Boredom was, to the minds of some, Nagisa's greatest enemy. After years of drudgery working near the docks it was boredom that had made him traipse up the gangplank of the prettiest ship in harbor and beg for a position- any position- aboard. His luck that it should be a pirate vessel; The Samenoe's raids and the near constant need to escape imperial sympathizers had kept him on his toes for months. Until his daily work became drudgery once more. It had been boredom that led him to pick up a rapier and by turns nag and beguile Mako into teaching him its use until the constant practice had begun to wear upon his last nerve.
In his infinite wisdom, or decided lack thereof, Rin had been the first to press a pistol into his hands. No need for rigorous exercise or dull routines there, only aim the weapon and let it do its bloody work. Nagisa had been certain he would grow weary of it before the week was out. Then Mako had taken him in hand once more, advising that he should not think too long on the weapon's process but its use. Fire, and meters away his enemy could fall dead or mortally wounded. Instantaneously.
Nagisa sighted down the barrel, watching the crew with a keen eye. It would go ill for him if he actually fired, he knew. Rin was speaking to their prisoners now, apprising them of their fate, and if a shot were to clip him or even come near he would be displeased. A moment's entertainment for a short lifetime of regret. The crew, however… surely if he waited patiently Rin would not object to his killing one or two. Most of them were bound to refuse his generosity, loyal subjects to their core, and living targets were always something of a thrill that lingered with him for days after.
Most of the crew were lying or sitting on deck, nursing injuries and glaring hatred at Rin and the pirates that circled around them like so many sharks keeping watch. They listened in silence, already aware of the choice they would soon make. For most of them, the decision had already been made and they used these few minutes reprieve to make their peace with it. One or two watched Rin with considering eyes, their choices, and lives, still in the balance. It would mean a comfortable pension for their families if they died here today, but who would be left alive to report them for desertion?
Another caught his eye, one whose head towered above the others even seated. His blue jacket hung half off his shoulder, a splash of crimson dying the cream of his shirt. One leg was slung carelessly out, his arms folded atop it like a support. He wasn't watching Rin at all, too busy watching the clouds overhead, the lightening sky in the east, anything at all but Nagisa's captain. He took aim again and imagined cocking his pistol, putting a bullet between those wandering eyes. The last lesson in respect the man would ever need.
He didn't take the shot, but he didn't take his eyes off the man either. Whomever he was, he wasn't listening, meaning that Rin's offer had no chance of buying him and whatever choice he had made he would not be persuaded from. That made him a mystery, a true challenge to recruit.
Rin was through speaking, he watched their captives now with hard eyes waiting to see who would accept his mercy and who would die with their pride.
One rose, then two, another and another still until only a handful remained defiantly sitting. Their sneers had vanished, replaced with an eerie blankness and stiff uncompromising poses. The outlier had glanced to Rin at last, but his expression held none of the resignation of his peers, only a very bitter amusement. Nagisa had seen men laughing until the moment of their death, had seen their faces contort into the rictus of a grin even as the last breath left their bodies. Privately he had wondered if he would not die the same way, laughing until the last. This was different though; he wanted to know what the hell was so funny that a man could watch his comrades choose to die and not betray so much as a spark of anger at them or at the twist of fate that had forced the decision on them.
Nagisa heard only the vague murmur of Rin's words, but he knew the order off by heart. For deserters, the first order was always the same: kill the man next to you.
He watched as one after another the men complied, cutting down comrades they had eaten with the night before, allies through a dozen storms and battles. It was a wonder to him Rin ever allowed these traitors to live, but the price they paid for it was so steep they were unlikely to make the choice again.
It should have been the work of a moment, but when a deserter attempted to pierce the stomach of the tall man, he found it wrapped harmlessly in the coat, the man's hand clamped about the blade in a vice-grip. Nagisa could read the surprise in Rin's stance; the way he toyed with the hilt of his own saber suggested he was undecided as to how this should be handled. Nagisa had an idea or two in that direction himself.
He swept into the fray, nimbly jumping over the corpses to shove the inept crewman aside. He cocked the pistol, leveling it a final time at the man's forehead… and there he froze.
The man's jaw was working as though he was chewing on words he couldn't quite bring himself to say, but the sense of them was there in his eyes. There was no sort of pride or stubbornness there, only a vicious desire to kill and a bone-deep understanding of how impossible that was at this stage. It was so unlike the disinterest of a few moments ago, the amusement when he first discerned his fate that Nagisa could not help but pause to study him, wondering what sort of expression this change of circumstance would provoke.
