Chasing Freedom - Chapter 8
Title: Chasing Freedom, Chapter 8, Siwon/Eunhyuk, Zhoumi/Eunhyuk
Length: 4,112 words
Author: shieldkitten
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Don't get on the wrong side of Henry. Hyukjae learns this the hard way.
Author's Note: I'm sorry this took so long, omg, I have been having a writer's block of epic proportions. It's terrible. Weep for me.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9
Night fell more quickly with each day that passed, and in the chill that accompanied the shortening days, Hyukjae found himself torn between huddling in his cabin, swathed in as many quilts as could be spared, or braving the cold the bask in whatever sunlight was still available. More often than not, huddling won out, and the hours he had free to himself were thusly spent ensconced in a cocoon of sheets.
He woke with a start, and wasn't immediately aware of what it was exactly that had roused him from sleep. The sun had only just risen, and the sky was still a brilliant orange. It looked like a beautiful day, but Hyukjae knew in his heart of hearts that it was merely a cruel illusion. Groaning, he burrowed deeper under the sheets, wondering if he would ever truly be warm again.
“Good morning.”
It was a point of pride for him that he did not fall out of bed. Instead, he rolled over and came face to face with a smile full of brilliant white teeth.
“Zhoumi?” His voice cracked, and he made a face, clearing his throat. “What are you doing on my bed?”
Zhoumi unhooked his hand from behind his head and rolled over onto his side, still grinning at Hyukjae. “Waking you up.”
Hyukjae arched an eyebrow. “The door was locked.”
“I have a key.”
Hyukjae frowned at that. “Should you have a key?”
Zhoumi’s smile only grew wider, and he laughed, poking Hyukjae in the side. “Come on, on your feet. I made you breakfast.”
“You’re changing the subject.” Hyukjae clutched desperately at the sheets, refusing to be turned out into the cold morning air. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”
“I’m quiet when I have to be.” Zhoumi nudged him again. “Come on, Eunhyuk, unless you’d rather I join you under those sheets.”
Hyukjae missed his bedroom slippers. He missed the kettle of water by his basin every morning, placed there by a maid so he would have warm water with which to make his toilette.
“I can hear you complaining all the way from over here,” Zhoumi said, stretching out on Hyukjae’s bed, looking much too at ease with invading Hyukjae’s personal space.
“I didn’t even speak,” Hyukjae protested, trudging miserably toward his dresser to pick out a shirt.
“Your face speaks volumes. Not as loudly as the captain’s eyebrows, perhaps, but it’s still remarkably expressive.”
Hyukjae spun about in a circle looking for his coat, only to realize that Zhoumi was wearing it.
“May I have my coat back please?” he asked, hands on his hips. The coat was a little too small for the taller man, and the cuffs sat higher on the arms than they ought to.
“For example,” Zhoumi said, chuckling as he sat up, pointedly not removing the coat. “At the moment you’re musing on how the deep navy colour of your extraordinarily comfortable coat compliments my dark onyx eyes.”
“I’m musing on nothing of the sort,” Hyukjae said, turning pink. Zhoumi smiled, tilting his head as if to get a better look at Hyukjae, and he shook his head, reaching to pull Zhoumi to his feet. “Please stop looking at my face.”
“Ask the sun not to rise,” Zhoumi said softly, standing up and resting his hands on the curves of Hyukjae’s elbows. Unsettled, Hyukjae could only stare up at Zhoumi's eyes, dark onyxes as they might be.
It was a relief to be interrupted by a knock on the door.
“See,” Hyukjae said, backing out of Zhoumi’s reach to answer it. “Some people have manners.”
He opened the door to Siwon, standing with his hands in his pockets, and would’ve shut the door in his face, if it weren’t for Zhoumi’s fingers closing over the edge of the door above his head.
“Captain!” Zhoumi was cheerful, as always. “I see I’m not Hyukjae’s only morning visitor.”
Hyukjae fancied that Siwon’s gaze swept over the coat hanging off of Zhoumi’s shoulders, over the unmade bed, and he also fancied that Siwon’s mouth might have tightened ever so slightly.
“Zhoumi has a key,” he blurted out, only realizing too late that the little tidbit might not actually help clear any misunderstandings Siwon might have had. “That is,” he said, or blabbered, “I don’t think Zhoumi should be allowed to have a key. Also, he’s stolen my coat.”
“Tattle tale,” Zhoumi whispered, nudging him with a sharp elbow. Hyukjae winced and rubbed at his ribs.
Siwon raised his eyebrows, fixing Zhoumi with a commanding look. Zhoumi shrugged and drew a small bronze key from his trouser pocket.
“Perhaps I should hold on to...” Hyukjae's words petered out to a quiet mumble as Siwon took the key from Zhoumi's outstretched hand and deposited it in his own pocket. He supposed it was a good thing to have someone as responsible as Siwon hold on to a spare key. After all, Hyukjae was not blessed with a great deal of good fortune, and he was likely to kill himself falling over or set his curtains on fire or something as calamitous, so, all things considered, it was only appropriate that the captain keep a key to his cabin.
“I came to ask how you spent the night, Mr. Lee,” Siwon said, turning to Hyukjae. “It was a cold night.”
“It’s always a cold night,” Zhoumi pointed out.
“It’s been getting colder,” Hyukjae said quickly, stepping in front of Zhoumi, shocked as always by how flippant Zhoumi was around his own captain. “And I slept quite well, thank you, Captain. Those extra quilts were greatly appreciated.”
