Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Why do you love the sea?” 

A loaded question, one with too many answers for the young man sitting beneath the blazing sun.

The sea was beauty, plain and simple. A living force of nature with its own heartbeat, the unrhythmic surge and swell of the waves holding an immense amount of strength within its waters. It took the sun and moon’s elegance and charm and reflected it back to them so that they could truly appreciate their exquisite radiance. The sheer amount of mystery that it held, ranging from curious sealife to wondrous marine gardens to even deeper depths that nobody had ever ventured to, was unmatched. Not to mention the countless islands that sat upon it. The sea offered adventure to anyone willing to put their name forward. 

Should one want to travel to a different land that they may have dreamed of, there were only two ways to go about it: airship or boat and the former was an indulgence only the wealthy and aristocratic were ever allowed to entertain. However, the sea did not discriminate based on what wealth you were born into. It welcomed all. Another reason to simply love the deep, azure waters. 

Like any other living thing, its mood could change at the drop of a hat. One moment, the waves were gently drenching the golden sand of the beaches, tickling the toes of children who screamed and laughed at the bitterness, the merfolk calling them to dive in and become immersed in Mother Nature’s greatest creation. 

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous too. Innumerable ships and the souls who had inhabited them had fallen for the Sirens’ songs far too easily, the stormy waves clawing at them until they could not withstand the pressure anymore, all of them being sent to Davy Jones’ locker, never to return. Respect the sea and the sea shall respect you. That was what he had always been told. 

“Is that a good enough answer?” 

Minjun, the raggedy, bright eyed child, simply shrugged his shoulders at Jeongin’s question, like he hadn’t really cared about the answer to his own to begin with, more preoccupied with gnawing on the fresh bread that Jeongin had brought from the kitchen for him. Based on how fast the food disappeared, Jeongin made a mental note to try and sneak even more food out for Minjun and the other kids next time. 

“And how come you want to be a pirate, hyung?” the young boy pondered, looking like this question interested him far more than his first. “The ones that come to the restaurant are always so mean to you, they don’t give you any respect. I don’t get it.” 

“It’s a little bit complicated,” Jeongin laughed, shooing the seagulls on the railing away, their beady eyes zoning in on the forgotten crumbs around their feet. “You see, a long time ago, a pirate helped me out in a sticky situation and-”

“Jeongin!” 

The two boys flinched at the booming holler that echoed up the stairs to the roof, eyes widening before Minjun hopped up quickly, briefly turning to wave goodbye to Jeongin before shimmying down the drainpipe to the alley below and taking off. It really was a wonder that they hadn’t managed to be found out by Hangyeol yet but Jeongin didn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. If the kids didn’t have him, they didn’t have anyone. 

With a frazzled sigh, Jeongin raised from his seated position, cursing the way his right leg gave out beneath him, his sore muscles complaining and asking why on earth they weren’t allowed to rest. He had been up since seven this morning, prepping food for today’s meals and since then, he hadn’t stopped working. Fifteen hours of continuous work, seven days a week, was really starting to chip away at his usually positive mentality.

“Jeongin!” 

Knowing that Hangyeol did not appreciate having to repeat himself, Jeongin ignored his body telling him to slow down and raced towards the rooftop door, swinging it open and hopping down the steps two at a time until he was at the bottom, coming face to face with the displeased looking owner of the restaurant. 

“Where were you?” Hangyeol spat, grabbing Jeongin’s hair in a tight grip so that the boy met his eyes.

“On my break, up on the roof.”

“You only get a break when you’ve worked hard enough.” 

As he was dragged back to the kitchen by his hair, Jeongin had to suppress a laugh at the mere implication that he was the one in the restaurant that didn’t work hard enough. He was the goddamn head chef here, not that anyone else but the staff in this place knew that. Why would they when Hangyeol took all the credit for Jeongin’s cooking himself? 

A whole debacle that started six years ago. 

Jeongin had been born into a loving family, his mother and father lavishing him with all the affection that they possessed and for many years, Jeongin thought that love was enough to sustain him. But his parents thought differently. They wanted nothing but the best for their only son, their pride and joy but they could not provide enough for him, barely scraping by, struggling to put food on the table for their child, let alone pay for his schooling fees. Though it pained them in their hearts, one day, they sat Jeongin down and asked him what he thought about going to live with his uncle across the ocean for a couple of years, so that he could finish his education and have the basis for a better life in the future. From what Jeongin knew, his uncle was a wealthy man, one who had never taken a spouse nor had any children but he knew nothing else of him, something that scared the young fifteen year old stiff. 

Of course, Jeongin had protested, telling them that he was happy here but he understood why it was that they wished for him to be brought up in a place where he would want for nothing. And so, he agreed, saying that he would return to them when he got the chance but that he would make sure to keep in contact with them through weekly letters. 

However, once he had completed the long and arduous journey across the ocean to his uncle’s hometown of Ghrian, it was not his uncle waiting on the docks for him but Hangyeol and a group of his men, ready and waiting to take Jeongin away. His uncle had betrayed him, selling him off to Hangyeol for labour in exchange for a small weekly sum. And that had apparently been the only reason. He hadn’t wanted to take Jeongin in the first place but instead of outright refusing, why not use him for even more income to satisfy his ever growing greed for money? 

Should his parents find out about their son going missing, Jeongin was sure his uncle would have made up some excuse about him running away or getting kidnapped to try and cover himself. 

Since then, Jeongin had more or less been in indebted servitude in the small restaurant called ‘Haema’, a place which held both beautiful and wicked memories at the same time. He never received any contact from his uncle in all that time but Jeongin didn’t really care much about him anymore but he did care for his parents who he continued to write to as promised. Knowing that their hopes for him still blossomed, he kept quiet about what had happened, thinking of how he did not want to worry them since he technically had learned a hell of a lot where he was, even if it wasn’t in the way that they assumed. It wasn’t like they would be able to do anything for him either. They had scraped every last bit of money together for his journey over here and there was no way they could do that again without starving themselves. Jeongin couldn’t put them through that. 

It had also been the reason that Jeongin hadn’t managed to leave himself. Despite the hours that he worked, he didn’t quite earn a wage. According to Hangyeol, all of his earnings were put towards housing, clothing and feeding him, though Jeongin was sure that the hours he worked added up to a lot more than rent for a little box room in the basement of the restaurant, the bare essentials for clothes and one meal a day. On a Sunday, Jeongin would be awarded an extra ten risa, all of which he put towards sending his weekly letter to his parents, telling him that he was learning so much and enjoying his time here. One truth and one lie but they didn’t need to know that. 

