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Standing eye in eye with the most feared pirate captain definitely wasn't going the way Jeongguk imagined it.What was the same as in his imagination, was the fact that the captain was kneeling on the floor, hands behind his head.Not even once, Jeongguk imagined V smirking.But there he was, having a gun pointed in his face, but the man did nothing to ease his worries.His words wouldn't stop ringing through the captain's mind. The pirate was almost laughing as if he was the one that had an advantage here, not Jeongguk.
"Kill me and you'll never find your soulmate."
To be fair, no royal captain like him would ever listen to a word a pirate would say - however, Jeongguk, someone who dedicated his whole life to his job (aka hunting down stupid pirates) he didn't have much time to look for his soulmate."You don't even know my soulmate," Jeongguk hissed out as his grip on the gun tightened."Really, now? Are you sure about that?"Jeongguk would ask, he would. But he was afraid of the answer - he was afraid that the man would know the person behind a name that was written on his wrist.He kept it covered, both he and the pirate in front of him did. Not a lot of people that were either in the royal guard, be it on the sea or land, showed the marked name that stayed with them until death.Pirates normally didn't cover it, Jeongguk assumed V was hiding it for safety purposes.Despite being a pirate, everyone loved their other half, they would never do something harmful to them.V, which stood for violence, was a pirate known all across the sea. He was ruthless and people feared him. Nobody knew where the money, he stole, went.But everyone knew one thing - they aren't getting it back."Oh yes, captain. I'm sure I know."Jeongguk cursed under his breath, "Tell me their name then."The pirate in front of him just shrugged, "You sure you don't want to be left wondering if I do know his name?" Jeongguk tensed. The pirate knew his soulmate was a man.The hold on the gun tightened as Jeongguk tried to stop his hands from shaking, "Just spit it out, damn it."Something mischievous glistened in pirate's eyes. The man bit his lip as Jeongguk took a note that V's upper lip was fuller than the bottom, even if it was only for a little. Pirate seemed to only stare at the captain, not moving at all, though Jeongguk started suspecting that his hands started hurting from keeping them in one position for too long."Say it, or else I will take it as bullshitting your way out of this. You will go nowhere else but a dungeon in the castle where you will be sentenced to death soon after," Jeongguk spoke and took one more step closer to the pirate, almost leaning the barrel of the gun to the man's forehead."And you'd let go of the only chance you've ever had to find your soulmate." That smirk was annoying Jeongguk to no end, he was close to pulling the trigger, but the man deserved something worse than a bullet to his head."By now you're only spitting out lies in hopes to be able to save yourself." Jeongguk was the one smirking now. "You know nothing.""You'd let Kim Taehyung just slip through your fingers like that?" It was weird. The only person that has ever said the name out loud was Jeongguk, so hearing it from another mouth was pleasant. He has never shown his soulmate mark to anyone- he made sure it was hidden from all the dangers that lurked in the outside world.Especially pirates.V saw Jeongguk's distress as something he could use against him, so he shot up, grabbing the barrel of the gun and pointed it up while Jeongguk pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the wooden wall behind them and before the captain knew, he was the one with a gun pointed in his face."Didn't think you'd be this easy to rile up," the pirate confessed as he motioned Jeongguk to kneel in front of him. "I'm not going on my knees for you," Jeongguk spat at the other, but at the same time, his voice wavered. He just wished to wipe that smirk of the pirate's face, because he would not die with the smirk being the last thing he ever saw."You're going to go on your knees for me, soon enough, babe, if not to bow to me, maybe for other purposes." V thought he was being cheeky, but Jeongguk just felt his stomach turn. He would not stoop that low, not even if it meant death."I'd rather die."V just shrugged, "I know. But seeing I'm a very merciful pirate captain, I will give you a choice."Jeongguk closed his eyes and took a deep breath, whatever it was, choose death. He felt the cold metal against his forehead and he didn't dare to open his eyes. If he had known this was how he was going to end up meeting the famous 'V' for the first time, he would not have chased the Marigold.Why the ship was named after a flower was beyond what Jeongguk could come up with. Maybe V's soulmate loved flowers, who knows."You can come with me and find your soulmate," V started and placed his free hand on his chin as he appeared to be thinking, "or of course I can shoot you right here, right now and dump your body into the sea where sharks will tear it apart." Once Jeongguk opened his eyes, he wondered why a genuine smile was dancing on V's face. He hadn't noticed it before, but the smile actually made the pirate look somewhat beautiful. "I'm sure you'll choose a right option."As much as the first option sounded tempting, and as much as Jeongguk became desperate for his soulmate's touch, how was he supposed to know what the pirate that stood tall before him had in mind?And death? Was it worth dying without ever knowing love? The touch of your soulmate?It was a world, where soulmates didn't always end up together, but those who did, the bond between the two was unbreakable. It was the strongest thing that would tie you to another person for eternity - as scary as it sounded, Jeongguk was prepared to be with his soulmate from the moment his mother first told him about his other half.Was he cruel enough to deprive his soulmate the touch and love they deserved? If he died here, his soulmate would be left wondering if he ever even existed, if he ever actually wanted to be with them.But was it worth to lower your guard and join the crew of annoying, loud and uttermost evil thieves to ever exist?He had promised when he was given the position of the captain that he would never side with the pirates, it seemed he would have to break that promise. Jeongguk knew the risk and he was willing to accept it if it meant to be able to find his soulmate.The royal captain looked the pirate right in the eye, "Fine. I'll come with you." The pirate seemed somehow smug about it but said nothing. "Alrighty then, we will proceed to embark on Marigold and set sail at sundown." The gun in front of his face disappeared, as the pirate tucked it behind his belt. "But before you go, you have to promise me a few things."The pirate seemed serious and Jeongguk nodded, even though he was slightly terrified of what was coming. V looked him in the eyes and Jeongguk noted how his eyes seemed to shine in a golden color."You will not pick fights with anyone, even if they provoke you - which they definitely will. You will also most likely be the target of most jokes around the deck, so you might want to avoid dinners, they are not really normal," he spoke and Jeongguk thought he was joking - the pirate was joking right?Why was V talking as in they were already friends? And how was the pirate expecting him to keep his promise without any doubt?"You aren't going to lock me up?" Jeongguk questioned as he followed the man who has started strolling on the beach, looking at the sea. V didn't answer his question, he simply took his boots off and giggled - the man fucking giggled - when he felt the soft sand between his toes. If Jeongguk thought it was adorable, he would not admit it. Not even to himself."C'mon." The pirate just pulled Jeongguk by the hand and they were running along the coast, over to the harbor that only five minutes away. Jeongguk could spot Marigold from a mile away, the blue hues of the ship made it look like it was a tourist ship, not a ship full of pirates that couldn't wait to rob you.The sails were currently closed, but they were big and white, even though Jeongguk knew they haven't been washed recently.The harbor wasn't a very known one, so Jeongguk doubted there would be any guards strolling around- which was the best for the pirates to stock up and leave before anyone would even alert anyone.Jeongguk was actually lucky to be able to see them - the only reason he had cornered V was the reason the man wanted to buy some fruit from the market. The two of them met once before in a similar situation. Jeongguk wouldn't know the man was V if another pirate, probably his crew member hadn't shouted out his name.He would never admit, but the first time he saw the pirate, he was mesmerized. Jeongguk never thought he would encounter someone as beautiful as him. And if his fellow pirate hadn't given out his alias, Jeongguk would most likely try to get to know the man.Two guards were already running behind them as the two pirates