Black and white mixed together in harmony.

Where there is black there is white, and where there is white there is black.

You will find the one with both there.

 

---

 

lux rubrum | red light

 

“Do you want a drink?” Baekhyun asked Cirrus as he offered his glass to her. “Or is whiskey too much?”

 

“You mean your drink?” she asked with a gulp.

 

Baekhyun shrugged and took a sip from his glass. “It’s customary… sharing a drink. I mean, after you declare your trust. It means we’re crewmates.”

 

She narrowed her eyes at the captain. “I’m a crewmate?” she almost asked with a laugh.

 

Baekhyun hummed to himself as he tapped his chin with a finger. Cirrus wasn’t quite an crewmate to him. Her circumstances were different, to say the least. That, and after they find the treasure (because he was so confident they’d be able to find it), she’d have to leave. Baekhyun had decided a long time ago that he wouldn’t take her life, but to ask her to join his crew seemed farfetched.

 

Besides, she’d want to leave.

 

“How does ‘ally’ sound?” the captain suggested.

 

“Ally,” she murmured through a smile. “Do allies drink to toast as well?”

 

“Allies…,” Baekhyun started with a grin. “Allies don’t drink to declare their trust. They recite their trust.”

 

“Was I supposed to prepare a speech?” she asked amusedly.

 

Baekhyun cleared his thoat and held his head high. Arching a brow at her, he recited, “Keep thy friend under thy own life’s key.”

 

Your life is as important to me as my own.

 

It was a bold declaration. Baekhyun knew that. He knew she knew that. But he meant it, and he wanted her to know that. Her safety had always been of utmost importance to him, and his crew. Originally, that was the case because he needed her to find the treasure. That hadn’t changed, but something had been layered on top of it. Something deeper, and more personal.

 

He almost didn’t expect her to repeat the line to him. It was a lot to ask for, and she certainly wasn’t in any position to want to say it to him. He wasn’t expecting her to forget how he had treated her in the beginning. He wasn’t expecting himself to feel so much regret and guilt either.

 

“Keep thy friend under thy own life’s key,” she bravely declared to him. “Does that complete the exchange?”

 

Baekhyun let out a laugh. Cirrus drowned in the sound of it, and all the other noise around her suddenly seemed so monotone in comparison. “Were you serious when you said that, princess?”

 

She sighed at the use of her title. ‘Princess’ didn’t seem very ally-like in her opinion.

 

Baekhyun caught her shift in attitude and recognized his mistake. “Ah, sorry. I’m just so used to calling you that. It’ll take some time for me to get used to calling you by name, Cirrus.”

 

“It’s fine,” she revealed a faint smile. “It’s just that it might not be the best idea to use that term around here. People are listening, aren’t they?”

 

“Have you been listening to some of the conversations here?” he scoffed. “That term’s a pet name for some couples.”

 

In a somewhat mocking tone, Baekhyun imitated the voice of a man who sat at a table not too far away from them. He was with his girlfriend – or wife – and was flirting with her. “Princess, doll you look so pretty today.”

 

Cirrus flushed at Baekhyun’s statement. She knew he was imitating someone else, and she knew that ‘princess’ was a nickname in that context, but she couldn’t help herself from thinking that he was actually talking about her.

 

“That is hardly appropriate in this situation,” she stammered. “And couples? We are not a couple.”

 

“To others it might seem that way. It’s the perfect disguise, actually. I wasn’t able to do that before, going for the couple act, I mean. Trust me, I’ve tried. But Ardent just doesn’t look very nice in a dress you kn-“

 

Cirrus didn’t even care that they were in a ‘disguise’ at the moment. She also didn’t care for the ridiculous imagery that came with the thought of Ardent in a dress. “Baekhyun, don’t be ridiculous. No one would buy it.”

 

“Really?” he lifted a brow in her direction. “Is that a challenge? Because you should know that I never back down from a challenge.”

 

But before she could utter anything in response, Baekhyun had set his glass aside and slipped an arm around her waist. He pulled her close so that they were chest to chest. Then he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Is this a better disguise, Cirrus?”

