Chapter Text
Walking back to the port in the early morning, Yunho could tell how much better Mingi felt after basking in the sunrise. Their talk didn't lift any burdens, but it numbed the pain for a while.
"Do you want to go early morning fishing with me? We can take it back to the apartment and cook it with the leftover rice I bought," Yunho suggested.
Fixing the sliding mask on his face, Mingi nodded excitedly. "I do! Oh, but won't being out be risky for me?"
Yunho hummed thoughtfully, folding his arms over his chest. "Just keep the mask on. We'll be drifting away from the dock for a bit, so nobody should have a good look at your face."
A little bounce took over the prince's steps. "Okay then!"
Their plans were ruined the second they reached the dock. A government patrol had gathered around the fishing boat. Snooping aboard and documenting what they found, the soldiers and officials intended to lock down and seize the vehicle. Yunho halted in his tracks.
Mingi followed his gaze and gasped, "Isn't that our boat? What are they doing?"
"Fuck…" Yunho should've expected this. He noticed that the boat was unregistered when he took it, but that didn't matter then. However, they've been parked here for a few days without any identification.
Of course, someone was going to make a report.
A government truck rolled in with the contraption to lift the boat out of the water. Mingi was ready to rush forward, but Yunho threw his arm out to push him back into hiding. "Don't."
"Then, what do we do?"
Yunho shook his head. "We can't take them on. You'll get exposed, and we're easily outnumbered. Let's just go back for now."
"No fish?" Mingi deflated at the realization.
"Once I get you back, I'll go find something else. Come on," Yunho urged him toward the alley. As they snuck away, he couldn't help but notice the magnificent ship by the dock. A black and white striped flag with a bloody W whipped proudly in the winter wind.
A pirate ship?
Yunho relaxed with his legs propped up on the couch while waiting for Mingi to finish his shower. He absent-mindedly solved his Rubik's cube—the one item he was determined to never pawn. If it came down to it, he would choose Mingi over the geometric toy. Still, he wanted to try everything before giving it up.
The prince walked out of the bathroom shirtless with a towel over his head. Yunho dropped one of his legs so the other could sit beside him. "Dry your hair first."
"You do it," Mingi said.
Putting his Rubik's cube aside, Yunho sat up and scooted closer. He gently rubbed the ragged towel over Mingi's hair. Without fully acknowledging it, he was spoiling the redhead more. Simple tasks that he could complete himself were passed on to Yunho.
Yunho didn't mind; he wanted to take care of Mingi. Even if he acted childish, Yunho thought he deserved it. His true childhood was gruesome. Being loved and catered to were luxuries he should've experienced long ago. Although, Mingi wasn't clued in on the love part.
Once his hair was dried decently enough, Yunho turned him around and opened the current jar of healing balm. Mingi sat on his knees and played with the fabric covering the ravenette's propped leg. He didn't shiver when the cool medicine was massaged into his skin.
"This is our third to last jar, and it's almost empty. Your scars are closing up well, so if we start using smaller doses, we can stretch out the balm for at least a few more months," Yunho said.
"Okay," Mingi nodded. "Yunho, what about the boat? What if we need to leave the island?"
"Tomorrow… I'll go job searching. If I can get some sort of stable income, maybe we won't have to leave for a while."
Mingi frowned, "You said the job market was tricky."
"It is. Unless you go straight to an office job or the military from conformity school, it's incredibly hard to find something decent and hold it down," Yunho said.
"You went to conformity school, didn't you? Show them your certificate."
The ravenette checked Mingi's arms—they didn't need much care anymore. Mingi once said that the scars on his arms were collateral from when the whip would go over his back and occasionally nick his appendages. So, the injuries there weren't as horrendous as the primary victim.
Yunho replied, "I left school early to join the military, so I never graduated. Even if I had a certificate, that would pose a risk if an official were to recognize my name. They don't care about deserters too much, but if they are caught, it's not pretty."
"How ugly?"
Yunho hesitated to answer. "You would be on your own."
