pirate king (pirate!au) ➵ ateez ✔️

new

The Treasure stops at Tortuga.

After the Cayman Islands, your captain has ordered the crew to set sail for Tortuga once more, sailing up the Windward passage between Santiago De Cuba and Hispaniola, citing the need to replenish supplies at the pirate town and get repairs on the Treasure done. And sailing is uneventful... for most part. It seems like the skies have finally cleared now, soft blue both in the sky above and the sea beneath, and you're enjoying the feeling of the sea breeze on your cheeks as you lie back on the forecastle deck with the morning sun gently warming your skin.

It's been a chaotic past few days, with constant worries taking a toll on your mind and the threat of Commander Kang taking you back to the Royal Navy on your mind. Unfortunately, you realise that you never quite got the chance to ask him why the Royal Navy wanted you, but there was nothing you could do about it now. On the bright side, though, your master had announced to the crew that the poison had successfully been treated with the antidote that Commander Kang had provided, and with sufficient food, water and rest, the young battlemaster would make a full recovery over time. He was fine, the ship would be alright, Commander Kang would no longer hunt you down, and everyone was happy.

"Why do you look upset?"

Well, perhaps not everyone.

You don't bother opening your eyes, recognising that voice with your ears alone. A small, meaningless smile quirks up one corner of your lips, more for his benefit than any real happiness, you've had a lot to think about, but neither do you really want to face them at all. Instead, you ask, "Are we there yet?"

"Captain says we should be reaching any time soon now." Jongho replies, the younger battlemaster taking a seat next to you on the deck, you can hear the planks creaking under his weight. Hongjoong had spoken about stopping by a small village along the coast of Cuba to stock up on fresh water before making the sail to Tortuga, but while the rest of the crew have been chattering excitedly about going onto land once more, some discussing about the things they want to buy Yunho to cheer him up while he's still confined to bed rest, but even though you try, you can't seem to build up any enthusiasm about it in the least.

"You still haven't answered my question." Jongho says abruptly, and you sigh, fondly exasperated, Jongho has always had a penchant for being straightforward and unabashed in asking questions that need to be asked. The silence drags on between the two of you, and finally you accept that Jongho is insistent on not leaving until you give him a satisfactory answer. Cracking open your eyes, you tilt your head to the left to look at the younger battlemaster, he's sitting cross legged with his cutlass lying across his lap, eyes fixed firmly on the ocean before you. In the distance, you see a line across the horizon, that must be the coastal village your captain had spoken about.

"I'm fine." You let your eyes slip shut once more, and you don't even need to see Jongho's expression to know he doesn't believe you in the least. You hear a clearly disbelieving snort escape him and your chest shakes slightly in amusement.

"You haven't been talking to Sanie-hyung for the past few days either." He adds on bluntly, and a soft breath escapes you involuntarily; he's noticed? Although, you suppose, it must have pretty obvious, you and your master used to be joined at the hip, and now, you can't even look him in the eye without seeing the pain there.

Pain you caused.

"I'm fine." You repeat again, more softly this time, as if you find it difficult to believe your own words. "I'm just..." You pause, rolling the breath around on the tip of your tongue as you attempt to find an appropriate word for it, "I'm just... tired."

Tired is the best word you can come up with at the moment. You're tired of so much, of the constant worrying if each day will be your last, of the repeated pushing away of your master even as he tries to convince you to tell your captain about your condition, of what will happen to them once you... once you...