Min Yoongi was born with the sea in his blood. His mother—a pirate just like his father—was a force to be reckoned with. She'd battled countless pirates and soldiers alike, survived the wildest storms and the highest tides. But after all her victories, it was the curse of childbirth that stole her final breath.
Yoongi's father did not hold the same strength as she. He tried for some years to be the best parent he could be, tried to veer away from danger as he raised his son, but his lover's absence left a gaping hole in his heart, same as the shot that took his life one bloody night.
With no parents left at so young, the surviving crew regrettably dropped Yoongi off at a neutral port in the hopes to keep him from the same fate as his family. But the boy already had the salt of the ocean coursing through his veins, and his destiny was sealed. At the age of thirteen, he carved his path right back onto a ship where he belonged. Lying about how old he was, he convinced the captain to hire his help. Over the years, he grew in skill not only with sailing, but also swordsmanship and piracy.
By the time he was eighteen, Yoongi had proven himself a loyal companion, a capable fighter, and a respectable pirate in the eyes of the crew. His captain made him first mate, but the position was short-lived. After coming out victorious in a perilous encounter with other pirates, the captain allowed Yoongi to take the second ship as his own if he so desired. The young man only hesitated long enough to hug his mentor, then he was boarding the vessel. After a few crew members helped him sail to the most well-known pirate port, they left Yoongi on his journey as a new captain.
The greatest part about his new ship was that it could be sailed with only a few helping hands. All he had to do was find souls willing to join him.
In a tavern filled with blaring music, anarchic dancing, and drunken outbursts, Yoongi searched for his first crew member. He took time to lean against the wall and observe the pirates there. It didn't take long for him to spot the young, tall boy who sat at a table with a stack of books in front of him.
Yoongi watched the boy stand after an older pirate whispered something in his ear. A smirk played on the boy's lips as he brushed past the pirate and backed away from a wooden beam that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. He held his hand out, and the pirate tossed a dagger to him. The younger raised the dagger back near his shoulder and his ear, then with only a half-second delay, he launched the blade and it spun through the air before hitting the bullseye carved into the beam. The older pirate grumbled under his breath as he struggled to rip the dagger out of the wood, then he walked up to the boy and dropped a bag of gold coins into his palm.
As the boy went to return to his seat, Yoongi crossed the dim room and greeted him.
"How can you possibly be focused on reading in a place like this?" the newfound captain shouted above the noise as he took the seat across from him.
The boy, probably only a year younger than Yoongi, lifted a brow as he glanced up at his visitor. "I'm not reading. I'm studying."
Yoongi narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the papers under the boy's hands, finding a map. "You trying to get somewhere?"
"Are you trying to mind your own business?"
Yoongi snickered. "No. I saw how good you were with that dagger. Impressive aim for someone so young."
The boy had returned to studying his map, not even bothering to look up as he spoke. "We're nearly the same age. Now are you going to continue pestering me, or will you leave?"
"Where'd you learn to handle a blade like that?"
"Why do you care?" The boy glanced up again, sighing when he received no answer. "I was raised with pirates. They taught me everything I know."
Yoongi grinned and let out a breathy laugh. "We've got a lot in common already. And seeing as you're so interested in the sea," he gestured to the part of the map the boy had been studying, "I'd say you could use a captain willing to let you on his ship."
Those words demanded the boy's full attention. "Do you have a captain? Is he looking for more to join his crew?"
"I am the captain. And you're the first member of my crew, if you'll accept."
The boy's mouth parted as he stared at Yoongi. Then, gradually, his mouth shifted into a smile until he was laughing. "You-You expect me to believe you have your own ship? And even if that's true, you think I'd join you when you've not a single person with you yet?"
Yoongi pursed his lips. "Listen— What's your name?"
"Namjoon."
"Listen, Namjoon. We're both young. We both want to live out on the water. Yes, you'd be the first one to join me, but we'll find others too. We only need a few to man my ship, and that's the beauty of it. I don't aim to have my own army. I'm not interested in burning down villages. I just want to roam and steal what we need to make do. This is about freedom, not power." Yoongi straightened up, holding Namjoon's gaze. "So tell me, are you interested?"
Namjoon held his eyes, and slowly, he began to smirk.
With his first crew member by his side, Yoongi went on searching for another suitable companion. He wasn't interested in any old pirates. He sought young blood who could relate to him and respect him as a leader without feeling entitled to take his position. He wanted to build a family he could count on long past the initial excitement of setting sail.
The rest of those in the tavern held no promise, so after an hour, the pair left and wondered if there might be another future crewmate farther into town.
The second person Yoongi found interest in was a young man who rammed right into him after only a few steps toward town. While the person was offering flustered apologies, Yoongi observed him.
