Title: Zephyr's Breath
Author: AoiTsukikage
Rating: PG-13 for now
Characters/Pairing: Finn/Kurt, minor Blaine/Sam
Chapter: 9/?
Word Count: 3029
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 Nine
"I must speak with William about something. That's the only reason I am coming ashore," Kurt told him once they were rowing toward the harbour, the captain once again dressed like a wealthy merchant.
Blaine had come to Finn that morning and promised that, if there was any way, he would make Kurt land in Port Royal again in a few months to see if Finn still wanted to go through with this.
He did. Of course he did. Seeing Kurt kill that man had been a shock, yes, but he had known all along that the captain was a man who had killed before and would kill again. It was just…hard to imagine the man he held in his arms and night and who shared all his thoughts with him and the man who would stick a sword in the back of another man as the same person.
But Kurt was complex, deadly and beautiful, and Finn could hardly deny he was incredibly attracted to the man at this point. And he couldn't let Kurt leave with the two of them on such bad terms, so before they came in sight of the dock he placed a hand on Kurt's arm to urge him to stop rowing.
"Finnegan, we really must make haste," Kurt snorted, eyes cold, and Finn swallowed and ran his hand up Kurt's arm to cup his cheek, feeling the other man shudder beneath his fingers as his eyes fluttered closed. "Finn…you…"
"I'm sorry," Finn said honestly. "I know that…that I should not have spoken out like that. Your crew is your family and you must protect them and I understand that; I truly do. It was just…a bit of a shock to me. I've never seen death dealt out like that before, and…"
"I understand. And I am sorry for reacting so harshly," Kurt sighed and winced when he moved his arm back, pulling his sleeve up to examine the dressings Santana had placed there. "I was in pain and still reeling from the fight and I should not have snapped at you."
"We could argue all day about who is in the right, couldn't we?" Finn laughed, pleased to see a smile on Kurt's face as the other man turned into his palm. "But Kurt, I do want to join your crew. Not now, certainly; I'm next to useless in battle and have not yet found my sea-legs, but one day. I promise I'll work on my swordsmanship and learn how to fire a pistol properly, but once I do, I would dearly like to join you. If you'll have me," he added, seeing Kurt staring at him with shining eyes.
"I'd have you in an instant, Finnegan Hudson," Kurt breathed, his voice low. "But first you have to best or equal me in a proper swordfight. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving you on your own to battle if you cannot."
"Okay," Finn agreed after only a moment. "Okay, if that's what it will take. I'll do it."
"Good," Kurt's hand had somehow found its way to Finn's, gripping it lightly, and Finn turned his own hand over so he could lace his fingers with the other man's. "Wait," Kurt breathed, eyes nearly glowing, before he reached up and unclasped something around his neck, drawing out a small pendant a moment later. "I want you to have this."
"It's…" Finn took it and examined it closely. It was rather well-made, small but solid, and he smiled as he looked at it. "A bee?"
"Bumblebee," Kurt corrected, blushing a little. "My name…Hummel…means 'bumblebee' in German. My father gave it to my mother after they wed and she never went a day without wearing it," he admitted. "When she…succumbed to her illness he gave it to me, and I have never taken it off. He told me to give it to the person I choose to give my heart to, and…"
"Kurt," Finn shook his head, because yes, Kurt obviously meant a great deal to him, but this went far beyond that.
"It isn't that," Kurt promise, folding the necklace in Finn's hand and closing the other man's fist around it. "It's just…to remember me by. Remember what you're working toward, and perhaps one day…"
"Thank you," Finn said honestly, opening his fist and examining the tiny bee again before he reached to place it around his neck, the shining pendant resting against his chest.
"Just…make sure you keep your promise," Kurt reached to pull Finn close by his collar, looking into his eyes for some sort of permission that Finn really hoped he was giving.
And it seemed to work if the kiss Kurt laid on him was any indication; it was far more than friendly and Finn had no idea what he was getting himself into with this, but he wanted it.
Oh, he wanted it.
Kurt kept kissing him, one hand moving through his hair and the other still holding onto his collar, and Finn let him for as long as he would before they broke apart, Kurt staring into his eyes. "I'll be back for you, Finnegan Hudson. I need to be."
"I'll be ready," Finn swore, clasping Kurt's hand as if to seal the promise, and they finally moved apart so they could row into the harbour.
000
Finnegan Hudson was ready.
It had been a year; a long year, by all accounts, but he'd kept working with some people Will knew and considered himself a rather competent swordsman. He didn't think he could beat Kurt yet, not by a long shot, but he'd stand a chance in a fair fight.
If, of course, Kurt ever came back.
He'd kept his ears open over the past year for any mention of the Zephyr's Breath but things had been quiet. The Midnight Raven was still attacking ships with increasing intensity and it was worrying, slightly, but Finn believed Kurt was not foolish enough to pit his ship against the Raven in a head-on battle.
