The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything

by Idiosyncrasy101

This be the sequel to Bite Me, mateys! And...well, you'll just have to read, 'cause it's kind of hard to sum up. NOT HISTORICALLY ACCURATE, NOR IS IT MEANT TO BE. This is strictly for pleasure, not for praise or for profit.

15. Simon Does ONE THING Right

A/N: Ava would like to apologize for any scenes that were inadvertently stolen from previous chapters. She loses track sometimes. Forgive her for her transgressions!

---

Miguel finally stirred again in the early hours of the following morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten. The first thing he noted upon waking was that every inch of his body was in excruciating pain; the second was that Benji lay next to him, clutching his hand tightly. The warm weight comforted him, giving him the strength to force his eyes open.

He immediately wished he hadn't.

Benji's brow furrowed, registering the quiet whimper of pain even in the deepest slumber. "Mmm…cariño?"

"Morning, Benji," Miguel replied, trying to speak normally through gritted teeth.

Benji's eyes narrowed; he wasn't fooled in the slightest. "You're hurting, aren't you?"

"It's not bad."

"Don't lie to me."

Miguel sighed. "Okay, fine, it's horrible." Then the sour look on his face was replaced by a mischievous glint in his eye. "Come kiss it better?"

It was an offer Benji simply couldn't refuse, and the two spent several blissful minutes drowning in each other. When they finally came up for air, it certainly wasn't by their own choice.

"Hmm, looks like someone's feeling better," a wickedly amused voice said from the doorway. "Mind if I join?"

"Y'know, since you started getting some, you have really started to piss me off, Erik."

Erik laughed. "Careful, Ben, or I might have to tell you—in minute, excruciating detail—exactly how many different types of bacteria could eat Miguel's flesh from the inside out if I let them all run rampant."

Miguel pouted. "C'mon, why do I have to be punished because he's mean?"

"Because you should've trained him better." As he spoke, Erik swiftly injected something into Miguel's arm, ignoring the redhead's yelp of pain, and then began to remove the bandages with smooth, practiced motions.

Miguel snorted, wincing despite Erik's gentle hands. "Believe me, I've tried. He's as stubborn as a mule and as hot-headed as any Irishman I've ever met—plus he's drunk most of the time, and we all know how uncivilized that makes him."

"Hey! Sitting right here, y'know."

"We know," Miguel and Erik chorused.

"…Okay, just checking."

XXX

Fifteen minutes later, Erik slipped back into Jiro's cabin, climbed into bed, and slid one arm around his lover from behind. Jiro's hand rose to give the arm around his waist a gentle squeeze, and the chaplain's sleepy voice asked, "What time's it?"

"Early. Go back to sleep."

"Mmm…uh-uh. I've got a better idea." And Jiro turned his head and lifted it slightly, clearly expecting a kiss; Erik complied, meeting him halfway and forcing Jiro's head gently back onto the pillow.

"So what're you up to today?" Jiro asked a few minutes later, settling back into Erik's arms.

Erik shrugged. "Thought I'd sort through the junk in the brig. Just because we're pirates doesn't mean we have to live like animals…though Miguel and I can't seem to convince anyone else of that."

Jiro laughed. "Have breakfast with me first?"

Erik smiled, leaning forward to drop another kiss onto Jiro's neck. "That's a given."

"Is breakfast in bed a given, too?"

Erik grinned happily. "Sure." Settling back under the covers, he added, "Don't overcook the eggs."

Jiro sighed heavily. "One time and I'm branded for life."

"Yup."

Jiro gave a resigned sort of chuckle and inched a bit further into the embrace. "If I'm fetching you breakfast, I demand snuggles first."

"Hmm…I'm not altogether sure I can comply with that demand. You might have to use, y'know…drastic measures."

"Oh, really? Drastic measures, like…a poke here?" He dug his fingers into Erik's ribs, bringing a surprised yelp of laughter from the man. "Or…a prod there?" He did it again, this time higher up. Then the poking became full-fledged tickling, and within minutes Erik was flushed and breathless with mirth.

Their play was interrupted all too soon, when the door crashed open and bathed the couple in sunlight. "Jiro, what are you doing to Erik?!"

"Making a man out of him," Jiro replied, throwing his arms around Erik and sticking his tongue out at the figure framed in the doorway.

"He sounded like he was…giggling. Men do not giggle."

"Real men giggle."

"I resent the implications of that statement."

"As well you should."

Benji then decided that Jiro was hardly worth dealing with and switched his attentions to Erik. Bouncing onto the bed, he said, "Erik, Miguel's asleep again and I'm bored."

"I left your room ten minutes ago, Benji. You can't have gotten bored that quickly."

"Uh-huh! I'm hungry, too. Come make me breakfast."

Erik gave another despairing groan and buried his face in the pillow. "Make it yourself."

"I don't wanna make it myself."

"Then starve."

"I choose option C."

"There is no option C. A and B are your only choices."

"…Can we make an option C?"

"Benji!"

XXX

Some time later, with much grumbling and against his better judgment, Erik allowed himself to be dragged out of Jiro's cabin and into the bright, wide world.

The galley was empty when they got there; apparently the entire sane universe was still asleep. Half of Erik wished that he was among them, and the other half wanted to go wake them up out of spite. Erik gave into neither of these urges, however, choosing instead to drown his sorrow in every frying pan on the ship, making enough bacon and eggs to feed the entire crew.

