Zitao brought a lot to the Lan Hua. He was a fabulous quartermaster, a wonderful advisor and friend, and a fierce fighter when it called for it. He was persistent, smart, and incredibly loyal, all around the best man Yixing could ask for.

But right now, Yixing wished he were a bit less outspoken, for all he had brought to his quarters that day was a massive headache, right beneath the captain’s temple.

“Just what do you think you are doing?” Zitao asked as Yixing looked over the papers in front of him. If the tone of voice weren’t enough to send up red flags, the cocked hip was. The captain looked up with a small smile, gesturing to the parchment he held as he feigned innocence.

“Hello to you, too, Zitao. And to answer your question: Filling out our next shipping order.”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Zitao shot back with a raised eyebrow, giving the captain a pointed look. “I want to know what your plans are for our new passenger.”

Yixing took a deep sigh as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his forehead. Might as well get this conversation over with, lest he listen to Zitao’s protests all day. He looked the man standing before him dead in the eye before giving a shrug, tilting his head to the side as he did so.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Zitao asked incredulously.

“Yes, nothing,” Yixing said. “There is no reason to do anything. The man was in the middle of the ocean, and will remain on this ship until we can get him to shore. He is simply here until we dock.”

Zitao paused, arms crossed over his chest as he gave the words a thought, before he shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”

That earned a small laugh from Yixing, and a shake of his head. Zitao was forever the skeptic.

“Have you no trust for your captain?” Yixing chuckled, and Zitao rolled his eyes dramatically.

“He’s a navigator, is he not?” Zitao asked. “That’s what Han tells me.”

Yixing made a mental note to have a word with Han. He had been hoping to keep that information under wraps. “Yes, that is correct.”

“How convenient,” Zitao began a bit smugly, as if he had the feeling he had stumbled upon a major revelation, “that a ship without a navigator literally scoops one out of the ocean.”

“You make it sound like I shipwrecked him myself so we could miraculously find him,” Yixing said with a smirk.

“No, but I know you rarely give up an opportunity when you see one,” Zitao countered with a huff. “I know you better than to assume you won’t try to keep this man aboard the ship.”

The smile fell slightly from Yixing’s face, the expression that had been playful turning a bit pained. He set the papers aside, folding his hands on his desk as he glanced down, toying with what to say. As a captain, Yixing had long ago promised himself and his crew that his ship was not an ultimatum, that they would forever have a choice to serve under him. Zitao knew better than anyone his stance of that sort of recruitment, but sometimes people forgot, and it was Yixing’s job to remind them when they did, no matter how close he was to the person in question. And as far as Yixing was concerned, Zitao was a close as anyone ever got.

“I hope you are not suggesting I would keep this man against his will,” Yixing started, fiddling with the ring that adorned his thumb.

He didn’t have to look up to know Zitao had blanched at the words. It was riddled in his tone that held a rigidity that had not been present before. “No, of course not, Captain. I –”

“Because as long as I am alive and breathing,” Yixing cut in firmly, voice a bit sharp as he looked back up at Zitao with a stern set to his jaw, “that will never be in my practice as a captain.”

Zitao’s look softened as he spoke next, his voice quiet in the tension. “I know that, Yixing. Forgive me. I did not mean to insinuate such a thing.”

Yixing stared for a moment longer before rubbing the back of his neck, eyes cast to the side. “No, I doubt you would.”

“I just thought you would try to keep him here, if he wished,” Zitao stated gently, cautious now after the accidental insult, “though you know how I feel on the matter. I do not really care for picking up strays in the ocean. I wish you would be careful.”

“I am being careful, Zitao,” Yixing said with a sigh, giving him a tired smile. “And I meant it when I said I plan to do nothing. I will allow Yifan to move about the ship, mingle with the crew, but the moment Lan Hua touches land, it is his choice to be here or not.”

“So there is a chance he stays?” Zitao asked, and Yixing could not help but smile at the utter dread in those words. Really, Zitao worried far too much. As if Yixing would allow Yifan to stay if he deemed the man untrustworthy.

“A chance, however slim,” Yixing snorted. “While I could certainly use his skills, you should have seen his face when he discovered we were pirates. The poor man was terrified. Wu Yifan is a passenger, not a crewman, and he will stay that way until he decides otherwise.”

Yixing let out a soft sigh as he leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms into the air before letting them come to rest behind his head.

“With how he reacted, I doubt he will want to have anything to do with us at all.”

~

Of all the things Yifan expected after finding himself aboard a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean with no recollection of how he got there, it was not privacy. But that was what he got aboard the Lan Hua. For three whole days, no one besides Han disturbed him, and the man only stopped by to check his injuries and bring meals. Other than essentials, Yifan was left to his own devices.

He wasn’t a prisoner. Not really. The door was left open, unlocked, with the captain’s permission to roam the ship if it pleased him. His injuries were not so bad to deny him that privilege, if he wished to take it. If anything, he was a prisoner to his own fear.

