Kiss Kiss
By Lady of the Ink
Pairing: Kyou and Kagura Sohma
Fandom: Fruits Basket
Theme: #21 -Violence; Pillage/Plunder; Extortion
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that ...I hope. But I do own this story and all the twists that it takes.
Kiss Sixteen: This kiss is the eighth chapter of a multi-chapter AU story, with each chapter fulfilling a different theme.
The Life For Me
Chapter Eight
Troubled Waters
Yuki signed the last of a thick stack of official letters, smiling with satisfaction as he did so. Kagura's revelation that there were people still operating under some of the family's most foolish traditions had set him immediately into action. With these new orders, things would finally be moving into a new phase that would hopefully prove better for everyone involved. He simply wouldn't stand for anyone to be discriminated or maligned for irrational reasons.
He leaned back in his chair to allow his cramped muscles to relax. The long hours he'd been working were hard but worth the effort. By the time Kagura returned, things would have been set irrevocably in motion to reinstate the disinherited members of the family.
His gaze dropped to a small bundle of letters lying on the corner of the desk. Kagura had taken to sending missives addressed solely to him within the ones for the rest of the family. While they contained some of the same news and descriptions of her day, they were also filled with information on the people she was meeting. She had carefully noted the ones interested in leaving their rural home and the things that they were most accomplished at. With her detailed lists, he had been able to look into jobs for them and was ready to extend the offer the moment they asked.
The letters were wrinkled and slightly smudged, the creases worn thin from numerous readings. He knew the family letters were in much the same condition, having been read and reread by almost every member of the clan over the past months. The arrival of a new correspondence from Kagura had become almost an event. The first one to see it was granted the honor of reading it when the rest of the family gathered in the evening. There was agreement in the group that their cousin seemed to be having a great time and was being well cared for the newly discovered relatives.
What wasn't discussed were the more subtle aspects of her comments. She rarely mentioned her return home and when she did, it was a quick comment that was surrounded by praise for the people and the place where she currently resided. It was clear to most that she would have a difficult time when the ship returned to their port in just a few short days. Yuki wondered if Kagura knew just how much she had let slip through her cheerful ramblings.
He sighed, settling more deeply into the chair. It might be hard for her to readjust to the life she had left behind but there was also a chance that she wouldn't have to. Someone would need to coordinate things on that side once the ball got rolling. If she were interested, Kagura would be the perfect person for the job. She had a mind for business that few saw and her friendly personality and already cultivated place in the community were all pluses in her favor.
Yuki knew that Kagura had loved the past three months both for the town and the people that filled it. But he hadn't gotten to be a successful head of the family by ignoring what was said between the written lines. Her carefully worded statements about a certain captain had caught his attention immediately. They weren't too long or effusive, too glowing or too plain. It was clear she had spent a lot of time deciding on her phrasing, something that Kagura had never done before. She cared about him, but how deep those feelings went was something he'd have to see her in person to figure out.
And even more importantly, he needed to meet this man for himself. Finding out whether or not Kyou returned the feelings of Kagura, who had always been more like a beloved older sister than a cousin to Yuki, was second only to seeing if he was deserving of her affection in the first place. Kagura's comments were all in the man's favor but fondness had a way of blinding one to another's imperfections.
Yes, a meeting with Kyou Sohma was definitely at the top of his list.
x
Kyou sat in his cabin, idly rearranging food that he had no desire to eat. He had spent the morning seeing to every detail that he could on deck, checking and double-checking even the smallest of items. The plan had been to keep himself occupied but it had backfired; it was a mere three days into the weeklong journey and he had run out of busywork. The daily maintenance and course issues that would arise would barely take a few hours a day to handle thanks to the fact that his crew, as annoying as they could be, were more than competent with their duties.
He sighed, shoving the plate away across the table. The pure and simple truth was that he was disgusted with himself. The goal that he had set so long ago was coming into reach and instead of being happy, he was feeling, of all things, nervous. It was a disgrace to his pride.