"Jesus, how fat do you think we are, Erik?"

"You'll eat it and you'll like it."

Benji said something that sounded vaguely like, "Oul dwha?" around a bite of fried potatoes approximately twelve times too large for his mouth.

"Or I'll stop feeding you," Erik replied as he started in on his own plate, far too used to Benji's table manners to feel more than the faintest twinge of revulsion.

Benji just shrugged and continued to eat with gusto; Jiro grinned and took a more socially acceptable bite.

It was a good thing, too, that the bite had been so small, because otherwise Jiro would have done considerably more than simply beginning to cough and splutter, his eyes welling up with tears. He couldn't seem to stop, and that could only mean…

Erik immediately flushed bright red. "Oh, God, I didn't!"

Jiro tried to form words, but only ended up spluttering some more.

"Ack, I did! I'm so sorry, Jiro, those were supposed to be for Benji!"

Benji roared with laughter as Erik ran to the sink to fill a cup with water and gave it to Jiro.

"What…did you do?" Jiro asked when he was able to speak again.

Erik's blush deepened. "Hot peppers instead of tomato in the eggs, and hot sauce mixed into everything. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Stop laughing, Benji!"

"Christ, were you trying to trick him or kill him?"

"I'm sooooorry!" Erik wailed. "Benji, shut up!"

"C-c-can't!"

That did it. Erik vaulted over the table in a tidal wave of unstoppable fury and tackled Benji to the floor.

Jiro smiled slightly to himself as he watched the two wrestle on the floor. He knew—and Benji probably did, too—that Erik had ceased to be irritated almost immediately; this was just good fun.

Erik needed more of that in his life. The man had far too many worries for his own good; just watching him think about them was exhausting. And since Simon had shown up, his few carefree moments had been scattered like leaves to the winds.

Jiro was going to have to do something about that.

XXX

Quite awhile later, Benji and Erik settled back to their breakfasts—Benji didn't even seem to notice that the food was stone cold, but Erik made a face and pushed his plate away after the first bite.

"Why don't you just warm it back up?" Jiro asked.

"Reheated food is an abomination."

Jiro chuckled. "Fair enough." He took a bite of his own freshly prepared food—and promptly spit it back out in surprise as the door to the galley was slammed open.

"Good mooooorning!"

"Morning, Rin," Erik replied, while Benji grunted an acknowledgement and Jiro nodded and smiled.

"Wow, Benji. You look…messier than usual. What happened?"

"Erik was defending my honor," Jiro replied before Benji managed to swallow his mouthful of food.

"Aww, ain't that sweet?"

"Shut up, Rin," Erik said amicably, helping himself to a bite from Jiro's plate.

Rin stuck her tongue out at him and sat down in Jiro's lap. "Jiro, Erik's being mean to me."

"So?"

Rin sighed. "This is a cold family."

"Family is for losers, anyway."

Every person in the room groaned, either inwardly or aloud.

"What're you doing here?" Rin snapped. "It's daylight. Shouldn't you be on fire or something?"

"Nice to see you, too, freckle queen," Simon replied airily, taking Jiro's plate and digging in.

"Hmph," Rin replied, standing to take Jiro's plate and setting it back in front of him. "Touch his food again and I'll remove your hand." Then, promptly contradicting herself as usual, she took a bite of Jiro's eggs and made an approving noise.

Jiro, feeling she had earned the reward, pushed the whole plate in front of her and stood. Moving behind Erik's chair, he wrapped his arms around the doctor and leaned forward to rest his chin on the thin shoulder. "I wanna go back to bed."

Erik shivered at the blatant suggestion in his voice. "Alone?"

"Where would the fun be in that?"

Erik grinned; the thought of being embarrassed never occurred to him. "Let's go."

Rin smiled slightly as she watched them leave, just barely slower than a dead run as they bolted through the door. "They're good for each other."

Simon grunted, his face contorting in disgust as the dreaded topic was approached.

"I don't think I've ever seen Erik so…loose."

Simon was silent for a moment as he filled a plate. When he finally spoke, it was as if he were talking to himself, yet half-hoping that Rin would hear. "He was…once. A long time ago."

Rin wisely remained silent as Simon shook off his momentary reverie and sat down across from her at the table. She managed to do so for nearly thirty seconds, before the quiet began to drive her mad.

"So I heard something interesting when I was in town this morning."

"What the hell were you doing awake when the sun was up?"

"I heard," Rin pressed on determinedly, "that the guys who hurt Miguel were found crushed and bleeding in an alley last night."

Simon shrugged. "So?"

"After all of us were long gone back to the ship."

"So?"

"All of us except for you."

"SO?!"

"So," Rin replied sagely, "what were you doing out so late?"

Simon shrugged. "Drinking and whoring, what else?"

"Hmm." She studied him closely for a moment, then dismissed the possibility. "No, I don't think so. You're not hung over. If you'd been out drinking, you would be hung over."

"It wasn't me."

Rin gave him a knowing nod. "Right."

"It wasn't, Rin!"

"You have a heart. Who knew?"

"I do not!"

Rin giggled. "You're cute when you panic. It makes you seem…almost human."

