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Leehan's awareness crept back to him in bits and pieces.
The first thing he registered was that he was walking— more like being dragged— down the darkened corridors of an unknown dungeon. The lanterns that lit the path caused a sharp ache in his head to make itself known and he flinched away from the light in an effort to alleviate the sensation. A rough hand tightened its grip on him in an effort to keep him moving. He fought against the unfamiliar touch instinctively, albeit clumsily as more pains made themselves known.
Leehan wracked his brain to try and recall the circumstances that had led him there.
He remembered being on the ship… Then a market, maybe? And then the sudden addition of multiple sets of footsteps that echoed in his ears just before it all went dark.
Leehan cried out when the officer shoved him harder than necessary, sending his apparently injured shoulder careening into a wall. Whatever minimal healing the wound had achieved was immediately undone, a fresh gush of blood welling up and adding to the already irreversible damage to his shirt. And he'd really liked this one too.
There was a scuffle behind them. Boots scraped against the stone floor, chains clattering and curses flying as the other guards tried to restrain whoever was causing trouble. A deep growl cut through the ruckus, snarling harshly at the man who'd just pushed him.
"Hey keep your filthy hands off him! He's injured, you fucking asshole!"
The voice was angry— full of venom and promising retribution— but to Leehan it was safe harbor in a storm, the anchor that kept him from floating away on unfamiliar tides. That voice belonged to Taesan. Leehan would know it anywhere. But what was he…—!
The memories came flooding back.
Sungho had sent him and Taesan off to the market to pick up a few last minute supplies they needed before they set sail tomorrow morning. But Woonhak had interrupted their alone time earlier with some nonsense about who was the better swordfighter—him or Jaehyun— that had ended up with all six of them having a sparring contest on the main deck so they'd taken a little detour to make up for that interruption. After they were finished they'd rushed to collect Sungho's requested items before hurrying to return to the ship, lest they be subjected to one of the eldest's famous lectures on the virtues of timeliness.
The navy soldiers had ambushed them in the unlit alleyway they'd ducked down as a shortcut on their way back.
The fight had been brief since they were outnumbered four to one and most of their weapons had remained back on the ship, left behind since they hadn't exactly been expecting to get attacked on a casual supply run. Leehan had been holding his own against a pair of them when another had snuck up behind him and hit him over the head with something heavy. He remembered hearing Taesan shout his name— his real one, the name that so few people called him by nowadays— before everything had gone blurry until just now.
They'd likely taken advantage of Taesan's momentary distraction and managed to subdue him, which was what had led them to the current predicament of being frogmarched through the gallows of some navy base he had no clue as to the location of.
Leehan craned his neck to look behind him, ignoring the renewed throb in his temples as a dizzy smile stretched across his lips when he laid eyes on his love.
There was a particular appeal to the way Taesan looked when he was filled with the desire to shed blood, which he very obviously experiencing at this very moment. His handsome features were cold and vicious as he glared at their captors, jaw clenched so tight that Leehan briefly worried for his teeth.
Shaggy black hair fell into his eyes, thanks to the lack of the bandana he usually used to keep the unruly strands held back. Had he lost it in the fight or had one of the soldiers taken it off of him? Leehan hoped the latter was the case. Jaehyun had gifted that particular one to Taesan for his birthday last year and it was one of his favorites, he'd be quite upset if it was gone forever.
His loose fringe brushed over the long scar that cut through his left eyebrow and stopped just above the top of his cheekbone. Leehan remembered spending days tending to that wound, hovering anxiously behind Riwoo's shoulder every time the healer had come to their quarters to check on Taesan's eye to ensure he didn't lose it to infection.
(That had been several years ago now, though. Back when they'd been fresh faces amidst the members of The Action— a relatively young crew itself at that point in time— just at the edge of their teens with so little knowledge of the world beyond the shores of the island they'd grown up on. It was strange to think that they'd been so green at one point, when now they were some of the most feared pirates on these waters.)
Jewellery decorated nearly every inch of Taesan's body; long fingers laden with chunky rings, chains and various necklaces hung heavily between his collarbones while the multiple silver hoops in his ears sparkled faintly in the muted light provided in the dungeon. Most came from the spoils of past adventures while some were presents that Leehan had spent days scrutinizing in seedy markets scattered across the seas, eager to find the perfect pieces that he knew would suit Taesan's tastes. Taesan cherished each and every one, treating even the smallest of Leehan's gifts like they were the greatest treasures he'd ever seen in his life.