He stood and Nagisa allowed it, curiously both relieved and disappointed to think he had changed his mind upon witnessing the death of his crewmates. He twitched violently when the man brushed his gun aside as casually as if it had been no more than a bothersome moth.
"If you think the disappearance of this ship and crew will be greeted with indifference, you are sorely mistaken." The man had locked eyes with Nagisa, but it was Rin he addressed in a voice that rang across the deck.
"Are you going to shoot him or not, Nagisa?" Rin looked studiously unaffected, but Nagisa could hear a tendril of interest creeping into his voice. Those imperial whelps that did not choose to join them fell into two camps: Those that accepted their fate and attempted to die with grace or those that fought until their own bodies rebelled. He couldn't recall any that had actually tried reasoning their way out of hell. And, Nagisa realized incredulously, that was exactly what this man meant to do.
"I'm certain this can't be the first time you've similarly 'vanished' a crew-"
"You speak like a scholar. What was your position aboard this ship?" Rin was definitely interested now. The man spoke like a noble, but he couldn't be. Not on a scout vessel. Those that paid for their commissions invariably found themselves serving near shore in safe, comfortable positions that quickly led to meaningless promotions.
"But if you take this ship, it will be your last."
Nagisa flicked a glance at the dead and dying around them. A bare handful might be saved if they were tended soon. This man and another might walk away on their own legs, not enough to manage a ship of this size.
"You're very certain of that." The question- and threat- was plain in Rin's tone.
The man barely stopped himself from swallowing before he answered. "I am Ryugazaki Rei, quartermaster of this good ship and son of-"
"What is the son of a noble house doing aboard this relic?" Rin stepped up beside Nagisa, gesturing for him to lower his weapon. Nagisa did so, not quite as reluctantly as he might have a moment past.
Nagisa could not say what it was that passed between them, noble sons that they were, but after a silence that seemed to stretch into infinity Rin gestured his new crewman away. "Join me aboard my ship, Ryugazaki Rei, we'll discuss the terms of your colleagues' release."
"Not my own?" Rei countered flatly, glaring daggers at Rin.
The captain smiled unrepentantly, "All in due time, of course."
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Rei was avoiding him. After the crisis this afternoon and their improbable escape, Nagisa had been looking forward to collapsing in a small cot with his lover, indulging themselves until at last they had taken the edge off their fear and excitement. Afterward, when they were tangled together skin to skin, breathing each other's air, he had intended to breach the subject of Nitori again. Nagisa was prepared to beg for his forgiveness if that was what it took; he would spend weeks proving that Rei was all he needed or wanted, would deliver the surgeon's heart on a hand-carved platter if that was what it took to win back Rei's trust.
But Rei was in the crow's nest, far above the deck and he had left instructions he was not to be disturbed. Any other day Nagisa might have chanced it, but today he knew he was the reason for Rei's withdrawal and counted it a fair price paid. So he waited on deck, restless with need and trepidation wondering why in the hell he could never just be thankful for what he had.
He knew the answer in his heart of hearts. Nagisa wasn't prone to self-reflection, but he was not in the habit of self-deceit either.
From the day Nitori had first stepped aboard ship, pale and shivering, cowering in the shadows of Rin and Makoto as he warily glanced about the deck, Nagisa had hated him. Part of it was the fear he radiated, the utter lack of confidence coupled with a soft-spoken timidity that had simultaneously raised Nagisa's hackles and drawn him like a bee to honey. He wondered now if some part of him hadn't seen through the charade and been instinctively wary.
That certainly wasn't the whole of it though; what had set his teeth on edge had been how swiftly Nitori had insinuated himself into a position of authority. No one aboard ship kept their own quarters save the captain and first mate, yet this timid little mouse had secured himself the largest area aboard ship and four beds where it was uncommon to find even one. Anything he asked was given to him, whether it was supplies or amusements- and Nagisa defied anyone to say those glass vials and endless chemicals weren't just that. Rin listened to his council, Makoto spoke in hushed tones near him, all the ship rearranging itself about his whims though he could not have done a damn thing to earn it.
