two

5300 words 

authors note: 'eclose' is the term used when bugs, such as butterflies, transform into their adult form.

"Is this really necessary?" Pia asks with a raised brow, her arms wrapped behind a pole, hands bound together.

Jungkook sits on a stool, left leg crossed over his right, as he carefully peels an apple with the blade of a small knife. He looks in her direction, entirely disinterested, and doesn't offer her a reply.

Below deck, in the hull of Bangtan, Jungkook has resumed his role as Pia's babysitter. He's also enchanted the wooden beams around her, to prevent her song from penetrating above board. For now, his crewmates are safe.

"You've bolted the door, you've done your stupid little spells, I'm not going anywhere," she states, fed up with the situation she's in. They set sail an hour ago. She cannot survive two weeks of him watching her like a hawk, but knows damn well he's not gonna let another fucker take the shift if he can help it. "Can you just, I dunno—bugger off?"

Now this does make Jungkook smirk.

In a white shirt, frills of fabric trail down Jungkook's chest and over the buttons. The cloak he'd been wearing as they'd boarded the ship is now hooked over a hammock strung up to the rafters. Leather boots protect his calves from puddles, and silver chains hang around his neck. He looks the part, that's for sure. Gorgeous, granted, but by no means obviously a fairy. 

Tweaking a brow, his eyes shine in the low flickering flame of a candle. If it weren't for them, Pia would have probably assumed he was a warlock of some kind, but those blue eyes don't lie. 

Tongue running along the inside of cheek, Jungkook raises the apple to his teeth and sinks into the soft ivory flesh of the fruit. It crunches between his teeth, his smirk prevailing even as he chews.

"Really?" She sneers, then shuffles a little in her dress. It's uncomfortable. Not made for sitting in a heap on the floor.

It had been decided that she needed 'proper' attire, however the only clothes in the manor that fit her were an assortment of incredibly formal, boned, corset dresses, presumably from the previous owner of the house. Though she looks divine—perfect for spending her days on the mainland, like the mortal folk—she's terribly uncomfortable.

Has never worn so much fabric. Doesn't understand how nor why humans do it.

Her feet peek out of the skirt, the silver chain around her ankle on show. As she adjusts her position, Jungkook feels a slight pang of guilt. Remembers how itchy he'd felt with clothes on his back for the first time after concealing his wings. Hated the sensation.

Any guilt he feels evaporates as she begins to sniff, her chest shuddering as she's about to cry.

"Stop it," he scolds, hastily swallowing down his apple.

"But—"

"Give me a little credit, Pia. I wasn't born yesterday," Jungkook deadpans. He's fed up with the situation, too. "You can't manipulate me with your voice, and you can't manipulate me with tears either. Don't bother."

Letting her face fall flat, Pia rolls her eyes. "Was worth a try."

"Fruitless endeavour," he shrugs. "Don't pull your bullshit with me."

The boat creaks as it meanders across the currents. The rest of the crew are above board. There's only the seven of them and Pia—a small number, but hearty. They've managed to cultivate an enigma around themselves. Most rival boats know not to cross them. Have their affiliation flag to The Caspartine tied to their flagpole right next to their skull and bones.

"But you won't let me play with anyone else," she pouts. Widens her golden eyes ever so innocently. "Just one. Let me drown just one."

"No, Pia."

"I'll make it quick," she flirts, just for a little entertainment.

Jungkook knows better than to indulge her, but he can't help but find her begging somewhat amusing. She's being facetious, he thinks. Knows that she doesn't actually expect him to agree, but pleads regardless. Flirting, almost. She's a siren through and through, that's for sure.

"So Stars help me," he almost growls—and Pia suddenly begins to realise that maybe he's a little more exciting than she'd given him credit for. Fairies never speak so harshly. His wings must be a little rough around the edges. "If you even so much as think about drowning a single one of them, I'll tear my wings out myself and drown you instead."

Jungkook would do no such thing, and admitting to the fact he actually cares about those damn pirates is a little embarrassing, but he knows if he doesn't nip this in the bud, her nagging will blossom into something far more annoying.

"Sirens can't drown," she states all rather plainly.

"I don't care," he says. "I'll find a way to do it."

"You're no fun."

"My idea of fun doesn't usually include murder, Pia," he reminds her, the differences in their species clear as day for anyone who knows what to look for.

Her eyes shine, the glinting gold of her gaze enough to clue Jungkook in on the fact she finds this bickering fun. It doesn't surprise him, nor does it concern him.