Simon scowled, but wisely chose to remain silent. There was no fighting it when Rin was like this. To be perfectly honest (not that there was any reason to start now), he didn't really want to try.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Simon sighed inwardly in resignation. "If I said no, would that change anything?"

"Nope."

He sighed aloud this time. "Go ahead."

"Why is it," she asked, taking a sip of coffee, "that you'll beat the living hell out of a group of guys you've never seen before because they hurt someone you barely know—"

A strange expression crossed Simon's face, then disappeared before Rin could pin it down. However, all he said was, "You're still assuming I'm the one who did that."

"But," Rin continued, waving the technicality aside as something unworthy of notice, "you won't so much as say a kind word to your own brother, who has never asked you for anything or done anything to you except give you a second chance you've done nothing to deserve?"

"Cave girl sound smartical," was Simon's only reply, the mocking tone dry enough to fool anyone and everyone. "Where she learn talk so pretty?"

Rin threw up her hands in disgust. "Why do I even bother?"

"Sorry, sorry." He actually sounded as though he meant it. Maybe. A little bit. He went silent for a long time after that, studying his food as intently as if it were capable of coming alive and eating him. When he finally spoke, it was with that halfhearted quality of earlier—as though he didn't know whether or not he wanted anyone else to hear. "You think you can save everyone, Rin."

Rin didn't know how to respond to that, so she took a sip of coffee and said nothing.

Maybe that made it easier for him to look her in the eye when he next spoke. She didn't know. Either way, he did it as he said, "Some of us are damned no matter what we do."

Rin stared at him for the longest moment, waiting for the punch line.

It never came.

XXX

Meanwhile, while Rin was getting a new glimpse of an old enemy, Jiro lay on the bed in his cabin, pretending to read while daydreaming about the handsome, bespectacled blond who was currently elsewhere doing productive and necessary things.

Jiro wasn't entirely sure what it was about Erik that attracted him. The doctor was the complete opposite of the men he was used to falling for; he was quiet, gentle, intelligent, thoughtful, naïve….and completely, utterly, one hundred percent dedicated to the people he cared about.

Jiro had always been fascinated by the standoffish bad-boy type, so falling for—falling in love with—a man like Erik was completely unexpected.

Because yes, the chaplain was in love; of this he was absolutely certain.

He was in love with Erik's eyes, his smile, his laugh, his….everything. He loved that the doctor could alter his thoughts just by walking into a room, and he loved entering a room full of people and knowing that there would be at least one person there who was happy to see him. He loved Erik's insistence on waking up with the sun even when he hadn't gone to sleep until three o'clock that morning. He loved how the man trusted people even as he pulled away from them….and he loved that Erik never pulled away from him, for any reason.

But most of all, he loved the fact that he felt truly alive only when Erik caught his eye and flashed a smile in his direction.

God, he was in love. Helplessly, hopelessly, recklessly, head-over-heels in love with Erik Tavadon and all the emotional baggage that came along with him.

Jiro's thoughts were interrupted when their subject wandered into the cabin, smiled tiredly at the chaplain, and began to paw through the books on the shelf in the corner in search of something. He paused after a moment, however, and looked up to meet the eyes that were staring intently at him.

Erik had obviously been through the mill in the hour since he'd left, well-shagged and ready for a day of hard work. As promised, he had taken it upon himself to sort through all the junk in the brig, and he definitely looked as though he had been hard at work. His hair was covered in dirt and sawdust, there were streaks of some black substance across his face (oil, maybe?), and his clothes—which Jiro was almost certain had once been light blue—were now a gritty mixture of white and light brown. Jiro smiled; he looked absolutely adorable.

"….What?" Erik asked, and the chaplain could swear he was blushing under all the dirt.

The smile became small and thoughtful as Jiro stood and walked across the room until he was standing in front of Erik.

"What are you smiling at?"

Jiro said nothing, choosing instead to thread his fingers through Erik's hair and pull him into a gentle kiss.

Erik smiled when the kiss broke, some of the exhaustion disappearing from his face. "What was that for?"

There was a moment of silence, then….

"I love you." The words came before Jiro could stop them, and what was more, they felt completely natural. Completely true.

Erik would later swear his face had never been redder than it was in that moment.

But he would also swear that he'd never been happier.

XXX

The rest of breakfast passed in almost total silence for Rin and Simon. For once—the one time they actually wanted it to happen—no one barged in on them or called them away to work or did anything other than leave them entirely alone. Their few attempts at conversation fell flat almost instantly, and they eventually stopped trying.

"You want some help with the dishes?"

Rin blinked and stared at Simon uncomprehendingly.

"…Um, hello?"

"What?"

"Dishes. Clean. Rin want help?"

"Oh. Uh…sure."

Simon looked at her for another moment, then dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter and stood. "Great, I'll go get Monroe."

Rin lunged at him and grabbed his wrist, forcing him to the pile of dirty dishes on the counter with surprising strength. "I would've let you get away with that if you were anybody else. Wash."

She didn't look back at him as she gathered the rest of the plates from the table, apparently taking it for granted that she would be obeyed. Simon didn't know if this should irritate him or not, so he compromised by making a mental list of all the other things there were to hate about her.

The list was surprisingly short.

Simon was so lost in thought—and getting more annoyed every second—that he didn't notice Rin coming up beside him and beginning to dry the plates that he set aside after they'd been washed. They worked in awkward silence for several long minutes, until at last everything was stacked neatly on the shelves and the rest of the galley was almost disturbingly spotless.