“I'm glad to hear it,” Siwon said, smiling, and Hyukjae found himself returning the smile, musing on how Siwon, too, had such dark eyes. Not a darkness that could be compared to anything so cold as onyx, but chocolate, perhaps, might be a better description. Yes, warm, liquid chocolate eyes, dark and sweet, with just a hint of a bitter taste.
Zhoumi's soft chuckling interrupted his train of thought and continued unabated until Hyukjae took a step backward and onto the flat of his boot, upon which time it ceased abruptly.
“Would you like to breakfast with me, Mr. Lee?” Siwon's offer promised a quiet start to the day, a chance to learn more abut the captain. It pained Hyukjae to have to decline.
“I would love to, but Zhoumi has made me breakfast.”
“Has he really?” Siwon turned to Zhoumi, eyebrows raised.
Zhoumi chuckled. “Well, technically, Shindong made it. I simply stood by him and offered him my words of encouragement and moral support.”
“Vital ingredients, clearly,” Siwon said drily.
“All part of a healthy sailor's diet,” Zhoumi nodded. “Gives them rosy cheeks and strong morale.”
“Perhaps tomorrow,” Hyukjae cut in, mildly confused by the metaphors both men were trading. Siwon relaxed and nodded.
“Tomorrow, then. Good morning, Mr. Lee, Zhoumi.” Siwon tapped the rim of his hat with a long forefinger and turned in the direction of his quarters. Hyukjae sighed, relieved that he had managed to last an entire encounter with the captain without once falling over, fainting, or bleeding in front of him.
“Shall we?” Zhoumi asked, holding out his arm as if to escort a lady.
"I'm not taking your arm, Zhoumi,” Hyukjae said. “I am a man.”
“I would never have guessed, what with you making googly eyes at the captain.”
Hyukjae jabbed Zhoumi in the back. “I was not making goo- What on earth is a googly eye? Is that Chinese?”
He was quite glad that they were not to be eating alone - Zhoumi seemed determined to tease him all morning. Even with the other members of the crew at the table, however, there was no escape from Zhoumi's viled remarks. At last, Hyukjae had to abandon his upbringing and go so far as to kick Zhoumi under the table.
“Ow!” Henry yelled, spoon clattering into his bowl of soup. “Did you just kick me?”
“Um,” Hyukjae ducked his head under the table and discovered Zhoumi's foot rather further than he had envisioned. “Yes, I did. I'm frightfully sorry.”
“Did I offend you in some way?” Henry asked ruefully, rubbing at his bruised shin.
“No, I'm so sorry, I honestly didn't mean to kick you.”
“I'm crippled,” Henry announced, seemingly in excruciating pain.
“Is it so bad?” Hyukjae asked worriedly, hoping against hope that Henry was merely feigning the pain.
“How about I kick you in the shin and you find out?” Henry snapped. “And I had ever so many duties today. Now I'll have to hobble about to finish them. Geng, you better start whittling down a peg for my leg, just in case.”
Guilt-stricken, Hyukjae spoke before he could consider his words more carefully. “You ought to rest,” he said hurriedly. “I can do your duties for you today. Just get off your feet, and put some ice on your bruises.”
Henry jumped up, as agile as he ever had been. “Great! Thanks!”
“My word, but Zhoumi is a bad influence,” Shindong sighed, shaking his head.
“What?” Hyukjae stared at Henry, confused.
“I take it I won't need to start whittling?” Hangeng laughed.
“Thanks, Eunhyuk,” Henry leaned over the table and clapped Hyukjae on the back. “You just have to refill all the lamps and trim the wicks, do the long by chron, replace the downhaul on the second and third sail, and don't forget to catch forty winks before you go on middle watch tonight.”
“What just happened?” Hyukjae asked, watching Henry skip away, decidedly not crippled or otherwise disabled.
“Hey, Eunhyuk, want to kick me, too?” Seungjun asked, looking envious.
“All right, everyone stops picking on Eunhyuk now,” Shindong said, clearing the dishes. “It's much too easy, for one.”
“And only I'm allowed to pick on Eunhyuk, for another,” Zhoumi said, grinning. Hyukjae made to kick him properly this time, but Zhoumi stopped him, squeezing his thigh with one hand. “Now, now, I'm scouring the bilge today. I'm quite sure you'd rather not add that to the list of things you have to do today.”
At least it was a bright, sunny morning, and although it never became warm enough for Hyukjae to discard his coat, he was not trembling from the cold. It took him the better part of the morning to replace both downhauls, and he had the sneaking suspicion that it would have taken Henry about half as much time. Still, he felt an unmistakable sense of accomplishment staring up at the thick new ropes that he felt was markedly stronger than any he'd ever felt living a life of idle luxury.
That sense of accomplishment quickly dwindled as he tried to do the noon sight. He vaguely remembered Siwon explaining the importance of being as precise as possible given the inaccuracy of a running fix, but the sun was approaching its peak in the sky much quicker than he could work out sextant angles, true zenith distances, declinations and an azimuth. He was just beginning to panic when a soothing hand laid square across his back.
“Go lunch with the others, I will take the noon sight,” Hangeng said, reaching down to relieve Hyukjae of his pencil and his notepaper full of incomprehensible scribblings.
“I can't make head or tail of the numbers,” Hyukjae moaned, tugging at his hair. “And the sun keeps moving...”
“It does that, doesn't it?” Hangeng looked up after a minute with no movement from Hyukjae. “Don't worry, I'll have our position in minutes.”
“Of course,” Hyukjae said miserably. “You would.”
He was drooping by nightfall, barely able to keep his eyes open. He had made the mistake of letting the children play with the lengths of uncut wick while he was refilling a lamp, and the chase to retrieve them had taken over an hour and had spanned the entire length of the ship, thrice.
