The Otohime's Revenge
Part Five
Saeki had decided, a day or two out from the little port town that Davide assured him was a hub for most activities frowned on by the crown and navy, that he'd volunteer for watching the ship, rather than tag along with Davide and Bane again.
Considering that decision in retrospect, after Yuuta had bumped into him and muttered, "Stick around, you're coming with me tonight," on the way to give his don't-get-into-too-much-trouble-you're-dismissed speech, Saeki decided he should have known better, and bade his notion of a quiet watch farewell.
"What are you waiting for?" Davide asked, after Yuuta had dismissed him.
Saeki shrugged at him and perched himself on a barrel. "What do you think?" he asked.
"An invitation?" Bane hazarded. "If you are—"
Saeki snorted as Davide elbowed Bane in the ribs. "Nice try, but no."
"Bane, you give new meaning the word 'persistent,' don't you?" Yuuta slung an arm over Saeki's shoulder. "Ready for a night of wenching and drinking, Sae?"
"As ready as I ever am," Saeki said, and grinned at the looks that earned him.
Yuuta threw his head back and laughed. "That's my boy," he said, and swept them off the ship while Davide and Bane gaped.
Saeki chuckled himself, until they reached the end of the docks and Yuuta steered them to the right. Then he eyed the row of brothels. "We aren't really going wenching, are we?"
Yuuta's grin got even wider. "Got a special woman for you to meet," he said, hand firm on the back of his neck.
"Bloody hell, Yuuta, I don't want—" he hissed, but Yuuta was propelling him into one of the buildings.
"Just trust me," Yuuta muttered, and then spread his arms wide as a hulking figured bestirred himself from the chair by the door. "Kiriyama, as grim as ever! How're you doing?"
The man grunted. "Turn over your weapons."
"Of course, of course," Yuuta said, more genial than Saeki had ever seen him, and handed over his pistols and cutlass without a complaint. Saeki followed his example, and the guard waved them along. Yuuta grinned, leading Saeki along the dim hallway. "You know, those are the only four words I've ever heard him say?"
"...take it you come here often," Saeki said.
"Every time I'm in port," Yuuta said, opening a door and ushering Saeki into the room beyond.
Saeki cast his eyes over the room, which was busy with men and women in various states of undress, lounging decoratively on pillows or catering to the collection of potential customers. The air was overheated and thick with perfume; he sneezed, and cast a look at Yuuta. "You couldn't have left me on the Heron?"
Yuuta laughed. "Just trust me," he said, quietly.
"Be easier to do if I knew what the hell was going on," Saeki complained, but under his breath as a pair of young men stood, and swooped down on them. "Captain," one purred, taking Yuuta's arm, "it's good to see you again."
The other was prowling around Saeki. "And who have you brought with you?" he asked, trailing a fingertip over Saeki's shoulder.
"He's mine," Yuuta told them, with a smile that was more a baring of his teeth than anything else. "He's here to see the lady with me."
The pair—brothers, or twins maybe, since they looked so much alike—pouted. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather play with us?" they asked.
"Quite sure," Yuuta told them, moving past them, making his way to the bar on the back wall. "Speaking of persistent," he muttered, and raised a hand to the barkeep, signaling for two drinks. "And now, we wait."
"What are we waiting for?" Saeki murmured.
Yuuta grinned. "For the lady to finish whatever she's doing and see us," he said. "Until then, we enjoy the scenery."
"Mm." Saeki accepted his drink—wine, of course—and eyed the circulation of people through the room. He couldn't deny that the scenery was pleasant; apparently Yuuta's taste ran to the high-class. Yuuta himself was watching the room with bright, curious eyes. Saeki sighed, and studied his wine without drinking it, and waited to see what Yuuta was up to now.
Some people had come in, a few others had left, and still more had vanished to another room deeper in the building when the crowd stirred with the entry of a woman, tall and full-figured, with the silk of her gown clinging to every lush curve of her body. She made a beeline straight for them, and when she was in earshot, trilled, "Why, Captain, this is a surprise!"
Yuuta pushed away from the bar, and let her wind her arms around him. "A pleasant surprise, I hope," he purred back, and gave her a lusty kiss.
Saeki drained his glass in one draught, and looked away.
"It's always pleasant to see you," the woman cooed.
