There were flames everywhere, so hot, the heat seared slightly against Seonghwa's skin. He walked above the deck slowly, limping and holding his side in pain.

"Boys, Hongjoong. Guys, where are you," he called out, scanning over the deck in search for any signs of life. Any signs of his crew, his family. He bit his lip nervously, limping across the ship in frantic search. As he walked, he noticed three bodies piled close together. He held his breath and hurried over, stopping with a gasp and a whimper. It was San, Yeosang and Wooyoung, all tangled together with their hands intertwined. It would've been sweet if it wasn't for the lack of movement and the burns and cuts all over their bodies. San's eyes were wide open but unseeing, facing towards Wooyoung and Yeosang. Seonghwa let out a sob and dropped to his knees, his hands reaching out desperately but not touching. He heard the sound of a groan and he stumbled to his feet quickly, hurrying behind a bit of debris to find Yunho leaning against the side of the ship, Mingi in his lap. There was blood pooling around there, too much blood.

"Y-Yunho," he whispered. Yunho's head lifted up and Seonghwa's stomach dropped. There was blood dripping from his mouth and a wound in his chest.

"H-Hwa," Yunho whispered. The tears fell quicker down Seonghwa's face as he dropped down beside the two of them.

"What's wrong with Mingi," Seonghwa asked, reaching out for him.

"He's dead," Yunho replied, his voice barely even a whisper. Seonghwa's head snapped up, mouth open in shock.

"Wh-What," he stuttered out. Yunho opened his mouth again to reply but all that came out was a cough as blood spurted out of his mouth.

"Y-Yunho, stay in there. Stay with me," Seonghwa said, reaching forwards and desperately trying to stop the blood from Yunho's chest. It didn't help much though; it continued to pour from his chest. Yunho coughed up a bit more blood before his body went limp and his head lolled to the side.

"No. N-No, Yunho," Seonghwa cried out. He placed his hand on the youngers cheeks, tapping lightly but there was no reaction, all it did was smear more blood over it. Seonghwa sobbed and checked his pulse on his neck but there was nothing. He let go of Yunho and his head lulled back down to the side. Yunho and Mingi were dead as well. Seonghwa sniffled and briefly wiped his eyes with what was left of his shirt sleeve. He slowly raised himself to his feet, diverting his eyes away from his two friends surrounded by blood. He continued walking alongside the ship, scanning in the hopes of finding the last two boys, of finding them alive. His hope dimmed however as he noticed a figure lying on the deck, three arrows sticking out of his torso. He walked over and dropped to his knees, getting enveloped in more sadness as his eyes trailed over the youngest face. He sniffled sadly and lifted his hand, using it to gently cradle his face before sliding his eyes shut. He bent down slowly, leaving a soft kiss to Jongho's forehead before standing up again. They're dead, all of them are dead. There's only one person left, the person he cares for the most. Hongjoong. Seonghwa froze where he was, crouching down and clenching his eyes closed. He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to move, he didn't want to risk finding Hongjoong, only to have his heart ripped out. He didn't want even the possibility of finding the love of his life in a state like the others. He couldn't. He just stayed where he was and sat crying his eyes out, his arms curled around his body.

"Don't cry my love; everything's going to be ok." Seonghwa's head snapped up and he looked to his right to see Hongjoong kneeling down beside him.

"Oh god. Joongie," he gasped out, lunging forwards and embracing Hongjoong tightly. Hongjoong's arms wrapped around him as well and Seonghwa let out a breath of relief at the knowledge that he was still alive.

"I thought you were dead," Seonghwa sobbed.

"It's ok, I'm not dead. I'm right here," Hongjoong whispered, rubbing his hair softly. Seonghwa melted completely, his head dropping to rest on Hongjoong's chest, feeling the heartbeat beneath his ear.

"I'm right here my love," Hongjoong said softly. Seonghwa sniffled and nodded, lowering his hand down to clutch Hongjoong's tightly. Their fingers linked together tightly, squeezing in reassurance for both of them. Seonghwa breathed in and out deeply, calming himself down slowly. His heart was still aching, the realisation that all of the other boys were dead, they were gone. But he had Hongjoong, he still had him. That has got to count for something right. He let out another breath, nuzzling closer to Hongjoong. It was silent apart from their breathing before there was a whistling sound and an odd squelch. Seonghwa frowned in confusion, feeling Hongjoong's grip on his hand weaken. He pulled back slowly, lifting his head up as well to see what was wrong. His heart felt like it was ripped from his chest and his screamed out in pain at what he saw. There was an arrow piercing right through Hongjoong's head, protruding out his forehead as his eyes were wide and unseeing.

Seonghwa cried out, clutching his chest in pain as he sobbed. The image of Hongjoong was etched into his brain. The sound the arrow made the sq-.