“Coffee?” Shindong asked, holding a cup under Hyukjae's nose as he rested with his cheek flat against the table.
“Too bitter,” Hyukjae groaned, pushing himself up. He ran his fingers over his cheek and groaned again, feeling the indentations the slats of wood had made on his face.
“It's all right, it's dark, no one will see it,” Shindong said sympathetically. The ship's bell tolled overhead and Hyukjae groaned for the third time, burying his face in his arms.
“I'm too tired! It's unchristian to be awake this late!”
“What rot. Go on,” Shindong pulled him to his feet. “A watch is very serious business, especially when we are approaching uncharted territory. We might drift into the shallows and get grounded, or worse. Keep your eyes peeled, now.”
“But I'm tired,” Hyukjae mumbled in a small voice once Shindong pushed him out on the deck. He sighed and looked around the empty deck, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone who would be willing to keep him company on his watch. Where was Zhoumi and his knack for appearing out of thin air now? Abandoned in his darkest hour. With a sigh, he began to scale the foremast, taking extra care to be sure of his footing.
It was another cold night in a series of very cold nights, and Hyukjae's eyes watered as he was buffeted by a chilling wind. Crouching under the railing of the crow's nest was hardly a solution, given that he was supposed to be watching, not huddling, but there was nothing in sight but water, water for miles and miles, so he gave into temptation, sinking to the floor with his back to the mast. He ached to stretch out on land, to find a warm fireplace, a warm boiler room, a warm something, anything, really.
He must have fallen asleep, for he felt warmer than he had all day. There was movement beside him, Donghae, perhaps, sneaking into his bed again. What was that digging into his back? And why did he feel so cramped? Frowning, he tried to roll over in his bed, only to remember much too late that he was not in his bed, but somewhere situated very far from what passed for level ground in the middle of the ocean. He windmilled his arms, convinced he was falling through the air.
“It's all right, I've got you.”
Hyukjae froze and opened his eyes, aware of hands on his arms. He stared up at Siwon and felt a familiar heat spread across his cheeks with the realisation that he had made a fool of himself in front of the captain yet again.
“I fell asleep,” he said, staring up at Siwon.
“Yes.” Siwon released Hyukjae's arms and reached into his pocket for a handkerchief - a plain one this time. “Here. You have a little...” He gestured to the side of his mouth and tactfully averted his gaze as Hyukjae quickly wiped at the drool on the sides of his mouth.
“You must think I'm a complete halfwit,” he mumbled, wishing the ocean would rise up and swallow him whole.
“Why would I think it?”
“I make a mess of everything I do. I fell asleep on watch.” Hyukjae sighed, fiddling with the hem of the coat around his shoulders. “I must be the worst sailor in the entire history of sailing.” He frowned, glancing down at the cloth between his fingers. “This isn't even my coat.”
“It's mine,” Siwon said, reaching forward to tuck it more firmly around Hyukjae's shoulders. “I thought you looked a little cold. And you aren't the worst sailor. You're not even a very bad one, really.”
“Aren't I?” Hyukjae asked. “Name a chore I've done right.”
“You replaced the downhauls today. It was an impressive job.”
Hyukjae gaped at Siwon. “You were watching?”
Siwon cleared his throat and stood up, gazing out toward the sea. “I needed to speak to Henry, but I found you in his stead. You seemed so determined, I did not wish to break your concentration.” He glanced down at Hyukjae. “It was good to see you accomplish something on your own.”
Hyukjae sighed. “Rare as it is.”
Siwon chuckled. “Well it is good to see you make a mess of things, too.” Hyukjae opened his mouth, about to make an incoherent splutter, but Siwon continued. “It seems to suit you. It's really rather-”
“Are you-” Hyukjae began, unsure if he was being insulted.
“Endearing,” Siwon finished. “But you are doing your best, and that counts for something on this ship. Keep it up, Mr. Lee.”
“Thank you, I suppose.” Hyukjae leaned back against the mast, wondering if perhaps this was a dream he was having. Had the captain just called him endearing?
“I saw you with the children, as well,” Siwon said after a short silence in which Hyukjae searched his mind for something to break it but failed to come up with anything that did not involve the words 'endearing' or 'winsome'.
“They are so...”
“Energetic?” Siwon supplied.
“That, too.” Hyukjae nodded. Siwon laughed.
“I noticed you were practicing your Mandarin on them.”
“It was an attempt.” Hyukjae shook his head and smiled helplessly. “Something else at which I failed quite miserably today.”
“You called them dirty pigs.”
“Dirty pigs? No, I was telling them to stand still-” Hyukjae narrowed his eyes. “Zhoumi. I'm going to kill him, I truly am. I should know better by now than to trust his nonsense.”
Siwon's fingers, resting just above Hyukjae's eye level, twitched, and he pushed them into his pockets. Hyukjae raised his eyes to Siwon's face.
“You're very close to him, Zhoumi,” Siwon said in carefully measured words.
“I'm not sure I would use the word 'close',” Hyukjae said, wondering why Siwon had started frowning. He probably did not look too fondly on death threats on the members of his crew.
“You seem very comfortable with him.”
“Do I?” Hyukjae had not stopped to consider the semantics of his friendship with Zhoumi. Certainly, he never had trouble thinking of things to say around Zhoumi, but that was because every conversation with Zhoumi was almost like a contest of wits, with Hyukjae lagging one or two steps behind. “I confess, I do argue with him quite a bit. He simply won't leave me be. He's incredibly vexing, I'm not sure if you've noticed.”
Siwon laughed and shrugged, and when his shoulders came down, Hyukjae was pleased to see that they were more relaxed.
