"You going to go after him? I'm not sure I want Nagisa alone with our ship's surgeon-" Rin hadn't even finished his sentence before Makoto ducked out of the cabin, his movements efficient but unhurried. Rin had no doubt he'd arrive precisely when he was needed and not so much as a moment before- that was a particular gift of his ever dependable first mate.
Rei waited until the door had shut before speaking, "If I may be so bold, captain?"
Wonderful. Another stilted conversation with Ryugazaki Rei, who hadn't yet realized that this ship was not the gentleman's club he had once frequented in his more respectable days. Again, Rin wondered what had possessed him to ever allow a gentleman-scholar turned navigator aboard his ship.
Oh, right. It had something to do with Nagisa and the man's preternatural skill for reading star charts.
"Be as bold as you like, Rei. I can't handle much more caution right now. Your partner is a menace, you know that, right?" Rin had to hand it to him, that blush was charming; doubtless Nagisa delighted in eliciting that same response as often as possible.
"I have tried speaking with him, sir, but he remains incorrigible."
Two years at sea and the man hadn't yet shed that instinctive poise that came of being born to minor aristocracy. Rin had met his fair share of the high and mighty, brought more than a few of them low. It seemed the higher their rank the more crass a 'gentleman' was permitted to be- these second sons, though, they had much to prove and never forgot it.
Apparently even after they voluntarily disavowed previous loyalties to pursue an altogether more profitable lifestyle.
"I am not certain that you are aware of it, but at present moment we are skirting imperial waters-"
"I am painfully aware of it, but seeing as no scout ships have been spotted-" Rin eyed his navigator for a moment, waiting for a contradiction that never came. "We will conclude our business here before withdrawing."
"In the Autumn months, captain, it is common practice to send new vessels out to sea before the winter storms. It gives the green crews a chance to familiarize themselves with their ship and their new crew mates as well as a hint of rougher weather that would make any structural weaknesses apparent."
Rin nodded his understanding, vaguely amused at Rei's earnestness, troubled at the possibilities this news presented.
"I will keep a sharp eye on lookout, captain, but the sooner our 'business' is concluded the better off we will be. I cannot stress greatly enough how very important it is that our own craft be in working order before the weather turns for the worse, or before I spot a ship on the horizon."
"Makoto is in charge of the repair crew; any damage you have observed must be reported to him. Otherwise, I'd prefer your talents were focused firstly on ensuring we don't become prey for any Imperial vessels out on maneuvers and secondly on charting us a course to smoother waters. We'll want to keep close to Imperial waters this season, I'd just as soon we didn't spend the winter crunching hardtack and guzzling grog to warm our bellies. Find an easy current and steer us true."
Rei snapped off a rigid salute and scurried out the door before he had remembered that only the navy would have required such a gesture from him. Tiny gods, the man still had much to learn on the subject of unofficial business, but his knowledge of Imperial tactics was a boon to Rin- not to mention his calming effect on Nagisa.
Nagisa. He should be delivering his apology to Nitori right about now, and shortly Makoto would be returning to deliver his report on it. Rin smirked with anticipation; there was nothing quite like a good fight and the promise of battle to get the blood up, and he was willing to wager Mako was in much the same predicament.
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It was a handful of minutes before Nitori could bring himself to look away from that flimsy door- the feeble lock on his prison and the only security afforded by this haven. Never had a man regarded an inanimate object with such thorough loathing or such deep gratitude. Today, the latter seemed to be winning out.
What the hell had he been thinking? Nitori shoved away from the door and made his way over to one of the beds, rearranging the pillows fussily. Half the problem was that he really hadn't been thinking at all; that look of blatant shock in Nagisa's eyes had stabbed right through him, he had finally managed to convey that he was no rag doll to be thrown about on a spoilt child's whim.
When the door had slid open and light flooded into his dim world, Nitori had known who the interloper would be; indeed his voice had shattered the silence not a moment after his entrance. Nagisa was not a man that could appreciate the blessing of silence; wherever he strode noise and chaos were sure to follow.