That was also the final reason that he loved the sea. It allowed freedom. 

For so long, he had dreamed of a life upon the water, even more so now since his soul was being held in a metal cage but Jeongin knew that a chance was coming, could feel it in his bones, when he would be allowed to break free from the shackles currently holding him down and break free to live his dreams. 

That was what he told himself every night before he slept anyways, a small hope to get him through the next day. 

Then again, when the next day involves having your hair nearly ripped out as you’re shoved back into the kitchen to continue working for another few hours even though you’re at your wits end, it didn’t inspire much hope. 

It took all of two seconds before an order slip was being thrust into his hands from one of the other chefs there, the man not sparing him a second glance. The other employees at Haema didn’t treat him badly but they didn’t particularly treat him well either. 

Indifference. Jeongin thought it was almost worse than being treated poorly. At least people acknowledged you then, not like you were a ghost, a machine that was simply there to cook all day and for no other reason. Of course, Jeongin knew that they treated him this way because Hangyeol had told them not to interact with him or their jobs would be on the line. 

Honey glazed spiced roast goose and confit potatoes. Probably Jeongin’s hundredth order of the day but something he could nearly cook in his sleep at this stage, even when half the chefs in this kitchen couldn’t even come close to cooking it decently. Whether it was forgetting to mix the cracked pepper in with the spices and honey, not piercing the skin of the bird or not oiling it properly, every other chef managed to butcher the recipe but Jeongin had made it all his own. 

Along with garlic and rosemary, he always made sure to stuff the goose with half and orange to give it some extra zest and drizzled some of the goose fat over the potatoes to make them crispy and irresistible. And it was, because the amount compliments that it got, along with his other dishes, was extraordinary but it wasn’t like Jeongin ever got to hear them from the customers themselves since, whenever the customer asked to speak to the chef, Hangyeol always stepped up, graciously accepting the praise like he had cooked it himself. That’s what he told everyone. Both Marines and pirates alike. Being a restaurant close to port, they got a lot of both groups and yes, there were a lot of confrontations and a lot of arrests but nothing that caught the attention of the locals for more than a couple of hours. 

Another long and exhausting day began winding down when they closed the doors at nine in the night but Jeongin still had another hour of clean up to do, everyone else having packed up and gone home to their families. When he had finished, Jeongin dragged his lethargic, worn body to bed, barely having a couple of minutes to wash up and sort out his jumbled thoughts before he succumbed to sleep, knowing that the next time he opened his eyes, the cycle would start all over again. Same thing, day in, day out. It was more than a little exhausting. Physically and mentally. 

“You don’t know the difference between cilantro and mint at this stage?! Even after working here for six years! Not even a rookie would make that fucking mistake!” 

Jeongin did his best not to flinch as Hangyeol’s big hand pushed at his chest, sending the boy stumbling backwards and into the stove, Jeongin wincing as his palm brushed against the open flame. 

Any idiot would know the difference between the two herbs and of course, Jeongin did too. He would never mix mint with sour cream and serve it on top of the chilli con carne dish they were so famous for. Yet, some idiot did and for some reason, Hangyeol thought it had been him, as if he wasn’t the best chef in this place. The customer had complained and sent it back, saying it had tasted funny and Hangyeol had decided to take it out on Jeongin, even when the chef who had been working here for a mere two months was the one who had made the mistake, the one Jeongin was now taking blame for. 

“One more mistake, Jeongin and I swear…”

Hangyeol had trailed off but Jeongin understood the implication. It wouldn’t simply be the withholding of a meal or no new clothes for the next month. If he was lucky, he would just be fired from this job and be forced to live on the streets since Jeongin knew full well that Hangyeol would tell all the businesses in Ghrian that he was unemployable. But if he was unlucky…well Jeongin didn’t really want to think about that. 

“And since you thought that slop was good enough to serve to our customers, that can be your meal for today. I’m sure you’ll have no complaints.” 

Jeongin didn’t and even if he did, he wouldn’t be voicing them right now. He knew what was good for him and opening his mouth right now wasn’t. 

Even though Hangyeol thought that serving him the apparent ‘unedible swill’ as the Marine lieutenant that had sent it back had called it, Jeongin still considered it a decent hot meal, even if it wasn’t your conventional dish. He would only have one chance to eat today and he was not going to waste it.

Being given permission to take his ten minute break or, rather, being told to ‘get the hell out of my kitchen’ by Hangyeol, Jeongin took the plate of second hand food and began heading out the back door to sit in the alleyway and enjoy his only meal of the day. He just really needed some fresh air right about now and he could have gone to the roof, gazed out over the sea, a place that provided him some peace but sometimes, it also taunted him, waving a freedom that he was beginning to think he would never have in front of his face. Hence, why he decided to squat down in the wretched back alley and begin eating. 

The delectable smell reached his nose from the spoonful that had just touched his lips before he was interrupted by the sound of his name. Looking up, he spotted five kids, all of which he regularly slipped food out to, the youngest of them being a mere four years old.

But they shouldn’t have been here, not where Hangyeol could catch them. 

“We’re hungry, Innie hyung…” the eldest boy whimpered and when Jeongin thought about it, he hadn’t seen this particular kid in over three days. He began to wonder if he had managed to eat in all that time. 

Kids without families, without homes, roaming the streets simply looking for their next meal and for many of them, Jeongin was their only source that didn’t make them give something back in return. He’d been doing it ever since he arrived here, even more so in the last year when Minjun began spreading the word about a kind hyung who would give them fresh food rather than the stale scraps they would have to fish out of the dumpsters of other restaurants. Jeongin couldn’t stand the way that restaurants would prefer to throw out food that was left uneaten at the end of the day rather than feed those who may need it, like these kids, so why not help them out?

Still, it wasn’t like he wanted to get caught by Hangyeol. There was no way he could find out what Jeongin was doing or he’d skin him alive. That’s why he always made sure to tell the kids to meet him up on the roof of the building so that they wouldn’t be seen. Seems like they had forgotten that little detail today. 