“You have another hour of watch,” Siwon said, pulling out his pocket watch and studying the face. “I could stay with you, if you wanted company.”
“I couldn't impose on you like that, Captain,” Hyukjae said quickly. “You need your rest.”
“Are you certain?”
Hyukjae was not, but he didn't think it was proper to seem too eager for the captain to stay. If he had refused Siwon once more, and if Siwon pressed him again, then he could accept Siwon's offer.
“Yes, I feel terrible about taking up your time as it is.”
Siwon nodded. “I'll leave you to your post then, Mr. Lee. Good night.”
“Oh.” Hyukjae felt incredibly cheated. “Yes, good night.”
He watched Siwon make his way down to the deck, with sinking disappointment. If he had only been straightforward, perhaps they would have had more time to speak, and he might have managed to make Siwon explain what he meant by 'endearing'. Hyukjae had never been called 'endearing'. 'Embarrassing', quite often, but never 'endearing'.
“Ho there!” Hyukjae jumped, clutching the side of the railing and leaning over it to stare down at Zhoumi. “How are you faring?”
“Poorly,” Hyukjae called down.
“Would you like some company?” Zhoumi yelled up, cupping his hands around his mouth.
“Not yours, surely,” Hyukjae called back down.
“I bring gifts,” Zhoumi yelled, waving a flask. “Hot cocoa, compliments of Shindong.”
Hyukjae thought he ought to pretend to consider at least, but it was cocoa, and it was hot. “All right, you may come up.”
“How very kind of you,” Zhoumi said, just loud enough so that Hyukjae could hear the mocking tone in his voice. Hyukjae rolled his eyes and refused to watch Zhoumi climb up the mast. He checked the horizon for any sign of other ships or land, but found nothing. Glancing down, he saw Siwon standing at the entrance to the quarters below deck, one hand already on the wooden railing of the stairs. Lifting a hand, Hyukjae made to bid the captain good night once more, but Siwon turned and vanished down below.
“Your hot cocoa, my good sir,” Zhoumi tossed the flask over to him as he swung himself onto the platform of the crow's nest. “I hope I haven't kept you waitng.”
“This is heaven sent,” Hyukjae sighed happily, unscrewing the cap of the flask and pouring himself a capful of the steaming liquid gold. “It smells heavenly.”
“The captain's been here?” Zhoumi asked, taking the flask from him and sipping from the neck.
“You saw us?” Hyukjae asked in lieu of a reply.
“No, I see you have his coat around your shoulders.” Zhoumi raised his eyebrows and eyed Hyukjae knowingly. “How romantic.”
“He thought I was cold,” Hyukjae snapped, grateful for the cover of darkness as the tips of his ears grew as warm as the cap in his hand. He had clean forgotten to return Siwon's coat to him. “I don't know what you mean.”
“Of course you don't,” Zhoumi teased.
“Don't make me regret letting you come up here,” Hyukjae warned him. “I haven't even begun to settle the business of your teaching me insults in place of proper Mandarin. I ought to just push you right off.”
“You'd have to repair the Zhoumi-shaped hole in the hull,” Zhoumi laughed, looking down over the deck as though imagining it. “I'm tall, it wouldn't be a small hole.”
“You're incredibly vexing,” Hyukjae grumbled, blowing at his cap to cool the cocoa enough to drink comfortably. “I'm not sure if you've noticed.”
Zhoumi dozed off as the drink dwindled and the night went on, his long body fitted to the curve of the railing. Donghae slept sprawled over the bed, sheets and clothes tangled around his legs. Sungmin slept with his hands folded neatly on his chest, his head tilted just a little to the side. Zhoumi slept on his side, with his long fingers flattened under his head to cushion the hard surface beneath him. Hyukjae wondered how he looked when he slept. Probably ridiculous, with his mouth hanging open and the whites of his eyes showing as his eyelids fluttered while he dreamed. Sighing, he drew Siwon's coat more tightly around himself, turning his head to bury his nose in the lapel. This too, smelt heavenly, like the scent of Siwon's hair when the captain caught him in his arms after yet another stumble.
It smelt like security, Hyukjae thought, before he chastised himself for thinking such a ridiculous thing. Security did not have a smell, it was merely a feeling. He was only associating it with the smell of Siwon's coat because it was Siwon that made him feel safe. Here he was, alone in the world but for a crew of fugitives, friends with a man he ought to know better than to trust, and Siwon made him feel secure. If only he were less tongue-tied around him, Hyukjae might actually be able to thank him one day.
One of the Chinese men came on deck and struck the bell four times, indicating the time. Hyukjae glanced once more out to sea and nodded. The ship had not sunk on his watch - this, too, could be counted a victory.
“Zhoumi, my watch is over. You can return to your cabin, if you'd like,” he said, nudging Zhoumi to wake him up. Zhoumi opened one eye.
“May I come to your cabin?” he asked, voice low and suggestive.
“You most certainly may not,” Hyukjae huffed, carefully judging the distance between one rung on the masthead from another. Descent seemed ever so much more perilous than ascension.
“Your rejection, it breaks my heart,” Zhoumi said, clutching his chest most dramatically.
“Aren't you coming down?” Hyukjae called up when he had safely reached the bottom.
“I have the next watch,” Zhoumi replied, not even bothering to lean over the side of the crow's nest. “What, you didn't think I stayed up just to keep you company, did you?”
“Of course not!” Hyukjae retorted, though he had, and he had also thought that it had been remarkably timely evidence that Zhoumi simply never left him alone.
“Good night!” Zhoumi sang out. Hyukjae imagined him reclining against the mast, ears cocked for his answering call.