Taesan was intimidatingly tall by most standards. He easily towered over the three men who flanked him with wary expressions. Lean muscle corded his long limbs, deceptively slender when compared to the extraordinary strength that Leehan had witnessed in action more times than he could count. Those muscles were coiled tight right now, ready to lash out at a moment's notice. There was a reason that Taesan and Sungho were the most feared amongst their crew; while their looks and demeanors were largely unassuming, their strength and skill were not something to be trifled with. Especially if you messed with someone they cared about.
The sleeves of his long jacket had been pushed up to his elbows when the soldiers had locked the manacles around his wrists exposing the scores of dark ink imbedded in Taesan's skin like the most beautiful tapestry, the bulk of which was still covered by his clothes. It was a chaotic mass of designs, some crafted by Taesan's own hand, others by Sungho or any countless number of artists they'd happened upon in their adventures. Each one represented a memory that Taesan deemed worthy enough to etch forever into his skin. Leehan had traced each and every one of those lines with his eyes, fingers and mouth so many times he could likely recreate them purely from memory alone.
(The most precious of all of them was Leehan's true name over Taesan's heart written in elegant script. It was the first tattoo Taesan had gotten done and was the partner to the only ink that graced Leehan's otherwise untouched skin, Taesan's birth name in the exact same spot over his own heart. They were an indelible promise that no matter where in the world they were, even if they were apart, they would always carry a piece of each other wherever they went.)
Suffice it to say, Taesan looked every bit like the pirate that he was: lawless, fierce and wild.
There was no way that the soldiers didn't know exactly who they'd captured— Taesan's face was plastered in every port town from Korea to the Americas, not that Leehan was much better. The same could be said for the rest of their friends too since the entire crew of The Action weren't exactly known for their subtlety.
(At least Leehan's bounty didn't state that he was wanted for the crime of "accidentally" eating a fruit that belonged exclusively to a royal family. Woonhak still hadn't lived that one down.)
They had a reputation.
And in their world reputation came with as many allies as it did enemies. Leehan wouldn't be surprised if one of the other crews currently docked on the island had sold them out, just to earn a few extra pieces of gold.
It would explain the ambush. What it didn't explain however, was why— even after knowing who they were and what they were capable of— the soldiers were acting like they were a pair of common criminals and not two sixths of one of the most infamous pirate crews on the Seven Seas.
They'd shackled Taesan's hands in front of him! If he didn't know that it would cause his headache to worsen, Leehan would have rolled his eyes at their stupidity.
Whatever happened next was going to be their own fault.
As if to further prove their idiocy, the officer leading them towards the cells evidently decided not to heed Taesan's warning and grabbed Leehan brusquely by the arm to drag him further down the hall, squeezing purposefully hard enough this time to draw a pained cry out of him.
It was a stupid mistake that would likely be the man's last, if the enraged snarl that ripped out of Taesan's throat said anything.
Leehan didn't have to look back again to know that Taesan headbutted the nearest guard to incapacitate them. He heard the distinct sounds of the remaining two pulling sabres out of their belts that they were swiftly relieved of by Taesan's skilled hands, even shackled as they were. Steel cut through flesh with ferocious precision, the men left choking on their own blood at Taesan's feet. Their dying gasps echoed across the stone walls.
That left just Taesan, Leehan and the lone officer in the dingy hallway.
The man was breathing heavily and stuttering in shock at Taesan's casual display of skill. Leehan felt the grip on his arm tighten again as the officer hauled him to the front in a poor effort to use him as a human shield.
Like that would save him from Taesan's wrath.
Leehan's eyelids fluttered as the blood loss started to get the better of him. Between blinks he saw Taesan's hardened expression flicker, unease and concern heavy in his eyes. He tried to give him a reassuring smile but felt like it came out as more of a half-grimace because his body seemed to have decided it no longer wanted to obey his commands.
He felt like a doll stuffed full of sodden cotton but also weightless at the same time, like he'd float away if he didn't have something to tether him to the ground.
