Trigger Warning

Storm, Drowning

Buckle up everyone, you're in for a ride this chapter

"Boys, wake up. Come on," Hongjoong said quickly, shaking Yeosang's shoulder and gently rousing him from his sleep. Yeosang opened his eyes quickly and glanced around, confused as to what was happening. Why was he being woken when he's pretty sure it's the middle of the night.

"Joong, what's wrong," he asked, his voice slurring slightly. Seonghwa and Wooyoung both stirred as well, their eyes opening as they looked at Hongjoong in confusion.

"I need you guys to come to my quarters, come on," Hongjoong said, slipping his arms around Yeosang an lifting up off the bed. Yeosang whined and wrapped his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist, tucking his head into his neck sleepily.

"Come guys, hurry up," Hongjoong said. Wooyoung noticed the slight edge to Hongjoong's tone and he sat up immediately, helping Seonghwa up as well. Hongjoong quickly carried Yeosang out of the room, the other two trailing behind him quickly. Hongjoong carried Yeosang all the way into his quarters where the others were already waiting. He placed Yeosang on the bed beside San where he quickly curled into his side.

"What's wrong? There's clearly something wrong because you wouldn't just wake everyone in the middle of the night," Yunho said with a frown. Yeosang woke himself up more but remained curled to San's side.

"We have an issue and I'm not going to sugar-coat it to you guys. We're anchored in right now but a storm is heading straight for us and it's a big one. I know we've gotten through storms but this is the biggest one we've been in. Being anchored in will only delay it but there's no way to miss it," Hongjoong said. Seonghwa shivered, fear curling into his gut as he stepped closer to Wooyoung. Wooyoung glanced to the side and noticed his anxiety so he quickly wrapped an arm around his waist, tugging him closer to his side.

"Shit. Are we going to remain anchored in," Jongho asked quickly.

"That's one of the things I wanted to talk about. San said we have about an hour or two until it's upon us so we have some decisions to make and quickly," Hongjoong said.

"Pros and cons," Mingi asked quietly.

"If we anchor in, it gives us more stability. We're less likely to sink and we're less likely to hit things. However, we will have to wait out the entire storm and we don't know how long that will take. It's safer, but it also means we have to make it through for however long it takes," Hongjoong said with a sigh.

"The storm is moving quite quickly so there's a good chance it will only take an hour to pass over, but there's also a chance that it will take multiple," San said quietly.

"Are we willing to take that risk," Hongjoong asked.

"I trust San. If he thinks it's best to stayed anchored, then I agree," Wooyoung said, the others nodding in agreement. San's stomach dropped and he looked at Hongjoong with wide and fearful eyes, shaking his head quickly.

"I-I can't," he whispered. Hongjoong quickly walked over to him and squatted down, placing his hands gently on his knees.

"Look at me Sannie," he said softly. San flicked his eyes to meet Hongjoong's and Hongjoong squeezed his knees when he noticed the tears welled up in his eyes. He knew San was scared, that he wouldn't be able to handle it if he made a decision and someone got hurt, he didn't want that pressure.

"This isn't on you. I will agree with what you think is best because either one works. If anything happens, it's on my, not you. I'm the Captain San, I have the final vote," Hongjoong said firmly. San felt guilty for putting it on Hongjoong, for making him have to take this burden.

"I'm Captain San, this is my responsibility," Hongjoong said.

"We stay. We're safer when we aren't moving and we're locked into place. It's too big a storm, we won't make it if we try to sail through," San said.

"I agree with you. We have a much better chance," Hongjoong said, standing back up.

"Is there anyone who has any issues with what we've decided," Hongjoong asked, looking over at the others. Everyone shook their head, but Seonghwa just stayed quiet.

"Park, you have a say in this as well," Hongjoong said, noticing how quiet he was. Seonghwa's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting to be given any say.

"I-I'm fine with it," Seonghwa nodded.

"Make sure you speak up if you have any issues. We can't read your mind," Hongjoong said. Seonghwa remained quiet but nodded mutely.