The silence hadn't grown comfortable, exactly, but they had at least gotten used to it by the time they finished working. And, naturally, just as they were getting used to it…Rin broke it. Go figure.

"So can I ask you something?"

Simon groaned. "Again?"

"That lighter that you dropped—"

"I didn't drop it! You stole it!"

Rin shrugged. "Whatever. Why didn't you pick it up after I left?"

Simon blinked at her. "I…huh?"

Rin sighed in exasperation and, after a moment spent fishing around in her pocket, pulled the silver lighter out and held it up for Simon to see. "I found it on the floor of the galley that night when I came in for hot cocoa. If it's so important, why did you leave it?"

There was no reply, other than Simon looking at the floor and shuffling his feet, looking uncharacteristically nervous. Finally, he asked softly, "Can I have it back?"

Rin blinked; that quiet, almost defeated tone was the very last thing she had been expecting. After a moment's hesitation, she held the lighter out to him. He took it and pocketed it silently, then took out a cloth and began to scrub the counter that he'd already wiped down ten minutes ago, his movements tense and his shoulders shaking minutely—in anger, Rin realized after a moment.

"Simon?"

That was all it took to snap Simon's tenuous control. He slammed his hand down on the counter and fixed her with the kind of glare that would have had a less courageous person running for the hills; Rin simply raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why can't you just stay the hell out of our lives?"

Rin's eyebrow went up far enough that it disappeared into her hairline. "Excuse me?"

"How I deal with my life and my brother—that's my business. It's got nothing to do with you, so bugger off and leave us the hell alone."

"Excuse me—"

"No, I've been excusing you for too damn long. I'm done."

"Erik's my friend, you can't just—"

"I can 'just'. When you're drinking at a pub or throwing food at him during dinner, you are his friend. Right now you're just some girl who thinks she knows what she's talking about and really has no idea. And once you start asking me questions about him that you have no place asking either of us, you are crossing a line. So for the sake of all that is good and pure in this forsaken universe, will you please just leave me alone and let me deal with things my way?"

Rin stared at him for a moment longer, looking dangerously close to exploding. Then the tense moment passed and she expelled all her breath in a huge sigh, her shoulders slumping as the fight went out of her. "Okay, you're right. I'll stay out of it."

Simon blinked as thought he didn't know what to do with this answer. "Good," he finally managed to snap before going back to his scrubbing.

"My turn to talk?"

The cloth stopped moving again. "Um…okay."

"You're right about me. I don't know anything about what Erik's life was like before I met him and I know even less about you. But I know what his life is like now, and as far as I can tell you're the only less-than-perfect thing in it. You and I both know it would be better for him if you just left."

"…You're right, maybe it would."

"But you won't?"

"No, I won't."

Rin sighed. "No, you won't. And I won't ask you to."

"Thank you," Simon replied grudgingly.

"You're welcome."

There was a long moment of silence, during which Simon went back to scrubbing once again and Rin picked at a peeling spot on the counter in front of her.

"I wanna like you, Simon."

Simon looked up and sighed—partly in exasperation, partly in disappointment. "But you don't."

"I want to. And I usually get what I want."

Something in Simon's face shifted, and he suddenly looked ten years younger. The expression was gone before Rin could place a name to it, however, and the usual mask slid into place. "Spoiled brat."

Rin blinked. "Man whore."

"Bitch."

"Jackass."

"Drag queen."

Rin gasped. "Take it back!"

"I will not."

Rin seemed to swell with inexpressible anger. "You self-absorbed, egomaniacal, narcissistic, unforgivable—"

"Self-righteous, meddling, overbearing—"

"Bitchy, self-serving—"

"Nosy—"

"Deplorable—"

"ASSHOLE!"

The last word rang out into the silence, the only difference being in the timbre of the voices; the almost poisonous disgust was identical in both tones. They froze for a timeless time, staring at each other, chests heaving in pent-up emotion, eyes flashing, looking quite as though they were about to kill each other…or something worse.

It was the something worse.

XXX

Hours later, Erik and Jiro lay together among tangled sheets and watched the sky darken slowly through the window.

"Why did I wait so long to say yes to that?" Erik asked dreamily, his head pillowed comfortably on Jiro's chest and their fingers laced together over the chaplain's stomach.

Jiro chuckled. "Whole different experience when you're on the receiving end, isn't it?"

Erik's face flushed instantly, but he didn't say a word to the contrary.

"So…ready for round two?"

The doctor laughed. "Actually, I think it would be round, er…" He did a quick mental count. "Four? No, five. And I wish I could, but—"

Jiro then cut him off with a long, possessive kiss, his hands beginning to wander freely. "But?" he prompted, a twinkle in his eyes as he pulled away from the kiss.

"Huh?" Erik asked in a dazed tone, before pulling Jiro down on top of him and meeting his lips again.

XXX

Miguel sighed softly as he began to rise from sleep and shifted closer to Benji, his sleep-hazed mind not registering the pain as he jostled his injuries. It was a good kind of pain, and tolerable for that reason alone.

