for winterbling;; (5667 words)

Sungyeol’s ship was one of the crown jewels of the Royal Fleet; manned by over fifty loyal deckhands and armed to the teeth with ten cannons on each side, its majestic white sails and nation’s flag flying proudly over the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. The Typhoon, one of the proudest ships to ever set sail, was the stuff of dreams; a goal that many commanders of the Navy set their sights on, all of them hoping that one day they would be lucky enough to set food on her deck.

And yet; Sungyeol was not happy.

When he was young and naive, he was foolish enough to think that with promotions and power, he would grow more settled into his life. But he had climbed up the ranks, earned more medals and won more battles for Her Majesty than any other man close to his age, and he still felt unfulfilled.

To put it simply he was lonely; sure he was in charge of many men, his word as good as the law and his favor the difference between an easy sailing or a grueling service, but there were no men that he considered to be his confidants. To his subordinates he was Commander Lee, the Captain of the Typhoon, someone to be feared and respected. And in order to fulfill those expectations and carry the weight of that role, he could never truly be himself.

When he did try to make connections or build friendships within his crew, it was met with fierce opposition; his superiors criticizing himself for being too lax and his crew unable to relax and be themselves, for fear of upsetting their leader. And try as he might to show them that it was okay, that he was just a mere man like them, his efforts went unrewarded; most of the deckhands avoiding him so that they only had to interact with Sungyeol when absolutely necessary.

The saddest part was that his true nature wasn’t to be stern or cold, he was actually more of a prankster; someone that enjoyed getting his crew to laugh and enjoying the high seas, but the moment he had been given charge of the Typhoon, all that had changed. He felt trapped, in the most luxurious quarters of the ship, the big room and fancy trinkets feeling like cheap payments in exchange for his solidarity.

Every day he set out sail for treasure, looking for expensive jewels and valuable gold that he could bring “home” to the queen. And he would find it, riches buried underwater and hidden away in caves, so much wealth that it almost made him sick. It seemed like a never ending cycle; sailing away, looking for treasure, and recovering it only to hand it over to the government. The idea of settling down, building a family, or something as simple as falling in love was heavily discouraged. His love was only for the queen, and his time must be dedicated to searching the seas. It was repetitive and dull, and he truly felt as if the years of his youth were being wasted away to a cause that he did not believe in.

Nevertheless, he could have dealt with it, he would have dealt with it, had it not been for that damned pirate.

.

.

.

As one of Her Majesty’s loyal servants, it was his duty to arrest a pirate on sight, commandeer their ships, and seize their assets. Pirates were only loyal to themselves, refusing to hand over a portion of their treasures to the crown and their country. They were rumored to be the lowest of the low; groups of lawless men who terrorized citizens and pillaged towns for the fun of it.

At first, when Sungyeol first started his service, he held the same negative opinions of pirates. He had never met one in person, but surely the rumors must be true. The Royal Fleet had a job to protest the land, they were inherently better than savage pirates because they were the ones responsible for keeping the law and order. But as he rose up the ranks, his eyes began to open to the unfairness, the injustices of the self proclaimed morally perfect Navy.

Why was it that only the men in charge grew more wealthy, when the vast majority remained in poverty? The crew was expected to make do with the small amounts they were given, and yet he was clothed in the finest uniforms, heavy gold buttons polished on his jackets polished until they shined, and sleeping on white silk sheets. It didn’t make sense, and the more he tried to speak out about it, the harder his superiors urged him to stay silent.

But after ruffling a few too many important feathers, he was sent on leave with a stern warning; to get his mind back on track and do his duty properly, or he would be demoted, possibly losing command of his vessel.

He returned to his home, a small seaside town that centered its economy on fishing. Every day he looked around at the common people, observed how hard they worked from dusk til dawn, living humbly in their little cottages as he did nothing while sleeping in an estate. It was a cruel reflection of the imbalance of their ways of life.

But one day, while walking through the market he heard whispers of excitement, people beginning to close their shops early, heading down towards the docks. He stopped a little girl, bending down to her eye level to ask her what was going on.

The Black Star has returned! She said happily, clapping her little hands before running off to catch up with her mother. Sungyeol followed, interested to see this ship. He did not recognize the name but the Royal Fleet was large, and it was impossible of him to keep track of the new ships as their force grew larger. But as he got closer to the docks, the telltale black sails had his heart racing in his chest.

It was a pirate ship, somehow managing to look both ominous and brilliant all at once as it floated in the water. The Black Star looked like a force to be reckoned with; Her Majesty’s flag absent, a white flag with a gold infinity symbol hanging defiantly in its place.

His confusion grew, as the people waited excitedly near the water’s edge. Why weren’t they running away, locking their doors? The briefings on pirates that he received were numerous and they were always the same; groups of immoral men violating peaceful towns, taking whatever people and possessions that they liked for their own pleasure. For the first time since he went on leave he regretted leaving his weapon at home, wishing for his sword in this moment more than ever so he could at least try to protect these good people.

But his worries were for nothing, he watched with a gaping mouth as the pirates began to disembark from the ship, carrying small pieces of gold and other jewels, making their way through the crowd to hand out the valuable gifts.

His mind stuttered as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing; pirates giving away their treasure. He had never thought of anything more ludicrous but the proof was undeniable. The people were not only happy to see the pirate ship, but were anticipating it. This was not the first time this had happened, the little girl had said the Black Star had returned.

