Title: Zephyr's Breath
Author: AoiTsukikage
Rating: PG-13 for now
Characters/Pairing: Finn/Kurt, minor Blaine/Sam
Chapter: 4/?
Word Count: 3268
Spoilers: Let's say everything to be safe :)
Summary/Warnings: Kurt Hummel is the captain of a feared pirate ship, the Zephyr's Breath, but everything changes when he finds a young man who is the sole survivor of a shipwreck.
Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own these characters, no matter how sad that makes me. I do, however, promise to return them when I'm done with them. :)

Zephyr's Breath

Chapter Four

"Kurt," he felt somebody shaking his shoulder and groaned, opening his eyes and staring right into Finn's still-sleeping face.

Well.

He turned around abruptly, making sure to keep Finn's arm secure about his waist, and focussed blearily on Santana. "Yes?"

"You'll want to come see this," she swallowed heavily, looking a little cautious. "We think…it's another burned-out ship…"

"The Raven?" Kurt was wide awake, prying Finn's arm off and hopping out of bed. "Finn!"

Finn grunted something in response as Santana thumped him none-too-gently on the shoulder. "Get up!"

"What is it?" Finn finally asked, opening his eyes.

"A shipwreck that sounds suspiciously like what happened to the ship you were on. You don't need to come up if you don't wish to," Kurt told him, remembering how Finn had reacted to the last one.

"No, I…I think I'll be fine," Finn swung his legs out of the bed and stood up, moving toward the door.

"How bad is it?" Kurt asked Santana, who shrugged.

"We're not quite upon it, yet; just pieces of driftwood and a few personal possessions at the moment. But I fear that when we stumble upon the ship itself…"

"Of course," Kurt sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "And without our mainsail it will take us much longer than usual to pass the wreckage, meaning that whatever foul odour from…was it burned?"

"Looks to be."

"That whatever foul odour from the…the bodies…will likely be lingering in the air for a good many hours once we come upon the shipwreck itself," Kurt sighed and put a hand on his stomach. He may be the captain of the second-most feared pirate ship in the Caribbean, but he was human above all else, and the thought of taking innocent lives even without solid evidence made him ill.

Dead bodies always reminded him of his mother.

"Come on," Santana prompted as Kurt got off of the bed, feeling remarkably better after a night of decent rest.

He followed her up onto the deck, hopping up onto the rail and grabbing a nearby rope as he leant out over the water. So far all evidence of the wreck was rather inconsequential; barrels and planks of wood and the occasional piece of clothing floated by on the calm sea.

"Kurt!"

"What is it? Can you see anything?" Kurt called up to Jesse who'd taken up a position as far up on the ship as he could (obviously the crow's nest wasn't a viable option with the mainmast currently snapped in two).

"There's a plume of smoke coming up. I'd say we'll be there in under an hour," Jesse replied. "It looks like our ship."

"Wonderful," Kurt muttered, continuing to lean out as far as he could.

"Is this a problem?" Finn asked, his eyes wide, and Kurt knew he probably should just deny everything but he didn't want to keep secrets.

"If the wreckage is still smouldering that means that it didn't happen all that long ago. Therefore, we can assume that the Raven is still in the general area, and while normally we'd be able to outrun her because we're lighter and not as deep, with the ship as crippled as it is they'd catch us easily. They have a much bigger crew and…as you've seen…they're ruthless and unmerciful with those they capture. If you see a black ship on the horizon let somebody know and we'll have to take immediate action," he hopped down before stalking off to the prow of the ship, light feet taking him along the bowsprit as he moved as far forward as he could, riding the gentle waves with one hand holding onto the rope attached to the jib to keep his balance.

He was literally right over the water and one tiny misstep could send him into the drink but everybody on the ship was used to this by now and so, when he looked over his shoulder, the only person staring at him as if he'd gone mad was Finn.

"He always does this," Santana told him, laying a hand on his arm, and Kurt smiled before turning to the horizon and trying to see what Jesse could even without the aid of a spyglass. He could make out a dark smudge that looked like low-hanging cloud and his gut told him that was the smoke.

