“Joonmyeon,” Tao groaned. He kept his head cradled in his hands as he sat with his back against the railing of the ship. If he’d had anything left in his stomach, then he was sure he’d have been leaning over the edge. “The ocean is the worst.”

                Joonmyeon laughed as he rested his hand on Tao’s shoulder. “It isn’t the ocean’s fault that you don’t like sailing. Just hold on a little longer. Baekhyun promised he’d get Yixing.”

                “I’m not made for this,” Tao moaned. “We should get off at the next island we see just so I don’t have to suffer anymore.”

                “Now, now,” Yixing said with a click of his tongue as he approached them. “There’s no need for such dramatics. The ocean is a beautiful place. Come on now. Drop your hands. Let me see what the problem is.”

                Tao leaned into Yixing’s hands as he did as the healer told him. He sighed as Yixing’s cool palms cradled his temples and cheeks. “I hate this.”

                “Shush,” Yixing told him as he closed his eyes. His palms began to glow with a soft white light. “Your equilibrium is a little off, that’s all. It’s making you feel dizzy and sick. I’ll put you back to rights and then you’ll be fine.”

                Joonmyeon forced himself to relax as he watched Yixing work. He couldn’t help but be grateful for Yixing’s help. Tao really did look absolutely miserable. Joonmyeon did not like feeling helpless when it came to taking care of Tao. “Is he going to live?”

                “Joonmyeon,” Tao whined. “Shut up.”

                Chuckling, Joonmyeon watched as a bit of color returned to Tao’s pale cheeks. He slumped more into Yixing’s hold as the First Mate did whatever it was that he was doing to heal him. “Yixing?”

                “There,” Yixing said with a sigh as he leaned back to look at Tao. The boy blinked back at him through a hazy gaze. “You’re going to be tired. I’m sure Joonmyeon will help you below deck to where the hammocks are. You can have the first one on the right. Sleep for a while.”

                “Why is he so tired?” Joonmyeon asked as he squatted down to take Tao’s weight as Yixing let him go. “What happened?”

                “My power is to heal,” Yixing explained as he cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. “But while I direct the power, the energy comes from the person I’m healing. Tao’s head was out of sorts. It was mostly in his ears. So I had to use his energy to heal him. He just needs a nap.”

                Joonmyeon nodded as he helped Tao to his feet. He told himself to relax as he supported most of Tao’s weight. Yixing hadn’t done anything but help. “And he’ll be fine?”

                “Yes,” Yixing said as he turned to look out over the water. “I fixed it so he shouldn’t have any more seasickness to deal with. It might come back a little after spending time on land, but I know what I’m doing and I’ll just keep setting him to rights.”

                Joonmyeon ducked his head in a grateful nod as he practically carried Tao away. “Thank you, Yixing.”

                “Of course,” Yixing said as he watched Joonmyeon take Tao below deck. He didn’t turn at the sound of someone landing next to him even after they disappeared from sight.

                “I don’t trust them.”

                Yixing rolled his eyes but didn’t turn to look at Yifan. “You’re the one that brought them here.”

                “That doesn’t mean that I trust them,” Yifan said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Something about them is just strange.”

                “Well,” Yixing said as he finally turned to look up at Yifan. “They were locked in a tower with only each other for company for years. I’m not surprised that you find them weird.”

                “It isn’t that,” Yifan argued. “The Pearl is the most powerful magic in all of Exodus. Tao is the guardian, which makes him one of the most powerful people to ever live.”

                “What’s your point?” Yixing asked with a sigh.

                “My point,” Yifan ground out. “Is that if that’s true, then why does he look so scared? Why does he hide behind Joonmyeon when he should be able to blast anyone out of his way?”

                Yixing frowned as he looked up at Yifan. “Didn’t you say that he guards The Pearl?”

                “Yes,” Yifan said as he nodded his head.

                “But they said his powers don’t really work in that they tell him where it is. They just give him the urge to be somewhere when he needs to be there.”

                “That’s what I don’t understand.”

                “Whether you understand it or not,” Yixing pointed out. “That means that he doesn’t have The Pearl in his pocket or something.”

                Yifan scowled as he met Yixing’s gaze. “What’s your point?”

                “My point,” Yixing said slowly. He wondered sometimes if Yifan actually thought through his actions or if he just leapt without thinking at all. “If he doesn’t have The Pearl then he doesn’t have The Pearl’s powers. He’s scared because he’s still young for someone of our race and he’s in a situation completely different than the one he’s known for years. Joonmyeon’s going to be protective of him because they’ve only had each other to rely on for a long time.”

                Yifan frowned out at the ocean before he huffed. “I’m going to keep my eyes on them.”

                “You do that,” Yixing told him as he turned away. “That’s definitely the best way to make them feel comfortable here.”

                “Why do I care if they’re comfortable?”

                “Yifan,” Yixing said as he turned back to him. “They’re not our prisoners. If they decide to leave then they get to leave. That’s the way this works. No one is forced to stay.”

                “But they’re-“

                “No,” Yixing snapped. “No one is forced to stay. The King made them his prisoners. I will live the rest of my life doing my best to be nothing like that man. If Joonmyeon and Tao decide that they’d rather go off on their own then I will give them a sack of food and my well wishes. Do you understand?”

                Yifan grunted as he turned his head so he wouldn’t have to look at the angry man before him. “Whatever.”

                “No,” Yixing said again. “I asked if you understood. The last time I thought we had an agreement, you went and did the thing opposite of what everyone on board this ship wanted.”

                “I get it,” Yifan muttered. “I won’t hold them prisoner here.”

                “Good,” Yixing said curtly before he turned to go. “You’re on duty tonight. I’m going to get some sleep. I swear, if you wake me up for anything other than a sighting of sails on the horizon then you’ll be on your own the next time you get hurt.”