As the first few moments of consciousness passed, the redhead slowly became aware of things besides the man lying beside him. The room was unusually quiet—no loud voices, no feet pounding up and down the deck outside the door, no overdramatic cries about the ship sinking again—which meant that everyone was probably gathered in the galley. That would make it mealtime, which meant that Miguel had slept the day away.

He'd have to remember to do that more often.

Smiling happily, he moved again to press himself closer to Benji, enjoying the way Benji's arms shifted to hold him more tightly. He was awake now, but he'd be damned if he was going to make an attempt at getting up. Turning his head, he kissed the chest beneath his cheek and breathed in the fresh scent of lye and clean cotton. Apparently Benji had been gone long enough to eat breakfast and clean up; Miguel had no idea, as he had apparently been asleep again when his lover returned.

"Mmm…Miguel?"

"Hmm?"

"How long have you been awake?"

"How long have you been awake?"

The redhead felt Benji shrug. "Long enough to get hungry, not long enough to do anything about it. You?"

Miguel chuckled. "A little longer."

"Oh. Do you want something to eat?"

Miguel whimpered a protest and tried to cuddle even closer—though to do so, he would have had to climb inside Benji's skin. "No. Comfy."

"Mmph. Agreed. Are you feeling better?"

"A little. I'm all achy. And m'tired."

Benji frowned and kissed his little lover's forehead. "You just need to rest some more. Consider it an order."

Miguel chuckled. "When have I ever taken orders from you, Benjamin Guevara?"

"Humor me."

Another chuckle. "Yessir."

XXX

When Erik and Jiro finally emerged from their hidey hole, it was to find the deck deserted and the sun beginning to set.

"Everyone must be at dinner," Erik commented. "I bet they're going for Miguel's leftover crab puffs. They all flock after his crab puffs every time, it's ridiculous."

"…Crab puffs sound amazing right now."

"Oh, thank God, I didn't want to be the one to say it." Erik grabbed his lover's hand. "Come on come on come on!"

Jiro laughed at his enthusiasm. "Calm down, the crab puffs aren't—"

"If Miguel made them, that means Benji got first dibs."

Jiro's eyes widened in a comical expression of horror. "Right. Go, go, go!"

Still holding hands, they ran down the deck side-by-side, hurtled around a corner…and slammed directly into an impenetrable wall of Simon-shaped malice. Simon blinked at them for a moment, as though trying to remember who they were, then scowled. "Where the hell's the fire?"

"In hell. Why don't you go try it out, see if it's warm enough?"

"Jiro…"

Jiro sighed, but desisted without protest.

Simon blinked again, staring back and forth between the two, then snorted. "Damn, but my little brother's got you right where he wants you, doesn't he?"

Erik flushed deep red with embarrassment, but Jiro just grinned, wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist, and replied, "Yup, he sure does." There, that wasn't baiting. Not at all.

Simon scowled. "How…cute…" Only Simon could have made that sound like an unforgivable insult.

"Move on, Simon," Erik said quietly. "We aren't bothering you."

"Heh. Don't mind if I do." And he did—though not towards the galley or his cabin, so it was anyone's guess as to where he might be headed. He only made it a few steps, however, before turning back. "Remind me, how long have you two been together again?"

Jiro's eyes narrowed as he wondered where this could possibly be going. "Awhile—not that it's any of your business. Why?"

"Hmm. Long enough to fall pretty hard for him, right?"

"…Right…" Jiro agreed hesitantly, plagued by the feeling that he was walking right into a trap and leading a too-trusting Erik along behind him.

Simon snorted. "Yup, just as I thought."

"What are you talking about?" Erik snapped, rapidly losing patience with the conversation.

"Loving and losing, little brother. Story of your life—of both our lives, I guess."

"You—"

"Wake up, Erik. You can't really be that stupid."

"I'm not—"

"Look at your life, dimwit. You can't possibly have missed the pattern."

"The—?"

"Everyone who's ever loved one of us—everyone we've ever loved—do you remember a single one of them sticking around long?"

Erik blinked. He couldn't even begin to formulate a reply.

"No one catches a Tavadon, Erik. We love the chase too much."

And before either of them could think of a way to answer that, Simon walked away, his hands in his pockets, his step quick and determined—and angry.

"Okay…that was weird, right?" Jiro asked after a moment.

Erik didn't reply, choosing instead to stare silently at his shoes.

"Come on, Erik, you're not actually buying into his game, are you?"

Finally looking up after another minute, Erik gave his lover a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Of course not."

Jiro studied him critically for a moment, then sighed so hard his entire body seemed to deflate with it. "Come here," he murmured, folding the blond into a tight hug. "I love you," he said quietly, burying his face in Erik's hair and placing a kiss on the top of his head. "Okay? I love you and I'm not going anywhere."

Erik tried to reply, but in the end, he succeeded only in nodding slightly and hiding his face against Jiro's chest. Several minutes passed before he finally pulled away, giving Jiro a small, but genuine smile. "Thanks. I'm okay. Promise."

Jiro smiled back. "I never thought you weren't." Grabbing Erik's hand, he tugged lightly on it and took a backward step in the direction of the galley. "You ready for food?"

Erik thought about it for a second, then shook his head with another small smile. "No, you go. I'm gonna walk around a little, clear my head."

The chaplain's brow furrowed. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Go, eat, relax. I'll see you later."

"Hmm…okay, if you're sure…"

"I am." Wrapping his arms lightly around Jiro's neck, he gave him a quick kiss.