"Ok, so we're remaining anchored in which means we have work to do. Mingi, you need to check all of the rigging and sails, make sure it's secured and strong. Yunho, I want you to help and look for any problems while you're at it. If you don't know something, ask Mingi. The rest of you need to help locking and securing the essential things. Jongho and Yeosang, you two have the weaponry. Box them all and lock them in. Park, you go with San and he'll teach you how to lock up storage. Focus on the food first and then move onto the rest. Wooyoung, you have the kitchen, you know the drill. We need to move quickly boys, so let's get to it," Hongjoong said quickly. Everyone immediately nodded and got up, hurrying out of the room to do as asked, leaving Hongjoong alone. He groaned and dropped his head into his hands before sighing and running his fingers through his hair. He looked around his room. There were many things throughout that he didn't want to lose, but only a few that were too valuable to lose. He quickly grabbed a box from under his bed and piled the important things into it, closing the lid before taking it from the room. It was already quite windy outside, meaning the storm was getting closer to him. He quickly went below deck and down to storage where Seonghwa and San were quickly securing the storage boxes to the walls.

"How's it going," Hongjoong asked.

"It's good. We'll be done soon," San replied, strapping another box in, clipping the hook around the loop.

"Do you need any help," Hongjoong asked.

"We've got this Joong, go check in with Woo. He's got the entire kitchen," San said. Hongjoong nodded and left the room, going back above deck and over to the kitchens. He frowned when he heard some banging and he ran into the room, eyes scanning quickly until they landed on Wooyoung. Wooyoung was rushing around the kitchen, his heart pounding and his hands shaking as he tried to pack everything up. He was panicking and he knew it. He grabbed a pan but it slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground before he quickly picked it up again and packed it into the cupboard. He grabbed the knife set next but dropped it as well, yelping as it crashed to the ground beside him.

"WOOYOUNG," Hongjoong yelled, running over and wrapping his arm around the youngers waist and tugging him back. Wooyoung clung to him tightly, placing his head on Hongjoong's chest to try and calm down.

"Take a deep breath Wooyoung. I need you to just breathe and stay calm for me ok," Hongjoong whispered, resting his head against the youngers. Wooyoung nodded and slowly drew in a deep breath before letting it out and repeating a few times as he slowly calmed down.

"I know you're scared about what's going to happen but we're doing everything we can to make us as safe as we can," Hongjoong said firmly. Wooyoung took in another deep breath and nodded before pulling away.

"I-I'm sorry Captain, I just panicked before I could realise," Wooyoung said guilty.

"It's ok Wooyo, you're allowed to panic in a situation like this. Just do your best not to ok and if you do, come find someone," Hongjoong said.

"I will," Wooyoung said with a nod.