Such traits were born in a man, Nitori had been taught, determined by the balance of his humors; blood and yellow bile mingling explosively in a single body. It was a deeply troubling combination, and one so foreign to his own melancholic constitution that he could not help but be drawn to it even as he was repulsed by the behaviors it produced.
"You look troubled, doctor."
Nitori glanced up, burying his surprise beneath a carefully neutral expression. "Makoto, can I help you?"
Makoto was a long moment in responding, too absorbed in taking stock of the lair of their mysterious surgeon. The first thing to strike him was the dimness; Nitori had shuttered the windows so that only a bare minimum of light sifted through, it glinted off his own uncanny hair and turned his skin to a corpse-like pallor that was unnerving even for a man of Makoto's experience.
The surroundings were neat, the beds all in order and the floor scrupulously scrubbed and waxed; the dull scent of wisteria reached his nose. An interesting choice for a man far from home; Makoto wondered if the doctor himself could explain his attraction to the scent. Heartache, dangerous obsession, suffering, his overtaxed memory supplied; it was not a gentle flower, and its tendency to grow unchecked, choking the life from any other plant in its path made it an ill-omen in any happy household.
Or was it an attempt to demonstrate humility in the face of-
"Are you in need of my assistance, Tachibana?"
Nitori's voice was sharp, his eyes bright with surprise he tried to conceal beneath a physician's studied calm. Unfortunately for Nitori, Makoto was not so imperceptive as his comrades; once he had made something of a living from his ability to read a man's body, albeit in entirely different circumstances.
"Was Nagisa's apology not satisfactory?"
"More than satisfactory, sir." Nitori visibly swallowed, likely wishing he could call back that last word, remembering the order from earlier.
"Sorry, si-. Sorry, habit." His shoulders rose to protect his neck, a defensive posture Makoto recognized as a silent plea not to mention the mistake. Despite the pacifying nature of the gesture there was nothing remotely submissive in it. Nitori's colors had begun to bleed through following that fated encounter on the island; he would find it difficult to piece together his mask again if he even thought it worth the trouble. Most of the crew would be aware by now of the duality of his nature.
Mako sauntered toward the bed where the doctor stood, propping himself against the wall and enjoying the discomfort his silence caused. Nitori was a man accustomed to feeling comfortable in silence; it had always been his element, but no longer, which meant this was the perfect time to speak honestly with him.
"More than satisfactory? Nagisa thought so too."
"Pardon?" Back straight, head tilted at just the right angle to indicate curiosity. In another life their surgeon might have been a talented actor, but Makoto would not permit him to dissemble this time.
"I am suggesting that Nagisa was not entirely displeased with tendering his regrets; were the two of you engaging in anything a little more… indiscreet?"
Guilt was writ large across the young man's face, but only for a second, the next his expression was as guileless as that of a child.
"If I suffered from any lack of discretion, I'm sure the captain would have inscribed the lesson into my skin months ago." The sweetness of his tone vanished, replaced with an edge of warning that said clearly this subject was pursued only at great peril.
Makoto debated silently with himself, watching keenly as Nitori began to obsessively tidy his surroundings, glancing up now and then to take stock of his company, his eyes skittering nervously away from Makoto's own. If it was true that the eyes were windows to a man's soul then Nitori must be a man of secrets.
"I suppose you're right." Makoto admitted at last, noting the sudden release of tension in the doctor's shoulders. "So long as you continue to be discreet I'm sure neither Rin nor I will have any complaints of you."
Nitori nodded, his movements more natural now that he no longer feared discipline. Makoto couldn't resist the devil that made him add, "Save one."
He could see Nitori's breath catch, the bob of his throat that indicated he was fighting the urge to swallow."You are a singularly ungainly creature, doctor. Rin believes you would benefit from my tutelage."
"I don't understand." He did, that much was plain, equally obvious was his indecision regarding whether this was a liberty he would permit the first mate to take.