started quickly walking away - Jeongguk just followed. He pushed down all the admiration he had towards the blond-haired male (he knew that his hair was dyed).They were gone before Jeongguk came to the scene. He was a mere guard back then, still in training. He didn't have much power of what had happened- the two guards were shot on the floor, with the two pirates still pointing their guns at them. V's eyes landed on Jeongguk, who was scared out of his mind, trying to pull out his gun. The man next to the beautiful man pointed his gun at Jeongguk, but the blonde stopped him with a hand on the barrel that was pushed down - away from Jeongguk's body."Let's just go," he said - before Jeongguk could register the soft baritone of the man's voice, the two were gone. The young guard ran over to the two guards that laid unmovingly on the floor and checked their pulse - one of them was actually Jeongguk's friend, who seemed to believe in him more than Jeongguk himself could. He was taught not to cry - so he didn't. He mourned, yes, but he took it as a lesson. He made sure to become the captain of Argo, one of the fastest ships out there. He took down quite a few pirate ships but when he was assigned to take down Marigold, he knew he would do everything in his power to do so. "You've spaced out, babe, you okay?" V nudged his shoulder with his free hand - the other was still holding tight on Jeongguk's. The royal captain looked up to meet the pirate's eyes and nodded, somehow enjoying the nickname, even though he shouldn't.Jeongguk saw they were still holding hands and he pulled away and right after he saw V pout, another pirate ran towards them. "I've been wondering where you are. The food is on board, we are just waiting for you." The man was shorter than both of them, with bubblegum pink hair and full lips that matched the hair color."Oh, you must be the royal captain," he spoke, amused, "at least I know the reason why you didn't bring a pineapple like I asked you to." He turned to the pirate captain.Jeongguk needed a few seconds of observing the male to realize that this was the man that was with V the day they met for the first time. He didn't recognize him right away because his hair back then was soft brown."This is Jimin, he's my right hand," V spoke as they slowly walked towards the ship - Jeongguk nodded to the bubblegum-haired boy and Jimin just gave him a toothy smile. Jeongguk still thought about running away but the wish of meeting his soulmate was too strong. Even if there was a small chance that V could take him to his destined partner, he would take it. Was he being too desperate?Somehow it felt right. Once they boarded the ship, Jeongguk realized how big it actually was. Marigold was a mighty ship, a worthy opponent and even though it was a pirate ship, Jeongguk could not help but admire it."THEY HAVE THE CAPTAIN!" It was a shout that woke up everyone from their daydreams as around a dozen guards ran towards the ship.It seemed like people around here spread rumors faster than the plague.Both V and Jeongguk's eyes widened and as Jeongguk tried to hide, V grabbed him by the hand again, spinning him around and trapping him in his embrace.He was standing right in front of him, his back flush to V's front as the pirate drew a dagger and pressed it to Jeongguk's neck. "One more step and he's dead."The hardness in V's voice shocked Jeongguk and he just gulped as he watched Jimin, who slowly drew his sword.The guards stopped and just stared at them- they had only a few steps until they could reach the small bridge from the land to the ship. Just a little more for the captain to be freed.All of the guards had their swords in their hands and angry faces on, looking like they could kill at the moment. Some pirates have already come to see what was happening and in seconds, their guns and swords were out.Two guards stepped forward, just to see what would happen- "I said, one more step and I will cut his throat open." Jeongguk swallowed hard as he felt the cold metal press into his neck- enough to hurt and enough to draw a few drops of blood."Go," Jeongguk managed out, hoping V wouldn't actually kill him, "I'll be fine."The pirate crew actually managed to get the ship to move and before knowing, they were already far enough that the guards couldn't reach them. V removed the dagger and Jeongguk fell on his knees, coughing and holding his injured neck. V didn't say anything as he walked away, leaving him completely at the crew's mercy.Jeongguk saw V entering the cabin, which he assumed was his own private place. He somehow wished he could at least get an apology out of the pirate, which he knew was impossible- pirates never apologize.Jimin kneeled down and looked at his neck, "C'mon, I can patch you up." He helped Jeongguk stand up and helped him lean on some bags that contained, what he assumed, food.Jimin brought two white cloths, one bigger than the other, and a bottle of what looked like alcohol. "Lift your head," Jimin ordered and even though Jeongguk hated taking orders from pirates, he obeyed.Why was he here again? Oh right, soulmates. His soulmate is better worth it."Jimin?" It stung when the cloth dipped in alcohol was pressed against his wound and he hissed. "Stay still, damn it, I can't do anything if you move," Jimin groaned as he wrapped the bigger cloth around Jeongguk's neck. His formal captain attire did not work well with everyone else's torn and used clothes."Jiminie!" Another voice butted in as someone landed right next to Jeongguk on the bags.The man was all up in Jeongguk's personal space and he hated it, so he pushed the man away. The pirate had orange hair, which was parted and brushed on each side. He seemed to radiate happiness and Jeongguk could not relate less. "I'm Hoseok! You must be V's so..." Jimin pushed Hoseok hard, so he landed on the floor with a thud. Nobody seemed to take a huge notice to as if they were already used to it all. Hoseok looked at Jimin in question and the orange head just nodded."Okay okay, I didn't know," Hoseok looked very apologetic."Anyway, what I was trying to say! I'm Hoseok but you should call me Hobi! We usually never use honorifics, but if you do, then you can always come to Hobi-hyung to tell me all of your problems!" The man looked way too cheerful for Jeongguk, but he appreciated it, even though he knew he would not tell the man his problems."Thank you," the royal captain spoke and smiled, even though it wasn't genuine. He still wondered what Hoseok wanted to say.Jimin quickly ushered Hoseok away and Jeongguk was left there by himself. He watched the sun that was slowly disappearing on the horizon. He stayed there with some pirates staring at him like someone just dragged him out of nowhere. He supposed that was fitting.As the night fell upon the sea, some pirates started singing and dancing around the self-made lights and Jeongguk just watched from afar. He didn't belong here and more and more he started to think this was a mistake. Something was bothering him now that all the hype and possible chance about finding his soulmate has settled down. Why would V even help him?He knew the man had something planned- something he could not predict and it scared Jeongguk because sometimes he felt as weak as he did now.He was on the open sea with a bunch of pirates who most likely despised him for who he was. Royals and pirates were never friends, never would be.Jeongguk was thinking of possible options of what V might ask of him - leave them be, not chasing them anymore. Maybe after they found Kim Taehyung, V would just get rid of him. Was Kim Taehyung a pirate too?What was his relationship with V?"I could hear your thoughts all over to my study," a voice woke him out of a trance. Jeongguk looked up and saw the blond hair that fell over the hazel eyes. The pirate captain was standing there with two glasses of what seemed to be wine in them. He offered one to Jeongguk, but the man declined, "Thank you but I don't drink.""You're not on the job, you should relax a little," V spoke as he stood right next to Jeongguk and pushed a glass in the man's hand. Jeongguk looked at the red liquid in the glass and sighed. He looked at V who just shrugged."The question is if I'll ever be on the job again," Jeongguk said and took a sip of wine that just seemed bland in comparison of the royal wine."What do you mean?""What happens after you help me find my soulmate?" Jeongguk turned around to look at V, who seemed to be fondly smiling at him. "Hopefully, you'll accept him and you will live happily ever after, why are you asking?" V seemed actually confused at that, but Jeongguk wasn't having it."Does that happily ever after include a bullet in my head? Or even worse, my soulmate's?" Jeongguk didn't stop staring at V, who just seemed amused with this whole situation. "No, it doesn't.""Then why are you helping me?! You gain nothing from this!" Jeongguk threw the glass right over the board into the sea - the wine was shit anyway. V just watched the glass fall, taking a deep breath. "Maybe I just want to be generous for once," the deep voice