So I updated "Better Than This" like I said I would! Even though some people might hate me for it. That is my most popular story, so I've gotta do my best! But I'm back here now, and thanks for all the positive comments on the growing relationship between Phoenix and Hunter, I knew they'd make an adorable couple!
8523 Miles
Chapter 7
A Simple Mind
The whole crew worked like dogs, excluding Lykaios, from sun up to sun down. Elata directed everyone and never really did any work herself. Hunter's flippers weren't designed for scrubbing deck tops like this, they were burning with a pain that begged her to stop, and luckily for her, she was allowed to. As she finally dropped the dirty old rag, and rubbed her flippers with some water, Phoenix went by and looked at her with a look that said 'Are you okay?'.
"How do you do all this work every day?" She asked him, thinking it was impossible for a teenaged leopard seal to handle such manual labor.
"You get used to it…" Phoenix said and kept dragging his body forward and moved. Elata then got behind the wheel and yelled,
"Alright…nice job on ship maintenance today everyone…especially you two young rascals." She said and pointed her paw with only four claws at them. Hunter sighed heavily as she continued. Alright you all know what tonight is, so go clean yourselves up, I'll do the set up myself." She announced from the helm and everyone dropped what they were doing. The six other crew members high-tailed it down into the lower decks while Phoenix came over to Captain Elata.
"Excuse me Captain…?" He started and she turned around, "I personally don't trust the two new salt dogs down there. Could you possibly send someone to watch them while they ready themselves for the gathering?" Elata just smiled, completely falling for what he was trying to do.
"Well, since you don't trust them so much, why don't you go and watch them?" Elata said with a sneer on her face. Phoenix pretended to get pissed off and lowly growled.
"Aye-aye Cap'n…" And dragged his body down the steps and over to them. Hunter was still rubbing her flippers, and Phoenix turned around to make sure Elata wasn't watching. He then picked up a rag from the ground and dunked it in the water, and slapped it on Hunter's sorer appendage. He groaned because of how it pained her, but Phoenix eased her pain. "Easy Hunter, the rags may have been rough on the deck, but they can be soft on yours if you use it right, here." He said and rubbed her limb with the soaked rag, Hunter thought it felt a lot better, whatever he was doing it was working.
"Thanks Phoenix…" She said to him with a smile, he didn't notice as Private spoke back up.
"Uh…Phoenix…?" Private peeped and Phoenix looked at him. "What is this gathering you and the Captain were talking about?"
"Every month we get together around a barrel fire on the main deck and talk about the greatest and/or worst thing we did recently. Usually, we go in the order of importance. So Elata goes first, then Jervis, then Questa, then Villas, then there's a big squabble between Yazid, Lykaios, and Bailan, and then I go. I guess since you guys are here, you'll be going after me, you know since Captain Elata thinks you're part of the crew now." This made Hunter perk up.
"Wait, so…you are gonna help us get back home?" Phoenix looked up from rubbing her flipper and stared in her eyes and then looked at Private.
"In the short time I've known you two, I've already come to care about you guys more than I do this entire crew. Hunter, you're a very high power leopard seal, I like that." Hunter blushed and Phoenix's compliment, "And Private, despite your obvious shyness, you've got more willpower and spunk, not to mention potential then all the members of this crew combined, including myself." Private giggled like a child at his comment, but the shook his head.
"No, no, no, Phoenix, definitely not including you, without you, Hunter and I wouldn't even be here. You've helped us out like a true friend and you've watched over us. I'm sort of surprised that you're not the captain of this darn boat.
"Funny you should say that, this crew is being driven by fear of Elata. She's the biggest animal on this boat, if I were captain, I'd drive by encouragement and confidence." He told them, and both knew right then that Phoenix was worthy of his name.
Following that conversation, the three moved down into the lowest deck on the boat, for that was where Phoenix's quarters was, since he was the Cabin Boy. He pulled open a closet door with his tail and from it dropped down a bed. "Oh wow…that's a step up from what the deck hands have." Private said, as he had all the deck hands slept on tightly woven hammocks on the middle deck.
"Yeah, no one knows I have it, no even the Captain. Everyone thinks I sleep on the floor." He said to them and then pulled out a barrel of water and opened the lit. "Time to wash up, don't wanna be dirty for your first gathering." It was joke, the first one they all laughed at.
They tried having fun with cleaning themselves up by singing songs, dancing around and throwing water at each other. No one above heard them and there was no one below them, so they could make as much noise as they wanted. It was about an hour or so and they were squeaky clean and shiny, it was then that Phoenix looked out his porthole and saw the sky had turned orange and the clouds had gone purple.
"If it's this late, then that means that…" He rolled eyes trailing a few thoughts, "Questa will be yeling down to get me in 3…2…1…"
"Peepee…!" They all heard her call, "Time to get your bump up here, and bring those rats with you!" They were used to getting called names by this point, so instead of fighting it, they laughed once more and headed up to the deck.
Private walked up first and flipped up the stairs happily, while Hunter tried pulling herself up with Phoenix right behind her to catch her. As she was nearing the top, her flipper slipped and she fell back, but Phoenix held out his own flipper and caught her before she hit the ground, this made her hold her like a damsel in distress with her flippers around his chest, and her staring right into his eyes. He held her by her waist, for that's where he caught her, and he stared back into her eyes, not sure of what to say.
"Uh…" Hunter just smiled at his stutter, and kissed him on the cheek,
"Thanks…" And then she pulled out of their hero/heroine lock and she climbed back up the ladder. Phoenix watched her climb up, and just smiled warmly at what just happened.
I caught her…and she kissed me…awesome…He thought, too happy to worry about anything at the moment.
Little more of a romance build up wouldn't you say? This couple is really fascinating to work with because I've never done this kind of 'forbidden love' thing before. I'll be anxious to continue. And now for the interactive segment of this chapter…
Do you think Hunter and Phoenix should kiss soon?
Have you ever been in a strangely comforting position with someone you like?
Is Private turning into a third wheel?
Comment on the growing romance between Hunter and Phoenix.
There will be a poll on my profile involving this story, feel free to vote on it for your favorite suggestions. And if you vote, I'll give you sneak peeks into the future of this story!