"Good. Now let's finish this off," Hongjoong said gently. Wooyoung nodded and quickly went over, picking up the knives and locking them away. Hongjoong picked up on the winding changing, the force of it increasing as the boat rocked slightly. They don't have long, the storms almost upon them.

~~~~~

Once San and Seonghwa finished locking down the storage, they went back above deck. Seonghwa gasped and stumbled back against San, his heart pounding as the wind howled and almost smashed him over. The waves were crashing into the side of the boat, shaking it slightly. San held Seonghwa tightly and pulled him back a few steps to remain below deck.

"We need to go to the kitchens to find Hongjoong. It's really windy so hold onto something. You see the rope that's running across the walls and through the open space. Yunho has put that up, it's a little protocol we have so that we can get from place to place without falling," San said quickly.

"F-Falling? As in off the ship," Seonghwa stuttered out quickly, his heart racing.

"It's ok Hwa, if you hold onto the rope you shouldn't fall. If you do accidentally fall off the ship, you just need to swim to the side. There are little loops attatched to the side of the ship that you can hold on to and you can wait for the ladder to come down," San explained to him quickly. Seonghwa's eyes went wide and his breath caught in his throat at the realisation of what San said. He could fall. He could fall into the water and he would drown.

"Put these on," San said, pulling a pair of gloves out and handing them to Seonghwa.

"It will stop you from getting rope burn," he explained. They were his but his hands are a lot stronger than Seonghwa's most likely, more rough and used to doing things like this. Seonghwa opened his mouth to reply but he couldn't find the words. San didn't realise, he was worried about getting Seonghwa's hands covered. He placed the gloves onto his hands and secured them tightly.

"Come on, we need to get to Hongjoong," San said. The ship suddenly shook violently, a large wave crashing into it and sending both of them towards the wall. San registered it with just enough time to wrap his arms around Seonghwa and cop the brunt of the crash. He winced slightly but brushed it off.

"Come on, just hold the rope. It's only a small patch of open space before the kitchens, just follow me," San said. He quickly grabbed tightly to the rope on the wall and hurried across the open space and over to the kitchens. It was raining so he got wet but he made it soon enough. When he turned around, his eyes met Seonghwa from where he was still standing by the stairs to below deck. His eyes were wide and San recognized the fear in them. It's only natural that he has this fear but he can't stay there.

"Hwa, come here. It's ok, you just need to come here," San called out. Another wave crashed into the ship, making it jolt and sending them both into the walls. Seonghwa whimpered and crouched down on the stairway, holding onto the wall.

"SEONGHWA," San yelled out. Seonghwa couldn't stay where he was because it wasn't safe, especially not when the waves are so violent. The door behind him swung open and he turned to see Hongjoong looking around quickly. Hongjoong's eyes landed on Seonghwa crouched in the stairway. He moved forwards quickly, running across the deck and crouching down beside Seonghwa.

"Come on Park, you need to come to the kitchens. It's not safe here right now so we need to discuss what our safest options are," Hongjoong said quickly. Seonghwa whimpered and his hand shot out, clutching Hongjoong's tightly. Hongjoong frowned and shuffled closer so he was huddled up beside him.

"It's ok, we're just going across there. We have lots of safety measures in place if anything happens. If fall, swim to the side of the ship and grab onto one of the safety measures attatched to the side and we'll get you back onboard," Hongjoong told him gently, trying to reassure him. It was clear that Seonghwa has never experienced a storm before so he's trying to keep him calm, but his words seemed to have the opposite effect. Seonghwa whimpered and squeezed Hongjoong's hands tightly, his other hand shaking. He's going to die. He won't make it through this.

"H-Hongjoong," he whimpered, his eyes welling with tears. Hongjoong's eyes went wide and he realised Seonghwa was a lot more scared than he first thought. He can't remember Seonghwa ever calling him by his first name instead of his title. They haven't discussed it, they kind of just stuck with the names they had when he first arrived. Right now he needs to be comforted, right now he is one of his boys and he needs the reassurance. He turned around, facing Seonghwa and squeezed his hand tightly.

"Hey, I've got you. You're going to be ok," he said gently. Seonghwa shook his head and cried anxiously.

"H-Hongjoong. I can't, I c-can't sw-swim," he choked out. Hongjoong froze and his grip loosened, his eyes going wide. Seonghwa can't swim? Is that why he didn't go in the water earlier. Wait, how is he a pirate? How the hell is he on a ship? Oh god, this just got a whole lot more dangerous. Seonghwa cried harder, figuring Hongjoong was mad at him now because he let go of his hand. Hongjoong blinked quickly before tugging Seonghwa into his arms and holding him tightly.

"We can work with this we'll look after you. If anything happens and you fall in, I will jump right in after you. I promise," Hongjoong said firmly. Seonghwa clutched his shirt and whimpered into his shoulder.

"I won't let you drown," Hongjoong whispered. The ship suddenly shook violently, sending them both careening to the floor. Seonghwa cried harder but Hongjoong quickly sat up and pulled him up as well. The waves must've become big enough to lap over the deck, some water sliding down the stairs. It wasn't much, but it was still some

"I need you to trust me right now Seonghwa. We need to go somewhere safer," Hongjoong said. Seonghwa was terrified but he nodded, knowing he needed to move and he'd rather do it with someone there to protect him. Hongjoong dragged them both to their feet and moved to the top of the stairs.

"Here's what we're going to do. You're going to grab that rope and hold it tightly to get over to the other side. I'll grab it on either side of you and cage you in so if fall, I will be there to catch you," Hongjoong said firmly. Seonghwa sniffled but nodded. Hongjoong glanced down at his hands and was glad to see he had gloves on, San probably gave it to him.

"Grab the rope," Hongjoong instructed. Seonghwa nodded and shakily reached out, grabbing the rope.

"Park, you need to hold tighter than that," Hongjoong said. He stepped up to Seonghwa back and hugged him gently.

"Take a deep breath and calm down. Stop your hands from shaking and hold on tight," he whispered gently. Seonghwa sniffled but took a deep breath. Hongjoong says he'll protect him, that he won't let him drown and so far, he hasn't seen him break a promise to anyone. He tightened his grip on the rope and Hongjoong squeezed his waist in encouragement before moving his arms up to grab the rope as well.

"We move at your pace ok, go as fast as you are able to," Hongjoong said. Seonghwa nodded and finally stepped out on the deck. The wind was wild, making him almost slip but Hongjoong drew his arms closer, holding him so he wouldn't fall.

"You're ok, I'm here. Just keep walking," Hongjoong said. Seonghwa nodded and continued walking shakily. It really wasn't that far away, maybe 5 to 10 metres but it felt like ages. When they finally got close enough, Hongjoong let go and San's hand shot out, grabbing Seonghwa's arm and dragging him into the kitchen with Hongjoong following. Everyone else were already in there and Yeosang immediately rushed over, pulling Seonghwa into his arms tightly. They were both pretty soaked but Seonghwa gladly accepted the comfort.

"Is everyone ok," Hongjoong asked quickly, glancing around to make sure everyone was there and no one looked hurt.

"We're all fine, we were just waiting for Seonghwa and San," Yunho replied. The ship shook, making everyone stumble but they managed to keep their feet.

"Ok, so the storm came quicker than we expected but that's also a good thing, it means it's going to pass quicker. We're just going to have to wait this out, it's way too harsh and choppy to try and do anything," Hongjoong said quickly.

"We should remain in here. It's probably the safest and most stable place we have right now," Jongho said.

"Why can't we go below deck," Mingi asked.

"It's most likely going to get a bit flooded and if something happens, it's dangerous because it's hard to get back above deck. If Illusion goes down, we need to be able to abandon ship," Hongjoong said. Seonghwa whimpered fearful and Hongjoong turned to him.

"This is a worst case scenario Park, I won't let you drown. I promised, remember," Hongjoong said softly. Wooyoung and Yeosang looked between the two of them in surprise. Neither of them realised Seonghwa had told Hongjoong he couldn't swim.

"What's wrong," Jongho asked with a frown, glancing at the crying Seonghwa.

"Nothing, just focus on what we need to do right now. Do we agree we should remain in here," Hongjoong asked. Everyone slowly nodded in reply.

"We should sit down, stay against the wall so we don't fall and get hurt," Yunho suggested.

"I agree," Yeosang said with a nod. They all walked over to the most stable wall and sat in a line against it. Seonghwa was sat in between Yeosang and Wooyoung and he held both their hands tightly. Hongjoong was on the end, sitting beside Yunho and he sighed, closing his eyes and resting his head against the wall.

"You ok," Yunho asked.

"I'm fine, just worried about how this will turn out," Hongjoong said quietly.

"We'll be ok," Yunho said softly.

"I hope so. I really hope so," Hongjoong whispered.