Absently, he thought about the reactions he would receive if he said that thought out loud amongst his friends. Riwoo would likely just smile fondly and maybe ask a few follow-up questions while Jaehyun and Woonhak collapsed to the floorboards clutching their stomachs with laughter. Sungho would probably look at him funny and ask him if his head was screwed on right before joining the pair in hysterics. Taesan would roll his eyes like he was annoyed but there would be affection there that only Leehan would see, warm and heady and directed entirely at Leehan like he was the most precious thing in the entire world.
He really wanted to go home now. The others were probably worried sick; he had no idea how much time had passed since their capture but he imagined that they should've been back on the ship hours ago. He hoped Sungho wouldn't be mad that they'd lost all of the supplies he'd asked for…
Leehan shook his head to try and clear his addled thoughts, though it only served to make his headache even worse.
He watched through squinted eyes as Taesan darted forward in a blur of motion.
Behind him, Leehan felt his captor tense and reach down towards his hip where his gun rested. He used what little energy he had left to throw his body into the man to knock him off balance, pistol clattering to the ground out of his reach, because there was no way in hell he was just going to stand there and allow the man to shoot Taesan. He felt the iron grip on his arm loosen as the officer scrambled to reclaim his weapon and his knees chose that moment to give out entirely.
Instead of meeting the unforgiving embrace of the dirty cobblestone floor like he'd expected, Leehan's head landed against a familiar chest. The scent of ocean air, leather and smoke filled his nose as strong arms closed around him. He smiled into Taesan's shirt and let his lover take his weight as he sagged further into his warmth. He felt Taesan briefly press his lips to the top of his head in a quick act of tenderness.
"I told you not to fucking touch him."
Taesan's voice was cold as ice, a glaring contrast to the gentle way he cradled Leehan with one arm while the other lifted to point the officer's fallen pistol at its previous owner. Leehan didn't flinch when Taesan fired the gun, the shot like the sharp crack of a whip in the enclosed space. There was the dull thud of a body hitting the ground that followed in the aftermath.
Just like Leehan had predicted—his last mistake.
Leehan's everything hurt but it was easy to ignore when Taesan curled his hand under his chin and titled his head up to capture his mouth in a kiss. It was slightly rough and tasted like copper from Taesan's newly-split lip but Leehan loved every second of it nonetheless, even when his head started to spin from a lack of oxygen. He clung to the front of Taesan's shirt and moaned in a mixture of pain and pleasure when he felt his back collide with the cold stone wall. The older's body was a long line of heat against his front as he slipped his skillful tongue into Leehan's mouth. He happily succumbed to the raging tide of Taesan's love, beautiful and all-consuming.
It wasn't the first time they'd made out in the aftermath of a fight and it certainly wouldn't be the last.
"Ah, seriously? Hyung, they're at it again!"
The sudden addition of a new voice caught both of them off guard and they pulled apart quickly. Taesan slotted himself in front of Leehan like a protective shield, body tense and coiled ready to fight as a handful of shapes shifted in the shadows.
Leehan peered over his shoulder and felt a snicker bubble past his lips when Woonhak's frowning face came into view, the ultimate picture of petulant displeasure. Sungho and Jaehyun came next, the concern in their expressions melting into fond exasperation as they took in the scene before them. Riwoo was last and he immediately darted around the dead bodies, shouldering past Taesan who let him by without complaint so that he could check on Leehan.
Leehan closed his eyes as the older's careful hands swept over him, inspecting his injuries and clucking his tongue at each new one he discovered. A strong hand clapped his uninjured shoulder carefully and he opened one eye to meet Sungho's relieved smile.
"When I told you two to take your time last night, this wasn't what I had in mind."
Leehan grinned at him languidly, tension bleeding out of him now that they were surrounded by their friends, "Well you should have been more specific, I guess. You know Taesanie and I never like to do things the easy way, hyung."
Sungho snorted at his purposefully silly response. Worry shone in his dark eyes though as they looked over at Riwoo, who was now in the process of pulling out various cloths and salves from his seemingly endless bag of healing tools so that he could take care of Leehan's wounds. The eldest brought up a hand to carefully brush back the hair out of Leehan's face, thumb grazing lightly over his temple where the ache was still the worst. He was sure there had to be a decent gash there and if it wasn't bruising already, it certainly would be by tomorrow.
"Are you okay? That looks painful."
Leehan leaned into the older's gentle hand, "Been better." His smile softened, a pleased, private thing, "Taesanie was here though, so I wasn't worried. He looked after me."