He had heard stories of pirates. Horrible, gruesome tales of betrayal, thievery, and death, hidden behind charming words, a sharp grin, and an even sharper sword. There were frequent stories told in his childhood of these ferocious men and their ships, the ways they handled territory. Even then, he had been afraid of such monstrous men. Now, to wake up completely alone and unawares aboard a pirate ship, defenseless as he was? It had him cowering in his bunk if he so much heard footsteps on the planks above.

But, then again, no one had given him reason to fear them. Not yet, at least. And if they were anything like Han, Yifan did not think it would be so difficult. Han had proven himself friendly enough. Surely a crew would not hold such a kind person if they were terrible, monstrous folk.

It was that hope that had him stepping out of the small room on the fourth day, cautious as it was. He walked gingerly along the hall, stopping at the bottom of a staircase that led up to the dock. There, he hesitated, hovering by the steps for no less than five minutes before he finally convinced himself that when he had already come this far, he might as well take a look around. With a deep breath, he ascended the stairs, breaching the sunlight moments later.

The sun on his face felt like a Godsend, and Yifan paused as he emerged from below deck, soaking in the rays with a small smile. He had missed this, living below deck like he was. The sun and the waves were always what drew him to the life of a navigator, the sea a sort of calling for him. The gentle breeze ruffled his hair, tossing it out of his face, and he let his eyes close in the peaceful moment.

The peace was short lived as Han’s voice rang out.

“Yifan!”

Yifan looked up quickly, spotting the other as he crossed the planks towards him. There was a smile on his face, but it was marked with curiosity, and Yifan found himself inching back towards the stairs. Had he overstepped his boundaries already by appearing on the deck?

“How are you feeling?” Han asked as he neared, stopping in front of him and looking him over. “It looks like you’ve gained some of your color back, though I’m not too keen on you being in the sun so soon after your sunburn has healed.”

“Ah,” Yifan said with a weak laugh, feeling silly for his worry but still a bit on edge. “I was just… I wanted to look around a bit.”

“Understandable,” Han assured with a kind smile. He glanced over his shoulder, gesturing a few men nearby to come closer, and Yifan felt his heart leap into his throat. He took it back. He wasn’t ready to meet any more pirates. He’d rather just go back to his bunk.

But the men approaching now didn’t seem too out of the ordinary. One was young, but nearly as tall as him, his skin tanned from prolonged time in the sun, only emphasized by the lack of a shirt and the baggy shorts slung low around his hips. His features held a gentle smile as he approached, though the longer Yifan looked at it, the longer he thought it could be a smirk, his sharpness only emphasized by the multiple gold loops that adorned his ears.

The other man was smaller, with full lips and wide eyes, and this man didn’t smile. He was clothed casually, but the way he moved gave off a sense of pride, seriousness in his mannerisms. While he didn’t scream friendly by any means, he also didn’t seem very threatening, or interested for that matter. If anything, he looked bored.

“Yifan, I’d like you to meet Jongin and Kyungsoo,” Han started, gesturing towards the two newcomers. “Jongin is our master gunner and Kyungsoo is our cook.”

“Pleasure,” Yifan squeaked out, clearing his throat afterwards to try and cover his nerves, and Han grinned.

“Jongin is the one who fished you out of the ocean,” he informed, and Yifan blinked in surprise, looking towards the young man again. This was one of the men who saved him?

He kept forgetting that part of the equation. He kept expecting to see pirates, the monsters in his childhood fantasies. He expected to see evil incarnated, with wild hair whipping in the wind and swords soaked in the blood of their enemies. But he was looking so hard for the bad that he kept pushing away one very real detail, that these men had rescued him from certain death. Who knew how long he had been floating in the ocean? They could have easily left him behind with no one being any the wiser. But they didn’t. For some reason, they helped him, a stranger.

“Thank you,” Yifan said with a voice tinged with awe, and Jongin chuckled, waving the words away.

“No need for that. We couldn’t very well leave you out there, could we?” he said with a shrug. “Though it was not an easy job, I tell ya. But someone’s gotta do it. I’m the best swimmer.”

Yifan attempted a smile. “Well, I appreciate you helping pull me aboard.”

“See?” Jongin said to Kyungsoo, nudging the smaller man as he looked away from Yifan and at him. “A little appreciation is all I ask for. Why couldn’t you give that to me?”

“Because your idea of appreciation is extra food,” Kyungsoo said with a raised eyebrow, hand on his hip as he stared up at Jongin, “and if I feed you any more, Chanyeol and Sehun won’t be able to pull you back up when you leap overboard on one of your fishing missions.”

Jongin pouted at the words. “But I’m a growing boy, Soo. I have to eat!”

“Yes, but not to the point of gluttony. I will not have you fat.”

Jongin pouted ferociously, and Yifan found himself startled by the absolute childishness in the expression. Jongin was just a kid, it seemed, though his looks said otherwise. He wondered how long Jongin had lived on this ship, if pirating were all he knew, or if there had been other paths he could have taken. He wondered if he had chosen this for himself.

Jongin did not strike him as unhappy.