"Don't knock it till you try it."

The way he finds himself smirking at her words?

Now, that should concern him.

"I'm not gonna try anything," Pia pleads, her eyes just as wide as her lips are pouty. There's something about the gold in her gaze that makes it impossible to look away, no matter how impenetrable Jungkook is to her little tricks. "Just let me stretch my legs!"

Jungkook's face is flat, but he does raise a brow. It's his default with her. Always wondering what bullshit she's gonna come up with next.

No longer bound up to the pole, Jungkook has given her free rein over the room. Other than occasionally going up to help the deckhands through rough water, he's been down in the helm with Pia for the entire journey.

It's been four days so far. Just a little under halfway, he keeps telling himself. Only a little further until the rocks that mark the midway point, and then from there on the time will fly by. He's sure of it.

It only took two days for her to wear him down and her wrists untied.

By her calculations, only one more hour until he caves and lets her go up above deck for a little fresh air. The room is filled with the scent of Jungkook. Fuckin' fairies. Reek of flowers. Tree bark. To the mortal nose, they smell incredibly fresh. In fact, it's one of the many uses of fairy dust. It's sprinkled in perfumes. Makes men and women alike irresistible.

"It's dark, and all I can smell is you—"

To Pia, he smells fucking repulsive.

Or rather, his scent is just strong, and unfamiliar. She tells herself he's disgusting, but deep down there's a part of her that enjoys his filth, and it's causing her all sorts of internal dilemmas. She needs fresh air to clear him out of her system. That's it. She's just plagued by him. That's all.

"Well then you're lucky, 'cause all I can smell is you," he snaps back. "You know what Sirens smell like? Rotting fuckin' fish."

"Good," she huffs in response. "I hope it's making you miserable."

"Well it's not exactly making me thrilled to be here," Jungkook deadpans, tossing his book down onto the ground beside his stool. Getting to his feet, he turns his back on her and heads for the door.

If there's one thing that's guaranteed to piss her off, it's indulging in the things she desires. She wants to go above board? He'll go instead.

"You're insufferable," she curses after him. "I hope you fall overboard! There's a Leviathan in these waters, and all it needs is a command from me—"

"Yeah, yeah," he calls back, not worried about her taunts. Her voice will be muffled to anyone outside the door. It slams shut behind him, the bolt automatically locking thanks to his enchantment. "I'll be sure to say hello to your pet Leviathan if I see it."

There haven't been any sightings of any Leviathan for hundreds of years, and Pia isn't exactly the most powerful siren out there. Her claims are bullshit, just like they so often are.

It's her lies that got her into this predicament in the first place. She's been out of the water for days, now. Jungkook has observed the way she twirls her fingers in the jugs of water he brings down for her, but only after she thoroughly salts them.

Being torn from your home is never pleasant, but to be on a vessel just a few wooden beams away from it must be torture. He knows how much he struggles walking through the woodlands from the manor house to the beach.

It's for this reason Jungkook only makes it up a few stairs before he turns back.

"You get five minutes," he says as he holds the door open. "C'mon."

She doesn't need telling twice. Holding onto the skirt of her dress, she practically sprints past Jungkook. Bounds up the stairs like an excitable puppy.

"Slowly," he grunts as he follows her. Somehow trusts that she won't just jump overboard, which is pretty damn stupid given just how difficult she's proven herself to be.

She doesn't slow down, but she also doesn't really consider going overboard. Knows Jungkook is more powerful than she is. Isn't sure if he'd be able to do something to ruin her escape.

"Been making perfume down there?" Taehyung gawps, as Jungkook comes to stand by him, leaning up against the side of the boat next to a cannon port. Though he's addressing Jungkook, his eyes are firmly locked in on Pia. For once, it's not 'cause she looks good or 'cause her voice is enchanting him, but rather 'cause she smells fuckin' delectable. "I knew fairies were meant to smell nice, but Christ. Kinda get why they infuse perfume with their dust now."

Jungkook shakes his head. Grumbles a lie. "No wings probably means her dust is all stored internally. More potent. Probably why she smells stronger."

See, Jungkook lied when he was bickering with Pia.

Sirens smell divine—entirely fraudulent, but gorgeous. Like many things sirens do, their scent is pure manipulation. Different for everyone. Taehyung smells vanilla. Cinnamon. Warmth. Spiced indulgence he just can't resist. 

Jungkook is constantly smelling hyacinths around her. It's intoxicating. His biggest weakness. Girls in the kingdom wear them in their hair because it's well-known just how much he loves them. Has a garden full of them. 

Pia has never laid eyes on a hyacinth. Doesn't know what they smell like. Hell, doesn't even know they exist. 

But Jungkook does, and her natural scent manipulates the olfactory part of his brain into believing that it's her very own perfume. 

Her recent and persisting anger only permeates her scent even further. The constant frustration she feels is raising her typically cool body temperature. Heating her up. Simple mechanics. While her magic and manipulation can't work on him, even he isn't immune to natural attraction, and her scent provides him with just that.

He's stronger than a mortal soul, though. Knows it isn't real. He'll be fine. Just needs a little push to pull through.

It's one of the reasons why he caved and agreed to let her get some air. Wants to clear the room of her scent. 

Taehyung shrugs. He doesn't care if he's being manipulated by Mother Nature. "Too bad we're shipping her off. She cleans up well."

Jungkook hums. Agrees. "She's a fuckin' nightmare, though. Wouldn't get a day of peace if we kept her around."

Or at least Jungkook wouldn't. The rest of them would probably be fine, if he was keeping her in line.

"Thought fairies were supposed to be gentle-natured?" Taehyung muses, then considers maybe they should really find out exactly why her wings disintegrated. "Guess it explains things, though."

"It does?" Jungkook raises a brow, eyes locked on Pia.

She stands by the edge of the ship, arms folded over ledge, her chin atop of them. Eyes closed, she's letting the sea air wisp around her without a care in the world. Jungkook thinks she might be smiling, too. Only very subtly. Like she's at peace.

Maybe this will be beneficial for them both. He can clear the room of her scent, and hopefully the sea air will ease her of grouchiness. Lower that body temperature of hers.

"She's lost her wings already," Taehyung shrugs. "Doesn't have much incentive to stay 'good' anymore, does she?"

Jungkook's brows harden as he looks at her, the waves around them slowly mumbling against the side of the boat.

Just because she may not have an incentive to be good doesn't mean that he doesn't. His wings, though concealed, are itching to flutter once more.

His intentions for taking Pia to the mainland are good—but if he hands her over to a dust dealer, she'll inevitably be caught out. It's a death sentence. He can't, in good faith, let it happen.

But without access to dust dealers, he's shit out of luck trying to find his sister.

Her life hangs in the balance, and he's the one who either pushes her or holds her close. He doesn't really want to do either of these things. Doesn't really think there's any other options.

It's quite the predicament.

Not one that Jungkook would wish on his worst enemy. Not even on Pia.

"No," he quietly assesses, watching on as Pia indulges in the sea air. "I suppose not."

When below deck, like she so often is, Pia has taken to wearing as little clothing as possible.

It's partially to make Jungkook's life difficult—it'd be hard to explain why she isn't preserving modesty around Jungkook if any of the boys were to venture by her room. They'd endlessly question whether or not he's fucking her, which would be, like, so embarrassing. 

More than that, though, if they thought anything was 'happening' between them, it would likely concern the Bangtan pirates that Jungkook wouldn't be willing to hand her over to dust dealers when the time came. Would give them reason to doubt his commitment to the team.

Mainly, though, it's 'cause she despises human clothes.

When she's at home—in the water, by the rocks—there's nothing she loves more than finding new treasure to craft an outfit from. Her sister is well-known for it amongst their kind. She embellishes herself in shells and seaweed, and believes there is no such thing as 'too much'.

Laying on her back, her legs up against the wall, body covered in just an old silk shirt she's found left in a trunk in the corner of the room. The silver chain of her curse remains shackled around her ankle.

Just over a week into their voyage, she's counting down the days.

Jungkook lets her up to the deck after the boat is anchored for the night, so as to avoid as many of the boys as possible. They'd all stare and gawp, and ask dumb questions like 'When is it my turn to watch guard?', or 'I thought you couldn't stand her?'.

He remains stoic during all the similar conversations he has about Pia. Will tell them that it's best to keep to the status quo. That she's volatile and abrasive, and at least he knows how to deal with her. It's easier for everyone if he keeps watching over her—but he absolutely does not enjoy it.

At least, that's what he says.

"Gorgeous, isn't she?" Pia asks Jungkook, nodding up towards the moon a few evenings into this new arrangement.