~~~~~

The storm continued raging for hours while they were holed up in the kitchen. Everything was going fine though, the were all good while the storm raged on. Everything was fine until there was a crack, sort of like splintering. Hongjoong's head snapped up immediately, on high alert. Some of the others were dozing but he couldn't so he heard the minute there was an odd noise.

"I don't like the sound of that," Yunho said nervously. Both of them jumped up quickly and rushed to the door swinging it open and holding on tightly as the looked around. The sun was starting to come up on the horizon though the storm was still raging so it wasn't too bright but it was enough to look around.

"Oh my god, Hongjoong," Yunho gasped, his eyes wide. Hongjoong glanced at him before following his line of sight and his stomach dropped. One of the ships masts had splintered and was slowly falling. That wouldn't have been an issue, except the direction it was falling was straight for the kitchen. When it fell more, it would begin to fall quicker and would crush everything inside the kitchen, everyone.

"Get them out. Get them out now," Hongjoong yelled. They both sprinted inside, running to the others and dragging them all up as quick as possible.

"What're you doing," Wooyoung groaned as Hongjoong yanked him up.

"One of the masts is about to fall right onto here," Yunho yelled out hurriedly. That seemed to get everyone's attention. San shot up and scooped Yeosang up, running him outside quickly. Wooyoung jumped to his feet and grabbed Seonghwa's wrist, yanking him outside and the others quickly followed. About ten seconds later there was a crack as the mast split completely and it crashed down onto the kitchens with a bang. Wooyoung whimpered and quickly clung onto Hongjoong, his heart pounding at the realisation of what almost happened. Hongjoong held him tightly, calming slightly now that he had one of his boys close to him. That was a close call, too close of a call. His chest was heaving as he clutched Wooyoung tightly in his arms. Seonghwa was frozen in fear, standing on the middle of the deck, no longer in the safety of being inside. The rain had stopped but the wind was still howling and the waves were still coming. With the scare of the mast, Hongjoong had forgotten about the other dangerous around them. That was his biggest mistake.

