Hongjoong couldn't sleep the night before they planned their marriage ceremony. He tossed and turned until Seonghwa wrapped an arm around him, whispering to calm down. The pirate scowled at the gentle grip and soothing words, feeling reprimanded like a child.
But he at least stopped fretting and closed his eyes to rest up as much as he could. In the morning, he felt haggard, but the barely veiled joy on Seonghwa's features made for a surprising distraction. His eyes glowed with glee, as if a lifelong dream was coming true. Though relieved Seonghwa found the joy his work restricted him from before, it also made the pirate nervous. He didn't want to ruin things for Seonghwa. Wanted him to relish those rare occasions.
After they packed their bundles with everything necessary, Hongjoong donned his new clothes. Seonghwa had purchased them for him. An elegant, fitted pair of black pants and a white shirt. Hongjoong figured he would get a coat to go with them, but Seonghwa asked him to wear his fur-lined captain's coat instead. Since it was hot out, Hongjoong slung it over his arm on the way through the forest.
Seonghwa wore his uniform. The long beige coat and his black corset to pinch it around his waist. His top two buttons were undone to expose his sleek collarbone and the dip of his chest. Though he combed his grey hair back, some of it had escaped its rigid shape and hung over his left eye. Such intense eyes today. Stormy with their passion and their joy. Chasing shivers down Hongjoong's eyes whenever they briefly glanced at each other.
Though other attire was usual for a wedding, Seonghwa readily let go of some customs in his past. Had learned their deception with the pirate's input. He hung in the past, of their vision as opposing captains. Gazed fondly upon those memories.
These appearances were a throwback to a distant past of hatred and spite. Looking back, Hongjoong believed everything had changed. Seonghwa reminisced the same time by having them wear these clothes on his most important day?
Where had all his spite for this man gone? Their mutual frustration? How often had they saved each other and ran into each other's arms until the thought of marriage consumed their minds?
Hongjoong glanced away into the colourful tropical plants and wildlife around them. He heard his heart thumping in his chest all morning.
A few days ago, while Seonghwa went to the town, Hongjoong found a gorgeous spot in the jungle. Among towering trees with bright orange blossoms and bushes with leaves larger than their bodies, hid a small pond. The water was crystal clear and rich in its turquoise. Illuminated by the sparse rays of light falling through the trees to paint the surface with mysterious patterns, it carried an air of magic. Untouched by all other forces, it awaited them with shining glory.
Hongjoong hoped Seonghwa liked it. The alternative had been marrying at the beach with the view over the ocean, but this spot was more private.
When they finally dipped under the last leaves of lush green and the vision unveiled, Hongjoong nervously gnawed on his lip. Cabezon stepped ahead to take in the clearing with wide eyes. Ready to turn around if he didn't like it, Hongjoong lingered near the path they took.
A nearby tree unravelled white and yellow angular blossoms across the water's surface. Decorating it with a sprinkle of colour they rarely got to see out on the ocean. They smelled sweet, luring in fluttering birds to get a taste.
It was pretty, but it wasn't them. If Seonghwa preferred what he knew, Hongjoong would gladly suit their setting to their stormy past as two captains.
But when Seonghwa turned, the crooked grin on his features was overjoyed. So handsome and free.
"I love it," he smiled, showing off his well-kept teeth and the shine of his eyes. "This is stunning. Thank you for finding it, plunderer."
Hongjoong coughed into his collar.
"It ain't the briney deep, so..." He mumbled, unsure if Seonghwa would agree just for the sake of it.
But Seonghwa lowered his bundle to the ground and beckoned Hongjoong to come closer.
"Let the location be special for this occasion when our clothes aren't."
A weight lifted off Hongjoong's chest. He joined Seonghwa's side and dropped the things he had carried. Bowls and rations to have their meal over here. When he dipped a hand into the pond, its water was clear of the ocean's salty tang. It would be ideal for cooking and enjoying themselves in.
When the captain visibly hesitated about what was to come next, Seonghwa guided him by holding out his hands. He was well aware Hongjoong was foreign to the marriage customs of the mainland. And since they were heavily influenced by the church, Seonghwa also lost some joy with them. Their documents were signed and the Lord would never accept the two as lovers. So it was only fair that they created their very own ritual.
"Do nay make me blabber nonsense," Hongjoong growled when he slapped his hands into Seonghwa's, unwillingly allowing him to hold them. The jack tar chuckled at him, but the fondness of his eyes was unbearably warm.
"I won't. I know everything you might have to say already."
Humiliated, Hongjoong stared at the pretty pond. Seonghwa's laughter was softer than usual, not so sadistic. This tenderness was almost embarrassing for them.
"Let's seal the deal with the time spent here today. Gifts and good food. An embrace only we know of?"
"What makes this different from any other night?" The pirate grumbled, but he was shushed.
"The meaning of it, you foolish pirate. Just go along with it if you can't come up with something yourself because the sun and the sea fried your brain."
That brought the smirk back to Hongjoong's lips. He allowed Seonghwa to tug him closer, coy under his attentive eyes.
"Might 'ave been the slap o' the enemy o' the depths as well."
"You have many reasons to tend to madness," Seonghwa affirmed, as if he were any different. As if this wasn't a look in the mirror for them both.
Drawn by this glow, Hongjoong leaned in to meet Seonghwa for a kiss. They sighed into each other, enamoured by the privacy of the cove and the song of its birds. Seonghwa's lips were soft when he tugged Hongjoong's coat around his shoulders, letting it rest there for his ideal vision. Hongjoong didn't bother with the sleeves in the humid forest. When he pulled back from Seonghwa's lips, his hand dropped onto his waist as Seonghwa fiddled something out of the bundle he had carried. Curious, Hongjoong peered at the unravelling band of leather.
"I have a gift for you. A promise for each other. I saw it at the marketplace and had to think of you."
Seonghwa placed the item in his palm for Hongjoong to investigate. A disbelieving smile dashed over the pirate's lips.
Attached to the band of leather sat a round moonstone; so similar to that necklace he wanted to get for Seonghwa. It was dreamy in its hue, reminiscing a stormy sea, or perhaps the billowing cloud thundering above it.
What irony.
And how typical of them to have the same eye for things.
"I did nay bring one fer ye." Hongjoong had no opportunity to make something for Seonghwa. He considered carving a ring from wood, but his spouse had been too impatient. Too eager to make this dream come true. Sighing wistfully while Hongjoong fretted nothing was enough for the commodore used to grand luxury and courtly ladies with their beautiful adornments.
Turns out Seonghwa preferred the gritty pirate he loved to scuttle. That he needed nothing else if Hongjoong was there.
Seonghwa lifted his wrist to unveil the bracelet he never stopped wearing, even during sleep.
"I have this. Back then already, I knew it would bring me back to you time and time again. I hope this necklace can do the same for you. Do you accept it?" He held it out with a shy offer.
Hongjoong's throat was dry. This intimate setting irked his brain, but he knew he wouldn't put up with it for anyone else. Just for Seonghwa. Too many times, they shamefully fell into each other, admitting words unspoken. Today, the same tension lingered in the air permanently. And while it tormented Hongjoong, he was glad a nod came to him easily.
"Aye."
Seonghwa fiddled with the strings to place it around Hongjoong's neck. When he drew it tight enough that the pirate gasped, a cruel grin flashed over Seonghwa's otherwise serene features.
"Finally, my mutt is collared."
Hongjoong packed him by the hips, eyes flashing in a warning. But Seonghwa trailed his fingers away.
"Don't lose it."
"I will nay," Hongjoong growled back. He shoved Seonghwa off and the jack tar crouched with a smile.
"Let's eat. I prepared a feast for today."
That much wasn't a lie. They prepared fruit and meat, sweet rice and expensive wine. When they spread out at the side of the pond, Hongjoong was awed by all the things he so rarely could taste.
Seonghwa beckoned him to go ahead.
This much Hongjoong would definitely remember as special. The beautiful sight of nature and the sweetness of the fruits on his lips. Seonghwa's serene smile as he relished this ceremony he craved for so long. It was very them, their bickering and squabbling even to this day. Seonghwa looked elated, though, so Hongjoong was at ease.
After stuffing their tummies until they could barely sit up anymore, the two rested next to each other in the lovely clearing. Hongjoong looked out over the pond and the dance of light on its still surface. The song of birds added to the distant rushing of the sea.
The clear water lured for a dip. Hongjoong hadn't seen fishes in there, but he knew it was deeper than he reckoned. While he deflated from eating too much, he considered inviting Seonghwa to a nightly dip. The air was still warm after sunset.
When Seonghwa pushed himself up first, Hongjoong peered over at him.
"You know what comes next, do you?"
"Do I?" The pirate lifted his brow, suspicious of any other shenanigans. Did Seonghwa want to dance? It was getting late, so while it would be romantic under the moonlight, the wild cats of the forest might contemplate their very own wedding meal in them.
With all of Seonghwa's ideas, their ceremony would take them a week.
But the commodore's grin was mischievous as he rolled over to Hongjoong's side. He brushed the hair from his face to trail his fingers over the pirate's necklace and collarbone, trailing lazily over the curve of his chest to settle on his halfway-open shirt.
"The wedding night. When husband and wife become one. Ideally, for the first time." At Hongjoong's wary look, Seonghwa continued merrily. This sounded more like a traditional practice he insisted on doing. "The entire night belongs to the ceremony. Most first children are made at that time. After all, a husband wishes to enter his wife deeply to be with her after a promise of eternity." Seonghwa dipped to whisper into Hongjoong's ear, pulling him close. Their bodies aligned on the grass and Hongjoong caught his drift.
"Ye be the wife," he replied, not missing a beat. If that was the tale behind it, their roles were clear.
But Seonghwa pulled back, looking at him with incredulous eyes. Hongjoong had a sneaking suspicion he filled out their names on the form with himself as the male party.
"You are smaller than me," Seonghwa contended, as if that meant anything. If they argued like that, they were all a kraken's wives.
Hongjoong traced his fingers over Seonghwa's side, slipping into the slit of his coat.
"Ye basically be wearin' a dress."
They scowled at each other in mutual frustration, neither backing down. When Hongjoong yanked Seonghwa against his body in a dominant grip, the jack tar grabbed his jaw roughly to catch him in a heated kiss.
The battle only continued from there. Tongues and teeth pushing and shoving to come out on top, lips bruising as they didn't care for any sting of pain. The one who backed down first would lose.
Soon, their full stomachs were forgotten. They rolled through the grass, yanking at clothing and shoving each other's hands onto the ground to establish authority. Their power was equal, their passion intense. Seonghwa growled into Hongjoong's mouth and Hongjoong yanked on his hair in response.
While they figured it out their way, the evening sun blushed with a rich orange to make the water look even more inviting. The two captains in their eternal battle kept all other animals at bay, thinking one would ultimately become the prey of the other.
Little did they know that this fight was eternal and that no matter how the two strained, neither would ever come out on top.