A/N: There is slight depiction of abuse in this chapter, if you'd like to skip that, go to the paragraph that starts with "In the midst of his panic cooldown"

--

(Daehyun's Perspective)

Daehyun was optimistic at first.

The only hard parts came from settling his nerves while waiting for his parents at the flight gate, and then with the arrival of his parents in the boarding area. The easiest way to get through the portion he couldn't avoid was to keep quiet and only speak when spoken to, so that's what Daehyun did. It made the flight and bus ride to the cruise ship surprisingly smooth, and he was hopeful that he could have that type of thing for the rest of the cruise!

Once he was in the room that was designated as his for the next two weeks after mandatory safety protocols, that optimism was shattered.

Daehyun had been sitting on the foot of the bed, looking out the sliding doors that led to the balcony while he contemplated the best ways to go about avoiding his parents for the next two weeks. Like pretending he wasn't in the room if they came knocking, or if he was out and about and caught sight of them, just turning and going the other way...

Sounded simple enough, right?

Not so much, but as he was going that, the distant sound of the door creaking open interrupted Daehyun's thoughts. 'No one but me should have the key to this room...' So he stood up and brought his attention to the door to see who was intruding, and Daehyun was met with the last person he ever wanted near him, even further below his parents on that list.

Han Sunhwa, suitcase in tow.

A nervous lump formed in his throat, and his heart's pace quickened in a very real panic. 'What's she doing here? Did... Did my parents think ahead on me avoiding them and invited Sunhwa to make sure I was kept leashed? This is the absolute worst!'

Sunhwa's eyes lingered on him in a way that made Daehyun's blood run cold, and he felt almost paralyzed as she stepped closer with a smile that plagued his nightmares. “Daehyunnie, it's so nice to see you again...” Sunhwa greeted.

Daehyun somehow found it in him to speak through the anxiety constricting his throat. “Wh-what are you doing here?” he asked frantically.

“Obviously the Jungs invited me along,” she responded, a bit of a downward twitch on that sickening smile of hers, but still maintaining it. “I figured it was a good opportunity to rekindle what we had, Daehyunnie.” Her voice dripped with that tone she'd perfected, the one where she'd inject just enough sweetness into it to ensure she'd get her way.

For a brief moment, Daehyun was brought back to a different place. Settled on the couch with some hot chocolate, reuniting with his best friend and being baffled that Zelo still considered him that way after three years of no contact. And eventually talking him down from his violent stance towards his ex...

“If she ever tries to get back into your life again, though-”

“I won't let her.”

That exchange felt so long ago now. Daehyun had been so determined in that moment that he completely disregarded his worries about interrupting others. So determined that Han Sunhwa was never going to be a part of his life again and that he would do everything in his power to keep it that way...

Her standing in front of him right now using that trademark tone of hers wasn't going to change that!

So Daehyun did his best to steel his resolve through the panicky haze, adding layers of protection in the form of his promise to his best friend and his love for his boyfriend. They weren't physically here to help, but the mental reaffirming that he had people supporting him from afar helped instill some defiance in him.

'I won't let her.' “The boyfriend you got in your apartment not good enough for you anymore?”

“Things... didn't quite work out with him,” she explained vaguely. “So we've gone our separate ways. But... through all the troubles I had with him, I realized just how much I missed you.”

Daehyun didn't believe that one bit. He wasn't going to let her think he did, either!

Well, he did believe the part about them having troubles. Knowing firsthand how Sunhwa acted, and the knowledge from Zelo that Hyunsik had spine, it was believable that those troubles existed and probably came from Hyunsik not backing down and obeying her just because she wanted him to.

Daehyun knew what about him Sunhwa missed.

His obedience. It had nothing to do with who Daehyun was as a person and the love and care he tried to give her that she denied in exchange for what she convinced him was her love. It was just his ability to shut up and listen, to shut up and take it that she wanted! That's all it ever was, and for all the time he spent thinking the way she treated him was his fault instead of hers, Daehyun solidified his protective layers that much further!

'I won't let her.' Why would he when he had actual love on his side?

“Y-you didn't miss me,” he declared, not able to mask the shakiness in his voice from the fear of how she'd respond.

