Chapter Text
♛
THE ice cold sea had been a harsh but necessary mother for Taeyong, she never ignored or abandoned him like his human one did, she was there to be the strict guiding hand he needed. Of course, most would say that still does explain, why in the world, he was floating in the middle of the sea. Nearly naked but for a single shawl decorating the waters around him, and his heavily decorated hair. You see Taeyong always sought his second mother in times of need, times of desperation. And this time it was too much to deny her request to become one with her, join her if you will.
♛
TAEYONG had started a new chapter of his life seemingly okay (that in fact is a lie). Engaged for money, attending a prestigious liberal arts college as per his request. He had friends, a good life, golden chopsticks. He hated, he hated all of it. The pretty glamour, the fake laughs, his fiancee's horridly obvious motives that his mother turned a blind eye to. He felt trapped in the empty husk that was his body, all he had was the sea, and school.
School was another thing that helped keep Taeyong afloat amidst insanity. He studied literature, latin, the mighty greeks. He loved the emotion and open thought it had offered. But it was not enough.
His wedding was to be on a seaside cliff. And day before he ran to them knowing he need her. He was sitting reminiscing it all, his life, his family, his friends, himself. That’s when it came.
Come my child, to where you belong, you shall find happiness and joy with me and him. Hurry, young one, you only have a moment. Follow your heart, she does not deserve you but he can.
Taeyong spent not a moment of thought before the plunge, and at first it hurt, the gripping cold that wrapped and strangled him, clawing at his flesh. But for some reason he knew, he knew he just had to embrace it. And so he did.
♛
HE didn’t have a single thought, nothing in his head. No questions of where, when, who, what, or how. He just embraced it. That was easier than just the thought of his past high society corset tight life.
⚓️
THE sight of a floating man at sea wasn’t as surprising to Johnny as most would have expected, the war had just ended and not without its fair share of casualties. He wasn’t a part of this particular pirate war, no he was much too sensible for that level of pettitery. He was merely passing by with his latest loot from that morning, in hopes to get more from forgotten wreckage. But this man had been different, he was barren for the most part, but almost shining in the afternoon sunset light, and mother blue had practically grabbed him by the ear and made him fetch the body, not that he would have already done that without her calling. He didn’t feel the need to bring any other men, he was obviously alone and small enough to handle on his own.
For Johnny, pulling him out had been easy, for he was limp and cutthroat cold to the touch except for the small area exposed to the warm light . He pulled the mystery man, his scarf, and his extra fallen hair pins (so extravagant, no doubt high class, something I would be hired to steal) on to the gently rocking rowboat.
The crew surrounded him, curious to see the man the captain had rescued without a word, to only face more confusion.
“Who is he?”
“OOO he's pretty!”
“He looks rich….”
“Can we steal from him Johnny pleaseeee!”
The captain paid no mind making his way to set the boy (the man? He's small but with accessories like this I can't tell) down. He checked his pulse, and surprisingly he was alive. The knocked out body was searched, dried, and carried to the captain’s chambers on the main deck. The crew returned to work as usual until dinner with small whispers about the situation below the deck.
I mean it wasn’t the weirdest thing he, Johnny, had done. No not at all, almost normal, his whole crew was made of strays from ages 25 to 17. And he was a peculiar character, too. He helped the needy, stole from the rich, never ate shallots or onions, was friendly and deep with too few words, a monster of a man in battle, and his favorite color was light blue and……..pink. But he had rules, heavily enforced rules, one of which being that no one was allowed on the ship or crew without thorough examination. Johnny was extremely protective of his crew (they jokingly call him their father) and boat, and rightfully so with many highbrow eagles watching.
“I mean it’s not like Dad hasn’t taken in strays before, Haechan,” Mark explained to ease Haechan’s worries.
Haechan pushed further, “Yes, but out of nowhere? Not a word? And in weird hoodoo possesed mode?-”
“Hey! Don’t call it that,” Moon interjected from across the room.
“-Mark our latest request is practically a target on our backs, the jackets will be turning over boulders for it-,” reasoned Haechan.
“True, but would Johnny ever put us in danger we couldn’t handle?” Moon always offered a good point and a voice of reason.
The silence had answered all the possible questions anyone, in or out, of the conversation could have. Johnny was a great captain and friend he would never without a doubt put them in a situation they couldn’t handle. But the whole thing still pricked at Haechan’s mind.
Who was that guy? Why did Johnny trance-save him?
♛
TAEYONG had expected to awake to sand, or heat, or more chilling sea, or maybe not at all. He hadn't, however, expected warm white sheets, a single candle, and the shadows of a large man over a desk of parchment papers. Taeyong got up leaving the gentle warmness to the soft cold of midnight stars. They always reminded him of endless freedom and childhood…
From the garden, the giggles, laughter, and the pitter patter of little shoes could be heard.
“Hurrryy, Tenie, or we’ll miss it!”
“I'm coming, I'm coming!”
One may ask why children would run through gardens to a telescope just to see a meteor shower, or how said children knew of such things but that didn’t matter. (But for the record, they were overly educated and little Tenie loved the stars beyond belief, like Taeyong loved the sea.) Taeyong dragged ten and his sister to the observation platform, they would spend the night staring at the stars with occasional chatter. It got to late, and happy tired bodies easily succumb to rest, despite best judgements and sure to come scoldings-
One step two step three step door open one step two step-
Taeyong heard the person before seeing them, suddenly aware of his open nudity and stolen single blanket. They two were all too conscious of each other. It scared him, so he waited for the other to speak first.
“What do they remind you of? The stars?” a shockingly baritone voice until Taeyong turned around, he answered not, for he felt no need for words. The tall man took his glance as permission, yet he was still cautious, to slowly step forward.
The larger man continued, “You look at them with such longing, I was simply curious where the feeling came from.”
Taeyong may have left his past in pain and confusion, but that didn’t mean he lost all his wits. He learned at a young age, people don’t like silence and scurry away from it.
But the man……
He did not, he stood next to Taeyong the whole night, merely asking and retrieving another blanket.
Odd…. but not unwelcome I guess?