Aurora - You are my light (Ateez x reader)

SEVENTEEN

The night draped over the ship like a dark veil, while the sounds of the ocean enveloped us like a gentle lullaby. I could feel exhaustion slowly overpowering me as I leaned into Yeosang's lap, my eyes growing heavy. Shortly after, I succumbed to a fitful sleep, accompanied by his soft breaths.

When I was abruptly torn from my slumber, I felt disoriented for a moment. The faint creaking of the ship and the gentle rush of the sea filled my ears as I slowly became aware of my surroundings. It must have been the middle of the night, indicated by the candles burning low.

A glance at Yeosang revealed that he too had been awakened from his sleep. His eyes met mine, and a silent longing still lingered between us. The internal conflict between reason and surrender was so great that it almost tore me apart. But I shouldn't give in now.

However, Yeosang didn't make it any easier with his beautiful face, illuminated by the flickering candlelight. His black strands of hair fell across his forehead as he looked down at me, gently brushing my hair from my face.

"The others should all be asleep, except for Jongho, who has the night watch tonight. Come, I'll take you to your room. I don't want to be responsible for keeping you from your well-deserved rest any longer," he said with a hesitant smile. The previous situation still lingered between us, and it would have been easy to pick up where we left off. But the fear of the emotional pain that would inevitably catch up with me in a few days made me think somewhat reasonably.

"Yeosang, I'm sorry..." I began with an apology, but he interrupted me by placing his finger on my lips. "You don't have to say anything now, I understand," I nodded gratefully. He truly had a heart of gold.

Yeosang stood up and helped me to my feet. He pushed aside the chest in front of the door and then listened with one ear against the slightly ajar door. "The coast is clear. Come on, quickly." And with that, he moved swiftly, and I followed him discreetly.

When we arrived at my cabin, he stopped at the threshold and didn't cross it. It was as if he didn't want to cross the symbolic boundary again. He was probably too worried that it would send the wrong signals and that we wouldn't be able to resist each other. "Thank you for tonight. You really managed to make me forget reality for a few moments," I whispered.

"Anytime, love," he said, then kissed me on the cheek goodbye and disappeared into the darkness.

Relieved that I could resist Yeosang, but at the same time sad that I had to resist him and wasn't able to enjoy the moment as I would have liked, I went to sleep.

When I slowly opened my eyes again, I felt the gentle rocking of the ship beneath me. The sunlight filtered dimly through the windows of my cabin, tickling my skin. I opened my eyes and a glance through the window told me that the night was over. But unlike usual, I had no memory of any dreams. Neither nightmares nor dreams of Yeosang or San. It almost felt like something was missing. I had become so accustomed to the dreams on the paradisiacal clearing that I had expected to experience them every night. One should never take things for granted.

I slowly got up and swung my legs out of bed. The cold floor under my feet made me shiver briefly. I quickly got dressed and left the cabin, mustering the courage to face the rest of the crew. I couldn't spend the next few days just staying in my room.

There was already bustling activity on the deck. The men were working on the sails, checking the ropes, and polishing the weapons. I noticed that some of them were casting mistrustful glances at me, especially San, Mingi, and Wooyoung, who was also helping on deck today. Their aversion toward me was almost palpable, but I didn't let it intimidate me. I had to stay strong.

Seonghwa was the first to greet me, approaching with a friendly smile. "Good morning, Aurora. Did you sleep well?" he asked politely, though concern was evident in his eyes.