A big wave suddenly crashed into the side of the ship, throwing everyone off-balance. They all grasped onto someone, or two someone's to steady themselves as they fell down, but Seonghwa had no one. Wooyoung had moved to Hongjoong and Hongjoong was looking after him, leaving Seonghwa alone. The first tip made him fall and slide across the deck. It would have been fine, he would've been able to able to get his footing enough to get up and stumble back to safety. It would have been fine. But then the second wave hit. It was one of the biggest waves yet and the ship lurched violently and with it, Seonghwa was pitched over the side. He didn't even have time to scream before he plunged into the darkness.

Hongjoong heard Seonghwa's scream after the first wave and his head snapped up, terror running through his veins as his eyes locked on the figure being flung across the ship. He yelled out to him but then there was another bang and he and Wooyoung were flung forwards, crashing into the deck. Hongjoong groaned in pain but looked up quickly to find Seonghwa. But Seonghwa was nowhere to be seen, which could only mean one thing.

"PARK," Hongjoong screamed. He jumped to his feet and didn't hesitate sprinting to the edge and jumping over, into the crashing waves. He entered the water with a splash before swimming upwards, breaching the surface within a few seconds. He looked around desperately, trying to find any trace of Seonghwa he could.

"PARK. PARK WHERE ARE YOU," he yelled out, swimming around in a circle and analysing the water. He needed to find him, and he needed to find him soon. He was scared. No he was beyond scared, he was petrified. At some point over time, he had begun to see Seonghwa as a crewmate. He cared for him, he was protective of him and he couldn't let him die.

"SEONGHWA," he screamed, his eyes welling with tears, though it was barely noticeable as he was already soaked. He promised to protect him, that he wouldn't let him down. He whimpered before sinking beneath the water again. Just as he was beginning to lose hope, he saw a shape. He swum as quick as he could, his hand clasping around clothing before he swam back up, resurfacing with a gasp. He yanked Seonghwa above the surface, making his head fall underwater but he managed to pop back up, coughing slightly. Seonghwa wasn't moving, his eyes closed and his head limp which worried Hongjoong, but he had to keep going. He was beginning to get a little tired but he managed to get to the side of the ship and reached up, grabbing a loop. He pulled Seonghwa closer, managing to slip one of the olders arms around his neck so he could hold him easier. He gripped the loop with a white-knuckled grip, struggling to continue holding on as the waves crashed around him. He didn't let go, he wouldn't let go. No matter what, he wasn't going to let the seas take Seonghwa away. He looked up helplessly, hoping to see one of the boys coming down to help but no one was there. He won't be able to keep this up for a whole lot longer. The waves splashed up into his face, some getting into his mouth but he quickly spat it out, coughing slightly. He startled when something knocked against his head and he looked up to see a rope with a loop at the end of it hanging down. He looked up more and saw Yunho's worried face.

"TRY TO SLIP YOUR LEGS THROUGH AND SIT ON THE LOOP," Yunho yelled down, watching worriedly as Hongjoong kept himself and Seonghwa above water. Hongjoong is strong, the all know that, but he's also small and he doesn't know how long the Captain will be able to keep it up. Hongjoong's teeth started chattering slightly and he was beginning to feel the exhaustion starting to settle in. He's still got enough energy though, he isn't giving up until they're safe again. He took a deep breath before quickly transferring his hand from the side of the boat to the rope. He used one hand to keep Seonghwa above water and held the rope with his other, using some of his last remaining energy to pull himself up high enough to slip his legs through the circle and sit down. As soon as he did that, he was able to focus more of his energy on keeping Seonghwa safe. He needed to figure out a way to secure Seonghwa with him so they could be pulled up. He thought for a few seconds before he came up with an idea. He turned Seonghwa around so he was facing him and wrapped both of the olders arms around his neck and pulled him into his lap, one of his legs on either side of his hips. He held tightly to the rope with one hand and slipping the other arm around Seonghwa's waist, holding him close and resting his head on his shoulder.

"PULL US UP," he yelled. Yunho nodded and turned to the others and instructing them to pull. Together they managed to raise Seonghwa and Hongjoong back up to the deck, Hongjoong holding Seonghwa tight so he wouldn't fall. Once they were safely on deck, Hongjoong all but collapsed, his chest heaving and his body burning slightly. Yeosang rushed over to Seonghwa and went to pull him from Hongjoong's arms but froze when Hongjoong whimpered and held on tighter. Hongjoong wasn't thinking properly, his mind a little clouded, the only thing running through it being to keep Seonghwa safe.

