Hongjoong's bed was just as soft as Seonghwa had remembered it to be. When he awoke in the morning he had the whole thing for himself, stretching out his limbs comfortably. Honestly, he just wanted to stay here forever, cuddle Hongjoong's pillows and pretend he was not far from home at all but his life needed to be lived.

He noticed the ship not moving after some time, sitting up drowsily to look around in the room.

The light of the day filtered in through the windows and Seonghwa found no Hongjoong, nor his whip or sword. His boots were gone too so maybe they had gone ashore already.

Seonghwa stretched before standing up, his limbs slightly sore from the inappropriate place they had spent most time of their evening in. Even though his back and hips especially hurt, Seonghwa still felt warm when he looked down at his chest, carefully pressing his fingers against some of the painless marks Hongjoong had left on his skin again.

With a sigh he went to get some clothes, stumbling out on deck and directly into the hot sun just minutes after. He found Jongho scrubbing away on deck with Mingi sitting close by and accompanying him. Both of them greeted Seonghwa with matching smirks that made him feel fuzzy. Yes, he did notice the captain's infatuation with him, thank you very much.

"Good mornin', Princess Swab. Ye ready to live up to yer name?" Jongho nodded at the bucket and holystones not far from him and Seonghwa felt some more of his earlier tension lift. He lifted his arms to stretch them a bit more.

"Can I get some food first? I'm dying of hunger."

Mingi waved him over, having already prepared some things. Seonghwa plopped down next to him, starting to eat while studying the funny looking forest on the island they had anchored next to. There were trees that looked entirely different from those he knew, long and curved with some huge oval-shaped leaves at the top. It seemed more colourful too, many vibrant flowers peeking out from anywhere and strange sounds being heard from further away.

"Is Captain wearing you out that much? Poor boy." Mingi grinned at him and it was a nice grin actually. It seemed very gentle and made him seem more young.

In general Mingi seemed much more approachable and nice ever since he had gotten hurt. It had healed nicely these past few days but he was still exempted from heavy work and just enjoyed his time.

Seonghwa still blushed at the innuendo. Whatever he and Hongjoong did, it seemed to be a private thing, something between them two only. So he did not feel quite at ease when talking about it.

"Is he not tired at all?"

Mingi shook his head with a grin, staring at some birds circling the masts. Jongho ran around the deck with high speed, angrily scrubbing away.

"Maybe you'll get used to it after some time. San and Wooyoung were mighty loud yesterday too."

Seonghwa sat up at that, needing more information.

"So they made up? Or did they fight? Was San not like- hurt?" He could not imagine all of this rolling around and tensing in pleasure be enjoyable with an gaping wound in one's body.

"Aye, they made up. Might still need some time before San stops sweettalking everybody into bedding him. But I think they're onto something. And this kind of wound would not stop San from doing whatever the hell he wants. That man is scary."

Funny and Seonghwa had thought San was very kind and Mingi was scary.

He rose after finishing his meal, getting to work with helping Jongho. The other one had already removed the most ugly of stains, leaving them with the polishing work only and Seonghwa relaxed under the big and hot sun, revelling in the feeling of just losing his touch to the outside world.

Youjin joined them somewhen, carefully sitting down next to Mingi on their designated hurt space. They all shared some laughter together, discussing getting San out of the infirmary or just letting him rest there after Yunho scolded him this morning.

Somewhen around noon part of the Crew returned from the forest too, Hongjoong dropping something brown and hairy on Mingi's lap when passing. He also smirked at Seonghwa teasingly, making the man blush and Jonghoo coo about it.

Mingi seemed elated. He started begging Yunho to open up the thing for him immediately (Seonghwa guessed it was some kind of fruit) and Yunho had barely set his bags with more food down before he started helping Mingi.

How could Seonghwa ever miss Mingi being just a desperate child with stars in his eyes? He fondly shook his head.

Seonghwa startled however, when Hongjoong sneakily slinked up behind him, suddenly letting his fingers slide beneath Seonghwa's shirt. He yelped in protest, turning around only to feel Hongjoong latch onto his sweaty neck, mouthing over his skin.

"H-Hongjoong.", Seonghwa breathed out warningly. His captain was wearing no shirt and also leather accessoires instead of his usual metal ones (well except for his ears and fingers). He was also still wearing his whip around his hips, all that leather looking oddly fitting on his muscular skin. And Seonghwa's thoughts strayed again, his body intuitively pushing closer into Hongjoong's by now familiar hands.

"We have some plans today that involve you getting very very wet. You ready to learn how to swim?"

Seonghwa wiped the sweat off his brow, ignoring some hoots from the bystanders when Hongjoong's much too hot body pressed against his. Seonghwa was too hot, just whining quietly in his throat when Hongjoong gently bit at his neck, marking him on places he could not hide under his shirts.

"Who will teach me?"

"I've originally planned Youjin to do so but he's sitting this one out. Hanbyeol will help." Hongjoong sensually lapped up the traces of sweat on Seonghwa's neck, making the other man shiver at the sheer boldness of the move. He actually had to push Hongjoong away by now though becaue the heat of their bodies became unbearable.

Hongjoong indulged him at least, finally stepping back and smirking at his hollering crew. Seonghwa did blush again at the attention, sneakily stepping away.

