Over the course of the next few weeks, Hanbei began to let his guard down around Motochika and his crew.
He helped out around the ship every day working with the crew members. At first it was just menial tasks like scrubbing the deck and polishing the captain's wheel, simple tasks not fit for a tactician, but it humbled Hanbei and filled him with a sense of accomplishment that made him feel at ease.
He soon became familiar with the ship and knew just how things worked. They always rose early; Hanbei was used to that.
When it came to heavy lifting, he gave it his best try, but the barrel full of flopping fish got the better of him, rolling from his shaking shoulders each time he tried. One particular time it rolled down right under Motochika's awaiting foot.
Hanbei had been shocked, but Motochika's hearty laughter told him it would be alright.
Hanbei often caught Motochika gazing out into the sea, a homemade telescope in his hand. This night was one of those particular evenings. Hanbei decided to interrupt the sea fairing captain out of curiosity.
It was dark, a few clouds covering the moon that hung over head.
Hanbei walked over to Motochika quietly, his feet barely making a sound. He heard the man give a light grunt of approval at something, his eye still in the telescope.
"Motochika, what are you-"
"Ah!"
Hanbei watched the object fumble out of the pirate's grasp in which he quickly managed to catch in his hand. He let out a puff of air giving Hanbei an annoyed look to which Hanbei only looked slightly amused.
"Holy- Hanbei! What's wrong with you sneakin' up on me like that!?"
The small tactician shook his head smiling all the while. "My apologies."
Motochika sighed looking at Hanbei seriously. "Well..whatever..jus' don't do it again!"
"What exactly are you looking at out there?" Hanbei squinted leaning over the rail seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
"..'Tis nothin' my friend... just checkin' the waters fer any 'sharks'."
Hanbei gave the buff pirate a look. "So... we're friends now?"
His one eye stared back at Hanbei surprised. "Well...we be nothin' like that of enemies..so the only other option I see, is we're friends."
Hanbei made a sour face. "After what happened between us..." His hand came up to rub his tired face.
"I can't just forget that you..."
Motochika stood up straight. "Why must you keep bringing it up, Hanbei?" Motochika shoved the telescope into his pants pocket looking away uncomfortably. "I'm not proud of what I did to ya...ya didn't deserve that, an' I'm sorry. An' I'm tryin' ta help you out here!"
Hanbei bit his lip thinking on how to respond.
"I am thankful..." Hanbei murmured gaining Motochika's attention.
"Hn?" The pirate stared curious at Hanbei's words.
"That you...with such gentle hands..." Hanbei crossed his arms laughing at the thought. He cradled his arms remembering the drunken pirate from that night. He could have been rough. He could have simply taken everything from Hanbei without a care or concern for Hanbei's pain or pleasure.
"Thank you. I accept your apology, captain." Hanbei's smile melted the pirate's rough exterior leaving him exposed. The sea devil rubbed his head nervously. This conversation was drifting off into dangerous waters.
"Aye, well... I 'spose it's gettin' a tad late. I'll see ya at sun up!" Motochika made his way from the bow of the boat.
"Motochika," Hanbei's soft voice poked at Motochika's ear causing him to stop in mid stride.
"Aren't you lonely?"
The question was straight to the point.
"...No. I am tired though." As Motochika turned around, Hanbei now stood close to him again.
"That's a lie. I know it's a lie, because I am already lonely after being here for only a few weeks- how do you do it, Motochika?" Hanbei's lavender eyes looked sadly up at Motochika's single sterling iris, the shorter tactician stepping even closer.
The pirate heaved a sigh knowing Hanbei could see through him perfectly.
"You..."He took hold of the slender man before him. "Really aren't alone here... you know that, don't you?"
Hanbei let out a small gasp. "What do you mean?"
"You're not the only one feeling lonely here." Motochika's creased brow told Hanbei everything. With a gentle touch, Hanbei's hand brushed the sea weathered face of Motochika.
Hanbei felt his warm breath on his lips, their eyes meeting, searching, imploring, and forgiving.
Lavender eyes slid shut, a pale chin tilting upward to ghost soft pink lips over the other pair awaiting to be accepted or rejected.
A high pitched squeal rang through the sky before something broke the water's surface not far from the ship creating a huge wave rocking them to and fro. Motochika held tight to Hanbei leaning against the rail.
"The hell was-"
Another screech and something plummeted even closer in the water.
Men were soon scrambling around the decks, a bell quickly alerting everyone on the ship of the attack. Motochika quickly left Hanbei's side taking out his telescope again.
He cursed seeing an enemy boat in the distance.
