1Pirate's Life For Me

By: Demon Hiei's Girl (Demon Usagi)

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Chapter Three

Author's note: I went to McDonald's tonight (7-12-06) and paid $1.92 for a Captain Jack plushie from the Mighty Kid's Meal! It's so cute; it reminds me of the "Cap'n Hiei" and "Chore Boy Yusuke" plushes I mentioned last chapter. Sigh, if only they were real. D:

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Urameshi Yusuke, a one time successful bounty hunter, was captured by his prey, a pirate captain named Jaganshi Hiei who was infamously known as a heartless monster. Yusuke, in order to keep his real career a secret from the cold blooded pirates, agreed to be the ship's chore boy. Naturally, now being part of the crew, Yusuke had no choice but to accompany the pirates when they pillaged random ports and villages. After all, if they left him unguarded on the ship, he may try to escape.

Bui's eyes narrowed suspiciously down at the boy in front of him. He was watching intently as his colleagues plundered random houses and other buildings of sorts. Yusuke's eyes flickered around until they landed on his captain. Hiei was aiming his trademark pistol at the village's mayor, or whatever position the obviously higher up held. Yusuke couldn't hear exactly what Hiei was threatening to the man, but suddenly the greying man smirked, and one of the man's bodyguards (or someone of a similar stature) aimed a larger gun from the distance he was at and ended up nicking Hiei's right hand with a bullet causing Hiei to drop his own weapon with a yelp, and clutching the bleeding hand within his free hand.

"Hiei!" Yusuke shouted, attempting to get closer to the scene, but Bui held him back. The man, Butijiri, laughed maniacally.

"Excellent, Risho! I knew you were the best shot around! Now take off his head!" he shouted so the dark haired soldier who was positioned too far away to do anything but snipe from a distance despite the inconvenient weapon.

Hiei scowled at the elder, pudgy man in front of him. He could sense the tension around him and knew that this "Risho" was going to off him in less than a minute. Gods, how he hated to resort to this...

Hiei looked down. To Yusuke, it seemed like he was admitting his defeat, something very unlike the pirate captain he came to know. He wished he was closer! Yusuke squinted. Hiei's eyes...they looked strange. Before Yusuke's thoughts could process what it was, the pirate's eyes in their entirety glowed in a blueish color. Yusuke was about to comment on it when the blueish glow turned into a reddish glow and an explosion was heard. Risho fell from his perch with a scream. His gun it the floor, and Genkai grabbed it out of the solider's reach. Risho's lower stomach was bleeding out it's contents.

"Dirty tricks will get you no where!" Butijiri threatened, trying to back away. Hiei grabbed the man by his throat using one hand. His eyes, back to their normal, abnormal color were filled with bloodlust.

"Then I'll have to kill you the old fashioned way, without any tricks!"

Butijiri looked like he was about to cry, but kept his brave facade on his sleeve. "You can kill me but you'll never get your pirate scum hands on my fortune!"

"That may have been what I came here for, but now it doesn't matter. You've pissed me off too much today. I'll take your ass as a consolation prize." Hiei glared, tightening his grip. Yusuke broke free of Bui and ran up to Hiei.

"Hiei, don't!" he pleaded, gently putting a hand on the Demon Lord's tense shoulders. "He isn't worth your time."

"Yes, you're right he isn't." Hiei growled, balling up his fist and jabbing it into the elder man's stomach. Butijiri coughed up some blood as Hiei threw him to the floor.

"Come on, Hiei," Yusuke suggested, not wanting to see another person die, no matter how worthless he was. Hiei turned to follow the cabin boy, but changed his mind at the last second, turned around, and harshly kicked Butijiri in very sensitive lower regions. Yusuke winced for the man. Butijiri screamed, then coughed up some remaining blood, then fell unconscious.

"You're brutal, Hiei..." Yusuke flinched as Hiei walked passed him.

"I know."

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After cleaning the deck from the blood that trailed onto the wooden floors from the rowdy pirates' boots, Yusuke fell backwards onto his bed. He exhaled a depressing sigh. Not a second later, he heard the creaking of his door open and his captain walked in slowly, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"Hey, Hiei," the raven haired boy said, wondering what Hiei wanted. Normally, after a good plundering, he kept to himself in his own dorm. Yusuke personally never saw the inside of said captain's room, but could only imagine the contents.

"I'm sorry..." Hiei whispered, back against the door, eyes pointed down. Hiei never apologizes... "...you had to see that."

"See what?" Yusuke said, playing dumb, while in truth he was quiet curious. Hiei walked over and sat on the edge of the boy's bed.

"I'm sure by now you've noticed my eyes aren't a...natural color..." Hiei said, looking down at his hands. Yusuke sat up and scooted so he could sit closer to Hiei.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well..." Hiei trailed off. "Ugh, it's a long story."

"I've got time." Yusuke prodded. Hiei looked up into Yusuke's eyes for a moment before looking down again.

"Well, you see..." Hiei sighed, twiddling his fingers. Suddenly, he stopped and winced down at his dominant hand. A makeshift bandage was wrapped around it, and the wound started bleeding through it. Remembering it was the wound from when Risho shot at Hiei, Yusuke grabbed the hand into his own and unraveled the bandage so he could get a good look at the injury.

"You'll hafta be careful with this or it'll get infected." Yusuke thought out loud.

"Meh, it's no big deal. The bullet only grazed my hand." Hiei replied trying to yank his arm away, but the pain came back and he immediately stopped his resisting. Yusuke sighed again.

"It's your main hand, right? Your dominant one. Come on, Hiei, it's your shooting hand. You won't be half the threat you once were if it becomes a non contender." Yusuke added using his thumb to massage around the wound. "Come on, let's wash it up then put a sturdier bandage on it, 'kay?" Now it was Hiei who sighed. It looks like he recruited a stubborn slave. Rolling his eyes, he got up off the bed and followed Yusuke into the bathroom.

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"Wow, it'll be ready for use again in less than a week!" Bui commented as he changed the bandage around Hiei's appendage. It had been about a week or so since he and Yusuke's almost heart-to-heart.

"It's that boy's doing," Hiei said, admiring his healing hand a Bui wrapped a new layer of bandages around it. "He should have been a doctor instead of some island merchant." Bui scoffed at that, and stood up.

"He should be more concerned with cleaning the deck, not cleaning your wounds, Cap'n."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "He's been rather helpful since he's gotten here, you have to admit that." Bui stomped towards the door despite knowing that his wise captain was correct in his statement. The Urameshi boy was doing his job as well as excelling at it.

"I just don't like 'im." Bui glowered, heading out of the captain's room. He only entered Hiei's room if said man needed assistance; otherwise it was plain suicidal. The captain did enjoy his privacy.

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Stupid Yusuke! Yusuke berated himself silently as he attempted to fall asleep. It was already midnight and getting later with each passing second, and another port was coming up quickly (or so claimed their navigator). Yusuke would need all the rest he could get to clean the soon-to-be-bloody deck and other floors. Yusuke couldn't help but groan, which he did a lot as of lately. I should have let his hand get infected! With a healed hand he'll be harder to turn it! Ugh! I'm such an idiot!

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"Wake up, maggots! We have a town to plunder!" shouted the familiar voice of Genkai, the ship's navigator. The petite woman ran through the halls pounding on each shut bedroom door. Yusuke woke slowly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He hadn't really gotten a lot of sleep... He threw the covers off of himself and started to get dressed. This would be a long day...

Running up to meet his comrades, the men (and women) gathered around their one, true boss.

"Awright, guys. Nothing abnormal about today. Let's just do our job and get back to the boat." Hiei sighed, stretching his muscles.

"But this town looks dangerous..." Suzuki mumbled looking at the unique largeness of the village before them. Normally, the areas around these parts of the waters were more secluded.

"Be ye not lilly-livered, me hearty. 1" Shishiwakamaru, one of Suzuki's personal 'friends' of sorts comforted, patting the blond on his back.

"Hey," Hiei whined glancing toward the blue haired man before him. "Only the captain should use cool pirate talk."

"Grow up, Captain..." Bui sighed, pinching his nose. Yusuke noted the omission of 'cap'n'.

"Arr, what do you mean?" asked Kuwabara Kazuma, who normally hung around the crow's nest. Hiei's blood colored eyes narrowed and he pushed the poor, orange haired man overboard.

"Anyone else wanna try talking cool?" Hiei asked, clenching a fist. He had been in a foul mood since his hand got shot up...

"I did until you did that," Suzuki answered, backing away from the scowling individual in front of him.

The deck was silent until one unidentified trouble maker made a brief "arrgh".

"Suzuki, you're about to join Kuwabara." Hiei twitched, stepping toward the blonde. Suzuki gasped not thinking he'd actually be caught and backed up further.