He supposed they'd just have to wait and see when they came upon it.

000

Kurt tried not to listen to the sounds of Finn emptying his stomach over the rail even though he wanted to do the same himself.

The ship was utterly destroyed; small patches still burned here and there, and the bodies floating in the water stank of charred flesh.

Finn was still heaving pitifully, hanging over the edge of the ship, and Kurt took a chance and laid a hand on his back as the other man flinched away. "I…" he clapped a hand over his mouth and was over the rail again and Kurt stepped back as he watched the other man finish and then stagger off to the cabin, a haunted look in his eyes.

"What kind of monsters would do such a thing?" Quinn had an elbow hooked through Kurt's as they surveyed the damage and the bodies; once again the Raven's crew cared not about age or sex; all were dead, mutilated, and there wasn't a living soul in the burned-out skeleton of the ship.

"They're getting worse," Jesse commented, and even he looked ill at the thought. Kurt noted vaguely that Rachel was gripping his elbow and it was the closest he'd seen the two of them in weeks. "When I was on board, we'd never…not to innocents…"

"It hardly concerns us unless they target us directly," Kurt told the crew as a whole. "What's happened is horrible, yes, but there is nothing we can do at this point. Get us out of here as quick as you can," he ordered as Quinn gave his arm a squeeze and slipped away. "I'm going to talk to Finn."

He stopped by the galley to grab a mug of water (luckily the last vessel they'd raided had had plenty of that, too) and carried it into the cabin, noting that Finn was slumped in the spare chair by the map-making desk and looking rather pale.

"Here," Kurt handed the water over and Finn gave him a grateful smile as he took tiny sips. "You make a lousy pirate, Finnegan Hudson."

"Never claimed to be one," Finn gave him a weak smile before placing the mug on the table. "God in Heaven, Kurt, how do you deal with that?"

"By knowing what we can change and what we can't. We can do nothing for those poor souls, so while it is tragic, it will not do to dwell on it when we could so easily be facing the same fate," he spoke quietly, resisting the urge to place a hand on Finn's arm. "The Raven is larger, has more crew, and is better equipped to utterly destroy any ship they choose to target. They're dangerous because they destroy everything they touch but often do not get to reap the spoils because of it. Some of those clothes I saw floating in the sea…" Kurt sighed wistfully because he could tell at least a few of the pieces were high-end London fashions and he would have given anything to get his hands on them had they not been fouled by blood and seawater.

"We, on the other hand, are dangerous because of our speed. This ship is quick enough to come up on a merchant vessel, raid it, and be gone before they can even fire a single shot at us. So the Zephyr and the Raven are equally dangerous for different reasons, but now that our main advantage has been taken away, we're completely at their mercy should they stumble upon us in this fashion," he continued, noting that Finn looked more ill with every word. "I don't mean to scare you…"

"Yes, well, you're doing a fine job of it!" Finn exclaimed, standing up and wobbling over to the bed. "I just want to be on dry land again," he said into the blankets and Kurt was definitely taking a chance this time when he touched the other man's shoulder, but for once Finn didn't flinch away.

"I promised you I would bring you safely to Port Royal, Mr. Hudson," he said in a low voice. "And that's not a promise I intend to break."

"Why did I ever leave home, Kurt?" Finn asked, sounding far too young, and Kurt's hand automatically strayed to card through the other man's hair. "Don't…"

"Sorry," Kurt pulled back. "I'm so sorry, Finn, I know that…"

"No, it's not…I just…want to be alone right now. I know this is your room and whatnot, but…"

"It's fine," Kurt carefully stood up and walked toward the door. "Come out when you feel ready, but I will warn you that the smell will probably linger for another hour or so."

Finn didn't reply and Kurt watched him for a few moments, wondering why he was such an expert at making things worse.

000

"Come with me," Blaine said as soon as he'd gotten above deck. Mostly everybody had cleared into the main sleeping area to avoid the stench and Blaine tugged him into…well, it was technically the First Mate's cabin, but since Blaine and Sam had taken to sharing a bed in the crew's quarters it was mostly used for when two people wanted to fornicate so the rest of the crew would not be disturbed. "Now, what happened this time?"