Riwoo chuckled, shushing him quietly when Leehan whined at the sting of the tincture he applied to the wound on his shoulder, "Doesn't he always?"
Leehan gave a tired nod in agreement and glanced towards the rest of their crew. Woonhak still seemed to be complaining about catching them kissing while Jaehyun was oscillating between teasing the youngest and surreptitiously checking over Taesan to make sure he was okay. He was little worse for wear but aside from some visible bruising and a few scrapes he seemed to be otherwise alright.
Speaking of his lover, Taesan's gaze was intense when Leehan locked eyes with him again.
His dark stare burned as it travelled up and down his body, face stoic as he lingered on the places Riwoo was speedily patching up and frowning worriedly at the others that had yet to be attended to. Leehan could already see a future in which Taesan was going to be hovering over him for the next little while, at the very least until they were back on the ship and sailing out to sea. It would probably be longer though, until purple bruises turned yellow and cuts had become faded scars.
The smile he sent Taesan felt more solid this time and it seemed to soothe him somewhat, face finally softening as he smiled back.
They exited the dungeon to the open-air courtyard and Leehan let out a low, impressed whistle at the amount of bodies that were scattered around the place. Woonhak bumped up against his less injured side affectionately, eyes sparkling mischievously and smiling widely when Leehan nudged him back albeit more stiffly. The bruises around his ribs throbbed harshly when he tripped over a displaced boot, causing him to hiss in pain.
The others went noticeably quiet at the sound, eyes shooting towards him in alarm. Before he could try to comfort them or say something that would overwrite the slight mortification he was currently feeling a pair of arms was around him, lifting him effortlessly up into the air.
"What the— Taesan!"
If he was slightly embarrassed before, his face was probably bright red right now as noises of surprise and amusement from the others filled the air, but despite the self-consciousness he allowed himself to sink into the embrace. He nuzzled into the crook of Taesan's neck as his lover resumed walking out of the base. Their crew quickly fell into step behind him, their voices resuming their usual boisterous conversation with a comforting familiarity.
"I can walk by myself you know…"
His lover was probably tired from all the fighting, both back on the island and in the dungeon just now. And yet he was carrying Leehan without a second of hesitation like he weighed nothing at all. As much as Leehan wanted to fuss about it, he liked it too much to really put his heart into his protests.
Taesan chuckled and kissed the top of his head again. They both ignored the teasing remarks the others made behind them.
"I know you can, baby." His voice dropped lower so that only Leehan could hear, tone turning vulnerable in a way that the older didn't often let show. "But I— I was really worried about you. You wouldn't wake up on the journey over here and I… Just let me have this, okay?"
Leehan nodded. He pressed a reassuring kiss to the hollow under Taesan's jaw and settled back against his chest. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Taesan's ears turn a light shade of red and bit down on a content smile.
The walk to the ship ended up being faster than he'd thought it would be. Or maybe it just felt like that because he'd stopped paying attention, distracted by Taesan's scent wrapping around him and the protective way that he held him close like he worried someone would try to take him again. It was always endearing, the quiet ways that Taesan showed his care. The contrast between the Taesan of these moments and the way he presented himself to the outside world was charming and, in Leehan's opinion, irresistibly adorable.
The sheets of their bed were cool and welcoming when Taesan set him down in them. Leehan let his lover fuss, arranging the covers around him carefully after helping him out of his ruined shirt and pants leaving him just in his smallclothes. The older moved back like he was planning to step away but Leehan caught him by his belt before he could get too far, tugging at it insistently until Taesan sighed heavily with a fond roll of his eyes and gave into it.
He dropped his jacket onto the floor and kicked off his boots with a relieved groan. Leehan watched as he stripped his shirt off and tossed it down next to his jacket. He didn't bother with his pants, instead falling down next to Leehan with enough force that the mattress bounced slightly underneath them. He snuggled into Taesan's side and automatically reached out to trace the compass inked over the curve of his ribs. Taesan exhaled, long and slow, body finally relaxing under the light touch.
They were safe now, the military base slowly fading into the distance behind the ship as their crew— their family— guided them away from it. It was early in the day yet, the sun's light streaming in through the small porthole in their room, but sleep came to them easily, the exhaustion of the last day hitting them both as they curled into each other's arms in the safety of the place where they belonged.
They were home.