spoke and V turned his head towards his crew that still danced and sang."I call bullshit," Jeongguk crossed his hands over his torso and leaned back onto the railing. "You gain something from this and I want to know what it is."V was silent. It gave Jeongguk time to think what the pirate might say next. "You're right."Jeongguk snorted, "You pirates are all the same."The man stayed silent and they both watched the rest of the crew. The silence between them somehow felt more deafening than anything. He wanted V to say something, anything. Maybe even admit that he was lying and that he didn't know his soulmate."Maybe for once," V started, "maybe for once, I just want him to be happy."Jeongguk stopped at those words and looked at the pirate who seemed to make rotating moves with the glass that was now already empty. When Jeongguk didn't say anything, V turned around and left without saying a thing.For once he was speechless, and this did not answer any of his questions - if anything it just added a lot more of them. He didn't know how long he was standing there but once Jimin came to get him along with Hoseok and a few more crew members, it was already late and cold."You'll sleep with us, c'mon!" They pulled him under the deck, where they seemed to sleep in hammocks. There were a few beds that seemed to be for the important people. Jimin introduced him to some other crew members like Namjoon, Seokjin, and Yoongi.They had one hammock left and he was told it was his bed until he got off the board. Somehow he knew that his back was going to hurt immensely, seeing he was used sleeping on a comfortable bed.He took off his jacket and looked down at his pants that seemed seriously uncomfortable to sleep in, but he would have to deal with it. Something was still bothering him, "Jimin? Where does V sleep?"Jimin looked up from the hammock that was opposite his, "In his study," he chirped and smiled, before lying down again and started talking to Yoongi.Jeongguk just nodded and looked up- he stared at the wooden ceiling and wondered how his friends were doing back on the land. He was sure that the news of his 'kidnapping' spread all over the kingdom, and it wasn't like he was bothered.He just wondered what people thought about him, now that he was associated with pirates. Some would most likely say he was already dead. Some would say he joined the pirates. Some would just shake their heads and curse out all the pirates in this world.Jeongguk heard a soft melody travel from Jimin's mouth to calm the whole room. The pirate sounded like an angel that was sent to help those in need and those who have trouble sleeping. It seemed like it was some sort of a lullaby - all of the pirates already in their beds, just silently listening to the tune.The royal captain himself had to admit, it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever heard.He wasn't sure when he blacked out, but he definitely knew it was with help of Jimin's voice.-The morning came soon and as Jeongguk expected, everything hurt from lying in a hammock. He slowly climbed out to the deck, seeing he was the only one that was still asleep. "Rise 'n shine, my dear!" Hoseok hit him on the back with a smile and Jeongguk coughed, trying not to curse the pirate out. "You've been asleep for quite a while, everyone's already up and working."Jeongguk nodded and tried to run away from Hoseok, but he was stopped by another pirate, "This is him, isn't it?" The said pirate was all up in his face, smirking."Wow, he's really pretty," the pirate said as he brought his hand up, almost touching Jeongguk's face."Oi, Yugyeom, go back to work," he heard Yoongi yell and he couldn't be happier that the pirate let his hand down and pouted. "Ay, ay, hyung." The ill-mannered pirate saluted Yoongi, which made the older roll his eyes before both males went back to work. Yoongi turned around, "V is in his cabin, he said he wants to talk to you."Jeongguk nodded and thanked the man - he still had manners, unlike these...these barbarians. The royal captain just sighed and decided it would be good to speak to the pirate captain before the man got impatient.He knocked on the door of V's cabin and didn't bother waiting to enter. Yes, manners, ha!Jeongguk found V sitting in his chair by the table. Jeongguk had to admit that the study was quite the sight. With peach white colored walls, the dark wood furniture stood out a lot. One of the walls was colored dark blue and on it, there were drawn planets, stars and something that looked like letters.Whatever was written, it was written in a foreign language that Jeongguk couldn't recognize."It's Latin," the voice popped up. Jeongguk heard the steps come closer to him and soon felt a presence of the other man, right next to his left hip. "Corvus oculum corvi non eruit," the man spoke fluently."What does it mean?" Jeongguk spoke, his eyes still set on the colorful planets and stars. "A crow will not pull out the eye of another crow," the man spoke and smiled, "it's like 'honor amongst thieves' sort of thing." Jeongguk just nodded and turned his head towards V who stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. Since the man was wearing a short-sleeved tunic, Jeongguk could definitely see the black ink decorating the man's wrist. Sadly the arm was tucked under the other, so the name was covered by it. Jeongguk wondered if he should try and see the name of V's soulmate, maybe then this would be a fair fight.It looked like V anticipated this and before Jeongguk could even grab his hand, the man turned around. He twisted Jeongguk's hands behind his back and pushed him against the wall. The royal captain grunted and tried to pry away from the death-like grip the pirate had on him, "Jeonggukie is so curious about my soulmate. Are you surprised that I have one?"Surprisingly, no. V had to have a soulmate, everyone in the world did. It was just a matter of time before you found them."Why are you hiding their name, anyway? Are you ashamed of them?" Jeongguk barked and tried to twist away but V just pushed him against the wall with more force."Not really, I just don't want you knowing," V said, "yet." He let go of Jeongguk, but before the captain could do anything, the pirate already wrapped a cotton cloth around his wrist. Jeongguk cursed under his breath. A silence embraced them both."Have you found them yet?"It was a soft tone, something he didn't expect to come out in a situation like this. Jeongguk saw that V's eyes also softened and a small smile decorated the pirate's face. "I have," he spoke, a tone hushed, but Jeongguk caught it.The royal captain looked at the bed and sat down at the edge of it, while keeping his eyes on V, "Yeah? Tell me about them." He didn't know why he asked the man to talk about his soulmate, maybe he was just trying to dig in for information, or maybe, just maybe he was genuinely interested."You trying to get me to slip up?" V's eyes crinkled with interest, "maybe try to blackmail me if you find something out." There was a smile on the man's lips and Jeongguk wondered how a man could be so beautiful."Maybe, or maybe I just want to know," Jeongguk shrugged as he leaned back to support himself on his hands. "They are amazing," V started, "I don't know them well yet, but I intend on getting to know them soon.""So they are apart of the crew?" Jeongguk asked, softly smiling. Even though it was a pirate that was speaking to him, Jeongguk could not deny the look he was given when V talked about his soulmate. He always loved to listen to people talking about their other half like they were gold."Maybe, maybe not, I'm sure you'd love to know," V giggled and somehow without realizing Jeongguk felt his heart clench with the sight of V's smile. Somehow he wanted to keep it there forever and ever."I would." This time it was Jeongguk who widely smiled.V just stared at him without saying anything and the captain was becoming a little bit uncomfortable, "You look like a bunny.""What?" Jeongguk was confused. "The big doe eyes and your bunny teeth. You look like a small adorable bunny," V explained and sat down next to him. "It suits you."V was close now and the man brought his hand up to touch his cheekbone. He slowly caressed it and Jeongguk did nothing to move away - totally forgetting about his soulmate and focusing on the man in front of him.This time, Jeongguk had the time to look at V- from the high cheekbones to the full lips. The chestnut eyes that seemed like they were shining, to the blond hair that fell down, almost covering all of his eyebrows.The last time they had met, V had no mullet, but now, some blond hair grew out and made his hair messy, to the point Jeongguk could even say it was still bed hair. Not that he minded, V looked good with it or without it. "You're beautiful." It was a whisper, almost unheard that woke up Jeongguk from the trance he was in and he pulled away, away from V's soft hands and lingering gaze. Away from those plumb looking lips and curious eyes. "I-I um," Jeongguk stood up, "Yoongi said you had to talk to me."V clapped his hands and nodded, "I wanted