Gaara returned to his quarters a few hours later carrying a large platter of food. He was unsure what merfolk ate aside from sailors or even if the creature would want to eat, so he brought a little bit of everything he could find in the galley. As he walked in he was surprised to find the blond in question had moved from the table and was now occupying the bed. The captain blinked at the bundle of blankets and golden hair that peeked out from under the sheets. Silently, he set the silver platter onto the table and approached the sleeping figure wondering if he really crawled to the bed? He supposed the table must have been uncomfortable after laying there for so long.

The redhead turned and took a seat in his chair, picking up a leather bound journal and quill. The only good thing that came from his five years of slavery was that he was forced to learn how to read and write. Their first master was a bookkeeper who put him to work in his library, organizing record books and cleaning. This required some small manner of literary skill which Gaara picked up rather quickly compared to his brother and sister. Considering all things, that old man in his musty shop was the kindest of those darker years as the beatings were few and far in between. Of course it was short lived as the man easily sold them off to pay for some debt a year later. Their second master was a complete nightmare.

The judge who purchased the siblings next was a vile devil parading around in a pious man's clothes. Kankuro was forced to do taxing hard labor under the burning sun and slept in the stables, eating with the livestock. Temari was not allowed to leave the kitchens. She was brutally beaten if she ever spilled, dropped or so much as lightly burned anything and fed table scraps for their four years there. Out of the three, the youngest boy had it the worst. Gaara was never forced to work, or denied meals. He was not given rags to wear or spit upon by the maids and butlers. He had his own room with a view of the city and beautiful outfits made of silks and fine materials. His value was doubled now that he knew how to read and the redhead was given tutors to continue his education. How he would give anything to have been treated like his siblings instead of a doll, slowly becoming a hollow shell of a person.

There were two other young boys his age who lived in the same wing. They were never allowed to speak to each other. Just simple passing glances and small frowns as they were ushered through the hallway onto their next destination. He remembered the young porcelain faces like emotionless masks held in perfect place and always unfaltering. Their presence was much like a ghost, solemn, silent and eerie as their childhood innocence had been long stolen from them ages ago and all that resided was the empty, soulless remnants. In time, the redhead began to reflect that same vacant display as months turned to years and the light in his eyes was easily squandered under the weight of his captivity.

Gaara quickly became one of the judges favorites since he was a 'clever boy with alluring green eyes' according to his master. Never had Gaara wanted you gouge his own eyes out more than that moment of his childhood. Even to this day the man couldn't bear to look himself properly in the mirror, always evading the sight of the emerald color reflected back at him. Disgusted by them since his youth.

Most days the captain could go without memory of his past invading his mind, but there were times when his exhaustion took over and images of those hellish nights forced to spend with the judge suffocated ghosting of hands holding him down, the screams ringing loudly in his ears even after he jolted awake. The trembling he couldn't stop and the cold sweat that penetrated his clothing assaulted him, forcing him to remember should he be so bold to think he could ever forget.

Gaara busied himself most of the time, trying only to sleep on occasion with aid of the doctors concoctions to give him a few prized hours of dreamless sleep. Aside from his siblings, he spoke to no one of his past and if anyone heard him screaming at night they knew better than to bring it up. It had been under better control before Sasori died. After that it became a mess of old nightmares and new as terrors of his life as an adolescent mixed with images of a blood soaked captain he failed to save. Far too much for his subconscious to handle, and far too much for his conscious mind to reason.

The man was deep in thought as he scribbled down notes in his book that he didn't notice dawn creeping up or the that figure in his bed was now awake.

"Is this for me?" A tan hand lifted the cover of the tray of food and the creature sniffed tentatively.

"Ye-" the captain stopped short as the blond stood before him.

His tail was gone. Absent. Missing. Gaara blinked a few times, nearly dropping his journal and inkwell in shock.

"What's wrong?" The merman quirked a brow at the redhead.

"Your tail. It's gone. How? I don't…" Words seemed to fail the usually calm and collected pirate.

"Oh. Merfolk lose their tails when they've been out of water and dried off. I thought humans knew that." Blue eyes inspected a piece of cooked tuna before giving it a small lick.

"You have legs." Gaara continued to gawk at the naked man before him. Sun kissed skin demanded attention as it trailed over muscular calves and thighs which led up to a well defined arse. The captain averted his gaze quickly as the figure turned to face him, mouth stuffed with fish.

"I have legs." He spoke through the half chewed food.

"For what purpose?" The redhead was still having a hard time understanding it.

"Breeding, usually." came a nonchalant response in between bites.

Gaara nearly choked. "What.."

"Breeding. You know, it's when you-"

"I know what breeding is. I'm familiar with it. I was just thinking out loud." The captain quickly cut him off hoping to be spared the details.

"Oh. Well I mean, we don't just lose our tails solely for the purpose of breeding but that's usually the main reason since that's really the only time we go on land." The blond scratched the back of his head as he thought.

Gaara cleared his throat and smoothly recovered. "I see."

"What is this?" The merman picked up a roll from the plate and squished it in his hand.

"Bread." The redhead stared, still slightly bewildered at the creature's state.

He watched the merman take a bite of the dinner roll before spitting it back out and sticking his tongue out in discontent, returning to the fish he had previously been eating. The captain took another glance at the new appendages. The skin was slightly battered much like the tail had been. His eyes followed down towards its feet as he noticed there were many deep cuts that were barely beginning to scar on the top of both feet as well as several toes missing, the amputations looking almost healed for the most part.

"I wasn't aware you had other severe injuries." The man shut his journal and set it to the side.

The creature paused mid chew and looked back with a confused expression. Gaara gestured at the floor where it stood and watched the blue eyes flash with sadness as it understood.

"That was the damaged done to my tail." The voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little. Walking is difficult. It's hard to keep balance."

The captain sighed inwardly, berating himself yet again for his inability to refrain from mercy with this being. "Sit"

The blond hesitated briefly before hobbling over to the bed and taking a seat. Gaara felt the silent gaze on him as he rummaged through a drawer for ointment and bandages. As much as he fought with himself he just could not justify neglecting the creature without an impending sense of guilt that seemed to crush him. Curse that goddamn sliver of a conscience he had.

"I'll send the doctor to take a look at them later today. This will have to do for now." The captain kneeled on the floor and carefully applied the clear paste over the gashes on his feet.

"I know the deal we made means I won't be harmed for now but...why are you being so nice to me?"

Gaara froze, cloth bandage still in his hands. Why was he being so kind? He had no real reason to do so. He was a pirate after all. A cold hearted, lying, thieving, swindling, murderous pirate. He'd never acted this way without an ulterior motive. What made this so different? He frowned and continued again to wrap the bandages around the extremities in silence. The captain felt blue eyes on him as he finished tying off the cloth and released the limbs from his grasp. He turned his head up and allowed his eyes to lock onto the creatures for the first time. It's was a brief second really but Gaara felt like eons has passed before he looked away again and got up from his position on the floor.

"Try to stay off your feet until the doctor comes to check them." The pirate swiftly exited his quarters, locking the door behind him without another word.

X_X_X

"We've got a problem."

"Eh? What's this we business?" Chiyo frowned as Gaara approached her. She was too old for more meddlesome issues.

"The merman has legs." His voice was a low whisper.

"Say again, lad?" Her hearing must be failing her. That can't be right.

"Legs Chiyo. His tail is gone." The redhead repeated himself.

"Have you been drinking?" The old lady tried to assess him. Although the captain hardly drank aboard his ship and reserved it for when they docked, it wouldn't be the first time a drunk pirate came up to her fussing over some nonsense.

The green eyes glared at her before continuing "Apparently they lose their tails when dry."

"How exactly is this my problem then?"

He cleared his throat, indicating he was about to make a request. Well as close to a request as was possible for the pirate. "The injuries to his tail were quite severe. His feet now reflect the large amount of damage to his fin that was shredded."

"All you do is bring me more work." She shook her head in annoyance.

"How do you think I feel about my crew?" He responded dryly.

"Bah! My share of spoils better be doubled for this." The doctor grumbled as she walked away back to her room for supplies. She could feel it in her bones, it was going to be a long week.

X_X_X

Naruto didn't like the old lady too much. She was wobbly and wrinkly and smelled like seaweed. She whacked him with her stick too many times for complaining and moving around too much and she wasn't as gentle as the captain had been when she rewrapped his feet after checking them. He rolled his eyes as she barked at him to stay in bed and not go sauntering about just because he was a fish out of water.

That was hours ago. The sun was beginning to set and the captain hadn't returned. He was beginning to worry that what he had said made the pirate angry. Maybe he shouldn't have questioned it. He never did learn to keep his mouth shut. His mother was always after him for speaking before thinking. A pain in his chest formed when the brief thought of his mom came. How long had it been since he had seen her beautiful firey hair or felt her warm hugs or heard her voice? He began to hum the tune she always sang to him but the melody that normally comforted him left him feeling hollow instead. Naruto rolled over onto his side facing the wall as the tears he had been holding back since he woke up finally escaped. Just this once he allowed himself to succumb to his dismay. He never really broke down after he was captured, too proud to let those monsters see him cry. Now, this first time he had been left alone, his emotional stronghold wavered and crashed down around him. His anxiety creeped out and Naruto was so tired of trying to be strong enough to fight it. He let it overtake him, just this once.

When he woke again the moon was high in the sky and another tray of food had been brought for him. His grumbling stomach was grateful for it as the smell wafted over to him. He slowly moved to the table and sat in the dark wooden chair before uncovering the silver plate. To his delight it was full of squid, oysters and fish, none of that tasteless bread stuff to be found. The merman devoured it enjoying the taste even though it was not fresh like he normally ate it. After his meal he ignored the healers orders in favor of wandering over to the window, looking out at the sea below.

He sighed heavily at the sight. He wondered what his family and friends were doing right now. Were they still looking for him or had it been so long that they have already given up hope? Did they even miss him, did they notice he was gone? He stared down at his injuries again. Did he still have a place in the ocean anymore? There was no way he could out swim a shark or rush to safety in the event of a predator with his injured fin. He had just become a huge liability to everyone he loved. His head hurt from crying so much earlier, there was too much thinking clouding his mind. He turned back to the pile of blankets and burrowed himself in again feeling sadder and more lonely than before.

The next few days passed much the same. Only the old smelly lady came to see him, bringing him a small plate of food when the sun rose and every time he woke in the evening a larger meal would appear on the table. Naruto found himself sleeping a lot, not really wishing to let his mind stray into things that made his heart hurt. Being alone didn't help since there was no distractions and the captain's quarters were not really filled with anything of interest to the blond. Mostly books in a language he couldn't read and maps of lands he didn't know of. No jewels, no gold, no trinkets of far off travels, he found it to be very odd for a pirate to lack such possessions. Naruto had been so desperate for entertainment one day he rummaged through every single shelf and drawer he could find hoping to uncover something to help him escape. Nothing of any value or interest was found. The only thing left alone was a locked chest in the corner of the room.

Part of him wished the captain would come back. He was a much more interesting conversationalist than the woman, even if he didn't always say much. Plus the man didn't hit him with a stick when he complained. The blond wondered if he should send a word of apology with the old lady just in case he did upset the redhead. He didn't mean anything by it, it was just odd that the man's gentle actions didn't match his closed off demeanor. He hoped it didn't effect whatever fate was decided for him. He wrung his hands nervously with the thought as the door was pushed open and a familiar figure shuffled into the room.

"I thought I told you to stay off of those feet, lad. Have you got fish for brains?" She scolded as she set his daily meal onto the table.

He merely shrugged in response as he headed back to sit on the bed so she could check on his stitches. They were ready to come off and the blond was so happy to be rid of the itchy things in his face and body. He let his fingers trace over the raised lines of skin on his cheek, scared to look in the mirror at his face. He frowned when the healer shoved the mirror in his hands with a disapproving glare.

"Go on then. That's gonna be your face from now on so may as well get used to it. Just be glad it wasn't those blue eyes they messed with. That would have been a real shame." She checked the wounds of his feet as Naruto reluctantly stared back at himself in the glass.

He had such a beautiful face. Now there were three lines across each cheek, disfiguring him. He sighed in frustration and put the looking glass back down. He was alone most of the day anyway, he'd have plenty of time to do this later without the old woman to get after him. The thought of having no company yet again made him uneasy. He turned to the healer as he spoke.

"Can you tell him I'm sorry?" His voice was low.

She smacked the outside of his thigh. "Speak up, lad. I don't know what you're mumbling about."

Naruto groaned before repeating himself. "The captain, can you tell him I'm sorry if what I said upset him."

"So you're the reason he's been a moody pain in the arse recently. And what was it that you said to upset him?"

"I just asked him a question. It wasn't even anything offensive." The merman scoffed

The doctor continued to work in silence, brows furrowed in some form of concentration. A slight flash of realization passing before she spoke again. "That man is a mystery sometimes. Nobody understands what's going on in that head of his that makes him act so strangely." She stood up, finished tending to her patient.

"Oh" There was nothing else Naruto could say. It looked like it would be another day of solitude.

"He'll get over it. Just give him some time, he's got a lot on his mind right now."

X_X_X

Just a few more hours and they would arrive at the port, as long as the wind kept its speed. It would be dusk by then and a large portion of his crew would rush to the taverns to drink themselves stupid and Gaara would finally have some damn quiet. Of course he wouldn't be as irked if he had returned to his quarters like he normally did. He frowned, hands gripping the helm as he steered the ship along its course. The captain had purposely avoided his room the entire week. He kept himself busy with other things and tried to ignore the side comments of his men and women murmuring about the excessive amount of work he was doing.

The circles under his eyes were darker than usual and his head ached for no apparent reason other than exhaustion. His sister had interrogated him today demanding to know what was going on. In all honesty Gaara would like to know that himself, he really had no reason to be avoiding the merman in his cabin. Yet he just couldn't bring himself to go back. He still didn't have an answer for the creature, he didn't even have an answer for himself. Thankfully Temari was content with the information about the merman losing its tail and believed that Gaara was simply upset that it ruined his plans for selling it. She shrugged the misfortune off and ordered her brother to get some sleep.

"He says he's sorry."

The sudden voice behind him made the captain whip around, violently pulling him from his thoughts.

"He seems to think that whatever he said made you upset and that's why you haven't returned." The elderly doctor remained unphased by the redheads scowl.

Gaara turned back around and continued to steer in silence. He thought about the golden hair and sad blue eyes locked away in his quarters. He hadn't even decided what he was going to do with the merman since he couldn't sell it. The frown lines on his forehead deepened at the weight of his thoughts. Why was he so worked up about this? Why was he so frustrated by the mermans question? It's true that his deal involved the creature to be taken care of but now that Gaara thought about it all the merman had asked for was to not be harmed. So why did he offer that? Why was this bothering him so much? Probably because he had been ignoring that internal question himself and couldn't understand the root cause of his random merciful actions most of the time and now this being pointed it out to him he just couldn't let it pass anymore.

"Get some rest tonight, lad. It's been over a week since you last slept, you're overdue. I'll prepare some medicine to help you."

Gaara simply nodded and heard her footsteps fade behind him. How he dreaded sleeping, especially when stressed. Thankfully the herbal medication helped ease the terrors and his frail human self needed to sleep at some point. He passed the helm over to Kankuro after a they got close enough to see the island on the horizon and returned to his room for the first time that week.

When he entered his eyes found the pile of blankets that covered the figure he had been evading. The fabric moving steadily with the rhythmic breathing of the creature. Gaara inhaled, trying calm the unrelenting ache in his head. He sat, placing his elbows on the arm rests and gently massaging his temples in hopes that the medicine would arrive soon. The lights of the lanterns on the docks glowed brightly in the haze of dusk as they approached the port and the outline of taverns and brothels came into view when the ship was finally brought into the harbor. He watched out the window as most of his crew trailed onto the wooden dock and disappeared into the various establishments with laughter and enthusiasm. Normally he would join them, lingering in the back of the bar with a few drinks and gambling if he felt particularly rowdy. This time however he was grateful for the quiet and hoped to take this opportunity to sleep without incident.

Movement in his peripheral vision alerted him to the blond waking up. Gaara remained facing the window, legs crossed and relaxed in position not giving off any indication that he noticed the blue eyes staring at him.

"Hi" it's voice was full of sleep.

The captain briefly glanced over, finally setting his sight on the merman before returning them to the window with a slight nod of acknowledgement. There was a few moments of awkward silence before it spoke again.

"Um, so…. I wanted to apologize if what I said made you upset. I didn't mean to be ungrateful or anything. Really I should have just thanked you for going out of your way to heal me and not locking me up or killing me. I guess I was just confused cause the other pirates were nothing like you or the old one and they were really cruel and had a lot of other humans and weird beasts that they were torturing, but you are being kind even though I'm still technically not free. And I know things can be a lot worse so um… what I'm trying to say is ah… thank you." The creature rambled on, laughing nervously as he finished.

The captain finally turned his head and regarded the figure sitting naked in his bed for a moment. "Don't thank me just yet. I still haven't decided what I'm going to do with you. You may regret saying all that."

He watched the ocean eyes dart around the room in anxiety at that statement. It furrowed its brow slightly and responded. "Heh, maybe. Still, you're the kindest human I've encountered so far. It would be rude of me to not be at least a little appreciative regardless of what happens to me in the future."

Gaara said nothing and returned his gaze to look outside once more. The creature followed it and seemed to realize they had stopped at a well known pirates port. It stood and slowly walked over to get a better view.

"So, what happens now?" The slight inflection of the blond's voice hinted at its apprehension.

The captain sighed and stood, opening a drawer to pull out some clothing. "What will happen is, I am going to attempt to sleep and you will make yourself somewhat presentable for my sister who is listening at the door."

"Hurry up, your tea is getting cold." Temari's agitated voice sounded through the wooden entrance once she had been found out.

The redhead handed his trousers and shirt to the merman and watched it hold them up in confusion. Gaara realized the creature was unfamiliar with human clothing and began helping the blond dress.

"Lift up your arms."

The blond complied as the shirt slipped over his head and onto his body.

"Why do I have to wear these?" The merman stepped into the pants and gave the captain a confused look as the fabric was pulled up around his waist.

"Because humans consider nudity immodest and rude, especially in the presence of a woman." Gaara gestured for the now dressed creature to sit in the chair he had previously occupied.

"You don't seem to mind it."

"I am indifferent to many things. My sister is not." The man answered simply before opening the door to let his first mate in.

"Here" she shoved the cup of herbal liquid into his hands as she strode in and cornered the merman sitting by the window.

"Um.. hello?" It shied away as the woman began inspecting and poking at it lightly with her finger.

"Amazing. He really does have legs." She called back to Gaara.

"Ow! Hey, that hurt!" A tan hand swatted her away as she yanked on his bandaged feet roughly.

"Enough Temari. I'm sure he went through enough probing on the serpent ship." He narrowed his eyes in warning as she frowned back at him but obeyed and halted her manhandling.

The captain shrugged out of his coat and hung it on a hook. It had been a while since he had even seen his bed much less slept in it. He kicked off his boots and chugged the lukewarm tea mixture of various foul tasting roots and powders before collapsing into his pillow.

"Sleep, baby brother." He heard his sister lightly whisper as she covered him with a blanket.

He felt his mind start to haze as he took a deep breath, inhaling an unfamiliar scent that clung to his sheets. It enveloped him, lulling him deeper into the nothingness of slumber. His last coherent thought was that he decided he did not unlike the smell that lingered in his bed as sleep overtook him.

X_X_X

"So mermen cannot sing like sirens do?"

"Well, not really. When sirens sing they are able to control humans minds with their songs. Mermen can sing but we are only empaths." Naruto tapped his fingers on his chin as he thought.

The woman, although brash and a tad scary, turned out to be pleasant company. And after an entire week alone the bond was so thankful for the conversation. She proved to be curious about merfolk after some initial cautious questions and once she seemed satisfied that Naruto was not a threat her inquiries multiplied.

"Empath? What do you mean by that?" She quirked a brow.

"We can sense emotions but only in if they are in a concentrated amount, I guess. So usually it's intense feelings that we can pick up on. Mermen are only able to alter emotional states. Ease grief, calm anger, induce joy. Of course there's a limit, it doesn't last forever and we can't use it on ourselves." He explained and rested his head in his hands.

"Oh, interesting." She seemed to be in slight thought before a groan from the bed grabbed her attention.

She glanced out the window at the position of the moon before approaching the sleeping captain. "It's only been about four hours. The doctor didn't make it strong enough, I suppose."

"Why doesn't he sleep normally?" It's was a quiet question. Naruto was afraid it might be overstepping, but he hoped the woman would be more open than the captain.

She sat at the edge of the bed and sighed. "He has had much trouble sleeping for a long time. The doctor has been able to help with it on occasion but sometimes it doesn't work for whatever reason."

It didn't answer his question but he figured she would only continue to evade it so he simply nodded. Another painful moan slipped from the man and his body started to writhe in the sheets, twisting them around his legs in a tangled mess.

"Gaara, wake up." She called his name and gently cupped his cheek.

His hand were balled into fists and his shirt was drenched with sweat as she worked to pull off the blanket. "Gaara, it's me. Wake up."

She began to jostle his shoulders and tap on his chest rapidly. He gave no indication that he heard her as his moaning quickly turned to cries and short screams. His irregular gasps for air in between outcries indicated his sudden spike of distress. The woman worked hastily to stir the captain out of his sleep but was unable to disturb his trance.

Naruto took a tentative step back, a heavy sense of dread welling in the pit of his stomach. He had very well sensed an ominous force in the Hebi captain and its crew the minute he was caught but it was nothing compared so the dark emptiness that resided in the man thrashing about. It had been hidden so well, perfectly contained inside him. Now it sprung free, seeming to want to swallow the captain whole.

"Damn it Gaara!" Temari struck her brothers face with the open palm of her hand.

The resounding slap rung in the merman's ears. Hypnotic green eyes shot open as a pale hand forcefully dashed out to grab the woman by her face. The movements were faster than lightning and Temari was forcefully slammed back into the wall, the redhead holding her aloft as his fingers squeezed her by the throat. His wrathful gaze was unseeing, he was acting subconsciously trying to fight off whatever demons plagued his mind.

"Gaara-.." the first mate had trouble choking out words as her windpipe was being crushed. "Wake...up"

Naruto gasped in surprise at the sudden assault, mind reeling around the large amount of emotions both humans were now eliciting. Fear, confusion, sorrow, anger, they all hit him like a wave and tossing him about in a raging sea.

The women's pleading teal eyes caught the blond, a request for help. "Sing..." Her choked voice rasped out as she tried to kick at the captain.

His mouth trembled as his vision blurred with overwhelming tears. His throat was dry as the first few words tumbled from his lips in a stuttered catastrophe. His words were turning to ash in his mouth. He couldn't do it, his voice was failing him.

He ran, grabbing at the bucket of water that had been brought for washing. The merman threw it at the man, soaking his hands in the process. "Stop it!" Naruto had managed to shout as the cold liquid drenched both siblings.

Emerald eyes blinked slowly, taking in his sister in his grasp. He immediately released her and watched her passively as she slid to the floor. Once he realized what he had done he dropped to his knees.

"Temari, are you alright?"

She massaged her neck gingerly, offering a smile to her brother before responding. "I'll survive."

"I'm sorry." The captain looked away ashamed.

"Gaara, I've wrestled you to the ground and kicked you in the balls during an episode before. I hardly think this warrants any offense on my part." She mustered a laugh, trying to lighten her brothers spirits.

"Maybe Kankuro should watch over me from now on." He reached out a hand and helped her to stand.

"Ha! You'd both end up killing each other." She snorted.

Naruto watched their interaction from the floor as his tail had sprouted again from the splash of the bucket and rendered him unable to walk for the moment. He felt the emotion from before fade away as the captain had regained his right state of mind. All he felt was worry from the woman, but the man became the impassive figure from before. Regaining control and carefully hiding anything, placing it back under lock and key.

"I'm getting harder to wake. I may end up killing you one of these days." He spoke bluntly.

She shook her head, refusing to accept his words. "We'll figure something out. I'll let the doctor know you are awake. She can make another-"

"No. It's fine. I've had enough sleep." The redhead had cut her off.

"Gaara…"

"It's fine. I'll be alright for a few days." His words were almost reassuring if they weren't laced with a warning in its tone.

She grunted in exasperation but didn't argue it further. "I still need to let the old woman know. Are you alright if I go to her? I could send Kankuro in…"

He gave her an impatient look that made the woman roll her eyes as she got up and left. The captain watched her exit and turned to the creature on the floor only after they were alone.

"I'm guessing the reason why my sister is still alive is because of you." He spoke calmly as he crouched down to speak to Naruto.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. You wouldn't wake up so I threw a bucket of water at you." He swallowed around the lump in his throat that had begun to form.

The man moved in his silent and gentle way that the merman had begun to miss over the days of solitude. The captain lifted him from the wooden surface and set him down to a sitting position on the bed. He grabbed the sheets that had become crumpled hanging off the edge of the mattress and used them to dry off the blond. Naruto's breath hitched as pale hands grabbed for his and began wiping at the droplets that scattered on his forearms and fingers.

"Are you afraid of me now." The man never halted as he continued to absorb the water with the material.

Naruto looked away, silently remembering the terror radiating from the human just moments ago. "No."

The redhead raised a brow in slight surprise. "Why not?"

"Because you're more afraid of yourself than I could ever be. I think that'll suffice for the both of us." He smiled at the intrigued look that briefly passed the man's face.

The captain scoffed slightly and stood, pulling his wet shirt over his head. The fabric fell to the floor with a slight squelch as he searched for another. The blond curiously eyed the lean human figure as he waited for his own legs to return. He turned his face to stare at his tail instead, not wanting to be caught gaping at the captain and save him the embarrassment.

Any minute now his feet would return and he wouldn't have to see his sorry excuse of a fin anymore. Any minute and he could wobble over to the window and stare at all the humans with their bad singing and slurred speech, stumbling over themselves to follow women in odd clothing. Anything to distract him from asking the pirate intrusive questions that burned in his head, risking putting him off which would leave Naruto alone again.

"You have questions." The statement was emotionless.

Naruto looked up as the man was now dressed and stood by the glass that gave him a view of the port down below.

"It seems like a private matter." The blond answered and wiggled his toes slowly as his tail had disappeared yet again.

There was silence that stretched out between them. Naruto wasn't sure if that meant he should ask anyway. He studied the face of the man, but the mask had been set back in its place. Never cracking or yielding to whatever thoughts swam in the pirates head. He took a breath and spoke knowing the man wouldn't answer if he didn't feel like it.

"Why can't you sleep normally?"

He wasn't sure how many minutes passed before the captain turned, facing Naruto with a familiar guarded expression.

"Ghosts." The one worded answer was enough to allow the blond to begin to piece it together.

"You are haunted by the shadows of men?" Blue eyes reflected a silent understanding.

The captain kept his attention on the merman in his bed, no indication that he was going to speak.

"Why won't they leave you alone?" The blond had heard stories of humans and their specters that stayed tied to the living and haunted their every move, but usually it was because of guilt or vengeance that they lingered. He had not sense any of those earlier when the man had lost control.

"I won't let them go" the man's voice was low and steady.

Naruto was uncertain if he should continue to ask. He spoke despite himself. "Why not?"

"Because they made me who I am. I am nothing without them."

The creature watched the pirate soundlessly exit the room, leaving him alone once more.