"Kind of you to say," Yuuta purred. Saeki barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. "I've brought someone to meet you," he added.
"Oh, well, this is new," she said. Saeki pretended not to notice that she was inspecting him, until she set a finger under his chine and turned his face to hers. "Oh, very nice." She smiled. "Why don't we go upstairs and get acquainted, hm?"
Yuuta's boot came down on his toes before he could say no. "That sounds perfect, doesn't it, Sae?"
"...absolutely charming," he agreed, a trifle weakly, and allowed himself to be shepherded past the envious glances of other patrons, into another hall, and then up a flight of stairs and into a room dominated by a large bed and a great deal of pink. The woman closed and locked the door behind them, and set her hands on her hips. "You are a very hard man to get hold of, Yuuta," she said, crisp.
"I'm just that good," Yuuta said, with a grin. He perched himself on the bed. "So, tell me what I need to know, Hanamura."
"Don't I always?" she asked, arch, and settled herself on the bed, showing off an impressive amount of leg in the process. "Suppose you introduce me to your slack-jawed friend, first?"
Saeki snapped his mouth shut, belatedly, as Yuuta snickered. "This is Saeki Koujirou. Sae, this is Hanamura, madam and one of the best damn spies I've had the privilege of knowing."
"Flatterer," she murmured, smiling fondly, before turning a sharp pair of eyes on Saeki. "So this is the one who served with Tachibana?"
"As his first mate," Saeki said, and reminded himself of his manners. "Pleased to meet you."
Hanamura laughed. "So formal. Why don't you come over here and sit by me, honey?" She patted the pillows next to her, inviting.
Saeki crossed his arms. "I'm fine standing, thanks."
"I didn't think strait-laced was your type, Yuuta," she said, with another laugh.
Yuuta leaned back on his hands. "Wasn't aware I had a type." He tipped his head back to look at Saeki. "Sit down, Koujirou. We're going to be here for a while." He grinned. "For business, not pleasure, even. Hanamura isn't going to ravish you."
Hanamura pursed her red-painted lips. "Although I could be persuaded to, if you like."
"Hanamura, I leave Shinjou alone, don't I?" Yuuta asked. "Fair trade."
She pouted. "If you insist. Come here, Saeki. You may as well be comfortable while Yuuta and I talk."
Saeki sat, reluctantly, not sure about how comfortable he would be.
"So, you were saying about getting in touch with me...?"
Hanamura's smile disappeared. "I've been trying to get a messenger through to you for a few weeks now," she said. "Your ship has always been a few steps ahead. Normally I'd be proud of you, but..." She sighed, and drew a knee up, clasping her fingers around it. "You've been marked. Yukimura's after you."
Yuuta sat straight up. "Is it—"
She shook her head. "No. It's not us. Not this time. He's just started asking the right questions. He's a canny bastard, you have to give him that much."
Yuuta was strung as tightly as a bow. "How long now?"
"Just over six weeks, now, that I've known he's been hunting you." Hanamura smiled, although there was no warmth in it. "We can be grateful that he hasn't exposed you. I suppose he wants to be sure no one else gets in the way of his killing you himself."
"Funny, but the feeling is mutual." Yuuta ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck."
Hanamura and Yuuta talked steadily for hours, leaving Saeki little to do but listen to the flow of information and speculation, and the turning over of plans—fascinating to listen to, although he had little to contribute. It left him wondering why Yuuta hadn't left him on the ship, or to go with Davide and Bane.
Cryptic as Yuuta was, there was no telling why.
At last, Yuuta settled back on his hands. "That's as good as we can do, I suppose," he said. "I should make simpler plans."
"You wouldn't be who you are if you did," Hanamura said, and her smile was crooked. "Was that a hint that we should move from business to pleasure, Captain?"
Saeki looked up from the pattern he had been tracing out on the bedspread in time to catch the glance Yuuta tossed in his direction. "No," Yuuta said, "we should probably get back to the Heron and turn in."
"Are you sure?" Hanamura purred, leaning forward. Saeki carefully averted his eyes from the creamy expanse of her breasts. "I'm sure that between the two of us, we can get Saeki to loosen up a bit."
"That's assuming that he wants to be loosened up," Yuuta said, dry.