Rising from his chair, Kyou clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace. He would much rather be up in the rigging, but they'd hit a heavy cloud of fog earlier that day. Even if it was where he did his best thinking, there was no sense making himself sick. He knew that he needed to get a grip on his thoughts before meeting with Yuki. Even if the situation seemed likely to turn out well, he didn't want to take anything for granted. Getting caught off guard and having something go wrong when they were this close was more than he could stand putting the people who were depending on him through.
Although they had been careful not to say anything to avoid pressuring him, he knew that they had all gotten their hopes up after Kagura's arrival. She had been so kind and open, so certain that her cousin would treat them fairly and help them anyway that they wanted that it was hard not to catch her optimism. Anyone who spoke with her for any amount of time would know instantly that she sincerely wanted the best for them, and not just because they were family or it was the right thing to do. It was clear that she cared for them and equally as obvious that they felt the same way about her.
And that was simply another issue weighing on his mind, Kyou admitted. He'd seen people move into the village, marry and have children without ever really belonging. Momiji's mother had been an excellent example and it had cost the younger boy his family. But Kagura had come and without even trying, found her place as though it had been there waiting for her the whole time. This woman who came from a world of extravagant balls and extensive social customs, this girl who should have stuck out like a sore thumb, had instead become one of them.
Something within that simple realization had stuck in his head and refused to leave him alone. Every time he talked with her it had been there, whispering quietly in the back of his mind, pointing out things he had been trying not to notice. It had drawn his attention to the way her cheeks quickly filled with healthy color and a smile seemed to permanently curve her lips. It pointed out how naturally she had become a part of normal life, her voice and laughter as familiar as that of people he'd known all his life. As the months passed it had become louder and more insistent, quieted only by the fierce reminder that she would be leaving at the end of summer.
Quieted, but not silenced.
He'd already been on deck when Kagura had made her appearance on the day of their departure, a yawning Hiro following with her luggage. He had seen her wistful look back at the dock and village, had watched her square her shoulders and board the ship with what could only be called determined resignation. He had watched and seen and fought the strangest, strongest urge to leap from the boat and take her back to the village where she belonged. The voice had demanded the action, had been so strong as to make him take a step forward before he caught himself. That was the moment that he had acknowledged that he was in dangerous territory and had hurried to remove himself from temptation.
He knew that his cousins and the rest of the crew had noticed and likely questioned his dark-and-growing-darker attitude since they set sail. They knew better than to ask him about it though and Kyou thanked the heavens for such small favors. The last thing that he wanted was to try and explain why he wasn't ecstatic over their change in fortunes and the impending completion of his nearly lifelong goal. That would require saying aloud something he was scarcely able to admit even within the security of his own mind.
He didn't want her to go.
It was nothing personal, Kyou hurried to tell himself, quickening his steps across the cabin until he was almost running. It was just the result of his protective nature, he reasoned. He knew that the others would miss her when she left and he knew that she would miss them as well. It was the knowledge of those feelings that had given rise to the out of place impulses and thoughts, nothing more. He would have felt the exact same thing if it had been any other woman in her place. She had simply become another member of the family that he didn't want to see in distress, no matter how small.
It had nothing to do with the fact that he had come to look forward to their talks together, or asking her opinions on things. There was no connection whatsoever between his hesitancy to see her go and the warm feeling the sight of her face or the sound of her voice gave rise to in his chest. It meant less than nothing that she was first person to whom he had felt free to be completely open with, the only able to pull him from a dark mood with just a look.
Kyou stopped dead in his tracks, closing his eyes and pulling in a deep breath. There came a time when a man just had to stop avoiding the truth and accept it for what it was, no matter how unpleasant it might be. Calling a spade a heart wouldn't make it a heart; all it made was a fool of the speaker. Lying to himself was a child's act and he hadn't been a child for a long time.
It was time to admit that he had …
"Kyou!"
