Better Left Alone

"I'm bored."

The merchant vessel Shaad, Raine, and Vega were hitching a ride on had been at sea for almost a week and a half. They'd each fallen into a bit of a routine as passengers aboard the ship and still had a ways to go before reaching their destination.

Shaad was comfortable in the role of passenger. No responsibilities. No expectations. He'd ventured around the ship a couple of times and knew where pretty much everything was, though none of that mattered; his only job right now was to relax and enjoy the ride. Currently, he was doing that job in the crow's nest. He'd convinced the man that was supposed to be keeping watch to relinquish that role to him - something that was easier than it probably should have been - and took his seat.

With the warm, ocean breeze and a light mist spraying against his face, Shaad reclined in the crow's nest. Covering his eyes with his fedora, he rested his swords next to the spyglass he wouldn't be needing and tuned out the crew below as he drifted to sleep.

He was broken from his nap by Raine complaining, though. Shaad tried to pull his fedora down further and ignore her, but Raine merely repeated her statement.

"Wake up. I'm bored."

"I'm sleep," Shaad muttered in response, still not stirring from his spot.

"Oh, I'll put you to sleep."

Shaad quickly registered the threat, snatching one of his swords and raising it above his head to block Raine's baton. But, the strike didn't come. He peeked open one eye then both, throwing his head back and glaring at the cheeky grin Raine wore. She was sitting on the rim of the crow's nest in a white top with the word evil written in pink emblazoned across the chest and a pair of turquoise shorts that hugged her full hips, legs swaying along with the ship's rocking.

"So, you're bored. What do you want me to do about it?"

"I agreed to follow you because I thought it would be fun. It's your job as captain to keep me entertained."

Shaad was fairly certain that didn't make a lick of sense, but he wasn't going to waste time arguing. "Go talk to Vega; he's a great conversationalist."

"That's only to you," Raine replied flatly, not sharing the same amusement Shaad seemed to get from that suggestion.

"Then, go play poker with some of the crew," Shaad offered more seriously.

"I've already taken most of their money. The only option left would be strip poker, and there's only a handful of the crew good for a game of that. Though, if you'd like to -"

"Fine, let me think of something," Shaad interrupted, not wanting to let her finish that idea.

Raine simply snickered at his hasty response, pushing onto her feet in the small crow's nest before turning around. "Whatever; I'm going to the pool. Feel free to join me," she added sultrily.

"Wait. Pool? Where?"

"That large room cordoned off on the third level below deck at the back of the ship."

"I thought that was just the ballast."

"No, the ballast is below that in the bilge." Shaad was about to say something else, but Raine cut him off. "Well, see ya." Shaad's eyes traveled to the sight of Raine's backside squeezed into those tight shorts, and he felt a slight stirring, as she hopped over the edge and onto the deck below.

'I should just go back to sleep.'

'But, you're not going to.'

'Watch me,' Shaad thought defiantly, pulling his hat back down and closing his eyes.

He stayed like that for what he thought was several minutes, but in actuality was less than one, before his eyes shot open. He could hear the mocking laughter in his head as he groaned inwardly and stood up.

'Told ya.'

'Shut up. I'm just going to see what the pool looks like.'

'Su~re. You can't even swim.'

Shaad growled lowly in frustration and willed the voice in his head to go quiet. Grabbing his two swords, he hopped down onto the deck and made for the stairs leading below deck. Looking back to the now empty crow's nest, he briefly mused over the fact that there was no one keeping watch.

'Eh, not like it makes a difference.'

Shaad walked casually through the halls of the ship, ignoring those around him as they ignored him. It took a few minutes, but he easily found the pool. Hidden behind a nondescript door on an otherwise empty wall, Shaad found the room locked with a door that was surprisingly sturdy.