Sungyeol was snapped out of his reverie by a touch on his hand, a pair of almost black eyes boring into him. He blinked, realizing that this was a pirate, standing in front of him with a smile, holding out a red ruby, shining underneath the warm summer sun.

“N-no, I don’t need-”

“Take it.” The voice was smooth and deep, steady like the sea. “We all need a little help sometimes.”

Sungyeol felt like a fraud, richer than any other man in the town, standing here with the people like he needed a handout. “I couldn’t. I mean no offense-”

“But you must take my gift. No one in this port has ever refused an offering from the Black Star.”

Probably because I am not truly one of them, Sungyeol wanted to scream but he could not. The pirate noticed his growing discomfort as his eyes lingered, his smile moving into a little smirk that made Sungyeol’s face redden up.

“Here; I’ll offer you a helping hand as well.” He stepped forward, his fingers trailing down the soft cheek before slipping into Sungyeol’s pocket sensually, leaving the jewel and the heat of his touch in his wake. “But now you have to give me something in return.”

Sungyeol’s mind was spinning, his lips parting as he felt the pirate’s eyes roam over his frame. The pirate was a bit shorter than him, a head of sandy brown hair that curled a bit at the tips, and a face that must have been blessed by the Gods themselves. He was gorgeous, and Sungyeol could barely even speak.

“W-what?”

The man chuckled, still in Sungyeol’s personal space, not moving back an inch. “Don’t look so frightened. I merely desire your company. Won’t you meet me tonight?”

And Sungyeol was helpless, helpless to say no. So he didn’t. He met up with the pirate, Myungsoo, that night and every night thereafter. What started out as harmless flirting quickly grew into something much more dangerous, the pirate stealing him away from his normal routine to pull him into a tryst that he could never have dared to try before.

No longer did he spend his nights alone in a too big bed in an empty manor; he allowed himself to get swept up in the tide that was Myungsoo’s dark eyes. He laid underneath the moonlight, wrapped up in the pirate’s arms, letting the man take and take and take everything he had to give.

He felt like he was drowning when he was with the other man, the emotions that the pirate made him feel like something he could not escape, no matter how much he wished he could. He knew that he was living on borrowed time with Myungsoo; not only would the pirate have to return to his duties on the Black Star, but eventually he would have to return to Her Majesty’s service.

And what then?

All this time he had thought that pirates were bad, that they were irredeemable. But the more he spoke with Myungsoo, the more he realized that he had been deceived. Myungsoo told him about the other pirate ships, about how all the crew members treated each other like family; there wasn’t a hierarchy and they protected each other at all costs. The wealth was distributed evenly and even though there was a Captain in charge of the ship, he didn’t live any differently than his crew. Myungsoo told him how they found treasures, kept whatever they needed in order to get by, and gave away the rest to ports that were friendly to them. He realized that the Navy had lied, made up false crimes and told lies to try to turn public opinion against the pirates.

It was as radical as it was obvious; this is what he should have been doing as a commander. The Royal Fleet should be seeking treasure not for their own benefit, but to improve the lives of the people in the kingdom.

But they weren’t; and they never would. They were using the pirates as a scapegoat; keeping the treasures among the wealthy upper class while leaving the others to suffer, all while blaming the people's suffering on the innocent pirates.

Could Sungyeol really go back to his service after he had learned the truth? Could he really live so complacently with men that wouldn’t hesitate to kill Myungsoo, just because he was a pirate? Just because he believed in doing the right thing?

As the summer passed by, Sungyeol knew he was getting himself deeper into trouble; he was falling in love with the pirate, but he also knew he could never be with him. Every day that he didn’t tell Myungsoo why he was truly living in this town, was a day he spent lying to him. He was sure that the pirate wouldn’t want anything to do with him once he learned he was in the Navy, and quite frankly, he was too selfish to put an end to things. He wanted Myungsoo too much, and he couldn’t let him go.

He received word from the Royal Fleet, he would need to report back soon. Attached to his summons was a map, detailing the next area where Sungyeol was expected to take the Typhoon, and an expected amount of treasure he was supposed to find. His heart grew heavier, knowing he would have to return to that lonely existence, with only the sounds of the seas to keep him company. Each time he looked in Myungsoo’s eyes, each time he kissed those lips, he knew he would be leaving his heart behind in order to do his duty.

But inevitably, the day of their parting drew nearer and nearer, until it could no longer be ignored. They were lying in their spot on the beach, wrapped up in blankets in a secluded area near the water where they could have privacy, when Myungsoo told him the last thing he ever wanted to hear.

“I spoke with my Captain… it seems that the Black Star will be setting sail tomorrow night. We have received a tip that one of the Navy’s ships has set a course for our location.”

Because they are coming to retrieve me, Sungyeol thought to himself, but he couldn’t say it out loud. “So you must take your leave.”

“Yes.” Myungsoo scooted closer to him, running a hand through Sungyeol’s black hair. “But I will take you with me.”

Sungyeol reached for the pirate’s hand, trying to be strong and fight back his tears. “How?”

Myungsoo tapped his head. “I got it all up here. That beautiful smile, your pretty eyes. The way you look when I make you come.” That actually got a chuckle out of the other man, and Myungsoo smiled. “And now I got the sound of your laugh. I’ll never forget anything about you.”