"I need to check on him," Yeosang said. Hongjoong nodded weakly and let go, allowing Yeosang to lay him down to check him. Yeosang placed his 2nd and 3rd finger on Seonghwa's neck to feel for his pulse. He swear his own heart almost stopped when he couldn't feel a pulse.

"No. No, no, no," he gasped, quickly placing his hands co-ordinately on Seonghwa's chest and begun to do compressions. Hongjoong let his head loll to the side to see what was going on and his eyes widened when he saw Yeosang doing chest compressions. That means he doesn't have a heartbeat, that means he's dead. He felt a sudden surge of more energy and he sat up quickly, crawling to Seonghwa and pushing Yeosang off of him. He straddled Seonghwa's waist and started doing chest compressions.

"You do not get to die on me Park Seonghwa," he panted as he continued. Wooyoung let out a sob, his hand covering his mouth as he watched the scene in front of him. Jongho quickly grabbed his hand and tried to calm him down but San and Mingi were also crying.

"You can't die on me Seonghwa. I promised you, I made a promise and I broke it. You need to live so you can beat my ass for it. I'll allow you to beat my ass for breaking my promise," Hongjoong rushed out. After 30 compressions, he leant down and breathed into Seonghwa's mouth, trying to clear his airway. After doing two breaths, he continued the chest compressions, pushing down firmly. His surge of energy was faltering slightly but he relented and continued on, pushing hard.

"You can't die Seonghwa, you can't die. I know I've been an ass but you've made me care now and I can't lose you. Please Seonghwa," Hongjoong pleaded. He pushed down hard one more time and Seonghwa suddenly jolted, his head turning to the side as he expelled some water. Hongjoong quickly slipped off and turned Seonghwa, allowing him to expel more of the water.

"S-Seonghwa," Hongjoong stuttered. Seonghwa turned his head and his eyes met Hongjoong's. One second he was drowning and in pain and the next he was alive with the Captain leaning over him. He kept his promise.

"You called me by my first name," he whispered. Hongjoong let out a sob and grabbed Seonghwa, scooping him into his arms and holding him tightly.

"Don't you ever do that again do you understand me Seongie. You scared the shit out of me," Hongjoong said, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath and calm down from the scare. Seonghwa sniffled and curled up against him.

"I know I was horrible to you when you first came but I just wanted to protect my boys. But it's different now, you, you've become one of my boys. I don't know when, but I care about you and I can't lose you so please don't do that again," Hongjoong whimpered. Seonghwa was caught off-guard by the Captains words. He was expecting to be panicking and sobbing about what happened, but he felt safe where he was and he didn't feel the need to panic. His heart swelled at Hongjoong's words and cuddled closer. He felt exhausted after what happened but Hongjoong was crying, he was being vulnerable with him and he was telling him he cared. All Seonghwa had been wanting for the past few weeks was for the Captain to accept him so he wouldn't have to be scared about leaving.

"I-I was scared but I knew y-you would keep your pr-promise," he whispered. Hongjoong let out a breath before nodding and dropping his head onto Seonghwa's shoulder. The physical strain of what just happened was starting to hit him and he felt exhaustion seeping into his bones.

"Thank you Hongjoong," Seonghwa whispered. Hongjoong just hummed and kept a tight grip around Seonghwa. Yunho noticed that the two of them looked like they were about to pass out so he quickly knelt beside them. He's the second in command, it's his job to step up when Hongjoong needs a break.

"San said the storm will pass in another hour. Your quarters are safe so I'll move you two into them. We've got it handled from here Captain," Yunho said firmly. Hongjoong glanced up at Yunho and nodded before his eyes slipped closed and he relaxed against Seonghwa. He trusts them, they can last another hour.

A/N

So, here is Chapter 9. I posted it a few hours earlier than I normally do. I only have another two or three chapters to write and then I'm finished. So this story will end up being about sixteen or seventeen chapters. Given this, I'm going to try post every day until I've posted everything because I should be able to get the last few chapters done in that time

Anyway, back to the story. Once again, quite a few developments. So let's just get to it...

Hongjoong protected Seonghwa and saved his life. Did that surprise anyone, or did you always know he was a good person

Hongjoong and Seonghwa also used each others first names properly for the first time, so character development I guess

Let me know what you enjoyed about this chapter, your favourite parts. I am eager to hear

Thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoyed it