Cutlass | Jeno x Reader | Completed

17

Your fingers gingerly trace over the scarred flesh of your hand, remnants of past heartbreak crawling their way back into your chest. It had been thirteen days since you escaped, yet again, from your 'home'. You had grown anxious with thoughts of being betrayed once more, and this resulted in counting the number of days that passed by whilst on this ship.

During this passing time, you could say there have been quite a few eventful scenes that have unfolded. After coming back, the ship was set to sail to a town nearby as supplies were running low. Apparently, Captain Jeno was a very popular man in the Navy's book. Needless to say, you were soon back on the ship, dodging stray bullets and flying bayonets.

There had also been a noticeable stir between the ship's occupants - their attitudes seemingly changing towards you in a positive aspect. There was one man whose attention was focused more heavily on you compared to the other crew members, though.

Said man was leaning against your working station, a crooked table (made by Chenle and Jisung out of kindness) with overflowing fabrics and threads on its surface.

"They've gotten better," Jeno notes, watching your movement with careful eyes. "In a few months, I'm sure they'll be as good as gone."

Meekly smiling, avoiding his gaze. You pick up the half-finished shirt you've been working on and prepare to get back to work when he sighs aloud. You ignore the noise at first, paying little to no thought to it. It's when he sighs again, much louder this time, that you decide to look up at him.

"What is it?"

"Well, I was thinking of taking a break from duties for an hour or two." He explains, the corners of his lips curling upwards.

"That sounds like it'll be relaxing. Have fun." Your simple response makes his smile falter. He had picked up on your curt responses and the subtle avoiding his invitations. Jeno assumed they were caused by his actions, but in reality, you were confused.

You were quick to notice how his actions became kinder - gentler - towards you, and you weren't quite sure if they were simply out of guilt or something more. Inside the depths of your heart murmured that maybe, just maybe, he felt more for you than a Captain would for their crew mate. His promising words of staying by your side struck you in a certain way that was hard to shake off.

"Y/N..." you were surprised to hear the sudden hurt in his voice. Jeno pushes himself off the table and brings himself to stand by your side. "Do you hate me? ...for what I've done?"

You're shocked by the question, and you find yourself thinking for a moment. Did you hate him? What an ironic question to be asked. Of course, you didn't. It was the complete, painful opposite of such a thing.

"Have you given me reason to?" you murmur in response.

Jeno's mouth falls agape, momentarily resembling a fish before he collects himself. "Of course, I have! You said it yourself, I abandoned you and threw you back into the place you had tried to desperately escape from."

"But you came back for me."

"For selfish reasons." He admitted, and you raised your eyebrows at this. What reasons did he have where having you onboard would benefit him other than the simple repair of clothing?

You set the shirt aside on the table, and in a brash decision, reached for one of his hands. Despite his surprised flinching, you still make the move of gently grasping it and welcoming its cool touch.

"Jeno, you came back. I will admit I was hurt at the time, I still am, but I'm still grateful you came to my aid." You offer a smile.

Jeno had witnessed your smiles numerous times, but this one was beginning to burn its image into his head, and he was thankful for witnessing such a thing. In his sudden spur of emotion, he pulls his hand from yours only to bring both of his to grasp your face. His palms laid comfortably against your cheeks and you're startled by the action.

"Y/N," your heart stutters at the way he calls your name. "I've said it before, but I will promise it now. I won't leave your side. You have my word, as a Captain and as a man."

Jeno's face, ever so slowly, begins to lean closer to your own. You're too entranced to move, and with the rapid climbing of heat rising in your chest, you wistfully close your eyes.

You're startled by the sudden entrance of Chenle, whose face is as pale as the shirt he was wearing. Jeno releases you and reels back, clearly taken aback by his appearance as well. The frightened look in his eyes and the way he holds onto the door with a death-like grip and its frame bring you to your feet.

"Chenle, what's wrong?" You're by his side in seconds, delicately placing a hand on his shoulder as not to startle him. "Are you alright?"

The lights flicker in the hall behind him, adding more to the unsettling feeling you were beginning to have.

"They're here." His dreadful whisper barely reached your ears. His knuckles turned white as he twisted the doorknob in his grip. "We... We need to lea-leave."

"Who's here?" Jeno asks. Your stomach was being to churn. You couldn't describe the feeling you were going through, but with Chenle's startling appearance, you were trying to brace yourself for the worse.

Did the pirate crew have an enemy that managed to invade the ship? You didn't deem it possible. Not with the crew that was on this ship and with the precise and careful way they managed things on their water home.

Then what was causing Chenle to cower away with such fear?

"Chenle, is anyone hurt? We can't hide in here, we need to go see if the others are okay." His Captain firmly stated, you felt his shoulder stiffen under your touch and you bite your tongue.

"You don't understand," he shakes his head, eyes casting downwards as he brings his arms up, landing his hands on either side of his head to cover his ears. "They'll get inside your head. They'll beckon you to the sea. What man doesn't love the sea enough to listen to it?"

You instinctively take a step back, fear finally crawling up your spine to spread itself throughout your entire body.

You understood now.

It wasn't enemy pirates on this ship.

It was sirens.