It was Han’s hand on his shoulder that brought him back from his thoughts. The man smiled at him readily, before gesturing towards Kyungsoo. “Soo’s making his famous stew tonight. You think you’ll feel up to joining us for dinner? We tend to break out the rum and sing a little.”

“Or attempt to sing,” Kyungsoo warned with a snort. “You’d be surprised what alcohol does to a man’s voice after a bit. Particularly Chanyeol’s.”

“I thought he did fairly well last time,” Jongin chimed in, earning a skeptical look from Kyungsoo.

“He nearly fell over the side rail.”

“The last I checked, walking is not a required skill for singing.”

“Anyways,” Han cut in, giving an exasperated sigh as the two continued their playful debate, “if you’d like to come up and say hello, we’d be happy to have you. I know the others are curious to meet ‘the mysterious man in the water’.”

Yifan wasn’t so sure he was ready for a dinner party with pirates. These men here were not scary – he was still wary, regardless of how calm they were around him – and he would not mind sitting with them, he thought. But rum and pirates did not sound like the best idea. On the other hand, he had made it this far. He felt rejecting the invitation would look worse than accepting it. He could go, eat quickly, and then head back to the sick bay.

He nodded hesitantly, and Han smiled, clapping his hands in excitement.

“Great!” he cheered, before looking behind Yifan and towards the stairs leading below deck. “Now, get out of the sun and rest a little bit. We will see you tonight at sundown for food and drinks.”

Yifan nodded quickly, before smiling at the others and promptly turning back towards the steps. He could feel them watching, and he forced himself to stand tall.

He probably crossed the distance a bit too quickly, his legs shaking as he walked, but he managed to make it back to the cabin without falling over. His heart was hammering in his chest, and his palms were uncomfortably sweaty, but he felt that went rather well.

He had hardly made it through the door before he spotted it. Folded neatly atop his cot was a loose shirt, bright red in color with silver buttons. Yifan had never seen it before – or at least from what he could remember, his failing memory proving more frustrating by the day – and approached slowly, letting his hands glide over the thin cotton. A piece of parchment sat on the fabric, and Yifan picked it up with careful fingers, reading the words scrawled across the surface of the page in flowing script.

You look to be about Chanyeol’s size.

- Yixing

Yifan picked up the shirt, holding it out. The captain wasn’t wrong. The shirt did look like it’d fit him, though he had a feeling the shoulders may pull a bit tight on him. Regardless, the gesture was a surprising one, and one that Yifan appreciated as he looked at his own shirt, stiff and discolored from the ocean water. Yixing didn’t have to provide him with anything, and neither did this Chanyeol fellow, but they had.

With a soft smile, he sat on the bed, cradling the shirt in his lap. The laugh that fell from his throat caught him by surprise, but as he let his head fall back he couldn’t stop the action, shoulders shaking with baffled amusement.

He was getting along with pirates. His mother would die.

Granted, he had only met a handful of the crew, and it had been only four days, but still. It was madness to think he was on a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean, without any recollection of how he got here, and was getting along with them. But here he was, doing exactly that.

He wondered what other stereotypes he would unlearn while aboard this ship.

~

Yifan was right. The shirt pulled a bit around his broad shoulders. He couldn’t stop fiddling with it, trying to get it to lay correctly. Then again, the fidgeting could just be a physical manifestation of his nerves as he walked up the stairs that led to the deck.

Dinner should be an easy affair, but Yifan’s gut twisted as if he were walking to his death. And perhaps he was. He thought of a thousand different ways tonight could go wrong. They could poison him, for one, either intentionally or unintentionally, depending on Kyungsoo’s cooking abilities. He could cause an argument that led to a sword fight, something he was at and would undoubtedly lose. He could insult someone and be forced to walk the plank – though to be fair, he had yet to see one on deck, and he had begun to wonder if that whole plank business was only myth.

All of these thoughts kept flying around his head like pesky mosquitos, nagging and bothersome and doing nothing for his mental stability. More than once, he thought he would turn around and run back to the room. But he had told Han he would show, and if anything, he felt he would protect him if it came down to it, if only so he did not have something else to patch up on Yifan’s already worn body.

He realized a bit after his talk with Han that he had no clue where dinner would be, and so the deck seemed his best bet. So he had dragged himself upstairs, eyes sweeping the wooden deck as he emerged from below. He could at least hope to find someone to lead him, if need be.

He wasn’t expecting that person to be Yixing.

The captain was alone, leaning his side against the helm as he watched the waves crash around the ship, one hand steering. He looked every bit the pirate with a gold hoop hanging from his ear, small sword strapped to his side with a sash and a hat resting on the top of the wheel.

Yifan could not have retreated if he wanted to, Yixing catching his movement and looking up at him as he stilled. A small smile – not overly friendly but not hostile either, made its way across Yixing’s lips – and then he was beckoning him closer. Yifan didn’t have a good reason not to obey the request, so he shuffled forward, until he was standing near the captain.