“I told you guys, you can’t come around the back. You need to meet me up on the roof. You also can’t come in bigger groups like this, ok? If Hangyeol catches me, I…”

With eyes shining with a thousand dim stars, the kids stared at Jeongin apologetically, knowing they had broken the one rule that he had set out for them in order to receive food. It was for their own good as well as Jeongin’s. If they were discovered, Hangyeol would make sure that these kids wouldn’t ever be fed again. Back when Jeongin had started here and had begun giving the poor children food, something that he hadn’t thought of as a big deal the first time he did it, Hangyeol and beaten him pretty badly once he had discovered what he was doing, asking why he would waste it on filthy little rodents who would never give anything back to him. 

Looking down at his dinner, Jeongin breathed a heavy sigh of defeat, knowing that there was no way he would be able to get back in the kitchen today to give any of them something to eat. All that he had was what he had managed to get for himself. He knew that he could go hungry for one day. He didn’t know if he could say the same for these kids. 

Jeongin slowly stood up, careful not to spill any of the contents of the dish in his hands, passing it over to the elder boy, along with his napkin and utensils. It probably wouldn’t be enough to fill all of them and it wasn’t of the highest quality but it would tie them over until he could get into the kitchen again. 

“Here, this is all I can give you today, alright? 

“Thank you so much, oppa,” the little four year old girl smiled, quickly pulling on her friends’ hands to go and enjoy their meal but before they could disappear from sight, a loud exclamation made them all jump, including Jeongin. 

“Hey!” 

The group of kids increased their speed and disappeared from sight once they saw Hangyeol sprinting at them, chasing them off with a waving fist and slew of ineffable phrases that children of their age should not be hearing. It wasn’t like Hangyeol got very far, his noxious lifestyle seriously affecting how far and fast he could run but his anger only increased as his prey managed to get away from him and the fact that they had chose to ignore how he always told them to stay the hell away from the restaurant made the veins his neck protrude in an unsightly fashion. 

If Jeongin had anywhere else to go, someone else to trust, he would have run straight to them because if the crimson shade of Hangyeol’s face was anything to go by, Jeongin’s status of being alive might very well be in question. The man stormed back over to Jeongin, yanking him up by his hair once again, a favourite move of his and pulled the boy’s face so close to his own the Jeongin could practically smell the store brand bourbon on his breath. 

“What have I told you about giving those little rats food, huh? You keep feeding them and they’ll keep coming back. I don’t need little urchins like them tainting the good name of my restaurant!” 

The good name of the restaurant came from Jeongin’s cooking. The atmosphere of the place was decent, the music was ok but the thing that kept people coming back was the food, all recipes and majority of preparation coming from Jeongin himself. 

None of their customers knew how Hangyeol really was. In front of the customers, the man acted as a gross, over-friendly, snivelling suck up, a drastic change from who he really was, simply because he believed that it was the only way he could impress people, to bend to their every will, even when they were being totally unreasonable. Jeongin quickly found out that ‘the customer is always right’ was complete and utter bullshit. 

Jeongin couldn’t hold his tongue any longer, having bitten on it enough times to make it bleed. He didn’t care anymore. What difference would it make if he spoke his mind now? He already got hit on a daily basis, barely got fed, was forced to work until his feet and fingers were covered in blisters. 

“The kids are not the ones tainting the name of this restaurant…” Jeongin mumbled, still not quite sure whether he wanted his boss to hear what he was saying or not. 

The slap was a lot harder than Jeongin was expecting, his head snapping to the side and his cheek buzzing with the sting of the hit that Hangyeol had landed for his apparent insolence. 

“You’re talking back to me now?” Hangyeol seethed, the fact that his usual subservient employee was finally rebelling was riling him up even more. “Seems like I haven’t beaten the brazenness out of you yet. There’s a fix for that.” 

If the first one was painful, Jeongin was expecting the second to leave a rather sizable bruise but what would that matter anyways? Nobody would see him back in the kitchen and he had nobody to go home to, so Jeongin figured it made little difference to Hangyeol. The man brought his arm back and Jeongin tried so hard not to flinch at the sight but when the fist came flying towards his face, Jeongin ducked slightly, letting out a small, pathetic whimper. 

“W-who the hell are you?!”

Getting the distinct feeling that he wasn’t being addressed anymore, Jeongin slowly forced his eyes open, glancing up at Hangyeol, the old simpleton no longer looking at him but at the new figure who had joined him. The other man was tightly holding onto Hangyeol’s raised wrist, the force causing Hangyeol’s fingers to begin spasming because of the pain. 

Shining lilac hair, full lips and mysterious dark eyes, one of them encased by a long red scar. He was dressed from head to toe in black and maroon, with a faux fur jacket draped over his shoulders, something he must have been burning up in under the sweltering heat of the day. A tight waistcoat was held together by intricate lacing upon his middle, thick leather breeches hugging his legs along with the two belts around his right thigh, sturdy combat boots donned his feet and fingerless gloves adorned his hands, one of which was still wrapped around Hangyeol’s wrist. 

And while all of that interested Jeongin, it was the man’s expression that gathered all of the boy’s attention. A very peculiar mix of anger and pure apathy. His face would have anyone saying that he didn’t care about the situation he had placed himself in but his eyes, it was his eyes that told Jeongin he was furious with what Hangyeol had done, for whatever reason. Both of them seemed to be burning with a sparking flame, one that had been ignited by Hangyeol’s actions.

“Doesn’t matter who I am,” the stranger spat, only increasing his grip on Hangyeol’s wrist and making the man’s knees buckle and a small scream leave his mouth. “Never touch this kid again. Lay one more finger on him and you’ll regret it. Am I making myself clear?” 

In his twenty one years, Jeongin was sure he had never met this man before, so he couldn’t fathom why on earth he was stepping in like this, threatening Hangyeol to make sure that he never, ever, hit him again. But Jeongin was used to it. That didn’t mean it didn’t affect him but he had learned to deal with it and he wasn’t entirely sure if this stranger’s interference was going to help him in the long run. 

In the end, Jeongin still had to live in the restaurant, still had to work under Hangyeol, without anywhere to go or anyone to rely on. This newcomer was going to leave after he was done here if the fact that Jeongin had never seen him around town before was anything to go by. How could he possibly ever know if Hangyeol was never going to hit him again? This could make everything ten times worse for him.

“He’s my property, I can do what I want with him!” Hangyeol yelled from his place on the ground, the filth of the alleyway dusting his knees. 

“Property? Are you serious? You do realise that slavery is outlawed right?”