Hanamura's sigh was filled with regret. "Pity."
Saeki shrugged at her, awkward. "...sorry?"
She chuckled. "Oh, don't be. I can see when it's a lost cause." She waved a languid hand. "But I'm sure Yuuta didn't bring you here just to tease you. Do you have people you'd like to have notified, if the worst should happen? If you have a letter written, I can see to it that it gets to them."
"I... thank you," Saeki told her. "I appreciate the offer." Given how likely the worst was...
"Thank you, Hanamura," Yuuta said, and slid off the bed. "Ready, Sae?"
"Yes," Saeki said, not without some relief to be going, finally, and stood.
"All right, if you insist on not staying," Hanamura sighed. She rose to her feet, and set her hands on Yuuta's shoulders. "You take care of yourself out there," she murmured, and kissed his forehead.
"I always do," he said, shrugging.
"I know. And as for you..." Hanamura rounded on Saeki. "Make sure he stays out of trouble."
Saeki snorted. "Is there anyone who can do that?"
Hanamura smiled. "Oh, probably. If they worked at it." Her eyes lit with a spark of wickedness. "Now, about my fee for this evening..."
Saeki blinked, while Yuuta echoed her. "Your... fee?"
"Yes, my fee," Hanamura murmured. "Did you think you were going to take all of my time and not compensate me, Captain? For shame."
"Hanamura—" Yuuta said, but Hanamura was already winding her arms around Saeki's shoulders, fingers sliding into his hair.
Saeki had just enough time to start to say something—object, perhaps—before Hanamura pulled his face down to hers for a long, thorough kiss that left his knees weak. "Wha—" he said, dazed.
Hanamura's voice was low, pitched for his ears only. "Don't let him tease you too much, honey. And remember that you can always tease him back." And then she was pulling away, fanning herself and smirking at Yuuta. "I do believe that settles us up," she said. "You boys have a good night."
Yuuta led them back downstairs to collect their weapons, and they were halfway back to the Heron before either of them said anything. "That woman can kiss," Saeki offered, eventually, still a little dazed.
"Yeah. She can," Yuuta replied.
They didn't speak again until Yuuta called for Muromachi to let them aboard the ship, and after that all he muttered was a clipped "Good night," as he stalked away.
Muromachi stared after him. "What's got him in a snit?"
Saeki frowned. "That's a good question. Think I'll go find out."
"You have fun with that," Muromachi said, shaking his head.
Saeki shrugged at him, and went after Yuuta, letting himself into Yuuta's cabin without any fanfare. Yuuta didn't look up, even when Saeki closed the door with a thump, and dropped onto the bunk with a sigh. "I can tell you're angry," Saeki announced, "but I am fucked if I can tell why." He bent over, tugging off his boots.
"I'm not angry," Yuuta said, sounding angry.
"The hell you say." Saeki looked at him, sidelong, and padded over. "If this is you not angry, then I'd hate to see what you're like when you are." He rested his hands on Yuuta's shoulders. "Is this about the Rose? Or is it about something stupid, like Hanamura?"
"I would not advise you to let her catch you calling her stupid."
The shoulders under his hands were rock-hard with tension; Saeki dug his thumbs into them, trying to relax them and not finding much success. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."
"Hmph."
Saeki continued to knead Yuuta's shoulders. After a moment, he tried a different tack. "Way I figure it, if anyone ought to be angry, it's me."
"And how do you figure that?"
"Hmm, where should I begin? How about being dragged to a whorehouse without so much as a by-your-leave?" Saeki suggested. "I'm in this as deep as you are, Yuuta, but that doesn't mean I know half of what the hell it is you're doing." He was kneading too roughly; he took a breath and relaxed his hands.
"Did you honestly think I had any other reason to go there?" Yuuta's voice was low.
"How would I know?" Saeki asked him. "You didn't tell me a damn thing about what you were doing. For all I know, you actually prefer women, and I'm just—convenient."
Yuuta went stiff under his hands. "Just convenient."
Saeki dropped his hands. "Never mind."
Yuuta twisted in his chair to look up at him. "Convenient would be my hand and a rag to clean up with," he said, voice still low, and rough. "Convenient would be having just another man in my crew." He stopped. "You're a lot of things, Koujirou, but convenient is not one of them."