That sweet facade cracked a bit with the way she raised one of her eyebrows. “I just said that I did, Daehyunnie. Weren't you listening?”

Daehyun gulped. 'I won't let her.' “Y-you've said a lot of things that um... weren't true. I-I shouldn't have believed you then, and I-I'm not going to believe you now.”

That fake smile finally dropped and was replaced with the other look of hers that haunted Daehyun's nightmares. The scowl, the brow twitch that signified annoyance at disobedience, the burning way her eyes stared right through him... A look that had Daehyun's insides shriveling up and his outside trembling.

“You know, your parents are giving you an opportunity to make things right with me, and I'm willing to give you that chance,” she snapped. “But in typical you fashion, you're doing a great job of messing things up.”

'I won't let her.' “I-I didn't ask for this...”

“Well, I did!” Swiftly, she reached and tightly gripped her fingers around Daehyun's wrist, nails digging slightly into his forearm. “So just shut up, and let's get ready to meet your parents for dinner!”

The moment she harshly yanked, Daehyun's fight or flight reflex kicked in, and he snatched his arm out of her painfully tight grasp and clambered backwards to get away from her. His back pressed against the sliding glass door that led out to the balcony. He couldn't flee that way, and between him and the only exit to the room was a very peeved Sunhwa that was closing in on him!

With the way his vision blurred, Daehyun couldn't tell whether she was reaching to grab him, or if he was about to feel the familiar sting of her hand slapping across his face...

'I won't let her!'

In a flurry, Daehyun stumbled to the side, climbed over the bed, and bolted for the door. He flung it open, still taking care to close it behind him in his rush to get out. At the absence of anybody else in the corridor, he hurriedly ran for the elevator and hid his presence to outside eyes by shoving himself against the wall and in front of the button panel. Daehyun repeatedly clicked the button to close the doors as if multiple frantic presses would make the door shut quicker, and when they finally slid shut, he pressed the button for the floor farthest from where Sunhwa was.

His body felt like collapsing, but he couldn't do that... Not here.

Daehyun rubbed the sore spot on his forearm from where Sunhwa's nails had dug into the skin to soothe the stinging feeling away. Thankfully, the force hadn't been enough to break the surface, and the stinging and redness would be gone within the hour. He gulped down his nerves, internally lamenting that his flight response hadn't kicked in sooner, but at least it did before things had inevitably gotten worse.

In the midst of his panic cool down, he recalled happier situations to ground him faster. Fun times spent laughing and dressing up with his best friend as well as soothing times spent with his boyfriend. 'That's who I am now,' he reaffirmed, 'I'm not the pushover who just accepts mistreatment like I used to be! I deserve better than that, and I have better than that!'

He collected himself as best as he could, and in a last ditch effort to keep Sunhwa from following after him, he clicked the button for every floor on the button panel before exiting the elevator to find somewhere to blend in. Daehyun looked over the map directory and decided upon food, but all the food places would require him to take the stairs to get to them.

Well, he could wait for the elevator, but that probably wouldn't be back on this floor for a while. And the longer Daehyun sat still, the better chance there was of him being found.

As he went up the stairs, he patted his pants pockets to make sure he at least had his important things with him. Keys, wallet, phone, and the keycard to get back into his room. He'd have to at some point, what with the rest of his things being in there. But if he kept a good enough eye on things that he picked when the safest time to be in the room was...

As he rounded the second flight of stairs, he came across a duo going to take the elevator but backtracking out with the man of the pair declaring, “Uh... nope.”

Daehyun was originally going to think nothing of it and continue his quest. What caused him to stop in his tracks was how familiar the man's voice was. And he was immediately recognizable as he and the woman with him were fully in Daehyun's vision, having decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Faded red mop of hair, piercings galore, tattoos peeking out from under the sleeves? There was only one person who came to Daehyun's mind that looked like that!

“Yongguk?”

Yongguk's eyes lit up in recognition. “Daehyun? Fancy seeing you here!” he greeted, lips spreading into a smile so wide his gums were entirely visible.

The unrecognizable brunette with him patted at his bicep incessantly. “This is Daehyun? Youngjae's boyfriend, Daehyun?” she asked excitedly.

Yongguk chuckled, “Yeah, this is Youngjae's boyfriend.”

Daehyun was overtaken with a warm kind of bashfulness, one that helped to quell the disorientation he was still feeling from his confrontation with Sunhwa. Through that slight haze still fogging up parts of his brain, Daehyun searched for tidbits of information relevant to the current situation. “Uh, y-you must be... Jieun, then?”

She lit up. “Yeah, that's me!” she confirmed happily. “It's nice to finally meet you, Daehyun!”

Daehyun offered a tiny smile, trying to cover up his worries as best he could through it. “Um... I-it's nice to meet you, too...”

Neither Yongguk or Jieun missed the way Daehyun's hands were still trembling. “Is everything okay, Daehyun?” Yongguk wondered. “You seem a bit... frazzled. Is there anything we can do to help?”

Daehyun opened his mouth to respond some sort of denial, thinking that Yongguk and Jieun were clearly here on vacation and that it would be intrusive to drag them into his mess. But there was something about the way they both looked at him that had Daehyun pressing his lips back together and contemplating his options.

If there was anything he'd learned in his months of freedom other than that he hadn't deserved the way he'd been treated beforehand, it was that he sometimes needed to rely on others who were trustworthy for help. Given that Yongguk and Jieun were on Youngjae's list of trusted people, Daehyun figured it would be safe to accept their help.

“Um-” His voice cracked, and Daehyun cleared his throat before continuing. “Is there um... somewhere we could talk with uh, less prying ears?” he asked as he nervously tugged at the bottom hem of his shirt.

“Of course,” Jieun said. “Let's head to our room. We'll have to take the stairs though since the elevator's decided to take a stop on every single floor.”

Daehyun inhaled sharply at that last bit, but nodded his agreement and followed them to the stairs. 'Yeah, I'll leave that part out.'

After Daehyun explained things to Yongguk and Jieun, he found himself agreeing to room with them for the duration of the trip. Yongguk insisted, saying they already had the spare bed and it'd be better used sheltering Daehyun that just being a shelf for suitcases. As awkward as Daehyun felt at the idea of sharing a room with the couple, it was definitely the preferable alternative.

They'd even gotten Daehyun's suitcase with minimal trouble! All it took was Jieun taking the room card and the knowledge of what his suitcase looked like. She knocked on the door to see if anyone was there, and at the lack of response, unlocked the door and dragged Daehyun's suitcase out of there. Jieun hadn't even needed the contingency plan that she'd come up with in case Sunhwa answered the door!

Maybe the time it took for Daehyun to explain the situation was enough time for Sunhwa to get ready and go off to dinner with Daehyun's parents? Or maybe she was out looking for him? Either way, she wasn't in the room.

Daehyun tried to inform Zelo and Youngjae about what was going on. Neither message went through, that little red exclamation point by each message signifying that. It was a shame, but he'd expected the bad service.

Yongguk had good phone service, though! He messaged Youngjae to let him know that Daehyun was in his and Jieun's care while Jieun was on her suitcase grabbing adventure. Daehyun requested that he ask Youngjae to also keep Zelo in the loop since his phone wasn't sending messages. To which Youngjae responded the affirmative.

That wasn't going to stop Daehyun from sending messages of his own, though. They'd go through eventually!

They'd found a place for dinner a bit later than the usual dinner crowd. They scoped the place to make sure Daehyun's problem people weren't there before being seated, and the three of them settled into comfortable conversation that further distanced Daehyun's mind from his problems to the point he felt like he was tapping into a part of him he only let out as Daena.

It was a liberating feeling to enjoy himself so thoroughly!

Not too much later, they were settling down for bed. Yongguk had admitted to Daehyun during dinner while Jieun was gone for a bathroom break that he planned on proposing during the trip and asked if Daehyun could help out. Mainly with keeping Jieun occupied while Yongguk finished up with the details, something Daehyun was more than willing to do! Especially since they were being so kind in keeping him protected!

