Hisui was cutting the potatoes with a little more force than what was necessary. He was pretending each one was Theo's stupid face and felt tremendous glee as he mashed and mangled them. Why did Theo have to show up? Why did Ikuta have to side against Hisui? Why did the entire crew not notice anything was amiss with this man? Hisui understood he was a new crewmember, but no one was willing to listen to his fears. Each time he so much as flinched, someone was there to shake his head and tell Hisui to relax. Well he couldn't relax! At least, not with that man here.

Hisui moved onto cutting up the meat while once again trying to convince himself that he was feeling nothing more than petty jealously. But why would he be jealous? No one had ever treated him like an equal before. Hell, in the village he was lucky to be treated with the same level of kindness the villagers had towards stray dogs. He should just be glad Ikuta treated him as an equal. Hisui set down the knife, staring at his blistered hands. Except, Ikuta didn't treat Hisui like an equal. If he did, he wouldn't have brushed off Hisui's concerns to easily. Hisui knew that if he just talked to Theo, then some of this would probably go away. But he didn't want to talk to Theo.

"He won't hurt me. At least, not physically," Hisui said to the room. Theo really wouldn't try to hurt Hisui. That would look too suspicious. And besides, so long as there was no evidence, Ikuta couldn't side with Hisui. It would just be his word against Theo's.

Hisui shook his head, feeling thoroughly disgusted with himself. He was already imagining all the horrible things Theo could do to him. He was picturing Theo as being some evil monster. Was he really so shallow that he couldn't handle a little competition. Hisui squeezed his eyes shut. Competition for what? Ikuta was not some prize to be won. He had already saved Hisui. He made him feel welcome and warm. It was horrible for Hisui to repay Ikuta by trash talking a man he barely knew and Ikuta cared for. He really was no better than those people who had sold him.

Hisui stared at his hands, tears beginning to fill his eyes. Ikuta risked his life and the lives of his men to rescue Hisui even after he had become a burden. Was Hisui really going to repay these men by starting trouble with a man they all loved? Hisui shook his head. He was going to be better than those people in his village. He was going to be the best crew member these guys could have asked for. A pair of arms circled Hisui's shoulders and he immediately tensed up.

"What's wrong, kitten?" Theo asked in Hisui's ear. Hisui shuddered as the hot air passed into it and over his cheek. Hisui didn't want to tell Theo all that he had been thinking. He needed to work on his selfishness.

"I was just thinking about my old village and how horrible it was," Hisui answered. Was it selfish to lie? Should he just tell the truth and deal with the consequences? Theo began pulling Hisui's hair once more. Hisui gasped in pain.

"You really are a cutie. No wonder Ikuta seems so protective over you," Theo said, chuckling in Hisui's ear. Hisui tried to wriggle out of Theo's grasp, but Theo held tight.

"I'm just here to do my job," Hisui said. He tried to pry Theo's hands off him but Theo tightened his grip.

"Aw, come on. Can't I get a hug?" Theo asked.

"I'm really uncomfortable being touched," Hisui said, taking Ikuta's advice and trying to talk with Theo about his feelings.

"But I like you so much. Your body is so tiny, kitten. I could hug you all day," Theo said. Hisui was trying not to panic now. There was no reason to panic. Theo was just hugging him. He was just hugging him.

"The meat will burn if I don't flip it soon," Hisui said, desperate for an excuse to escape from Theo's grasp.

"I don't think anyone will care. Besides, you haven't really been welcoming to me," Theo said. One of his hands began stroking Hisui's side and Hisui could feel some of Theo's saliva on his ear. Hisui tried to control his breathing. He tried to blame his feelings on stress and jealousy. But he was so scared right now; he just wanted someone to walk in and save him.

"Please let me go," Hisui whimpered. Theo chuckled once more before releasing Hisui. Hisui stumbled forward and turned to face Theo.

"By the way, kitten, Ikuta wanted to talk with you about something," Theo said. He picked up an apple and began cutting it. Hisui felt like he had swallowed a bucket of ice.

"What about?" he asked, his voice still a little shaky. Was Ikuta still mad about earlier? Did he want to punish Hisui for spreading lies? Theo shrugged and popped a piece of the apple in his mouth.

"Didn't say. He seemed upset though." Hisui could see the chunks of apple getting mashed around in Theo's mouth. He shrank back against the wall.

"I'll go talk to him. I have to serve dinner," Hisui said, stirring the meat once more before dumping it in a serving dish. Theo's hand was back in Hisui's hair.

"I'll take care of it. You just go." Theo replied. Hisui nodded and ducked out from underneath Theo's hand.

