would never forgive himself if Yeosang got hurt, especially at his own hands. Seongwha didn't look like he believed that.

"I would cut my own hands off before I would dare to hurt him" Jongho added. He had no idea how much that promise was going to come back to haunt him later. Seongwha nodded, satisfied and walked off. Hongjoong had said he wanted to talk to Seongwha after the meeting but the oldest had been intercepted before that could happen.