While the couple was finishing up their nightly routine, Daehyun burrowed himself under the covers for the night. It was adorable, really. Yongguk and Jieun spoke with each other so happily, looked at each other so affectionately, everything filled with love for the other...

When Daehyun realized that was a lot like how Youngjae treated him, his heart started stuttering all over the place. He timidly let the happiness from that wash over him as he pulled the blanket further up to cover the lower half of his face, smiling to himself in satisfaction.

His only problem with going to sleep was missing Youngjae's presence there.

--

Being on a cruise didn't change Daehyun's internal clock. His mornings were spent quietly watching the sunrise over the ocean or wherever the boat was docked. People say that one of the most breathtaking sights in nature was watching the sunset, but Daehyun found the sunrise to be equally as beautiful.

Yongguk slumbered about an hour more, and the two of them would quietly chat on the balcony while Jieun slept for another hour. Daehyun still wasn't accustomed to eating in the morning, so he kept to himself in the room while Yongguk and Jieun ventured out for breakfast.

Afterwards, what they got up to depended on where they were. On sea days, they explored what the ship had to offer.

There was an art gallery full of expensive paintings for sale that Daehyun and Yongguk wandered through while Jieun lounged on the adult-only sun deck to catch some rays.

The intercom on the boat boasted something about Tai Chi with instructor Alex that Yongguk decided to check out while Daehyun and Jieun ended up in a bingo competition that ended with him winning a free spa treatment for two.

Daehyun gave those vouchers to Yongguk and Jieun and found something else to do while they were off doing that. That something else ended up being learning how to fold towels into animal shapes like the stewards did for room service!

He did end up doing a mani-pedi with Jieun at a later point, though. Yongguk had asked him to keep her occupied, and she'd been trying to decide between a mani-pedi or something more extreme. Since Daehyun was more comfortable with the mani-pedi, he recommended they did that.

There there were the shore excursion days where they wandered around where the boat had docked for a short bit. Most of those were the tours for cruise goers that showed off the area. Informational for the most part, but a few things did stick out.

On a bus tour, the lady giving the tour pointed out there was an iguana on the fence right in the middle of what she'd been saying. She didn't finish that thought, either! All because of an iguana on the fence.

At one place, Yongguk and Jieu ended up paragliding, and Daehyun was content to stay ground bound and do some window shopping.

He tried to send messages throughout the days, but those still weren't going through. Yongguk and Jieun both continued to message Youngjae throughout the trip, and Daehyun was thankful for that! But he elected to get a better phone service provider when he got back. With the debt cleared, he'd be able to afford better.

Right now was one of the times Daehyun was asked to keep Jieun occupied, this time after dinner. Yongguk had said that the place they were porting at tomorrow was where he planned on proposing, and he wanted to take this last night to make sure all the details were completely ironed out. And that required him being alone in the cabin for a little while under the guise that he was retiring early.

So Jieun and Daehyun wandered around the ship, looking for things to do that didn't involve eating before coming across a karaoke joint and deciding that was what they were going to do. Only for a little bit, though, because it'd be rude if they hogged the machine when other people were about the place for same reason!

During the waiting period, they sipped at some drinks. She'd ordered and alcoholic fruity beverage, and Daehyun started with water. But the fruity cocktail Jieun ordered looked like it was really good, so he got one of his own and didn't regret it! They maxed out at two for their various reasons, Daehyun's being not wanting to get full on drunk and getting sick because of it.

After some buzzed bouts of karaoke, they migrated out to one of the sun decks. Less people were around due to it being night time and there being loads of things to do on the ship at nice. It was a place people really only used for sunbathing. Which was a shame because Daehyun thought leaning back on one of the loungers and staring up at the stars in the clear night sky was a tranquil experience!

Jieun giggled to herself happily in the lounger next to him, and Daehyun flopped his head to the side to look at her. Her giggling was infectious, and he found himself joining her as he asked, “What're you laughing about over there?”

She pointed up at the sky and moved her finger around like she was tracing imaginary lines between the stars. “I was remembering something,” she declared. “Yongguk once told me that my eyes and my smile were like the twinkling stars in the sky that those who were lost use to find their way back home...”