Mingi turned around as Yunho closed the jar and put it by his Rubik's cube. Just before the latter could pick up his toy again, he felt Mingi's hand on his knee. Their eyes met.
"That won't work. I need you, Yunho. Promise to be careful tomorrow?"
"I promise."
Satisfied, Mingi let one of his legs hang off the couch. His smile filled the room with light. "Thank you for saving me. I hadn't said it before. You… made me want to live. Thank you for… being my friend."
Yunho blinked dreamily and gulped. A heart attack was impending as he gazed at the gorgeous prince sitting in front of him. That smile was Yunho's smile. He was going to keep it safe and cherished.
Eyeing Mingi's mouth, Yunho let his impulse take over. He tugged on the other's neck and kissed him. Mingi reciprocated at once, his fingers curling. Softness was out of the picture; the interaction was passionate from the start. Yunho's mind blanked as he savored his companion's thick lips.
Yunho ran his free hand around Mingi's bare side. His fingers twitched at the addictive body heat. Leaning back, he pulled Mingi closer. The latter held his balance with a clumsy hand on the edge of the couch cushion, allowing Yunho's tongue to greet his.
They broke away only for Yunho to remove his shirt. Brown and gray orbs cloudy with need, Yunho and Mingi connected again. Yunho laid back against the couch, his head landing on the armrest, and pulled the prince on top of him. Swiping his thumb over Mingi's nipple, he went down to draw circles on the prince's waist.
Yunho poured out every last bit of his emotions into their make-out.
Except that none of it happened.
They were still sitting in the same position. Mingi was still smiling at him, innocent and oblivious. The hot intimacy that had just transpired was nothing more than a daydream for Yunho. He would never be that reckless. He wasn't brave enough.
They were just friends.
And although his heart ached whenever he was physically close to the redhead, Yunho was fine with that. Mingi's safety was more important than Yunho's feelings. Looking at him, it was clear that Mingi had no romantic thoughts about his companion. Every interaction they had was, in his pure mind, a friendly gesture.
Their intimacy was platonic for him.
Yunho sighed inwardly. We don't have time for that anyway. He's got enough to think about.
Patting Mingi's head, Yunho returned the smile. "Thank you, too."
"For what?" Mingi questioned.
"Don't worry about it. Go take a nap. We were up all night," Yunho said sweetly.
Shrugging it off as he typically did, Mingi got up and headed toward the bedroom. He shut the door, and Yunho slumped against the couch with his eyes shut tight.
The bandit blindly reached for his Rubik's cube and fiddled with it for a while. He sought a clear mind after his wild imagination. Forty minutes later, he heard the bedroom door open again. Mingi's head peeked out; he was wearing a sweater now.
"Yuyu…"
Yunho already knew. "Nightmare?"
Mingi nodded. Tossing his toy to the side, Yunho joined him at the door. Admittedly, it felt weird to lay in bed with him after the daydream Yunho just had. Still, he was capable of brushing it off and ignoring it. He didn't want to be awkward.
On the broken mattress, Mingi turned on his side. Yunho automatically splayed his arms, and the prince shuffled over into his embrace. They held hands in the middle. Mingi drifted to sleep, but Yunho stayed alert.
◇◈◆◈◇◈◆◇
The next morning after Yunho returned with a bag of fish cakes for breakfast, they engaged in a sparring match. With Mingi's evolved strength and skill, he put up a good fight. Each time they sparred, the duration would get longer the more he improved.
He blocked most of Yunho's attacks just as the latter blocked his. Sweat dripped down his temples as he closely analyzed his opponent's body language. While Yunho set the foundation, Mingi developed his own style over the months. He practiced alone and displayed his strategies during their one-on-ones. Mingi's primary was a hard-hitting swing of fists, but they experimented with different melee tactics.
Mingi blocked a cross and swooped low for a body shot. Yunho pivoted on his feet, dodging smoothly. Their moves bounced off each other, parry after parry and blow after blow. Three minutes into the second round, Mingi spotted an opening.