"Hey, shh, you're ok." Seonghwa startled at the pressure on his arm, his eyes snapping open.

"Seongie, it's ok. I'm here, you're ok. We're in our quarters on the ship, you're safe," Hongjoong whispered softly as he tightened his grip around his panicked boyfriend's body. Seonghwa gasped and look over at Hongjoong, seeing his concerned and very much alive face.

"J-Joongie," he whimpered, his hand shakily reaching up to cradle the Captain's face.

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm right here," Hongjoong whispered, soothing Seonghwa gently by rubbing his arm. He hates when Seonghwa gets nightmares, not liking to see the panic and pain in his face. Seonghwa sobbed and hugged Hongjoong tightly. It was mostly dark in the room but the moonlight was filtering through some openings in the walls. Hongjoong pulled Seonghwa onto his lap, bundling him up tightly. He reached his hand up and carded it through Seonghwa sweaty silver hair, brushing it back softly.

"We're all safe Hwa," Hongjoong whispered. Seonghwa let out a breath and nodded into Hongjoong's chest, lifting his head up more to tuck it into his neck. It took a few more minutes for Seonghwa to calm down completely before pulling back and slipping out of Hongjoong's lap.

"Do you want to talk about it," Hongjoong asked gently as Seonghwa wiped his eyes.

"It's just the usual, you guys all died," Seonghwa whispered. Hongjoong nodded and reached out, slipping his hand into Seonghwa's and squeezing tightly.

"Do you want to get some more sleep? Sunrise won't be for another few hours," Hongjoong said softly. Seonghwa nodded so Hongjoong gently laid them down, keeping his arms firmly around Seonghwa.

"I've got you," Hongjoong whispered, placing a soft kiss to Seonghwa's head.