Momentarily, Daehyun's mind slipped elsewhere. To where he was seated next to Youngjae at the piano and admiring the way he smiled with every bit of his face. Dimples prominent, and with that sparkle in his eyes that Daehyun had also equated to the stars in a similar fashion. 'Maybe comparing a lover to the stars like that is a common thing for people like me and Yongguk who find that their past struggles make them feel aimless?'

Daehyun blinked himself back to the present. “That's so poetic...”

“It is! Yongguk's big on poetry. He's such a sweetie, too! I'm so lucky I get to call that man mine,” she simpered to herself, hardly stifling her continued bits of laughter behind her hand. She rolled her head to look at Daehyun. “You're a cutie yourself, Daehyun. So thoughtful and kind... Youngjae's real lucky to be able to call you his boyfriend!”

The warmth that flushed over his face was part alcohol induced and part bashfulness. “I feel more like I'm the lucky one,” Daehyun admitted. “Youngjae's so genuine and caring... And he's such a sweetheart that it makes me feel all giddy inside!” he beamed. “Everything I've ever wanted from someone I love...”

He found himself staring back up at the stars, and a sense of deja vu washed over him as he watched a shooting star dart across the sky. Daehyun's lips spread into a lazy smile and slipped his eyes closed for a brief moment to etch a new, brighter wish into his heart to replace his distraught wish for guidance he'd made on a cold winter night.

--

The next day was entirely Daehyun's. He'd overslept a bit thanks to the alcohol from the night before, but he still woke up early enough to see Yongguk and Jieun off for the day.

There wasn't much he could do to preoccupy his time at the place they were docked, though. So after he finished up his lunch salad, he made his way back to board the ship. Or he would've if he hadn't ended up face to face with his parents on the only pathway that led to the boat!

Daehyun barely had time to pull up any protective layers before his umma's voice stabbed right into him. “Jung Daehyun, where have you been?” For the first time in years, he actually had her in front of him to see the face she was pulling alongside that tone rather than having to imagine it himself.

It was not a pleased one, and it was worse in person!

He gulped. “I-I've been around.”

She didn't like that answer one bit if the way her eyes narrowed was anything to go by. “Don't be vague with me,” she ordered. “I wanted specifics. Why haven't you been with Sunhwa? You're supposed to be making up for how you hurt her.”

“How I hurt her?” Daehyun exclaimed incredulously. “She-”

“Don't raise your voice at your umma like that, boy,” his appa interrupted, vocal tone commanding and immediately causing Daehyun's muscles to seize up and his lips to clamp shut.

But that latter reaction also had a bit to do with the thought that they never listened to him about Sunhwa and how she treated him and made him feel anyway, so they weren't going to listen now either. He could do without feeling like it was a struggle to breathe, though...

“Care to explain yourself, Daehyun?” his umma interrogated.

“I-” Daehyun's voice caught in his throat, and his protective layers wrapped around him further to the point where words felt like they were being squeezed out. “I-I don't owe you that explanation.”

She pursed her lips slightly in disappointment. “I see. Here I thought you weren't going to make things harder for yourself. It doesn't make any difference to us, I suppose. We'll just have to punish you for your disobedience,” she declared. “Whenever we return, we will expect your payments to resume with the total added from the cruise and the flights.”

Daehyun's stomach lurched in an immediate panic. “B-but I've done what you asked?”

“No, you haven't,” she insisted harshly. “You were supposed to use this opportunity reconcile with Sunhwa as well as participate in this cruise with us, and you've done neither.”

I can't ing handle losing you to them again...

Daehyun's protective layers shifted into a more offensive type of defense, and he solidified his resolve. 'If I just let them walk over me like this without actively defending myself, I'll never win!' “Neither one of those things were part of the deal I-I agreed to, Umma,” he pointed out. “All you said was that if I go on the cruise, the debt would be cleared.”

You won't. I won't make that mistake again.

She clearly didn't expect the defiance, and she was so taken aback by it that it was his appa who spoke in her place. “Is that an attitude you're getting with us, Jung Daehyun?” he questioned firmly.

No matter what they try to do...