And then there was Rei. Rei who had gone to every effort to be sure their quiet surgeon felt at home. Whether it was assisting in the initial set-up of the infirmary or pointedly sitting with Nitori over supper to keep the crew from him, there was nothing Rei would not do for a kindred spirit. Another scholar, a gentleman by nature if not by birth. Always with their heads together, always colluding. Rei had defended Nitori even from him. And Nagisa had not missed the looks they exchanged: the honest pleasure in Rei's smile whenever Nitori ventured from his hidey-hole and approached him. The admiration in Nitori's eyes as he had watched Rei going about his duties.
Jealousy had played no small role in his need to belittle and demean, but Nitori's own odd habits were every bit as much to blame. There was a wrongness in him, and if it was true that like called to like then he had no business hovering about Rei. Though to Nagisa's mind it accounted for that strange connection they had forged in the infirmary not long ago. It accounted for why the memory still dogged his thoughts and overshadowed his relief at being underway for Sanctuary.
He was caught, well and surely, but it didn't have to be the same for Rei. Nagisa had kept him safe those first few months after he had joined the crew, from no less than Makoto himself on one memorable occasion. One deranged surgeon should be no trouble at all.
Even in the privacy of his own mind the thought did not ring with conviction.
Hours he waited for Rei to descend, but the stubborn man would not be moved. Nagisa had begun to wonder whether he might have fallen asleep at his post or whether he had given any thought to what the harsh sun was going to do to his skin. Rei was a creature of theory and ideals, always the concrete details escaped him- meaning reality often nipped him soundly on the ass. Feeling a little spiteful, Nagisa decided against scaling up to remind him. When Rei wanted his company again he could damn well ask for it.
Another thought occurred to him, this one slow in coming and steeped with nerves: he should pay a visit to Nitori and draw a line in the sand.
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The sickbay was bright with candlelight when Nagisa carelessly pushed his way in. He feared he might have lost his nerve entirely if he had bothered to rap upon the door. The half-amused, half-vexed stare Nitori fixed on him said this had not gone unnoticed.
He slammed the door forcefully, leaning against it with all the nonchalance he could muster. Nitori laid aside the flask he had been swirling, striking a similar pose with an attitude of insolent mockery.
"You even closed the door. How bold."
Nagisa felt his skin warm at the sharp reminder of his back pushed to the wall, Nitori's whispered threats in his ear and the vicious bite of his kiss. He pushed away quickly, giving up his pretense in favor of stalking farther into the room- the better to be sure Nitori could not manhandle him so easily again. He tried to ignore the curl of arousal in his gut, the sudden fierce desire to let the scene play out once more… only this time he would not be the only one left panting and confused by a maelstrom of fascination and lust.
"Rei isn't speaking to me."
Nitori sighed deeply, looking to the ceiling as though to beg for patience he no longer had. "I can put a great many things to rights, Nagisa, but if Rei has finally come to his senses I'm afraid there is no cure for it."
What more was there to say? It was exactly what he had feared, that one day Rei would remember himself and pull away. Rei was the constant in his life, the one man that never grew tiresome, that always managed to surprise him and throw him off guard. He was the panacea to the constant need for change, for novelty, that had always plagued Nagisa's thoughts. Rei was, in short, essential. Indispensable.
"If you hadn't k-kissed me this wouldn't have happened." Nagisa choked on the word, shocked at his own inability to articulate it. After all the filth he had hurled at his comrades in his tempers, after all the depraved murmurs he had mouthed in Rei's ears as they lay in the darkness, this was what had defeated him. But his skin was crawling under Nitori's dedicated regard, trying to detach itself from his frame and crawl the hell out of the wolf's den. It was exciting, it was infuriating and every shade of emotion between.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. But you can never quite help yourself, can you? You're never satisfied, never content. You prick and prod and then profess yourself wronged when at last you are stung. The thought of leaving me alone never occurred to you at all, did it? No, because once something has caught your attention you never can let it be until you have rooted out its every last secret." Nitori's voice shook with rage, lips twisting with the effort of constraining it. "And now you stumble back and cry to me that it is all so unfair, that you are blameless in this."
The Nitori that he knew spoke in plain words when forced to speak at all, he shrugged his shoulders as though protecting his vulnerable neck and never quite looked any man in the eye. This man, whomever he was, was an entirely different beast of challenging glares and sharp smiles, his words as pretty and polished as Rei's had been so long ago but his mannerisms nearer to Makoto's. He was a patchwork of habits, and Nagisa could feel his damnable curiosity preparing to land him in trouble again.
"But you are not. You courted me, Nagisa. You sought my attention and you have earned it."
