Ah yes, well I'm certainly glad to see the reviews!!! ^_^! You guys are sooooooooo nice to me!!! Lessee, I've got a few thingees I wanted to say.
Yih- Ah, gomen, gomen!!! You probably do like Never Quite As It Seems better, it's much more well-written I think. Also I don't hate Rui's character even if I do call him Hanazawa "Homewrecker" Rui. (Why didn't he just stay in freaking France??? GAAAAAAHHHHH!!!) But I thought he'd be a bit more like his slightly mean and stand-offish self in this story because he doesn't really know Tsukushi as oppose to being her friend as he grew up in N.Q.A.I.S.
Chris: Brilliant deduction! ~_^
Ruth, Doujin, Lan-chan, Kyaa-Kyaff, Fresh8, and that one random person without a name: Thanks for the wonderful reviews!!! Your all so nice to me!!! I don't deserve you guys as my reviewers!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango and I won't mention a certain something I wished I owned. Coughpillowcasecough.
Warnings: Language, sexual innuendos, and of course the random massage...
Boys Before........The High Seas???
Chapter Two
Tsukushi woke up the next morning to find herself in the middle of the bed and no one else was in it. Part of her wondered if she had imagined last night, a nightmare perhaps. She looked around the room and saw that it wasn't as Doumyouji had left his clothes on the floor. She was picking up and it wasn't even her room. She wrinkled her nose as she picked up his discarded clothing and folded it nicely, before setting it on top of the other chest of drawers. She did not want the room to get all dirty just because he was use to living like an animal.
She wandered over to her drawers and saw that there was a nice brush, comb, and mirror set sitting there. Also were nice ribbons in a nice pile. She picked up the small card that had been left there.
Tsukushi-
I had these brought up from the guest room for you.
-Doumyouji
"I could have figured out they were for me without anyone telling me." Tsukushi said out loud to no one in particular. After getting dressed and pulling her hair back with one ribbon. She wondered what she would do that day. There was a library downstairs or she could just sit on deck. There was really nothing for her to do.
"Good morning Tsukushi!" Kazuya rang out as he brought in her breakfast on a tray.
"Good morning Kazuya." Tsukushi had decided that Kazuya was the only one on the ship who was decent. Kazuya set down her tray.
"Tsukushi, what do you plan to do today?" Kazuya asked, trying his best to be friendly. Tsukushi got the feeling that Kazuya wasn't exactly chums with everyone else on the ship.
Tsukushi started to eat her breakfast before answering. "Nothing really."
"You could help me if you wanted! It's not very fun but since Sako doesn't do anything but cooking and the stuff down below, I need some help." Kazuya explained.
"Sako?" Tsukushi thought she had met everyone on the ship. This name was new to her.
"Oh you'll like Sako, he's kind of...well you'll see." Kazuya frowned a little. "So how about it?"
"Sure!" Tsukushi agreed. She was use to working. They were always doing things back home, mending nets and the like. The thought of home made her a little sad. They were probably only wondering about her. Was she eaten? Was she dead? She wished she could tell Yuuki she was alive.
"Hey are you alright?" Kazuya asked, his left eye bright with concern. Wait a minute! Yesterday wasn't his eye patch....
"Yeah! Well if I'm going to help you, I guess we should get going." Tsukushi finished off her breakfast. Kazuya pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was a bandana. She tied it like Kazuya tied his. "Thanks."
"Your welcome. Hey bring your tray and we'll get started. Um, wait why don't I take that and you change into some shorts." Kazuya suggested taking her tray and leaving her alone in the room. Tsukushi decided that was a good idea and went through her clothes. Nothing but skirts and sundresses. Great, now what am I supposed to do? She glanced over at the other chest of drawers. True nothing Doumyouji owned would fit her but if she used a belt...
"He wouldn't mind." Tsukushi said outloud in a hopeful tone. She opened one drawer, there were shorts stacked neatly. Laying on top of them though was a book. It had nothing on the covers and Tsukushi realized that it was the Captain's log. She shouldn't read it after all but then captain's logs were not very personal...