Jiro hummed happily and returned the kiss. "Meet me back at my cabin later?"

"Definitely. Now go eat."

"Okay, okay. I'm going, bossy pants."

Erik chuckled to himself as he watched Jiro walk away, waiting until he'd disappeared into the galley before turning to stare out over the ocean.

XXX

Monroe hummed softly to himself as he wandered up and down the deck, his hands in his pockets, skipping every other step. He was in an unusually good mood, having just finished a huge amount of painting and repairs on starboard side of the ship—the side which seemed to take the greatest beating, for some reason. So, feeling quite accomplished and very proud of himself, he had put his tools away with painstaking care and pranced (there really was no other word for it) towards the galley.

After a moment, however, his progress was halted by the sight of Jiro entering the galley just ahead of him. Stopping short, he paused there on the deck, then quickly changed course, his mood suddenly unsettled for reasons he couldn't quite name.

It had been a long time since Monroe had felt acutely his lack of a partner, but lately, it felt as though he thought of nothing else. And while he loved his shipmates dearly—he really did, they were his best friends—finding himself suddenly and constantly surrounded by happy couples only seemed to exacerbate the feeling to the point where it actually, physically hurt sometimes.

Snap out of it, Monroe. Quit being such a drama queen.

Heaving a heavy sigh, he plastered a smile back onto his face and entered the door through which Jiro had disappeared.

"Hi, Monroe," Jiro greeted amiably from his seat at the table with Benji.

"Hi, guys. How's Miguel doing, Benji?"

"Asleep again. Erik promised it's normal…" The captain sounded as though he were rather skeptical of Erik's authority in such matters as the physical well-being of others. (Never mind his chosen profession or the fact that he hadn't yet been wrong on the subject.)

Monroe smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure it is. You worry too much."

Benji smiled at him, drawing a genuine grin from the boy, and kicked a chair out from the table. "Come have some coffee, kid. You can commiserate with us. Or not—you don't seem like the type."

Monroe took the chair and cup of coffee he was offered. "What're we commiserating about?"

"Simon," Benji and Jiro groaned together.

Monroe shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Oh." Then, after a moment's hesitation, "What did he do?"

Jiro smiled slightly. "Nothing you need to worry about, Monroe."

"Yeah, he's just being a pain in our asses as usual. Even when he hasn't done anything, it bugs us, y'know?"

"He scares me," Monroe said suddenly, a moment after Benji had lapsed into silence. He said it quietly, fearfully, looking around at the door as he spoke, as though Simon might burst through it at any moment and gobble him up.

"Ah, don't let him scare you, Monroe," Jiro replied, placing a strong arm around the handyman's shoulders. "We'll protect you, don't worry."

Monroe practically glowed, his grin nearly splitting his face in half. "I know."

XXX

Monroe left the galley an hour later, his good mood back in full force, buoyed by caffeine and the friendship of some of the best people he'd ever known. Feeling infinitely better, he set off towards the crow's nest with no particular goal in mind other than a hope of enjoying what promised to be a beautiful sunset.

But thoughts of the seascape were quickly driven out of his mind upon reaching his destination. There, he found Rin sitting on the sun-warmed deck, huddled against the wall and looking as though her world were coming to a swift and decisive end.

"Rin?"

She jumped a foot in the air and turned her eyes on him, a guilty expression on her face—though what she had to feel guilty about, Monroe couldn't even begin to guess.

"What's wrong, Rin?" Monroe asked curiously, and not without concern, as he crept closer to sit down next to her.

She forced a smile. "Nothing…exactly. I don't…think…"

Monroe blinked. "Well, that was…enlightening. Care to elaborate?"

Rin smiled, genuinely this time. "It's nothing, really. Just…stuff."

Monroe stared calculatingly at her for a moment, then let out a strange, strangled sort of squeak and pointed a shaky finger at her. "You got laid!"

Rin blinked at this rather uncharacteristically blunt outburst, then wondered immediately why she was surprised. It was always the quiet ones. "I did not," she snapped, blushing all the way to her toes. Well, this is unexpected. Here I am, having this conversation with Monroe, of all people, and I'm the one blushing.

"You totally did! You have sex face!"

"…I wasn't aware there was such a thing."

"Well there is and you have it!"

"I do not!"

"Who is it? C'mon, Rin, who is it who is it who is it?" Each demand for information was punctuated by a sharp poke to Rin's ribs.

"I'm not telling," Rin replied, then immediately clapped her hand over her mouth. Now you've done it, big mouth.

"Ha! I knew it! Was it in Tortuga? Did you know him or was it just a one-night stand? Are you going to see him again?"

"Monroe—"

"Was it good?"

"Monroe!"

"Oooh, it was bad?"

"No, it was— Argh, shut up, Monroe!"

Monroe couldn't help it; he collapsed into high-pitched giggles as Rin kicked him in the shins and stomped irritably away.

XXX

Jiro was lost in thought.

It was not a pleasant place to be, especially when his thoughts concerned a certain someone he loved and a certain someone he hated—the latter of which was, sadly enough, very important to the former.

