Another one of the Overshadow one shots!

TW: Prostitution, Violence, Blood, Implied Character Death. Smut until the arrow

********

San's fingers clenched into the red silken sheets of the bed he was lying on as he writhed in pleasure. Little gasps of satisfaction tumbled freely from his lips when the hands that held his hips pressed him just a bit further down. It arched his back in the most delicious of ways, and San could feel every drag and push against his insides. His hair tickled against his lids that were tightly shut as he concentrated on every shiver that travelled over his skin and curled hotly in his belly.

"San-"

The man above him sensually moaned his name as San made an effort to ground his hips back into him. His ringed fingers clutched onto San's waist as their bodies connected naturally. San noticed the man's palms slip from the sweaty film that covered his whole body, but he pressed into his grip anyway, completely handing himself over.

San's form was pressed lax against the sheets by now, the past hours having exhausted him from any strength he had ever had. He was just savouring the feeling of his body pushing more and more towards the sweet cliff of pleasure that was calling for him like the most attractive promise.

As San got closer to tumbling over said cliff and getting swallowed by the maelstrom that another one of countless orgasms this evening had to be, he reached out. His clammy fingers grabbed onto the wrists that were supporting him and held on weakly.

He did not get slapped off, which he was thankful for. Instead, his lover picked up his pace a bit more to successfully get San to unravel beneath him like the most beautiful of all flowers. His free hand came down to smooth down San's shaking back and over his spine as he trembled in the sheets with weak moans spilling from his mouth.

He sunk into the sheets after the exertion, twitching weakly as his lover pulled back and out of his reach. At his prompt against San's bruised and bitten legs, the man turned, getting a look at his companion in the dim light of the night.

The candle near San's bed cast beautiful shadows all over the man's body and highlighted his silhouette in others. Some scars mapped a body that was made from slender and hard muscles from the years it had spent out at sea where it had faced the winds and the waves. Some soft hair that San loved running his fingers through came to tickle against his chest since he wore it short at the front and long in the back. It had some pearls and a feather woven into it, adding to the wild look in his dark eyes.

Yet, his smile was gentle and relaxed. San welcomed him back over his body when the man came crawling over, having San run an appreciative hand down his thigh.

His ringed fingers wrapped snugly around his length that was glistening wetly around the tip. He roughly thrust into his hand, his eyes never leaving San's blissed-out expression.

San watched him from lidded eyes, gauging each reaction and every little twist of pleasure that showed on his face. His lover frowned subconsciously as the waves finally overrode him, too, and had his mouth dropping open. He added to the mess that was already drying on San's stomach, then slumping back. San made sure that he could lean comfortably against his propped legs.

Both of them took a second to catch a breath. The pungent smell of sex in the air was thick enough to have San choking nearly, but he did not care. Instead, he giggled quietly into the suddenly silent room. He had barely noticed how loud they had been prior.

-> "What a rogue you are. Taking and more taking all the time." San lolled his head to smirk lazily at the pirate above him. The man in question pushed his hair back with a matching laugh. His eyes were stuck on the piercing on San's chest that he had jammed through his left nipple just earlier. It was still tender and clotted with blood, so San barely glanced at it. He would see how it would heal and then wear it whenever he saw fit.

Instead, he licked his lips to flash the other metal bar that the pirate had decorated him with in the past after San had specifically asked him to. It was one of his best features, a bit that San prided himself in very much.

"'ow fittin' o' a gentleman o' fortune. It would look jolly on ye, too." The pirate casually trailed his fingers over San's skin, sometimes pressing gently in a massage.

"I told you already... I can't. As good as it sounds." With a sigh, San stretched his body, lolling provocatively against the pool of red. Hongjoong immediately reacted, a hand meeting San's side to trail over it appreciatively.

"I won't stop askin', then."

San laughed endeared. Out of the pirates he had gotten to know this one certainly was the kindest one.

"Alright. I will continue declining."

Hongjoong nodded with a faint smile before he got up to open the windows. As soon as the cold air from the nightly town began streaming in, he turned to the bag he had brought. He did not mind his nakedness, and neither did San. Rather, he enjoyed whatever treat his eyes could catch.

"Ye should use the money to stay inside. I worry fer yer health in winter." He picked up a bottle of some alcoholic beverage, probably rum, and brought it over. He opened it for San to sip first and let the heat of the drink spread in his veins. Meanwhile, he got comfortable at San's side. The sheets sticking to his sweaty form warranted a grimace from him.

"Food is more important. And Dahan needs new shoes."

San was already busy browsing his worries for the upcoming cold season again as he and Hongjoong got comfortable in bed. Just this night he would be selfish and allow himself to stay since Hongjoong was the one paying for this inn. He felt guilt gnaw on him already for leaving the others to pile in their little hideout without him to share warmth, but he knew that they would be even happier about the food he would bring in the morning.

"I be sorry fer nay bein' able to do more," Hongjoong murmured after also taking a sip from his smelly pirate drink. San gently shook his head.

"Don't be. We are faring well by ourselves, and while I appreciate every help you offer, I also don't hold you to it. Don't feel as if you have to do this." He propped himself up onto his elbow to kiss Hongjoong on the lips. As the pirate fell into the honey-sweet touch all too smoothly, San peeled the bottle from his hands to drink some more. Hongjoong let him, his hands starting to wander again. They spread over San's skin anywhere he could reach.

"As always, we will be here for another few days. If you change your mind, you know where to find us."

San nodded, his form sinking further against the soft sheets and the warmth of the pirate next to him as the chilly air began to tickle his cooling skin. It got cold quickly, so Hongjoong allowed him to curl up against his side without a comment. He wrestled the blankets for a moment before pulling them over the two of them. Thankful, San hummed against the man's chest.

"How's the matey doing you told me about? The new one?"

Hongjoong gave a long-suffering sigh.

"'e be comin' around. That lad begins to understand that we saved 'is life, instead of ruinin' it, but 'e still glares a lot."

San gave a sympathetic hum. He had heard the story about the shipwright with the tragic fate during one of Hongjoong's past visits, but he had never met the man in person. Sometimes the stories Hongjoong told San sounded fun and adventurous, but on other occasions, the cruelty of the lives some of Hongjoong's mates had gone through seemed excessive. They all had very different backgrounds than San did. They came from far places that San never even considered existing and had fought more battles than he could count.

From time to time, San wondered. He wondered how he was a person that Hongjoong liked seeing and visiting no matter how long it took him to get here. He was nothing like them. He was no great warrior or strong shipwright. He was no more than a dirtied doll that Hongjoong liked to play with. San often cursed himself for looking forward to seeing the man.

"I hope he understands soon. He seems like a good person, deep down."

Hongjoong nodded faintly. His lashes seemed heavy with the weight of sleep, and it had San cooing. Cautiously he took the bottle from the tipsy pirate's loose fist.

"Let's sleep now, rogue. You have a long day of restocking provisions ahead of you." San put their rum aside to snuggle up against his lover's side. Hongjoong immediately wrapped an arm around him with an elongated yawn.

"About time we find us a cook... Sleep jolly, San."

The cold from outside spread more through the room as they fell asleep, but beneath the blankets, the two of them were comfortably warm.

-

"San... I'm hungry."

San rose his head from where he had been tiredly watching Nessa sleep. She was curled up against Dahan, her golden locks spilling over his black hair where the two rested in a wooden crate that was cushioned with a dirty blanket to accommodate their little bodies. They were shivering even under the jacket that San had placed over them. He had been watching their ashen faces for the whole night in case something happened, and his eyes were burning as he rose them to Seungmin.

The other boy stood next to the pile of bodies that the children of the streets had formed under the stone staircase of an old building. San could barely spot his face in the darkness of the alley as shadows took all light and warmth from them. In the distance, water was dripping from the night's rainfall earlier.

As if to underline Seungmin's words, little Dahan's stomach growled as he slept, making his face twist in displeasure. He lifted a bony hand to rub his eyes.

Worried, San looked between him and the boy in the darkness, who was also holding his stomach. His heart sank.

"I will get food. Don't worry. Can you watch over the two kids while I'm gone?" San mustered his best smile in the twilight of the corner, even if it felt brittle in the cold stiffness of his face. He tried warming his muscles with a few grimaces.

"Sure."

San exchanged his post with Seungmin. As the boy sunk down next to the crate to rest his head against it, San pulled his thin jacket around his scrawny form with a tremble. The larger street would get windy and less secured by the houses than the dead-end they currently resided in. He steeled himself as he left the kids behind to step out.

A cat sprung out of his way, startled from his sudden intrusion. It hissed at him; it's one remaining eye glinting in the dark as it glared with all the might of an animal that had been hurt countless times. San apologised to her as he passed her. She sidestepped him with a wary glance.

They all had grown up on the streets. San was the oldest by a few years. Until recently, there had been another girl his age, but she had been taken away by some man who had taken a liking to her. She had never appeared again, and they did not know what fate had been bestowed on her.

San currently took care of seven other kids, all of who had found their way into his hideout in search for some warmth. He did not have the heart to send any of the orphans away, so he cared for them. It was difficult. Some days, he barely got by himself, and the bunch of kids in his home were still young and needed a lot. San did what he could, but he always felt as if it was too little. He feared losing more of them to famine or soldiers.

This deep in winter, the cold was the worst of their fears. San longed for a warm room with a roof and a fireplace, but this kind of luxury was far out of his reach. He would not slink away into the night to relax when his friends were starving.

San rounded a corner that led him to the large road that led up north. It was brighter here, the lights falling from the nearby windows never all ceasing. His eyes were stuck to the orange halos they cast on the street in irregular intervals. A cold breeze touched upon a hole in San's jacket, making him shiver as he wrapped his own arms around his upper body.

He knew where to find people. Around the town wall, a guard or two were always willing to take a few minutes off work.

San hurried over as quick as he could. His speed kept him warm even as the cold bit at his face until his eyes were teary.

By the time he finally reached the outpost where two men in dark uniforms were stationed, he nearly breathed a sigh of relief. Both of them were around their forties, he guessed, and their rough faces pulled into wary frowns as San approached. At least he must have looked pitiful enough for them not to raise their weapons against him.

"What do ye want, lad?" One of them called out to him, and San saw the man's eyes relax remarkably as he stepped into the light of their little corner. They did not become sympathetic but rather curious.

"Some warmth to share, good sirs?" San smiled sweetly at the one who had spoken, showing off his charming dimples.

San was pretty for his age and living conditions. He let it play in his advantage.

He knew that he had won when the man beckoned him closer. As San stepped into his embrace, he noticed the stench of sweat and beer, of bodies that had not been washed in a long time. He did not mind. He probably smelled worse.

"What be yer price, doll?" The man reached for his face, rough fingers meeting San's chin as he turned his head left and right to look at him closely. He seemed satisfied, the hand on San's hip already dipping under his shirt.

"No more than a meal." San paused to look the second man who had directed his greedy eyes at the flash of skin that San's shirt exposed. "For each of you."

With crude laughter, they agreed and pulled him between them. They were kind enough not to hurt him and warm enough that San did not mind leaving his body in their care. He just turned off his head for a while and concentrated on pleasing them.

-

San and the kids all made it through the winter.

Every year when the temperatures began getting more comfortable and their teeth stopped chattering during the day; San considered it a win. Again, he had managed to survive with his little family. It was nonsense in most people's eyes, yet San nodded in accomplishment even when he met the cats he knew from the year before.

San was in a good mood that day. Hojun had woken him with the news that Hongjoong's ship, the Precious, had returned to their harbour, and San brimmed with the excitement of meeting the man again. That morning he had made sure to wear his piercings for the man, always quite careful when he did so since the metal in his body often earned him unwarranted attention.

He was getting ready for another day of searching for food to get by when a commotion in their little hideout rose. A group of his friends had entered into the direction that San was sitting on a crate on, one leg propped up next to him as he fiddled with his chest.

San curiously lifted his head to look at the alley where he could see three of the boys crowding around a crying Nessa. She seemed distraught, stumbling and halfway getting carried by them. The boys were helplessly trying to shush and coo at her to calm her down.

Worried, San pulled down his shirt over his skin to hurry over to them. Only when he was nearby, he could detect the big splotches of fresh blood on the girl's dress.

With his heart stuttering in his chest, he ran the last bit, gently pushing Hojun aside so that he could kneel down in front of her. Nessa was sobbing and whimpering, her dirtied face full of tears as she did not react to him at all. Helplessly, San reached out to rub her little arms as he glanced at the boys.

"What's wrong, did somebody scream at you guys?"

Nessa was still young, barely around seven, San would guess. They did not know the details; she had just appeared a year ago to join them. She was sensitive over getting screamed at, as any kid would be when faced with angry adults.

"They-" Hojun's face was ashen and white as a sheet as he spoke. "They caught her stealing fruit."

San's nervous heart abruptly dropped at that news.

He lowered his eyes to the arms of the girl that she was tightly clutching to her stomach. They were wrapped with a thick, blood-stained piece of cloth that was still darkening at the second.

San clenched his jaw.

"They hacked them off?"

Hojun nodded, his gaze wavering as he desperately tried to avoid looking at the source of blood. He did not get another word out, even as San rose. Weakly, he ruffled Nessa's hair, the girl not ready to stop crying hysterically yet. Her screams pierced the air and made everybody throw her pitiful and worried glances.

She would not make the night.

San knew, she knew, and everybody else also knew. Losing a limb out here meant death. If she had not bled out until night, she would die of an infection that they could not treat.

"Let her rest for a bit. I will try to get food and medicine."

San's voice was hollow. There was no use in trying, and he was not fooling anybody. All of them averted their eyes at the lie.

Yet, he had to leave. He had to get away from this place. He could not bear seeing another person die.

Nobody held him back. San set out onto the streets without looking over his shoulder. His heart was torn with anger and sadness. He wanted to help the little girl, but at the same time, he knew that even if he tried, he could not. Killing every soldier nearby would not save her life just how no doctor would.

Thus, San shut off. He stumbled through the busy street and into the shadier part of down where whispers and metal glinted in the shadows even during the day. He found some alley, the arms of some man he barely glanced at. He said yes to whatever the greedy guy asked of him, followed him to an inn without a word. He let him use San's body to his will as San just laid there and let him take whatever he wanted. It meant solace. Quiet.

He was silently crying into the sheets by the time that the man dropped a bag with coins at his side and pulled on his clothes. He did not care, and San did neither.

His chest felt empty as if a large piece had been torn from it, and it hurt. It hurt him enough to make a foolish decision.

San slowly slinked his naked body off the bed while the man was washing up in the bathroom. He pulled a dagger from the stranger's belt and held it in his shaking hand as he followed him inside.

He nearly made it. The weird instinctive functions his body had taken on earlier aided him in tripping the man and swinging his dagger as he fell, but his reflexes were slow. Too quickly, the tables turned.

San's side burned as the dagger embedded itself in it. The cold metal penetrated his flesh, and his brain aided him by telling him that he was in pain.

Yet, that pain did not seem to exceed the emotional damage.

Still, he ran.

San threw his body around and sprinted out of the house, down the street. Tears were blurring his eyes, and his abdomen hurt. People threw him shocked glances as they noticed the trail of blood he was leaving behind him on the cobblestones.

San had no idea where he was running. He was hurrying aimlessly, no goal in mind. The physical pain was barely enough to cover up the memory of Nessa coming back in his head. He considered asking another person to fuck him senseless, but it would be difficult to appeal crazed out as he was with blood covering his side.

The masts of the tall ships appearing in the distance rose another feeling inside of him.

A feeling of longing, of safety. There was home somewhere there.

San began stumbling down the street to the harbour. He fell once and pushed the hand of a helping woman off. He knew that the man was after him, and he had probably alerted the guards by now. San had no idea why he was even trying. Death might have been kinder to him.

However, as he reached the docks and breathed in the salty breeze of the ocean, everything seemed fine for a moment. There was peace, and for a moment, he could hear himself gasping again, his rattling breath.

Without hesitation, San ran up the ship that had the word Precious carved into its side with beautifully cursive letters. Black spots were dancing in front of his vision as he tumbled up the invitingly open plank.

Then, he crashed down onto his knees as he fell from the plank to the deck that had a bit of a landing between the entryway and the actual ground.

San weakly twitched as he tried to get up again, his hands too weak to hold his weight. He needed to find Hongjoong, wanted to see him. Hongjoong equalled forgetting.

He thought himself safe when the steps of boots came closer. San coughed, not able to speak anymore around his choked up throat and the pain that flared from his side.

He was proven wrong when a hand reached down and roughly yanked the dagger from the wound. It was an act far more brutal than how Hongjoong would have treated San, so he called out in pain, trying to curl up to protect his flank.

"What brought you here, whore?! Get off this ship right this instant!" A black foot came down in a cruel kick in San's stomach, right where the injury was. The boy gasped, his sight going white with pain as another scream tore from his throat. He writhed against the hard planks beneath him, all hope abandoned.

Had he boarded the wrong ship? Or had the kids mistaken it in the morning?

He had no answer. He only knew that he would have to get off it, fast.

Gritting his jaw through the pain, San rolled around. He hoped that the guards had lost him by now and that he would be able to drag himself back somehow. Fate had taken another gruesome turn on him. Just like Nessa, he was hurt too badly to make it long.

San just reached a bloodied and trembling hand out towards the railing to pull himself back up on the plank, when the knife was back.

This time it was not stabbing him. It sliced through his side deeply, making hot pain and blood bubble to the surface. San nearly blacked out from the fresh wave of sorrow as his hands twitched down to stop the movement.

Only then, he could hear a familiar voice.

"Off! Get off 'im ye worthless weasel!"

San was whimpering and howling, but he could see another man kick his predator off forcefully through his veil of tears. Weakly, he pressed his hands against his side, feeling nauseous.

"San! San, can ye 'ear me?" Hongjoong knelt next to him suddenly, and he cradled San's face in his hands, checking if he was still with him. San gave a weak moan of agony in response, not managing anything more eloquent. He was on fire with pain that was finally flaring enough to have him distracted.

"Youjin! Throw that back stabbin' stench on legs overboard! Hanbyeol, get Yeosang an' Mingi over 'ere!"

San had no idea what was going on. He saw someone dragging off the bright-haired man that had attacked him, and he detected protests getting loud soon after. A fight broke out that San had little recollection of, he was just lying there in Hongjoong's arms and bleeding out.

Ultimately, somebody helped to patch and stitch up his side. San was barely awake through the process, staying afloat because Hongjoong threatened to gut him in case he died. He was also given alcohol to ease his pain, so a few minutes later, he was floating on a blissful cloud of ignorance. He got carried over to the captain's quarters to rest, and it was the first place for him to feel safe in. There, he could finally sleep.

-

San awoke with a headache and biting pain in his abdomen. He groaned at the rather rude welcome, but quickly shut up when he noticed the soft bed he was resting on. It did not often happen that he found himself around such comfortable accommodations.

San melted a bit more into the feeling, not minding his injury anymore as he let himself be surrounded by the bliss that a bed was.

When he opened his eyes again, though, he noticed the man sitting on a chair behind the desk to his left. His bright hair was tousled as if grabbed earlier and the snarl on his pretty face made San blink. At meeting each other's eyes, the stranger scoffed snidely.

"As expected of that syphilitic pirate scum. His best friend is a vile street whore."

San gasped, not sure who he was dealing with. His words cut deep, less so for San himself since he was used to being name-called, but towards Hongjoong. Why was there a man on this ship that spoke so foul of him?

With a quick cough, San searched for words.

"I-"

The man quickly waved it off. His face was disgusted as if every breath San took poisoned the air.

"Spare me. I'm supposed to apologise to you, rat, so consider yourself apologised to." With that, the man rose from his chair and stepped out. He slammed the door shut as he did.

San flinched at the loud noise. His hands worriedly curled around his blanket as he felt his heart ache at the treatment. He had hoped to be safe here, but he did not trust that man. He was ill-minded towards him and Hongjoong.

For a second, everything was quiet. The noises of the town and the ocean were muffled inside the cabin, and the gentle waves that licked at the hull of the ship were not enough to get it to sway. The serenity had San letting go of a breath that he had been holding for far too long.

He waited just a moment longer, then a shy knock on the door reached his senses. He gave a tentative hum, not sure yet if the next person to enter would also curse his existence.

However, the person who poked his head in was just Hongjoong, and he was smiling sunnily. San copied the gesture immediately. He uncurled a bit from his defensive position in the blankets as the pirate entered the room.

"I 'eard ye showed a leg. It be jolly to spy ye awake again."

San allowed the man to sit down next to him on the sheets. He wore high-waisted black pants and a white ruffled shirt, looking modest and all the bit like the pirate he was at the same time. His ringed fingers came up to brush through San's hair gently. San nearly ducked away from the touch, aware of the grime that clung to him. The stranger earlier had not been wrong. San was no more than a street rat.

Hongjoong noticed the shift in his mood immediately, and his face settled into a frown.

"Be ye in much pain? I can get a doctor if ye need one."

San quickly shook his head and immediately regretted the movement. He reached for the water on the bedside table. Hongjoong quietly watched him, his eyes attentive.

"No, I- I'm fine." San wanted to curl up again, but his side immediately bit him for it. Hongjoong smoothed a hand over San's leg, gently patting it through the blanket.

"What happened, San?"

San sighed, not yet emotionally ready to talk. He did know, however, that he owed the man an answer. Thus, he struggled to find the beginning of the mess yesterday had brought onto this ship without much of a warning and tried to recount it. It was all a blurry memory.

"One of the kids was caught stealing by some guards... I don't know what I did, but I ran off, and I- I distracted myself. But the guy caught me stealing, too, and stabbed me. I ran here, expecting help but only found-"

"Wooyoung, aye. I apologise fer 'is behaviour. 'e be a stowaway with too much pride in 'is narrow 'ead."

San nodded slowly. Hongjoong gave a grimace that showed his genuine concern for the situation.