"Thank you. I'll be right back down," he said, speeding off to find Ikuta. ~It's just jealousy. Theo isn't a bad guy. You're just being petty and jealous.~ Hisui told himself over and over, trying to ignore the fear in his heart. He was being unfair to Theo and the rest of the crew. This silly feud was all his fault.

Hisui intended on going to apologize to Ikuta again and then running straight back down to serve dinner. He couldn't risk everyone thinking he was lazier than he already was. The only problem was that Ikuta was a lot harder to find. Hisui first went to his cabin, then the hull, then just wandered aimlessly on the deck of the ship. The more time that passed, the more Hisui began to worry what Ikuta's mood would be like once Hisui actually found him. Finally, after what felt like an hour, Hisui spotted Ikuta coming down from the crow's nest. For such a small ship, there sure were a lot of hiding places.

"Ikuta!" Hisui called. Ikuta waved at Hisui and hopped off the ropes.

"Yeah, kiddo?" he asked, running his hand through Hisui's hair briefly. Hisui was disappointed when Ikuta's hand dropped. He tried not to let this show.

"You wanted to talk with me?" Hisui asked. Ikuta stepped back and stared at Hisui.

"No, I didn't want to talk with you," he said. Hisui stared back at Ikuta. He was sure Theo had told Hisui that Ikuta wanted to see him. Why would Theo lie about something like this?

"Sorry, Theo must have gotten something mixed up," Hisui said quietly. Perhaps Ikuta had been talking to Theo about their earlier conversation and Theo mistook one of his words to mean he wanted to talk with Hisui again. Ikuta groaned and Hisui shifted his eyes down towards his feet. He couldn't even look at Ikuta right now.

"You can't always blame your mistakes on Theo," Ikuta said. Hisui tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He felt his eyes beginning to prick with tears once more.

"Oh, no. I'm not," Hisui said even softer than before. Ikuta sighed. Hisui glanced up to see him massaging his brow.

"Don't lie, Hisui. We might be pirates, but we need to be honest with each other if we're going to survive," Ikuta said. Hisui nodded.

"I understand. I'm sorry," he replied, his voice cracking on the last word.

"Good, now why don't you clean up the dishes," Ikuta said. He turned and walked away from Hisui. It was only then that Hisui managed to pull his head up. For a few seconds, he could only stare at Ikuta's retreating back. A cool breeze made Hisui shiver. He wrapped his arms around his torso and for the first time, realized the ship was so much bigger than he originally thought. He felt like he would get lost, and no one would come looking for him. He looked around. Everyone was so far away. His voice would get swallowed up by the emptiness if he tried to call out for help.

Hisui hunched in on himself even more and went back down to do what Ikuta had told him. He should have been paying more attention to his surroundings because he ran straight into Jean.

"Whoa, watch where you're going, kid," he teased.

"Sorry, I'll pay more attention," Hisui choked.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jean asked, his voice filled with worry. Hisui kept his face down. He couldn't afford to be seen crying like a child.

"I just feel as though Ikuta hates me because I'm having a hard time trusting Theo," Hisui answered truthfully. Jean's hand, that had been placed on his shoulder, was quickly removed. ~Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. You shouldn't have said anything.~ Hisui cursed.

"What's not to trust? He's hardworking, loyal, respectful, kind," Jean listed. Hisui wracked his brain to try and come up with a way to get back on Jean's good side.

"I know. That's why I feel so bad. I guess the problem comes from the fact that I just don't know him as well as you guys do," he said.

"You barely know us. What makes Theo so different?" Jean all but spat at Hisui. Hisui felt the words pierce his core.

"Yeah. I suppose I barely know anyone, now that I think about it," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. I have work to do." Hisui pushed passed Jean. He didn't want to be here anymore. He didn't want to be on this boat, with these people. He just wanted to be alone. How could he have been so stupid as to think that these people would trust a kid they barely knew as opposed to a man they had known for several years? Hisui was an outsider, a stranger. He had no business expressing his opinion. He was lucky these people didn't want to sell him.

His stomach growled impatiently. Hisui was so confused by this entire situation. One minute these men were caring and kind. The next they were callous all because Hisui was afraid. And Theo, Theo was acting so differently when he was alone with Hisui. With the rest of the crew, he was loud and joking. With Hisui, he always towered over him. And then there were Hisui's own emotions. Was he really being petty? Or should he be afraid of Theo and the others?

Hisui hated these feelings. He shouldn't make trouble. He shouldn't draw attention to himself. He should just do as he was told and hope for the best.