to talk to you about Jeju island." "Oh, what about it?" Jeongguk knew that Jeju was a big thing for pirates. Most harbors unguarded, pirates were able to come and go as they wished. It was more or less a pirate island, so no guards even tried to go there unless they had a death wish.It was quite big and trying to kill all the pirates on it, would be like a suicide mission."Have you ever been there?"Jeongguk shook his head. He studied about it and he heard it was a beautiful place, but never he dared to even try sailing there - he was not a pirate, he was not welcomed."So that is where we are going, I need to pick up some things from there, so you are going to come with me. But first, we have to dress you up as a pirate," V smirked and stood up from the bed, totally scaring Jeongguk in the process. He noted the small closet in the corner and V pulled out black leather pants, a black tunic and something that looked like a red bomber jacket. He threw it all to Jeongguk who caught it just in time."You should change, we have a little more than half an hour before we arrive," V spoke and watched him as Jeongguk looked around to see if he could change somewhere nobody was watching."Could you maybe turn around?" Jeongguk's red face told V that maybe it would be good to stop teasing the younger. V just smirked and nodded, but there was a full body mirror he looked at to see Jeongguk in his underwear - he wasn't disappointed at the sight.As Jeongguk was dressed, V ushered him out for himself to dress up, Jeongguk spitting curses at how he wasn't able to dress in peace, but V could.There was Jimin, already waiting for him all dressed. Apparently, even pirates respected themselves enough to dress up for whatever they were doing on the island."I see V dressed you up good. He's always had a taste in fashion," Jimin proudly announced as Jeongguk just shook his head as he walked away from the pirate. "We should just give you an eyepatch and you'd look like a real pirate!""Land ahead!" someone yelled and everyone looked at the island that was already nearing them. Soon they were already close enough for them to paddle over with smaller boats."Where's V? He always takes way too much time with his appearance," Yoongi grunted as Jimin, Jeongguk, Namjoon, and Seokjin boarded one ship. Hoseok was standing next to the machine so he could slowly and safely drop them into the water."I'm here," a deep voice announced and Jeongguk's eyes widened. V, not only he was making sure Jeongguk was hardly breathing, everyone else seemed to ogle the man as well.He was dressed in a white button-up with black pants and a belt, the black jacket made sure he looked of importance, but what stood out the most was the black bandana and a long earring that freely twirled around.Jeongguk didn't notice right away, but V was also wearing a chain-like necklace that just emphasized his long neck. Jeongguk quickly looked away, as all of the pirates on the boat shared a knowing look.V sat down right next to Jeongguk, which earned a whistle from Hoseok before he lowered them down into the water. Namjoon and Yoongi paddled quickly, and it wasn't long before they all arrived at the shore of Jeju island. "Why is he here, though?" Namjoon pointed at Jeongguk who actually had to agree with the navigator, he felt no desire to be on a pirate island."Because I want Jeongguk to see the pirate life isn't just killing and stealing," V spoke as he ruffled Jeongguk's almost tamed hair."Isn't it?" the youngest muttered, loud enough for V to hear.They stepped out of the boat and Jeongguk realized how many there were. He started shivering as he saw a hoard of pirates in the distance. The pirate captain seemed to take notice of the younger's dilemma and he grabbed his hand. "As long as you are with me, they are not allowed to touch you," V spoke, squeezing Jeongguk's hand in comfort. "There are rules on this island. What belongs to a pirate, another pirate is not allowed to take. If he does, there are major consequences.""I don't belong to you," Jeongguk muttered under his breath, but somehow he liked the feeling of V telling him he was his. "Maybe not, but in time, you'll realize I'm the only thing you need." If it wasn't for the wink at the end of the sentence, Jeongguk would actually consider it."Shut up.""I need you two to get some more supplies," V pointed at Jimin and Yoongi, "once you get everything, you should wait for us by the boat."They nodded and were off - not even questioning their captain's orders."As for you two, you know what to do," he ordered Seokjin and Namjoon, who also just turned in a direction and went without question."Where are they going?" Jeongguk asked as V just shook his head, "doesn't matter."The younger would push his limits but it looked like V didn't need that at that moment. Before V moved, he looked straight into the younger's eye, "Whatever you do, do not hit first. Doesn't matter how much someone provokes you, you don't hit them. If you do, it's you who's to blame for everything."Jeongguk just narrowed his eyes, "What about self-defense?""Doesn't exist here. You hit first, or you're hit first. We might get in a shitton of trouble if you do, so stay out of fights."They walked around for a bit, Jeongguk marveled at the stalls and what people were selling - from material things to food - when he thought about food, this stomach loudly growled. He realized he hasn't eaten anything since a day ago and V took a notice."Awh, is my baby hungry?" V teased and Jeongguk protested about being called baby, but V just smirked and pulled him to a stall where they sold tteokbokki. Jeongguk's eyes lightened up, he didn't even know they cooked this here! It seemed more of a small restaurant than a stall, but he'd still take it. V just seemed to see what Jeongguk was looking at and he couldn't help but smile at the eager face the younger was making. "C'mon, let's go."V was already pulling him by the hand, but Jeongguk stopped him, "I can't. I don't have any money," he admitted."And why do you think I'm here?" V came closer to him, but still tightly held his hand. With the other hand, he brushed some hair away from Jeongguk's eyes as he leaned in. "I'll treat you and make sure to take care of you well."Jeongguk blushed and quickly stepped away, looking somewhere, anywhere else that isn't V. They still held hands and the pirate took his chance to drag Jeongguk to the small restaurant. They ordered, but they still didn't didn't let go of each other's hands under the table. But then Jeongguk reminded himself why he was here in the first place."Tell me about him," he spoke and looked V right in the eye. "Tell me about Kim Taehyung, please."V's face fell a bit, but he quickly regained his composure. "He's a good man, I suppose. A bit misunderstood, but good," he started, looking everywhere else but Jeongguk's eyes. "He..." V traveled off and let go of Jeongguk's hand. "When you meet him, please let him explain everything before you jump to conclusions, yeah?"Jeongguk didn't know what V was going on about, but he nodded. He'd do anything for his soulmate..-So why was he feeling these weird feelings towards V?He shrugged off the thought and focused on the food that was placed on the table in front of him. Jeongguk looked at V, who just smiled at him, "Go on, dig in!" Jeongguk just gave him a small smile before he started eating. He had to admit it was one of the best things he's ever eaten, even if it was prepared by the pirates. Jeongguk noted that V occasionally stole a glance his way and sadly it made him wish V wouldn't stop looking at him. There was a question that always bothered his mind, "V? Why is your ship named Marigold?"V looked at him with curiosity in his eyes, "Why'd you like to know?" Jeongguk just shrugged. "My mother's favorite flowers were marigolds. I decided to name the ship in her honor." He definitely didn't think he would hear something like that- "Pretty," V suddenly stated while looking at Jeongguk with fond eyes. He decided to switch it up a bit. "Where is your soulmate then?" Jeongguk swallowed the food before speaking. V mused at the topic change and looked away from the royal captain, looking like he was in thought."He's ...