"No no...it wasn't me! It was...uh...Genkai!" Suzuki fibbed, his back touching the end of the boat; any closer and he would fall out for sure. Genkai rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll take my frustrations out on Genkai." Hiei said, reaching for Genkai's arm. Genkai snorted and reversed Hiei's tug tossing him over the side of the boat in her stead. Yusuke's eyes widened as he heard the splash.

"Cap'n!" Bui shouted, jumping in after him. 2

Genkai noted Yusuke's surprised features. "Heh, just because I obey his leadership under his command doesn't mean I have to put up with his bull." Yusuke chuckled softly. She was a tough lady, he'd give her that.

Not too terribly long later, Bui climbed up the rope the crew threw down for him so he could get back on board. He held an unconscious Kuwabara in his arms. Hiei followed not long after. He glared at Genkai.

"Don't you try that again." Hiei spat, literally, trying to rid his mouth of the disgusting taste of salt water. "And don't touch me again, either." Genkai nodded, but didn't bother to reply.

"Okay, all distractions aside, it's time to actually do a little work, you pussies." Hiei said, trying to rid his jacket of the water is soaked up.

"Arrgh!" the team said in unison, then suddenly stopped to cover their mouths. Hiei rolled his eyes in a similar fashion to Genkai's.

"Never mind, talk however the hell you want. Just get off the fucking boat and do some fucking work. Go, go!" The team obeyed and when the boat hit the coast, began on their tirade.

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Yusuke stayed aboard, now that he was trusted by the crew. Besides, he couldn't leave until he had Hiei's ass to present to Koenma. The crew's trust, however, made little difference. He still needed Hiei's trust. And, as the raven haired man found out, it was harder to get than he anticipated. How long am I going to be on this damn boat? He mentally thought. He didn't really mind, though, not deep down. He kind of liked the risky feeling of being a fugitive although he himself had yet to do any crime. He kind of liked the Black Hell, too. It was a really nifty pirate ship, and it was really nice too, nothing like he expected. He kind of liked the crew as well. They were all nice enough for pirates, and helped him along in his duties. And worst of all, though he would never admit it out loud, he kind of liked Hiei. The man was funny, sarcastic, and a good leader. His whole crew liked him, and trusted him, too. Maybe all that shit about him being an evil heartless monster is nothing more than an exaggeration... He's not a completely bad guy, for a pirate. I mean, he's not unnaturally evil considering his position...NO! NO! NO! Stop thinking like that... I have no time for doubts! This is the bounty of a lifetime!

"Mr. Urameshi," interrupted someone, as if on cue to distract Yusuke from his thoughts. He turned to meet eyes with a still soaked, now awake Kuwabara.

"Hi, Kuwabara." Yusuke acknowledged, locking eyes with the orange haired man of around equal age. "That was a nasty fall," Yusuke teased referring to Kuwabara getting shoved off the boat. "You an' the captain never really got along, huh?" Kuwabara snorted.

"No. I hate working for him. But he saved my life once and forced me to sign a contract. Basically, I'm stuck here for another three years."

"That sucks." Yusuke sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the edge of the boat.

"Eh, it could be worse. A normal pirate would've just offed me." Kazuma admitted warily.

"'Normal'?" Yusuke questioned, cocking a dark eyebrow.

"The captain is anything but normal, Mr. Urameshi. You should have learned that by now."

Yusuke nodded, the man was right. Hiei wasn't the typical pirate he assumed he would be. Kuwabara looked at his accomplice like he could read his mind.

"Don't get me wrong," Kuwabara continued. "The man isn't completely merciless. I've seen him do some cold things...some horrible things..." Kuwabara shivered. "There have times I've been afraid of him and what he could do...Not that I'd tell the bastard to his face."

Yusuke chuckled softly, though the thought of having Hiei come after his own life made Yusuke feel a little fearful himself. The demon lord was carefree and innocent enough around his crew, but in battle he could be heartless and unforgiving...

"...yeah." Yusuke said, though there was nothing really to reply to. Shrugging, he went back to his room for a quick nap before the team returned.

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1. Don't be scared, my friend! I got this from McDonald's from that Jack plush. I told my sister I'd put it in here, so there it is.

2. I know that whole section seems rather silly for this fic, but after the conversation with my sister I had after I got that Jack plush, this idea solidified and I had to put it in here. Though the next chapter promises to be more...serious. Not to spoil anything. :P

Author's note: Well, there's my update! Finally! I really have nothing more to say about this chapter other than there it is. I made some (awful) drawings based on this fic, though. I plan to put them on my profile for your own amusement. You'll probably get a good laugh out of them. Sigh. Haha. Anyways, feedback is welcomed. See you next chapter!