A panting Momiji appeared in the doorway and Kyou felt a rush of gratitude and relief so strong his knees sagged just a bit with its weight. He hadn't put off the admission and so he couldn't be considered a coward; he was doing nothing more than bowing to Fate and seeing to a more pressing matter before delving back into his thoughts. And should this pressing matter take longer than expected to handle, well, tomorrow would be soon enough to revisit this particular train of thought and see it to its end.
The cheerful overtone of his thoughts vanished the moment that Momiji began explaining the reason for his disruption. He only got halfway through before Kyou uttered a curse and pushed his way past him and into the hallway. His long strides and rapid pace carried him onto and across the deck in near record time. Heading to the highest point, he offered an outstretched palm and quickly raised the spyglass that was slapped into it to his eye. It was only as he scanned the line of the horizon, adjusting his examination accordingly to the whispered instructions of the crewmembers at his side that he saw the earlier fog had lifted. When he finally focused on the object in question, Kyou hissed an entire string of oaths under his breath.
Although it was nothing like the black field with white bones most people spoke of, this flag was a harbinger of the same bad news. Any sailor in the part of the sea knew that flag and that it was to be avoided at all costs. Meetings with it rarely ended well and even less often without injury or death.
Kyou had happened to cross paths with these pirates on two separate occasions. The first had been at the very beginning of his stint as captain and was burned into his memory in the way of all humiliating and life changing moments. Quickly finding himself to be outdone in men, weapons, and experience, he had seen no choice but to allow the pirates to board. They'd stripped the hold clean, taking all the pieces that the villagers had worked so hard to amass for sale. Then they'd had the nerve to laugh in his face when he had identified himself as the captain.
He supposed their amusement had been a saving grace, although he certainly hadn't seen it that way at the time. They'd declared him and the rest to be of no threat to them and had left them to limp back home with their wounded pride. The memory of the villagers' faces when they learned of the incident had stuck in Kyou's mind, urging him to make sure such a thing would never happen again.
The second meeting had had a much more satisfactory ending. By that time Momiji had joined the crew and his excellent navigating skills had allowed them to breeze right past, directly under the pirates' nose. Their attempts at chasing had been equally as unsuccessful as the rigorous training Kyou had subjected his entire crew to paid off with quick reflexes and a surety about their jobs that even pressure couldn't affect.
It had been several years since Kyou had caught even the smallest glimpse of the pirates, mostly due to Momiji's constant use of new courses for faster and easier travel. He had heard through the grapevine that they were looking forward to any chance of regaining the upper hand and so had become even more careful over the ensuing years.
Returning the scope, Kyou silently cursed his luck. Of all the possible times to meet the sea bandits again, this was the worst one. Not only were they heavy with the last cargo run of the season, there was also an uninvolved person onboard to worry about. Kagura hadn't had anything to do with either of the first encounters and had been absent from their preparations in handling the situation should it ever arise again. It was all too easy to imagine her coming to harm in the events that were about to transpire.
Shoving the unwelcome images from his mind, Kyou set to work. Their first and best hope was to avoid facing the pirates at all. As they were currently on overlapping paths, that meant an immediate change in course. He turned to yell for Momiji only to find the younger man already at his side, maps clutched in on hand. Nodding his approval, Kyou leaned down to listen to his cousin's suggestions, already knowing they wouldn't be enough. In the back of his mind, he began planning for the encounter that was quickly starting to look like something as inescapable as destiny.
x
The first sign that Kagura got that something was odd came when a distant rumbling sound met her ears. Closing the book she'd been trying to read all morning, she cocked her head to the side and listened more closely. The sound was long and steady, muffled by her position below deck but still louder than anything she'd heard during her time on the ship. It was soon joined by the barely audible sound of yelling voices and more heavy thuds.
Wondering what was going on, she scooted off the bed and moved to the doorway. She only made it halfway across the room before the floor tilted beneath her feet. By throwing her arms out in front of herself, she just barely avoided crashing headfirst into the wall. As it was, her palms were stinging as she fought to catch her breath and regain some semblance of calm.