“He’s not a slave, he gets a wage!”

Jeongin wanted to interrupt so badly and tell Hangyeol that ten risa a week, one meal a day and a rat infested hole underneath the restaurant to live in should not be considered a wage in anyone’s eyes but he finally found the restraint not to speak once again and simply watched how this whole spectacle played out. 

“Besides, why the hell is a pirate talking to me about laws anyway?”

“I’m not a pirate…” the man hissed, like it was the greatest insult he could have ever received. 

Well, he could have fooled Jeongin. Everything about this man practically screamed ‘pirate’. The small, ivory spyglass decorated with golden leaves that hung from the man’s belt meant that this guy definitely lived life on the sea. That didn’t mean that he was a pirate but he definitely wasn’t a Marine. The two knives and one pistol that were sheathed on his belt were not standard issue for any Marine and it would be unlikely for a travelling merchant to carry such a variety of weapons on them when they were docked in town like this. If he wasn’t a Marine or a merchant, it usually only meant one other thing, the way he dressed only accentuating that point but according to the stranger, he didn’t fall within that particular category. 

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll listen to what I’m saying. I have ways of knowing if you decide not to heed my advice.”

Hangyeol finally managed to yank his arm free but Jeongin got the feeling that he only did so because the stranger decided he would allow it. 

The conversation seemed to be at its end and the only thing left was to see how Hangyeol was going to act to the young man’s demands. With an aggravated grunt, Hangyeol finally turned away from the other and stared straight at Jeongin, glaring at him furiously, like Jeongin had somehow called the unfamiliar person here to try and save him, like he ever had a chance to befriend someone in this town when he never even had two minutes to take for himself during the day. Still, he merely motioned for Jeongin to head into the restaurant in front of him, not being stupid enough to leave him with the stranger while his back was turned. 

Jeongin did as he was told, shakily trodging towards the door but before he did, he managed to glance back over his shoulder at his saviour, taking in everything that he could about his face so that he could remember someone who actually cared about him for once. As he did so, he noticed the soft, reassuring smile on the man’s lips, a vast change in demeanour from mere seconds ago when he looked like he was going to claw Hangyeol’s throat out. And strangely, despite not knowing who he was, Jeongin felt comforted by the man’s genuine effort to console him, a small ‘thank you’ being mouthed to him before Jeongin disappeared inside, wondering if Hangyeol had been scared enough to keep his hands to himself. Funnily enough, Jeongin thought that wouldn’t be the case.  

“Channie hyung, finally! I’m starving!” 

The boisterous voice bellowing his name across the crowded room was grating on Chan’s already frayed nerves. His day had already started out questionably. He was running on about an hour and a half of sleep, something which wasn’t all that abnormal for him but it seemed to hit him harder than usual when he opened his eyes to the sun rising this morning. Having nothing on the ship for breakfast that was in any way edible really hit a sore spot, not only for him but for his crewmates too. That was the main reason that they had pulled into port: a supply run. But even then, the three of them who lived on the ship were atrocious cooks, barely able to boil water without setting the rickety stove on fire. 

And now he had to witness some poor kid getting the snot beaten out of him, for some unreasonable reason, Chan was sure, because there is no reason to hit someone like that disgusting man had been. He had no choice but to intervene. Even if he didn’t appreciate the kind of reputation he had gained from rumours and hearsay, he knew he could use it well in this sort of situation. He gave the man a scare, hopefully one that would spare that boy further lashings in the future but Chan wasn’t as naive as he once was. There wasn’t much chance that it would be the final hit that boy would receive, not when Chan wouldn’t be around to follow through on his promise of making the man regret his actions. 

Still, from his attire and what he said to the boy he was with, Chan got the feeling that he was the owner, or at least the head chef, of the restaurant that he was now striding through and Chan really didn’t want to give business to the kind of person that would treat his employees like that. And he wouldn’t let his crew do so either, not that they would want to when they knew Chan’s reasoning behind all this. Still, he knew they weren’t going to be happy about it in the beginning since none of them had eaten a decently cooked meal in about three weeks. 

As he arrived at the table, he quickly dismissed the bored looking waitress who had been standing at the table waiting for Chan to arrive so that she could take their order before removing the tacky looking menu out of his crewmate’s hands, causing a small pout to distort the younger’s features. 

“Come on, let’s go.” 

“W-what? Why?! No, we finally found somewhere to eat! You can’t make me go back to eating rice and beans on the ship without getting something decent to eat here first. Please, hyung!”

Chan was doing his best to control his anger right now. His eyes still managed to roll around in his skull as the tight grip around his biceps was shaking him so much it was enough to make him nauseous. But it wasn’t like he was going to change his mind. He didn’t want to be in a place like this anymore. He wanted to be back on his ship, the one place where he truly felt comfortable.

“We’re leaving, Sung. I don’t want to hang around this dive. It’s full of trash.” 

Jisung continued to whine and shake Chan so much that his eyes were beginning to lose focus but began to calm himself when he saw the attention their little group was gaining. However, it wasn’t because of his dramatics but because of what Chan had inadvertently called those eating in the restaurant. 

All eyes seemed to be on them but Chan couldn’t care less about what these rabble thought of him. He just wanted to get out of this place already but before he could drag his friends out to the street, a large shadow loomed over him from behind, completely eclipsing the swinging lightbulb from above. Perhaps a giant of some sort had managed to find his way into the establishment, Chan thought, though he knew there wasn’t such a thing. 

“Huh? You got a problem with us, pretty boy?” 

Chan turned to face the goliath, the man standing at least three heads over him. A long, gangly beard framed some horrifically rotting teeth, the stench coming out of his mouth seeming to stem from that. The behemoth held one too many tacky gold earrings in his ears, the lack of cloth upon his chest nearly causing Chan to sneeze at the extensive amount of hair there. From his haughty expression, it was clear he was trying to be intimidating but there was little that could frighten Chan anymore. Jisung, on the other hand, seemed to be trembling in his knee high boots just a little bit. Then again, that was because he recognised who the man was when Chan didn’t. 

“Nope, I got no quarrels with you,” Chan sighed, never breaking eye contact with the other. He knew that any sign of weakness would give the man too much pleasure.  

“Sounds like you do, though. Calling us ‘trash’?” 