As much as the tone threatened to break Daehyun's walls down, he used the way it immediately sent his muscles into lockdown mode to solidify his stance further. “I-It's not,” he answered. “'All you have to do is go on a cruise with us, Daehyun. Do that, and we'll consider the debt paid',” he recounted shakily. “N-nothing about Sunhwa, nothing about tagging along with the two of you... Just my presence.”

...I'm not forsaking our friendship again.

His appa was caught off guard by the continued talking back, too. Daehyun took small bits of pride from that and used it to further fuel his motives. This was his time to talk, not theirs! “I-I'm not going to let you add more to the deal in the middle of it, and I'm not going to let you go back on your word either.”

I promise.

The stunned countenance on the both of them started to wear off slightly, his appa's face flushing red in anger and his umma's gaze turning fiery. But Daehyun wasn't done, just one more push to drive it home to them that this was a battle they were going to lose! “If it really doesn't make any difference to you like you say, just... just let me go. It's clear you don't want me a-and that I'm more of a burden to you than a son, so why are you keeping this up?”

I won't let myself live like that again.

Their combatting glares had sparks of electricity flying over the place, and they each stood their ground, puffed up in a way to see who would back down first. After everything he'd put into this encounter to prove he wasn't going to let them walk all over him anymore, Daehyun wasn't going to allow himself to lose!

You said you weren't going to let them get control of you, and you meant that. I know you do.

The stare down kept on as time ticked by, bordering on feeling eternal. For as much as Daehyun was trembling in fear and wanted to pass out from the mental exhaustion, there was an equal amount of defiance keeping him rooted in place. His body felt numb from how rigid he was standing, but his umma eventually took a step back.

Daehyun gulped, not backing down in case it was a ploy.

Then her brows furrowed together, and she crossed her arms with a huff. “Very well.”

Both Daehyun and his appa nearly did a double take at her firm declaration. “He defies us like this, and you're just going to let him off free?” his appa questioned.

His umma's icy stare was settled on her son, completely dismissive of how flushed in anger her husband was. “He's a lost cause,” she said darkly. Then she whispered something into her husband's ear before giving him a pat on the shoulder and watching him walk off. “In exchange for the debt being absolved once we return from this trip, you are not to consider yourself part of this family ever again. You are not my son, we are not your parents, and this is final. Do I make myself clear?”

Daehyun bit back his retort that he'd never been treated like a son anyways and settled for a simple, “Yes ma'am.”

After a firm nod, she walked off in the direction her husband went, leaving Daehyun alone.

There were too many things floating around his his brain for him to be able to process all the feelings he was having. He felt like passing out, but also like he was going to lose his lunch from the nerves shaking up his body so much, and both were better done on the ship.

So Daehyun slowly walked his way back onto the ship and into the cabin, feeling more like he was floating than taking actual steps. After sending messages that didn't go through to both Zelo and Youngjae, he spent a chunk of time on the bathroom floor in front of the toilet. Then he dragged his weary body to the bed for a well earned nap.

At least when he woke up a few hours later by Yongguk's and Jieun's return to their cabin, Daehyun learned that the proposal had went wonderfully! Jieun was boasting about her shiny new ring, and Daehyun got dragged out to join the happy couple for a celebratory dinner. He avoided all attempts to discuss his day and instead encouraged them to gush more because being a part of their happiness was better for his mental state.

Then they were back in the cabin for the night.

Because of his earlier nap, Daehyun tossed and turned more than usual, but he did eventually get to sleep and woke up right on time for the sunrise. And when Yongguk plopped down in the chair next to him for their morning chat and asked about his previous day, Daehyun decided to tell him about his success in standing up to his parents.

Yongguk was proud.

--

A/N:

Y'all, Harmony is officially a year old as of either the 26th or 27th of October!

I say 'either' because for some reason, AFF can't make up its mind on which day it was published? It said the 26th when I looked the other day, so I finished this on the 26th to post, went to post it, and then it said the 27th. So I was like 'Oh I'll just post it tomorrow', and now that I'm posting it on the 27th, it says it was published on the 26th?

Either way, this time of year marks Harmony's birthday and I wanted to celebrate with an update! So here's an update for Harmony's one year anniversary! Happy birthday, Harmony!