Chapter 13

The next day went by remarkably fast in the cell. There wasn't any change to the day's usual schedule, wake up, exercises, an attempt to eat the 'food' given to them, before the rest of the activities such as imagination games, stories and just general chat.

Sveta for once had broken off into a group that didn't have either Eoleo or Batta included. She seemed to have come into her own with the pirates, being able to hold surprisingly intelligent conversations with them. Both Batta and Eoleo were talking to each other, and unbeknownst to Sveta, they were talking about her.

"You like her, do you?" Batta asked. He knew his question didn't need an answer by the now familiar tint of red to Eoleo's cheeks.

"I'm struggling to believe it too" Eoleo muttered, trying to keep his voice down in the fear of Sveta hearing it. "What strikes me more is the fact it's taken this much time. I mean, we saw each other every day when we were stopping the Grave Eclipse, but we didn't talk nearly half as much as we do now" he explained.

"It's nice to see you finally having a crush on someone" Batta laughed. Eoleo shook his head in disagreement.

"It's not a crush" he defended. "Crushes are for kids. I had crushes when I was twelve, not thirty one"

"Okay, it's an…ah, what's the word…inflation?" Batta asked.

"…Infatuation, isn't it?" Eoleo asked. Batta clicked his fingers, nodding his head as the word entered his head.

"Yep, that's the word" he said. "It's like an adult crush"

Eoleo sighed as he moved his legs to sit cross-legged. The weather had brought them good fortune with the sun, drying up the dampness of the cell's floors and walls. As he craned his neck to look at Sveta, who was listening intently to the account of one of the pirates and his family back at Champa, he shivered.

"…So tell Uncle Batta" Batta teased, shuffling closer to Eoleo. "What's the reason?"

Batta may have been a little mischievous, but Eoleo knew that he could trust him with his life. Having been his and his father's first mate throughout their tenures and captains, Batta was a man whose severe, passionate loyalty was a great foundation to build an absolute trust upon.

"I don't know…" Eoleo huffed with an exasperated tone, a wrinkle appearing on his brow. "She's kind, she doesn't abuse her position. I mean, if it weren't for Sveta letting me stay here, I probably would have died, Batta. She cared for my life when it was in danger, and even now, when we're staring death in the face with supposedly no way to escape, she's still here for me. Every day up in the room before the coup, she came to the room and provided me with healing sessions for my stab wound. Here, she talks to me and she sleeps next to me, how could I not fall in love with…ah!"

Batta's face lit up in utter glee as Eoleo stumbled on his words.

"My boy…" he said quietly.

"I didn't mean that" Eoleo uttered resolutely.

"There's no denying it, you said it" Batta retaliated.

"I know" Eoleo surrendered swiftly, slumping a little. Batta's excitement fizzled out as he realized his friend wasn't smiling anymore.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being in love" Batta said in a hushed, soft tone, speaking quieter than ever from the fear of Sveta hearing. He peeked over Eoleo's shoulder to see if she was still preoccupied; she was. Kneeling back, he patted Eoleo's shoulder.

"I've been in love before and I'm still standing, eh?" he noted.

"I know it's okay…" Eoleo grumbled, looking up at Batta with a frown on his face. "But Sveta…she's not gonna like it at all"

"Don't delude yourself, boy" Batta cheered. "You told me a few minutes ago that you were flirting. She even shaved your beard off herself, without any razors! That takes effort, you know"

A faint smile broke out through Eoleo's frown.

"So…you think I have a chance?" he asked. Batta nodded in confirmation.

"Life's too short to not take chances" Batta said. "…You know, at any moment, a guard will arrive and call us to our deaths" he warned, sending a chill down Eoleo's chest and back. "This is why you shouldn't dawdle about. Talk to her when the night starts drawing in and cross your fingers. You're a pirate, remember. You've been in far worse states before. It sounds like she's thrown herself into a sea of adversity, just for you. Take the chance, and live whatever life is left to the fullest, no matter how short it may suddenly become…"

Batta's advice burned inside of Eoleo's mind throughout the day until it was nightfall. As everybody was setting themselves down to sleep, Eoleo knelt against his spot on the wall. His heart was pounding; resolution was on his mind tonight. Watching Sveta as she used her shirt to clean out her teeth, he took in a deep breath and felt the adrenaline rushing through his body. It felt just like the moment before engaging in battle with an enemy ship. Willing himself to stay still, he witnessed Sveta turning around and moving to her spot beside him.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she positioned herself next to him. "You're as alert as ever tonight"

"It's nothing" Eoleo shrugged. "My sleeping pattern's gone a little out of sync these last few weeks"

"Has it really been that long?" Sveta asked. "I don't really know anymore…"

There was a tense silence between the two; Eoleo saw the window of opportunity opening up in front of him. Drawing the hardest breath he had taken for a long time, he forced the oxygen into his lungs before opening his mouth to speak.