Only a year or two older. From a well-off family by the looks of his clothing. Well-built, with shoulders that likely couldn't even fit past the doorframe of the captain's quarters. Strong.
"What's your name?" Yoongi inquired in the middle of his apology.
The young man blinked. "Seokjin."
"Where are you heading to in such a hurry?"
Seokjin rubbed the back of his neck, offering no answer.
Yoongi's eyes narrowed. "The tavern? You don't seem like the type."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked a frowning Seokjin.
"You just would look a bit out of place in there," Namjoon said. "What's your interest in pirates anyway?"
"Well, I just... it's none of your concern!"
"Would you still say that if you knew that I've got my own ship?" Yoongi held nothing back. There was no point in beating around the bush. If he scared him off, he wasn't a good fit anyway.
But Seokjin's expression brightened. "Are... Are you picking up a crew?"
"Depends on what you've got to prove."
"What? Why would—"
"It's obvious." Namjoon shrugged.
Seokjin sighed as he eyed them both, swiping away the hair that sweat had plastered to his temple. "Let's just say I lost someone important to me, and their reasoning was that I'm too much of a coward to do anything noteworthy. So I'm trying to do something noteworthy."
It was silent for a while, then Yoongi offered his hand. "You're perfect."
* * *
After spending a day on the docked ship teaching Seokjin the most essential ropes of sailing, the trio set off to get to the next port over. They eventually made it there in one piece, but it was clear that a couple of extra hands were needed.
The port was another neutral territory where pirates kept their word to not raid the town so long as they were also met with peace and given a place to stay. The connected village was unshaded, and the sun blazed its heat onto their backs as they walked. The plan was to spend a day or two at the local inn, wash up, and get a few supplies with the little currency Yoongi's former captain had given him. Within that time, they would continue to scout for more crew.
The first night went by without luck. They tried scouring the village for able bodies, but none were willing to join them.
It wasn't until morning that Yoongi set eyes on her. As he strolled onto the dock, he spotted a girl with crossed arms, pacing back and forth in front of his ship. The closer he got, the more he noted her beauty. A silky curtain of charcoal hair falling to her waist. Ivory skin, round lips, a small nose. Yoongi wondered how a creature so lovely even existed.
"Do you know who owns this ship?" she asked as soon as she noticed him.
Yoongi cleared his throat. "I do. Why?"
"You do know who owns it? Where are they?"
"No, I own it. It's mine."
Her eyebrow quirked. "You're the captain? But you're so young."
Yoongi scowled. "No younger than you."
She stared at him for a moment, placing her hands on her hips. "Can I come with you to wherever you go? I don't care where."
"Why would you want to?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Does it matter? I'm willing to pay for passage."
Yoongi clicked his tongue, giving her a once-over. "I don't know if you're cut out for sailing. We'd need you to lend us a hand."
She scoffed. "Why would you need my help?"
The edge of Yoongi's mouth curved upward as he held her almond brown eyes. "Does it matter? I'm willing to let you come."
The girl bit her lip to keep her smile veiled. She nodded, stepped closer, and lifted her hand out to shake his. "I'm Dawon, by the way."
"Yoongi."
Their gazes lingered on one another, but the moment was broken when rapid footsteps pounded on the wood of the dock. The two of them turned to face the noise, finding a franic male with dark hair and a billowing white shirt sprinting toward them.
"Dawon!" the runner yelled as he grew closer. He slowed to a stop when he was right in front of them, panting through a heaving chest.
"You can't stop me, Hobi. Not this time. Just go back to father."
The male shook his head as he took another step near her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm not here to stop you. I'm coming with you."
Her face instantly lit up. She placed her hand on his. "Are you sure?" she whispered.
He smiled softly at her, then he pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Wherever you go, I'll go too."
Yoongi awkwardly cleared his throat again, causing the male to release Dawon and look at him instead. "Oh, right. Who are you? Is this your ship?"
"Sure is. And I suppose I'm the one letting you board it, as long as you're willing to pull your weight."
"If that's what it takes. What's the name?"
"Yoongi. Yours?"
"I'm Hoseok."
* * *
Once Hoseok and Dawon joined the crew, things fared better aboard the ship. Their help was all they needed, though Yoongi worried it was only temporary. But time went on, and the siblings seemed to not only adjust to their new way of life, but to thrive in it. Talk of finding some place to part ways ceased after a few weeks, and Yoongi took that as a sign that Dawon was content enough to stay.
A few months later, Yoongi brought his crew to a coastal village in which he knew the local tavern keeper. Having made a deal with him back when he was with the other captain, Yoongi wanted to maintain their agreement with his new crew.
The pirates brought crates of alcohol they'd gotten hold of in one way or another, and the tavern keeper was more than happy to offer them a place to wash up and stay overnight. However, as Yoongi was roaming the center of the village with Seokjin, a pair of boys a couple years younger than them ran up and stuck to their sides.