Life was unfair sometimes. Totally, completely, almost hatefully unfair.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he reached the crow's nest (his feet having carried him up there of their own accord) and spotted Erik gazing out to the sunset only a few feet away from him; he couldn't help but smile as he came up behind the doctor. Erik bristled noticeably when the chaplain wrapped his arms around his waist, but relaxed after a moment and brought his hands up to squeeze Jiro's wrists gently.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jiro asked, his voice soft as his lips were perched beside Erik's ear, asking a question that was almost rhetorical at this point. His hold tightened a bit as he rested his head on Erik's shoulder, his eyes closed and lips curled in a smile.

"Pretty...." Erik agreed, leaning contentedly back against Jiro. "I love it up here. It's the perfect hiding place, y'know? Not that I'm hiding from you. Just....other people." He sighed heavily. "Jiro? Do you....I mean....I'm sorry."

Jiro didn't say anything.

"I....look, I know Simon isn't exactly the ideal shipmate. God, believe me, I know. But...he wasn't always this way, you know. He was a good brother, for awhile. He looked after me, made sure I never got hurt. He was a good guy. And....I dunno, I think the real him is still in there. And maybe it's not buried as deep as we think, you know? Bringing him on the ship….it was probably a stupid thing to do, but…."

Erik's voice died as he ran out of words. He really didn't know how to explain himself...

"It was just something I had to do. Can you understand that?"

Erik's eyes closed and he leaned further back in Jiro's arms as he waited for an answer, hopefully one that didn't begin or end with Jiro throwing him out of the crow's nest.

"I understand, love. It's all right. You did what you thought was best and I have nothing against that. As long as I can be there for you I couldn't care less who or what you drag onboard," Jiro replied after a moment's thought.

Erik smiled slightly and, turning in Jiro's arms so that he was face-to-face with the chaplain, leaned in for a kiss. It was one of those long kisses that slowly deepened and was broken reluctantly. "Why are you so damned understanding?" the doctor asked quietly. "Especially with me? I mean, I never did anything to deserve it, and…" Another sigh, and Erik dropped his head against Jiro's chest. "Jiro... How did you know?"

Jiro shifted slightly so that he could look down at Erik with a questioning look on his face.

"That...you were..." Erik blushed lightly and hid his face in Jiro's chest again. "In love with me? I mean, I don't think I even know what love is. Kinda weird, isn't it? I mean, it's not like I've never...you know...been with someone, but…" Another sigh. "I still don't understand how you know when you love someone. Especially when… Jiro, this is all happening so fast. How did you know so soon? How does it happen so quickly?"

Jiro was silent for a long moment, combing his fingers gently through Erik's hair.

"You just....know. You know when you find someone that makes waking up every morning a joy. When you find someone who can make you smile no matter what and who will stick by you no matter what happens. You get the butterflies in your stomach and feel all light and…and airy…and funny-headed when you're around them, when you just think about them. It's never something you can control really, it just happens whenever it thinks it's good enough and ready. It seems like so much so fast, but then you wake up one day and you can't remember a time when you weren't in love. When you weren't spending your entire life just waiting for that one special person to smile at you." His fingers threaded themselves through the doctor's hair over and over while he talked, the free hand pressing Erik to him gently. "It's like…he—or she—looks in your direction, or grabs you around the waist in a crowd, or…hell, even makes a joke at your expense, and…it's those moments that make you feel alive." He paused, and then both arms tightened around the doctor. "When someone can make you feel alive just by looking at you, that's when you know you've found the one."

Erik remained quiet as Jiro spoke, his face buried in the chaplain's chest. After a moment, he turned around so that his back was to Jiro again, and stared out at the ocean.

The sky was now completely dark. The moon had yet to rise, but a single star had appeared far on the horizon, shining brightly like a beacon of hope and promise. Erik loved this time of day... everything was completely silent, and it was the one time when it felt like everyone was completely at peace. At this moment, Erik wasn't thinking about his brother, or his friends, or his problems. He was just thinking about how good it felt to finally be in the arms of someone who genuinely cared.

"So…that's what love is, then?" He felt Jiro nod slowly, and smiled slightly. He was silent for awhile, wrapped up in his thoughts and in Jiro's arms. Then, with another quiet sigh, he turned his head so that his cheek rested against Jiro's chest and whispered, "Jiro? I think...I love you, too."

Jiro didn't say anything for a moment, but then he chuckled quietly and pressed a kiss to the top of Erik's head. "I was always hoping you did."

XXX

The sun was just beginning its ascent over the eastern horizon when Miguel stirred and reluctantly blinked his eyes open. Every part of him protested the unwelcome return of consciousness. He was hardly in any pain anymore—Erik had seen to that quite thoroughly—but he was tired! He wanted to sleep…

A sleepy sound next to him jerked him out of his annoyed dwellings, however, and as he looked around to discover the source, he felt all of his irritation melt easily away.

Benji murmured in his sleep sometimes, a nearly nonexistent mumble that Miguel could never quite catch; the words didn't matter, though, because the trust and love that radiated from the man even in his slumber was enough to keep his lover from wondering about it.

That sound soothed Miguel more than anything else ever could; if he was being honest, he would say that it was part of what kept him sane. Not a moment went by when he couldn't feel Benji's love for him and draw comfort from it, and now was no different than any other time.