“It is good to see you up and about,” Yixing claimed once Yifan was close enough to hear, “and I am glad to see the shirt worked out.”

“Yes,” Yifan said softly, picking at the hem. “It is a decent fit.”

“I hope you’ve built up an appetite,” Yixing continued, pushing off the wheel and nodding towards the rooms that rested above deck, closed off on one side of the ship. “Soo is supposedly making his stew. It’s a good stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal.”

He moved to step away from the helm and Yifan couldn’t stop himself from speaking. “What of the ship?”

“What of it?” Yixing questioned, and it was then that Yifan realized there was a rope tied to the helm to keep it from moving, the wheel rocking between about an inch of slack. Yixing did not seem too worried about it. “We have hundreds of miles to go, all in the same direction for the time being. It won’t mean much if we enjoy dinner for a few hours.”

Yifan wasn't so sure, his mind reeling with calculations of how misalignment could throw them off course an absurd amount – he stopped himself as soon as he started, reminded himself that while he may have navigated in his life, this was not his ship. And for all he could remember, he could have never fully practiced that skill set on the water, so he remained silent. This was not his place.

Yixing seemed fine with the silence, leading the way towards the mess hall. And Yifan knew that was what it was. He could smell it as he got closer, the scent of stew thick in the air. His stomach gurgled with the prospect of food, having eaten small portions of bread and little meat while he healed.

“I was told you met Soo and Jongin on deck with Han,” Yixing said with a nod towards the men in question. “They saved a seat for you, but I think some introductions are in order, yes?”

“Introductions?” Yifan asked, annoyed at how nervous his voice sounded, and Yixing shot him a knowing smile.

“We may be pirates, but we aren't rude.”

Yifan didn't know what to make of that, but he didn't have long to decide. He jumped when a tall and lanky man literally stumbled out of his seat in his haste to approach.

“Oi, Cap’n!” the man boomed, his voice as deep as his grin was wide. Yifan supposed the expression was meant to be friendly, though it looked more manic than anything else. “Borrowed my shirt, did you?”

“It looks better on our guest,” Yixing teased before gesturing towards the man as he looked back to Yifan.

“Yifan, this is Chanyeol. Fair warning. He would a snake if he could get someone to hold its head.”

The man snorted as Yifan’s eyes widened in alarm. “I prefer to think I have broader boundaries. Lad or lass, it doesn't matter. So long as they have certain… qualities.” Yifan didn't miss the appreciative look. He inwardly praised his ability to not step behind Yixing at the leer.

“Best steer clear of him, Yifan, when choosing your bedmates,” the captain continued, and Yifan’s face burned with a blush.

“I – I do not believe I will partake of any bedmates.”

“The night is young and the men are sober,” Chanyeol said with a laugh. “I have hardly shown you all of my charms.” Yifan's throat went dry. But Yixing came to his rescue with a light chuckle.

“Not everyone is interested in your charms, Yeol.”

At that, Chanyeol turned his attention back to the captain, an eyebrow cocked in challenge. Yifan was struck by just how much this man screamed pirate with that look. He had an aura that was suffocating in its tangibility.

“Forgive me, Cap'n, if I cross a line –”

“Oh, I do believe there are few lines you won't cross,” Yixing cut in, only for Chanyeol to ignore him.

"– But was it not your mouth I was given a taste of, that last trip our crew took in Scarlett Cove?"

The captain blew out a sigh. "Ay, it was, and you wonder why I have never touched tequila since that night. I kiss a shipmate one time, and I can never live it down." He shook his head, sparing Yifan a light-hearted smirk before continuing. “I hardly think an innocent kiss is an invitation to bed me."

Chanyeol’s grin grew wolfish at the words. “If that is what you call an innocent kiss, I would love to see what you call a dirty one.”

That was about all the teasing the captain would take, reaching out to thump the taller man on the head, who proceeded to pout viciously at the assault. But Yifan could see the fondness in Chanyeol’s eyes, as well as in Yixing’s smile when he steered Yifan away from him with the excuse to continue introductions. They didn’t get far before Yifan felt a hand pat his , and he whipped his head around in time to catch Chanyeol’s wink before he ducked his head again, face flushed with embarrassment.

“Don’t worry about him,” Yixing assured. “He may be led by his lusts, but he’s a great asset to the crew, and loyal to a fault. He won’t act unless you ask him to.”

“I’ll be sure to be clear with my rejection, then,” Yifan said quietly, earning a large laugh from the captain and a clap on the shoulder.

“You’ll be just fine here, Wu Yifan. Just fine, indeed.”

The introductions continued, though, to be fair, there were not many to be made aboard the Lan Hua. It was replenished – surprisingly so, Yifan thought, for weren’t pirate ships supposed to be teeming with unruly men? Still, he didn’t complain. At least this way it was easy to keep track of people.

He had met most. Han, Kyungsoo, Jongin, Yixing… those were familiar faces. But asides from Chanyeol, there seemed to be only two more people aboard. There was Sehun, the young and lanky first mate who had a slight lisp when he spoke and who had a stern look about him, albeit it seemed more show than anything else. And then there was Zitao.

Zitao didn’t like him. Or at least, that was the impression Yifan got from his behavior.

He had sat across from Yifan when he had joined Han and Jongin, Kyungsoo off grabbing his own food – “Cooks eat last,” Jongin had explained with a smirk, “and that’s why he’s so small.” – and he looked about as much of a pirate as Yifan though he himself did. The man had a slight figure, the sleeves of his collared shirt rolled up to his elbows. He had tucked his glasses into the pocket of the vest he wore over that shirt, hair almost tastefully mused. He was more poised than Chanyeol, more formal than Jongin, and if Yifan judged appearances alone, he would have placed Zitao in some sort of bank position or courthouse, not a pirate ship.

Yet the man oozed pirate like it was his breath. And what Zitao lacked in appearances, he made up for in wit, sharp-tongued as he was. Yifan got to see how sharp it was, earning the man’s wrath just by being present, it would seem.

He was listening to Han’s account of the last time they had been docked – somewhere past the Dareme Coast, he had thought was said – when Zitao addressed him for the first time. His voice was lighter, with a bit of a husk, but his words were clear even over the sound of the other men.

“So, the captain says you are from the Amethyst City?” the man questioned. Yifan startled a bit at being spoken to before pulling himself together and nodding towards the other.

“Yes, I am.”

Zitao hummed, tilting his head just a bit as he observed Yifan. The look was calculating, measuring, and Yifan could not help but shrink back just a little. “How long have you been at sea?”

Yifan shrugged, shaking his head. “I do not remember entirely, but my guess is not very long.”

“What makes you say that?” Zitao responded, and Yifan resisted the urge to shrug again, figuring this man was one of precision and not vague ideas.

“A feeling?” he tried, chuckling at his answer. “Besides just something in my gut saying so, I’m not sure.”

“With how fair your skin is, I’d say that’s accurate. You burned pretty badly while you were in the water,” Han piped up, and Zitao snorted.

“We don’t know how long he was in the water,” Zitao countered. “He could have been floating on that box for quite a while.”

He glanced back at Yifan, eyes rolling over his form in a contemplative way. “I wonder how long you were out in the current by yourself. Hours? Days, maybe?”

“I don’t know,” Yifan said, though Zitao had not posed his words as anything more than a hypothetical question. He felt compelled to answer anyway.

“No, I suppose not,” the other man replied. “It does not seem you remember much at all. It is rather inconvenient.”

“I’m sorry?” Yifan started, unsure of why he was being hounded for something he could not help. Though he could not remember, he seriously doubted he would have volunteered to float on the box in the middle of the ocean if he were given the choice. “What exactly are you implying?”

“Nothing,” Zitao said. “I just find it strange that you were out there in the first place, with nothing but water on all sides for miles. It is not as if you could have floated that far from shore.”

“He was wounded,” Jongin spoke up this time, exchanging a glance with Han as he wet his lips and continued. “He could have been shipwrecked.”

“Without any other debris nearby?” Zitao voiced in challenge, and Yifan was not sure when the conversation turned into an interrogation. “I don’t find that likely.”

Zitao looked at Yifan again, his eyes hard, narrowed. “I wonder if you were not left.”

“Left?” Yifan whispered, horror and confusion in his voice, and Han cut in with a hiss.

“Zitao, stop it,” the medic started, but Zitao kept on, ignoring the other man and explaining his theory.

“Left. Tossed into the ocean and left for dead.” He leaned forward until his face was significantly closer. “Perhaps it was mutiny, your own crew tossing you out. Or perhaps it was punishment, something you were deemed worthy of for a past action.”

When Yifan did not respond, Zitao’s face broke into a wide smile, as if to show he was only joking, though the expression held no trace of joy. “But I guess you don’t remember that either, do you?”

“Zitao,” a voice broke the thick silence nearby, and the men looked up to see Yixing standing just a few yards away, arms crossed over his chest and a frown marring his features.

“Yes?” Zitao answered, sitting back in his seat slowly. He was listening, but was clearly not happy with being addressed.

“A word, please,” the captain replied, the order heavy in his tone, and Zitao scoffed. But he obeyed, standing up and following along with Yixing as the captain his heel and walked towards the other side of the deck for privacy. Yifan watched them go, willing himself to breathe more normally now that Zitao had released him from his gaze and his questioning. He jolted at Han’s hand falling on his shoulder.

“Ignore him,” Han said quietly, shaking his head. “Zitao means well. He just has trouble trusting new people.”

Yifan took a breath before blowing it out, nodding. He didn’t know Zitao well, but he understood what it felt like to be unsure of another’s intentions. He had not trusted any of them when he first woke up, after all. He could not blame Zitao for not trusting him. But that didn’t mean he had to like it. He did not know how to convince him of trusting him when he himself had no answers to those questions.

With a sigh, Yifan returned to his dinner, suddenly a lot less hungry.