"You cannot stay locked in this infirmary until your bones turn to dust, but you are reluctant to engage with the rest of the crew. It is understandable, you are the only man here against your will and the others think you something of a weakling. I do not."
"If I were unwilling, no amount of threats could have forced me into setting foot aboard this ship." His smile would have been enough to chill a lesser man's blood; as it was, Makoto only smiled back.
"Ah, but service here was only the lesser evil, not a choice you would have made if any others were available. I am not here for your story, Nitori. I'm only passing along orders. Until both the captain and I are satisfied with your progress you will meet with me for weapons training. Your weapon will be your choice, of course." He added magnanimously, seeing the burgeoning stubborness on Nitori's face. "Your scalpels are adequate, if nothing else catches your fancy. Let Nagisa walk you through the armory, though, to be certain. Report to my quarters following the evening meal."
He didn't give Nitori a chance to protest, striding out the door and across the deck before the doctor could manage more than a strangled hiss of agreement. He'd spent half the previous night devising a requisitions list for their repairs, most of the day today settling squabbles between children, and this evening would largely be dedicated to plotting vengeance on Rin's newest foe.
Surely a man deserved a rest, just for the few hours before the galley called out the crew for supper. Rin too must be chafing beneath his collar, hardly an hour had gone by these past few weeks that he wasn't fretting over the condition of the ship and its crew. With the ship temporarily safe in the shallows and the crew refreshed and eager for a fight, they would have to find a way to put all those free hours to use.
Makoto had an idea or two of his own on that score.
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Parchment, ink, a new quill to replace the one he had broken in his frustration an hour earlier and still Rin could not find it in him to sketch even the most rudimentary map of the encampment they had temporarily been held in. Even now, the crisis resolved and sweet revenge assured, his temper trembled on a knife's edge.
"Dammit." He couldn't shake the image of an accusing blue gaze from his thoughts, it taunted him, dared him to new heights. No simple plan would do, nothing so mundane as thievery; he needed a plan devious enough to wipe the serenity from Nanase Haruka's expression, replace it with shock or horror… something more than studied indifference.
And to do that, he still needed a fucking map. A fucking map that he couldn't draw because every muscle in his body was taut with fury, every thought consumed with the myriad ways he intended to make his point…and where the hell was-
The door open and shut, admitting a gust of warm air that rifled the papers on his desk and sent the bitter tang of salt wafting into his cabin, overwhelming the softer scent of vanillin that had offered at least some relief.
"You've been planning without me." If Rin didn't know better he would have sworn Mako was genuinely hurt.
"Trying to. I have no head for these strategy games; not for the crew either, apparently. Never thought I'd see the day that little rat would take orders from you and not me." He was sulking, and entirely unashamed.
Makoto's sigh carried a note of exasperated amusement, "That is generally what happens when the captain gains a reputation for being all talk."
Crack. "Ah, hell. There goes another one." Rin tossed the quill aside carelessly, clenching his fists in his too-long hair unconsciously. "All talk? That's not fair- there hasn't been much of a need for demonstrations lately. Everyone has been so intent on surviving these past few months they haven't had a chance to make trouble."
"Hm. Not so. I've dealt with flaring tempers here and there before the news managed to make it to your nest. You need to walk the ship more often, Rin, let your presence be felt."
Rin rose, padding over to the bedside chest and rummaging about until he came up with a pair of bronze shears. "Enough, Makoto, we both know you should have been captain. My luck to find the one man that didn't want the position."
"What are you doing with those?" Evidently he was not about to be distracted.
Makoto sounded frankly alarmed, and Rin couldn't quite keep a mischievous smile from his face when he responded, "My mane has grown a little too wild, I think."
"Don't cut it." Makoto shook his head, fingers twitching spasmodically in an unaccustomed show of distress. His voice had risen a notch above its usual subdued inflection, and Rin delighted in provoking such an obvious reaction from at least one man.