The last weeks had been anything but easy; everyone on the ship was feeling the effects of prolonged exposure to Simon's presence and Erik's emotional one-eighties. Adding to the tension was Benji's stress over Miguel's recent near-death experience, and between Benji's crankiness, Jiro's protectiveness over Erik, Erik's insistence on acting like an insecure teenage girl, and the constant threat of Simon's continued existence, the Archangel wasn't exactly an ideal atmosphere nowadays; at moments like this, though, Miguel hardly noticed or cared.

People often asked Miguel why he was with Benji. "You could have your pick of anyone, Miguel," they said, "so why him?"

The question made Miguel angry. It made it sound as though Benji didn't deserve someone like Miguel, and quite frankly, it was the exact opposite; if anything, Miguel wondered if he deserved someone like Benji.

Because in all honesty, Benji was approximately a hundred times the man that most people thought he was, and it was moments like this that brought that fact home with absolute clarity.

It was corny, and maybe a little sad, but Miguel honestly loved to watch his lover sleep. It was the only time when all the worry lines were gone, along with everything else that made up the wall that Benji had subconsciously wrapped around him. The loud laughter, the sometimes-manufactured cheer, the ceaseless energy, the brash exterior…all of it was stripped away and it was just Benji there, completely at peace.

It's because he's with me.

Miguel smiled. He hoped that was true, that his presence could provide Benji with some of the comfort that his insecurities (of which he was blissfully unaware) caused him to seek so relentlessly.

Benji started to stir moments later, and Miguel jerked himself out of his thoughts and moved closer to his lover, whose arms came around him in a possessive yet gentle hold as the blue eyes opened slowly and blinked away the sleep that clung persistently to him. Those eyes landed immediately on the redhead who was snuggled against his chest, and his hold tightened. "G'morning."

Miguel smiled happily back. "Good morning."

"How're you feeling?"

"Much better. I think I'll ask Erik if I can get up today."

"Mmm. Nope. You're staying right here with me. No moving."

Miguel smiled and snuggled closer. "Far be it from me to complain."

They lapsed into comfortable silence for awhile, just staring at each other.

That's how you know you love someone. When you can spend hours just looking at them like this.

"What're you thinking about?"

The redhead's smile widened, and he reached out to touch Benji's forehead. "Just…that little worry line that you get, right here between your eyes, whenever you're awake long enough to start worrying again."

Benji's brow furrowed.

"Ha! See, it's already back."

The captain chuckled in spite of himself. Miguel laughed with him, then moved closer and wrapped his mobile arm around his lover's waist. Resting his head against the strong chest, he murmured, "You're worrying more than usual lately."

Benji's voice was serious when he spoke again. "Of course I am. And you know why."

Miguel nodded slightly. "Yes, I do."

There was a long silence.

"How do you do it, Miguel?"

The redhead blinked. "Do what?"

"Just…deal. How do you deal with all of this and still wake up smiling? I mean, I know how I do it; you're the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning, and that pretty much makes my entire day, but—"

"What, and you don't think I feel the same about you?"

Benji was silent.

"You know better than that, Benny."

"Yeah…I do…" Benji looked thoughtful for a moment. "Miguel, did you ever think we would end up here?"

Miguel blinked again. "What do you mean?"

"I dunno, I just… What if…when I'd left…what if it had been forever? How did you know I would come back?"

The first made shrugged. "I knew you," he said simply. "You don't leave anything unfinished. And our thing was definitely unfinished…"

Benji chuckled. "It's not anymore, though, is it?"

"Hmm…" The redhead pretended to consider his lover for a moment, then shook his head and buried his face in the other man's chest again. "Nope. Not unfinished anymore. I think we both know where this is gonna end up, don't we?"

"I like to think so." The captain's voice was serious now.

Several moments passed before Miguel looked up again, worried by Benji's silence. "Benny?"

Benji looked back down. "You've been reading my mind since we first met, haven't you, Miguel?"

"…Yes, and you've been reading mine. It just proves that we're the perfect match."

"So…what am I thinking now?"

Miguel blinked, then reached out to stroke Benji's cheek. "You're thinking…about how worried you've been about me…"

"Yes, and you'd better not ever make me worry like that again, Miguel Sanchez."

Miguel chuckled. "I promise." He then resumed studying Benji's face. "You're thinking…about how worried you still are about Erik…"

Benji nodded mutely, then smiled at the comforting kiss that was placed on his forehead.

"You're thinking about how much you love me."

"I'm always thinking about that."

"And you're thinking…" Miguel's voice was a mere whisper now, his lips hovering inches from Benji's. "About how much you want to kiss me…"

Benji smiled, and closed the distance between them to give his redhead a long, chaste kiss.

"And about how you want to spend the rest of your life with me."

There was a pause, and then Benji nodded wordlessly, drawing Miguel's head back to his chest and placing a gentle kiss on top of the red hair. Miguel smiled, moving as close to the captain as he possibly could. The vibes he was getting from the man today conveyed that things were weighing heavily on Benji's mind, and Miguel could think of nothing else to do to offer him comfort.

Benji was silent for a moment before he grinned happily down at Miguel. "I love you."

Miguel chuckled; his lover's constant mood changes never ceased to amuse him. "I love you, too."

"No, I mean I really…really…love you…"

The redhead quirked his eyebrow. "Oh, do you now?"

"Yup."

"Prove it."

Benji's smile widened, and he pulled his lover into a gentle kiss.

"You're gonna have to do better than that," