pirate king (pirate!au) ➵ ateez ✔️

transfer

"Yeosang-hyung!"

The scream that leaves your mouth is completely uncontrolled, the breath in your lungs had simply forced their way to your mouth, where your tongue had formed the words, and his name had torn itself from your lips.

"Yeosang-hyung!"

For an infinite second, everything fades into the background. The screams, the fighting still going on in the background, the clash of swords, nothing matters except the man lying quiet and still at your feet. You can't move.

Blood pools on the ground, bright crimson soaking into the wood of the deck. Yeosang's body is unmoving, bloody and broken and momentarily, a maelstrom of complete terror crashes through you, wiping every thought and sensation from your mind except for a single sentence.

He's dead.

You sink to your knees in absolute shock, watching as the deep red of his life blood oozes from his wound, staining his brown shirt almost inky black, crawling over his back like a curse mark. Your heart stops with every gush of blood from his wounds.

He'd saved you.

Your fingers curl around the sleeve of his shirt, your forehead pressed against his shoulder blade.

He had protected you with his body.

You feel your body shaking erratically with every heaving breath you take.

He'd sacrificed his life for yours.

Your throat hurts, raw and stinging. You're confused for a moment, until you realise that you're screaming, again and again into his shoulder.

"I hate you."

Those had been the last words you'd said to him. The last thing you had done to him was hurt him, wound him beyond your comprehension, and yet, he had still chosen to save you.

Something warm mixes with the tears on your cheeks as a heart wrenching scream of pain tears itself from your mouth. It caresses your face, a soft, gentle puff of air.

"Don't cry..."

The voice is painfully similar to Yeosang's and you immediately understand how Seonghwa must be going insane from the voices of his dead family in his ears, the two words have the complete opposite of their intended effect, and the second you hear his voice in your head, you're sobbing uncontrollably, tears soaking into his shoulder.

Even in death, his warmth is a comfort, just like when he was alive.

"Look at me..."

You shake your head desperately, wailing as you squeeze your eyes shut tighter, past the tears, past the blood. Guilt wraps itself around your throat, forcing out every breath of air from your lungs in the form of hopeless cries that rent the air around it to shards. You feel as if someone has physically dug their fingers into your chest, slowly crushing your heart, and the pain is all to real.

Thump, thump, thump.

"Please... Chin Hae... Look at me..."

You finally submit to his plea, bowing over him as tears stream down your cheeks. Please, please, please, just make his voice stop.

"Chin Hae..."

Your heart screeches to a halt as you stare unblinkingly at his face, uncomprehending.

He's smiling so softly at you, blood smeared across his cheek and lips, but his cloudy, somewhat glazed eyes are gazing unwavering into yours, as if he doesn't want to let them go. And even bloodstained, bruised, and sickly pale from the loss of blood, he's the most beautiful thing you've seen all your life.