With no time to counter, Yunho was knocked back by a hook to the jaw. Mingi instinctively paused in alarm; he was afraid he struck too hard. However, that weakness allowed Yunho to retaliate with a clean throttle. He weaved around and locked the other in place. The prince choked in surprise and tapped the bandit's arm three times.
"Damn," Mingi gasped, stepping away to recover.
Yunho rubbed his sore jaw. "You've gotten even better. You may surpass me soon. I almost want to teach you how to use a sword next."
Mingi shook his head. "You said no before. Anyway, swords are annoying to carry around."
"How do you know when I'm the one with the sword?"
"It clanks into stuff."
Yunho tittered, "Whatever."
He angled his head for a bit until he felt it pop. Gingerly looking at the prince, he said, "I'm about to head out for my job hunt. I'll search for a new place to live as well."
Mingi turned to him. "Why?"
"We've been here for a few days. The landlord will notice that someone's been using the utilities."
"But the lights don't even work," Mingi argued.
"The water and the gas stove do." Yunho ran a hand through his hair and shrugged on his coat. "I'll be back in a few hours."
He didn't even make it past the couch. Heavy pounding on the door startled the pair. Yunho held a finger to his lips as a signal to stay quiet. He gripped his sword hilt by his hip, listening cautiously for danger. Mingi's blood iced over; he was frozen in place.
The banging got more violent. Yunho silently instructed Mingi to grab his coat and hide in the other room, but the latter couldn't move fast enough. Giving up on waiting, whoever was on the other side kicked the door in. Mingi nearly shouted in shock.
Soldiers blazed inside while the government official who owned the building stood in the back. "Time's up, you filthy squatters!"
"Is that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" a female soldier blurted, gawking shamelessly at Mingi.
The redhead shook his head aggressively. "No!"
"How did the missing Crown Prince end up here?" someone else said. All around, the soldiers focused on Mingi's face to be certain. Just like Yunho, they were all trained to recognize the royals at a glance.
Yunho unsheathed his sword and yelled, "Mingi, grab our bag!"
When they saw the prince sprinting for the bedroom, the soldiers naturally gravitated toward him. It wasn't about catching squatters anymore. They had hit a gold mine.
Except that gold mine had a fierce guardian. Yunho launched himself in the way. As well as his regular protection, he had to buy time for Mingi to pack everything up. Not that there was much of anything to grab, but he knew the prince would be clumsier in his fearful panic.
The government official cowered outside the door while Yunho took on a squadron by himself. On the other side of the wall, Mingi hastily stuffed his medicine and toiletries into the large bag. Glancing around anxiously, he eyed Yunho's geometric trinket. He tripped on the leg of the bed to get to it.
The bandit was expertly holding his own. When an enemy pulled a gun from their holster, Yunho parried another's blade and snatched it from their hand just in time to block a bullet. He dodged another one, but the sound of gunfire jolted Mingi.
Slinging the bag over his body, the redhead dashed out worriedly. "Yunho!"
Yunho stabbed the female soldier right through the ribs and drew back. A bullet whizzed right by his face. "Come on!"
Weaving around the persistent obstacles, they pushed past the government official and booked it down the hall. The surviving soldiers raced after them.
◇◈◆◈◇◈◆◇
The friends barreled through the streets, alerting the citizens and inciting public panic. The soldiers notified any comrades they passed, and more joined the chase. Guns were fired into the air in an effort to scare the fugitives into submission, but no bullets could be aimed directly with the Crown Prince sticking close to the other one.
Mingi uttered inaudible apologies to anyone they bumped into. Since he had gotten used to carrying the bag a long time ago—and it wasn't as full due to Yunho's pawn shop visit—he managed to keep up well with the bandit. He had learned to take less timid strides, making proper use of his long legs. He didn't know where their marathon would end. As always, he let Yunho guide him.
The ravenette sheathed his sword to avoid any accidents. Holding it out while running could lead to bigger trouble. By instinct, he paved the way toward the port. Only after arriving did he remember they no longer had a boat.
