Chapter Eight: The Longest Departed

Back in Japan's hospital issued room Japan looks at England, unsure of what to say, or write in his case.

"I have to be ready and at port tomorrow morning, I have no choice in the matter," England says, "I sail at dawn."

Japan understood this. Under no circumstances should a country disobey his Boss's orders, no matter how much he may want to. If they do, the Boss has every right to get rid of the country. It had almost happened to him once, long ago. His own Boss had gotten drunk, and terribly angry, he had told Japan to hand him the bottle of sake from the top cabinet and he had refused. He was beaten mercilessly, almost to the point of death. If it had not been for China at the time, he wouldn't be here right now. The thought of England going through something similar sends a chill up Japan's spine. He wasn't about to let that happen if he could stop it.

"Go, don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise." He writes.

"Are you sure? I could try to make other arrangements to sail at a later date," England asks.

An image of England lying on the floor covered in cuts and blood flashes through Japan's mind, "I'm positive, if you don't go your Boss could have you killed."

England nods, he had heard the rumors about Japan's Boss almost killing him years ago. His big brother China, being in the Ally's with him, was the one who had told him. He takes Japan's face in his hands and kisses him passionately on the mouth. Japan grips his sleeve, running the other hand through England's hair. When they part, England rests his forehead on Japan's. He can feel Japan's breathing on his face, his strong, healthy breathing. If leaving would ease his boyfriend's anxiety, he would go without complaint.

"Fine, I'll go," he reconciles, "but when I get back, you must promise me something."

"Anything."

England pulls a small felt box out of his pocket and falls to one knee. Japan's eyes widen a sparkle with premature tears. England opens the box, revealing a small silver band engraved with the kanji for love and a phrase written in cursive, 'love, for me, its meaning in you'.

"Will you marry me?" England asks.

Japan picks up his notebook. He starts writing something, not looking up for a while. When he turns the notebook around so that England can see all there is on it is a highly decorated 'HAI!'. Hiding behind the notebook Japan's face turns a very deep shade of red, his heart is beating wildly. England takes one look at the notebook and smiles. He takes it out of Japan's hands and tosses it onto the bed. He kisses him once more, slipping the ring onto his left finger in the process. Japan twines his fingers with England's, holding tightly to his hand, he doesn't want to let him go just yet.

"Kiku…" England whispers.

"Hmm?" Japan looks at England, confused.

"I love you…"

*I love you too Arthur-kun…*

~England stands on the wooden planks of the dock where his massive ship is waiting for him to board. He had said his goodbyes to Japan the night before, promising to come home to his fiancé as soon as he was able. He looks down at the matching ring resting on his left ring finger, reminding him of why he was there. He takes a deep breath, adjusts his hat, and takes his firsts steps onto his ship, and away from his love.

"Captain!" a crewman yells from the crow's-nest, "Ready to set sail!"

England nods, "Hoist anchors!"

"I'm surprised Captain Kirkland, I didn't expect you to leave that Japan boy so easily. It's not like you not to try to defy my orders," England turns around, his Boss stands on the top deck, arms crossed.

England smirks, "Well you know what they say, if you spend enough time around the one you love, you pick up some of their habits."

"I see…"

England puts his hands in his pockets, "I would surely hope that you do, in fact, I'm going to be spending a lot more time with 'that Japan boy'. Maybe then you'll finally get the country you so desire." He smiles cheekily.

England's Boss fumes, he turns on his heel, stomping down the steps into the cabin. England laughs. He looks out at the ocean, whose cerulean waters reflect the sky above, matching each ray of the sun to the point it touches the clouds. He sighs, closing is eyes. He thought that he had left his pirating days behind him, sailing to unknown lands, fighting other pirates to the death. He had lost track of how many people and countries he had killed. With each murder he had lost a little more of himself, falling deeper into the pit of insanity. Something inside of him had snapped back then, and he never wanted that to happen again, not now since he had a happy future with Japan to look forward too. And he WILL have that happiness with Japan, even if he had to destroy a thousand more crews, burn a million more ships. And speaking of ships, his own is floating far out into the Atlantic Ocean, so far that nothing surrounds it for the exception of salt water.

"Captain," a crew member tips his hat at England as he walks past. England nods to the man, wondering all the while how his Boss had been able to pull a crew together so quickly. His original had disbanded after he had hung up his coat and these men were all new faces to him.

*Young men wanting nothing more than to explore the wide open world, they have no idea what they're getting into becoming a pirate…* he sighs and shakes his head.

He looks around the deck, sizing up his crew. Not one of them could be over the age of seventeen, one boy, mopping the deck, may even be as young as fourteen, and each one of them were expected to kill without thought if the ship so happens to come under attack.

*This… is disgusting,* England thinks, *what the bloody hell is my Boss THINKING! Letting children become crew members! It's barbaric! Since when does the Queen allow such things to happen?* He grips the ship's siding, making small dents in the wood with his fingernails, anger making his face turn red. The fourteen year old boy looks up from his work, catching England's gaze, his eyes widen slightly then he goes back to cleaning, putting more effort into it than before. England doesn't notice however, he's too busy imagining ways that would make his Boss never be able to walk again. Abandoning the side of the ship he walks up the steps to the upper deck where a sixteen year old boy mans the wheel. With a flick of his wrist he sends the boy away, taking control of the ship himself. A strong wind blows, filling the sails and pushing them farther into the sea. A dolphin leaps high into the air out of the water fallowed by three more soon after in dives under again. The sight quells England's frustration.