Those words sounded as though they were as much promise as threat. Nagisa's heart raced fit to leap from his chest, his mouth gone dry in a sudden gut-wrenching stab of arousal. He wanted to be the center of that fury, that single-minded passion that had caused the surgeon to forget even his ever-present mask of professionalism. He wanted to 'pick' and 'prod' still more to see how much of his mask was an act. Nagisa wondered if he might not yet find a timid healer beneath the bloodthirsty sneer. Peel away a few layers more of that armor and who else would he find?
Nitori wasn't seeing him anymore, his eyes were unfocused and clouded as his fingers reached out to clamp about the neck of the flask. A crack spidered along the frail glass and at last Nitori came back to himself, drawing a shuddering breath and blinking quickly. Nagisa wondered what memories he saw there. Whatever it was, he sensed these were sins whose confession he was not ready to hear.
"Fine. Now that I have your attention, whatever the hell game we're playing, let's agree to leave Rei out of it-"
"No."
Nagisa's eyes widened to saucers, snapping with temper. "No?"
"Rei might indulge you, I will not. This is not a game, it is a negotiation of terms."
They stood in silence, each staring the other down. Nagisa was uneasy, imagining what a man so duplicitous as Nitori could do to guileless Rei, remembering anew the promise of exquisite agony Nitori had made to him personally. Already Rei had changed so much for him, sacrificed so much he had believed intrinsic to his character, and here Nitori thought to reshape him again into someone that could accept they three as a whole for the sake of Nagisa's damnable wandering eye and Nitori's sadistic impulses.
He wasn't going to subject Rei to that, not any of it. Let the captain play what games he would with his mate and prisoner, Nagisa had at last found the line he was not willing to cross.
"As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to negotiate. Keep your claws out of Rei-"
"Jealousy suits you." Nitori rose and made for the door, Nagisa stalking after him with purpose.
"It's not jealousy-"
"You think I haven't seen you grinding your teeth every time I dare to approach him? You're worried that some cosmic balance might shift in my favor and leave you alone again. He's already turned coat once, after all, so there's nothing to keep him from it once more." Nagisa couldn't see the knowing smile that flashed across Nitori's face; he knew his prey well, and it came as no surprise when Nagisa obligingly stepped into the trap he had set.
"Call him a fucking traitor again and I'll gut you." Nagisa growled, "But you go ahead and try for him, see what it gets you."
"Both of you, I hope."
Nagisa wrenched the door open and shouldered past the surgeon, stomping toward his own berth. Their parting words echoed in his ears, taunting him. Rei would never have it, and Nagisa could make do without anything at all so long as he had Rei.
He stopped by the galley to grab the last of the grog, trying in vain to replace the memory of Nitori's lips with the burn of alcohol before returning at last to crew's quarters.
Rei was still gone, and it was those illicit memories that kept him company until fatigue took him at last.
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Blood never quite came clean, Nitori knew. Vinegar, mineral oils, salt water and a stiff scrubbing, he had tried them all in his time and a few more caustic remedies but somehow the blood never came clean. It was a wonder the stains had ever washed off his own hands, out from under his nails and inside the lines of his palms, though it still stained his garments with the surgeon's badge of skill and butchery. Even after all these years it still bothered him, that he could never quite scrub it out of anything else-
He breathed in deeply, shutting his eyes and waiting for the memory to pass, waiting for his hands to stop trembling and his breath to stop coming short. He didn't have the right to fear any more. But the pillowcase would have to go, else those few hateful spots would taunt him with their immutability every day as he carried out his chores. He wanted Makoto to bleed for it too. Had it not been a certain death sentence Nitori knew he could cheerfully slice a crimson line through Makoto's veins and let the wood of the deck take in the essence of the man responsible for its upkeep-
Kinder thoughts, gentler thoughts. Rin tolerated his eccentricities because he knew Nitori's skills as a healer were worth a small sacrifice here and there, it was simply the price he paid for a top-notch surgeon. That forbearing attitude would change if ever Nitori became a threat to Rin's pet officers.
Thankfully a soft rap on the infirmary door drew him from his brown study. Memories were plaguing him this evening, an old craving beginning to rear its ugly head after being stifled for so long.
Eager to answer, Nitori nevertheless took the time to fold the pillowcase neatly and lay it atop his desk. He could burn it tonight after he had seen to thoroughly cleaning the rest of his domain. He glanced hopefully at the flask sitting innocuously on the corner of his desk; he'd had some luck pulling oil stains from fabric with that brew, there had to be some way to modify it for something a little more stubborn.