~

Yixing and Zitao returned shortly after leaving, and Zitao did not spare Yifan a glance for the remainder of the dinner. The tension at the table slowly ebbed away as the night went on, food and drinks easing their minds and bodies.

Yifan was still wary of Zitao, however, like a mouse wary of a cat who had lost interest. That unease had him steering clear of him once they relocated to the deck. He chose a spot next to Han, and watched Chanyeol as he approached with an armful of bottles, no doubt containing liquor. The remaining members of the crew settled down in something that, Yifan supposed, could go for a circle of sorts, and Chanyeol took it upon himself to pass around the bottles, already humming a tune Yifan did not recognize.

“We tend to only break out the rum every once in awhile,” Han said, “or we’d run out of it faster than we would be able to restock it. Chanyeol has a large role in that.”

“Oi,” Chanyeol called, “I can hear you.”

“Did I say anything to insult you?” Han drawled innocently. “‘Tis but the truth.”

In response, Chanyeol pulled the cork out of the bottle with his teeth and took a large, pointed swig. After swallowing, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and threw Han a wide and victorious grin. Han snorted and turned to look at Yifan again.

“See what I mean?”

Yifan couldn’t quite fight back the smile as he nodded. He had known Chanyeol for less than a day, yet it seemed like something the pirate would do. As far as the stereotype goes, Chanyeol was a dead ringer, minus the fact that he had not threatened to kill anyone yet.

It was not long after the bottles had been passed out that a hush fell over them. Yifan put down his own portion of the rum to pay attention to Han, noting that everyone else had turned to look at him in anticipation for what was to come. Han didn’t seemed bothered by that at all, looked as if he had expected the attention. He cleared his throat, a wry smile widening his mouth. And then he started to sing.

“Sing t’me a song of waves
And call me heart t’sea
Drown me in a hopeless love
Of which can never be

A voice of angels in the tide
A song I long t’hear
An everlasting melody
We sailors learn t’fear

I thought ye were a dream, me dove
And dream of ye I did
But dreams did pull me overboard
T’fight fer breath instead

A death at sea be fitting
Yer song calling seamen home
A proper grave ye offer
Open waters we do roam

Still I avoid the Reaper
Yet if I try t’stay ashore
When ye sing yer siren song
I'll go t’ye once more.”

Yifan was brought back to the present as the others around him started to clap, and he blinked as Han tossed him a bright smile. He hadn’t been aware that the man could sing but he had a beautiful voice. And the words… there was a haunting sort of pull to it, drawing him in. Like the siren in the song, he had fallen into a trance of sorts, unable to look away.

Chanyeol nudged him, having moved to his side, and gave Yifan a knowing smirk when he glanced over. “Hell of a voice, yeah? It’s as if he’s a siren, himself.”

“Oh, yes, his voice is lovely,” Yifan agreed. He was going to say more – probably something to get Chanyeol to stop leering at him as he was – but was abruptly cut off by the sound of wings and a flash of bright red. Yifan jolted away, hand brought up in defense, only to realize it was a bird that had landed between him and Chanyeol. A parrot, his mind corrected, as the creature settled on Chanyeol’s shoulder.

“Oi, you’ve gotta stop being so jumpy,” Chanyeol said with a gruff laugh, patting Yifan heavily on the shoulder. “You act as if you ain’t ever seen a damn parrot before.”

It was a stunning bird, feathers bright red with splashes of blue and yellow, and Yifan reached out to a finger along the back of the bird’s wing, smiling when the parrot leaned into the touch. A friendly thing, then.

“Does it have a name?” Yifan asked, and Han answered the question.

“Xingfu,” he said. “He’s the captain’s pet.”

“And shares the cap’n’s way of treating me,” Chanyeol muttered, and as if the bird were aware of the words, it turned towards Chanyeol and squawked.

“.”

Yifan choked on his spit as Han broke into peals of laughter, Chanyeol rolling his eyes with a groan. He could see Yixing chuckling off to the side, and he quickly filled Yifan in.

“Chanyeol tried to teach the bird to cuss, and now it thinks that is Chanyeol’s name.”

“A stupid bird, this one,” Chanyeol grumbled, though the bird did not seem to mind his glare, bobbing happily on his shoulder and repeating the swear word again.

“I think he’s waiting for you to sing,” Han teased, and Chanyeol’s eyes flashed as he smirked.

“I’ve got a song for you, alright,” he leered, and then he was standing, his voice booming over the others as they clapped in time with the words, clearly a familiar song.

“Fer sailors who are lonely
Matters not, a lad or lass
All I need’s a bottle o’ rum
And a pert little

Rum be the best encouragement
For pulling me ashore
But if ye wish t’keep me here
Ye better be a .”

The whole deck laughed as the song came to an end, clapping and cheering as Chanyeol took a large swig of rum before hoisting the bottle up.

“To the brothels!”

Most of the men groaned at the words but it was all amid their laughter, and Chanyeol plopped back down in his seat hard enough to jolt Xingfu from his shoulder. Yifan couldn’t help but laugh at the show, though his cheeks burned with his blush when Chanyeol threw him a suggestive wink.

“How about one the whole deck can get behind, Han?” Yixing called as the bottle was passed his way, and he dutifully took a sip of the rum before passing it on to Zitao. Han nodded, pondering for just a moment before smiling.

“Yo ho, yo ho
A pirate’s life fer me
With freedom t’roam the waters
As far as the eye can see

An adventure fer the taking
Fer those who wish to try
Set sail fer that horizon
Hoist the colors high

A chance to face all dangers
With my brothers out at sea
Yo ho, yo ho
A pirate’s life fer me.”

Everyone had joined in for singing this time, the song obviously a crowd favorite. Yifan had not known the words but observed instead, watching how Jongin had slung an arm around a disgruntled Kyungsoo, how Chanyeol had kept time with his fingers against the wooden railing, and how Yixing had seemed to look over them all with pride.

“It seems you’ve all had quite the adventures out here,” Yifan mused softly, before realizing he had said it aloud. He hoped for a moment it had been rowdy enough for his voice to be lost in the noise, but Han heard him.

“You ready to join the ranks?” he asked playfully, nudging Yifan with his elbow, and Yifan sputtered, tripping over his words.

“I – I only meant to say the crew connected with the song. You must have had your fair shares of danger.”

“Oh yes,” Chanyeol spoke up, moving closer to Yifan like a shark smelling blood in the water and closing in on his prey. “So many dangers. Things you would never imagine you’d see.”

Yifan felt sure that he was being cornered, but his curiosity got the better of him. “Like what?”

“Storms, for one,” Han answered, and when Yifan looked at him, he animatedly continued, eyes wide and gaze fixed intensely on him. “Waves taller than the ship by far, lightening popping around you as you try to keep afloat. And winds that can knock a man overboard if he isn’t careful.”

“And battles,” Jongin piped up, moving closer to the conversation. “Meeting other pirates or worse, a naval fleet, in combat, leaving with holes in the side of the ship and gun powder all over your hands and clothes. If you’re lucky enough to win, that is.”

“You’ve plundered ships before?” Yifan asked in awe, and Kyungsoo scoffed from where he sat.

“We are pirates. It comes with the territory.”

“Only when necessary,” Yixing added, and Yifan thought he looked a little bothered by the enthusiasm in the words, “but occasionally, supplies are needed, and others don’t know how to mind their own business when they see a ship flying unknown colors. If you want to sail freely, you can’t always keep your hands clean.”

“But it’s not all terrible,” Han cut in. “We get to see the world, explore the boundaries of a map, find things that nobody else has found.”

“Like sea dragons,” Chanyeol said, and Han shot him a deadpanned look.

“There are no sea dragons.”

“I saw it!” Chanyeol insisted, looking at Yifan imploringly. “I saw it, I swear. A long, serpentine creature covered in scales, with a wide mouth full of teeth and sharp fins. It must have been the length of two ships at least!”

“Don’t listen to him, Yifan,” Yixing chuckled. “Out of all of the monsters in the sea, there aren’t any dragons.”

“But there are monsters?” Yifan asked, and Yixing smirked at the wonder in his tone.

“Aye, there are monsters. Some of them are people, no different looking than you and me, except in their intentions. But some...” The captain trailed off, and Yifan looked to others for elaboration. Sehun seemed the most willing to speak on it, clearing his throat.

“Some of us have seen sirens,” Sehun said quietly, as if admitting it out loud would summon them out of the water and up onto the deck.

“They really exist?” Yifan asked, picturing the illustrations of beautiful women he had seen as a boy in books. The legends described amazing voices that would lure men to sea, where the siren would grab them and pull them under the waves to drown. He had always thought they were silly, an old tale to ensure men stayed at home with their wives, but the sudden tension in the air told him the crew did not find them as unbelievable as he did.

“They exist,” Yixing answered, and Yifan couldn’t stop his questions from slipping out of his mouth.

“What are they like? Are they as beautiful as they say?”

The playfulness of before was gone as the crew looked at Yixing, and Yixing hesitated. Suddenly, Yifan felt as if he had overstepped his boundaries, entered territory that was not his to tread. When Yixing went to answer, Zitao interrupted, the words brisk and concerned.

“Captain, I do not think –”

Yixing help up a hand to cut him off, and continued when Zitao fell silent.

“Yes, they are beautiful,” Yixing started, nodding as he spoke. “Female or male, they are all very beautiful. But as beautiful as they are and as sweet as their song is to hear, they are deadly. If you ever see one, I suggest you go the other way as fast as you can. If you ever hear one, well, I hope you have the strength to resist.”

The finality in the words told Yifan that that was all he was going to get out of his questioning, and he joined the silence of the other crew members, taking in what he had been told.

Sirens. He would have never dreamed they were real. And perhaps they were all pulling his leg. Perhaps they were teasing him, telling him stories to scare him for their amusement, but the grim set of Yixing’s jaw and the serious expression on the others’ faces… it didn’t feel like a story to him. He wondered if they had all seen one, or if it was only a handful who had caught a glimpse of these creatures. He wondered if any of them had heard them sing and lived to tell the tale.