"It's fine... He wasn't wrong anyway. I would have done the same."

A short silence settled between them. Hongjoong did not dare to reach out again, and San just basked in the softness of the mattress beneath him. By the time that Hongjoong spoke again, San had already started counting the books in the pirate's impressive shelf to distract himself. Had Hongjoong read all of those?

"San. Again, I... I do nay want it to be like this. I been worried sick when I spied ye on the ground. I hate the thought of people hurtin' ye." Hongjoong's hand came up to gently caress San's cheek. The tender touch made the man jolt, immediately leaning into it. He had little experience with soft affection, and he swore his heart started singing whenever Hongjoong did this. His touch was warm.

Yet, San had made a promise. A promise that he would not break, no matter how much pain came his way.

"I can't. I just can't. I can't leave them behind. They will all die."

San could not bear the imagination. When he pictured the little bodies of his young friends strewn over the ground in some wet and dark alley, dead of starvation, then his heart shattered into a million pieces. San would rather die first than having to see that, but until then he would fight desperately to keep them afloat.

Hongjoong gave a hum. He could understand well.

"Then 'ow be this. I 'ave nay offered this since it be a big decision to make without a captain on board, but 'ow about we take 'em? All yer kids?"

San blinked up at him, his eyes as big as saucers.

"It be a dangerous place to grow up in, the sea can be cruel. However... maybe it ain't that much worse than them streets."

San did not know much about the pirate. He knew that he had grown up on a ship and that he probably knew all too well how difficult of a home it was for a mere kid. Yet, he was not wrong. Whether it was the sea that swallowed them or the streets, the risk was the same. But San would not be alone anymore. They could all care for them.

"Hongjoong." San found no words. Instead, he just carefully leant forward to place a shaky hand on Hongjoong's shoulder. It slipped down it from the distance, instead settling on his chest where San grabbed a handful of fabric to fist his hand in. Hot tears welled up in his tired eyes once more, but this time they came from a good place.

"That would be everything I could ever ask for."

Hongjoong breathed out, relieved. He patted San's shaking arm gently, before detaching himself to get to his feet. His eyes were burning with new determination.

"I be glad ye said that. I will have me mates prepare fer everythin', an' prepare to elect a captain afterwards. We need one. Ye take a rest an' as ye wake, ye will be free together with yer friends."

San nodded, stifling his sobs with a hand since he knew how annoying they were. He tried not to cry, given that he was becoming a pirate, the terror of the oceans at the moment, but he was just too overwhelmed.

He had had a long day, and finally, it seemed as if he could get closure. It pained him to know that Nessa would most likely not be part of it, but he had saved six other boys. That was a lot in his eyes.

"Ye worked 'ard. I 'ave no second thoughts about 'avin' ye join us." Hongjoong bent down to pick up his jacket from the floor and slip it over his shirt. It carried a faint scent of blood, but San did not mind.

"I-I have a question, though," San began tentatively as he wiped the last tears from his eyes.

"Do you only want me to join because of my body? My decision won't change, but-"

Hongjoong quickly shook his head, his lips shushing San. They made a sharp noise that had the other man faltering in his words. It was nearly harsh, but Hongjoong's frown showed only worry.

"No. Don't ye e'er think that. I want ye 'ere as my mate, just 'ow I be, just like Jongho an' Youjin. Nobody will e'er touch ye again without yer consent an' I will do anythin' to ensure that ye don't consider it as yer means to survive anymore."

San sniffed. He desperately tried to keep his tears at bay. His heart was filled with joy and gratitude, enough to make him want to sink to his knees and worship Hongjoong as thanks. He did not, however, simply because Hongjoong did not expect that from him. He considered him a friend, a mate.

"Savvy."

Hongjoong grinned broadly at him, the silvery scars on his neck that always had San so curious shifting as he did.

"Good. Welcome aboard the ship, San."

He tipped his head in salute as he turned to leave, probably to inform his fellow crew members of the newest development. Before he was completely out of the door, though, San held him back once more.

"Hongjoong." He called out, happy to look upon this man with the eyes of a friend rather than a broken lover. Hongjoong turned, his eyes curious.

"You would make a great captain."

That had Hongjoong blinking surprisedly at San before he shyly grinned.

"Thanks. I will 'old ye to those words when we elect later."

The smile San gave him was honest and full of emotion that swept over him like a wave. But this time it did not push him down and tried to drown him in a sickening vortex. This time, he rode those waves high and had them carry him to a place beyond. A place that was joined by a group of pirates.