Chan could feel Jisung push further into his back, hands still firmly wrapped around the elder’s arm and from the corner of his eye, Chan could see the rest of the men at the giant’s table begin to stand, no doubt the rest of his crew because, when Chan really thought about it, he began to recognise who his adversary actually was and why Jisung was so on edge.  

Captain Son ‘Black Tusk’ Kwan of the Ironfist pirate crew. Someone with a bounty of 250’000 risa on his head. Someone who had a reputation that preceded him but not for any good reasons. And if Chan had any sense within his head, he would try to explain what he had meant with his earlier insult but he wondered if it would make any difference to Captain Black Tusk when it seemed that he had already made up his mind to take the slander that had not been directed at him personally. 

“I wasn’t referring to you but now that you mention it, you sure smell like something that was dragged out of a dumpster.”

“Hyung, don’t…” Jisung warned lowly, clearly not wanting to get into a fight right now, even though he must have known by now which way Chan had decided to handle this. 

“Pfft, who do you think you are anyways? A child like you.” 

Chan was sure that everyone around him could actually hear how loudly he rolled his eyes at the lame insult. Surely a captain like Black Tusk would have better comebacks than that since he was undoubtedly taunted about his appearance on the regular by other pirates. Being called a child didn’t hurt Chan’s pride in any way, it just meant that this geezer in front of him was old enough to think of Chan as a ‘child’, despite him being a whole twenty five years old.

“It’s rude to ask for someone’s name before giving your own,” Chan huffed, delighted to see that he was clearly getting under the man’s skin but thought maybe he shouldn’t have been when he heard Jisung’s breathing quicken as he realised that they were being surrounded by Black Tusk’s crew. 

Moving his arm behind him, Chan pulled Jisung as close to his back as he possibly could to show him that everything was going to be ok, just like he had done to try and calm him ever since they were kids. He didn’t fail to miss the way a shorter man moved up to Black Tusk, cupping his captain’s ear and whispering something unintelligible while handing over some rolled up parchment, Chan instantly recognising what they were.

“Ha? 3racha? What kind of name is that?” 

Chan cringed at the loud laughter that rang throughout the restaurant from the opposing morons, mostly because those had been his exact words when he first heard what the Marines had decided to name their crew to be able to identify them on their wanted posters. The reason for such a name? Chan wasn’t entirely sure yet. Nobody on his ship had come up with a name like that but Jisung had definitely become fond of it over time, even if Chan himself felt another worry line added to his forehead each time he heard it. Still, there was nothing he could do about it now. It had been nearly four years since they had acquired that name for themselves. Anyone who knew of them, knew them as the 3racha crew. 

“You must be positively meaningless if I’ve never heard of you before!” Black Tusk cackled, eyes still stuck on the pages in front of him. “You three have no business calling yourselves pirates! You’re pathetic!”

“We’re not pirates,” snapped Chan. 

Why did they automatically assume that they were pirates? Because they weren’t. They would never want to be the thing that they hated the most. Chan always said they would have hit rock bottom if they decided to live the life of a pirate. Worse thing was, these gaggle of idiots weren’t the only ones to think such a thing. Practically everyone they ever came across labelled them as marauders, even the Marines who had absolutely no problem hunting them down for simply defending themselves against attacks that they had initiated. It was a vicious circle that they were perpetually stuck in. 

“That’s not what your wanted posters say,” Black Tusk hummed, finally showing everyone in the restaurant what was in his hands. 

There was no subtlety in this argument. Everyone had now turned their attention towards them and their spat. Lucky for them. They got dinner and a show.  

Jisung had always said that whoever took their photos for their wanted posters zoned in on their most unflattering angle and looking at them so closely now, Chan had to agree. They were truly atrocious. Yet, Jisung had kept each of their wanted posters framed in his quarters on the ship. He was far more interested in their apparent infamy than anyone else was. 

What was ticking Chan off even more was that his bounty was fifty thousand risa less than Black Tusk’s. He didn’t particularly want to do anything to increase it because that would mean doing something to piss off the Marines when his crew were just trying to complete their own objective but at the same time, he hated that Black Tusk was clearly trying to gloat about being more wanted than he was and was succeeding because of a few more risa upon his head. 

“Whatever. I don’t have time for this. Let’s go, we’re leaving.”

He motioned to Jisung to keep close to him, not wanting his youngest crewmate to stray too far from his sight. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, Chan attempted to walk straight past Black Tusk and his crew, wondering if they would actually part to let him and Jisung through but, as life always made sure of, things were a lot more difficult than Chan hoped for.  

“Hey, hey, hey, we’re not done. Get your ass back here!”  Black Tusk shouted, taking four large, booming steps towards Chan to drag him back. 

Chan could feel the ghost of Black Tusk’s hand upon his shoulder but it never made contact, instead, yanked backwards by another, enough to make Black Tusk yell obscenities at whoever had stopped him from pulling Chan back to continue their spat. 

“Keep your hands off my captain.”

“Hyung! You took your time,” Jisung badgered, hopping away from Chan to latch onto Changbin’s free arm, the other still grabbing Black Tusk’s wrist so that he didn’t touch his captain.  

Chan had begun to wonder where his third and final crewmate had disappeared to. He had sent Changbin and Jisung ahead to get a table at the restaurant that they had passed earlier whilst he returned to the ship to put away the groceries they had procured during the day. After arriving, seeing Jisung sitting at the table by himself did evoke slight worry in his chest but he figured that Changbin hadn’t strayed too far. The other wouldn’t have left Jisung on his own for too long. Chan and Changbin were exceedingly protective over their youngest crewmate, both of them wanting nothing more than for Jisung to be happy and safe and to know that he could be targeted by Marines and other pirates alike when he was alone wouldn’t have allowed Changbin to wander far from Jisung. 

“In fairness, I didn’t think that the both of you would manage to start a fight with an angry mob in the time it took me to use the bathroom.” 

“I didn’t start anything ,” Jisung harrumphed, beginning to pull Changbin away from Black Tusk, making him drop the infuriated man’s wrist. “It was all Channie hyung. I just wanted to get some food!” 

“That’s all you ever want, Sung.”

“Hey!” 

Jisung and Changbin just about managed to conclude their playful bickering as Black Tusk howled at them for ignoring him and interfering with his plans to drag Chan back to him to finish their little spat.

“What the hell are you yelling at us for, old man? I can see you standing there. You’re just not worth wasting my time on,” Changbin sighed, mirroring Chan’s earlier action of trying to steer Jisung towards the exit of the restaurant.

