Seonghwa stumbled backwards at first, the sudden appearance of the man disturbing him and making his heart freeze in panic. Tikki had hid her face in his neck, not bearing the unsettling eyes of the man either but Seonghwa was trying to stand upright, not letting his panic show on his face. He cradled Tikki tighter to his body.

"You look good with my child. What do you think, beauty, is there a way to get men pregnant? Any spells?", the shadow teasingly asked Liv, receiving no answer. The man rose slowly, making Seonghwa take a step backwards. He was ready to bolt, ready to save Tikki from the clutches of this pirate.

"She is not yours to claim. She belongs to Hongjoong.", he hissed at the other threateningly, still stepping back again when the man rounded the table. Liv gave an exasperated sigh, just burying her head in her hands. Her belly had started showing by now and the sight made Seonghwa feel sick. She was bearing Hongjoong's child again but this was the wrong one's. That evil clone one's.

"I am Hongjoong, dear, just how you are Seonghwa. You forget that we are part of each other. That you love me too, if you love him." Seonghwa's back collided with something soft, gentle hands settling on his hips immediately warningly. Tikki started crying softly against his neck.

Seonghwa helplessly made cooing noises, trying to shush her gently but the poor girl was scared, not daring to utter a word. Hongjoong closed up on them with a grin.

"I do not love you. Leave Tikki alone." Seonghwa carefully did not move when that Hongjoong gently lifted his hand to Tikki's head, brushing through her dark locks. He had noticed that something had changed about this Hongjoong. His hair was shorter now and a stark white, almost blindingly so. Did his Hongjoong change his appearance too?

"Don't lie, Seonghwa. It's this exact face that makes your heart flutter, these hands you want to feel on your skin. I'm sure that would we not speak, would we wear the same clothes, you could not discern us." The shadow lifted his eyes to Seonghwa's, gently lifting his hand to touch his cheek. Seonghwa felt glad he left Tikki alone but at the same time a painful fear curled in his belly.

He hated that this Hongjoong was probably right, that he would indeed not know which one of them was the right one, but did it truly matter? They had to get rid of the evil one either way.

Seonghwa jolted when those hands on his hips slid beneath his shirt, chillingly settling on his bare flesh instead. He wanted to close his eyes already, wake up on the Precious, fall into the real Hongjoong's arms and forget everything about those villains.

"You came to meet Hongjoong, did you not? We can take you to him. We have a nice dinner scheduled with him in a few days due." This was no yes or no question and Seonghwa wanted to run so bad, curl up somewhere and cry because his brain told him these people meant pain and fear.

He swallowed harshly. His approval could at least save Tikki and Liv.

"Sure then. Let's leave." The words tasted bile in his throat but Hongjoong nodded approvingly, stepping back from him to allow him to put Tikki down. He gently made her look up at him and caressed her little chubby cheeks, giving her his best smile. If she saw it tremble she did not comment on it.

"Don't worry, alright? I will take him away."

Tikki nodded with big eyes, running off then to hide behind the skirt of her mother who just looked at them with tired eyes.

"We'll be back, Liv. Notify me when I take too long.", Hongjoong drawled with a grin and Liv actually blushed, nodding sweetly.

"Will do. Have a nice journey." Her eyes flickered over to Seonghwa and suddenly grew cold again. "Make sure ye be the only one returning next time."

Seonghwa shivered, feeling the man behind him hold him more close, more protective. Seonghwa felt suffocated.

"Will do."

At that Hongjoong turned, nodding Seonghwa to follow while putting on his face mask and hat again. The other Seonghwa stepped away from him too, copying the gesture and then they left for their ship with Seonghwa in their middle.

It felt like walking directly towards his own certain doom.

-

"Feel at home. Well, you are in a sense. Tell me if you need anything, be it whatever." The ambiguous grin on Hongjoong's face made Seonghwa blush, shaking his head quickly. He had been brought directly to the Captain's quarters and was now sitting alone with Hongjoong in the cabin that looked exactly like the real one. The other Seonghwa had thankfully left, leaving him to stare at the scar over this Hongjoong's face with his thoughts racing.

"Why not lock me up? What happened to torture and rape?", he asked bluntly, his legs pulled close to his body where he had hid behind the heavy desk. Hongjoong laughed loudly and Seonghwa hated it.

"No, no, none of that. We are in an alliance now, you know? You are part of the crew and your Captain's precious."

Seonghwa blinked at him slowly, watching him take those boots off.

"I'm not part of the crew. Hongjoong let me go. Right now I'm literally just a lovesick puppy." There was no use in beating around the bush with this one and the sly grin on the other's lips told him that thought was being appreciated.

