The Night I Found Home (The Forever Pirates) #1

030

Seonghwa 

Everything was eerily normal. After San and I talked that night, and we did very quite literally fall asleep in the same hammock, nothing had happened since. 

Everyone was in a cheery mood, laughing and joking around like all was right in the world. And occasionally I felt myself truly enjoying it. The only thing that reminded me was the look on San's face. 

He didn't tell another person what he was feeling, he didn't usually like to. Nobody truly believed his words, even if they trusted him. Other than Mingi who still stayed very rational about most things. He was the closest person we had to believing the things San would feel. But he'd also be the first person to question it. 

It got to the point where everything was so genuinely great, that even San started questioning himself. He usually did, even though he was right every fucking time, he'd always start to question that. I never knew why, but there was something he had been through where he was wrong before, and ever since then, he struggled believing in his own gut feelings. 

I did not have that prior knowledge. 

So I didn't fucking care and I believed him endlessly. 

Even bringing his gut up to Hongjoong, he had just said that it was a cool party trick, but didn't always make perfect sense as it had not always been accurate. He didn't elaborate and I believed he wouldn't've, even if I pushed him on it. 

I didn't fucking care though, San had never let me down, and I believed he wouldn't in the future either. Even if worst comes to worst and he's wrong? Then everything was fucking fine to begin with! I'd much rather struggle with daily stress and worries for nothing, than have something hit us unprepared. 

But despite that, I still felt myself slip into the comfort of being back. And I couldn't express just how nice it all was. 

Especially when we were all gathered together in the kitchen or on the deck. I liked seeing Yeosang irrevocably happy with Jongho. And I liked seeing Jongho just as happy. He had almost changed entirely. He laughed more and he was more goofy. He talked and hung out with the rest of us often, usually with Yeosang with him. He was largely more affectionate, despite most if not all of it being directed towards Yeosang. He loved him from day one, and that had never changed. 

Yeosang being this smiley, and having the best reason to be happy was all I needed. I didn't want him to be optimistic for optimistic sake, I wanted him to be genuinely fucking happy and he was. 

I got lost in seeing him connect with San, Wooyoung, Yunho and even Mingi. I liked seeing the crew show him affection. I especially liked seeing how playful he grew with Wooyoung as they bickered often. Or how he practically had to fight for his life to avoid a kiss from San. But he did it all smiling. Because he was finally home. 

And that was exactly what I had felt when I got on this ship and had earned my right to stay. 

I felt like it was home. 

"Th'ere he be. He be back." Hongjoong said lovingly in my ear, holding me against him, ignoring the others in the room. 

I gave him a questioning look. 

"Ye. Ye be back t' us. I've missed t'at look in yer eye, or yer blinding smile. I've missed ye." He kissed me, and I slipped further into it.