"Yeah?" Saeki said. "Then why the hell do you treat me like I am?"
"How do I—" Yuuta began, indignant.
He ran a hand through his hair, and cut Yuuta off. "If you want to take me along with you when you're out gathering information, fine. I'm glad you do. I like thinking that you trust me that much. But when I don't know what you're doing, or why, all I can assume is the worst."
"...the worst," Yuuta repeated.
"Was I supposed to assume that being taken to a brothel, and watching you greet Hanamura so enthusiastically—" and he couldn't quite keep his mouth from twisting at the memory, "—was innocent?"
"In light of what happened after, you were," Yuuta told him.
Saeki took a breath. "Just because it did turn out innocent doesn't mean it didn't—sting." Yuuta stared at him; after a moment, Saeki looked away, crossing his arms. "Go ahead," he sighed. "Tell me I'm an idiot."
"You're not an idiot." Yuuta's voice was quiet. "I took you there because I didn't want you to think I'd go to a whore, Koujirou, and showing is more proof than telling. She's been a contact of mine for a long time, and there were people there who know me, and were watching, and knew to expect me to be enthusiastic. I didn't say anything because I figured you'd realize." He was silent for a moment. "And because I wanted to tease you a little... and... because I wanted to show you off, a little."
He really was an idiot. Both of them were. Saeki unfolded his arms, and gave Yuuta a look, sidelong. "Show me off, huh?"
"A little. Don't go getting a big head about it." Yuuta came to him, and wound his arms around Saeki. "Didn't figure it'd bother you so much. I—"
"Never mind," Saeki said, pulling Yuuta tight against him. "Know what's going on now."
"Good," Yuuta told him. Then he raised his eyebrows. "So you think she can kiss, huh?" He pressed against Saeki, insistently.
Saeki half-smiled, letting Yuuta coax him backwards. "Been a while since I've been kissed like that."
"The hell you say," Yuuta growled, pushing him down onto the bunk.
Saeki grinned up at him. "I do say. Of course, maybe she just kisses so well that I've forgotten."
Yuuta straddled his hips. "Oh? Is that so? Maybe I should remind you."
"Maybe you should," Saeki said, grinning harder, and pulled him down.
"Yeah?" Yuuta breathed, just before his lips touched Saeki's, insistent and coaxing, tongue stroking against his, so slow that it left Saeki breathless. "Remembering anything now?" he asked, breath brushing hot against Saeki's lips.
"Mm." Saeki busied his hands with Yuuta's shirt, seeking the hem and sliding them underneath to stroke warm flesh. "Vaguely."
"'Vaguely,' he says," Yuuta growled. He cupped Saeki's face between broad hands and kissed him again, ruthlessly, tongue twining around his. When he drew back, Saeki found that he was gripping Yuuta's shoulders, fists wound tight in his shirt. Yuuta regarded him for a moment, before his mouth curved up, satisfied. "That's better."
"Sure of yourself, aren't you?" Saeki asked, but he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face, or his hands from coaxing Yuuta's shirt off.
"Most of the time," Yuuta allowed, voice hitching a little as Saeki ran his hands over the heavy muscle of his shoulders and chest, tracing their outlines. "Have plenty of reason to be."
"At least you're honest about it." Saeki smoothed his hands over Yuuta's ribs, letting them drift down to his slim hips, fingers edging under the waistband of his breeches. "Weren't you supposed to be kissing me?"
"Was I?" Yuuta's eyes gleamed. "I must have gotten distracted." He leaned down again, mouth moving slow and sure against Saeki's, until Saeki had forgotten everything but the sleek heat of Yuuta's kiss, and the warm skin under his hands. "Better?" Yuuta murmured, lips grazing along his jaw.
"Much," Saeki told him, running his hands along Yuuta's stomach and undoing his breeches, working them down Yuuta's hips. He stroked his hands back up Yuuta's thighs, slow and deliberate.
Yuuta groaned in his ear when Saeki drew his fingers down his length. "Koujirou..."
"Yeah?" Saeki fondled him, fingers stroking over soft skin, deliberately slow.
Yuuta's teeth closed on his earlobe. "How come," he began, unevenly, gasping as Saeki's thumb stroked over the head of him, "I'm the one barely dressed when you're the one getting seduced?"