"We will go to the cave by nightfall. We already located the entrance and will search it later. Make sure you all are well rested until then." With that he took off towards his cabin, leaving the rest to their own devices.

Seonghwa tried to do math.

When San, Mingi and Youjin already had to stay behind because of their injuries and Jongho also guarded the ship, then there were only five people left going ashore. And even then Yunho might stay back too in case something happened. Were the remaining four strong enough to fight off potential predators slinking around in the woods at night?

Seonghwa was just a little bit worried as he closed up on Hanbyeol, receiving one of his unsettling grins in greeting. Seonghwa tried befriending him, he really did but this guy was just too creepy.

"Ye ready? Don't worry, I'll not try to drown ye." He had pushed his hair back with some kind of scarf, already wearing no shirt and showing off an impressive number of scars on his chest.

Seonghwa just nodded, dutifully following him down the plank and on actual ground. Maybe he could swim away one day if all this here ever got too much.

-

Seonghwa had completely underestimated how tiring it was to swim.

It was not hard to learn, the tricks of staying afloat were actually pretty simple. However doing it over long periods of time while in the salty water of the ocean felt close to killing oneself.

Seonghwa decided he did not like swimming.

He also got cramps really often, nearly drowning in the shallow waters until Hanbyeol fished him out of them again with a loud laugh, letting Seonghwa cling to him until they could resume their lesson.

Hanbyeol was not exactly fun to be around but Seonghwa was also never attacked or forgotten in the water so he just had to accept this. Just like Mingi, Hanbyeol too, was probably just a bit difficult to get through to.

When Seonghwa returned to the ship some time later his stomach was grumbling angrily, scaring Wooyoung who passed him on the way downstairs. The bright-haired man seemed a bit red in the face and his eyes were skittish, making Seonghwa coo just a little bit over him.

Yunho thankfully had food for him, sending him away before angrily hacking into some fruits again.

Seonghwa ate and then went to visit San, deciding to spend his evening with the lonely man while the others were out. San whined a bit about Yunho having tied his foot to the bed with some rope he could not reach but Seonghwa was also way too amused to help him.

So they ended up with San's head in Seonghwa's lap, the pirate's arms loosely looped around Seonghwa's hips while he was dozing peacefully, leaving Seonghwa to play with his hair. He nearly fell asleep himself somewhen until the flap to the room abruptly getting pulled back startled him, carefully lifting his head.

Hongjoong stood there in full gear and with one of his lighter jackets, grinning at him like a child.

"You coming?"

"Where to?"

"Go explore the cave with us. What, you expected me I'd never show you how we found treasure? What kind or tour guide am I?"

Hongjoong indeed was a man full of secrets... and strange jobs?

But who was Seonghwa to disagree? He hurried up to carefully slip out of San's grasp and follow his Captain, joining the group of four he had expected. All of them looked excited to have him join them though and Wooyoung immediately was glued to his side, babbling without breathing about how his meeting with San went.

Seonghwa then learned what a top was and that San was one. Hongjoong too, as far as he was concerned but he did not say that out loud.

They were trekking through the forest with two torches, ducking under low hanging branches and laughing at some funny sounds the forest made. The smells in here were heavy too, clouding Seonghwa's mind with their sweet seductiveness and he was careful not to stray from their path, not to get too close to any interesting plants and animals he spotted.

There was much to see, much to explore but Seonghwa still had his eyes on Hongjoong's back in front of him, leading them securely through the trippy woods.

When they did arrive at that cave Hongjoong made them halt, getting one of the torches from Hanbyeol.

"I will see if it's empty. If there's any tigers or something springing out, try to leave enough of them to eat."

"What's a tiger?", Seonghwa helplessly whispered towards Wooyoung, the other man leaning in conspirationally.

"Some huge cat that can eat full humans. About as large as a pony I think?"

That was large indeed. Nature what the heck.

Hongjoong stepped inside of the cave, disappearing between rough stones while the rest of them waited patiently. Seonghwa was distracted by some animal moving quickly between the tops of the trees, screaming at them.

A monkey.

He watched the animal swing away, meeting Wooyoung's unsure eyes then.

"What's wrong?"

"Did you hear that scream?"

"I thought it was the monkey." He confusedly looked at the other ones, Yeosang looking around carefully, while Hanbyeol had stepped closer to the cave to lift his torch inside.

"Captain?"

No answer.

"Captain?"

"You can come in now!"

They exchanged glances and then slowly stepped in after Hanbyeol. The light of their torch was flickering eerily over sharp stones that Seonghwa carefully touched before passing, making sure not to rip his skin open somewhere.

They stopped when the tight entrance grew into a slightly larger and actually really empty room, finding another torch laying on the floor and lightening the odd scenario up with happily dancing flames.

Hongjoong was on the floor with some other man sitting on his back. The attacker had wrapped a whip tightly around Hongjoong's throat, slowly choking the life out of him while he gasped for air weakly, hands scratching at the leather. Seonghwa felt his heart freeze when he met his wide and panicked eyes, moving forward in a stupid reflex of wishing to help.

But then the person above Hongjoong lifted his head, eyes fixing on Seonghwa.

And Seonghwa knew those eyes.

Sitting above Hongjoong... was Hongjoong?