“Why are the two of you like this?” Jisung questioned with annoyance, interlacing his fingers with Changbin’s as they walked away from the red faced captain. “Both of you need a serious lesson on how to de-escalate precarious situations.”

From that moment, it took all of three seconds for shit to hit the fan. With a small click of his thick fingers, Black Tusk’s crew descended on the three young men, who, thankfully, were more than used to this sort of thing because, as Jisung had said, neither Chan nor Changbin were very good at keeping their mouths shut when someone tried to start something with them. 

Changbin immediately pushed Jisung back, drawing the embellished ebony gripped sabre that he had forged himself long ago, just in time for him to block the incoming attack from a man who equaled Black Tusk in size and clearly in intelligence too as he lost his footing and went toppling to the ground. 

Standing in his shadow and watching his back as always, Chan pulled out his pistol, taking aim at one of the men now running at him and shooting him straight in the shoulder, knowing it would incapacitate but not kill him if he got it taken care of quickly. 

Yells and shouts echoed throughout the restaurant from the combatants, only matched by the jeers and hoots of the patrons who were more than excited to see a daring fight up close and personal. 

“They’re so annoying,” Jisung huffed from where he stood in the corner of the restaurant, speaking to nobody in particular. 

He was definitely going to murder Changbin later for pushing him so hard, causing him to bang off the counter of the bar. It was obvious that the elder did it to save him from a sword to the chest but it still hurt like a bitch. That would be his explanation later on when Changbin would be asking him why he was pounding on him like no tomorrow. 

“Hey there.”

Thinking he was the one being addressed, Jisung allowed himself to let his attention drift from his friends and the fight to see two men standing right beside him. They weren’t a part of Black Tusk’s crew from the look of it and they didn’t seem like Marines either, just regular customers but Jisung still had a gut feeling that was screaming at him ‘whatever you do, don’t let your guard down.’ 

“Oh, uh, hi…” 

“You're not gonna help your little friends out?” the first man purred, taking a step closer to Jisung and bending down a little to meet his eye. 

“To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of fighting. They usually handle that kind of stuff by themselves. This happens quite a lot…”

The two strangers chuckled like Jisung had just made a terrifically funny joke, even if it was nothing but the truth. Unbridled and unneeded flattery in exchange for something they clearly wanted. Yet another red flag that told Jisung he needed to grab Chan and Changbin and get the hell out of here. 

“Oh? Well then, why don’t you come with us?” creepy man number two offered, floating past Jisung to stand behind him and box him in, the way any predator knew how to do to its prey so it couldn’t escape. “We can take you away from all this noise. Maybe show you a good time?”

“I’m gonna have to pass but thanks anyways.”

It was a lame attempt, one he knew wouldn’t really work if the vibe he was getting off this duo was as nasty as he thought but Jisung tried to quickly exit the barrier the men had made around him, only to have his arm yanked back in a painful fashion, the true colours of the strangers that Jisung knew were there finally coming to light. 

“That wasn’t really a request, I was just trying to sound polite. You’re coming with us.”

And Jisung knew that if Chan or Changbin could see the way these morons were manhandling him, they would pounce like savage beasts, ready to tear them a new one but, as of now, they were still more than a little preoccupied with the gaggle of villains that were continually being knocked down, only to get back up again and attack. Jisung had to hand it to them for their bold tenacity, that's for sure and maybe he would have said something if he didn’t have his own team of dimwits to deal with. 

“I don’t think your friends would mind. They seem a little too preoccupied to be able to protect you right now. So, shut up and don’t make a scene, sweetie.”

It didn’t really make much sense to Jisung, why people thought he was weak and an easy target just because, whenever Chan and Changbin chose to fight, he stood back and let them take care of it. He didn’t like to engage, had never been a fan of violence, even more so because of six years ago but people assuming he was fragile and powerless was their own mistake. 

The man who had ‘offered’ to take him away from all the noise let out a deafening scream, one that gathered the attention of those fighting on the other side of the restaurant. Chan and Changbin merely snorted as they saw Jisung twisting the buffoon’s arm that had been holding onto him behind his back, kicking the back of the second man’s leg to send him flying to the floor. 

Bending down to whisper in his captive’s ear, Jisung let a frustrated sigh fall from his mouth before setting his face in an expression that told everyone he was not to be trifled with. 

“I don’t need to be protected by anyone. I said I wasn’t a fan of fighting. That doesn't mean I can’t kick your ass.”

The change in tone seemed to shake the two attackers to their bones, clearly realising that the young man that they had decided to try and whisk away was not some damsel in distress but a wolf in sheep’s clothing that was more than capable of taking care of himself. 

“You touch me again and I will reach down your throat, pull out your intestines and wrap them around your neck so I can strangle you with them. All right, sweetie? ”

The man’s eyes widened as he managed to break free but only because Jisung had loosened his grip enough to let him. Scrambling onto his feet and nearly toppling over himself the man grabbed onto his friend before legging it towards the door, calling back obscenities as he did so. 

“Crazy asshole!”

“Yeah, well, at least I’m not a perv who attempts to force myself on vulnerable strangers,” Jisung muttered with annoyance, brushing off his arm where the man had grabbed him, as if there were some invisible dust. “Are we about done here?!” 

Either Chan and Changbin didn’t hear Jisung’s yells or they were doing what they did best and subconsciously blocking out his loud voice. The youngest liked to belt out a tune every now and then on the ship and they had somehow adapted to save their sanity. Both continued to knock the teeth out of their competitors, making them wonder why on earth Black Tusk and his crew were more famous and had a captain with a higher bounty when they were getting their ass handed to them by two men who weren’t even really breaking a sweat. 

“Captain! Marines!” 

Jisung snapped his head towards the entrance of the restaurant where the warning yell had come from, seeing one of Black Tusk’s men, beaten and bruised, pointing down the street with a slight twinkle of fear in his eyes, making Jisung wonder how many Marines were actually on their way here. Clearly someone had alerted them to the brawl in the restaurant. There was always one tattler that couldn’t just let things sort themselves out. 

The cry had also captured Chan and Changbin’s attention, both of them quickly disposing of the last few men left standing. The fun that had come along with them winning the fight flew up, up and away when they heard that those who constantly made their life a living hell were approaching and, since the Marines really didn’t have a good impression of them, there was a certain certainty that they would try and take them into custody, shut them in a cell and throw away the key. That’s what the Marines did to all the people they considered annoyances, unless they took the next step and chopped their head off on a block for the entire world to see. 