The sight of Rei fiddling with the ties of his coat while he debated whether to knock again banished every thought of cleanliness from his mind.
"Rei, welcome." The warmth in his voice was entirely unfeigned, in part because he could see the way Rei brightened to hear it, instantly at his ease. He didn't hesitate to step inside when Nitori gestured to him, didn't jump or tense when Nitori shut the door and locked the two of them away from prying eyes. At his core Ryugazaki Rei was still a gentleman with many of a gentleman's foibles, among them his trusting nature, but with Nagisa for his faithful hound it wasn't likely to cost him any time soon.
"I wasn't expecting you." Not now, in any case. He had half expected Rei to gallop in the minute Nagisa trotted out, but it was well and truly night outside. Hours had passed him by as he set his domain to rights.
"I only finished my watch a half-turn ago." Rei seemed to respond to his unspoken thought, eyes roaming across the expanse of the infirmary before coming back to rest on Nitori himself. "The captain thinks we are free and clear for now, but I wouldn't put it past Mikoshiba to steal a march on us in the night."
"You know him then?" Carefully Nitori shepherded Rei to the desk, nudging and cajoling until at last he took the hint and sat. Nitori perched on the edge of the desk, resembling nothing so much as a hawk on his master's hand.
"Knew. Only briefly, I'm afraid, but his reputation precedes him in military circles. I'll rest easier once we've reached Sanctuary."
"Is that why you've come here? I have a few tinctures that might help you sleep."
"Nagisa might have used one earlier. I had intended to speak with him tonight, but he is lost to the world-" Whatever else he had meant to say, Rei quickly swallowed it, his throat working with the effort. Nitori tried not to appear too predatory watching the bob of his Adam's apple, wanting nothing so much as to nip at the clean lines of his throat. He was high-strung tonight and that invariably translated into a need to touch- violently, tenderly, he couldn't decide which.
Nagisa's challenge still rang in his ears: Try for him.
And Rei sat there, so stiff and collected, every inch the noble lord's son. Hell's teeth, Nitori wanted nothing more than to take the man apart piece by piece just so he could hear that calm voice break on a squeal, watch that icy composure melt beneath the heat of his skin. Most days it was easy to stifle errant thoughts of stripping Rei out of uniform, thoroughly debauching him until he had no hope of putting himself back to rights. Tonight though, with the scent of harsh chemicals assaulting his nose and the lingering memory of Nagisa's words echoing in his ears, it was a particularly cruel trial for his self-control sitting near enough to feel the heat of Rei's body and yet not being able to touch.
Unless?
Yes.
"Then you don't have any pressing commitments?" Nitori tried to keep his tone disinterested, but there was enough mischief in it that Rei visibly pricked up.
Rei clasped his hands firmly in his lap, casting Nitori a shrewd glance. Oh, he knew, but he was not going to tip his hand until he was certain of victory. Rei imagined they were playing a game for Nagisa's affection, never once imagining Nitori might want him as well, and every bit as fiercely.
"I do not." Rei enunciated clearly, sliding farther down into the chair as though perfectly at his ease. He wasn't, not quite, and it didn't take Makoto's gift for reading men to tell Nitori so.
"Good, I need to take your measurements before we make port."
"Measurements?" Mortally offended at the implication that his uniform was anything less than splendidly tailored, Rei straightened the cuffs of his coat, adjusting the way it fit about his shoulders while Nitori looked on in dry-mouthed fascination.
Nitori quickly changed his absent-minded hum of appreciation into one of agreement: "I would like to have a working design for your spectacles before we reach Sanctuary; the materials may be somewhat difficult to come by."
"If it will be too much trouble-"
"Not at all. Stay, it will only take a moment."
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Nagisa was rubbing off on him. Rei knew this because a year ago he would never have allowed himself to be so distracted as to meander into an opponent's transparent trap. Which was exactly where he had ended up if Nitori's self-satisfied smile was anything to go by.
He comforted himself that a handful of days ago, Nitori had been no more than the ship's timid mouse all holed up safe in the infirmary. They had been friends then, not rivals, but Nitori was still treating him as though he hadn't stolen a kiss from Nagisa not many hours ago.