"He was…mournful," Kurt decided on, wandering aimlessly about the small room before seating himself on the bed and ignoring the flood of memories that assaulted him at the action. One look at Blaine told him the other man was experiencing the same thing and Kurt shook his head. "It never would have…"

"I know. And now with Sam…"

"I'm lonely," Kurt admitted before he could stop himself, clapping a hand over his mouth once he'd realized it. "I'm lonely and it's selfish because I'm the one choosing to do this, but…"

"Kurt," Blaine knelt down in front of him and looked at him, resting his hands on Kurt's knees. "You'll find him. One day. And you know if Sam wasn't…"

"No," Kurt shook his head. "No, we could never work. It wouldn't do for a captain and his first mate to be so…intimately involved."

"Perhaps not," Blaine conceded. "But you still haven't told me what happened with dear Mr. Hudson."

"I'd rather not…" Kurt stopped as he noticed the look Blaine was giving him and knew that he wasn't going to be getting off that easy. "Fine, then. As I said, he was mournful; wondering why he'd left home to cross the ocean in the first place, and I…" he stopped and leant forward, reaching to run a hand through Blaine's hair the same way he'd done with Finn.

"Oh, Kurt, you didn't."

"He seemed like he needed comfort…"

"Yes, from his mother," Blaine sighed. "I honestly will be glad to be rid of him, Kurt. He's distracting you and we can't have that with the Raven so close,"

"Blaine…"

"I know you…care about him, Kurt, but you're letting it get in the way of your duty," Blaine didn't sound all that angry but Kurt knew the other man was more than a little annoyed.

"I'm sorry you feel that," he finally replied, standing up and brushing Blaine off when he tried to pull him back. "But I haven't said a word about you and Sam and I'd hope you'd respect my relationships the same way I've respected yours."

"You're not involved with him," Blaine countered.

"You were the one telling me to go for love when I found it. Well, I've found it, and I'm not going to stop trying," Kurt sniffed and stalked out of the cabin, trying desperately not to breathe as he crossed back to his own.

Finn was right; it was his room.

And he had every right to use it.

000

Finn was dozing when he heard the door to the cabin open and turned over to see Kurt walk back in, looking rather less than happy.

"Something wrong?"

"Hmm? No; nothing," Kurt informed him in what had to be the least convincing tone Finn had heard in a long time.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Kurt," he sat up and motioned the captain over, noting how hesitant the other man was to cross the room. "I was feeling a little morose and I shouldn't have pushed you away like that."

"I understand," Kurt assured him, sitting lightly beside Finn on the bed and clasping his hands in his lap. "I overstepped my bounds and made you uncomfortable. I can assure you that it will not happen again."

"That's the issue, though," Finn turned to look at the other man in profile, wondering if he should continue with this at all. It could makes thing far stranger than they already were, but like he'd said before, he knew that while Kurt…felt some attraction to him the captain had been nothing but honourable in his actions and Finn saw no reason not to trust him with this as well. "The problem was that it made me a little…too comfortable. My mother always did that for me when I was upset, and to have you repeating the action when I cannot be sure when I'll see her again…it affected me rather deeply and I lashed out because of it. You did nothing wrong and I apologize for my actions," Finn wasn't sure what Kurt's reaction would be to that, so he kept looking anywhere but directly at the other man while he waited for the response.

Kurt was utterly still beside him and Finn decided that maybe it would be best if he kept talking, so he cleared his throat and started again.

"I'm not like you, Kurt. I know that. But I know that you would never force me into anything I did not wish to do, and for that I thank you," he turned to the side and smiled but Kurt was not looking at him. "What I suppose I'm trying to say is…if you wanted to…resume your earlier actions, I would not complain."

And that got a reaction as Kurt turned to him with wide eyes, looking like he didn't quite believe Finn's words. "You mean that I…you'd allow me to…"

"Yes," Finn nodded. "I think I…I think I would rather appreciate it if you did."