So he knew Kurt was out there but he had no way to contact him and he was beginning to get impatient. The girl he'd been courting could only be put off for so long before he would be expected to wed her and of course he could not explain the reason he was reluctant to was because he was waiting for a pirate. A male pirate.
So he decided that, if Kurt didn't show up within the month, he'd go looking.
Go back to Tortuga, perhaps, because somebody somewhere must know where the Zephyr is.
He sighed and sipped at his ale, feeling a bit melancholy. It would be foolish of him to admit to anything less than horribly missing Kurt but he really was at a loss as to what to do.
He heard the bell above the door jingle and turned, always hoping somebody from the Zephyr would be looking for him, but instead he saw a man of obvious Eastern origin, much like Mike and Tina, who was surveying the pub intently. He was wearing clothes that looked fine but also looked like they weren't made for him and that made Finn instantly suspicious, enough that he reached for the inside pocket of his coat to make sure his pistol was there.
The man spotted him and started to head over, Finn tensing immediately, but he merely took a barstool beside the man and smiled at him, ordering an ale for himself and seemingly ignoring Finn until the Innkeeper had brought the drink and then departed.
"Finnegan Hudson?"
"Yes. And you are?" Finn knew there was no point in lying and the man was a fool if he thought he could attack him in a crowded room and not be killed for it.
Violence and brawls were most certainly not tolerated in Port Royal.
"My name is Wes. I'm the captain of the Sea Canary," he said in an undertone and Finn nearly choked on his ale, slamming the glass down rather loudly and coughing a little. "I see you've heard of me."
"Yes," Finn got himself under control and cleared his throat, turning to look at the man properly. "Why are you searching for me?"
"Kurt's in trouble," Wes said simply, and Finn was ready to rush out the door right then and there but he knew he had to stay rational.
"Why? What's happened?"
"You recall that bad storm about a week back?"
"Yes," Finn did, because he'd been on a ship set to return to Port Royal but they'd had to delay their departure for a day due to the weather.
"The Zephyr was blown off course and straight into a Royal Navy ship; they had no chance. The crew's been captured and Kurt's notorious enough that he won't get any sympathy from the government. They're going to hang him at dawn in three days unless we can get him out."
"And you need me because…"
"You're a civilian with no ties to the pirates. If you can sneak into the base and pose as a naval officer we may have a chance to release him and his crew," Wes explained quickly, and Finn wanted to help, of course he did, but…
"Wait a moment. How do you know of this?"
Wes smiled at him. "I expected you'd ask. The Canary was within viewing distance of the Zephyr's capture and I was able to send a message into the fort and receive a reply from Blaine. The base they're keeping him at is only a day's sail away for the Canary so we should make it there in plenty of time to get them out."
"How could you send a message in?" Finn questioned and Wes chuckled, motioning Finn to follow him outside, and Finn gulped down the rest of his beer and noted that Wes actually paid for his own before they left and headed into a deserted alley, a vibrant yellow bird fluttering down and landing on his shoulder before trilling out a melody. "Is that…"
"This is a canary like our ship is named after, yes," Wes reached to stroke the bird's head. "He has a special fondness for Blaine and while canaries aren't normally used to carry messages, he does so for us. Now do you believe me?"
"It's…unconventional, to be sure, but I see no reason for you to lie to me," Finn admitted, shifting his feet. He really was anxious to get going, maybe prove to Kurt that this time he could save him, but…
"Finn, you realize there's no going back form this, right?" Wes said quietly, laying a hand on Finn's arm. "The ship will be guarded and you will need to break it out as well, and chances are that impersonating an officer of the Royal Navy will be enough to land a bounty on your head. Are you prepared to give up your life here to live as a fugitive?"
Finn thought for a moment, but realized he'd been ready for over a year now. He had nothing to come back to here. "Yes. If it's…if it's for Kurt I'll do anything," he added and Wes genuinely smiled at that.
"Excellent. I'll allow you to pack what you need and say your good-byes. Meet me at the dock in an hour?"
"Alright," Finn agreed, shaking a little from nervousness and excitement, and Wes turned back before he'd taken more than two steps.
"I suppose I should have asked to begin with although you're rather hard to mistake, but can you prove you are indeed the man I'm searching for?"
Finn drew out the pendant before he'd ever realized he was moving, the tiny bee sitting in the palm of his hand, and Wes nodded.
"Kurt really trusts you, I see. I hope it isn't misplaced. One hour, Finnegan Hudson," he reminded Finn before striding off, the canary still twittering away, and Finn sighed and prepared to scrape together his meagre possessions in order to start a new life.