*Reminds me of why I wanted to become a pirate in the first place…. I wanted to be free. How wrong I was to think this life could give me that…* He laughs at the memory. Only nineteen at the time, he had hopped aboard his first ship, the next year he had become a captain. The pride he felt then, it doesn't even compare to the love he holds for Japan now. *When I return Kiku, everything will be well. I promise you that…* he sends a silent prayer to Japan, a silent wish. In hopes that he will be happy and healthy when he returns.

~Japan is sitting in his wheelchair, being pushed around the hospital grounds by Italy and Germany. The two had arrived earlier that day once the news that he had woken spread.

"So his Boss made him go off to sea?" Germany asks after Japan tells them about England's departure.

Japan coughs. His throat isn't so sore anymore, and he could finally talk again, "Hai, but before he left… he asked me something…" He blushes.

Italy jumps in front of the chair. Germany digs is heels in the ground to keep from running him over, "What did he ask you?" he asks.

"He- he asked me to…" Japan couldn't get the words to come out, he tries again but they refuse to come.

Italy cocks his head to the side; his curl bounces up and down, "Japan," he whines, "What did Mr. England ask you to do?"

Japan's face goes a deep shade of red as bright as the circle on his national flag, "he asked me to marry him…"

Italy's face lights up like a lamp, he smiles wide, "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you Japan!"

Germany leans down around the back of the wheelchair so he could see Japan; he gives a small smile, and then goes back to pushing him down the side walk. They enter the garden, the grass has been freshly cut and its scent fills the air around them. Italy sneezes loudly when a stray piece flies by his nose in a gust of wind. He laughs, so does Germany. Japan smiles, his throat to tender to handle laughter. Or maybe he was just too sad to laugh right now, he missed England, missed him terribly. He looks at the sky; the sun is setting, tuning the once bright blue to a vibrant orange.

*Please be careful Arthur-kun…*

~One week later~ England looks away from the sunset, at the bottle of rum in his hand. Why was he drinking rum again? Oh yes, because the crew was having a party to celebrate the first safe week on the open water. He takes a long pull from the bottle again, resting his elbow on the table.

"Another bottle Captain?" a smiling young boy, maybe sixteen, asks. He takes the empty bottle From England and replaces it with a fresh one.

England nods as the boy walks away, he couldn't remember asking for another bottle. But the evidence was in his hands, so he must have. He takes another drink, the liquor making his head feel light and dizzy. His eyes are a little too bright; his cheeks a dark shade of pink, he laughs at whatever any of his crew tells him even if it's not a joke. England, United Kingdom, is drunk. His Boss comes to sit across from him at the table, and takes a long look at England.

"Enjoying yourself I see, swell," he says, taking a sip from his own bottle of rum.

England leans back in his chair, crossing his legs, "I… hiccup… am enjoying myself thank you."

His Boss smiles, nodding, "That's good. You see, this whole party is to celebrate not just a good day at sea, but your engagement as well."

"Really? I didn't think you approved of mine and Japan's engagement, what changed your mind?" England eyes his Boss carefully. He doesn't break eye contact, even when he takes long swig from the shaky bottle in his hand.

His Boss waves his hand dismissively, "I just saw how happy you were with him, and you know how soft I get when I see a happy couple. I melted practically."

England stares down the opening of the rum bottle, "Well slap me thrice and hand me to my mum, you do have a heart you old geezer!"

"Captain Kirkland, what is two plus two?" England's Boss asks innocently.

England furrows his brow. He thinks a moment, "Fish?"

His Boss puts his hand on his chin, "Yes that's right. Two plus two equals fish…" He gestures to boy holding a large bottle in his hands.

"Another bottle… Captain?" the boy asks smiling sweetly.

England holds his own bottle up to his ear. He shakes it, what little liquid in it sloshes around the bottom, "Yes, thank you my good lad." He doesn't have time to get a hold of the new bottle when the boy hits him in the head with it. He sways a moment, and then falls to the floor in a heap. He sees his Boss clasp the boy on the shoulder, nodding in approval just before he falls into a world of darkness.

England's Boss leans down by his ear, "You never were a beneficial country, but don't worry. I'll see fit to tell your Japan that you tried hard to make it back to him, give the boy some peace of mind in light of your unexpected death." He turns to the crew, "Tie him to a barrel and toss the fool overboard, now, before he wakes up!"

Three of the older boys run to England's side, they hoist him up and lay him belly first on top of a large wooden barrel. Once he's been tied sufficiently, the pick up the barrel and heave it over the side of the ship. England lands in the dark water with a splash. His Boss goes to the wheel and turns the boat around, sailing away, heading back to the mainland. England floats, unconscious, on his private barrel, letting the sea push his body this way and that, unaware of the mutiny that has befallen him. The sky is black now, no moon and no stars.

~Japan has just gotten out of surgery and he lays in his bed in Recovery. His chest hurts, but not because of the stitches, that pain has been taken care of by the morphine. This pain is much deeper, in his heart. It's not a physical pain. No, this pain is much more than that. The pain he feels is when you think that something bad has happened to the person you long for. And right now he longs for England. And he has a bad feeling that something terrible has come unto his fiancé. Japan looks out the window, the sky is unusually black, not a star in sight, in Japan's mind, that is a very bad omen.