Chapter Text
Jongho was over it.
The waves were rocking the Aurora violently, rain pelting down on the deck and worst of all he wasn’t allowed to do anything to help. Hongjoong was securing the sails and Seonghwa was doing something with the sails along with him. Who knew what the rest of the crew were doing, Yunho was probably doing something with the cargo and Wooyoung and San had long since been banned from helping during storms. Yeosang most likely was in the cabins somewhere probably just where Jongho couldn’t see him and Mingi was wrapped around Jongho. His long body holding the shorter male in place despite the fact that he wanted to be up and helping the others. Mingi slept like a rock, the storm not disturbing him at all.
Usually Jongho would be up running around the deck in the storm, helping secure any loose cargo or doing anything that needed to be done before anything was lost to the sea. But since the last two moons Jongho had not been allowed to do anything on the ship. Everyone was considering him fragile since they discovered he was with a child. Jongho didn’t understand, sure he was with a child but that didn’t mean he couldn’t lift anything. Yeosang had long since barred him from doing any work, not even allowing him up onto the deck if the winds had picked up too much.
“Mingi-ah, please I want up” Jongho whispered a little too loud in the room full of silence. The older had his arms wrapped around the youngest and had him lightly tucked into his chest. Usually this is a position that Jongho would stay in for hours especially since he wasn’t allowed to do much on the Aurora. However, since waking up to the storm and the ship rocking all around was twisting Jongho’s stomach into all types of upset. He wanted to be able to just say it was an upset stomach but he knew realistically that it was the pregnancy.
Mingi wasn’t moving but Jongho had more that decided he was. Pushing Mingi’s arms off him and scooting forwards, Jongho pulled himself off of the cot. Right now he knew it wasn’t hard for him to get up and that it would only get worse but the youngest knew it would only get worse.
Walking up to the deck Jonho was prepared for the long arms that seemed to instantly wrap around him. Yunho immediately pulled Jongho into his side.
“Who let you up here, little brat” Yunho was quick to ask and Jongho sighed.
“I have walking legs, I let myself up here thank you” he grumbled but allowed the giant to hug him.
“Working legs and orders to stay away from the deck during storms” Yunho laughed before calling out for the captain.
Hongjoong looks over from the sail and upon seeing the maknae a cross look came upon his face. Jongho felt his heart stop a little, the captain looked so upset about seeing the maknae on the deck. He didn’t want to be a bother, the storm was settling down some and he wanted the fresh air. As much as he loved Mingi and waking up in his arms it was a suffocating feeling and the fresh air was what he really needed to feel better. The captain would probably argue and say ‘It’s too dangerous for you up here, you need to go below deck’. Jongho felt a knot form at the back of the throat at the single thought.
“Do I need to say anything” the Captain was quick to ask and Jongho just shook his head. He didn’t want the lecture, he just didn’t want to be trapped below deck where he felt suffocated and useless. The lecture from the captain would help all of nothing. He knew they were just trying to protect him but he felt so useless. What was the point of being kept on the ship if he could do all of nothing to help the other members of the crew.
“Can I please stay up here, I’ll stay out of sight. Someone can sit here and make sure I don't do anything wrong but please, please let me stay up here” Jongho begged to the hardened ideas of the captain.
Hongjoong sighed looking down at the youngest mate of his crew. He didn’t want Jongho on the deck. It wasn’t because he didn’t trust the youngest and he did miss having him on the deck but he was so worried about the youngest. Being with a child was something so special and never had a member of Aurora been able to be with a child. He just wanted the youngest to be safe, but the face the youngest was making really did make his heart hurt. He didn’t want him to be upset but his safety would always be the first priority.
“No Jongho, it isn’t safe for you to be up here” The captain eventually responded much to Jonghos distress. He felt his heart drop and tried his hardest to keep his eyes from watering. He didn’t want to do this, he didn’t want to be stuck below deck like always. He couldn’t disobey his captain though, this man had risked so much to take care of him. He wouldn’t disobey him like that.
