Isle of the Captain's Oath | Seongjoong AU

𝟙𝟚

♥╣[-_-]╠♥

- ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢 -

Crossroads at Sea

The early morning sun stretched across the deck of the ship, painting it in hues of gold and amber. Seonghwa stood at the edge of the main deck, his hands moving absently as he checked the labels on the crates stacked before him. His thoughts were far from the task at hand, lingering instead on the events of the night before. The memory of Hongjoong's soft yet chapped lips against his, the warmth of his touch on his skin, and the weight of his words played on an endless loop in Seonghwa's mind, making it nearly impossible to focus.

The gentle rocking of the ship against the waves was soothing, but it couldn't ground him. He let out a soft sigh, running a hand through his hair as he crouched to check another crate. Supplies were running low, and the stress of managing the dwindling inventory should have been at the forefront of his mind, but it wasn't.

"Lost in dreamland, are we?" a familiar, teasing voice broke through his reverie.

Seonghwa looked up sharply to see Mingi and Yunho approaching, their steps relaxed, their expressions full of mischief. Mingi, towering as always, was grinning like he'd just won a bet, while Yunho wore his usual calm demeanor, though there was an unmistakable spark of amusement in his eyes.

"Morning," Seonghwa muttered, quickly averting his gaze and focusing on the crate before him. He should have known he wouldn't escape the crew's teasing so easily after last night.

"Oh, no, no, no. Don't try to hide now," Mingi said, plopping down on a nearby barrel. His grin widened, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "We all saw it, you know. No use pretending we didn't."

Seonghwa felt his face heat up as Mingi's words settled over him. He didn't dare look up, focusing instead on the cargo manifest in his hands as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "Saw what?" he asked, attempting to sound nonchalant, though his voice betrayed him with a slight crack.

"Oh, come on," Yunho chimed in, his tone smooth but teasing. He leaned casually against a post, his arms crossed. "You and Hongjoong."

Seonghwa swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around the edge of the cargo manifest as Yunho's words lingered in the air. "You and Hongjoong." They said it so casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world, yet for Seonghwa, it was anything but.

He shook his head slightly, as though trying to dispel the thoughts that had been following him since last night. The kiss had been incredible—soft, tender, and everything he hadn't known he was missing. But it also left him feeling raw, exposed in a way that was terrifying. He didn't regret it, not even for a second. The memory of Hongjoong's warmth against him, the gentle way he'd held Seonghwa as though he were something precious, sent a flush of heat through him even now.

But vulnerability was unfamiliar territory, a place Seonghwa had learned to avoid. Letting himself open up like that, especially to someone who had always been meant to be his enemy—it was dangerous. He was raised to believe that trust was a currency too easily squandered, and yet here he was, handing it over to Hongjoong without question.

"You're quiet," Mingi said, leaning closer with a curious tilt of his head. "Don't tell me you're embarrassed."

Seonghwa blinked, realizing he had been staring at the same crate for far too long. He set the manifest down with a sharp exhale, finally looking up at the two. "I'm not embarrassed," he said, though the redness creeping up his neck betrayed him. "I'm just... distracted."