Saeki closed his hand around Yuuta, touch turning firm, and he grinned as Yuuta moaned. "I think," he said, savoring the soft sounds Yuuta made against his ear, "that it's because you're the one getting seduced."
"Oh. As long as we have that straight," Yuuta said, arching into his hand. "Fuck, Koujirou...!" He whined a little as Saeki drew his hand away and ran his hands down Yuuta's hips, pushing his breeches the rest of the way down his thighs. "Damn it—"
"Too many clothes," Saeki murmured. "Don't you think?"
"...you might have a point." Yuuta's hands skimmed down his chest, sliding under his shirt and peeling it off in one efficient move. "Was that more like what you were thinking?" he inquired, spreading his hands against Saeki's chest.
"More or less," Saeki agreed, breath catching as Yuuta traced his tongue over one of Saeki's collarbones. "Mm... Yuuta..." He sighed, arching up against the heat of Yuuta's mouth tracking over his chest, breath coming faster against the heat rippling over his skin, and smoothed his hands over Yuuta's thighs, following the shifting muscles over his hips and up the line of his back.
"I thought you were seducing me?" Yuuta's breath whispered across his stomach. He looked up, one eyebrow lifted.
"Didn't want to distract you," Saeki said, with an easy shrug. "You seemed to be doing all right on your own."
"Hmph." Yuuta's tongue squirmed over his stomach, hot and soft enough to almost tickle—and definitely enough to make Saeki's breath catch on a soft oath. "It's a good thing I like cheeky bastards," he said, nipping as Saeki's waist.
"A very good—ah!" Saeki shuddered at the edge of teeth against his skin, all the sharper after the softness of his mouth. "A very good thing," he finished, raggedly, and set his hands on Yuuta's shoulders. "Stop teasing and fuck me, Yuuta."
Yuuta laughed. "And people accuse me of being impatient." Yuuta wriggled over him, kicking his breeches the rest of the way off, and leaned over him, kissing him again while his fingers worked at the fastenings of Saeki's breeches.
"I think I've been plenty patient," Saeki murmured, stroking Yuuta's back. His breath hitched as Yuuta's hand ghosted over him. "Yuuta."
Yuuta chuckled, dark. "So be just a little more patient," he said, hooking his fingers in Saeki's waistband and coaxing his breeches down. When Saeki was completely bare, he sat back on his heels, looking at Saeki for a moment, expression unreadable.
"What?" Saeki asked.
Yuuta's smile was lopsided. "I'll tell you later." He rested his hands on Saeki's legs, stroking up them slowly. Saeki spread them wider against the mattress, breath catching at the rasp of calloused fingers over his thighs.
"That just means—" Saeki gasped, voice choked off by the raw heat of Yuuta's fingers closing around him. "Sounds like an excuse not to tell," he tried again, breathing raggedly, hips lifting into the slow touch.
"Would I do something like that?" Yuuta murmured, silky and innocent. Before Saeki could put together an answer, he leaned down and stroked his mouth over Saeki's length.
Saeki moaned, hands catching at the bedclothes and the solid bulk of Yuuta's shoulders as liquid heat lapped over him, stealing his breath and his words. "Ah!" He stared at the timbers above the bunk, not really seeing them, as Yuuta's mouth danced over him, hot and clever and just as wicked as the rest of him. "Oh God... God, Yuuta..."
"You like that, Koujirou?" Yuuta's lips were soft, brushing against him, delicate and teasing.
Saeki gathered enough of his wits together to lift his head and give Yuuta a look of flat disbelief. "No, I hate it," he growled. "What do you think?"
Yuuta laughed. "Just making sure." He ran his palms over Saeki's thighs and lowered his mouth again, lapping at the head of him, deliberately slow and soft.
Saeki let his head fall back against the pillows as he moaned, gasping for breath as the heat wound around him, so slow and gentle that it built without offering release. "God, Yuuta, stop teasing," he whispered, hips lifting off the bed, seeking more. He groaned when Yuuta pressed them back down. "Yuuta, please."
"All right." Yuuta reached away from him, digging through the rumple of blankets for the little jar of balm. "Didn't think I'd ever meet anyone less patient than me."
Saeki narrowed a half-hearted glare at him. "See how patient you'd be, if we switched."