There were several possible conclusions. The first: Nitori, a demonstrably capable actor, was deceiving him once more with the intention of stealing Nagisa if he let his guard down. The second: Nitori had only experienced a brief fit of madness brought on by excessive excitement and had forgotten his lapse. The Third: Nagisa had not been entirely truthful-
Whatever it was Nitori had been rooting about for in his cabinet he had clearly found it. Rei found he couldn't muster the resolve to object when Nitori grabbed his hand, briskly pulling him from the chair and leading him to the bed nearest the door. Even the most sheltered of innocents would have balked at being pushed down on the corner of the sheets, a man's firm hands pressing them into sitting. Rei allowed his damnable curiosity to get the better of him, another vestige of Nagisa's influence, he didn't draw the breath to object until Nitori calmly insinuated himself between Rei's knees, stubbornly ignoring a pointed huff.
"You're too close." Rei's voice was muffled in the all-consuming silence. With most of the crew abed and clear skies as far as the eye could see, few things were quieter than the open ocean by night.
"Pardon. You're so tall this is how we must do it."
Rei took leave to doubt that. He wondered not for the first time what sort of damnable game they were playing and what exactly the rules were. For all that Nagisa said Nitori had kissed him, Rei knew a seduction when he stumbled into one. Or, more accurately, was pushed into one none too subtly.
"Nagisa informed me this afternoon that the two of you had reached an understanding."
"An understanding." Nitori repeated, holding a bit of prismatic glass to Rei's eye, watching the way his pupil responded.
Rei stoutly ignored the distraction, mentally compiling a list of questions he would have to pose later. Light was a particular interest of his, its patterns and movement, endless manipulations and seeming lack of mass- it defied any classification, and so naturally it had become the focus of his ever-curious mind. Here this man wielded it to perfection, catching the candlelight and casting its pale glow on the floor, focusing it and dispersing it masterfully so that it alternately blinded him with its brightness and left him in perfect darkness.
He also fought to ignore the way Nitori's face had drawn so close, the warm puff of his breath against roughening skin, the bitter tang of something earthy that still clung to his clothes, the clean, unsalted scent of his hair.
If it were Nagisa, he would have reached out and twined his fist in that tunic, forced a knee between those slender legs and made Nagisa ride him to completion. Nagisa would have done it too, wild and graceful and perfectly unashamed; he would have fisted Rei's hair and whispered every sinful thing he wanted done to his body between words of praise and appreciation. Rei regretted the thought immediately when he felt himself responding to the image.
He regretted it all the more when he realized at some point in his sordid fantasy, Nagisa's golden form had become Nitori's paleness, naked and panting as he rocked against Rei's still-clothed thigh.
It had been an exceptionally trying day; between Nagisa's earlier confession, Nitori's proximity and his own nervous, overwrought mind was it truly any wonder his mind had taken a turn for the sordid?
Rei cast about for something to say, something that would take his mind off Nitori's slender fingers playing across his face and the peculiar heaviness that had settled between them.
Ah, right. The understanding. He followed Nitori with his eyes, but the healer was so distracted Rei wondered if he even remembered their aborted attempt at a conversation. He cleared his throat and tried again.
"If you will permit me to speak bluntly-"
"Always." Nitori didn't mean it for a breathy purr, but that was exactly the sound that left his lips. He tried not to be distracted by the way ever-composed Rei shifted nervously in response.
"Do you have any manner of… designs on Nagisa?"
Nitori stifled a disappointed sigh. He had been looking forward to orchestrating a grand seduction, but here Rei had put him in check. An honest question deserved an honest answer.
"Yes."
Rei's jaw flexed as he swallowed back the first words that rose to his tongue, Nitori watched his Adam's apple bob with the effort of forcing them down. What sort of words though? Angry or surprised? A vehement denial or a warning? Not for the first time Nitori wished he had Mako's gift of reading faces, but for once Rei was a closed book to him. He hated it.
When Rei spoke at last, it was in a subdued, mild tone that said he had heard precisely the answer he was expecting. "I see."
"You don't." Nitori assured him, taking a twitching hand in his own. "I have all manner of designs on him." He leaned in, unable to keep himself from licking his lips in salacious anticipation: "And on you."
"I beg your pardon?" Rei jerked back as though confronted by a venomous serpent, half rising from the bed. Nitori raised a staying hand and with a wary glance Rei began to settle once more. Curiosity. Nitori barely prevented himself from smiling at the thought.