"Alright," Kurt looked hesitant but when he swallowed and spoke again his voice was much more confident. "Alright," he repeated, kicking off his boots and moving so his back was against the wall before he beckoned Finn closer.

Finn crawled over, settling his head on Kurt's shoulder and sighing as the other man started threading slender fingers through his hair again. It was nice, and familiar, and once he overlooked the fact that it was another man who was giving him the treatment he started to relax and floated in a haze of safety.

Kurt's fingers scrubbed at his scalp, making him sigh once more, and he wasn't sure how long they sat there before the door burst open and Rachel strode in. "Kurt, we're by the…oh! Sorry!" she squeaked, and Finn looked up guiltily. He still liked Rachel and still wanted to have his chance with her, and if she thought he and Kurt were involved…

"Rachel!" he pushed away from Kurt and stood up to walk over to her, smiling.

"Hello, Finn," she replied, rather breathlessly, and Finn felt a little better. "Kurt, I just wanted to tell you that we're by the wreckage and the air is clear again if you want to come up on deck."

"I'll be right there. Thank you, Rachel," Kurt didn't look at Finn as he swept by to head to the deck, and Finn wondered absently if he'd just wrecked everything between them.

Again.

He was good at that.

000

They were about a day out of Port Royal when Jesse warned of a ship on the horizon, and by the time they realized it was heading straight for them they all knew a battle was inevitable.

"It's the Siren," Kurt told Finn shortly, and Kurt had been cold to the other man for the last few days although he felt it was entirely justified. He'd thought they were making progress but really it was all for nothing, and Blaine was right: the sooner Finn left the sooner Kurt could go back to worrying about important things. "She's a fellow pirate ship with a small crew and I'm willing to bet that the only reason they're confronting us is because they believe we've suffered some human damage when our mast was destroyed. We're going to prove them wrong," he picked up his dual swords and spun them around a few times, glad of the familiar weight in his hands.

"So I…"

"Will stay in the cabin. You're a liability in a fight because first of all you have no experience and second of all you're, well, rather large. You make a rather obvious target," he shrugged. "I'll get Blaine to give you a loaded pistol so if anybody breaks in you only need to pull the trigger, but we'll try our best to keep them away from there."

"Okay," Finn looked nervous and Kurt wanted to reassure him but he knew it wasn't his place to do so any longer, if indeed it ever had been. Still, doing nothing would be cruel, so he gave Finn his most encouraging smile and sent him away with a slow incline of his head.

By the time Finn had entered the cabin and Kurt looked toward the water again the Siren was gaining fast, and he steeled himself as he prepared for the battle ahead.

Those poor souls would rue the day they ever decided to challenge the Zephyr.

000

"You can come out, now," Kurt informed Finn, who was sitting rigid on the bed with the pistol pointed toward the door. "It's over."

"'Did we…"

"We won," Kurt told him with a bright smile. Truth be told it had been rather easy because the Siren's crew was obviously expecting theirs to be decimated and they'd been sorely mistaken.

"You're…" Finn gulped and gestured and Kurt looked down, wrinkling his nose.

"Ah. Blood. Yes, well, I'll have to remedy that," Kurt decided. "But you're free to go on deck now. I promise that all the bodies have been cleared away," he added. "I think you've emptied your stomach enough for one voyage."

Finn looked suitably embarrassed at that and Kurt shook his head fondly. He'd decided at the beginning that it was going to be impossible to stay angry at Finnegan Hudson for long. "Alright. I'll go up so you can get into some…less bloody clothes," Finn gave him a sickly smile that dropped off of his face at the shriek that sounded from above.

"Kurt! Get up here!"

"Quinn," he looked at Finn who nodded and followed him up, Kurt thinking about the battle and trying to remember if he'd seen any one of his crew injured.

He couldn't recall, but…

But then Blaine turned to him, a dead look in his eyes and his hands covered with fresh, crimson blood and he knew.

And he swore he felt his heart stop.

Notes:

1. ...Yes. It's a cliffhanger. Don't hurt me!

2. Thank you all for the reviews and comments on this piece; I'm really enjoying writing it so it's so nice to know that people enjoy reading it as well :)