-" V didn't continue on, his soft baritone hushed. "Is..." Jeongguk didn't want to ask, but he needed to know, "is your soulmate, you know?" Jeongguk shrugged, not knowing exactly how to say the words, without sounding heartless."Oh you mean if he's dead? He's very much alive." V still wouldn't look Jeongguk in the eye and it annoyed him. He stopped eating and focused on V's gaze that seemed to travel over the counter, landing on a young fella that was working there."He's quite charming," V breathed, Jeongguk feeling confused about who the man was referring to - his soulmate or the man behind the counter. Jeongguk hated the fact that the words - didn't matter who V was talking about - sent an anger wave down his spine. It made him feel ignored and unwanted like he wasn't even there."Who is he?" Jeongguk asked through his gritted teeth, hoping that the man wasn't V's soulmate. When did he start thinking that, anyway?He narrowed his eyes, realizing what he had been thinking and blinked the angry tears away he didn't even know were there in the first place. Jeongguk swallowed the saliva that gathered in his mouth and proceeded to observe the man behind the counter."A pirate from Annalise," V said and tilted his head, making him look like a puppy, who didn't get his treat. Jeongguk knew Annalise. It was a pirate ship, it wasn't the best, not the worst. The pirates had ups and downs, sometimes being arrested by the royal guards, sometimes they got away. "Why does it matter?" Jeongguk asked, still and definitely not convinced that V told him that only for fun. V's gaze seemed to get more serious by the second and Jeongguk just leaned back in his chair, hoping that whatever was going on in the pirate's mind would soon pass.V noted that Jeongguk was nearly finished with his food."I'm going to go pay, then we are leaving," V stood up and turned around to face Jeongguk, "you stay here, if you go somewhere else, you might end up dead." He seemed dead serious and suddenly Jeongguk felt a lump in his throat. How did V's demeanor change so quickly?Jeongguk just nodded and made himself small in the chair. V stood up and left, while Jeongguk's eyes didn't leave the pirate. He observed as he engaged in a conversation with the pirate from Annalise. The royal captain swallowed hard as he watched the other pirate being friendly with V. He bit his lip hard, but didn't let go of it, even after it started bleeding. His fists were clenched together and Jeongguk hated the fact that he felt the need to steal V away from the man. V was only there to help him find his soulmate. He was just the middleman in all of this, so why was he meddling with Jeongguk's heartstrings? As sad as it was, not all soulmates ended together, and that was why Jeongguk hoped V was telling the truth - he would bring him to Kim Taehyung and let him live with his soulmate until the end of their days. He also knew that some people fell in love with other people, people who weren't their soulmates - and he vowed he wouldn't be one of them. He hoped his soulmate wasn't one of them.Jeongguk took a deep breath after he realized what he had been thinking and released his fists - there was no need for him to get jealous over anything. He was just feeling a bit under the weather, maybe he was just jealous of the fact that V has already found his soulmate."Oh, look what do we have here." It was a voice Jeongguk couldn't recognize, but knew it wasn't any good news. "You must be a new pirate, a handsome fella like you," the pirate that sat across him was definitely already in his late forties, maybe early fifties, and his breath smelled bad. Was he eating rotten eggs or something? Jeongguk looked away, pretending to ignore the man."Ay, even for the pirate, you could be a little bit mannered. Didn't your momma teach you to reply when someone talks do ya?" Jeongguk finally turned his head back to the man and looked at him up and down. "My mother also told me not to talk to strangers, but hey look at me breaking the rules," Jeongguk spoke while crossing his arms over his chest. He looked the pirate straight in the eye and kept his face emotionless. "So it speaks!" the pirate grinned and Jeongguk realized that two more pirates have gathered around his table. "I'm not an 'it'," Jeongguk growled and hoped V would either notice his distress or paid the thing already. "Of course you aren't, babe, you are one hell of a snack," another pirate gave his input and Jeongguk scowled at him. The royal captain stood up and backed away two steps only to hit a hard surface behind him. He turned around to see another man standing there with a wicked expression on his face.The pet name felt disgusting coming from the pirate's mouth, but it made V calling him that better now.'Don't hit anyone, don't hit anyone,' Jeongguk repeated in his head. "How feisty he is right here, imagine him how responsive he'd be in bed," the pirate that first approached him spoke, eyeing Jeongguk up and down. The youngest gritted his teeth and looked the man straight in the eye, showing him he wasn't afraid, even though deep down he was hoping V would return."I'd never do such a thing with someone like you!" It felt disgusting even thinking about the man trying to have his way with him. Filthy and disturbing. He would give himself only to his soulmate and nobody else. "Oh, you're one of those who are waiting for their soulmate," the man fake pouted, "but you know, most pirates don't get their happy endings, we have to help ourselves with pretties like you. I'm sure someone around here would definitely love to have you in bed and cherish you, don't you think?"Jeongguk shook his head, "You are sick if you ever think you can just have whatever you want.""Oh, pretty boy, do you already have someone in your life like that?"Jeongguk opened his mouth to say something but the words just stopped in his throat. He didn't. That was the truth. Spending his whole life waiting for his soulmate, he didn't have anyone close enough to entrust himself with."It seems like you don't." The man behind him, grabbed him by the shoulders and Jeongguk tried to get away, but the grip was strong. "And who might you be to touch someone else's property?" a low voice stopped the man that held him in a tight grip. "He is mine, you will never touch him again and if I ever see you near him or any of my crew members I will have you dismembered." Finally, V's face showed from the crowd that apparently gathered around them."V? He's your soulmate?" The man seemed scared of the younger pirate captain, and Jeongguk couldn't help but feel relieved as well as slightly happy V called him his. Maybe he wouldn't be able to keep his promise about being faithful to his soulmate after all. Why did his heart flutter everytime V said something to him? Why did it hurt to be apart from him? Why? Why? Why?Jeongguk didn't have any the answers but he knew he was happy to be with V. It was stupid, he had known the man since the first time they saw each other and that was the day he found the man ethereal. Nothing has changed. The way V radiated authority, it attracted Jeongguk. It was like a moth to a light.V walked over to Jeongguk and grabbed his hand and it seemed like he ignored the question about soulmates. The other hand he placed on Jeongguk's cheek and he softly kissed his forehead. "Are you okay?"Jeongguk nodded, suddenly feeling shy having been shown affection in front of all these people. V turned around again, "This was the last time you crossed me. Trying to steal something that is rightfully mine, I should have your head cut off, but since I'm not in the mood, I'll let it slide," V spoke with anger in his voice. "But know this. Anyone that touches him will definitely not see another day."With that V pulled Jeongguk away from the small restaurant.Jeongguk ducked his head down as V dragged him around the square where the stalls were. The younger looked up to see V's emotionless face as he purchased some things that he didn't know were needed. "Here, hold this," V said, but Jeongguk could not read the man. He didn't know what he was feeling, he couldn't find out what the man was thinking.For him to be able to hold the cotton bag that V had given him, he had to let go of the man's hand and suddenly the cold air hit his sweaty palm. Even if it was just his hand, he somehow missed the feeling.He hated it, he hated the fact that he felt so weirdly towards V. Jeongguk was torn. Either try this out with a pirate who had his own soulmate, someone he probably loved, with someone who might not even like Jeongguk back or find his soulmate, who was made for him and be with him forever happily.He knew the second option should sound more appealing, but somehow it didn't. Jeongguk thought back about how V didn't confirm nor deny the fact that Jeongguk was his soulmate. The young captain assumed it was because it had more effect on the rest of the pirates there. Jeongguk sighed as they finally arrived back at the boat for them to board Marigold again.V was silent the whole time while the rest of the crew chatted. Jeongguk was stealing glances from time to time, hoping V would see his dilemma. And what was with that forehead kiss? Did the pirate really kiss him?Jeongguk just looked into the crystal clear water and saw some fish. He observed them until they got lost in the distance. Once safely on the Marigold, V decided he wouldn't help the other pirates move whatever they brought in the kitchen.He slipped into his cabin and wasn't seen by the rest of the evening. "Has something happened with V's soulmate?" Jimin and Jeongguk were already lying in their hammocks and Jeongguk finally dared to ask the other.Jimin weirdly looked at the royal captain, "What do you mean?""He always acts weird when I bring it up. I mean I get it, he doesn't want to talk about it to me about it since I'm you know, someone from the enemies, but honestly, it would just be nice to be brought out from the dark." "I'm sure he'll tell you once he's ready," Jimin said, "His family has had a lot of misfortunes with soulmates, his father died right after V learned how to walk and his mother..." Jimin didn't continue."What I'm trying to say is, give him time. It's not about the fact that you're from an enemy team, I think he has grown quite a liking towards you." Jimin winked at him, Jeongguk blushed. "His aunt committed suicide right after his uncle was killed by some pirates and his grandparents weren't even soulmates."Jeongguk just stared at him with an open mouth. "Is that...Are you serious?"Jimin nodded, "That's the reason he doesn't want to talk about soulmates. He also has a weird approach on things, so just give him time, he will open up in soon ."