The rest of the crew are asleep. It's just the pair of them above board. Dark clouds have been veiling the midnight sky above them, but they're beginning to clear ever so slowly. The moon is unveiling itself to them.

"Mm," Jungkook nods. It's full tonight. Casts Pia in the most celestial of lights.

As unaffected as he is by her, he can admit she's beautiful. Understands why she's desired regardless of her tendency to entangle anyone she can.

Wearing that silk shirt again, her hair is pinned up with a small, sheathed dagger. Another relic found in the chest.

"I think, if I hadn't been born as I am, that I'd have quite liked to be a star," Pia muses, looking up ever so adoringly, then turns to face Jungkook with slight urgency. "Have you ever met one? A star, I mean?"

Her curiosity isn't something she often shares with Jungkook. Keeps her thoughts to herself. Chooses only to converse with him if there's something in it for her.

Jungkook is leaning against the door that leads down into the hull below deck. Likes to keep his distance from her. His white shirt is in need of a wash, a little grubby and worn from helping navigate the boat, and he's barefoot tonight. The buttons of his dirty shirt are mostly undone. It gets hot beneath deck, the candles and lack of fresh air a terrible environment for their lungs.

Sirens and fairies may not have similar morals, but they do have similar states of comfort. Trousers, he doesn't mind, but Jungkook hates wearing shirts. Hates wearing shoes. Hates concealing his skin from the elements almost as much as he hates concealing his wings.

As he nods, Pia is beside herself.

"No, you haven't!" She objects with a pout. "Oh, this is just so unfair. Why do good things happen to horrible people?"

Laughing a little at her petulant ways, Jungkook shakes his head. "I'm a good person!"

"Good people don't hunt."

"Are we forgetting what you do for sport?" He challenges.

"Are we forgetting that I've never claimed to be good, or moral, or proper?" Pia smirks. She enjoys this back and forth. It's the closest she can get to the hijinx she used to get up to with her sisters. "Anyway, not important. Tell me about the star. Was she beautiful? Oh, I bet she was beautiful."

Softly smiling, Jungkook nods. "Very."

"Did you know her well?" Pia asks, not curious of the star now, but curious of Jungkook. He's never really shared anything about his life with her, and she'd be a liar if she said she wasn't intrigued.

"You can never really know a star," Jungkook shrugs. "Not well. They watch the world. Know all of our secrets. Transcend time. She was on land long before I was born, but it was as if she had seen my whole life ahead of me already. Nothing I ever said surprised her, nor did it impress her."

There's a melancholy air to the way he speaks. Almost as if he's lamenting his memories.

"She'll be watching us now, you know," he says nodding up towards the sky as he walks to stand beside Pia. He points, but Pia isn't sure which one he's singling out. Her eyesight is better below water. The only star she can make out right now is the brightest one in the sky.

"She will? Should you say Hello?"

Pursing his lips, Jungkook isn't sure how much he should divulge. Knows he shouldn't share too much with Pia, but he's never really had to tell anyone about himself before. Those in his Kingdom already know his history. Those on Bangtan know an altered state of his reality.

And so he smiles. Nods towards the brightest star in the sky—the same one that fell a hundred years prior and found shelter with the fairies, away from hunters and poachers who wanted her heart.

Funnily enough, the star ended up giving her heart freely to Jungkook's grandfather.

"Hey, Grandma," he says softly. It's been a while since he last greeted her. She returned to the skies when he was still in his teens. Told him to look after his little sister.

It's why he hasn't greeted her in so long. He feels shame. The one thing she asked of him, he failed to do. He also fails to realise she already knew what would transpire in his future. It wasn't a request, but rather a warning.

"Shut up," Pia laughs not buying his bullshit, but knows he's a fairy. They don't lie (much). When he looks at her, eyes brilliantly blue, brows a little furrowed, she realises he's offended. "You're not actually being serious, are you?!"

"Be a weird lie to tell," Jungkook says. "In fact, would be a ridiculous lie. Would serve absolutely no purpose. Why would—"

"Shut up," Pia cuts him off again, deciding that he's too dense to lie about it. "I thought fairies could only be with fairies. Y'know, so as to not disrupt the system. Though I suppose a star must be an exception to the rule," she sighs, looking up to the sky once more, then gasps. Pulls the dagger from her hair and lets it tumble down around her shoulders like the waves that lap at the side of the ship. Looks at Jungkook with darling golden eyes, and holds up her dagger. Says, "Give me some of your blood. Just a vial—"

"Absolutely not."