Sweating despite the freezing weather, Mingi winced at a bruise forming on his shoulder. He had slammed into a stall a bit too hard along the way. "What do we do? They'll catch up in a few seconds!"
Yunho gritted his teeth uncertainly. He didn't know either. Perhaps they could bolt around the corner and hide, waiting for an opportunity to slip back into the woods. No, it's way too cold. We won't survive out there long.
In a moment of negligence, he had allowed them to be cornered. Soldiers were on their heels. The weather wasn't right for outdoor survival, and their boat had been seized, leaving them stranded on the dock. Damn, think Yunho! His brown eyes scoured for anything at all that could save them.
Then, he saw that fantastic pirate ship again. Deckhands wrapped in multiple layers scurried amidship to complete their tasks. A wooden plank forged a bridge between the ship deck and the dock. It was a reckless idea, but they didn't have time to be thoughtful.
Taking Mingi's freezing hand into his own, Yunho ran for the grand sea vessel. The pirates watched them apprehensively. Confusion and mild hostility bubbled around the deck, all directed at the strangers.
At the stern, a young blond man and an older woman with light brown hair and gray streaks paused their conversation to check the commotion. The man furrowed his brows and fixed his black hat as he hopped down the stairs.
"Who are you?"
Yunho and Mingi stood sheepishly before him. How were they meant to answer?
Mingi could see the soldiers invading the dock. Anxiety peaking, he squeezed Yunho's hand and hit his shoulder for attention. "Yunho, look!"
All three glared at the approaching militants. The blond scrutinized the body language of the two strangers. Clearly, they were on the run; the soldiers were looking for them. Severe layers of terror unfurled under the blond man's keen eye.
Poking his inner cheek with his tongue, he beckoned them with his hand toward a door. "Come with me."
Anything to stay out of sight, Yunho steeled his nerves and tugged Mingi down the stairs revealed by the open door. The older woman, who had been watching, issued an order to the deckhands, "Reel in the plank!"
On the second level of the ship, Yunho and Mingi were led to a lounge room. Several vibrant and dark-toned sofas filled the space. A fridge sat against the back wall, and game tables were scattered around. Based on the warmth in the air, the ship had heating systems. About twenty people were enjoying the leisure until the blond entered. They all paused to greet him.
"Have a seat," he gestured to one of the sofa sets. The woman from before joined a moment later, sitting beside him on a sectional.
Yunho took the bag from Mingi and sat it by their feet. Trapped in a bubble, the atmosphere was tensely awkward only between the four of them. The others in the room kept to themselves, refraining from eavesdropping. Still, the blond kept his volume low.
"Now, care to explain why you boarded my ship?"
The woman interjected, "Hold on, Hongjoong. Introduce yourself first."
The blond huffed, "Right, sorry. My name is Kim Hongjoong. I'm the captain of this pirate ship, The Wonderland."
Mingi's body tensed naturally. He had only heard awful things about pirates. Of course, it was all hearsay from his mother and staff around the palace. What else did he have to go on, though?
Sensing his unease, Yunho placed a hand on the redhead's thigh and stroked it to calm him down. He said, "I had a feeling."
"Don't be alarmed, please. We're not how you think. I'm the first mate, Nam Hyunyi," the woman said softly.
Hongjoong tilted his head curiously, eyes trained on Mingi. "And you are?"
Yunho deflected, "Look, this was an impulsive mistake. I'm sorry for boarding without permission. However, if you noticed outside, we're not in a good position. Would it be possible for us to tag along to your next destination? We'll get off and never bother you again."
"Based on your behavior, it wasn't a kidnapping," Hongjoong muttered, ignoring the other's plea.
"What?"
Leaning back against the sofa, Hongjoong gestured with his head. "The missing Crown Prince. That's you, isn't it?"
Hyunyi knitted her brows and double-checked. The other two were ready to bolt then, Mingi's eyes trembling. It was natural to be called out; he wasn't wearing his mask, after all. Still, he wasn't anticipating being recognized by a pirate. They spent most of their time at sea to avoid confrontation with the government—it had been like that for seventy years.
"Hey—" Yunho was cut off.
"I have no interest in reporting you before you accuse me." Hongjoong surveyed them closely, almost seeking their souls. "I have a bitter relationship with the government, but I digress. What intrigues me most right now is the prince. Did you run away from home? Is that it?"
Mingi dipped his head and pursed his lips. Yunho was next to him, so it would be fine. Swallowing thickly, he nodded. "Yes. I ran from Seoul Palace," he whispered.
Hyunyi's eyes softened almost nostalgically. She seemed to be remembering something that tugged at her heartstrings. The captain glanced at her with a similar sentiment, but he hid it once he gave his focus back to the strangers.
"Okay. You can stay," he said.
Yunho was skeptical. "Just like that?"
Hongjoong hummed, "Just like that. Why? Do you think I'll surprise you with an attack when you let your guard down?"
"I have no reason to trust you."
"Technically, neither do I."
Yunho sat up straighter. "Then why?"
"Because I can see it."
"See what?" Yunho pressed.
Hongjoong smirked knowingly. "Your desires."
◇◈◆◈◇◈◆◇
The Wonderland had sailed away before the soldiers ever realized that their targets were aboard. Hyunyi had shown Yunho and Mingi to an empty bedroom with two beds. Putting their bag down, they followed her back to the deck. She ensured that Mingi could move without a mask.
Sunrays shined down on the busy pirates, but the winter air was a stronger foe, especially with the sea mist. Moving cargo crates around the bow, a young man with black hair shivered. His teeth chattered, and he rubbed his arms. Looking up at another male with oreo hair who sat atop one of the boxes, he wanted to ask a question.
However, he was distracted by the sight of Hyunyi walking around with guests. "Oh! Miss Hyunyi!"
The elder smiled warmly and walked over, her two shadows close behind. "Too cold to be working cargo, isn't it?"
The young man sniffed with a childish grin and rubbed his red nose. "I'm all right. Who are they? Ah! Is that why everyone was freaking out earlier?"
"Quite so. This is Jeong Yunho and Song Mingi. They'll be joining us indefinitely."
Yunho quirked a brow at that, but he kept quiet about it. Odds were that they'd be here for a while until a better solution came along. He needed to have a further discussion with the captain, but he wanted to make sure Mingi had settled down first.
The sunny pirate waved at them. "Hi, I'm Choi San!" He turned and grabbed the arm of the oreo-haired male and tugged him over. "This is Jung Wooyoung."
Wooyoung scowled and withdrew his arm. "Hello," he offered a polite smile. However, something seemed to be bothering him. He was a bit standoffish.
That changed the second he saw Hongjoong approaching from behind the newcomers. His brown eyes glittered with delight. "Captain!"
Hongjoong nodded as Wooyoung scampered over and latched onto his arm. San's black eyes narrowed sadly, envious of that lovestruck gaze. Hyunyi patted his shoulder consolingly.
"San, why don't you take a break and show our guests around?" she suggested. In the background, Hongjoong lightly retracted from Wooyoung.
San's sunny disposition returned, and he beamed, "Sure! Come on, Mingi!"
He bounced over and gave the redhead a friendly tug. Yunho patted the prince's back and said, "Go on. I'll catch up."
Enthralled by San's cheerful energy, Mingi relaxed and allowed himself to be separated from the ex-soldier. Yunho turned to Hongjoong expectantly. Of course, the blond knew he wanted to expand their conversation from before.
Hongjoong announced, "I'm a bit busy at the moment, but I'll come find you later."
He gestured for his first mate to follow him to the stern where he took up the helm. Yunho and Wooyoung stared at him disconsolately but for completely different reasons.
Fiddling with his Rubik's cube, Yunho explored the lower levels of the ship on his own. He caught a glimpse of Mingi and San in what he could only assume was the kitchen. The redhead was smiling along with the pirate, clearly having calmed his nerves. Yunho enjoyed the sight and chose not to disturb them. If Mingi was making another friend, it would benefit him mentally.