 

She could feel heat spreading through her cheeks and up to her ears. With all the might she could muster, Cirrus forced her arms between them and lightly pushed Baekhyun away. “You’ve proven your point. A disguise… can come in handy.”

 

He smirked triumphantly at her.

 

.::.            .::.            .::.

 

Cirrus stumbled out of the pub, feeling a bit tipsy. Through all the merriness and liveliness of the pub, she had ended up accepting a drink from Baekhyun. From the outside Cirrus looked completely sober, and she was sure Baekhyun wasn’t even aware of her buzzed state.

 

The streets were filled with a sea of people. They came in waves, pushing and shoving each other to get to the next stand, store, or pub. She was sure the other memberes of the Lux Pirates were following them – she just couldn’t tell where they were amongst all the noise and hurry. Cirrus squeezed herself through people and struggled to keep up with Baekhyun’s pace. Even through all the mayhem, he managed to carry himself with a sort of elegant efficiency.

 

“Why are there so many people here?” she huffed. Cirrus never thought she’d live to find herself thinking that there were too many people gathered in one place. She had lived a life with few people by her side, and because of that she enjoyed company. The more the better, she had thought. But this was too much.

 

“The Hub is the capital of Piscari. It’s bound to be busy,” Baekhyun replied. “Everyone just calls it the Hub though. The actual name is a lot more mundane; Pisces.”

 

“Pisces for Piscari, rather befitting actually,” Cirrus commented. Then she asked, “Are we heading back now?”

 

“Yes, but usually on the way back the crew and I do some window-shopping. Thanks to Minseok we don’t need to worry about food, but swords, fishing poles, and medicine are a couple of the things we need to pick up. Niteo and Xiao Guang should be purchasing them right about now,” Baekhyun explained.

 

Cirrus hummed in response and looked from store to store to admire the various items on display. She would have loved to visit one of the shops, but Baekhyun showed no interest in them. He continued walking through the crowd, and Cirrus didn’t want to lose sight of him.

 

“Why are you walking so fast?” she murmured to him.

 

“There are more Marines today than usual,” he replied in a hushed voice. “I’d rather not spend too much time around them if possible.”

 

“Oh,” she muttered under her breath.

 

Suddenly, the sounds around Cirrus started to die down. Shouts and cheers that once rang so loudly in her ears became background noise. Even Baekhyun, who was right next to her, seemed mute even though his lips were moving.

 

“Come. I am right here,” a deep voice seemed to echo in Cirrus’s head.

 

She darted her eyes around in an attempt to locate the source of the voice. Was it something she had merely imagined?

 

“Princess of Pileum,” the voice spoke again.

 

 The voice sent shivers down her spine, and a bead of sweat trickled down Cirrus’s temple. How was it that Baekhyun hadn’t heard the voice? Even though someone just declared her title to the public, why was it that no one turned their head?

 

The voice seemed familiar to her. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but the voice reminded Cirrus of her kingdom. Perhaps it belonged to someone who came from Pileum.

 

The voice rang a third time, “Slip through the space between the buidings.”

 

Cirrus stopped in place and looked to her left, where the entrance to an alleyway was but a few steps away. She turned her head around and watched Baekhyun’s figure get further away. She was forced to choose between the voice and Baekhyun. When she thought about it, it was an easy decision. Baekhyun had told her not to get lost, after all…

 

“Help me.”

 

The voice sounded so close, like someone had whispered the plea right next to her. Or perhaps it was just the wind that tickled her ear. Either way, she couldn’t force herself to ignore the voice any longer. So, Cirrus took a step into the alleyway.

 

It would just be for a moment, Cirrus told herself. She wouldn’t reveal herself to the voice, she just wanted to confirm the identity of whoever it belonged to. She wanted to know why they were asking for help. Cirrus wrapped the thin scarf around her head a bit more tightly, and walked further down the alley.

 

There was nothing but empty crates and barrels around her. The faint pitter patter of water dropped every so often, but not a soul was in sight. She was alone. Cirrus let out a sigh and her heel to head back to Baekhyun. It was impulsive of her to have stepped into the alleyway in the first place.