"Please," she whines. "You must be what, a quarter star? You must—" and then she gasps all over again. Holds the hand that isn't wielding her knife over her hand. Whispers, "Your wings. The dust."

He could deny the conclusion he knows she's jumped to—but realistically, who would she tell? If she spills his secrets, he'll spill hers.

And so he nods. "Stardust."

Pia's expression hardens. She might not like Jungkook's kind, and she definitely doesn't like Jungkook regardless of that, but she loves the stars. Knows what poachers do to fairies. Knows what they do to stars.

Shaking her head, she's dumbfounded at his stupidity.

"Why the hell are you going into dust dealer territory?" She hisses. "You cannot seriously believe you'll get away unscathed."

There's a hardness to his expression now, too, walls magically rebuilding themselves. "I have my reasons."

"It's a death wish! They get wind of what you are—"

"They won't."

"Oh, you think a little concealment charm is enough?" She scoffs. Got herself caught out by a deaf pirate and fuckin' fairy. On the Barter Isles, where there are people actively seeking out people like them, they're fucked. Her voice is soft. Pained, almost. "Jungkook, all they need is a rogue creature who can see through the veil under their watch, and your game is up. They'll know what you are."

"They'll know I'm a fairy. That's all."

"A fairy is bad enough!" She hisses. "They'll eat you alive—"

"I'll fend them off. I'm strong enough."

"You're an idiot!" She shrieks, now. "We have to turn back. We're out of your territory. Anything could ambush us now, and your wings are fucking concealed! You haven't flown for months—"

"It's like riding a bike," he dismisses, a little bit annoyed that she's right. He'll be shaky, at best.

"You're gonna get yourself killed."

"Why does it matter to you?"

"It doesn't," she snaps. "In fact, I'd love nothing more than to drag you down the ocean floor myself, but it doesn't work like that."

Pia doesn't really have any interest in sacrificing Jungkook to build up her quota. She needed three more souls, but would honestly rather sacrifice some of the other crew members. It'd be a shame to waste Jungkook's magic like that.

"How sick in the head are you?!" She sneers, thinking his motives are purely influenced by his desire to trade her off to a dealer. Doesn't realise he needs to get within dealer circles for his own personal project. Why would she know? He's nothing to her. "Willing to risk fuckin' stardust wings just to fuck me over?! Your wings are gonna fuckin' crumble—"

"Ever considered that this ain't about you?!" He snaps right back. Knows his wings are fine. Know his intentions are good. "Pia, I was here long before you—"

"So what is it, huh?" She argues, genuinely angry with him for being so foolish. She thought he was smarter. Might not have liked the guy, but she had a certain respect for him. "You got bored at home? Just fancy going for a little—"

"They have my little sister," Jungkook's voice cracks through her tirade like a bolt of thunder being delivered from the skies. "Fuckin' dust dealers. They have my kid sister. My kid sister, who also has stardust in her wings. I don't give a shit about you."

For once, Pia is stunned to silence. The hardness of her golden eyes melts.

"None of this is about you," he sneers. "I know it must be something your vapid existence isn't used to, but welcome to the real world, Pia. It doesn't revolve around you. It never has done, and mine certainly never will. Humble yourself."

The silent echo that reverberates around them both as he finishes speaking is deafening. His anger and his vulnerability are both new to Pia. She isn't sure she likes experiencing them, which is odd, because they're normally such fun emotions for her to play with.

Running a hand through his messy, sea-kissed hair, Jungkook shakes his head. Shrugs.

"There," he says, visibly pained by what he's sharing. "That's why I'm here. That's why I'm going to the Barter Isles. I don't care about trading you off, I just need to get into dealer circles. You're collateral. My sister... Pia, she's a kid. Her wings aren't fully formed yet."

Pia's furrowed brows crease over the bridge of her nose as her hand comes to cover her mouth.  Quietly, she expresses something other than disdain for once. "Jungkook."

It's just his name. Nothing else.

But it's tender, and it's kind, and it's ever so confusing to them both.

And so he shrugs once more. Comes to stand beside her, and rests his arms over the side of the ship. Looks out at Pia's home. Wonders if her family are looking for her, too.

"Fifteen," he quietly begins to share more details than he really should. "So fuckin' young. Had some stupid fight with my parents and bolted. Turns sixteen at the end of the year. Dunno if you know much about our kind but—"

"She hasn't eclosed," Pia frowns, turning back to face the sea, too. They stand next to one another, side by side yet miles apart, or at least that's how it feels.