Without warning, his mind thought back to the man in the water. Soft, pale features and an outstretched hand.

“Can you sing another song, Han?” Sehun asked suddenly, the words cutting through the silence like a dagger, too loud and too fast. The group seemed to take a collective breath, glancing at Han expectantly, and Han hummed, thinking. His brow pulled in concentration as he shook his head.

“I’m out of happy songs,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Sing anyways,” Yixing encouraged, taking another swig of rum. “We can handle something more somber.”

Han seemed unsure of himself as he started the next song, slower than the rest, but everyone was just as enthralled as before. Yifan could feel the pull of Han’s voice, soft and light, though the words were heavier somehow.

“I have but two loves in this world
The first shall be the sea
The second be a lady, fair
Who gave her heart t’me

She sang of promised morrows
With affection in her eyes
And when I was beside her
I could never say goodbye

I left the sea behind for her
And followed her ashore
And every moment with her
Was a moment I adored

But forever has no guarantee
And winter took her soul
A life on land, a loving wife
A family, it stole

And though the sea did take me back
My heart cannot let go
A lady, fair, who gave her heart
T’me, and me alone.”

As he finished, Yifan pulled in a breath through his nose. He hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath, but his chest ached with it. Then again, it could be the emotions in the song that had him hurting. Or the ghost of some memory in Han’s eyes, a frown pulling his features, a wetness in the corner of his eyes that had not been there before. Yifan wondered if the song were more than just a parlor song like the others, if it were something more personal. Everyone else seemed just as moved, no one clapping or moving, just listening to the waves.

Chanyeol turned the bottle of rum up, draining it of its contents. The blush in his cheeks gave away his lack of sobriety, and he threw his arms out to the side as he spoke.

“Now that the sad songs are out of the way, how about another happy tune?”

He started up with the song from before, standing to move around the deck, grabbing a hold of people as he walked. A quiet laugh rolled through the group, Han shaking his head as he watched the man lumber from crewman to crewman, singing loudly and grabbing cheekily at Yixing as he passed. Yixing swatted the man away, but Yifan caught the look of relief on his features as the mood turned to lighthearted once more.

“Fool,” Han chuckled as Chanyeol practically threw himself into Zitao’s arms, Zitao gasping as he caught him. “Such a clown.”

Yifan nodded in agreement, not missing the look of gratitude Han gave Chanyeol as he made his rounds to him. He was a mood setter, it seemed, and Yifan was thankful for Chanyeol’s talent.

“Shall we call it a night?” Yixing asked as Chanyeol collapsed into Han’s lap, Han’s arms wrapping around the man’s waist to hold him steady. It was comical, Chanyeol clearly larger, but Han held him fast anyways, resting his cheek on Chanyeol’s back.

“If we don’t, Chanyeol will just keep drinking. If we want to save the rum, it’s best we send him off to bed,” Kyungsoo said, Jongin laughing behind his hand. Chanyeol whined dramatically, but did not struggle when Han pushed him up and steered him towards the barracks, a steadying hand on the small of his back.

Yifan stood, stretching his legs as the others began to go their separate ways. Kyungsoo stayed behind, collecting the bottles and smiling gratefully at Jongin as he joined in to help the clean up. Yifan’s eyes met Yixing’s across the deck as Zitao turned to the captain, speaking with him in a quiet tone. Yixing gave Yifan a nod, before turning to address Zitao, following him as they walked back towards the captain’s quarters.

Yifan spared a long look at the water, watching as the moonlight bounced off the waves, the wind pushing the sails further open, and it was there again. That tug at his insides, his mind filling with a blur in the water, a hand reaching towards him. He imagined, for a moment, what that hand would have felt like. Soft, he thought, but strong. Steadying.

He turned his back to the ocean, pushing himself towards the stairs. It had been a long day. He would feel better once he got some sleep.

Meg’s Notes: We are horrible, terrible people (with busy lives and unfortunate schedules). Mostly on my part… BUT LOOK, A CHAPTER. *hides from objects thrown in our direction*I’m so sorry for the wait but here it is! And what a fun one it was! All of the songs were so fun to write, and the character introductions even more so (Chan in particular, heh). Hopefully, we can knock out the next chapter is a more manageable time frame… we have such plans for this story if we can ever write it out! But thank you for your patience and understanding, and of course, for reading <3 (Sorry again!)

Nat’s Notes: SO SORRY. SO VERY SORRY. This one chapter took more than a year for us to give you? So sorry ;; Thing is, the next chapter will probably also take a while… But we’ll try hard to not let it take another year! Did you like the songs? In TF we had a song, so when we planned this, we thought, hey, why not have more? So instead of one, errr, have four XD Yush. Sorry. Again. I commend thee for waiting patiently, if you’re a loyal reader who has been waiting since chapter 1, and welcome, new readers! And sorry in advance. Ergh. So sorry. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and will stay with us for the rest <3

Lovely readers, we will see you for Chapter 3!