"Relax and sleep, I'll be right here when you wake up," Hongjoong promised softly. Seonghwa finally relaxed and let his eyes slip closed, cuddling closer to Hongjoong's chest. Hongjoong just remained holding him tightly, watching him drift off to sleep peacefully in the darkness. The past 2 years have been the happiest of his life. Moments like these where he gets to hold Seonghwa and see him in his most relaxed state are the moments that he will forever cherish. He just wishes that his dreams weren't haunted by nightmares sometimes, that he wouldn't have to suffer so much.

~~~~~

Hongjoong startled awake to the sound of pounding on the door to his quarters. His arms instinctively tightened around Seonghwa's still sleeping form and his eyes narrowed.

"Captain it's almost noon, you guys need to wake up." Hongjoong relaxed instantly as he realised that it was only Yunho. He let out a sigh and moved his hand up to gently run through Seonghwa's hair.

"We will be out soon," he called back quickly.

"Ok," Yunho replied before his footsteps could be heard walking away. Hongjoong yawned slightly before looking back down at the sleeping boys face. He stayed like that for a little bit, just admiring his boyfriend's beauty. Five years ago he never would've thought this would be his life now. Sailing his ship with a crew he trusts and loves like family and a boyfriend who he cherishes with his entire heart. He moved his hand and delicately caressed Seonghwa's face before cupping it gently. He leant down and gently pressed his lips to Seonghwa's, kissing him lightly. Seonghwa stirred at the feeling of lips against his, his eyes slipping open to see Hongjoong kissing him tenderly with his eyes fluttered closed. He moved his hands up and wrapped them around Hongjoong's neck, rolling over so he was lying on top of Hongjoong. Hongjoong giggled and continued to kiss Seonghwa, wrapping his arms around his waist. They started to run out of breath so they finally pulled apart and Seonghwa smiled.

"That's a lovely way to start my morning," he said happily.

"Waking up with you by my side every morning is the best," Hongjoong whispered, leaning up and placing a kiss under Seonghwa's ear. Seonghwa giggled and pushed himself up slightly, smacking Hongjoong's chest gently.

"You're such a sap. What would you enemies think at seeing the great Kim Hongjoong, the Pirate King being such a sap," Seonghwa said.

"I'm only a sap for you my love," Hongjoong said with a grin. Seonghwa rolled his eyes and moved his hand up and ran it through Hongjoong's now blue and mullet-less hair.

"Short blue hair suits you," he said, brushing it back lightly.

"I'm glad you like it, I only changed it because you wanted me to," Hongjoong said with a shrug. Seonghwa frowned before pouting.

"I merely suggested it you didn't have to actually go through with it if you didn't want to," Seonghwa said quietly. Hongjoong chuckled and wrapped his arm around the back of Seonghwa's neck, tugging him down into a hug.

"I like it Seongie, its fine," he said. Seonghwa hugged him back and settled down, closing his eyes and resting his head on Hongjoong's shoulder.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Hongjoong replied, kissing his hair softly. They remained how they were for a few minutes before they were interrupted by loud knocking.

"Soon does not mean to lay in bed for another half an hour, it means to get your butts out of bed and do your duties. We need our Captain and if not our Captain then our Quartermaster but both of them are in bed so get up before I let Youngie break in and pour cold water on you," Yunho called out in exasperation. He loves them, he really does and he's glad they're still so happy together but they have some very bad habits.

"Out, now," he yelled before turning and walking off again. Hongjoong chuckled at the firmness from the other and gently pat Seonghwa's back to get him to sit up. Seonghwa groaned but sat up and slipped out of the bed. Hongjoong got up as well and they both quickly grabbed their shirts and put them on, getting changed into proper clothes.

"How did you sleep after the nightmare," Hongjoong asked as he fixed up his hair.

"Quite well," Seonghwa replied, half tucking his shirt into his pants.

"I'll stay up a bit longer tonight to make sure you're able to sleep better," Hongjoong said, moving over behind Seonghwa and wrapping his arms around his waist. Seonghwa sighed and leant back into him, yawning tiredly.

"Take it easy today, there isn't much we need done and certainly nothing you need to do," Hongjoong said.

"Ok," Seonghwa replied quietly with a small nod. There was another knock on the door and Hongjoong groaned while Seonghwa giggled.

"We're coming Yunho, no need to be so insistent," Hongjoong said.

"It's actually San but I'm guessing Yunho's already come and told you two to hurry up. I'm really tired and I want to sleep so I'd appreciate if you would come out so I could be relieved," San said. Hongjoong immediately felt guilty and hurried over to open the door. San truly looked exhausted and he had been awake for over 24 hours which means he was due to have a break from navigating. They're supposed to be taking a specific path through the ocean which is why someone needs to stay by the helm.

"Sorry Sannie, I totally forgot," Hongjoong said quickly.

"That's ok. Can I go get some sleep please," San asked with a yawn.

"Why don't you get some sleep in here with Seonghwa? He didn't sleep well last night so he could do with some sleep as well," Hongjoong said.

"Sleep in your amazing and comfortable bed? That is an opportunity that I will never pass up," San said, smiling happily.

"Shouldn't I help out around the ship today," Seonghwa asked, raising an eyebrow at Hongjoong.

"No you don't really need to. As I said before, there isn't much you need to do. Plus we all know Sannie likes having a cuddle buddy," Hongjoong said. San nodded and turned to Seonghwa, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. Seonghwa has always been weak for San's puppy eyes and he is a sucker for cuddles as well.

"Come on, let's get some sleep," he said softly, holding his arms out for the younger boy. San moved into them and melted instantly, cuddling into Seonghwa's arms. He was exhausted so the minute he felt the arms around him, it hit him at once and the tension left his body. Hongjoong quickly lunged forwards and caught San as his legs gave out.

"Sannie we've talked about this. You're a great navigator and we appreciate you but you need to come to me before you push yourself too far like this. I don't care if you have to wake me in the middle of the night, I just want you to be safe and in good health," Hongjoong said. San sighed but glanced back at Hongjoong and nodded gently.

"Come on, let's get you ready for bed," Hongjoong said. Seonghwa and Hongjoong both guided San over to the bed and sat him down. Hongjoong kneeled down and untied his laces, tugging off his shoes and then his socks while Seonghwa slipped off his jacket. Hongjoong then stood up and undid San's belt, tossing it to the side and untucking San's shirt. San just sat there while they looked after him, his eyes slipping closed.