“Shit! Sung, come on!” Changbin called out, punching Black Tusk straight in the nose as he made one final attempt to try and become victor of this fight. 

Jisung really didn’t need to be told twice, quickly moving to follow after his friends who headed towards the entrance in the hopes of getting a head start on the Marines who they knew would more than likely chase them down for as long as they could because of the bounties on their heads. However, Jisung got about three steps in before he felt a strong yank on his collar pull him backwards, causing him to stumble because of the shock and fall to his knees, his palms smashing painfully onto the wood of the floor to stop himself from face planting.

“Oh, no you don’t, someone’s going to pay for all the damage you’ve done to my restaurant! And if you can’t, I’m handing you over to the Marines!” 

Raising his head at the sound of the threatening admonishment, Jisung didn’t quite know what to do when the belligerent, stout owner of the restaurant he had seen slithering around the establishment earlier gathering up compliments from the customers grabbed his hair in an agonising fashion and began pulling him away from his escape root, away from his friends. 

As he had said earlier, Jisung never needed to be protected by anyone, more than capable of fighting his own battles but the angle that the man was holding him at and the fact that he was being continually pulled backwards was making it difficult for Jisung to find his footing and fight back. 

The lack of footsteps behind them and Jisung’s little grunts of annoyance eventually made Chan and Changbin halt in their tracks, both of them seeing red once they noticed their youngest friend and crewmate being endangered in such a way. They knew they were in a slightly dicey situation. Should they go back and try to help Jisung, there was no way they would be able to get out of the building before the Marines burst in and arrested all of them, a fact that Jisung seemed to be aware of too since he ceased struggling for a moment to try and tell the two young men to go on without him, that he would be fine. 

A blatant lie and something that Chan and Changbin would never even consider. Since the day Jisung had come to their town at the age of six, the three of them had spent every day of their lives together and they weren’t about to end that streak now by allowing their youngest to be thrown into prison because of a fight he hadn’t even been a part of. They would just have to take the risk and hope that there weren’t too many Marines that they would have to fight in a few moment’s time. None of them really thought that they’d have to fight for their lives twice in one day but here they were. 

But as if some deity out their had witnessed their plight, a unforeseen but not unwelcome player had been added to their game, one that held a giant glass vase above his head before bringing it down with unbridled strength, straight onto the restaurant owner’s head with a deafening crash. 

The whole place became void of noise, an eerie sort of silence descending on the room as everyone took in what had just happened. Still holding onto Jisung’s hair, the man stared at his attacker before his grip became weak enough to allow Jisung to wriggle free. It didn’t even seem to register with him what had happened before a stream of blood began dripping down his face, that being more than enough reason for his whole body to slump to the ground with a boom, Jisung almost bouncing off the floor with the force. 

That was the moment Chan and Changbin had managed to reach their friend, Changbin’s hands immediately finding Jisung’s full cheeks to direct his gaze towards him and silently ask him if he was ok, an action that was quickly waved off with slight embarrassment. 

“Thank you,” Jisung beamed at his saviour, rubbing the top of his head where he was sure more than a few hairs had been plucked out. 

“N-no problem.”

And maybe it was some sort of weird divine intervention or karma repaying Chan for his kind actions earlier because, when he looked at the face of the person who had helped Jisung out, he saw it to be that of the young man he had saved in the ally, the one who had been beaten so cruelly by the man now sprawled out on the floor that Chan’s heart wouldn’t let him walk away from such a scene without doing something about it. Perhaps saving him was the reason this young man now felt the need to return the favour or perhaps he just had the same kind of feeling in his heart that Chan had. 

He looked scared, even more so that he was back in the alley but Chan didn’t think that it was strange since he had just effectively bludgeoned and knocked out the one who had been so callous and cold blooded towards him earlier in his assault. The young man was staring at his hands in horror, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just done. Even if it had just been a spur of the moment decision, it was an action that Chan admitted needed some appreciation but just as he was about to open his mouth and thank the young man, Changbin’s voice broke through his line of thought. 

“We need to go. Now!” 

And Chan agreed once he heard the thundering footsteps outside drawing closer and closer, coupling with aggressive yells that they had heard on many occasions, far too many occasions. Hoisting Jisung up off the floor, they tried to determine whether or not they could just about reach the door in time before the Marines burst in but their saviour wasn’t finished helping them out yet, holding onto Chan’s wrist and pulling him in the opposite direction. 

“Wait! Go out the back door! It’ll be safer for you!”

It should have been an evident idea, that there would be more than one exit that they could leave through but Chan attributed his absentmindedness to the fact that his head was only full of one thought: get his brothers to safety. 

Following the young man through the kitchens, gathering confused and hostile yells from the chefs whose work had been interrupted, the three crewmates ignored the shouts from the Marines who had breached the restaurant's front doors and were now telling Black Tusk’s crew to stay where they were and put their hands up. Chan honestly couldn’t care less about the fate of the pirate crew they had overpowered and left behind. It was their own mistake. They shouldn’t have challenged him in the first place. 

With the back exit being flung open for them, the young man told them to take a right at the end of the alleyway and go straight ahead, they would find the harbour since he could only assume that pirates like them would travel on the sea. 

“Thanks, kid,” Chan mumbled as he wordlessly ushered Changbin and Jisung ahead of him. He usually liked to stay at the rear to make sure both of them were safe, a decision only strengthened when he thought about the fact that Jisung had almost gotten left behind earlier because he wasn’t paying enough attention. 

And though he looked pleased with the recognition of his actions, the young man looked like he was about to say something more on the whole debacle but Chan knew he didn’t have the time to hear whatever it was and immediately began to sprint to catch up with his friends, leaving the raven haired boy behind him, more than likely never to be seen again. 

It didn’t feel good, abandoning him like that since Chan was sure that there would be some horrendous repercussions for helping the three of them out like that but the captain couldn’t linger on the thought for long. He had lived by one rule for such a long time and he would continue to focus on that for as long as he could. 

Changbin, Jisung and him. The three of them stuck together, protecting each other. Nobody else mattered. Nobody else could if they were to complete what they set out to do all those years ago. 