 

But who did that voice belong to? Cirrus asked herself. She shook the question out of her thoughts. Perhaps she had imagined it.

 

She held her breath and immediately stopped in her tracks when she saw a very familiar figure standing a few feet from her. His flame red hair danced in the wind, and his dark eyes were locked on her. Chanyeol’s lips twisted into a sinister smile as he took a step forward.

 

Cirrus’s first instinct was to scream for help, but it came out as more of a yelp when she felt Chanyeol’s intense stare on her.

 

“I finally found you,” he growled. “You will lead us to the treasure, and I will become Pirate King!”

 

As Chanyeol walked towards her, Cirrus stumled a few steps back. He closed the distance quickly with his long strides, and soon Chanyeol was but a few inches away from her. Cirrus brought her hands up in a defensive pose as she continued to shuffle backwards. When her back hit a wall, she unconsciously let out a scream.

 

Chanyeol grabbed her wrist and tugged her towards him. “Don’t scream!” he commanded.

 

“Let go of me!” she cried. Cirrus used her free hand to pry Chanyeol’s hand off her own, but to no avail. The pirate kept a strong grip on her, and no matter how much she tried she couldn’t break free from him. “Baekhyun!”

 

As if on cue, Baekhyun appeared from the entrance of the alleyway. He was panting heavily, and his distressed face immediately softened when he saw Cirrus. But it quickly contorted into one of outrage when he recognized Chanyeol’s familiar red hair.

 

“Chanyeol!” he snarled at the other pirate. “Let Cirrus go.”

 

Chanyeol grinned and brought a hand around Cirrus’s neck. He grabbed a dagger from his jacket and brought it to up to her neck. “I’m the one who’ll become the Pirate King. It can only be me; it has to be me!”

 

Baekhyun took cautious steps towards them. He couldn’t draw his rapier in this situation because he knew Chanyeol wasn’t bluffing. Of course, he wouldn’t kill Cirrus but he’d spill her blood without hesitiation. The thought of a scar on her caused his blood to boil, and Baekhyun scorned himself for not killing Chanyeol earlier.

 

Unbeknownst to Baekhyun, two children ran past the entrance of the alleyway. One of the boys carried a red kite in his hands, and the other boy was chasing after him. When the bright shade of red passed by Baekhyun’s figure, time seemed to slow down. Chanyeol felt like he was staring at the red kite for ages, except he soon forgot what shape it took the form of. All Chanyeol saw was red, and Baekhyun.

 

Something flickered in Chanyeol’s dark eyes, and he closed them momentarily. The dagger he had pressed against Cirrus’s neck dropped to the ground, and he staggered away from her.

 

Baekhyun took the moment of hesitation to run towards Cirrus. He stood in front of her and drew his rapier. He pointed the sword in Chanyeol’s direction, and the other pirate cowered back in fear. But something in his expression told Baekhyun that Chanyeol wasn’t scared of him.

 

“I – Baek…” Chanyeol stammered.

 

When Baekhyun slashed his sword at Chanyeol, the red-haired pirate revealed an expression Cirrus wasn’t expecting from him. Pain, with a hint of remorse. Perhaps a lot more remorse than his eyes gave away.

 

Chanyeol his heel and ran away from the pair. He stumbled on his step, but continued to dash into the distance. When Baekhyun was sure Chanyeol was out of sight, he dropped his rapier to the ground. His balance followed shortly afterwards, and the captain fell to his knees.

 

“I thought I told you to stay close to me, to not get lost!” he yelled at her.

 

Cirrus flinched at the tone of his voice, and she gulped. “I heard a voice, they knew who I was – that I was a princess and they were asking for my help and… I’m sorry.”

 

“Sorry?” Baekhyun laughed. “Sorry?! You could have been killed!”

 

“Yes, I’m sorry!” she yelled back. “Sorry that I didn’t listen, and sorry that I’m so weak. At the end of the day, I’m a sheltered princess who doesn’t know the first thing about fighting or swordsmanship. I’m not like my brother, and I’m not like you.”