"You are. Ever since Seonghwa was here. We are aways a step faster than you, better, stronger. You want to check? Mingi and Yunho are not dating yet but they will soon."

Mingi and Yunho? He had to keep an eye on them. Subtly, though. He would deny trusting this man.

Also, ever since he came here? Well, that had to be around that time he lost his shadow, right? What happened then? Was there anything that resembled him becoming closer to them? It was before he had saved Hongjoong, he would have initially assumed that to be the largest of possible events.

But at that time...

An abrupt blush took over his features, making him lower his head quickly but Hongjoong had already seen. And his laughter filled the room again.

"It seems as if your dear Captain felt strongly way longer than you did. I understand it. I was head over heels for you too, already when I first met you." He neatly put his boots aside, leaning back on the bed. His lidded eyes seemed heavy on Seonghwa's face, making him squirm a bit.

"I notice parallels here and there but there are many opposites also. Hongjoong would not even think about destroying you the way I want to. You do know that we feel each other's pain, right? I was thinking about sending my Seonghwa to him just to see him react. I want to do so even more now that I know you are here." He stood up at that, coming over to stand in front of Seonghwa. He gulped nervously, sitting on his hands to keep himself from touching that familiar body.

Hongjoong gently pulled Seonghwa's legs down, sliding into his lap easily as if he belonged there.

And he did. Just not this version of him.

Seonghwa tensed as one hand came up to weave into his hair, gently pulling at his head. He was suspicious as they had still not hurt him in the slightest and at the same time his insides were still twisted up from his earlier words. The jealousy was burning hot in his stomach. He really did manage to hate himself somehow.

"It was so fun to see. The slight pain caused by an intrusion into one's body... Seonghwa came over multiple times for me to fill him because of you two. What do you think? If I was here, taking you and my Hwa told your Captain he's in pain because of that, what would he do? He would go absolutely crazy. He would not be able to do anything as he let you go already. He could just take my Seonghwa and make you feel it, thinking you had turned your back on him. No, what a sweet pleasure."

Seonghwa felt too hot, disgusted and aroused at the same time. His body's interested reaction repelled him even more, wanting to throw this man off and leave already. He was still open to drowning himself in the ocean too.

"Or if you took me, do you think he'd know? Do you think he knew this pain was caused by you? Ah no, he would expect my Hwa. What a pity."

Seonghwa was trembling all over, his muscles physically hurting from the effort not to push him off. He was not actually torturing him, but his mindgames were not easy on his mind either.

"When will we arrive there?"

Hongjoong gave a disappointed purr, settling down more comfortably in order to mindlessly play with Seonghwa's hair. It was still strange seeing him without his long hair but this did suit him too. Seonghwa wanted to see his own captain like this, all sweet and soft.

"We robbed a rich family together. We will meet within a week to celebrate in that pretty house of theirs. And we will share our booty too then. I will take you there. You shall sit there instead of my Hwa and no one will know. Do you think he will notice?"

Seonghwa was so cold, all of his hairs standing up on his arms. This idea, it seemed even more cruel than their torture. He was going to deceive Hongjoong? No way.

"You look highly uncomfortable. You don't want to? I can also let my Hwa pretend he's you and send him over to Hongjoong. You will know if he forgives him." His smile was cruel again, absolutely cunning and Seonghwa loved this face so much but right now he just wanted to hit him. 

Hongjoong surely would not mind that pain too much, right?

His clone however seemed to read the thought right off Seonghwa's face, chuckling endearedly.

"Leave it be. You want him to know you are here? That would certainly ruin our fun and that alliance. So far we've worked so well together." His voice felt like posion dripping tight into Seonghwa's blood, making him feel cold and hot at the same time while his hate towards the other man just grew even more.

What could they do? Was there really no way to get rid of them?

Seonghwa gave him another tired look, wishing for him to just disappear already.

"I shall think of the most fun way to do this. For now you may sleep. I will not touch you, for the sake of the alliance." His smirk felt all wrong again but he did step away from Seonghwa, taking one of the books strewn about on the table.

"If you do want to be touched, however, tell me. You may act on your darkest desires with me and my Hwa does not tend to jealousy."

With another sweet smile he left, locking the door behind him. Seonghwa did not know whether he felt protected or even more like a prisoner.

So he quietly stepped over to the bed, throwing his body on it with the thought that no, it did not matter which ship he was on. This bed was heavenly soft. He had also managed to trail Hongjoong even if this might have been a much more dangerous choice than he had wished for.

Maybe he could find a weekness while on board? If he did Hongjoong might forgive him this foolish decision.

Seonghwa buried his head in a pillow with a huff.

He chose to find Hongjoong so he would. And if he found a way to take out those men on the way that was just the better.