Title: Zephyr's Breath
Author: AoiTsukikage
Rating: R for now
Characters/Pairing: Finn/Kurt, minor Blaine/Sam
Chapter: 14/?
Word Count: 2888
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 Fourteen
The night, surprisingly, was spent in slumber. Both of them were weary from rowing into Port Royal and Kurt was emotionally weary from seeing his father for the first time in many years, so once they rolled into bed Finn merely wrapped him up in his long arms and they fell asleep, curled around each other like tendrils of seaweed, inseparable throughout the night as the stars rose and faded.
He woke up to the sounds of a busy port city; seagulls squeaking and carts rattling down the street, ship's bells ringing and the distant crash of waves against the shore.
"Morning," Finn said, eyes still at half-mast, and Kurt couldn't resist leaning up to give him a short kiss. "Mm. We need to be getting back, don't we?"
"I think I can spare a few hours if you'd like to visit Beth. I would…dearly love to spend some more time with my father," he admitted, knowing that he really couldn't know when he would next see the older man.
"Thank you," Finn kissed him again before getting out of the bed and going to the window, looking out over the town as Kurt admired his nude body in the morning light. "I should get dressed and head out, then. When should we meet at the dock?"
"Noon or a little after," Kurt decided after joining Finn at the window and examining the position of the sun. "Is that enough time for you?"
"It should be," Finn drew Kurt into a firm hug before moving to get dressed and Kurt watched him go with a smile.
They'd opted for dinner with his father last night as opposed to breakfast because Kurt had wanted to leave with the tide, and it had gone well. He could tell that the older man approved of Finn, which was good.
And Finn had seemed to get along well with his father, so all in all he considered the dinner a success.
Finn came back over once he'd dressed, drawing Kurt into a slow kiss and stroking his cheek with the pad of his thumb before withdrawing and leaving the room.
Kurt watched him go, a slight shiver passing through his body although the breeze entering the room through the open window was warm.
He didn't quite know what that meant.
But he truly hoped it was nothing.
000
When it was nearing half- noon he was starting to fear the worst, which was probably unwarranted on his part.
Finn lost track of time, that was all…
He looked up when he heard a shout come from closer to the center of town, prepared to fight his way out if it came to that, but a second later he saw a figure running toward the dock that could have only been Finn and he quickly hopped into the boat they'd taken into the harbour and prepared to cast off, letting go of the rope once Finn had scrambled in and grabbed the oars, rowing with a strength obviously fuelled by the fear of getting caught as they almost flew out of the harbour, rounding the first point before Finn stopped, the oars falling from his suddenly-slack hands as he curled over, clutching his side and whimpering.
"Finn?" Kurt asked haltingly, reaching out to brush the other man's forehead and pulling his hand away when his fingertips encountered heated skin. "You're burning up! What happened?"
"I…" Finn coughed, shivering, and shoved the bag he was holding at Kurt. "In there. Careful."
Kurt opened the bag and looked inside, seeing a rather wicked looking arrow sitting at the bottom. The arrow's shaft was ringed with circles of yellow and blue, and the colors spoke to him although he could not say why. "This…"
"The…girl I was courting. Her…family obviously decided…that the reward money was the…best revenge for me…leaving," Finn couldn't seem to speak without gasping, his tremors getting worse. "I…they ambushed me…the arrow merely grazed my side, but…poisoned," he grabbed at his shirt again, moaning softly, and Kurt felt a stab of fear go through his heart.
"Come on. We need to get you back to the Zephyr and hopefully Santana will have some knowledge of this," Kurt took the oars and began to row, grateful that the Zephyr was close.
Finn looked horrible by the time they'd arrived, eyes half-open and face a rather startling shade of white.
"Santana! We need you!" he yelled, climbing onto the deck as Puck hopped down to assist Finn in getting up the ladder. The dark-haired girl rushed over a second later and Kurt handed her the bag.
She took one look in it and closed her eyes, breathing out slowly through her nose.
"Manchineel," she said the word almost like an oath, tossing the bag away. "I'd recognize the milky color of it anywhere. This is bad, Kurt."
"Is there an antidote?" Kurt asked haltingly, not wanting to look too worried although inside his stomach was tying itself in knots.
"Yes, but we'll need to go back to The Island to get it. I should have restocked but I didn't anticipate running into this in Port Royal, of all places…"
"Can we make it?"
"Perhaps. Did the arrow go through?"
"Just grazed his side, I think."
"Then we have a chance. The first thing we need to do is clean the area with water. Manchineel poison is painful above everything else; the skin will start to blister and burn within minutes and Finn's probably in extreme pain right now. Once the poison gets inside of him it could burn his insides; he'll have trouble breathing and eventually die, but hopefully if we can get back to The Island within a couple of days he'll be just fine," she said, her voice and face grim, and Kurt could feel himself losing hope with every word.
He couldn't lose Finn yet.
He just couldn't.
"Here," Puck gently lay the taller man on the deck, Finn moaning in pain.