Twenty First of May
Today we picked up the village's sacrifice. That's what Soujirou and Akira call it. I've forgotten her name, I had to point her out to the village leaders. I recognized her right away. I wonder what she'll be like? She's beautiful though, despite what Soujirou and Akira say. We'll have to sail if we want to make it back to Eitoku in time. I imagine Rui is ready to go back. He's been such a stick in the mud lately. I must go, I do not want to wake her up.
Tsukushi snapped the book shut. She took a few deep breaths before putting it back exactly how she had gotten it. She pulled out a pair of shorts and shut the drawer. Who was that about? I shouldn't have read that! She put on the shorts and found a belt to get them tight. Then she put on a shirt. She looked in the mirror. She sure looked like a pirate then.
"Are you done?" Kazuya asked. At least he just doesn't barge in when he knows your getting dressed!
"Yep!" Tsukushi tried to push away the captain's log. It wasn't about me! So what if it was the latest entry? He could not have written in it for a long time.
"I brought Sako for you to meet." Kazuya came in followed by a young man who had honey colored hair that seemed to try to esape his bandana. He was wearing a shirt and a pair of shorts just like them.
"Hello." Sako's voice was a little cold but Tsukushi imagined he wasn't use to be introduced to strangers.
"Hi, will you be helping me and Kazuya?" Tsukushi tried to be as friendly as possible.
"No, I have work to do. Nice to meet you." His deep voice answered before he turned and walked out the door.
"Sako's always like that. Keep's to himself mostly. He joined the crew a few years ago." Kazuya explained as best he could. "Have you ever mended nets before?"
"Yeah." Tsukushi answered and he lead her to a room where broken nets were waiting for them. It was hard work but fun as they told jokes and laughed at their mistakes. It was the kind of thing that she did at home with Yuuki. She wished Yuuki was there.
Kazuya frowned at a knot he had just made. "You know, your the first girl that's ever helped me. Most of them are afraid of breaking their nails." Tsukushi giggled, that sounded like Asai.
"Hey, Kazuya?" Tsukushi asked. "Has Doumyouji ever...had girls in his room before? You know let them stay in his room?" Your such an idiot Tsukushi.
"Not that I know of." Kazuya chimed in. "See they stay with us until we get to Eitoku. Then we drop off the girl, make sure she doesn't go home cause they can't risk that. Doumyouji's dad did the same thing back in his F4 days."
"What?" Tsukushi asked. "Are you saying that it was their parents before them?"
"Yeah." Kazuya answered. "I was a servant in Lord Doumyouji's castle until I was assigned to be a pirate on Captain Doumyouji's ship."
The door opened and they both turned to see Doumyouji standing there, looking at them with a slightly disgusted face. "So, you've decided to become part of the hired help. Wait a second!" Doumyouji took his hands and easily set Tsukushi up so she was standing. Doumyouji is strong! "These are my shorts!"
"Well I didn't have any of my own! What was I supposed to do?" Tsukushi crossed her arms, a little angry at being manhandled.
"Did you...." The unspoken question of Doumyouji made Tsukushi think of the captain's log.
"Did I what? All I did was get a pair of shorts. If it's really that big of a deal then I'll go try to borrow a pair from someone else." Tsukushi told him.
"I don't care." Doumyouji's voice was perfectly calm and arrogant. "Of course you almost make a good of a boy as Kazuya."
"Yeah? Well Kazuya makes more of a man then you!" Tsukushi exploded. Doumyouji's narrowed so sharply, his eyes glittering with danger. He gave one look at Kazuya and the red haired boy squeaked before scampering out of the room. Doumyouji took one step towards Tsukushi. She took a step back.
"So Kazuya huh? A pair of commoners..." Doumyouji practically spat his words. He was angry. Tsukushi was too stubborn to apologize though.
"Why do you hate me so much? Because I'm a commoner?" Tsukushi felt the wall at her back. Doumyouji's hands went to her arms, gripping her arms he pushed her even more against the wall.