'Hmm, let's see if I still remember that trick my dad taught me.' Shaad pulled one of his swords from the cross sheath on his back and stuck the tip gently into the lock. Placing his right hand flat on the door, he wriggled the sword in the lock. However, it didn't work as well as he would've liked and he quickly became frustrated with the lack of results, accidently spearing the sword through the lock as his impatience got the better of him.

The pool area was slowly revealed as the door swung open. Shaad subconsciously slipped the sword back into its sheath, amazed by the breadth of the audaciously extravagant faux natural setting. It looked like he'd stepped straight off the ship and into a private, pristine lakeside complete with a small waterfall near the back. Shaad's eyes scanned the few trees and shrubs almost expecting to see some sort of wild animals. His attention was brought down to the water in front of him by a growing tapping noise. Raine waded there in the water with a slight frown, arms crossed as she tapped her manicured nail on the natural colored tile.

"You know you could've knocked."

Shaad had nearly forgotten about the door, turning around and closing it though it couldn't be locked. "I was testing an experiment. It failed."

Shaad's answer was almost second nature. Raine ignored the blaśe attitude because she didn't much care anyway, instead answering the question that was clear on his face. "Quite nice, isn't it?"

"It's. . . amazing."

The smirk Raine had adopted briefly reverted back to a bit of a frown. "I was hoping you'd reserve such lofty praise for my next question."

Shaad then watched, enraptured by the sight, as Raine lifted herself out of the water. His gaze locked, Shaad inadvertently stared as, squished between her strong arms, Raine's voluptuous breasts threatened to spill out of the skimpy white and sky blue bikini top with lotus flower designs. Shaad subconsciously licked his lips as he found himself partly hoping for the metal ring on the front to retire its futile effort. He quickly shook such an immoral thought from his head. But, as he looked up again, Raine's glorious form stepping from the water, droplets beading down her every delectable curve, easily summoned its brethren to the forefront and his mouth hung open like a kid in a candy store window. His eyes stayed with her toned frame in the tiny bikini - ninety five percent naked if not a tad bit more - showcasing all of her curves, and he watched those curves as if they were the roads to salvation.

Raine adjusted her bottom and cocked her head in Shaad's direction with a knowing grin. "I guess speechlessness is an acceptable answer, too."

Shaad rapidly blinked until proper function was restored to his mind and enough saliva returned to his mouth for him to speak. Wanting to divert focus away from his blatant staring, he looked up to the ceiling and completely rerouted the conversation. "This lighting looks strangely natural."

Raine, of course, knew what he was doing, but allowed him his little respite if only for the cute and entertaining reactions it promised. "That's because it is. There's an arboretum just above this that takes up two levels. They grow fruit and medicinal ingredients there."

Shaad's unease shown through, and she predicted his next question as his eyes jumped between her and the glass ceiling, no doubt looking for any excuse to look at her without having to meet her eyes. "Both levels are one way glass ceilings. . . We have complete privacy."

Shaad took a step back at Raine's smooth and suggestive tone, eliciting a smirk from the pink haired navigator as she ran her hands through her long locks, jostling her full breasts just enough to draw Shaad's eye.

"Aah," the beautiful Raine feigned offense. "You didn't come all the way down here just to see the pool did you. . . I thought you might be here to entertain me."

Shaad swallowed thickly and Raine tittered lightly watching the young man struggle to control himself as she leaned in on the balls of her feet and looked up at him with wide, expectant eyes, giving him an unobstructed view of her wondrous cleavage.

Shaad felt nervous and bent his arms slowly, his face that of a child scared to get caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Unease shown clearly as he reached out, watching his outstretched hands as if they were not his own. After only a couple seconds that felt like minutes, his smooth hands came in contact with soft flesh and he wrapped his fingers around her sculpted biceps, pushing her back to arms' length and adopting the sternest voice he could.

"After you interrupted my nap, I couldn't get back to sleep. So, yeah, I decided to come down here and check out the pool I'd missed before," Shaad rehashed the tale he'd told himself.

But, Raine wasn't buying it.