Coming upon a door with the word "workshop" written on it, he grabbed the knob and pushed inside. Shelves cluttered with gadgets, trinkets, and other junk covered the walls. Two large tables were in a similar plight.
Interestingly enough, one of the tables featured a projection computer. The screen buzzed in the air; its contents were almost see-through. Yunho hadn't seen technology since he left the military, but it wasn't as innovative as this. There was a half-built speaker by the wireless keyboard.
The door opened in the back, and Wooyoung entered with a sour mood. "That dumbass San. Why is he always in my kitchen?" he grumbled.
He and Yunho made eye contact, and he snapped, "What are you doing in my workshop?"
"Sorry. I didn't realize it was off-limits," the taller male said.
Wooyoung stomped over. "You don't know it's rude to snoop? If you wanted to explore, you should've gone with the others."
Yunho nodded. While Wooyoung's attitude wasn't pleasant, it would be hypocritical to judge him. Just like Yunho, maybe Wooyoung had a reason to be so curt.
"I'll leave then," Yunho bowed his head apologetically.
Someone knocked on the door, but he didn't wait for an answer; he knew he didn't have to. Hongjoong strolled in, and Wooyoung's mood improved significantly.
"Captain! What's up?" Wooyoung chirped.
Hongjoong pointed at the speaker once he joined them at the workstation. "How's the speaker coming along?"
Once again hooking his arms around the captain, Wooyoung sighed, "It's… coming. I need to tweak it some more, but it should be able to connect to the sound systems around the next island city."
Nodding, Hongjoong looked at Yunho. He noticed the way Yunho's fingers worked around the Rubik's cube naturally. "Hi, Yunho. Not interested in taking a tour?"
"I'd rather speak with you," the ravenette urged.
"Ask away then."
"What's the real reason you let us aboard? What did you mean when you said you saw our desires?" Yunho implored seriously.
The blond hummed thoughtfully. "Exactly what I said. I could look at you both and tell what you desired most. Call it a superpower."
Wooyoung nodded in agreement, his clinginess presumably so normal that it was being ignored. Yunho inhaled deeply as he processed what he heard.
"And what do you think you saw?"
Hongjoong answered without hesitation, "The prince wants to run away and never return. You want to protect him with everything you have."
It was terrifying how exact he was. Yunho furrowed his eyebrows warily, but the captain just shrugged. "I don't know how you two came together or what you've been through, but you clearly care about him a lot."
His eyes landed on the Rubik's cube again, but so did Wooyoung's. The latter gasped, "Did you just solve that thing without even looking at it the whole conversation?"
Yunho glanced down at his completed puzzle. Sure enough, he had been absent-mindedly going through the motions while talking. "It's a habit. I use it to stimulate my brain."
"Interesting," Hongjoong remarked. Putting his free hand on his hip, he offered, "Would you like to become a junior inventor under Wooyoung? I bet you could do more than solve a stupid Rubik's cube."
The chief inventor in question tilted his head curiously. If Hongjoong was offering an official role to Yunho, then…
"What does that mean?" Yunho questioned.
"It means you'll have a crew of about one hundred people who will help you protect the prince at all times. You won't have to worry about his safety anymore," the captain elaborated.
Yunho held his stare and pondered deeply on the proposition.
◇◈◆◈◇◈◆◇
Somewhere else on the ship, there was a room full of filing cabinets. Like an illusory maze, the rows felt overwhelmingly endless. At a desk, stacks of paper resembled skyscrapers. A projection computer displayed digital copies of everything currently on the desk.
An extremely pretty male with black hair walked around a corner and opened a drawer to put away some papers in his arms. By the double doors adjacent to the desk, another ravenette leaned against the wall whistling a delightful tune. There was a pistol holstered on his hip.
Two knocks on the doors disturbed the tranquility. The male at the door said, "Come in."