"I have no intention of splitting a set, Rei; I doubt any of us would be content then." Nitori saw the light of understanding in his eyes, watched the knowledge warm his cheeks with only the palest of blushes. Guilt. Apparently Nagisa hadn't been the only one eying him, and Rei was no stranger to this arrangement, though it had likely been no more for him than a fantasy to while away a boring watch. That was enough to work with, so long as the thought was already there.
Still somehow Nagisa thought this man needed his protection; he thought Rei wasn't quite his match, that he had stolen someone else's prized possession. Nitori conceded it was difficult at times to reconcile the gentleman with the pirate, but both coexisted comfortably within this man. It was a mistake to neglect either one.
"Then mind you don't." Rei's tone was firm, but hardly defensive.
He waited until Nitori pulled back at last and then rose again, straightening his coat fussily and rearranging his cuffs; Nitori allowed himself a fond quirk of the lips- heaven forbid Ryugazaki Rei should report to his own bed looking anything less than perfectly put together. It was easy enough to steal an officer from his ship, but imperial officer he remained in habit if not in truth.
His heart beat faster when Rei glanced at him once more, lips pursing thoughtfully, eyes shrewd. "No, I'm afraid I can't leave it there." Nitori was wise enough to bide his time, watching as Rei struggled with all the questions he couldn't bring himself to voice aloud. At last he found one among all of them that neatly summed up his quandary: "What game are you playing at, Aiichirou?"
His name. His hated name. It was a calculated maneuver, one Rei must have thought would provoke him into the honesty of wrath. Instead Nitori was pleased by how easily the syllables slipped from Rei's lips and intrigued by the unaccustomed display of ruthlessness.
"You have been in Nagisa's company far too long."
He didn't offer anything more. Whatever conclusion Rei drew from his words he did not share, only bowed- gracious as ever- and cast Nitori a last wondering look. He left as abruptly as he had come, and Nitori was once again alone with his memories, though these were infinitely more welcoming.
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She was tall for a woman. Pretty in the classical sense, with a hint of coquetry in her stance even their dire straits had done nothing to temper. Kou tried not to loathe her on sight, but Sei's eyes had not wavered for more than a minute since he first set eyes on her. She couldn't hear their exchange; Sei had only permitted her to accompany his shore crew on the very strict provision that she remain at Momotarou's side at all times. Since Momotarou had insisted on remaining near the dinghy, that left her several yards away from her captain. And he was hers. The trouble was he didn't know it yet, and neither did this brazen woman.
"It's only politics." Momo drawled, sensing her unease.
"I know," she snapped, embarrassed to be caught in such a childish display of jealousy.
It was made all the worse for knowing she had no grounds for this temper. Once they had her brother firmly in hand, she and Sei would part ways. It was highly unlikely she would ever see him again, and in time she would become no more than a tale to tell over a few too many glasses. A quaint little woman that had once thoroughly disarranged all his best-laid plans while he tracked a notorious pirate. Rin would likely even make the center-piece of the story, Kou herself no more than an afterthought.
She wasn't angry at the woman, Kou acknowledged, only frustrated with her own impotence. How much longer would she be forcefully kept out of harm's way? How much longer would he insist on coddling her? Until that ended, she would be no more than his duty and no man could love the weight of his burdens. She banished the thought on a puff of air, playing idly with a loose curl. Their journey was not over, and there would be ample opportunity for proving herself his match. She only needed to have an eye for her chance.
"Kou." Sei called softly. It was all the invitation she needed to fly across the sand, mood banished with only a word. She was Kou now, finally a lady in his books and that was half the battle won.
"Captain?" She chirped, stopping at his side so quickly dirt scattered around her feet. Up close, the woman was more than pretty- she had a mature grace about her that Kou could not help but envy, and a spark in her eye that Kou knew well from her own reflection. It did not set her at ease. After all, she was a merchant heiress that had secreted herself aboard an imperial vessel. What might this woman, who had no such pretensions, do if she were backed into a corner?
"You must make an exception, I'm afraid. This is Matsuoka Kou, the Samezuka's cabin girl and my ward; I cannot accompany you without her."
"I spend a few years away from the mainland and the navy begins recruiting women? Maybe I should visit more often." The teasing glint in her eye vanished: "Did you say Matsuoka? They're related?"
Before Kou could do more than gape in open-mouthed disbelief, Sei had pushed her behind him, one arm held out protectively while the other freed his sword from its sheathe with a threatening snick.
"Kou is Rin's sister, not his accomplice. And you gave your word this would be neutral ground."