"Oh, are you going to punish me, then," she teased, none too innocently placing a finger to those full, pursed lips before spinning around, swishing those to-die-for hips, and diving back into the water with the grace of a mermaid while Shaad could do nothing but stare at her tight, round apple bottom and perfect curves.

Shaad was frustrated in more ways than one, but primarily at how easily Raine could, and would, sway his desires; she tested his self-control as well as his patience. He wouldn't mind getting her back, but so few options were plausible. Then, a glint shown in his eye as he came up with an idea. On a return lap, Raine saw the wide smile he sported and stopped at the edge.

"You look happy. See something you like?"

"I just thought of something fun we could do." Raine smiled as well, meeting his even gaze, but she wasn't expecting what he said next. "Let's have a sparring match."

"What?"

"I got my ass handed to me in what was essentially a hand-to-hand fight against Vega, and the same happened against the marine I faced on that resort island, only in a sword fight. My skills have gotten a bit sloppy all around, and you got a bit roughed up yourself recently. We could both stand to sharpen our skills."

Raine stayed there for a moment, trying to discern whether or not he was being serious. She'd told Shaad what kind of monster Tiny was and that had nothing to do with her own skills. However, she felt complete seriousness in his words. Shaad, in turn, watched as Raine grabbed a towel and dried off, lustful thoughts (temporarily) replaced as he awaited her formal answer and formulated a strategy.

"Okay," Raine finally answered as she slipped on a pair of blue board shorts. "A test of skill only, though."

"Of course."

"I'm going to show you how far behind your technical prowess is."

"We all have room to grow, but I plan on showing you why I'm captain." Shaad spoke plainly.

He watched Raine slip a white tee over her head. She rolled up the bottom and tied it tight between her breasts. The way it lifted and squeezed the exposed cleavage made it look two sizes smaller than it probably was, but it would serve its function: keeping her chest from jiggling too much while she performed her acrobatic feats. Raine slid into a fighting stance, leaving her extendable baton on the ground in its leather thigh holster while Shaad mirrored her movements, having dropped his swords behind him. Almost as if a visual representation of their relationship thus far, Raine made the first move, backing Shaad down with a smooth, aggressive offense while Shaad was more measured in his approach. He watched her fluid moves and the way she was able to twist her lithe body waiting for his chance to strike. The young pirate was determined not to lose, but he feared his competitive spirit pushing him too far in a friendly bout.

Shaad had to be careful on both ends. He'd long equated dealing with Raine to handling poison, and this was no different. If he moved too early or got greedy, he'd pay dearly. But, if he waited, not wanting to turn this into a brawl, it could cost him severely. Shaad had noted the firm musculature Raine hid beneath her soft, supple skin before, coiled and waiting for release. Also, Raine had clearly been trained well, able to snap out her arms and legs in quick, whip-like motions and deliver exorbitant force from her taut, lean muscles.

The navigator's grappling ability was of note as well, though. Shaad, having never actually seen her fight, learned that the hard way as he saw an opening and went for it, striking out with a quick punch only for Raine to sidestep it, wrapping up his arm and aiming a kick for his chest. Shaad caught her leg with his free hand, but was put off balance as she jumped and locked his caught arm with her other leg, swinging her weight and flipping him hard onto his back. Shaad kept her from locking on the armbar by not letting her right leg go. At the same time, he thumped Raine in the center of her chest with a raised knuckle, shorting her heart and her breath and allowing him to slip his arm free.

There are few ways to defend yourself from your back, but Shaad underestimated his pink-haired navigator and got an overanxious punch caught between her strong thighs before being slammed face first to the ground. Raine didn't make the same mistake as Shaad tried to repeat his previous tactic, shifting her position and putting extra torque on his elbow. Shaad grit his teeth through the pain as his arm was bent at an unnatural angle. He tried to roll through the twisting and was ready to slam Raine to the hard tile to free himself when she glided across his front and clamped her thighs around his neck as well. The added weight made him fall forward, and with her back flat against the ground, Raine was again able to increase her leverage and bring Shaad down to a knee.