Yuuta grinned at him and didn't answer as he found the jar and twisted it open. "Running low," he noted, entirely too cheerful and unhurried, as the tang of herbs cut through the air.
"So we'll go shopping tomorrow. Yuuta—ah!" Yuuta's fingers closed around him, slick and hot, and he moaned, eyes squeezing shut at the wash of firm pleasure. "Oh God!"
"I could watch you for hours." Yuuta's tone was still conversational, but threaded through with a note of husky desire. "The sounds you make. The expressions on your face." The mattress creaked under them as Yuuta's weight shifted, and he touched soft fingers to Saeki's cheek. "Look at me, Koujirou."
Saeki opened his eyes, moan tapering off into a soft, pleading sound as the slick heat of Yuuta's hand left his cock, and looked.
Yuuta prowled over him, mouth curled in a hungry grin. "That's better," he said, softly, and settled over Saeki's hips, reaching down to guide Saeki into him.
Saeki's breath stopped completely as his hips bucked up into that tight heat, and Yuuta moaned above him, head falling back. "Oh, yes," he gasped, lifting himself and driving himself back down against Saeki's hips. "God, Koujirou!"
"Fuck, Yuuta—" He ran his hands up the straining muscles of Yuuta's thighs and closed his fingers on Yuuta's hips, guiding them down as the wild heat caught him up. "Oh, fuck—"
Yuuta laughed, lean and breathless and golden above him. "That's the idea, yeah," he breathed, and then moaned as Saeki bucked up to meet his hips. "Yes!"
Saeki answered Yuuta's moan with one of his own, hands guiding Yuuta's hips against his, steady and slow, and watched Yuuta's face, open and mobile, every flicker of pleasure showing as it washed over him—transparent here, in this, the way he was nowhere else. "Yuuta," he whispered.
Yuuta looked down, eyes clear and burning. "You, Koujirou," he panted, hands sliding down to cover Saeki's. "Only you have this part of me, I swear!"
Saeki swallowed hard. "Yuuta..." He slid a hand from Yuuta's hip, ghosting his fingertips over Yuuta's stomach, and curled it around Yuuta, slow and sure.
Yuuta groaned at that, a shudder rolling over his body. "Koujirou...!" He arched over Saeki, face gone blank and bright as pleasure took him.
Saeki groaned, hips bucking up against the tightness of Yuuta's body wringing tight around him, caught by the naked pleasure on Yuuta's face, heat plucking at his tight-strung nerves until they came undone and dissolved into his own pleasure.
Yuuta collapsed over him, limp and sweaty and still panting for breath. "You," he repeated, voice barely more than a whisper against Saeki's ear. "Only you, Koujirou."
"Yuuta..." Saeki slid his hands over Yuuta's shoulders, feeling the fine tremors working through his muscles—the aftermath of pleasure, or something else? "Thank you."
"Shouldn't have to thank me for anything," Yuuta muttered, stirring a little. Saeki smoothed his hands over Yuuta's back, and he subsided again, with a short, strained laughed. "Hajime was right. I'm terrible at this."
"Not that terrible." Saeki wrapped his arms around Yuuta. "We're managing all right."
Yuuta snorted. "I'm glad you think so." After a moment, he added, "Are you laughing at me?"
Saeki tried, without much luck, to smother his chuckles. "No."
Yuuta lifted his head to give him a nasty look. "You are such an asshole."
"So're you. Means we match."
"Hmph." Yuuta scowled at him, but settled back down without saying anything else.
Saeki reflected on the pleased gleam that his scowl hadn't quite managed to cover up. After a moment, he said, "Me too."
"Hm?"
"What you said—only me? Only you."
Yuuta was quiet for so long that Saeki began to wonder whether he'd fallen asleep, and if so, how he'd get to the lamp to blow it out without disturbing him. Then Yuuta's arms stole around him, wrapping around Saeki's ribs. "Good," he said, quietly.
There didn't seem to be anything more to say to that, so he snugged his arms more firmly around Yuuta, grinning, and decided that for all he cared, the lamp could burn itself out.