-Jimin was wrong.It's been a month and V has been more distant than ever. Ever since Jeju, the man spoke little to no words to him - almost like he wasn't there in the first place. Somehow Jeongguk was thankful because that meant he would have time to try getting over these mixed feelings he was having towards the pirate captain. But on the other hand, Jeongguk hated V for doing it. By giving him almost no attention, Jeongguk was desperate. He wanted to talk to the man, to get to know him. He also wanted to know when on Earth he was going to be meeting Kim Taehyung.It was already nighttime when Jeongguk knocked on V's cabin. There was a hushed 'come in' and Jeongguk entered. The dark blue colored wall with 'Corvus oculum corvi non eruit' on it still caught his eye, even if he has seen it only a handful of times. "Jeongguk, what are you doing here?" V's gruff voice asked. The pirate seemed like he was in a bad mood. "Uh, I was just wondering something," Jeongguk rubbed his hand and looked at the wall again, marveling at the colorful planets drawn on it. "And what is that?" "When am I going to meet my soulmate?"Jeongguk breathed out and looked V straight in the eye. He hoped it would be soon, he's been on this for a month and nothing. Nobody wanted to tell him anything about Kim Taehyung, even though everyone seemed to know the man."Jeongguk," V groaned and shook his head, "this isn't the right time.""When is it then? You seem to be ignoring me ever since Jeju and I have no idea what I've done wrong!" Jeongguk said and balled his fists. "It's not fair that I'm kept in the dark!"V rolled his eyes and stood up, "Listen here." The voice radiated authority, just like the time he defended him from all those pirates on Jeju. "We are pirates. We have our own duties and your duty is to sit still and wait until Kim fucking Taehyung appears, okay?""You promised to take me to him!" Jeongguk exclaimed, "for him to just appear, is he on this ship or something?!""You boarded the ship, fully knowing what pirates are like. If you want to leave so badly, there is a plank. Walk on it." V sat back down on his chair and started looking through the scrolls he had there again. Jeongguk's bottom lip started quivering, "Do you really want me off the ship so bad?" He knew must have sounded weak, but at the moment he didn't quite care. V lifted his gaze to meet Jeongguk's and the pirate saw the pain in them. He let out a loud sigh and shook his head. With a soft tone, he spoke, "I can't just drop everything to take you somewhere, you have to understand that. I know you want your soulmate as much as anyone, but it takes time.""What about you, then?" Jeongguk spoke almost gently, "do you want your soulmate too?"V's look softened, "More than anything."It was there and then when a silence surrounded the room. Jeongguk could hear his heart breaking in a million pieces and he nodded. He knew this day would come. V finally admitting he loved his soulmate."Why do you seem so sad?" This time V stood up and walked around the table, only to stop in front of Jeongguk. The royal captain avoided the pirate's gaze, even after V took his chin and lifted it. Jeongguk noticed that V was wearing a long black coat that covered his arms. Once again, Jeongguk could not see the name inked on the man's wrist. "I promised you, you will meet Kim Taehyung.""That's not it," the younger spoke and tore away from V's grip and sat down on his bed. "Oh? What is it then?"Jeongguk shook his head and laid back on the bed. He didn't care if V thought he wasn't mannered, he just wanted to talk to someone about it. Someone who would tell him it's okay to betray his soulmate like that.V laid next to him and turned himself on the hip so he was hugging Jeongguk over the waist. "V," Jeongguk grunted and tried to get away - far away before he would let himself indulge in this for a second too long. "Stay." It was a soft plea somewhere near his ear that tugged his heartstrings and made him relax in the pirate's embrace. He turned around on his hip too, so his head was pressed against V's broad chest. A soft kiss was pressed onto his forehead like the one he felt was so long ago in front of all those pirates, when V protected him. He wished it were like that all the time. Him cuddling with V, waking up with him, he himself would protect V as well, maybe even making lo- he cut his thoughts off right here and then before they could get out of control.Jeongguk knew he had a vivid imagination and he didn't want it to control him."Why do you do that?" Jeongguk asked and looked at V. He noted how close they were, close enough to feel hot breath on his nose. "Do what, Gukkie?" It was a hushed whisper and Jeongguk gave him a small smile. "Kiss my forehead," he faintly laughed, "I mean, what about your soulmate?"V closed his eyes for a second, just enough he could exhale, "I'm sure he will understand."The pirate raised up, so he was hovering above Jeongguk and looked at him in the eye, "You know what else he would understand?"Jeongguk felt his brain short-circuit as V neared his face, "If I kissed you."The younger's cheeks were painted red, "Do you think Kim Taehyung would understand?" Jeongguk asked more himself than V, but V's smile answered him."So, if I kissed you right now, would you be okay with it?" Jeongguk didn't know if he ever agreed to something as fast as this - he was sure Taehyung would understand, right? It was his last thought before the plumb lips touched his. There were no sparks or fireworks, just a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach as his lips moved against V's. Pulling away, V's lips were a bit swollen but he still looked beautiful in a candle-lit room.Ethereal even.-They cuddled until they fell asleep that night. Jeongguk was happy. There was still guilt in the back of his mind, about how he was cheating on his soulmate. A person he was destined to be with. How V was cheating on his soulmate.They never put a label on their relationship, but it still didn't sit well with the younger. The stolen kisses they shared, make outs when nobody was watching gave him a chance to ignore the guilt he was feeling for at least a couple of minutes. It was a night like this where Jeongguk was reading one of V's books on his bed, dressed in nothing but underwear and a white shirt (he's gotten used to it, V was like a radiator while sleeping), waiting for V to join him in the cuddling session they had every night. He had gotten used to sleeping in V's bed, no more of the uncomfortable hammock he had to endure the first month. "C'mon, you've been on it for hours," Jeongguk complained and closed the book, then put it on a nightstand. V looked up from the scroll he was reading and smiled at Jeongguk's adorable face. V gave in and shrugged off his jacket before sliding under covers with Jeongguk. His inked hand was still covered by a cloth which prevented to see the name of V's soulmate.Jeongguk was fine with that, because not knowing the name of the person he stole V from gave him a little bit of closure. Jeongguk wrapped his arms around V's torso and hugged him closer while listening to the man giggle. V looked him straight in the eye as he dived in for a kiss.It started out innocent, just a press of lips against each other to seek some warmth. When lips started moving it was like a drug was released, putting Jeongguk in a position where he knew he should hold back, but he just didn't want to.It felt nice as V's tongue slipped past his lips and explored his mouth like it was the last thing he ever did. V's hand slipped under the thin white shirt and explored his toned stomach from his belly button up, right to his nipples. The pirate gently pinched one of them, which made Jeongguk let out a breathy moan. He attacked V's lips again, this time with want and desire, something he has never felt before.He felt on fire, but at the same time, it felt right, even if there was a feeling in the back of his mind nagging him to stop, to finally realize this wasn't right.V's other hand slowly traveled down to his underwear, pushing it down just enough to expose Jeongguk's v-line and trace his fingers over it. Jeongguk felt like jelly under V's hot gaze as they broke the kiss and looked at each other for a little while. The younger observed the way V's proportions were just right, the way his hands seemed to fit