Shaad lifted Raine up enough that only her shoulders remained on the floor, and dropped his knee in the center of her back. Her body went slack for a moment and Shaad slipped free, but she latched her legs around his waist and held on as he stood up, putting him on his back with an elbow to the top of the skull.

Straddling his chest, she held Shaad's arms above his head and smiled down at him. "My win," she sealed with a light kiss on his lips.

But, Shaad had yet to admit defeat. He bucked his hips and rolled Raine over. Though he was breathing quite a bit harder, he flashed a toothy grin to his defeated navigator. "Think again," he countered, left fist cocked back, his way of announcing he could easily finish this.

Raine, though, accepted the challenge: knocking his right arm aside and latching her left hand around Shaad's throat. She dug her painted nails into the skin around his throat, but Shaad reacted quickly, catching her right arm by the wrist as she aimed for his eyes and slamming it to the ground. A brief tussle later and her left arm received similar rough treatment before he pinned both her arms beneath her back.

With Shaad leaned over her and breathing hard, Raine finally admitted defeat, though only after failing to squirm her way out of his hold. "Fine, you take round 1," she conceded with a defiant sigh.

As Shaad released her arms, Raine struck him with an elbow to his jaw. It wasn't hard, but it dazed him enough to allow her to again flip their positions. She looked at him with playful eyes before planting a series of kisses along his jaw where she'd hit him. "So, what do you want?"

Shaad just stared at that alluring smile. Her hair had been messed up in their little scrum and sweat had begun to bead on her brow, but Raine's eyes still danced before him, the smile she wore genuine. Shaad couldn't resist himself and locked her lips in an open mouth kiss, no tongue.

He then flipped her over and returned that toying smirk. "I want you," he said breathily, lowly, as if the words escaped his lips despite himself.

"You aim high, don't you," Raine chided. Regaining top position, she teased him. "You didn't win the fight, just round 1."

The two then rolled along the deceptively smooth, painted floor, fighting for the top position. After about 30 seconds of back and forth, Shaad emerged victorious, pinning Raine's smaller frame to the cool tiles with arms pinned beneath her back.

With arms held back and back arched, Raine's breasts extended tantalizingly towards Shaad, but despite their chests pressing against one another - breathing becoming more in sync with each passing moment, the beast of lust thrashing against the bars of some invisible cage - his eyes stared deep into hers as if trying to unlock some long hidden secret. Both were quiet, staring longingly at each other. Shaad let his face slowly lower, his lips descending onto hers.

Shaad could feel Raine's breath mingling with his own, hear the soft flutter of an indecisive heart (hers or his, he knew not), but he was ripped from the moment by a devastating explosion outside. As if waking from a dream, he blinked his eyes a few times, realized the position he was in, and fell back on his rear in shock. Raine scooted to a sitting position as well, her eyes not rising to meet the wide, dumbfounded gaze of her captain.

Neither knew how to react, and it threw Shaad off even more that Raine didn't have some sexual quip or innuendo after being so close. Nothing came for a long while, and just as he finally found the voice to speak it not the words to use, the tension was further torn asunder for the moment by a second explosion rocking the ship, this one bigger and closer.

As if by instinct, but more as an escape, Shaad hopped to his feet and ran to the door where he heard gunshots, screams, and the scrambling of feet overhead. Two types of people ran towards the type of scene apparently unfolding on deck: heroes and fools. Shaad was no hero, but looking back toward Raine he remembered fondly times when he wasn't a fool either. Leaning out of the doorframe with back turned, Shaad felt the impact of someone brushing by him. Looking up and seeing the quartermaster's dwindling figure, Shaad tried to get his attention.

"What's going on?"

There was no answer. Shaad glared at the retreating figure before turning back to Raine.

"Go," she implored, her tone firm but not commanding.

And, so, Shaad ran, silently lamenting his choices. 'What am I doing?'