King of The sea Chapter 7
A few of the half ingured crew dragged the captain to his room and tended to his wounds, leaving the rest to repair the ship.
The next three days were terrible for kiku. He washed and changed the wounds every few hours and stayed by his side restlessly. On the third day he woke up with japan curled up against his side.
"Oi! get up ye salawag!" Kiku shot right out of bed fairly disorianted and hugged arthur as tightly as he could. Arthur took in a sharp breath at the sudden pain in his shoulder.
"Sorry" Kiku buried his face further into arthurs warm chest.
"Why are you still here ya bloke? why didn't your bastard brother take you?" Not that he was complaining.
" I wanted to stay with you.." Kiku said with a hint of sadness.
"Now why would you want to do somthing like that?" Kiku was silent.
"Come on then spit it out or do I have to throw your bloody hide over board?"
"...because...I..." Kiku bit his lip. He couldn't say it. Not to his face.
Arthur stayed silent, not pressing on any furthur. He knew what kikus answer had been and that filled him with somthing he had never felt before. It wasn't the posesive obsesion with owning everything about the boy, it was somthing deeper more meaningful. It was love and caring, the deep satifaction of wanting to do what was best for the child and he knew what it was.
that one thing hurt him more than any gun shot wound,stab or attack he had ever faced. He would have to let kiku go and live his own life, a life where he chooses what he wanted to do. A life of freedom and dignity not one stuck on a pirate ship.
He would have to let kiku go. Pain welled in his chest but he would not let it reach his face. held kiku tight kissed him on the forhead and watched him sleep.