No matter how many times Yoongi grumbled for them to go away, the boys continued to press him with questions about what it was like to be a pirate. They introduced themselves as Jungkook and Taehyung, and they began making cases for why they'd be perfect additions to the crew.
Yoongi and Jin eventually escaped them, and they were able to enjoy their night in the upper loft. But when morning came and the group was walking through the village on their way to the ship, the two pesky boys caught up to them again, pleading for Yoongi to take them along.
Yoongi stopped and took a careful look at them. Both appeared strong enough, but it was the longing for exploration twinkling in their eyes that caught his attention. They were just like him and the others.
So the captain allowed them to finish making their cases, and they proceeded to swear that they were capable, that they would work hard, and that they were positive they wanted to leave. And after glancing at his current crew, Yoongi turned back to the boys and accepted.
Within a year, the team had bonded over their time on the ship, as well as shared raiding adventures. The more Yoongi learned about each of them, the more sure he was that he'd found the right people—or that the right people had found him.
But there was something about Dawon that drew Yoongi in more than the others. It wasn't that she was a woman. No, it was that her every step was made with confidence and her every word held wit. Everything she did, she did with intention and care. She lived each day like it was her last, and Yoongi revered her for it.
One serene night, after the crew had spent hours practicing their swordsmanship, everyone but the captain and Dawon went off to bed. Occasional creaking sounded as the waters lapped against the side of the ship. The wood of the deck was lit by a few lanterns and yellow starlight. They were anchored in what felt like the center of an endless world of ocean, but there was a sense of wonder to feeling that small, rather than any fear.
"To think that I never planned on staying here," Dawon murmured as she came up beside Yoongi.
Both of them stared out at the ripples reflecting moonlight. A warm breeze tousled their hair, and Yoongi glanced at her profile.
"I'd always hoped you would end up staying."
She turned to meet his face, smiling softly. "How could I not? After getting to know everyone, tasting that freedom... I couldn't imagine fitting anywhere else."
Yoongi tilted his head as he contemplated what to say to her. "I used to feel so sure that my place was here, on the open water. I knew it since I was young, even when life tried to push me away from it. But now... I can't imagine fitting here anymore if you weren't around."
Dawon's brows knitted together as she stared up at him. "Do I mean that much to you?"
His nod was barely noticeable. "Even more."
"Yoongi," she whispered while her hands found their way to the cold leather of his coat. "I can't imagine being without you either."
Both knew what they were truly saying, and Yoongi didn't need her to elaborate further. His heart soared even more than when he first learned to sail. As he took in every detail of her expression, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer until their foreheads met. They paused, both closing their eyes and savoring the intimacy of that moment.
Yoongi mumbled just low enough for her to hear, "Be with me."
"Always," she replied.
Then their lips met.
They spent their remaining days as fellow pirates, friends, and lovers. But those days were limited more than either knew.
Only just over a year of being together, their ship fell under the attack of other pirates. It was a bloodbath of a battle with the clashing of swords, the deafening shots of pistols, and the gut-wrenching noise of blades tearing through flesh, but the sound of her strangled scream was what rattled Yoongi deep to his bones.
He looked up just in time to see the sword pull out of her chest, and her watery eyes found his before she fell over the edge.
Yoongi hardly processed the sound of his own screams. Hoseok soon joined him, but they had to finish their fight.
Later—too late—Yoongi killed the last pirate standing in his way, and he sprinted to where she'd fallen. He gripped the railing and clenched his teeth as he stared down at the water, but there was no sign of her. She was gone.
My fault. Yoongi's shoulders shook as his knuckles went white. Should've protected her.
Before he could continue torturing himself, he thought he saw something glimmer under the surface. When he blinked, it vanished.
Hoseok and the rest finished off their opponents and ran up beside him seconds later. Hoseok dove in after her, but he found nothing. Yoongi couldn't be sure how long they all stood listening to the sobs of a grieving brother. He supposed his own cries were heard too.
* * *
Dawon's absence left a cloud of grief over each of them. Things were quieter without her. The wind filled the sails but failed to lift their spirits. The sea sprayed their cheeks but failed to wash their tears.
It took months for them to begin healing. Eventually, they started to put effort into living normally again. Yoongi had remained in a haze all that time, until he discovered a single ray of clarity one night at a tavern.
What cleared some of the fog was overhearing the bartender recounting a tale of sirens to the pirate sitting beside him. Yoongi listened with his head down, clinging to every detail: sirens were devious and difficult to kill as they could heal in an instant. They had powers, and claims of their abilities ranged from controlling the tides to locating any human's desire. They were beautiful, with skin like gold, eyes like a cat, and fins like shining liquid metal.