The tinkling sound of breaking glass had her jerking her attention back toward the bunk that she had just been sitting on. The small lantern that had been giving her light enough to read by had fallen to the floor. Shards of it lay scattered in a circle around the now smoldering base as sparks raced along the trail of oil that had spilled in the fall. Even as she watched the flames grew in size, lighting the room with an eerie, dancing glow.
Never one to panic in tricky situations, Kagura was moving even before her mind finished absorbing the details before her. Grabbing the blankets from the bed, she dunked them in her washbasin, getting them as damp as she could in the few inches of water. Whipping around, she dropped to her knees beside the expanding blaze and set about smothering it. It was a tough battle as smoke stung her eyes and wayward flames licked at her hands. Coughs tore from her throat as she fought to breathe, her full attention focused on the task in front of her.
After what seemed like an hour but could have only been minutes, Kagura slumped onto her heels. She was panting for air, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her hands throbbed with every beat of her heart but she had done it. The fire was gone with nothing more than a ring of scorched floor to show where it had been.
Not trusting the smoldering blankets in front of her, she knew she needed more water to make sure they were entirely out. Slowly climbing to her feet, she reached for the washbasin once more. The heap of burnt fabric was hot to the touch but Kagura managed to maneuver it into the basin without adding too many injuries to her hands. It was hard to make out the way to the door with her watering eyes and the smoke-filled room, but she managed it by walking slowly and sweeping her leg out in front of her to make sure her path was free of obstacles.
She walked slowly down the hallway, filling her lungs with the cleaner air as she went. It was only a few steps to the galley, but it took longer than she could ever remember it taking before. As she walked through the open doorway, she called to Ritsu, not wanting to startle him. A frown pulled at her lips when there was no response.
Setting the basin on the long table, she glanced around. Dishes from the barely passed noon meal were still scattered about, the leftovers not yet cleared away. As she continued her survey, Kagura realized that the room was empty and her frown grew. She had never once seen the galley with no one it. Ritsu might not have been the bravest soul she'd ever met but he certainly was hard working. She couldn't imagine what would have had him abandoning his post with chores left to do.
Dipping out a pitcher of water from the barrel in the corner, Kagura thoroughly soaked the tattered remains of her blanket. As much as she wanted to wash the grime from her face and soothe the burns on her hands, she didn't want to waste the time. The memory of the strange noises was fresh in her mind and her healthy curiosity was begging to be assuaged. With one last longing look at the cool store of water, she retraced her steps to the door.
As she walked towards the ladder that led to the deck, an idea struck her. Momiji had told her they had hit a heavy bank of fog and so she should stay below deck until at least afternoon, hence her attempts at reading. Perhaps the fog had turned into a storm and the sound she had heard was thunder. It would also explain the shouting if the weather was unexpected and the men had to hurry to brace for it. While she doubted Ritsu would have been called on to help, she could imagine him exiling himself to keep from getting in the way.
Content at having come to a reasonable explanation, Kagura grasped the bottom rung and began pulling herself upward. With the blisters on her fingers forcing her to carefully position her hands each time, it was slow going. It was almost a full two minutes before she took the final step into the open air.
The first thing that struck her was the brilliant blue of the clear sky. Any fog that might have been had been replaced with sunbeams that danced off the surface of the calm water. Even the sails hung still as not even a hint of breeze stirred the air.
Kagura's curiosity turned to confusion. There was obviously no storm, so what was behind the strange booming noise and all the shouting? She turned to find someone who could answer her questions only to find that answer unfolding before her very eyes.
At one end of the ship, a serious fight was going on. Bodies locked in battle, some standing, others rolling on the ground, covered nearly every inch of the deck. Even from more than a dozen feet away Kagura could hear the sounds of the fight, instinctively cringing at the thuds of fist meeting flesh and the subsequent cries of pain. Past the writhing forms of the brawling men was an even more startling sight. Rising from the ocean was the hulking form of another ship, its position dangerously close to their own. She could barely make out the ropes and planks that surely explained how the other men had gotten onboard and gave a very good idea of why.