"You...you...idiot..." Doumyouji seemed to be talking to himself. He released her and turned around. "I don't hate you."
"You don't?" Tsukushi almost didn't believe him.
"No I don't." Doumyouji reaffirmed. "If you wanted to keep doing this, then I don't care."
"Well I didn't ask for your permission." Tsukushi told him, her hands going to her hips. "And don't you dare manhandle me like that again."
"Dammit woman, you just don't see where your at fault do you?" Doumyouji asked turning around. There must have looked silly, yelling at each other like that. Tsukushi was almost tempted to laugh.
Tsukushi felt the corners of her mouth twitch. "Well I'm going back to work now." Doumyouji opened the door and stuck his head out.
"KAZUYA!" He roared out into the hallway. "You sorry excuse for a non-pirate, get in here! Tsukushi shouldn't have to do this herself!" Doumyouji turned back towards her. "Have fun." He said it almost grudgingly. When the door closed behind him, Tsukushi finally just indulged herself and stuck her tongue out at the door. Kazuya came stumbling back in and they got back to work.
_____________
Tsukushi was now scrubbing the deck of the ship. Kazuya said he would start on the floors below and Tsukushi should meet him in the middle. She was scrubbing away even though her back hurt a little. She could stand a little pain. She was almost finished when she looked up at the lookout post. It was a long way up there but she wondered if she should try to scrub it out. She put the bucket on the first rung and began climbing with it. It wasn't difficult.
She opened the small trap door and put the bucket up first before sticking her up. There was Rui, sleeping with that book open on his chest. He looked really peaceful. She better not disturb him. That's when he opened her eyes. It was so sudden that in surprise she let go of the ladder rung she was holding on to. She started to fall.
A hand reached our and hoisted her into the lookout post. Rui closed the trapdoor and sat there for a little bit.
"Thanks..." Tsukushi began but Rui cut her off.
"Doumyouji would have probably thrown me out of the post if I hadn't." Rui explained right away.
"Oh." Tsukushi did not understand the feeling of slight disappointment welling up in her. "What are you reading?"
"Nothing." Rui moved the book so that it was behind his back.
"So that book that your hiding is nothing huh?" Tsukushi inquired before getting out the rag and began scrubbing. Rui was quiet for a few moments.
"What are you doing?" He finally asked.
"I'm scrubbing." Tsukushi explained. "Me and Kazuya are trying to scrub the whole ship."
"I don't mean that." Rui said with a slight exasperation. "I mean shouldn't you be in your room brushing your hair?"
"Just because the other girls were like that doesn't mean I am too." Tsukushi told him. She scrubbed a little harder on the spot then she had too. To her surprise Rui laughed.
"Your weird." Rui told her getting his face extremely close to hers. Tsukushi blinked several times. "I like that."
"Um..." Tsukushi turned to her scrubbing, her face getting a little red. "Can you move?"
"I don't really feel like it. Can't you just say you scrubbed the rest of it?" Rui pulled out his book and began reading. "Don't break your neck on the way down. Doumyouji will break mine." Tsukushi thought it was a joke except that Rui's expression was completely serious as he read. Tsukushi sighed before opening the trap door and climbing down with her bucket. She got to the bottom and looked up. A rag came flying down, landing in her face. Great, gee thanks a whole freaking lot Rui.
Rui....that guy is...strange....but something about him...Tsukushi's face went a little red for no reason. She really had to figure out how to fix that problem of hers.
_________
Tsukushi had just changed and collapsed on her bed. After scrubbing the whole ship, mending nets, fixing leaks in the ship, tying lengths of rope into just the right formation of knots, she was beat. More then beat.
"I'll never be able to move again." Tsukushi groaned to herself. She heard Doumyouji enter the room.
"What's wrong with you?" Doumyouji asked and was rewarded with a groan.