"I've got him Seonghwa, you get ready for bed," Hongjoong said, cupping the back of San's head and letting him rest against his stomach. Seonghwa was quick to get unchanged and slip into bed before holding out his arms for San. Hongjoong gently slipped his arm under San's knees and moved him over to lie beside Seonghwa before stepping back. San was quick to cuddle up to Seonghwa's side while the oldest hugged him gently, pulling him up to his side and moving a hand to brush through his hair. The action was incredibly soothing and it didn't take very long at all for him to fall asleep.

"He asleep already," Hongjoong asked in concern. It had barely been two minutes and he had already seen San's body seep down against Seonghwa.

"Yeah," Seonghwa replied quietly.

"We need to keep a closer eye on him. 24 hours usually isn't too bad for him so he must not be sleeping very well between shifts. Make sure he gets a proper sleep today for however his long his body needs," Hongjoong said. Seonghwa frowned down at the younger boy worriedly but nodded quickly. He glanced at the smaller boys face, his lips turning upwards slightly at how innocent and soft San looked while asleep.

"The pink hair makes him look like an innocent little angel," Seonghwa said softly.

"It does. You wouldn't even be able to tell he could kill you within seconds," Hongjoong said with a nod. Seonghwa smiled gently and continued to brush through San's hair.

"I'll leave you two to rest. I need to find Yunho so I can get him to navigate for a bit," Hongjoong said. He waited for Seonghwa's nod before he turned and left the quarters, closing the door behind him. He walked across the deck and it didn't take long to find Yunho as he was standing with Mingi and looking over the rigging.

"Everything all good," he asked as he walked up, gaining both of the crew members attention.

"Yeah, we're just checking on the rope. One of them is a bit frayed, I think we might need to replace it next stop just in case," Mingi said.

"Alright, I'll make sure to put some money aside. How urgent is it? Do we need to try and make an earlier stop," he asked.

"No, it should be fine. It's more just a precaution," Mingi assured him.

"Alright. Yunho can you go navigate, San's getting some much needed rest," Hongjoong said.

"Of course," Yunho said, nodding immediately and hurrying off towards the helm. Hongjoong then turned back to Mingi.

"Have you eaten yet today," he asked, receiving a nod in return.

"Wooyoung cooked up some porridge for breakfast. There should be some left if you're hungry," Mingi said.

"I'm alright. I'll probably just wait for lunch because it's not too far away," Hongjoong said with a shrug.

"You sure? You gotta make sure you're eating properly," Mingi pointed out. Hongjoong chuckled and reached up to ruffle Mingi's hair softly.

"I appreciate the concern but I'm ok," Hongjoong said.

"Just making sure," Mingi said with a shrug.

"When you finish going over all the ropes you should be done for today so you can relax and do whatever you want," Hongjoong said. Mingi's eyes immediately lit up and Hongjoong backtracked quickly.

"That doesn't mean you and Wooyoung can get up to mischief and make a mess of the ship," he said sternly. Mingi pouted softly but nodded.

"We wouldn't have done that anyway," he denied.

"Uh huh," Hongjoong nodded disbelievingly.

"Ok, we won't do anything involving glitter," Mingi said, giving in. Hongjoong chuckled lightly and pat Mingi's shoulder gently before going to the kitchen to see what Wooyoung was doing. He paused and raised an eyebrow when he saw that Wooyoung was star fished out on the bench just looking at the ceiling.

"Youngie, you good," he asked in confusion. Wooyoung jolted in surprise and sat up quickly, turning to smile sheepishly at the Captain.

"Sorry, I was just relaxing," he said quickly.

"That's ok, I'm just making sure you're alright," Hongjoong said.

"Yeah I'm fine, I'm just waiting for this pie to bake for lunch," Wooyoung said.

"Alright, do you need help with anything," Hongjoong asked.

"Nah I'm good. This is pretty easy from now. You should probably check on Sannie though, I don't think he's been sleeping well lately," Wooyoung said worriedly.

"He's currently sleeping with Seonghwa but when he wakes up I'll talk to him about it. Thank you for telling me," Hongjoong said. Wooyoung smiled and nodded before jumping down from the bench to check on the pie. Hongjoong quickly left the kitchen and went down below deck to find the last two. Yeosang was easy to find. He was in the infirmary going over what supplies he had and sorting them.

"You missing much," Hongjoong asked as he went over and sat down on one of the beds. Yeosang turned to glance at him and smiled softly.

"Yeah, we're running low on morphine and stitches. We definitely need to stop within the next few weeks. And make sure no one else gets stabbed or shot in that time span please," Yeosang said. Hongjoong chuckled and nodded.

"I'll let the others know not to start bleeding suddenly," Hongjoong said. Yeosang chuckled and put down what he was holding, going over and sitting beside Hongjoong. Hongjoong lifted his arm up and allowed Yeosang to cuddle up to him, kissing his head softly.

"I've been hearing that people haven't been sleeping well. How have you been sleeping," he asked the younger.

"I've been sleeping really well actually, you don't have to worry about me," Yeosang replied.

"Good, I'm glad. If you ever have trouble sleeping, make sure you come to me," Hongjoong said.

"Will do," Yeosang said with a nod.

"Alright, do you know where Jongho is," Hongjoong asked.

"He's working out at the moment you probably don't want to interrupt him. You know how he is at being annoyed when he's gaining some muscle," Yeosang said. Hongjoong chuckled and nodded.

"Indeed I do. You ok if I help you out down here for a bit," Hongjoong asked. Yeosang hummed and nodded before getting up and going back to his supplies. Hongjoong quickly got up and followed as well, deciding to help him go over the medical supplies as everything else on the ship was in order as of yet.

A/N

Hello everyone and welcome to my new story. As many of you have already realised, this is a sequel to my ATEEZ Present story and my very first sequel. 

Let me know what you thought of this chapter and what parts you enjoyed seeing

What are some things you might be hoping to see in this story, perhaps carrying on from the previous one or just something new and we'll see if it fits in

I've currently got a new full time job so I have no where near as much time to write because I have 3 jobs at the moment but I'll do my best to get at least one or two chapters posted a week if I can

Thank you everyone for reading this and welcome to the beginning journey of ATEEZ Still Present!!