Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters from the anime. I own the plot and the Tide Whisperer. Enjoy! Review! You know the drill. ^_^
Chapter Eleven Panic Attack
Atemu blindly shoved random articles of clothing into a medium-sized beige, drawstring knapsack. He would've simply left everything where it was to save time, but the rational part of his mind reminded him that he needed to take at least the bare essentials before he left the port. He couldn't do much without his dirk, his clothes, or his pistol if he hoped to rescue Yugi.
Finally, he pulled the knapsack closed and threaded his uninjured arm through the strap before he rushed from the room.
Hold on, Yugi. I'm coming.
Seto handed a small leather pouch filled with gold and silver coins to a tall blond man, with cobalt blue eyes and was built like a wall of muscle. He wore his hair close-cropped, with two thin strands that fell in front of his ears and curved around the man's sharp cheekbones.
"Pleasure doing business with you." The bear-man commented in a deep, gravelly baritone.
"You as well, Raphael." Seto replied and dismissed him by turning on his heel and strolled up the gangplank to his newly repaired Tide Whisperer.
He took in a deep breath, scenting the salt-laden breeze that rose up from the north. The sun crept ever so slowly into the air, as if it were rising out from the depths of the Earth. It was a grand day to set sail. It had seemed like ages since last Seto was out at sea. He climbed up onto the stern of the deck, sliding his palm over the smooth mahogany of the steering wheel, grasping one of the spokes simply to feel the reassuring texture of the cool wood in his palm. He could hear the wind thread through the ropes and canvas, and the dull snaps of the Tide Whisperer's flag atop of the foremast.
Seto finally brought himself back to reality, enough for him to walk back toward the gangplank. He would wake the crew and they would finally get underway, but he didn't get very far before Atemu practically trampled him.
He grabbed onto the boy's shoulders, and had to tighten his grip when Atemu started struggling.
"I don't have time to deal with you right now, Seto. Let me go." Atemu ground out between rapid breaths from having run the two and a half miles from the tavern.
"You'd best take a better tone with me, Santiago." Seto snapped after squeezing the boy's shoulders, mindful not to jar the stab wound but enough to get Atemu's attention. "Why don't you tell me what's happened?"
"It's none of your damned business." Atemu retorted heatedly. "I've gotta get out of here. Like, yesterday!"
This wasn't getting him anywhere. Seto was marginally concerned about what had triggered this state within the kid, but he wouldn't get any answers if Atemu continued in his hysteria.
"Pull yourself together." Seto growled, "And start from the beginning."
Atemu debated inwardly about involving Seto, the pirate could see it in the boy's eyes. He broke off into a short, jaunty pacing before coming to a decision. The boy dug out a sheet of crumbled up paper from his trousers' pocket and all but shoved it into Seto's face.
"This is what's happened."
Seto took the document from Atemu's fingers and read it from a more comfortable distance.
"Well, that's unfortunate." He murmured once he was finished reading.
"That's it?" Atemu shouted, "That's all you can fucking say? That Yugi being captured by that ruthless, spineless, gutter son of a fucking whoremonger is UNFORTUNATE?"
Seto drew his fist back and punched Atemu in the face. It wasn't hard enough to send the boy to the ground, but was enough to make him stumble a few steps. A copper hand rose to cup Atemu's cheek, his scarlet eyes wide in shock and tinged with pain, but under it all, Seto could still see the panicked kid.
He couldn't exactly blame the kid for his fear. Had the situations been switched and Mokuba had been in Yugi's place, and Seto in Atemu's, then Seto would react more or less the same as Atemu was now. That was the only reason he didn't pull rank.
"Yugi needs you sane, Santiago. So quit your shouting, take a breath, and start at the top. First thing's first, we need to awaken the crew."
"Wait, what?" Atemu asked incredulously.
Seto ignored the question and continued on back toward the tavern. He pounded on each of his crews' doors, eliciting groans of protest and angry expletives.
"To the ship. Now." He barked as each door opened to his insistence.
Before long, his crew was assembled on the deck of the Tide Whisperer.
"Prepare to cast off." He shouted as he ascended the gangplank last.
The men scrambled to do his bidding, each one manning their appropriate stations. Fifteen Dragons worked to unfurl the sails, twenty of the men took inventory, the rest prepared to guide the ship out of the Sale` harbor.
Seto stood at the steering wheel. He threaded through the harbor and out into open sea.
"Mokuba, chart a course to Barcelona." He ordered when he caught sight of the raven-haired boy.
Mokuba obeyed without question, but some of the men gave their captain inquisitive looks.
Seto growled low in his throat, "We've got some loose ends to tie up back at home." He explained vaguely to the men. They didn't need to know the details until he and Atemu figured out what needed to be done.
Atemu paced the confines of the captain's cabin, his hands clasped behind his back, head bowed slightly in thought, every so often he'd growl in frustration.
It didn't make sense. Why in the hell would the captain suddenly be trying to help? He had no obligation to Yugi, and Seto had said it himself, oh so charmingly, on Atemu's first day on the Tide Whisperer that Seto's obligation to his and Mahado's deal to get Atemu away from Spain ended when he set foot on deck.
He supposed that perhaps it could be summed up to sympathetic situations. He knew that Seto was very protective of his little brother, and perhaps he is projecting what he would do in Atemu and Yugi's situation if Seto and Mokuba were the ones going through this whole Louis sex slave shit.
Then again, that didn't sound like something Seto would do…not really. Sure, he could be sympathetic, but he wouldn't drop everything to suddenly set out back to Spain, where Seto was in more jeopardy than Atemu and Yugi are. Atemu should've taken his chances and caught a ride with some other ship back to Barcelona. He might've been able to convince the captain of the courier to take him home, and he wouldn't have to worry about anything happening to Seto, Mokuba, and the White Dragons.
Atemu pivoted at the sound of the cabin door opening, and Seto stepped in with solemn determination written on his face.
"Why?" Atemu demanded immediately. "Why are you doing this? Tell me why you're going to risk going back to Spain when you have more to lose than I do?"
"I don't have to explain my actions to you, Santiago." Seto snapped as his cerulean eyes narrowed, "What I decide to do is my concern alone."
"Not if it risks the lives of your crew and your brother. Not when the risk you're taking involves my brother and me. I can find another ship to take me back, you didn't-"
"Shut up." Seto growled, and he slammed his mouth down onto Atemu's.
Atemu was too shocked by the abruptness of the action to respond, and before he had a chance to react, Seto pulled away.
"I said that I don't have to explain my actions to you, kid." Seto murmured in a low voice…would that be considered purring?...and continued to look into Atemu's scarlet eyes as he continued, "But if you must know…it's because I'm returning a favor."
"What favor?" Atemu asked, sounding dazed. Why don't I feel angry?
"Twice since I met you, you've saved my life. And you've saved Mokuba's once. This is my repayment for what you've done."
"I didn't do it so that you'd be indebted to me, Captain." Atemu snapped.
"It doesn't matter. Whether that was your intention or not, this is your price for my debt. I'll help you save your brother."
"I didn't tell you about this to get you to help me with my problems. My problems. Yugi's my responsibility, and this is something that I-"
Seto didn't waste his time talking this time. He simply leaned in again and pressed his lips to Atemu's. It seemed to be an effective way of silencing the kid, because once again, Atemu was speechless when Seto pulled away.
"This is my payment…whether you like it or not. I'm not foolish enough to drag my crew into this, so you can relax. This is something I will…we will…do on our own."
Atemu stared up into Seto's eyes, searching for any sign of deceit. He didn't think that Seto would be playing him in this sort of situation, but still he had to know the truth.
There was no dishonesty, no false words. Seto's eyes practically screamed in testament to his promise. Suddenly…Atemu didn't feel scared. He was worried about Yugi, there was no doubt about that…but he knew that he wouldn't be going through this alone.
"Well then, Captain," Atemu spoke, leaning back a little and setting his hands on his hips, "We've got three days to figure a way for me to fight with this wound of mine. I can't afford to be slowed down."
"Well, there's a simple solution to that." Seto turned and motioned with his head toward the door, "What do you say to an early morning duel?"