pirate king (pirate!au) ➵ ateez ✔️

choice

You follow them along the side of the street.

The night is cold and your steps echo in the silence of the town. There's barely a soul out and about at this time of the dark, and you shiver a little in your thin mission clothes. Even though he's walking in front of you, he seems to be able to sense something intuitively and turns around to glance at you.

"Cold?"

You blow on your hands in an attempt to warm them up slightly.

"A little."

Wooyoung ignores your words, taking your hand in his warmer one and puts it in his pocket. You smile at him gratefully but he isn't looking at you, instead eyeing Seonghwa walking silently in front of tow of you, head bowed in thought as he leads the two of you through the town.

He squeezes the hand nestled in his pocket lightly.

Now should we talk to him?

You take his pinky finger and wave it back and forth.

No. I think we'd better let him absorb what he's just heard.

The pad of his thumb traces small circles on the inside of your wrist.

But shouldn't we comfort him or something?

You pinch his finger and a small yelp leaves his mouth.

Let's not rush him. Give him some time.

You glance up just in time to see Wooyoung puff out his cheeks a little, obviously wanting to comfort his friend but knowing that he needs time to himself as well. In an attempt to reassure him, you intertwine your fingers with his and squeeze a little.

I'm sure he'll be fine.

Wooyoung gives you a weak smile.

I hope so.

You leave the paved roads of the town behind you, moving into a beach dotted with sparse patches of grass. Your boots crunch a little on sand and it's hard to keep your footing, but Wooyoung guides you over the dunes with easy grace that makes you almost envious.

The three of you walk in silence along the stretch of beach, the sounds of waves lapping against the beach soothing your soul. You gaze out to the ocean, there's something beautiful about it tonight that you can't quite place. Then you feel Wooyoung come to a stop beside you and you look up to see where you're at.

It's a craggy outcrop of rocks outlined against the sea, perfect for fishing and prawning. You can imagine a man with Seonghwa's nose and jawline, holding a young boy's hand as he teaches him how to tie a hook to the rod, as a woman with his soft grey eyes smiles fondly at them while patting the head of a girl in her lap. A younger Seonghwa runs up to them, a fish wriggling about at the end of his hook, and his father ruffles his hair proudly, telling him how he's going to be the greatest fisherman in the future-

There's a grave marker in the sand.

Seonghwa stares at the tombstone for a moment.

"Can you two... give me a moment?"

Wooyoung frowns in concern and open his mouth to protest against leaving him alone, but you pinch the inside of his wrist and he yelps.

"Of course." You tell him and he gives you a grateful nod, before you pull Wooyoung with you to the side as Seonghwa turns to face the weathered grave marker alone.

The two of you sit at the side, staring at the sea.

"Do you think..." Wooyoung begins hesitantly, without really looking at you, but then he trails off before he can say anything else. You frown, turning to stare at him.