"Finn," Santana knelt down next to him and gripped his hand. "Focus on me, Finnegan. Now, where were you hit?"
Finn gestured to his side and Kurt could see a slash of red staining his shirt.
"Okay. Kurt, can you undo his shirt? Puck, grab me a bucket of clean water," she ordered and Puck muttered something about 'being ordered around' before he stomped away.
Kurt reached out and carefully unbuttoned Finn's shirt, peeling it away from the shallow cut, and the skin around was already starting to blister and peel like he'd been burned by heated iron as opposed to a tiny arrowhead.
Puck came back with the water and left the bucket beside Kurt, grimacing as he looked at the injury, and he passed his bandana over to Kurt who dipped it in the water before laying it over the area and trying not to listen to Finn's whine of pain at the action.
"I know it hurts, love, but I have to do it," he muttered, cleaning the wound as thoroughly as he could (and it really was nothing more than a scratch, but it was obvious Finn was in incredible pain). He didn't think twice about calling Finn 'love,' not in this position, at least.
He may not love the man yet, but his early infatuation had changed into something deeper even if he could not yet put a name to it.
"Good," Santana said after he'd dropped the cloth back into the bucket, looking at the scratch closely. "That should stop the skin from getting any worse, but we can't do much for what's inside of him until we find some Arrowroot."
"Right. We should be off, then," Kurt stood, noting that almost the entire crew was out on deck now and looking at him apprehensively, so he gave the order to make sail and they scattered.
"They're afraid," Santana sighed.
"Afraid?"
"Of how you'll react if he…if he does not make it," she said, looking at him with sympathy. "But Finn's strong and has the advantage of having a lot of body for the poison to work through so that may buy us some time."
"I can only hope it does," Kurt gently brushed Finn's hair back from his forehead, noting that the other man's eyes were glassy and it was as if he had no clear idea of what was happening anymore. "Hold on for me, Finnegan," he pleaded softly, laying his palm flat on the other man's chest and hearing the slower but still regular rhythm of his heart.
"I will warn you, Kurt, that although the poison cannot be spread without direct contact with the wound, I know not how it will spread through bodily fluids, so until it is out of him completely…"
"No kissing," Kurt nodded. "I understand. It's for the best."
"Right," she agreed with a nod as the ship began to move, and she stood up and looked at Kurt before laying a hand on his shoulder, a rare showing of sympathy from her. "His fever will be fierce until we can find the Arrowroot, but I trust you will take care of him."
"I shall do what I can," Kurt promised, noting that Finn was staring at him vacantly again, normally warm eyes far too dead for Kurt's liking. "Finn?"
"Hurts," Finn said pitifully, blinking and trying his best to focus on Kurt. "Can't…"
"Shh," Kurt went back to stroking his hair, trying to ignore how warm his forehead was. "You'll be okay. I…" he blinked before standing, trying not to notice how hurt Finn looked that he was leaving but he couldn't stand to be around the other man at the moment.
He went to get Puck and Mike in order to move Finn into his cabin and stood by the rail, turning the poisoned arrow over and over in his hands and staring at it in silence.
"Kurt?"
"Quinn," Kurt half-turned, still idly spinning the arrow as Quinn examined it. "You recognize the colors?"
"I do, and it's hardly surprising. Finn would pick the most influential family in Port Royal next to my own to try and marry into, wouldn't he?" she sighed and ran her finger down the arrow's shaft. "I doubt we'll have much to worry about anymore but I can imagine how they felt about their daughter's potential husband rushing off to turn pirate, especially with his father being who he was."
"I think Finn's grown rather weary of everybody mentioning his father," Kurt smiled a little. "Not that I blame him, seeing as how he never met the man, but all the same…"
"Yes, I can imagine," Quinn nodded, still looking at the arrow. "Are you keeping that?"
"Until we find the antidote," Kurt decided, placing it back in the bag. "I'll put it in a safe place so nobody accidentally touches it."
"What are his chances?" the blonde girl asked quietly, eyes full of compassion, and Kurt sighed and shook his head.
"Provided we reach The Island tomorrow, Santana seems positive. I can only hope and, although I haven't done so in several years, pray that God sees fit to save an honourable man from a horribly painful death," he sighed once more and looked up at the cloudless sky, hoping that things stayed as they were.
"I'm sure he will. It isn't Finn's time yet, I'm sure of it," Quinn herself was fairly religious, all things considered, so Kurt felt more at ease knowing that she was praying for Finn to make a full recovery as well.
"I suppose I should go check on him," Kurt decided after a few moments, stopping to give Quinn a kiss on the cheek before heading into his cabin.
000
Kurt wiped Finn's forehead gently, hearing the other man moan in the throes of his fever. It was the middle of the night by his reckoning and he'd yet to catch even a wink of sleep; he was too afraid of leaving Finn unattended for even a moment.
The cabin door opening caused him to turn and he smiled at Blaine as the shorter man entered, standing beside Kurt and staring down at Finn with obvious sympathy in his dark eyes.
"You need to rest, Captain," he said softly, resting a hand on Kurt's shoulder, and Kurt stubbornly shook his head although his eyes were barely staying open.
"I cannot. It is impossible to leave him," he said stubbornly, dipping the cloth in the bucket once more and wetting it again.
"And if you become ill yourself you'll be of no use to us. We've spoken of this before, remember?" Blaine gently took his wrist and squeezed until he dropped the cloth back in the water, yawning despite himself. "I can assure you that, until morning, he will be as safe as can be under my care. Go to my cabin and get some rest."
"Blaine…"
"Go," Blaine urged him, helping him to his feet and pushing himself up enough to give Kurt a kiss on the forehead, barely wincing when Kurt threw his arms around him and clung to him fiercely.
"I'm worried. No, more than that, I'm terrified. And I don't know…"
"You have to trust that he's strong enough to beat this," Blaine murmured into his ear, his voice soothing as he stroked his hands down Kurt's back. "The wind is with us and the skies are clear. We'll make it."
"Yes," Kurt finally sighed, the other man's words giving him renewed confidence. "Yes, we shall."
"Good. Now, go to sleep," Blaine pushed him toward the door and Kurt went, not looking back as he stumbled onto the deck and made his way to Blaine's cabin, waving to Sam on the night watch.
He stripped off his shirt and breeches and covered himself, sighing as the weariness of the day finally caught up to him and he fell into slumber almost immediately.
000
Kurt pushed open the door to his cabin the next morning, feeling more like himself, and noted that now Blaine was the one who looked about ready to fall asleep on his feet.
"I think it's time I return the favour," Kurt said, running his hand lightly through Blaine's hair as the other man looked at him. "Take your rest, Blaine."
"Morning," Finn said quietly and Kurt looked at him in shock.
"You…"
"His fever broke in the night," Blaine murmured, looking up at Kurt with half-lidded eyes. "It's rather good and bad at the same time, I fear."
"Oh," Kurt breathed, remembering Santana's words about what the poison would do to Finn. "How are you feeling?"
"Not bad at the moment," Finn wrinkled his nose and sighed. "Santana was in here earlier…told me what to expect, although right now my stomach's only burning about as much as when I accidentally ate some of the local food when I first got here. Nobody had told me how much spice they like to use," he laughed a little, good-natured to the end, but Kurt could see the faint sheen of sweat on his forehead that told him the other man was in far greater pain than he was admitting.
"We'll reach The Island by noon and then we can work on getting you healed," Kurt promised, laying his hand on Finn's shoulder before leaning to kiss his brow. "And I fear I can't do much more…"
"I understand. It's perfectly fine," Finn weakly raised his hand and Kurt took it immediately, lacing their fingers together and trying not to worry about how cold and clammy Finn's skin was. A small sound interrupted his thoughts and he turned to see Blaine snoring quietly, head hanging down, and lightly touched his shoulder.
"Blaine."
"Hmm?" Blaine blinked at him before sighing. "Right. Sleep," he staggered to his feet and shuffled out of the cabin as Kurt took his seat, never letting go of Finn's hand.
When Blaine had left Finn let out a gusty sigh, closing his eyes and slumping against the bed. "Kurt…"
"It hurts worse than you're admitting, doesn't it?" Kurt looked at him with sympathy as Finn nodded and coughed weakly. "It'll be okay, Finn. You'll be okay. We're almost there."
"Wish I was still delirious," Finn's head lolled to the side and he stared at Kurt. "Wouldn't feel this."
"Hang on for me," Kurt didn't want to sound like he was begging but he was afraid his voice was far too close to that. "Just...we're almost there. You'll be okay…"
"Kurt," Finn groaned, one hand gripping his tightly and the other clenching at the covers, his breath coming quicker.
"I know, love. I know," Kurt tried to soothe him, willing his precious ship to go faster than she'd ever gone.
"Sorry, I…"
"You're not leaving me," Kurt said stubbornly, holding Finn's hand up to his face and sighing when the other man cupped his cheek, staring straight into his eyes. "I'm not letting you go when I haven't had you properly yet."
That earned him a tiny smile from the taller man but he still looked far too haunted, eyes closing in pain every few seconds.
"Come on, darling, come on," he spoke to his ship, leaning to place one hand on the planks of the floor and urging her on.
They'd make it.
They had to.
Notes:
1. Sorry for the wait on the update! I've been…distracted by tumblr, I think. Also, this story is hard for me to write not in that the idea don't come but in that I have to majorly edit myself and look up certain words to find out if they would have been used at the time. I'm sure I'm not entirely historically correct, but I try!
2. The Manchineel tree sounds nasty. You can read about it here: http:/en(.)wikipedia(.)org/wiki/Manchineel I mean, this thing is so poisonous that if you stand under it while it's raining and rain that touches the tree touches YOU it'll burn your skin. Yikes.
3. Um, that's about it. Sorry for the partial-cliffhanger, but I wanted the next part of the fic to be in the next chapter. But you all know I love Finn, so…