Hisui went to grab some of the leftover food only to realize there was none left. Hisui's eyes widened and he whipped around, hoping for a morsel that he could eat. All the dirty dishes were piled on the table. It would take him over two hours to clean these. And he still had to finish taking in the laundry. He dug through the towers for the serving dish, hoping there were some scraps left. Nothing, not even a crumb.

"Sorry, kitten," Theo said. Hisui spun around to see him leaning against a beam, his face partially hidden by the shadows. His cheeks looked like they had sunken in and his eyes burned with hatred. Hisui swallowed and stared at him, trying not to show fear.

"Where's all the food? I didn't get any," Hisui said. Theo chuckled and stepped out.

"Sorry, but I thought you already ate," he said. Hisui stumbled back. He felt his back hit the table and some of the dishes clatter to the floor.

"You're lying, just like you lied about Ikuta wanting to see me," he accused. Theo reached out. "Don't touch me," Hisui growled. Theo just showed more of his teeth and started stroking Hisui's cheek.

"Sorry, kitten, but I don't think you did enough to deserve food tonight. After all, you have been spreading rumors about me," Theo said, still smiling.

"I haven't been spreading rumors about you. I've been telling people you scare me. That's not a rumor, that's the truth," Hisui said. Theo's hand stopped stroking Hisui's cheek and went to rest on his neck. He was squeezing ever so slightly.

"You've caught my eye, mermaid. Ever since I saw you on that beach, I wanted you. I am going to have so much fun. I have so much planned. Are you excited?" Theo asked.

"If you hurt me, I'll tell Ikuta," Hisui said. Theo threw back his head and laughed.

"Do you really think he'll believe you? He hasn't believed a word you've said. A few bruises won't convince him that I'm evil. I've been missing for God knows how long. Do you want to know how that will work to my advantage?" Theo said, leaning in closer to Hisui.

"How?" Hisui asked.

"Well, Ikuta has an idealized image of me in his head. When I disappeared, we had had an argument. I don't really remember about what, but words were exchanged and Ikuta and I were on some bad terms. Then, the storm came and I washed away. Now, all Ikuta can remember is that he failed me. He remembers that this was all his fault. And he wants to make things right. He'll refuse to believe anything you say because he won't want to make another mistake like last time. You're all alone, little kitten," Theo said. Hisui narrowed his eyes and kicked Theo's shin. Theo howled with pain before raising his hand and slapping Hisui. Hisui fell back against the table, knocking over the pile of dishes.

"Look's like this kitten has claws," Theo said, breathing heavily. There were some footsteps down the stairs. Theo quickly gripped Hisui's wrist and yanked him up.

"What happened?" Yassen said, bursting through the door with Jean and Dom.

"Hisui tripped over one of these dishes and I didn't catch him before he fell into the table," Theo said. Hisui wanted to scream that it wasn't true, but Theo squeezed his wrist even harder.

"Are you alright, Hisui?" Dom asked. Hisui nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just a bit shocked, that's all," Hisui said. Theo gripped his wrist even harder and Hisui could feel the bones starting to strain under the pressure.

"Well, be more careful next time," Yassen said and the three walked out the door. Hisui began clawing at Theo's hand trying to make it let go. Theo just yanked the appendage above Hisui's head and lifted him off the ground.

"Theo, stop, you're hurting me," Hisui cried. Theo placed a finger under Hisui's chin, forcing him to look at Theo's empty eyes.

"Listen, Hisui, I have this burning need inside me to hurt something. If you tell anyone about this, then I will take out my rage on Ikuta and the rest of the crew instead of you. Now you don't really want to be responsible for their pain?" Hisui's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't hurt them," he gasped. Theo put him down on the ground.

"I won't hurt them so long as you behave and do what I tell you. But Hisui, keep in mind that if you mess up, they will pay. Imagine how much they'll hate you when they discover that you were too weak and now they have to suffer. But, if you can withstand this, then no problems. Ikuta and the others will continue to live a life free of pain. Now, are you going to run up there and tell them the truth, cursing them to a life of hatred and suffering? Or will you behave like a good little kitten and do your chores without complaint?"

Theo's eyes were locked with Hisui's. Hisui desperately wanted to run and tell Ikuta what had happened. But he couldn't risk his life. If the crew hated him now because he was accusing Theo of being evil, then how much would they hate him when they were forced to live their lives in pain? Hisui shakily turned towards the table and began wiping down the dishes. He whimpered when Theo pressed a kiss to the back of his neck.

"There's a good boy. You and I will have so much fun together." Hisui heard Theo slam the door shut. Once he was sure no one was around, he sank to the floor and started sobbing. He pressed a hand to his mouth to try and muffle the sounds. ~Protect Ikuta. You have to protect Ikuta.~ he chanted to himself over and over again.