Was that the glimmer he'd seen under the surface that day?
The bartender went on, speaking about a cursed kiss that would swap a siren's form with a human's, and Yoongi felt hope awakening him. He couldn't be sure, but he had to believe that somehow that's what happened to Dawon. And if it was true, he swore to himself that he would find a way to get her back, even if it meant switching places with her.
* * *
Time never mended the brokenness in each of the pirates, but they did manage to get back to a place of relative acceptance. They resumed their adventures over the next few years, but Yoongi still refused to believe Dawon was dead.
On a morning when the rising sun brought along a surgence of cold and bitter wind, the captain and his crew steered their ship along the coastline near the mainland. Deciding against making port, they rounded a rocky bend of cliffs. As they started to sail away from the land, Taehyung abruptly shouted.
"Wait! Is...Is that a person?"
The crew looked at him strangely.
"What are you talking about?" Namjoon asked.
"Up there!" Taehyung pointed toward the top of the nearest cliff.
Everyone rushed to the side of the ship to look at the towering ledge.
"Hell, is that a girl?"
Yoongi was last to get there, but when he spotted the silhouette of what looked like a girl wearing a dress, his stomach dropped.
"What is she doing? That's way too close—"
Horrified gasps filled the air as she fell from the ledge and crashed hard into the ocean at the bottom.
"Drop anchor!" Yoongi yelled as his adrenaline spiked. When no movement came, he roared, "NOW!"
Then before the anchor even hit the bottom, the captain tore his outer coat off, kicked off his boots, and dove into the water. He swam as fast as he could to where she'd hit, then he held his breath and went under to search for her. With only the first rays of daylight, he was barely able to make out her shadow. He pushed deeper to reach her, hooking his arms around her torso. As he began pulling her up toward the surface, a glaring shimmer flashed in the distance, just like when Dawon fell.
Ignoring what he saw, he swam harder until breaking out of the water and gasping for air. His muscles burned as he tried to keep her head above the surface while he made his way back to the ship. As soon as he was near, the crew tossed out a rope for him to grab. Tightening his hold, he yelled the go-ahead, and they pulled the two of them up over the railing.
Yoongi grunted as he kept her from falling, and Jungkook helped move her unconscious body onto the deck. With water dripping off of him, the captain stumbled over and fell to his knees in front of her, carefully lifting her head onto his lap to prop her up. The others gathered around her as Yoongi searched for a breath.
"Come on," he said as he brushed her damp hair away from her face.
He froze for a second at how much she looked like Dawon. Then she coughed and sputtered up water, and her hazel eyes flew open, reminding him that it wasn't her. Still, he was relieved as he watched her take a deep breath. The girl looked at all of the men surrounding her, then her gaze met his and lingered there.
"W-who are you? she gasped raspily.
Yoongi's heart softened as he heard the fear in her voice. "I'm Min Yoongi, the captain of this ship. And this is my crew." He gestured to the five men around her.
She blinked and her breathing grew more rapid. "What am I doing here?"
Yoongi felt a frown etch onto his face. "We saw you jump from that cliff. You were...drowning. I couldn't just let you die."
"Thanks," she muttered.
Something in her seemed so conflicted, and Yoongi felt an inexplicable empathy for her. "Do you want us to take you back home now? Just tell us where to take you."
The girl slowly sat up with Yoongi's help, and she glanced at each of the pirates before shaking her head. She turned to look back at him, and the tears in her eyes sent a pang through his chest.
"I have no home."
So he gave her a home.
It took a while for Katherine to feel at ease with them, but she accepted when they offered to let her stay. Yoongi watched her from afar, observing as she went from a frightened, lost girl to a courageous, capable pirate.
Hoseok had commented in private to Yoongi how difficult it was to be around her due to the resemblance she shared with his late sister. Yoongi agreed, though the ache in his heart upon seeing Katherine dulled the more he came to know who she was.
Katherine was like a song that drifted in the wind and refreshed the men's spirits. Her presence, her melody, brought life back to the ship. And though Yoongi never gave up hope for Dawon, over the next four years, a portion of his heart did fall for the woman he saved.
But then a storm and a swarm of vicious sirens came, and with them, the captain's chance to save his first love—if she was still out there.
• • •
Author's Note:
I hope you enjoyed this deeper glimpse into Yoongi's story! I want to thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for supporting this story and me. I am beyond grateful to see this book at 800k now. Wow. Way past anything I ever dreamed when I first sat down to write this story, so thank you, both old and new readers.
Please take care of yourselves, and I'll see you either in the next Beastly Beauty update or back here for the upcoming bonus chapter! Thinking I might skip to the role swap next ;) who's ready for some siren Katherine and human Jimin?