there, right on Jeongguk's body, how Jeongguk seemed to fit in V's embrace.V decided it would be good to discard the white shirt as he pulled it off Jeongguk's body in one swift move. He didn't hold back, he started attacking the younger's neck with open-mouthed kisses, marking him here and there, just for fun.Jeongguk panted as he felt V's mouth on one of his nipples. He wasn't prepared when he sucked on it and lightly bit it, so he let out a gasp. He knew he was becoming hard and he couldn't help but feel somewhat dirty, but it felt so right. If someone told him he would be making out with a pirate captain only a few months back, he would probably make them walk the plank - and he wasn't even a pirate.Covering his mouth with one hand, he tried to muffle the moans. V quickly removed his hand and held them above his head on the cushions, "Keep them there."Jeongguk gave him a small nod of understanding before V went back to what he was doing. Jeongguk felt so vulnerable below V, almost naked while the man above him was still fully dressed. V saw the other's distress and smirked, knowing he had the younger in the way he always wanted. The pirate untucked his black shirt and pulled it over his head then throwing it on the floor somewhere. Right then, the ship shook, not a lot but enough to throw them out of their moment. Loud rain started pouring down on the cabin's windows and thunder was heard, but before Jeongguk could think about how this was surely a sign he wasn't supposed to do this, V kissed him yet again, clouding his judgment again."So beautiful," V breathed out as he showered Jeongguk in neck kisses.Jeongguk let out a string of giggles when V's unintentionally tickled him. He wanted to move his hands, but V's gaze felt like a warning. V removed his pants as well and stood there in his underwear. Jeongguk could see, even in a dimmed lightning that came from the candles, the prominent bulge in V's pants. The younger gulped and looked away in shame. He really didn't mean to stare.The ship was still rocking around and both could hear the orders from outside to tie up some ropes, help hold down things, but the duo just didn't care. Jeongguk didn't care, not when V looked at him like he was the only one in the world that mattered.It wasn't long before they were both naked panting, V still on top of him. The man reached for something inside of the dark wood nightstand and took out some oil. "Are you sure you want to do this? I can stop, you know," V said as he caressed Jeongguk's cheek and slowly brushed his lips over the younger's.Jeongguk hesitated, because now that V stopped for a moment, he felt the clarity sip through the magical atmosphere, "Yes," he didn't know where the word came from, but before he could take it back, V's angelic smile made sure for him to forget all doubts that invaded his already confused mind.Jeongguk felt one slicked up finger prodding at his entrance between his cheeks and Jeongguk let out a small gasp- a foreign feeling when the finger entered him. It wasn't painful per se, just uncomfortable and V wiggled the finger a little bit, before getting a small nod from Jeongguk. He curled the finger a bit, making the younger shut his eyes tightly."You okay?" Jeongguk nodded his head and felt the finger retreating, but seeing V slicking up two of his fingers before he felt a little more of the stretch. This time the stretch was a bit painful, but V peppered kisses all over Jeongguk's face before slowly moving his fingers around a bit to help Jeongguk adjust to the size.The third finger was a bit much and just as Jeongguk groaned in pain, the thunder was heard, just as if the sky was angry at him for cheating on his soulmate like this.It wasn't long before V found this special spot and the other man let out a loud moan that echoed across the room. Jeongguk could see V smirk and brushed over the spot again. Jeongguk threw his head back into the soft cushions and gripped the bedsheets. V spread his legs a bit more, lifting one up over his shoulder so he was able to reach deeper into Jeongguk, and the younger man couldn't help but grip the sheets tighter. "I'm ready," Jeongguk panted and looked at V who watched him with uncertainty in his eyes. "You sure?" Jeongguk nodded and cupped V's face, squeezing his cheeks to make them round. The younger giggled as the pirate stuck out his tongue and settled closer to the other.He slicked himself up good, not taking any chance in hurting the other, before slowly pushing inside. This time Jeongguk didn't listen to V and threw his hands around V's neck as he brought him closer. He still felt tears in the corners of his eyes, but V was being gentle and Jeongguk respected that. As V was fully seated in him, he waited for the younger to adjust. Jeongguk wrapped his legs around the other's waist as they both stared lovingly at each and Jeongguk was sure by this point that he was madly in love with V. It was at that moment when everything felt like it was crashing down. And as if the sky was reading his thoughts the thunder that boomed through the air, made Jeongguk aware how good it felt but how wrong it was.V seemed to see his pained face, so he quickly placed a hand on Jeongguk's cheek, wiping his tears, "Do you want me to pull out?" If Jeongguk was in his right mind, he would say yes, but at the moment, he knew how much he wanted the other, he shook his head, "Move, please."Slowly moving his hips, carefully at first, making sure not to harm the other, V kept caressing Jeongguk's cheek while kissing him hard. Jeongguk felt like he was in heaven as V kept hitting his sweet spot over and over again.Jeongguk broke the kiss and V pulled back, to hoop his legs over his shoulders, only to be able to reach deeper. The younger let out a loud groan and felt a hand on his own length, stroking it and it wasn't long until he was sent over the edge, painting both of their chests white. Jeongguk shook from oversensitivity as V came as well from Jeongguk's clenching walls and pretty moans.V slowly pulled out, Jeongguk grunting and feeling cold all of the sudden. As the pirate stood up, he went to the corner of the room, where he always kept a clean bucket of water and a clean cloth that he brought closer. He carefully wiped the white stains off the younger's stomach and himself, before spreading Jeongguk's legs and carefully wiping the mix of oil and come off Jeongguk's sensitive thighs. He cleaned his hole as much as he could too, trying not to hurt the other.Jeongguk was happy and even if it wasn't a real shower, he still felt thankful.V was dressing himself and Jeongguk gave him a questioning look, "I'm going out to help the others, you need to get some sleep," the man spoke and when Jeongguk tried to protest, V shushed him down."We can handle it, you need rest." The man kissed Jeongguk's forehead again as he wrapped Jeongguk in a clean sheet that he got from the closet, throwing the other in the corner of the room - they would wash it the next day."But I want to help," Jeongguk said but was met with a stern gaze."When I come back, you better be sleeping." Another quick kiss on the forehead, V was out of the cabin.Only if he knew he left Jeongguk there with nothing but his thoughts and thunder that did not rage only outside but loudly in Jeongguk's head as well.-At the breakfast the next day everyone watched him with a shimmer in their eyes as if they knew what went down the previous day. He felt uncomfortable under everyone's gaze and quickly ran away right after he had gulped down his food. V was sitting there as well, but he seemed oblivious to all the stares they were getting.Jeongguk felt even worse when those stares seemed like they were judging him for cheating on his soulmate. And he cheated on Taehyung with someone like V. Now what he had gotten to know the man, now that he had realized he loved him, Jeongguk felt even worse than before.He was supposed to love his soulmate, not this pirate. He stormed out of the dining hall and decided to go right to the front of the ship, next to the figurehead. Jeongguk looked in front of him and stared at the sea. He cried after V left a day before, he cried himself to sleep because of the guilt he was feeling. As bad as it sounded, the biggest guilt came from the fact that he didn't regret it at all."Gukkie," a voice said behind him and hugged him from the behind, "why are you crying?"Jeongguk didn't realize that the salty tears rolled down his cheeks as he watched the sunrise on the horizon. His bottom lip quivered and as much as he hated the idea, wished he had never met V. Maybe then, maybe then he would meet Kim Taehyung on his own accord and they would live happily ever after.V turned him around and stared at him, while Jeongguk did everything in his power to avoid the eye contact, "Gukkie, are you regretting yesterday?" the pirate asked uncertainly and he looked like a kicked puppy. Jeongguk finally looked him in the eye and shook his head, "That is the last thing I regret."The older wrapped his arms around Jeongguk for protection and Jeongguk sought comfort in V. Swallowing hard, Jeongguk looked up to meet the other's eyes. "Please tell me who is Kim Taehyung really?"V seemed to tense at the mention of his soulmate. "He's someone that..." "LAND AHEAD!"Jeongguk cursed Yugyeom who was in the crow's nest, alarming them they arrived at the land. The younger looked at the pirate captain, but the man just seemed relieved that he didn't have to answer the question and Jeongguk's heart clenched at that."Where are we?" "Busan."