“Good night,” he sighed.
Length: 4,112 words
Author: shieldkitten
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Don't get on the wrong side of Henry. Hyukjae learns this the hard way.
Author's Note: I'm sorry this took so long, omg, I have been having a writer's block of epic proportions. It's terrible. Weep for me.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9
Night fell more quickly with each day that passed, and in the chill that accompanied the shortening days, Hyukjae found himself torn between huddling in his cabin, swathed in as many quilts as could be spared, or braving the cold the bask in whatever sunlight was still available. More often than not, huddling won out, and the hours he had free to himself were thusly spent ensconced in a cocoon of sheets.
He woke with a start, and wasn't immediately aware of what it was exactly that had roused him from sleep. The sun had only just risen, and the sky was still a brilliant orange. It looked like a beautiful day, but Hyukjae knew in his heart of hearts that it was merely a cruel illusion. Groaning, he burrowed deeper under the sheets, wondering if he would ever truly be warm again.
“Good morning.”
It was a point of pride for him that he did not fall out of bed. Instead, he rolled over and came face to face with a smile full of brilliant white teeth.
“Zhoumi?” His voice cracked, and he made a face, clearing his throat. “What are you doing on my bed?”
Zhoumi unhooked his hand from behind his head and rolled over onto his side, still grinning at Hyukjae. “Waking you up.”
Hyukjae arched an eyebrow. “The door was locked.”
“I have a key.”
Hyukjae frowned at that. “Should you have a key?”
Zhoumi’s smile only grew wider, and he laughed, poking Hyukjae in the side. “Come on, on your feet. I made you breakfast.”
“You’re changing the subject.” Hyukjae clutched desperately at the sheets, refusing to be turned out into the cold morning air. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”
“I’m quiet when I have to be.” Zhoumi nudged him again. “Come on, Eunhyuk, unless you’d rather I join you under those sheets.”
Hyukjae missed his bedroom slippers. He missed the kettle of water by his basin every morning, placed there by a maid so he would have warm water with which to make his toilette.
“I can hear you complaining all the way from over here,” Zhoumi said, stretching out on Hyukjae’s bed, looking much too at ease with invading Hyukjae’s personal space.
“I didn’t even speak,” Hyukjae protested, trudging miserably toward his dresser to pick out a shirt.
“Your face speaks volumes. Not as loudly as the captain’s eyebrows, perhaps, but it’s still remarkably expressive.”
Hyukjae spun about in a circle looking for his coat, only to realize that Zhoumi was wearing it.
“May I have my coat back please?” he asked, hands on his hips. The coat was a little too small for the taller man, and the cuffs sat higher on the arms than they ought to.
“For example,” Zhoumi said, chuckling as he sat up, pointedly not removing the coat. “At the moment you’re musing on how the deep navy colour of your extraordinarily comfortable coat compliments my dark onyx eyes.”
“I’m musing on nothing of the sort,” Hyukjae said, turning pink. Zhoumi smiled, tilting his head as if to get a better look at Hyukjae, and he shook his head, reaching to pull Zhoumi to his feet. “Please stop looking at my face.”
“Ask the sun not to rise,” Zhoumi said softly, standing up and resting his hands on the curves of Hyukjae’s elbows. Unsettled, Hyukjae could only stare up at Zhoumi's eyes, dark onyxes as they might be.
It was a relief to be interrupted by a knock on the door.
“See,” Hyukjae said, backing out of Zhoumi’s reach to answer it. “Some people have manners.”
He opened the door to Siwon, standing with his hands in his pockets, and would’ve shut the door in his face, if it weren’t for Zhoumi’s fingers closing over the edge of the door above his head.
“Captain!” Zhoumi was cheerful, as always. “I see I’m not Hyukjae’s only morning visitor.”
Hyukjae fancied that Siwon’s gaze swept over the coat hanging off of Zhoumi’s shoulders, over the unmade bed, and he also fancied that Siwon’s mouth might have tightened ever so slightly.
“Zhoumi has a key,” he blurted out, only realizing too late that the little tidbit might not actually help clear any misunderstandings Siwon might have had. “That is,” he said, or blabbered, “I don’t think Zhoumi should be allowed to have a key. Also, he’s stolen my coat.”
“Tattle tale,” Zhoumi whispered, nudging him with a sharp elbow. Hyukjae winced and rubbed at his ribs.
Siwon raised his eyebrows, fixing Zhoumi with a commanding look. Zhoumi shrugged and drew a small bronze key from his trouser pocket.
“Perhaps I should hold on to...” Hyukjae's words petered out to a quiet mumble as Siwon took the key from Zhoumi's outstretched hand and deposited it in his own pocket. He supposed it was a good thing to have someone as responsible as Siwon hold on to a spare key. After all, Hyukjae was not blessed with a great deal of good fortune, and he was likely to kill himself falling over or set his curtains on fire or something as calamitous, so, all things considered, it was only appropriate that the captain keep a key to his cabin.
“I came to ask how you spent the night, Mr. Lee,” Siwon said, turning to Hyukjae. “It was a cold night.”
“It’s always a cold night,” Zhoumi pointed out.
“It’s been getting colder,” Hyukjae said quickly, stepping in front of Zhoumi, shocked as always by how flippant Zhoumi was around his own captain. “And I slept quite well, thank you, Captain. Those extra quilts were greatly appreciated.”
“I'm glad to hear it,” Siwon said, smiling, and Hyukjae found himself returning the smile, musing on how Siwon, too, had such dark eyes. Not a darkness that could be compared to anything so cold as onyx, but chocolate, perhaps, might be a better description. Yes, warm, liquid chocolate eyes, dark and sweet, with just a hint of a bitter taste.