Kagura remained frozen in place, her eyes rolling over the scene as her brain struggled to accept what she was seeing. Even as she watched Hiro land a solid punch to the jaw of a man more than twice his size, all that was repeating in her head was a single thought. Pirates; they had been set upon by pirates.
She had of course heard of such things happening, had read about it both in fanciful novels and in the newspapers. One did not grow up in a town so close to the sea or as a member of a family with many shipping interest without learning something on the subject. She knew that their attacks were costly both in goods and in human life. Some of the more malevolent of the breed had been known to strip a ship down to its hull and leave no one alive to identify them.
She was so wrapped in recalling the gory details of an incident she'd read about several months before that she never heard the approaching footsteps. The first sign she had that someone was behind her was when a hand locked around her wrist and yanked her backwards. The powerful jerking motion coupled with her inattention knocked her off balance, sending her slamming into a broad, hard surface. Before she had time to recover, an unpleasantly close voice drawled in her ear.
"And what do we have here?"
Quite against her will, Kagura was turned in a circle, the grip on her wrist transferring itself to her waist mid-gesture. Her chin was roughly pinched between two fingers and wrenched upward so hard her teeth clicked together. She found herself starring into the face of a man who looked to be several decades older than her. His eyes were a shade of brown that should have been warm and comforting but instead seemed cold and hard. A scar started thickly on his left cheek before thinning as it swooped up and over the bridge of his almost stubby nose. The thick brownish red beard that bushed out from his chin failed to completely hide the thick line of freckles marching across his cheeks.
Kagura swallowed as a humorless grin split the large mass of hair. "Have you taken to keeping a maid onboard since the last time we met? Or have you just realized that a woman is a perfect addition to this whimperin' group of children you call a crew, Captain?"
The disdainful comment was directed over her head and Kagura twisted around to see Kyou standing just a few feet away. His hands were clenched at his sides and the expression on his face that she had never seen before. Unlike the anger he directed towards his cousins, this was much stronger, much more dangerous. She could almost envision flames crackling around him as he glared and tensed.
"Let her go."
A short laugh rumbled against her back at the same time as the viselike arm around her waist tightened. "I don't think so."
"She's got nothing to do with this. She'd just a passenger."
"A passenger? Dressed like this?" Kagura could almost feel his eyes sliding over the singed and soot stained dress, her messy hair and red hands. "What are you gettin' so worked up over? I'd say it's pretty obvious she's just a common chit. Unless …maybe there's something else she's been seeing to while she's onboard?"
Apparently the insulting innuendo was just as clear to Kyou as it was to her. With a growling yell, he lurched forward. Kagura felt the pirate move and could only assume he'd given some kind of signal. One of his men who had been idly watching the confrontation suddenly moved forward, catching Kyou before he made it more than a few steps. With the butt of a pistol he pulled from the waistband of his tattered pants, he landed a blow to the back of his unsuspecting victim's head.
Kagura gasped in a mixture of outrage and concern as she watched Kyou fall heavily to the deck. As the man still holding her captive began laughing, the edges of her vision slowly closed in. It seemed as though everything was taking on a reddish sheen, like she was looking through a bottle of crimson tinted liquid. With a cry of fury, she let the darkness take her.
As her consciousness floated, she had time to realize what was happening. This same sort of episode had come over her a few times during her younger years. Something would upset her beyond her ability to take it and then the darkness would come. When it receded, she was left facing a scene that she couldn't believe and yet was told that she had caused. It had always frightened and embarrassed her, this proof of the rough and unladylike part of her. She had worked so hard at containing it and now it was bursting out again in front of the last people she wanted to witness it. A small part of her didn't want the haziness to pass, unwilling to face the humiliation that would surely lay on the other side.