 

“This was too close of a call,” Baekhyun muttered and stood up.

 

“Teach me to fight, Baekhyun,” Cirrus said in a cracked voice. “I want to get stronger. Strong enough that I won’t have to rely on you, or anyone else. Strong enough that I can stand on my own two feet.”

 

“You want to learn how to fight?” he scoffed.

 

“Yes,” she replied with more confidence. “Will you teach me?”

 

“No,” he replied. She frowned at his quick response, but when he opened his mouth again to speak a spark of hope rekindled in her. “I’m a terrible teacher. But, I know someone who can.”

 

“Really?” Cirrus exclaimed. “Who?”

 

“You’ll see,” he breathed. Baekhyun seemed calmer now, and as he made his way to the alley’s exit he turned his head around and said to her, “Come on, and don’t get lost this time.”

 

Cirrus followed after him and they made their way back to the streets. She glanced down at his hands and saw that they were curled into fists. Even though everything else about Baekhyun looked still, his fists were shaking. She gulped and thought, He must still be really mad.

 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized once more. “I should have listened to you. And after you saved me, I demand for a teacher to teach me how to fight. I was out of line…"

 

“It’s fine,” he sighed. “I’m not mad.”

 

He didn’t seem to want to talk any more, so Cirrus decided to not say anything else. As they walked through the streets, Cirrus vowed to herself that until they reached the ship she would focus all her attention on Baekhyun. It was the least she could do after what had happened.

 

His fists were still shaking, and the longer she stared at them the clearer it became. He wasn’t shaking because of anger. It was out of fear. And in that moment, Cirrus realized that even Baekhyun had something he was scared of.

 

He was scared of losing people.

 

Cirrus was just a few steps away from Baekhyun. His head dipped slightly, and everything about him seemed to shrink. His proud shoulders hunched in shame, and his confident aura was replaced by a tense fear. His back looked terribly lonely, and Cirrus had the urge to reach her hand out to grab his and talk some sense into him.

 

Her fingers were so close to grazing Baekhyun’s hand, but a loud shout from a nearby store caused her to immediately retreat them. As the reality of her actions settled in, Cirrus could feel her face warming up.

 

What was I about to do?

 

“We’re turning right at the next corner,” Baekhyun told her.

 

“Oh, yeah. Sure,” Cirrus stammered. “Um…”

 

“What?” he breathed.

 

“Are you alright? You were trembling earlier – you’re still trembling now,” Cirrus replied.

 

“I’m fine,” he said. “Just… don’t disappear again. I don’t like it when people disappear.”

 

She nodded her head silently because she didn’t know what else to say to him. As they approached the corner, Cirrus prepared to turn right. Not watching where she was going, Cirrus ended up colliding straight into Baekhyun’s back. She staggered back a few steps before asking, “Why did you suddenly stop?”

 

He didn’t bother answering her question and reached for her hand. He accelerated so quickly that as his body began to move, hers remained still for a few moments. And just before the pain from his abrupt tug set in, Cirrus caught a glimpse of a group of young Marines some distance away. One of them was pointing at them, and his lips seemed to move in slow motion as the other soldier dug through his bag to pull out a camera. The third Marine started running towards them.

 

 “Run!” Baekhyun told her.

 

---

 

A/N: Ok so I was susppoed to update on Christmas Day and be all like "Oh wow look it's a Christmas miracle!" but then that didn't happen. So instead I was gonna update on New Year's Eve and be like "Hopefully in 2018 I'll be more active!" and that didn't happen ether. So instead I'm posting on New Year's with a resolution to update PYP more. I hope you'll forgive me for being inactive for like 2 months ;-;

I have missed you all sincerely, and know that while I may not reply to your comments right away, I do read them from time to time (I know this sounds cheesy and kind of weird, but sometimes when I need a pick-me-up I log onto AFF and read through some of the comments you guys wrote <3). I hope you enjoyed this update! I think some of you may be confused about Chanyeol now, right? :^)

\\xoxo