Zhoumi's soft chuckling interrupted his train of thought and continued unabated until Hyukjae took a step backward and onto the flat of his boot, upon which time it ceased abruptly.
“Would you like to breakfast with me, Mr. Lee?” Siwon's offer promised a quiet start to the day, a chance to learn more abut the captain. It pained Hyukjae to have to decline.
“I would love to, but Zhoumi has made me breakfast.”
“Has he really?” Siwon turned to Zhoumi, eyebrows raised.
Zhoumi chuckled. “Well, technically, Shindong made it. I simply stood by him and offered him my words of encouragement and moral support.”
“Vital ingredients, clearly,” Siwon said drily.
“All part of a healthy sailor's diet,” Zhoumi nodded. “Gives them rosy cheeks and strong morale.”
“Perhaps tomorrow,” Hyukjae cut in, mildly confused by the metaphors both men were trading. Siwon relaxed and nodded.
“Tomorrow, then. Good morning, Mr. Lee, Zhoumi.” Siwon tapped the rim of his hat with a long forefinger and turned in the direction of his quarters. Hyukjae sighed, relieved that he had managed to last an entire encounter with the captain without once falling over, fainting, or bleeding in front of him.
“Shall we?” Zhoumi asked, holding out his arm as if to escort a lady.
"I'm not taking your arm, Zhoumi,” Hyukjae said. “I am a man.”
“I would never have guessed, what with you making googly eyes at the captain.”
Hyukjae jabbed Zhoumi in the back. “I was not making goo- What on earth is a googly eye? Is that Chinese?”
He was quite glad that they were not to be eating alone - Zhoumi seemed determined to tease him all morning. Even with the other members of the crew at the table, however, there was no escape from Zhoumi's viled remarks. At last, Hyukjae had to abandon his upbringing and go so far as to kick Zhoumi under the table.
“Ow!” Henry yelled, spoon clattering into his bowl of soup. “Did you just kick me?”
“Um,” Hyukjae ducked his head under the table and discovered Zhoumi's foot rather further than he had envisioned. “Yes, I did. I'm frightfully sorry.”
“Did I offend you in some way?” Henry asked ruefully, rubbing at his bruised shin.
“No, I'm so sorry, I honestly didn't mean to kick you.”
“I'm crippled,” Henry announced, seemingly in excruciating pain.
“Is it so bad?” Hyukjae asked worriedly, hoping against hope that Henry was merely feigning the pain.
“How about I kick you in the shin and you find out?” Henry snapped. “And I had ever so many duties today. Now I'll have to hobble about to finish them. Geng, you better start whittling down a peg for my leg, just in case.”
Guilt-stricken, Hyukjae spoke before he could consider his words more carefully. “You ought to rest,” he said hurriedly. “I can do your duties for you today. Just get off your feet, and put some ice on your bruises.”
Henry jumped up, as agile as he ever had been. “Great! Thanks!”
“My word, but Zhoumi is a bad influence,” Shindong sighed, shaking his head.
“What?” Hyukjae stared at Henry, confused.
“I take it I won't need to start whittling?” Hangeng laughed.
“Thanks, Eunhyuk,” Henry leaned over the table and clapped Hyukjae on the back. “You just have to refill all the lamps and trim the wicks, do the long by chron, replace the downhaul on the second and third sail, and don't forget to catch forty winks before you go on middle watch tonight.”
“What just happened?” Hyukjae asked, watching Henry skip away, decidedly not crippled or otherwise disabled.
“Hey, Eunhyuk, want to kick me, too?” Seungjun asked, looking envious.
“All right, everyone stops picking on Eunhyuk now,” Shindong said, clearing the dishes. “It's much too easy, for one.”
“And only I'm allowed to pick on Eunhyuk, for another,” Zhoumi said, grinning. Hyukjae made to kick him properly this time, but Zhoumi stopped him, squeezing his thigh with one hand. “Now, now, I'm scouring the bilge today. I'm quite sure you'd rather not add that to the list of things you have to do today.”
At least it was a bright, sunny morning, and although it never became warm enough for Hyukjae to discard his coat, he was not trembling from the cold. It took him the better part of the morning to replace both downhauls, and he had the sneaking suspicion that it would have taken Henry about half as much time. Still, he felt an unmistakable sense of accomplishment staring up at the thick new ropes that he felt was markedly stronger than any he'd ever felt living a life of idle luxury.
That sense of accomplishment quickly dwindled as he tried to do the noon sight. He vaguely remembered Siwon explaining the importance of being as precise as possible given the inaccuracy of a running fix, but the sun was approaching its peak in the sky much quicker than he could work out sextant angles, true zenith distances, declinations and an azimuth. He was just beginning to panic when a soothing hand laid square across his back.
“Go lunch with the others, I will take the noon sight,” Hangeng said, reaching down to relieve Hyukjae of his pencil and his notepaper full of incomprehensible scribblings.
“I can't make head or tail of the numbers,” Hyukjae moaned, tugging at his hair. “And the sun keeps moving...”
“It does that, doesn't it?” Hangeng looked up after a minute with no movement from Hyukjae. “Don't worry, I'll have our position in minutes.”
“Of course,” Hyukjae said miserably. “You would.”
He was drooping by nightfall, barely able to keep his eyes open. He had made the mistake of letting the children play with the lengths of uncut wick while he was refilling a lamp, and the chase to retrieve them had taken over an hour and had spanned the entire length of the ship, thrice.
“Coffee?” Shindong asked, holding a cup under Hyukjae's nose as he rested with his cheek flat against the table.
“Too bitter,” Hyukjae groaned, pushing himself up. He ran his fingers over his cheek and groaned again, feeling the indentations the slats of wood had made on his face.
“It's all right, it's dark, no one will see it,” Shindong said sympathetically. The ship's bell tolled overhead and Hyukjae groaned for the third time, burying his face in his arms.
“I'm too tired! It's unchristian to be awake this late!”
“What rot. Go on,” Shindong pulled him to his feet. “A watch is very serious business, especially when we are approaching uncharted territory. We might drift into the shallows and get grounded, or worse. Keep your eyes peeled, now.”
“But I'm tired,” Hyukjae mumbled in a small voice once Shindong pushed him out on the deck. He sighed and looked around the empty deck, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone who would be willing to keep him company on his watch. Where was Zhoumi and his knack for appearing out of thin air now? Abandoned in his darkest hour. With a sigh, he began to scale the foremast, taking extra care to be sure of his footing.
It was another cold night in a series of very cold nights, and Hyukjae's eyes watered as he was buffeted by a chilling wind. Crouching under the railing of the crow's nest was hardly a solution, given that he was supposed to be watching, not huddling, but there was nothing in sight but water, water for miles and miles, so he gave into temptation, sinking to the floor with his back to the mast. He ached to stretch out on land, to find a warm fireplace, a warm boiler room, a warm something, anything, really.
He must have fallen asleep, for he felt warmer than he had all day. There was movement beside him, Donghae, perhaps, sneaking into his bed again. What was that digging into his back? And why did he feel so cramped? Frowning, he tried to roll over in his bed, only to remember much too late that he was not in his bed, but somewhere situated very far from what passed for level ground in the middle of the ocean. He windmilled his arms, convinced he was falling through the air.
“It's all right, I've got you.”
Hyukjae froze and opened his eyes, aware of hands on his arms. He stared up at Siwon and felt a familiar heat spread across his cheeks with the realisation that he had made a fool of himself in front of the captain yet again.
“I fell asleep,” he said, staring up at Siwon.
“Yes.” Siwon released Hyukjae's arms and reached into his pocket for a handkerchief - a plain one this time. “Here. You have a little...” He gestured to the side of his mouth and tactfully averted his gaze as Hyukjae quickly wiped at the drool on the sides of his mouth.
“You must think I'm a complete halfwit,” he mumbled, wishing the ocean would rise up and swallow him whole.
“Why would I think it?”
“I make a mess of everything I do. I fell asleep on watch.” Hyukjae sighed, fiddling with the hem of the coat around his shoulders. “I must be the worst sailor in the entire history of sailing.” He frowned, glancing down at the cloth between his fingers. “This isn't even my coat.”
“It's mine,” Siwon said, reaching forward to tuck it more firmly around Hyukjae's shoulders. “I thought you looked a little cold. And you aren't the worst sailor. You're not even a very bad one, really.”
“Aren't I?” Hyukjae asked. “Name a chore I've done right.”
“You replaced the downhauls today. It was an impressive job.”
Hyukjae gaped at Siwon. “You were watching?”
Siwon cleared his throat and stood up, gazing out toward the sea. “I needed to speak to Henry, but I found you in his stead. You seemed so determined, I did not wish to break your concentration.” He glanced down at Hyukjae. “It was good to see you accomplish something on your own.”
Hyukjae sighed. “Rare as it is.”
Siwon chuckled. “Well it is good to see you make a mess of things, too.” Hyukjae opened his mouth, about to make an incoherent splutter, but Siwon continued. “It seems to suit you. It's really rather-”
“Are you-” Hyukjae began, unsure if he was being insulted.
“Endearing,” Siwon finished. “But you are doing your best, and that counts for something on this ship. Keep it up, Mr. Lee.”
“Thank you, I suppose.” Hyukjae leaned back against the mast, wondering if perhaps this was a dream he was having. Had the captain just called him endearing?
“I saw you with the children, as well,” Siwon said after a short silence in which Hyukjae searched his mind for something to break it but failed to come up with anything that did not involve the words 'endearing' or 'winsome'.
“They are so...”
“Energetic?” Siwon supplied.
“That, too.” Hyukjae nodded. Siwon laughed.
“I noticed you were practicing your Mandarin on them.”
“It was an attempt.” Hyukjae shook his head and smiled helplessly. “Something else at which I failed quite miserably today.”
“You called them dirty pigs.”
“Dirty pigs? No, I was telling them to stand still-” Hyukjae narrowed his eyes. “Zhoumi. I'm going to kill him, I truly am. I should know better by now than to trust his nonsense.”
Siwon's fingers, resting just above Hyukjae's eye level, twitched, and he pushed them into his pockets. Hyukjae raised his eyes to Siwon's face.
“You're very close to him, Zhoumi,” Siwon said in carefully measured words.
“I'm not sure I would use the word 'close',” Hyukjae said, wondering why Siwon had started frowning. He probably did not look too fondly on death threats on the members of his crew.
“You seem very comfortable with him.”
“Do I?” Hyukjae had not stopped to consider the semantics of his friendship with Zhoumi. Certainly, he never had trouble thinking of things to say around Zhoumi, but that was because every conversation with Zhoumi was almost like a contest of wits, with Hyukjae lagging one or two steps behind. “I confess, I do argue with him quite a bit. He simply won't leave me be. He's incredibly vexing, I'm not sure if you've noticed.”
Siwon laughed and shrugged, and when his shoulders came down, Hyukjae was pleased to see that they were more relaxed.