However, it did end, as it always had. When Kagura finally came back to herself, her hands were stinging worse than ever and she was out of breath. A quick glance around showed her to be on the opposite side of the deck from where she had started, on her knees by the main mast. Scattered all around her were groaning bodies, breathing but no longer in any condition to fight. Her worried survey quickly assured herself that they were all unknowns and that she hadn't hurt any of the crewmembers she had come to know and respect.
Equal parts relief, exhaustion, and fear had her burying her face in her hands. She didn't want to face the evidence of what she had done and she wasn't ready to see the reactions to it from the others. Several moments of silence reigned before the whispers started, too quiet for her to make out. They were stopped as shouted orders came, followed by the sounds of the injured men being removed from the ship. Through it all Kagura remained unmoving, her shoulders slumped as she concentrated on nothing but her breathing.
A gentle touch on her shoulder recalled her to the situation. Rounding up every ounce of courage in her, Kagura raised her head. She almost groaned when she saw all of the cousins, minus Ritsu and Kyou, gathered around her. It took iron control over her nerves to meet their eyes but when she did, she got a shock.
Hiro was looking at her with an expression that could only be described as awe. Momiji was bouncing in place, alternately asking if she was all right and praising her actions. Shigure, a look of exaggerated nervousness on his face, asked, "You do remember that you already forgave me and that we're friends now, right?"
The knot in her stomach uncurled as Kagura realized they weren't disgusted with her. There was no sign that she had offended them or done anything out of the ordinary. Even the other crewmembers were flashing her approving smiles as they walked past, hauling the last of the pirates back to their own ship.
"That was impressive."
Kagura had to tilt her head backwards to meet the gaze of the speaker. Kyou stood silhouetted against the sky, a little pale but apparently none the worse for his injury. His eyes were hooded, his tone bland, leaving her wondering exactly how to take his statement. When he offered his hand, she took it cautiously. It was only when they were standing toe to toe that she finally caught sight of any emotion. Swirling in the depths of his eyes was a mixture of what she could have sworn was admiration and pride. No distaste, no censure.
"Thank you." If the heartfelt sentiment in the simple words seemed a bit much, none of them commented on it. A smile curved her lips as her gaze swept over this group of people that had come to mean so much to her. They might go on about how much she was doing for them but they had already done more for her than they knew.
So much more.
"But what happened to you?" Momiji asked, gesturing to the state of her dress.
Kagura grinned self-consciously. "Just a little mishap with a lantern. But not to worry; I put it out with my blanket and the help of a water barrel."
The blonde-haired boy laughed. "A fire and pirates and it's not even noon. Maybe you've found your true calling in life."
"I don't know about that, but I'd be more than willing to combine my skills should the need arise. If any of you catch yourselves on fire, which we all know is likely to happen sooner or later, I'd be happy to throw you overboard to put you out."
"But that wouldn't work with Kyou," Momiji said, "Since he can't swim. You'd have to think of something else for him."
Kagura turned to stare at Kyou in amazement. "You're the captain of a ship that makes dozens of long, hard voyages and you can't swim?" He glowered at her and pointedly looked away to avoid answering. His head snapped back quickly though when she began laughing. What started off as a small giggle grew into a burst of laughter that Kagura couldn't have stopped if she'd tried. Kyou's outraged and mildly offended expression merely added to her amusement. She collapsed weakly against the mast and closed her eyes, still chuckling lightly.
She never would have thought such a man existed as the one that was in front of her. He sailed a ship without knowing how to swim, manned by a crew that drove him crazy, all for the good of people who asked nothing of him. It wasn't easy for him to admit to not knowing something or needing help, but he did take it when he knew he couldn't do something alone. More impressive even than that was his easy acceptance of others and all their faults. He didn't make a big deal out of what they couldn't do, instead taking the time to find out what they were good at.
While hardly the image of a fairytale prince, he certainly had all the qualities of one, the biggest one being that he had no clue how wonderful he was. What good deed had she done in order to be blessed enough to have him as a part of her life? And what transgression had she committed to make their time together come to an end so soon?