However, he received a disapproving glare from the other. He shrugged and crossed his arms as the doors opened. Hongjoong brought Yunho and Mingi for a visit.
"Jongho," the blond smiled wryly at the musical ravenette, "you're neglecting your job again."
The gunslinger responded nonchalantly, "San can take care of it."
"I didn't make you the leader of the cargo team so you could loiter in the archive all day," Hongjoong scolded him.
"Do you need something?" Jongho asked, ignoring the comment.
Hongjoong met the hazel eyes of the young man by the filing cabinets. "Yeosang, can you set up records for our recruits?"
"Yes sir," Yeosang agreed, bowing his head without question. Jongho was the one who investigated.
"We have new people?"
Mingi waved at him shyly, sticking close to Yunho. Yeosang put his papers down as neatly as possible and sat at his desk. Tapping around the floating screen, he prepared clean documents.
"I'll start with one. Name?"
Yunho nudged Mingi. "Ah, Song Mingi."
"Birthday?" Yeosang mumbled as he typed.
"August ninth…"
Yunho frowned and lightly held the redhead's arm. "Wait a second. August? We were together by then. Why didn't you tell me about your birthday?"
The prince blurted, "Because I still wanted to die back then."
Everyone in the room froze. His blatant confession created a heavy atmosphere. The captain crossed his arms musingly while Yeosang pouted sympathetically. In the back, Jongho's expression darkened. For whatever reason, that announcement perturbed him the hardest.
Yunho pursed his lips sadly. "Next time, let's do something."
"I've never really celebrated. I couldn't, especially after my dad died. Nobody cared," Mingi murmured honestly. He either forgot about the others in the room, or he didn't care anymore.
Hongjoong chimed, "People care here. That's even more of a reason to celebrate. From now on, look forward to your birthday. Both of you."
Mingi's gray eyes shined hopefully. Can I really? Is it safe to do that?
Yunho watched adoringly as Mingi rolled around on his new bed. It probably wasn't as luxurious as what he had growing up in Seoul Palace, but it was a massive upgrade from grass fields and musty mattresses.
Although it wasn't planned, and he was still unsure about the place, Yunho wondered if he had made a lucky call. Already, Mingi looked so ecstatic. Walking over, Yunho grinned, "Do you like it that much?"
"Totally!" Mingi stopped rolling to look up at the ravenette hovering over him. "Are we really staying here? For how long?"
Yunho sat on the side of the bed. "I don't know. Until they get tired of us, or something better comes along."
"San showed me the storage rooms and the arsenal. There are a whole bunch of cool weapons and space to train. He said he liked martial arts, so we're going to try sparring to compare. Maybe I'll learn something new," Mingi babbled.
His best friend snickered and ruffled his hair. "Really? Good luck. I'm kind of keen on the armory. I wonder what kind of swords they have…"
Mingi reached up to play with Yunho's hair as well. "I heard they have hair dye and other cosmetics. All kinds of things that San wants to show me later. My roots need to be touched up. Yuyu, you would look kinder with brown hair."
"Why do I need to look kind?"
"So you don't scare anyone like you did me. You're not mean anymore, but you may give others the wrong impression."
Yunho smiled. I don't care about them. I only care about you.
"We're not alone anymore," Mingi gushed, "We can make more friends. We can… settle down?"
"Mm. We can." Yunho nodded. "I'll still have to medicate your scars, though. They're almost healed, so might as well use the last of the balm."
Mingi smiled from ear to ear, his teeth showing in his glee. "I know… Hey, I guess pirates aren't that bad. These guys seem nice. Something about them just made me relax almost instantly."
"So, do you think you'll be happy here?"
"Yeah, I do."
And that's all Yunho needed to hear.
Mingi wasn't over his trauma, and Yunho still had a lot to figure out about his new emotions. He was still getting to know his moral conscience. Nevertheless, they had apparently found a place where they could take their time sorting out their mental burdens.
They didn't have to run anymore.
They could find a bit of peace aboard The Wonderland.
So they thought.