"I can't move. My muscles are so sore." Tsukushi grimaced as she tried to move herself to one side of the bed. She felt Doumyouji sit down on the bed next to her. "Kazuya was still able to bounce off the walls. How does he do it?" She mumbled. Suddenly she felt two large hands began to massage her back. Tsukushi felt a wave of pure bliss as knots started to get kneaded out. "W-what are you doing?" She asked when she realized that Doumyouji was the one massaging her back.
"Be quiet." Doumyouji hushed her. "Just keep still, it's harder to do when your moving all over the place."
"Yeah well...hmm....that feels good....I mean....I'm not moving...you...big....hmm, a little lower...." Tsukushi could not get a full sentence out with his hands working on her back.
"I told you to be quiet." Doumyouji murmured softly. Tsukushi couldn't believe how good he was at this.
"Where...did...you...learn...hmm....how....a...little to the left...right...there...thanks..." Tsukushi wished she could talk right. His hands....she liked them.
"You pick things up." Doumyouji chuckled a little after his joke. "You are more pleasant like this, maybe I should do this more often."
"Are....you....octopus head....hmm." Tsukushi eyes bugged out as Doumyouji's hands slipped a little further down her back, then unbuttoning the buttons on the back of her nightgown. "Hey!" She said loudly in alarm, picking up her head.
"What?" Doumyouji's face was not annoyed like it usually was but a little surprised.
"Um, it's just...erm...never mind." Tsukushi decided that he wasn't really doing anything besides she wanted him to keep going. Doumyouji made no move to start. "Hey, I didn't say stop." Doumyouji let out a laugh. A deep throaty laugh that sounded quite nice.
His hands started up again. "Tsukushi?"
"Yes?" She asked.
"You don't hate me right?" Doumyouji's voice almost sounded a little vulnerable. It surprised her slightly.
"Of course I don't hate you." Tsukushi laughed a little into her pillow. "Why are you being so nice today? Did you get hit on the head?"
"I heard you almost fell out of the lookout post." Doumyouji finally said after a few moments of silence.
"Well, yeah, but Rui caught me." Tsukushi explained. Doumyouji suddenly flipped her over. "Omph!" Tsukushi made a noise of surprise. "Hey I already said-"
"You could have died!" Doumyouji said fiercely. Tsukushi realized that Doumyouji's face was very close to hers. His eyes are so intense....
"I didn't though." Tsukushi felt like she was protesting some how.
"Just...be careful okay?" Doumyouji's eyes glittered not dangerously like they had earlier but almost kindly.
"Okay, okay, don't get all sappy on me. Kazuya almost fell over the ship's rail into the sea. I saved him. I bet you didn't know that." Tsukushi said sticking her chin out a little.
"Kazuya?" Doumyouji rolled his eyes. "That guy has almost dies about three times a day." Tsukushi pulled up the straps that Doumyouji pushed down during the massage as she sat up. Her hands went to button up the buttons too but found Doumyouji already buttoning them for her.
"I can do it myself you know." Tsukushi protested immediately.
"It's easier if someone else does it! Why do you always have to put up such a fight?" Doumyouji asked crossly.
"Well, I don't want you to think I'm some sort of prissy princess who needs everything handed to her on a silver platter. That's what you all seem to think." Tsukushi thought back to how Rui had asked her why she wasn't in her room brushing her hair.
"Heh, there's someone you should meet when we get to Eitoku. Shizuka's a princess but you can't tell that well when you first meet her." Doumyouji commented. "And then my sister Tsubaki, she wanted to be one of the F4 pirates. My father wouldn't agree to it though."
"I don't think my dad would want me to be a pirate either." Tsukushi laughed. "Then again who knows?" Doumyouji was actually making a nice conversation with her. Was it just because she had almost fallen out of the lookout post. It wasn't that much of a big deal. Was it? Tsukushi turned away as Doumyouji took the pause in conversation to start undress. When he finished he turned off the lamp. There was a peaceful quiet as he got into to bed next to her.
"Good night Tsukushi." Doumyouji said in an unreadable tone.
"Good night Doumyouji." Tsukushi replied before turning to face the wall.