"Oh? Why not?" He knew full well that Makoto always hated to see his unruly hair tamed. Mako had always had a fascination for the bright strands, running his fingers through it at every opportunity when the door was safely closed behind them, twining his hands in the mess to hold Rin still for his embrace.
Makoto hissed a breath between his teeth, recognizing the futility of arguing the issue here and now. "At least pass me the shears. When you cut it your hair inevitably comes out looking like a cur that has lost a battle with a starveling cat."
"But Makoto, that would be cruel-"
The shears were wrenched from his hand none too gently, and Mako wasted no time shoving him to the bed with a disgusted sigh, fingers tracing regretfully through his hair.
The first snip made him jump, only Mako's practiced technique keeping him from a bloodied neck. "Don't squirm."
"You startled me." Rin chuckled, "Cut it short. I don't want there to be anything that might be used against me, assuming we end up in close quarters with our enemies."
"No. Not so short as that; tie it up if it is such a concern to you."
"I don't know why I keep such an insubordinate first mate aboard my ship. Sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't be better off using you for fishbait."
This time the shears pinched his skin cruelly, just enough to bruise, he lifted a cautious fingertip to check for the warmth of blood. Makoto caught his hand in a deceptively tender grip, moving it aside so his lips could make a detailed exploration of the damaged skin. Rin shivered involuntary at the scrape of a hot tongue, the way Makoto sucked at the bruise and up the line of his throat.
"I am good for far more than that, though frankly you haven't been making use enough of my especial talents these past few days."
"Agreed." Rin turned his head to catch the teasing mouth with his own chapped lips, all but purring when he heard the solid thunk of brass connecting with the floorboards. He pulled away abruptly, disconcerted at his shortness of breath. For once even Makoto could not remain unruffled, panting softly with that come-hither smile floating about his lips.
Rin leaned forward, whispering tauntingly against Makoto's lips "But this isn't the time. I really want to stick it to that pearl-hunting savage and his pets." He took a perverse delight in the disgruntled frown that appeared and vanished so quickly. It was rare that he ever had a chance to see the truly desperate side of his lover, any pretense of patience or self-discipline stripped away.
Normally Rin enjoyed the manipulative streak that so often manifested in games that left him aching and a breath away from a plea; Mako mapping his reaction to every caress, every punishing nip with a detachment that would have been offensive if it weren't so damn compelling.
It was always a gift to see Makoto reduced to the same state as himself.
Of course, the smile that flitted across Makoto's face so soon after that shadow of disappointment was both thrilling, and worrisome.
"I have a suggestion, captain."
"I'm always willing to entertain those." A devil-may-care smile to cover his anticipation.
In the next moment he was pinned to the bed, feet slipping on polished wood as he fought to move his hips up farther, defeated by Makoto's familiar weight settling over his waist.
Mako didn't give him a chance to make a pithy remark, attacking his lips with a savagery he was seldom privileged to see. He drew back only long enough to smirk knowingly at Rin, "Let's make ourselves comfortable before we get to business."
"The devil are you talking about? I'm perfectly comfortable." Rin smirked, rocking his hips tauntingly up into Mako's own; he opened his mouth to make another dismissive remark, but was arrested by the unaccountably erotic sight of Makoto slowly stripping his battered scarf from his neck. Rin cursed the instinct that made him harden immediately; Mako had trained him well in their years together, and rot his eyes for it.
"I've never thought it advisable to listen to more than a few words from a man's mouth. If he speaks more than a single sentence a lie is inevitable whether he intends to deceive or not." Makoto smirked, "And the less said of women the better. They like to keep their mysteries. Thankfully, man or woman, the body cannot lie- I've told you that before, haven't I?"
"Fuck."
"Hmm. Experienced liars, the ones that make their living by it," Mako's gentle smile included both of them in its warmth, "They might learn a trick or two. Perhaps they will find exactly the right amount of time to meet their captor's eyes without appearing suspicious." He locked eyes with Rin as he tenderly wrapped the battered cloth around Rin's panting mouth, forcing him to breathe through his nose. "Some of them might learn to keep their legs from twitching in a way that would betray them-" A jagged nail traced the curve of his calf, making him jump.