"…You know last night?" Sveta spoke suddenly. Eoleo suddenly choked on his breath and started coughing. Sveta jumped as he whooped by her side, almost shocked that she had startled him so badly. Desperately regaining his composure, he turned around, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Yeah?" he asked between coughs. Sveta watched as Eoleo's coughing continued, feeling a giggle building up inside her as she watched Eoleo clear up his act and rest back against the wall.

"When we were about to go to sleep, did you…uh…kiss me?" she asked. Eoleo didn't register the question until a few seconds later, when his eyes bolted wide open.

"Uh oh…" he thought. He was absolutely sure that she was asleep when he gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was meant to be a stealthy, sentimental move for his own pleasure, not a genuine gesture for her to feel. What was he supposed to say now, he was thinking. Am I gonna lie?

"And what if I did?" Eoleo asked, hastily batting his question at Sveta. He felt the pressure building as she cocked her head in confusion.

"Why do you look so nervous?" she asked. She was striking the jugular now, Eoleo thought. Summoning all of his will, he finally composed himself and twisted his head to look at Sveta.

"Okay, I did" he revealed. "I thought you fell asleep, and you weren't supposed to feel it"

Her brows furrowed. "But why didn't you want me to feel it?" she asked. Eoleo started to worry as her expression changed subtly from confusion to genuine hurt. He breathed out harshly, trying not to look villainous in his explanation. He looked at Batta; he decided to be honest. The worst-case scenario was that he would die single.

"Because I was afraid that you wouldn't be…happy" he said slowly.

"Happy?" she asked once again. "But I am happy, Eoleo"

"You are?"

Sveta shuffled up to Eoleo as he slumped down slightly; their heads were at level height. A genuine smile appeared on her lips, just about revealing the tips of her pearl white fangs.

"Of course I am" she said. "Despite everything that's happened to us…you make me happy"

Warmth spread through Eoleo like a filling hot water bottle. But Sveta asked a question that would probe right to Eoleo's heart.

"Are you happy?"

Eoleo closed his eyes, his next exhalation slow and thoughtful. Reopening his eyes, he directed his gaze right towards Sveta's own eyes, filling himself with a burning sincerity. It came to him at that point that there was one word that could describe his state and how he felt. Burning. Flaming, pyroclastic, raging, blazing, glowing. A real and candid, sincere heat that flushed his body from head to toe.

"I am" he said. "I owe a lot to you, and for once I'm sorry if I ever seemed like I've acted selfishly about it"

Sveta suddenly moved forward and kissed Eoleo, sliding a hand behind his head as she pressed herself against him. Eoleo was taken by complete surprise. He wasn't able to move his own lips against Sveta's press; he could feel the tips of her fangs touching his stubbly moustache. Like a flash, she pulled away, panting for breath. Eoleo chuckled as soon as she pulled away, feeling the tingle on his own lips. Wiping the thin line of saliva away from his upper lip, he examined Sveta's now flushed face.

"You've never done that before, haven't you?" he asked, incapable of holding back his beaming smile. Sveta's eyes frantically darted about, quickly taking in every feature Eoleo's own face. Her hand was still behind the back of his head, caressing the strands of his hair with her claws.

"H-how could you tell?" she whispered.

"You didn't even give me a chance to kiss you back" he said.

"O-oh…I'm sorry" she uttered, bringing her spare hand to her mouth. It was clear that she was tingling all over; she reacted as if flies were buzzing by her face, twitching in disbelief at what she had done. Eoleo could only snicker at Sveta's inexperience. Rubbing the soft side of his knuckle against Sveta's face, he smoothed the fine hairs on the back of her jaw.

"There you go, apologizing again" he noted, revealing his own set of teeth, only slightly yellowed by his nature as a pirate. Sveta's eyes jerked slightly, not even realizing she had said sorry again, before huffing, a smile breaking out on her face as well.

"That wasn't nice" she teased.

"Sorry" Eoleo replied. "Agh, now you've got me saying it!"

The two laughed quietly, before Sveta moved her other hand behind Eoleo's head and leant in to kiss him again.

"Um, Sveta" Eoleo whispered quickly before their lips met.

"What?" she asked.

"We've got an audience"

She slowly turned her head to see the rest of the pirates watching them with eyes wide open. She had downright forgotten that she was still in a prison cell full of pirates; all of who were female starved and hadn't seen any hint of romance since landing in Belinsk. Even as she looked at Batta, a cheesy grin was plastered on his bearded face.

Sadly, for Sveta and Eoleo, the rest of the night went sleepless thanks to the pirates, who badgered them about the story of their budding romance all the way until the sun rose.