Jongho turned around and slowed started the trek to go back below deck. Yunho slowly let his grip on the youngest go. He didn’t want to watch Jongho go below deck, he could see just how much Jongho was going insane below deck but he didn’t want the youngest to get hurt either. Hoonjoong was really just doing the right thing to keep him safe, a baby aboard the Aurora would be amazing and Jongho will be an amazing mother. It just threw off the whole crew, no one was expecting anyone to get pregnant much less the ‘macho man’ youngest. Sure Hongjoong was being a little overprotective but really Jongho was everyone’s baby. He was the youngest, they had been around to watch him grow. He was gonna have a kid, that was dangerous. So much could go wrong during this pregnancy especially with being pirates.
Watching the kid slowly make his way go below deck Yunho could feel his heart break. It was for the best but poor Jongho looked like he would rather die than go below deck.
Jongho felt like crying, he hated this so much. He used to be the one climbing into the Crows Nest during storms to help direct the ship, now he wasn’t even allowed to be on deck during strong winds. It’s like the whole crew was just holding him hostage below deck. All because he was pregnant, he hated it. In this crew he felt like the baby had more rights than him on the ship, no one was worried about if Jongho was alright, they just assumed as long as the baby was alright Jongho was alright.
He hated it, not wanting to go back to where Mingi was hopefully still sleeping; Jongho dropped into a knell and let the tears fall. He was so over this, Was it worth having a child if he wasn’t allowed to do anything? It was like as soon as he got pregnant everyone could make better choices than him. No one wanted to listen to anything he got to say. It was like he was nothing more than a carrier for this kid. He hated it. He felt so foreign in his own body.
Jongho wasn’t upset to be pregnant, don’t misunderstand. He was proud to be able to carry a child and was excited to do so but everyone was treating him so weird now. He wasn’t allowed to do anything he used to and everyone was so overprotective. He couldn’t even sleep alone. Seonghwa often slept with him and if not Seonghwa than Wooyoung. Wooyoung never wanted to sleep with anyone other than San or Yeosang, despite all the 8 member crew being in relationships together the three of them were so close than usually didn’t change up sleep arrangements for anyone. Now typically Jongho had a Wooyoung sleeping with him, the older usually had an arm wrapped Jongho and was curled into him breathing on his neck.
Jongho let a bitter smile come onto his face, despite everyone being all over him they had yet to notice that he was starting to show. It was really only a small amount, it just looked like he overate but to Jongho it was everything. He really was going to have a child, the small swell of his stomach showing him just how little the crew really paid attention to him. It was slightly obvious in his clothes and he had yet to steal larger ones from anyone else right now. They all needed their clothes so much more than him, they were actually working on the Aurora. He wasn’t doing anymore more than being a burden for the others so there was no way he would be willing to borrow anyone else’s clothes right now.
He wasn’t going to let his distress be obvious to everyone around him on the ship. Jongho stood up with a small sigh and hesitated on what to do next. He didn’t want to go below deck, it was a miserable experience and he had enough of it but he wasn’t allowed on deck. He didn't really have an idea on what he wanted to do at that moment, should he risk being yelled at and go back above deck?
Picturing Hongjoong’s face Jongho sighed and slowly started his trek back down below the deck. He wanted nothing less than to stay above deck, he would even accept someone holding him the entire time. He just wanted to be in the fresh air right now. He felt awful, full of stuffy air, his hips were throbbing and his stomach was still in his throat and he wasn’t even allowed up on deck.
They said he couldn’t be on deck but no one had ever said he had to go to the cabins, Jongho slowly made his way down to Cargo. At least there he could be alone. Most likely no one had anything they needed so the youngest maybe would be able to lay down and attempt to go back to sleep without anyone holding down. Who knew maybe the floor would ease some of the ache of his hips. Jongho settled down on his black, a quiet sigh escaping him as his back pressed flat on the floor. Closing his eyes he settled down and laid still until he was able to drift to sleep, pressed in a unlit corner of the cargo storage.