"But no man can discipline every part of his body to work in tandem. Every man has a tell." Rin's breath left him entirely when a knowing hand clasped his growing erection, running a questing grip down his length beneath the stiff fabric of his pants. "I wish I had the time to demonstrate the lesson in its entirety, but that will have to wait for tonight, I think." Makoto's mocking frown transformed to a pleased smile, "Something quick then. Are you familiar with the word 'plateau'?"
Rin scowled, his own hands rising to clasp Mako's hips in demand, pulling insistently at his solid mass.
"You must have been a horrible student, impatient as you are, lacking any appreciation for subtlety." Makoto sighed with false despair, "I'll humor you, this once."
With a movement so swift Rin couldn't track it, Makoto freed him from the confines of his breeches, swatting his hands away when he tried to assist. "No. You will be still."
And because he was so damn desperate for a quick tumble, Rin complied without his customary insolence. He tried to gasp in a life-giving breath, choked on fabric instead when Makoto slid down his form, pulling his legs over his shoulders and taking him into his mouth without so much as a word of warning. His eyes pricked with miniscule tears of excitement, heels digging into Makoto's back when he crossed his ankles for leverage's sake, rocking into the welcoming heat.
Rin glanced down to his lover, hardly able to keep his heavy eyelids from drifting shut; god, he was touching himself shamelessly, shoving his own trousers down around his knees as he knelt there. Between the sight presented to his prying eyes and the sharp stimulation after so long without it wasn't long before he lost himself to orgasm, heedless of the way his fingers scratched at the bed beneath him or how his feet drummed into Mako's unprotected back.
When at last he came back into himself, Makoto had plucked the scarf from his mouth, and he could feel the heat of his lover's cock pressing into his stomach. "Just as well I used this today. It wouldn't do to have anyone above deck hearing your cries, captain."
"Son of a bitch." Rin panted, incapable of anything more than profanity so soon after. How the hell had Makoto managed to keep from coming? Rin began to reach for him, more than willing to return the favor, but Mako caught his hand once more to still its progress.
"Do you recall the question I asked you?"
Rin thought for a moment, shook his head reluctantly, uncertain of the reaction he would get.
Makoto smiled, and there was more than a hint of the predator beneath, "Are you familiar with a plateau?"
"Land mass?" Rin panted, vexed at Mako's self-possession. Makoto shook his head, even as his nail traced a path up the engorged vein running the length of Rin's cock. Rin winced, trying to pull away but arrested by Makoto's other hand tangling in his hair.
"No. Wait a moment and I will show you what I mean."
"I'm too sensitive." Rin gasped out, writhing while Mako's hand skillfully teased him to hardness once more; he could feel heat rising to the surface of his skin, spreading across his chest and up his neck, pinking his cheeks lightly and sending blood to plump his lips.
Makoto smiled with satisfaction, "This is the plateau, Rin. It's that moment just before true satisfaction, when the body is too fatigued to regulate its reactions. This moment right here."
Rin cried out in agonized ecstasy, Mako's work forcing another sharp, undeniably painful orgasm from him. He was still writhing with the overload of sensation when he felt Makoto slip between his legs once more, his cock burrowing into the space between Rin and the bed savagely, fingers curling in Rin's hair as he panted against his neck, sucking and licking mindlessly at the unprotected skin bared to him.
Rin only held him as he shuddered through his own orgasm and collapsed, bringing his ragged exhalations under control far more quickly than Rin had ever managed.
Rin would have been content to lie there hours longer, perhaps drift off into a post-coital doze, only Makoto shook him rudely awake after no more than ten minutes.
"Captain, there's work to tend to." Seeing Rin's pout, he leaned down for a surprisingly sweet kiss, pushing away after only a moment. "We can continue this little tete-a-tete later tonight."
And when he put it that way, it would just have to do.
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And we're back to updating. The next chapter should be up by tomorrow! :)