-It was weird being back, back to where he came from. He knew that they picked him up from another city, but being back in his birthplace - it felt weird. "Why are we here?" Jeongguk asked as he followed V to the small boat that brought them to the Jeju island a few months ago. This time he wasn't allowed to come with for some reason, but he was okay with that. He knew he would need some work to occupy his irritated mind.Maybe he can help Jin with something in the kitchen.V came forward, leaning down and pressing a lingering kiss on Jeongguk's lips. Before any of them could deepen it, V moved away, "We'll be back by sundown."Jeongguk nodded.Helping Jin in the kitchen wasn't a big of a deal, but it definitely helped him take his mind off his soulmate drama. He wondered what Kim Taehyung was doing - was he thinking of him as well?Did he ever do anything like Jeongguk did to him? Cheat on him? He swallowed a lump in his throat and shook his head. He watched the sunset as he realized the team that went looking for something in the city still wasn't back. Jeongguk became worried, they said they'd be back by now."Yugyeom, Seokjin and I are going," Hoseok announced, "we'll find them." Jeongguk ran towards them, "I want to go too."All three of them looked at him warily but still nodded. They took another boat that was tied to the side of the ship and paddled their way to the shore. "Let's make two teams, one will go right, one left." Jeongguk landed the team with Yugyeom, but the man was nice. He was able to make friends with him over the past few months. They clicked because of their common interest in swords and guns - Yugyeom showed him a lot of tricks, some, where he almost got himself killed."C'mon, we'll go this way."They silently walked side by side, looking around if they could spot any familiar faces. "So..."Yugyeom was the first to start the conversation, "you and Taehyung are now official, right?"Jeongguk murmured, but then the words clicked and he turned his head so quickly he almost snapped his neck, "What?""Yeah, finally he told you you're soulmates. The whole crew was beginning to get irritated by his antics, something about wanting you to fall in love with him, I don't even know," Yugyeom threw his hands up in the air. "Wait...Is V, he's Taehyung?" Jeongguk's eyes widened as he looked Yugyeom straight in the eye. The younger was quiet for a second, "...You didn't know?"Jeongguk felt like his heart stopped all of the sudden. His breathing became irrational and he looked everywhere, looking for something to comfort him. Yugyeom looked pale as well, "He's going to fucking kill me.""What did he say to you?" Jeongguk asked, "Did he forbid you to tell me or something?!""I guess..." Yugyeom looked uncomfortable and the expression on his face seemed scared, he's never seen Jeongguk so close to breaking down. Jeongguk just stared into the distance. The information still hasn't settled in- Kim Taehyung was V, V was Kim Taehyung. The reason V wouldn't show him his inked wrist was because there was his name written on it. "Why?" Jeongguk looked helpless and Yugyeom looked like he was about to cry at any given moment. "WHY?!""He said something uh...Something about you not accepting him because he's a pirate, I don't know Jeongguk. I shouldn't have told you!" Yugyeom was shaking from fear and Jeongguk felt his knees collapsing to the floor, and the pirate caught him in the last moment before Jeongguk could fall."Yugyeom? Gukkie? Oh my god!" A voice that Jeongguk dreaded in that moment cut in, making him feel even more helpless than he already did. He wanted to run away, not having to face someone who made his heart beat rapidly and then proceeded to shatter it with his actions.V- Taehyung was standing in front of him, looking all confused, caressing his cheeks while smiling at him, "Hey, baby, are you okay?" Yugyeom looked like he was about to cry, and Jimin who stood next to him noted it.Jeongguk's eyes widened as more tears threatened to pour down his cheeks. He quickly stood up on his wobbling legs, ripping away from Taehyung's grip. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"All of the people standing there looked stunned, but Taehyung just looked downright miserable, "J-Jeongguk?"Before Taehyung could do anything, Jeongguk already ripped off the cloth that was wrapped around the pirate's wrist, exposing the pitch black ink.
Jeon Jeongguk
He would lie if he hoped another name was written there. Jeongguk lifted his head up to face Taehyung who was biting his lip, "Jeongguk, let me...""What? Explain? Why you left me feeling guilty all this time? Why I was killing myself inside for this? I thought I was cheating on my fucking soulmate, Taehyung! I thought I was being unfair, what if he came around and saw what I was doing! I thought you had your soulmate that you were cheating on with me!" Jeongguk's tears wouldn't stop, but Taehyung just looked like he was going to collapse."I was feeling guilty when I gave myself to you, I felt guilty because I fell in love with you!""You...-You love me?" Taehyung's lower lip quivered. "Yes, you fucking idiot. I didn't know what I was supposed to do, and you just...-" Jeongguk trailed off and squeezed Taehyung's wrist so hard, the other yelped in pain. "You are evil to do something like this to your soulmate. And to think that pirates were cruel... I just didn't know to what extent." Jeongguk let go of Taehyung's wrist and stepped back."I don't want you to look for me. Heck, I never want to see your face again. Kim Taehyung, go fuck yourself."With that, he left a crying pirate captain behind and Jimin who knew it wasn't the time to say 'I told you so'.
-
It's been a year and to be honest, Taehyung has not felt worse. His days usually switched between blaming himself for everything, to feeling completely numb. He knew he was at fault, nobody could blame anyone else but him.Taehyung usually stayed back and planned the missions as others actually did it- thankfully his crew was an understanding bunch of people who once in a while got him on his feet as well.They understood that losing a soulmate like that was harsh, but they didn't know the pain that came with it."A hostile ship incoming!" someone yelled from the crow's nest and Taehyung just groaned as he stood up and packed all of his things in a safe box that only he had the key of.He ran onto the deck, asked Jimin for the binoculars. He didn't recognize the dark ship that was nearing them. The ship was named 'Corvus' and Taehyung narrowed his eyes at the familiar word. A crow.The ships met before they had the chance to thoroughly prepare themselves. The pirates from the ship were already swinging from the ropes onto their ship and before Taehyung could realize someone was already holding him down- definitely he didn't want to go down this way, he struggled. "It would be nice to stop wiggling your pretty little ass around so much, baby." Taehyung widened his eyes, he knew that voice. He heard it in his dreams, some that were too vivid and it made him believe his Gukkie was right there.He quickly turned his head around and faced a red-haired man with a bandana, dressed in a white loose shirt and pants. He wore black boots. On his face, there was a big smirk plastered and Taehyung didn't know whether to cry or to laugh. His soulmate was there, he was with him again, but why was he there?"STOP THE FIGHT."Everyone stopped by Jeongguk's order and the man just fondly smiled at Taehyung. The older still couldn't believe his eyes. His Jeongguk had red hair and was wearing eyeliner. "What are you doing here?" Taehyung's voice was barely above a whisper but Jeongguk just came forward to trap him in a hug. "I'm sorry, I was so angry with you I didn't realize why you did what you did," Jeongguk caressed the older man's cheek and smiled with his bunny smile. "Then I tried to look for you, but nobody knew where you were so I was back to square one.""Then you became a pirate, apparently," Taehyung added looking around at the crew. "Pirate captain, actually," Jeongguk stated, "I didn't have much of a choice if I ever wanted to see you again. You are great at escaping the royal guards." They just stared at each other for some time, before Jimin popped out of somewhere, "Just fucking kiss, dammit, I've had enough of moping Taehyung for a lifetime!"Both giggled before Jeongguk quickly brought their lips together in a quick kiss. Taehyung smiled, "I'm loving the choice of your style though, who knew you could rock eyeliner?"-("Hey you two should have a wedding on the ship.""That's not even a bad idea.""Marigold? I only know Marrygold!"Shut up, Jin.")