Aurora - You are my light (Ateez x reader)

THIRTYFOUR

SEONGHWA

After Aurora had unceremoniously kicked us out of the infirmary without any objections from Hongjoong, the crew quickly scattered to their posts. The night was far from over, and with our luck, it was wise to keep one eye too many open rather than too few.

With Hongjoong out of commission for the rest of the night, I took command. "Yunho, to the helm. Yeosang, to the lookout. Jongho, you're on night watch. Mingi, get some rest. After that, keep an eye on San once Aurora and Wooyoung are done treating him. Aurora needs sleep as soon as she's finished."

Aurora was stronger than she would ever admit to herself. Even so, the battle had taken a clear toll on her. It was no wonder, given that her own husband, also known as King Rapist, had attacked us. It was admirable that she managed to gather all her strength and keep a cool head when San needed her the most. The same couldn't be said for the rest of the crew.

Actually, they had all handled the use of their magic pretty well since we only had to use our abilities sparingly today. Fighting ordinary humans didn't require as much energy as battling magical creatures. And yet, they still managed to land a heavy blow because we got too confident.

In the infirmary, Yeosang was just being... well, Yeosang. It didn't help that he was probably in shock, seeing one of his best friends fighting for his life.

Only Hongjoong was acting like the ultimate jerk - a dead giveaway that he'd used his chronomancy. Something had happened between him and Aurora. I knew they had been practicing leadership over the Treasure together earlier, but the tension between them was palpable when I joined them

Hongjoong was more stumbling than walking as we made our way to his captain's quarters. I quickly caught up to him, slung his arm over my shoulder, and supported him as we slowly moved forward. "Come on, Joong. Not much further." When we reached the door, I helped him inside and closed it behind us. But as soon as we had a moment of quiet, I caught sight of his gaze - a look I knew all too well. Under different circumstances, he could've done whatever he wanted with me, but he was too agitated - and, honestly, so was I. San was still fighting for his life, and the last thing I wanted was to mess around with Hongjoong.

But Hongjoong had other plans. He started fumbling with my belt buckle, then suddenly pushed me onto the bed and practically pounced on me. "Joong, not now," I warned him, but he ignored me, mumbling something incoherent before kissing me hard and desperately. It took quite a bit of strength to push him off. The day had taken its toll on me too, and his raw desire almost overwhelmed me. Normally, I loved this side of him, but not tonight.

When he tried to grab me again, I let a jet of icy water shoot from my hand, hitting him square in the face. "Hongjoong! That's enough!"

He blinked in confusion, and I saw reality slowly returning to him. His eyes, which had been clouded with desire, cleared, and he looked around the room, bewildered. "San!" he suddenly shouted as he regained some semblance of sense and tried to get up, but I gently but firmly pushed him back onto the mattress.

"San's in good hands. Aurora and Wooyoung are taking care of him," I tried to reassure him.

Hongjoong looked at me with wide eyes. "Wooyoung? Are you kidding? He thinks a vegetable peeler is a scalpel."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Aurora's in charge. I trust her. She'll do everything she can to save San."

He sighed and sank back into the pillows. "But she and San haven't exactly been getting along lately," he murmured doubtfully.

"Do you doubt her?" I asked calmly. "If you want, I can go check on them."

Hongjoong shook his head. "No, no, I trust her in this. It's just... the way she acted during the battle today, sometimes I question her judgment. That girl really put my nerves through the wringer!" He exhaled in frustration.