                Yifan held his hands up as Yixing turned to leave. “Don’t know where you’re going to sleep,” he called after him. “You gave them your hammock.”

                “You won’t be needing yours,” Yixing said over his shoulder.

                Yifan groaned as he watched Yixing leave.

                Fuming, Yixing lightly stomped his way down the stairs. The main hold of their ship had things stacked around the floor but only to a certain height. They’d learned long ago that the best way that any of them got to sleep was if they were together. Ten hammocks were strung up around the room. Not all of them were always used, seeing as some of them liked to share rather than sleep alone.

                The one Yixing usually used, the first on the right, was occupied by a sleeping Tao. It was cute to see him resting with his kitten curled up on his chest. What was odd, was that Joonmyeon wasn’t with him.

                “Oh,” Yixing said as he caught sight of Joonmyeon settled on the floor between the hammocks. “That can’t be comfortable.”

                “I’ve had worse,” Joonmyeon said quietly as he looked up at Yixing. “I’m perfectly fine right here.”

                “The floor gets wet sometimes,” Yixing told him just as softly. “I’m sure it won’t stay comfortable for long.”

                Joonmyeon chuckled as he lifted a brow. “I think the only thing that could make it better was if it was wet.”

                Yixing laughed as he shook his head. “I suppose you would like that.”

                Still laughing, Joonmyeon settled more comfortably against the stack of crates behind him. “Thank you.”

                “For what?”

                “For helping Tao,” he said as he turned his head to look at the gently swaying hammock that his charge slept in. “And for giving him your bed.”

                Yixing shrugged as he moved to better stand in front of Joonmyeon. “Yifan’s on night duty. I’ll sleep in the one he uses.”

                “Still,” Joonmyeon said as his eyes began to droop. “I really appreciate it. We were really scared and worried when Yifan forced us to come with him. You and the others have really made our situation a lot better.”

                “Yifan is an idiot,” Yixing told him without remorse. “I’m old enough to remember Exodus before the attack. I’ve always thought that the people with the ability to fly were the ones who were the least understanding of other people’s predicaments. He just doesn’t think.”

                “Yeah,” Joonmyeon said with a sigh. “I remember that, too.”

                “You remember from before?”

                Joonmyeon nodded as he yawned.

                “I don’t remember you,” Yixing said after a moment of silence.

                “Exodus was a big place,” Joonmyeon murmured tiredly. “We probably passed each other on the street all the time.”

                “No,” Yixing said without thinking. “I’d remember if I saw you.”

                Joonmyeon blinked back awake as his brain processed Yixing’s words. “What?”

                “Nothing,” Yixing said gently as he felt his cheeks begin to heat up. “Go to sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

                Joonmyeon watched him turn away in the dark before he sighed and tipped his head back against the crates once more. He really hoped that Yixing was right and that he’d end up wet during the night.

XXX

                Once he no longer had to contend with seasickness, Tao found that he loved life on the ocean. It was way better than living in the tower. While he could spend time with the others, he also liked that he knew that Joonmyeon wasn’t far from him. He couldn’t be. There was nowhere else for them to go.

                “Tao,” Sehun called from the top of the mast. “Come up here!”

                Tao waved up at him before he turned to look at Joonmyeon.

                “Why are you looking at me?” Joonmyeon asked as he rolled up his sleeves. He didn’t have to turn to know that the eyes boring into him from behind were Tao’s. “I’m busy helping Yixing and Minseok with refilling our freshwater supplies. If you want to go up there then go up there.”

                Tao made a noise before he turned to look back at Sehun. “I’m going to go up there.”

                “All right.”

                “Joonmyeon,” Tao said as he looked up the mast. “You’ll catch me if I fall, right?”

                “What?” Joonmyeon turned to look at Tao. “How about you don’t fall.”

                “Joonmyeon!”

                Laughing, Joonmyeon moved to rest his hand on Tao’s shoulder. “Go up there,” he told him. “If you do fall, aim for the water and I’ll catch you. If not, I’m sure Yixing will heal you.”

                “Joonmyeon!” Tao yelped as he tugged his shoulder out from under Joonmyeon’s hand. “You’re the worst!”

                Joonmyeon pushed him toward the mast.

                Tao pouted at him over his shoulder before he focused on his task. He huffed before he pushed up his sleeves and started climbing the rigging just like he’d seen the others do. He only made the mistake of looking down once.

                Tao clung to the ropes as he closed his eyes. He took a moment to breathe and pushed the fact that he was a long way away from the deck out of his mind before he opened his eyes once more. He looked up at Sehun, who lazily waved at him from the Crow’s Nest.

                Nodding to himself, Tao began to climb once more. He held on tight as he moved with and against the rolling of the ship. Though he thought he never would, he did make it to the Crow’s Nest.

                “Finally,” Sehun said as he watched Tao tumble into the little area at the top of the mast. “I thought you were going to get stuck for a moment there.”

                “Me, too,” Tao said as he pushed his hair out of his face. The wind was a lot stronger at the top of the mast, though that was probably why Sehun liked to be up there. “Why did you want me to come up here, anyway?”

                “The view’s nice,” Sehun said with a shrug.

                Tao frowned at him for a moment before he turned to look out over the water. Sehun wasn’t wrong. The view was amazing. “The view was similar from the tower,” Tao said quietly after a moment of just looking at the way the light reflected off the water. “But this is better.”

                “Yeah?”

                “I don’t have to look at the water and dream about freedom,” Tao told him without looking away from the ocean.

                “You don’t,” Sehun agreed. “You’re already free.”

                Tao let out a loud yell as he held his arms out and leaned into the wind. Sehun was right.

                He was free.

A/N: Yay!
 

LOVE ME~~!!~~~~!!!!!!!~~