000
William was ecstatic for him, of course. He'd always known that one day Finn would follow his heart and he supported him fully, promising that Finn would always have a place to hide in Port Royal if he needed it.
Of course he couldn't talk to the girl he'd been seeing so he left her a note, hoping she wouldn't take it too badly, and his last stop before meeting Wes at the harbour was to explain to Shelby and Beth where he was going.
He'd become close to Quinn and Puck's daughter in the last year and loved her like his own but he promised he'd be back to visit with her real mother and Auntie Rachel before she could miss him. She hugged his knees and cried a little so he picked her up, smiling lovingly at her before passing her back to Rachel's mother and leaving, his heart heavy.
He'd miss her most of all, but he would be back.
"Ready?" Wes asked him once he'd walked down the dock, a satchel of possessions slung over his shoulder, and Finn took one look back at the structured streets of Port Royal and nodded firmly.
"Ready."
And he was.
000
Life on the Canary was different to life on the Zephyr but Wes was obviously a rather benevolent captain and he and his first mate, David, ran a tight enough ship that Finn felt mostly at home. There were no women on board, naturally, but they loved to sing almost as much as the Zephyr's crew and Finn wondered if all pirate ships were like that.
They reached the fort just before sundown of the next day and Wes presented him with a stolen Royal Navy uniform that, Finn decided, he was not going to ask about. It didn't matter where they'd gotten it, but it fit remarkably well and Finn steeled his nerves and hoped that nobody would question him too closely. They'd seen the Zephyr in a rather secluded cove as they got close, guarded by Royal Navy ships, and Finn decided they'd worry about getting her out later.
First he had to save Kurt.
"The crew is in the main dungeon," Wes told him as they rowed to the far side of the fort, sneaking in under cover of darkness and entering without much fuss, Finn pretending he'd captured the other man sneaking around the back (which was true, except for the 'captured' bit, but they needed a way to the cells) and he was told to 'throw him in with the others.'
They went down several flights of stairs, under the island proper until the walls and ceilings were damp and the floor was covered in puddles of water. "Luckily new ships of officers come in and out of the forts so often that nobody would think twice about not seeing you before," Wes mentioned as they continued to walk the long corridors, the only light from torches on the walls and, in the daytime, barred windows high up in the rock, finally getting to the cells, and Finn heard an incredulous gasp before he finally saw the Zephyr's crew.
"Finn!" Quinn reached out a hand through the bars and Finn took it, smiling at her. "We knew you'd come."
"I had to," Finn scrambled for the keys and undid the lock, throwing the door open as they all filed out.
"You'll have time to catch up later," Wes cleared his throat. "Right now we have to get your ship out of here while Finn looks for Kurt."
"He'll be closer to the surface," Blaine came forward, reaching to grip Finn's arm and smiling at him. "Once you get him out meet us at the ship. And don't worry, we'll have her free by then."
"I know you will," Finn nodded. "But we'll have to move quickly if we have any hope of getting out of here before they notice."
"Right," Blaine gestured for the crew to move out before embracing Finn quickly as Finn blinked and circled his arms around the shorter man's back. "Thank you. I knew you'd be here, but…thank you."
"It's for Kurt. I'd do anything," Finn swore and Blaine's eyes told him that the other man had known this already. "And besides, I think I'd like the chance to save him for once. The other way around was getting a little old."
Blaine laughed weakly at that and pulled away, following the rest of the crew down the damp hall as Finn prepared to look for Kurt.
He'd have to move fast.
000
Of course this inevitably meant he ran into some fellow 'officers' on his way to look for Kurt, although he did learn from them that, due to the commodore of Port Royal deciding to make the trip a day early Kurt's execution would in fact be tomorrow as opposed to two days from then, so it was useful.
It meant he had to get Kurt out of there fast, of course, and he feigned being new and ignorant in order to get directions to the other man's cell which were given rather freely and Finn thanked them and headed off, finding the cell without too much trouble and looking on fondly at the man slumped against the wall, obviously trying to sleep.
Kurt looked a little worse for wear, certainly dirtier than Finn had ever seen him, but it was Kurt and he felt his chest swell with the knowledge. "Kurt," he said quietly, and then, when Kurt didn't stir, "Kurt!"
"Wha…." Kurt blinked muzzily, opening his eyes and focussing on Finn before he sucked in a sharp breath as if he didn't quite believe what was in front of them. "Finnegan Hudson," he breathed, a smile finally coming onto his face. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving you," Finn grinned and Kurt laughed quietly, his eyes lighting up. "Happy to see me?"
"You have no idea," Kurt sighed as Finn turned the key in the lock and opened the door up.
They'd be okay.
As long as he and Kurt were together, they would be okay.
Notes:
1. I…really don't have much to say in the way of notes this time around. Thank you all so much for reading and commenting/reviewing on this fic; it really does mean a lot to me!