Jungkook just nods. "Hasn't eclosed."

A rite of passage in fairy tradition, eclosing is a family affair. A ritual, of sorts. Conducted under the full moon once a fairy comes of age, direct family members sacrifice a pinch of their own dust into an ancient elixir.

Once consumed by the fairy coming of age, it begins the metamorphosis process of their juvenile wings into their adult form. Like crabs shedding old shells, or humans growing wisdom teeth, it's just a part of how they're formed.

Without her family's support, Jungkook's sister's wings won't eclose. Slowly, they'll weaken. Crumble. Disintegrate into nothingness. She'll lose her wings, through no fault of her own, just like Pia claimed happened to her.

His hostility begins to make perfect sense to her. She was cosplaying as his biggest fear.

Such a rarity on the black market, un-eclosed wings produce fairy dust that is far finer than regular standards. It's full of unlimited possibilities. Getting a fairy of her age is like striking gold. If they figure out her wings are infused?

Jungkook doesn't even want to consider what her life could be like.

"I'm sorry," Pia quietly says, and Jungkook thinks she means it. He doesn't ask for clarity. Just accepts it for what it is.

"Look," he sighs. "I know it's risky. I know going into dealer circles is a big thing for the both of us—but I have to try. She's my sister—"

Pia puts her hand on Jungkook's arm to hush him. It's the first time she's ever touched him, he thinks. Is surprised to feel the knots in his stomach unravel a little. Not entirely. Just enough.

Above them both, the stars twinkle just a little brighter. Neither of them notice.

"I get it," Pia offers. Chooses against sharing any stories of her own sisters, and how desperate she is to get back to them. "You don't have to explain."

For the first time in months, Jungkook feels understood.

Which is funny, considering how he doesn't understand how a Siren of all people can make him feel this way.

Retracting her hand from his arm, Pia's brows briefly furrow. There's something strange happening in her chest. She doesn't like the feeling. Doesn't like it at all.

"Can we go back down?" She asks. "I wanna swim, and if you let me stay up here any longer, I might just go overboard."

Jungkook's confusion only intensifies. "You're telling me to stop you from escaping?"

"I'm telling you that I'll help you out," Pia quietly shrugs, pulling away from her beloved ocean, and heading towards the door that leads down into the hull. "I might not have a heart when it comes to men, Jungkook, but it doesn't mean I'm without one entirely. I think I'd just die if anything like that happened to my sisters."

"You've sisters?" He hums, turning to follow her.

She just nods, then adds, "Don't make this personal. And don't think this comes without compensation. If I help you out, I do expect help in return."

Walking down into the hull, Jungkook is quiet so as to not wake anyone. "You help me get her back, I'll try my best to get you back to yours."

"You won't try," she whispers, before stepping into their room. She needn't stay quiet, Jungkook's muffling enchantments already covering her words. "You'll do it. Promise me."

It's an impossible promise. She knows this.

Yet as he steps into the room, and shuts the door behind him, Jungkook nods.

"I'll do everything I can, Pia."

It's not a promise, but it's good enough.

She nods. "If you fuck me over, I'm drowning everything you love."

Jungkook knows he's spent too long around her, because the threat makes him smile. "I know you will."

"I meant it."

"I know, Pia."

"Everyone," she quietly reinforces. "Everyone except you. I'll make your life miserable."

"Can't be any more miserable than this past week has already been," he offers a little humour in response, and is pleased to see her stern face soften.

"Oh, trust me" she assures him with a lightness to her voice that makes Jungkook almost feel like her enchantments are capable of working on him. She takes a perch on the makeshift bed she's made for herself. Smiles. "I can try."

"Ever considered that I love myself more than anyone else?" He humours her, loosening the button on his dirty shirt as he gets ready for bed. Her eyes don't rake down his body, but her lips do press in on themselves, as if she's trying to prevent a reaction. "I'm a fairy, after all. Big ego."

"Mm," she nods. "One thing you're right about. Maybe I should just drown you, instead."

He hops up into the hammock that's been his place of slumber for the past few nights. Smiles. Cuts the conversation off. Would far rather go to sleep feeling like this than with a fight echoing in his mind. "Night Pia."

In her own bed, Pia's surprised by the sense of camaraderie between them. Isn't sure if it's the best choice in the world, but given how awful her decisions have been lately, it can't hurt.

Much.

"Night, Kook."

end of part two