pirate king (pirate!au) ➵ ateez ✔️

key

You clamber up the rope ladder, but before you can climb over the bulwarks a pair of strong, firm arms lift you clean over the side and set you gently on the deck. When you look up, you see Yunho's soft brown eyes, a lopsided smile curling at the side of his mouth. "Welcome home."

"Chin Hae, you're alive!" San is little more than a blur as he practically tackles you in a hug, clinging to you so tightly you're terrified you might fall over the side of the ship again. He's shaking and the shoulder of your shirt is quickly turning damp, you realise, and with a fond smile you squeeze him back as tightly as you can to soothe him.

"Yeah," you say, and words have never felt more right on your tongue. "I'm alive."

Then as fast as San had raced over to embrace you, it turns into a berating session.

"I can't believe how foolish you are! Do you think you're invincible or something, jumping onto enemy territory without a second thought?" You wince at the volume of his scolding and meet Hongjoong's eye over your master's shoulder as he climbs over side of the ship, landing on his feet lightly. His gaze is full of laughter and you glare at him, mouthing the words "help me!"

He acquiesces much to your relief, stepping up behind San to lay a gentle hand on your master's shoulder. "Now, now, San, don't be so hard on her. She just wanted to help Wooyoung out, like all of us did-"

"Don't even get me started on how stupid you were!" San whirls around and starts chewing into your captain, much to your shock - and amusement. "You're the captain, but you just abandoned your ship and ran off! We should have just left you to sink on your shitty raft, and, and-"

Your master bursts into another round of loud sobs and your captain smiles, laying a gentle hand on top of the healer's head. "Sorry for making you worry for us, San."

"As you should be!" San wipes the tears from his eyes fiercely with the sleeve for his shirt, before he clings to you with a tighter hug. "You! You better buy me all the herbs I want and you can't complain!"

Your captain nods fondly. "Okay."

San hides his face in your shoulder. "They're... they're going to be expensive."

Hongjoong's gentle smile widens. "Okay."

"I'm going to go get my medical satchel now!" San declares loudly, stomping away from the two of you towards the sickbay. "Don't you two dare do anything stupid before I get back!"

With that, he vanishes behind the door.

There's silence for a moment, then suddenly a barely stifled snort of amusement comes from next to you. Your captain smiles when you look over, running his fingers over the wood grain of mizzenmast slowly. "It feels good to be home, doesn't it?"

"You two made all of us worry." Seonghwa sighs, stepping up from behind the two of you with Yeosang in tow. "And now poor Mingi is probably going to sleep through the next couple of days because you made him steer the ship throughout the night while he was going mad with worry about the two of you." The cook levels an accusing finger at your captain, but there's a smile of relief on his face. "You better thank him when he wakes up."

Hongjoong laughs as Yeosang reaches to tie a makeshift eye patch over his blind eye. "I'll definitely apologise to the crew for all the trouble we caused." He says, then pauses for a moment. "How did you find us in the middle of the ocean, though?"

"You should thank Yeosang for that." Yunho answers, and your eyes widen at the quiet navigator who's patting down his captain's shoulders. How on earth did he find the two of you so fast?