"How the hell did he get by me?!" He shook his head and walked hastily up to his post giving out orders.
Cannon balls flew through the air, lit Molotov's setting fire to the beautiful wood of Motochika's ship.
The barrage went on until sunrise, and in the after math, the enemy ship had been demolished, but not without a fight.
Motochika grumbled and took a look over the damages, breakages and leaks standing out all over like a sore thumb.
"That's it then...we're going to have to make a stop for repairs."
Hanbei's ears perked at the notion of seeing land again.
"Aye, Captain!"
As the crew busily worked on fixing the leaks as quickly as possible, Hanbei approached the tired looking captain.
"Motochika... you said we're going to stop for repairs?" He asked softly knowing the man was tired and on edge.
"Aye." came his short response.
"Might I ask where exactly it is we will be stopping?"
He heard the man sigh looking out at the sun rising over the water, a small patch of land in the distance.
"It's no where near close to the Date, if that's what yer wonderin'."
"I see..." Hanbei looked at Chosokabe speculating just what the man was thinking.
"I've got old Miyoshi allies very close to where we are, in Toba actually..heh..well, they're part of the Chosokabe whether they like it or not." He gave a small grin to himself.
Hanbei shrunk down taking a seat across from the captain. They had been traveling by sea for weeks and they were only nearing Toba- he knew he was in for a long ride.
After dark, the Rising Sun docked in the Toba Bay. The sudden halt jerked Hanbei from his half -halfhearted slumber only catching a little bit of sleep while they were sailing.
Men dressed in armor met Chosokabe as he leaped from the ship showing his charismatically toothy smile.
He spoke with a well dressed man for a good ten minutes before motioning for the rest of the crew to follow.
Some of the villagers were already carrying wood and tools to the ship, many of Chosokabe's men staying to assist.
Hanbei followed Motochika up the sandy shore and onto a sandy path leading through tropical trees, the locus and other insects already beginning to sing.
They stopped right in front of a luxurious looking castle.
The well dressed man whispered a few words to Chosokabe and took a glance at Hanbei glaring apparently at his ragtag looking clothes. Hanbei's eye twitched, but he remained silent after being allowed inside of the fancy castle.
Chosokabe bowed respectfully as did the other man before he walked off with his guards leaving the pirate alone with Hanbei. Inside, there was a man made water fall trickling down into a pool of multicolored fish. This caught Hanbei's attention immediately, and the other man chuckled shoving his hands into his pockets.
Hanbei blushed lightly realizing he had gone off into his own little world. It was so nice to finally be back on land.
There was even a bathing area that piqued Hanbei's interest. As soon a he was able, he submerged himself inside of the water basin being sure to scrub off as much dirt as he possibly could from his pale skin. Uncleanliness was not something he was used to back in Osaka.
After getting cleaned up, all he felt like doing was sleeping for a solid twelve hours.
His body was tense from the bombing attack, his nerves on edge too. He could only guess that Chosokabe was in a similar state.
Hanbei returned with a yawn seeing Chosokabe was already cleaned up and headed back to a room.
He quickly followed the other man inside the room they were sharing. He took a look at the bedding laid neatly on the floor. Immediately, Hanbei dove inside the warm cocoon.
"Hanbei..." He flinched feeling a strong arm wrap around his body. He shivered feeling the pirate's teeth graze over his shoulder, over his neck, the warm breath almost causing him to gasp.
He smiled a little hearing Motochika grunt. The soft touches suddenly ceased. All he could feel was the warm breath tickling his neck.
He looked over his should seeing Motochika's eyes closed, his jaw slack, his arm now weighing suddenly too heavily on his body.
"Good night, captain." Hanbei whispered before falling into a deep sleep finally feeling comfortable after such a long time.
"Oh, no no no. Don't you even think about it. If he knew we were here..."
"He won't. He's got no idea. He couldn't possibly fathom that we are here, Gyobu!He didn't even recognize our men that were on that boat...what a fool."
'Gyobu' heaved a long sigh.
"I know he's hiding something from me... that hostage- he looked just like-"
"Now, now, I think your imagination's getting the best of you-"
"SILENCE!" Dark eyes narrowed threateningly.
"That man, he looked just like him... just like Lord Hanbei."
"Hanbei is dead along with Hideyoshi-"
"If I hear you say that one more time..."
"...Mitsunari-"
"I'm going to find him. I know he has lord Hanbei hostage, and I am going to take him back!"
Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Jflsjf;sggsaghd;ghdgsjkdgsdkgsdgkdkgnsdkgsdh sgksdhgjksdngjdskgnsdgjksdnv sdkvndvdkvnsvksnksdvndrririr irigfsl