The remainder of their stay in port was hurried; they took on the first cargo Yuuta could find, half a hold of rum, which caused more than a few raised eyebrows among the rest of the crew. They were too disciplined to ask any questions while in port; Saeki just wondered how many hours they'd be at sea again before the questions started. Before they set sail, he stole a few minutes, and a sheet of Yuuta's parchment, to write a few lines to his family—only a few lines, because there was too much to say and not enough of the right words to say them—and took the letter along when they went to visit Hanamura again to give her an update on the Heron's course.
The morning after—the fifth since they dropped anchor—they set sail again.
"So what's going on?" Sengoku asked, halfway through the morning, when land had long since fallen beyond the horizon.
Saeki gave him a look. "Why are you asking me?"
"You're in the captain's—" Sengoku paused, delicately. "—pocket all the damn time. If anyone knows, you will."
Saeki rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and if he wanted you to know, he'd have told you already."
"Just a hint?" Sengoku wheedled.
"Did I get any hints when I first came aboard?" Saeki retorted.
Sengoku waved a hand. "That was different. We're crewmates now."
"I'm not going to tell you anything, Sengoku. Bother the captain if you're so hellfire bent on knowing."
Sengoku huffed, annoyed. "Fine, maybe I will." He put his mop down and stalked down the deck, planting himself in front of the quarterdeck. His voice carried clearly as he called up to Yuuta, "What in the hell is going on now, Captain?"
Yuuta looked up, checking the position of the sun. "Not even noon yet," he noted. "Hey, Shishido, I win."
"How do I let you talk me into these bets?" Shishido grumbled, digging into a pocket and flipping a few coins at Yuuta.
"You're gullible. It's not a challenge." Yuuta made the coins vanish, and sauntered over to the edge of the quarterdeck to look down at Sengoku. "The answer to your question, Sengoku, is that we're being hunted. Yukimura's onto us."
Saeki had only seen Sengoku without a smile once before—and that had been when he'd made the mistake of trying to attack Sengoku's captain. He wasn't smiling now, either. "Onto us? Did someone—"
"Not this time," Yuuta said, and his crew relaxed. Yuuta lifted a shoulder. "No, it seems like Yukimura finally learned to do his math." He spread his hands. "Our cover's shot, so this is gonna be our last run, boys. I trust I don't have to ask you to make it a good one?" He grinned at the ragged cheer that went up. "Didn't think so. Now get back to work."
"Why," Saeki asked Davide later, "is everyone so worried about being compromised?"
Davide sucked on his teeth. "It's what happened to Mizuki," he said, finally. "Someone turned. Went over to the other side, and sold him and the Mercury out." He scowled. "One of Mizuki's new protégés, way I heard it."
"...beg pardon?" Saeki asked.
"Mizuki was—hm. Half-spy, and half-teacher. He'd take on a few men and train them, and then set them to work." Davide scratched his jaw. "Where I got my start. The captain, too, except that Mizuki saw that he was... well, you know how the captain is. 'S how the captain got a ship of his own, because he was too damn stubborn to be anything but his own man."
Saeki grinned, and added this tidbit to his careful store of information about Yuuta. "I see, now. Makes more sense why everyone worried."
"Yeah. It could happen to us, all too easy." Davide shrugged. "Not that it's going to matter, after we handle the Rose. Sounds like we'll have to find something else to do."
"Something'll come up," Saeki said, vague.
Davide's smile was tilted. "Yeah. Of course it will." He rolled his shoulders. "Until then, it's just a waiting game."
Yuuta had long since blown the lamp out, and his breathing had turned deep and even under Saeki's cheek when Saeki asked his question. "What will you do, if we get out of this alive?" he whispered, not expecting an answer with Yuuta so close to asleep.
"Don't know. Haven't thought that far ahead." Yuuta's voice was furred with sleep, almost dreamy. "You?"
"I don't know either," he confessed.
"You can stay with me. Smuggle rum and hunt pirates together, yeah?" Yuuta rested a hand in his hair, clumsy and heavy. "Like that idea."
"I do too," Saeki murmured.
"'s what we'll do. No pirate anywhere'll be safe." Yuuta sounded content. "So try not to die, okay?"
"Only if you try not to die, either," Saeki told him.
"Too stubborn to die." Yuuta's fingers stroked through his hair. "Go to sleep, Koujirou."
But Saeki didn't, not until long after Yuuta was snoring.
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