“You have another hour of watch,” Siwon said, pulling out his pocket watch and studying the face. “I could stay with you, if you wanted company.”
“I couldn't impose on you like that, Captain,” Hyukjae said quickly. “You need your rest.”
“Are you certain?”
Hyukjae was not, but he didn't think it was proper to seem too eager for the captain to stay. If he had refused Siwon once more, and if Siwon pressed him again, then he could accept Siwon's offer.
“Yes, I feel terrible about taking up your time as it is.”
Siwon nodded. “I'll leave you to your post then, Mr. Lee. Good night.”
“Oh.” Hyukjae felt incredibly cheated. “Yes, good night.”
He watched Siwon make his way down to the deck, with sinking disappointment. If he had only been straightforward, perhaps they would have had more time to speak, and he might have managed to make Siwon explain what he meant by 'endearing'. Hyukjae had never been called 'endearing'. 'Embarrassing', quite often, but never 'endearing'.
“Ho there!” Hyukjae jumped, clutching the side of the railing and leaning over it to stare down at Zhoumi. “How are you faring?”
“Poorly,” Hyukjae called down.
“Would you like some company?” Zhoumi yelled up, cupping his hands around his mouth.
“Not yours, surely,” Hyukjae called back down.
“I bring gifts,” Zhoumi yelled, waving a flask. “Hot cocoa, compliments of Shindong.”
Hyukjae thought he ought to pretend to consider at least, but it was cocoa, and it was hot. “All right, you may come up.”
“How very kind of you,” Zhoumi said, just loud enough so that Hyukjae could hear the mocking tone in his voice. Hyukjae rolled his eyes and refused to watch Zhoumi climb up the mast. He checked the horizon for any sign of other ships or land, but found nothing. Glancing down, he saw Siwon standing at the entrance to the quarters below deck, one hand already on the wooden railing of the stairs. Lifting a hand, Hyukjae made to bid the captain good night once more, but Siwon turned and vanished down below.
“Your hot cocoa, my good sir,” Zhoumi tossed the flask over to him as he swung himself onto the platform of the crow's nest. “I hope I haven't kept you waitng.”
“This is heaven sent,” Hyukjae sighed happily, unscrewing the cap of the flask and pouring himself a capful of the steaming liquid gold. “It smells heavenly.”
“The captain's been here?” Zhoumi asked, taking the flask from him and sipping from the neck.
“You saw us?” Hyukjae asked in lieu of a reply.
“No, I see you have his coat around your shoulders.” Zhoumi raised his eyebrows and eyed Hyukjae knowingly. “How romantic.”
“He thought I was cold,” Hyukjae snapped, grateful for the cover of darkness as the tips of his ears grew as warm as the cap in his hand. He had clean forgotten to return Siwon's coat to him. “I don't know what you mean.”
“Of course you don't,” Zhoumi teased.
“Don't make me regret letting you come up here,” Hyukjae warned him. “I haven't even begun to settle the business of your teaching me insults in place of proper Mandarin. I ought to just push you right off.”
“You'd have to repair the Zhoumi-shaped hole in the hull,” Zhoumi laughed, looking down over the deck as though imagining it. “I'm tall, it wouldn't be a small hole.”
“You're incredibly vexing,” Hyukjae grumbled, blowing at his cap to cool the cocoa enough to drink comfortably. “I'm not sure if you've noticed.”
Zhoumi dozed off as the drink dwindled and the night went on, his long body fitted to the curve of the railing. Donghae slept sprawled over the bed, sheets and clothes tangled around his legs. Sungmin slept with his hands folded neatly on his chest, his head tilted just a little to the side. Zhoumi slept on his side, with his long fingers flattened under his head to cushion the hard surface beneath him. Hyukjae wondered how he looked when he slept. Probably ridiculous, with his mouth hanging open and the whites of his eyes showing as his eyelids fluttered while he dreamed. Sighing, he drew Siwon's coat more tightly around himself, turning his head to bury his nose in the lapel. This too, smelt heavenly, like the scent of Siwon's hair when the captain caught him in his arms after yet another stumble.
It smelt like security, Hyukjae thought, before he chastised himself for thinking such a ridiculous thing. Security did not have a smell, it was merely a feeling. He was only associating it with the smell of Siwon's coat because it was Siwon that made him feel safe. Here he was, alone in the world but for a crew of fugitives, friends with a man he ought to know better than to trust, and Siwon made him feel secure. If only he were less tongue-tied around him, Hyukjae might actually be able to thank him one day.
One of the Chinese men came on deck and struck the bell four times, indicating the time. Hyukjae glanced once more out to sea and nodded. The ship had not sunk on his watch - this, too, could be counted a victory.
“Zhoumi, my watch is over. You can return to your cabin, if you'd like,” he said, nudging Zhoumi to wake him up. Zhoumi opened one eye.
“May I come to your cabin?” he asked, voice low and suggestive.
“You most certainly may not,” Hyukjae huffed, carefully judging the distance between one rung on the masthead from another. Descent seemed ever so much more perilous than ascension.
“Your rejection, it breaks my heart,” Zhoumi said, clutching his chest most dramatically.
“Aren't you coming down?” Hyukjae called up when he had safely reached the bottom.
“I have the next watch,” Zhoumi replied, not even bothering to lean over the side of the crow's nest. “What, you didn't think I stayed up just to keep you company, did you?”
“Of course not!” Hyukjae retorted, though he had, and he had also thought that it had been remarkably timely evidence that Zhoumi simply never left him alone.
“Good night!” Zhoumi sang out. Hyukjae imagined him reclining against the mast, ears cocked for his answering call.
“Good night,” he sighed.