"Tsukushi?" Tsukushi turned back around to face Doumyouji who was turned towards her.
"Yes?" Tsukushi asked.
Doumyouji smiled slightly. "About that massage, you'll have to return the favor sometime." He turned away before she could protest. You think he's okay, then he says something dumb like that...
____________
Early morning, Doumyouji grabbed new clothes, not picking up the ones he discarded the night before. Tsukushi was still sleeping peacefully. He smiled at her before leaving the room to go to the Captain's Room. That's what Soujirou and Akira called it. They always named everything. Well almost. Kazuya was bringing in breakfast, the three others sitting there.
"Doumyouji, how did it go last night?" Soujirou asked with a large grin.
"What are you talking about?" Doumyouji asked, slightly annoyed with that look on his friend's face.
"Come on! Don't leave us in the dark. We could hear you when we were on deck. Tsukushi makes a lot of interesting noises doesn't she?" Akira had the exact same expression on his face that Soujirou had.
"What? We didn't do anything last night!" Doumyouji said, his face going slightly red.
"Told you!" Soujirou exclaimed. Akira begrudgingly gave him some of his coins from his pocket.
"One day, I'll learn not to bet against Soujirou." Akira affirmed.
"Rui? Hello? Rui? RUI?" Doumyouji yelled at his reddish-brown haired friend. Rui had once again been staring off into the distance.
"You'll see Shizuka soon. Rui, you act like a lovesick cat or something." Akira commented. Rui looked up at him with eyes full of annoyance.
"I'm bored." Rui said.
"Ahem." Soujirou pretended to clear his throat while he held out an empty hand towards Akira. "I believe that was two words." Akira once more put money in Soujirou's hand.
"Is there anything you two don't bet on?" Doumyouji asked.
"No." They both said together.
"Rui all you ever do is sit up in the lookout post sleeping and reading that book." Soujirou explained. "I mean I know you and Shizuka are fascinating poetry writers but still..."
Doumyouji decided to stick up for the unresponsive Rui. "Soujirou, you couldn't even find two words that rhyme!"
"See, now Doumyouji's all in love and Rui's in love. You guys use to be so much fun." Akira commented.
"I'm bored." Rui repeated.
"Well gee Akira, why don't you just take a stroll down the street to the nearest tavern there." Doumyouji cracked sarcastically.
"I'm just saying, that we could be having fun." Akira stuck up for himself.
"I'm bored." Rui repeated.
"We could make Kazuya climb up to the lookout post and watch him pass out before he even starts." Soujirou suggested.
"Rui if your so bored then why don't you scrub the deck?" Doumyouji suggested.
"Because, Tsukushi did it yesterday." Rui's logic was unbeatable sometimes.
"Let's put into an island for a few days." Akira said his tone full of hope.
"We'll never make it to Eitoku on time if we do." Doumyouji told him. "It's tradition you know?"
"Fine." Akira and Soujirou answered together before they all finally dug in and were quiet.
"I'm bored." Rui repeated and the others gave him evil looks.
"Rui, if you don't stop saying that, I'll break that violin of yours over your head." Doumyouji threatened. Rui cracked a smile and started laughing. Rui's strange. With that Doumyouji got up and left the room. Sometimes he realized why usually ate breakfast alone on deck when he could.
____________
^_^!
Will people stop from killing each other? Why is it that if there was a killer on the ship that you could suspect everyone else on the ship? Will Kazuya be able to escape death? Will we all cry if he dies from a fatal accident with a breakfast tray? Will we learn more about Sako? Will Tsukushi be able to stand up to the awesome power of a Doumy-massage? Or will she fall victim to it yet again? Will they get to Eitoku on time? Why exactly do they have to get to it so quickly? Will Tsukushi get to meet Shizuka? Will Rui stop moping? Will Rui stop being bored? Will Rui stop reading that book and actually be a lookout? Will we ever see the F4 working? Will Soujirou stop getting Akira to make bets with him? Will Akira ever win a bet? Will Tsukushi not be clueless? Not to mention Makiko! Stay tuned!