The woman laughed, waving a dismissive hand, "Sheathe your claws, captain. If he abandoned her once I don't think it would be any trouble for him to do it again."
Kou sucked in a breath as her heart seemed to skip a beat, chest clenching painfully. They had been close once, Rin and she, before he began taking over the duties expected of an heir. As the years went on they had begun to drift apart, he spending every moment of his time either learning the family business or 'sneaking' to the pleasure quarter as most men his age were wont to do. It had been two days before Kou had even remarked his absence as something out of the ordinary. Whether this woman had intended her words for cruelty or not, they had surely found their mark.
"What is your interest in my brother?" Kou blinked quickly, banishing the tears before they had a chance to form. They were only words, truthful ones no less.
"Kou." Sei began, slanting her a warning look over his shoulder. She regretted her outburst immediately; she had betrayed an exception to the absolutism of his commands and this woman might not think well of him for it.
"He took something from me."
"As pirates do." Sei cut in, neatly stepping back into the conversation. "Kou, this is Amakata Miho. She has agreed to loan us a ship in exchange for a few small considerations."
"I would have your written word that you agree to our terms."
"Of course. I must return to my ship tonight and gather supplies, but I will join you here come morning to finalize the agreement."
"Do you intend to leave your woman as surety?"
"Do you intend to insult me by calling my word into question?"
Kou was grateful the failing light hid the blush that tinged her cheeks. Particularly when the silence stretched on long enough to become tense. A glance was enough to assure her that Momo was keeping careful watch, ready to dash to them at a moment's notice. But the woman's- Miho's- men looked equally ready to join the fray.
After a moment Miho shrugged, and even that unladylike gesture appeared elegant and self-assured. "I will not pretend that we could match you, but I suppose since we are embarking on this venture together a little trust would not be misplaced.
"Just so." Sei agreed, one hand coming to rest thoughtlessly on Kou's shoulder and squeezing a reassurance. "From tomorrow on we will be in your care." He bowed and Kou quickly followed suit, making sure her head was only a little lower.
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The short trip back to the ship seemed like hours to Kou's anxious mind. When she tried to take an oar, Sei had briskly waved her away and settled in beside his mate to work in tandem. She was left with nothing to do but clench her fists in the cloth of her trousers and watch their muscles work beneath their stifling overcoats. Not that the latter was such a terrible trial, only Miho was watching them depart from the shore and she would not have it said that she was a pampered layabout.
"Where are we going?" She asked once they were safely out of earshot, fixing an inquiring gaze on Sei.
"To find your brother." He grinned boyishly, not the least bit put off by her scowl.
Of course. Why ever had she expected anything more than a cryptic answer? In a past life he must have been an oracle.
"With Miho? I thought you said you wouldn't make your crew venture any farther beyond imperial writ."
"She's right." Momotarou chipped in, "What sort of infernal bargain have you struck now, Sei? You look devilishly pleased with yourself."
Sei hummed his agreement, "We have secured a ship and a crew, all for a promise of discretion. Meaning, Momo, when this makes its way into our reports you will refer to these people only as imperial subjects. No need to mark a heading."
"Then it is an unauthorized colony."
"Of course not. I would be required to report that." He slanted a telling look at his first mate, still full of the devil's own cunning.
"And we depart tomorrow? Who will take charge of the Samezuka?"
Sei covered a wince, well enough that anyone but his brother might have missed it. Being his brother, Momo did not. "You were going to leave me."
"That I leave to you. My authority extends only so far as imperial writ. I cannot compel you to accompany me."
"If you think I will abandon my own flesh and blood to take up with god knows what kind of savages you are sorely mistaken."
"As a captain, I would rather have left my first mate to keep watch over my ship. As a brother, I expected nothing less than your absolute lack of cooperation. For which I am grateful." He finished, becoming more subdued. "Miho has asked to bring along four of her own, and I dislike being outnumbered even by allies. This way, someone will always be available to keep watch over Kou while another keeps an eye out to ensure our allies stay allies."
Kou bristled at the implication that she required a keeper. She drew herself up to her full sitting height, unimpressive as it was, and glared. "You will still be outnumbered."
"But hardly outclassed." Momo added, ruffled feathers soothed now after Sei's concession.
Seeing the identical boyish grins splitting their faces, Kou surrendered any hope of convincing them otherwise.
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Aaaand this version is officially caught up to AO3!
Many thanks to everyone that's still reading despite the absurdly lengthy wait. :)