Falling against a wall and pulling Jisung back before he could run onto the main road where a group of Marines had appeared out of thin air, Chan cursed when he heard their names mentioned, the lieutenant of the group ordering them to spread out and search for them. Thankfully for them, as they always did, they had anchored their ship in a more discreet part of the port, constantly aware that if someone got wind that it was their vessel that it could be stolen or taken into the Marines custody at any time. On the other hand, it made it just that little bit more difficult to get to without being noticed. 

Watching the group of petty officers run in the opposite direction, the three crewmates let out a small sigh of relief, allowing themselves a moment of reprieve to catch their breaths before running the final sprint to get the hell out of here and away from this island.  

“That was a close one, huh?” Jisung chuckled nervously, dabbing his brow with the back of his hand. 

“More than a little close,” Chan grunted, wriggling his jaw where one of Black Tusk’s men had managed to get a decent hit in. 

“Yeah, you said it.”

Now, Chan would have fully expected Changbin to be the final voice of agreement in their summation of the events just passed but when he realised that the voice had come from behind him when his friend was, in fact, in front of him, it made him whip around so fast that he was sure he was going to suffer greatly tonight from the resounding crack that emanated from his neck.  

“What the hell?” 

The fox-like youngster that they were sure to have left behind at the restaurant was now staring straight back at them, like it was a completely normal phenomenon for him to be squatting right beside them without a care in the world with a bright, albeit, nervous smile on his face. 

“The one who saved me in the restaurant,” Jisung hummed, snickering a little at the bewilderment on his brothers’ faces when it came to how on earth the other had managed to sneak up on them without any of them noticing. 

“Yeah, I’m Jeongin.”

Chan admittedly had to physically restrain himself from slapping Jisung’s hand back when the younger reached out to extend a greeting and introduction to Jeongin, possibly as an act of thanks too now that they were out of harm’s way. For a split moment at least. 

Jisung tended to get attached to people far too quickly, the exact opposite problem that Chan had himself and the captain could already see the little glint in his brother’s eye, that he was ready to sit down and have a full blown conversation with Jeongin about his entire life story. The only way to stop that from happening was to cut off the problem before it even began. 

“Sorry, kid,” Chan interrupted, finally pulling Jisung’s hand out of the tight clasp Jeongin seemed to have on it.  “We don’t really have time to care about who you are right now. We’ve got to get back to our ship.” 

Making a motion to check if the street was safe to Changbin, Chan began to pull Jisung away from the young man but not before he heard a few mutters from the younger man about how rude he was being. Chan made a mental note to absolutely murder Jisung in the most painful way possible later for not grasping the severity of the situation. 

“Wait!” Jeongin sputtered anxiously. “Take me with you.”

“I’m sorry?” Chan snorted without an ounce of humour as he spun around to look at the distressed boy.  

“Please. I-I don’t have anywhere else to go now.” 

Jeongin fear was evident through his begging as he scrambled up from the dusty ground of the alleyway to grasp onto Chan’s arm, an action which did not evoke a pleasurable sort of expression from the lilac haired man. 

“I just hit my boss over the head to save you!” Jeongin reasoned, pointing to Jisung to emphasise his point. “If I go back, he will literally kill me. I don’t have money to go anywhere else!” 

“Nobody asked you to risk your skin for us.”

“Hyung…” Jisung whispered with a painful dig of an elbow to Chan’s ribs. 

He shouldn’t be this hostile, especially not to a kid that had quite literally saved their lives but Chan was so fed up with this goddamn day that he just wanted to sail out onto the open sea, eat some decent food and try to knock himself out for the night by whatever means possible. 

Knowing that he would never hear the end of it if he didn’t do something to help out Jeongin in his time of need, knowing that they were the cause of his misfortune, Chan dipped his hand into his back pocket, dragging out a small cinched bag and tossing it straight at Jeongin, the young man nearly dropping it three or four times before he peeked inside with an arched eyebrow. 

“This should cover you for a while. You can use it to get to the next island over or something and start from there,” Chan advised, seeing Changbin motion to him from the corner of his eye that the coast was clear and they needed to get their asses moving right now if they wanted to escape. 

“What am I supposed to do then?”

Not making the same mistake twice, Chan managed to avoid Jeongin’s grasp as the younger reached out to try and stop him once again. 

“Not our problem.” 

“I can be useful on your ship though! Anything you want me to do. I can learn to be a pirate!”

“For the last fucking time today,” Chan spat as he turned around and grabbed Jeongin’s collar to make his point crystal clear. “We are not pirates!” 

It seemed to do the trick as Jeongin nodded his head exceptionally quickly to show that he understood, not being subtle in any way when his eyes darted down to the pistol and knives hanging from Chan’s belt. 

Yet another reason Chan hated to be associated with pirates. Everybody immediately thought that you were going to use violence and straight up murder you if you pissed them off in any way. Though, he couldn’t say that the particular line of thought wasn’t helpful in this instance. It was clearly enough to put the fear of death in Jeongin as the young man stumbled backwards when Chan gave him a gentle push, one that told him he needed to back off and leave them the hell alone. 

“Hyung, we need to go now if we ever want to leave this place,” Changbin hissed, seeing two chief petty officers beginning to make their way back down the street towards them. 

“Good luck, kid.”

Chan didn’t waste another second in grabbing onto Jisung’s arm and following Changbin towards the port, hoping and praying that all of their bad luck had already exhausted itself that day. 

“Wait! Please! You’re literally all I have right now!”

Despite the small glare he was garnering from Jisung as the younger began to run of his own volition beside him, Chan didn’t let his resolve waver, knowing that they couldn’t very well bring Jeongin onto the ship with them. It would interfere with all of the work they had done up until now but, perhaps more importantly, he couldn’t throw Jeongin into all of their shit and still have a clear conscience by the end of the day. His mind was made up and nothing was going to change it. 

Still, even though he knew it wouldn’t do him any good, Chan couldn’t help but look back over his shoulder to check on Jeongin, acting like he was just making sure that no Marines had managed to spot them during their escape. 

Instead of seeing a pouting and heartbroken young man still standing in the alleyway, Jeongin was nowhere to be seen at all. It confused Chan a little, how quickly Jeongin seemed to bounce back and actually heed his word when he had put up such a fight to try and join him right now but he knew he couldn’t linger on it for long, not when he would never see the boy again. He had learned to let go of pretty much everyone from the past and Jeongin would be absolutely no different. 

Chan just hated how long it actually took for that slight sting in his heart to actually disappear.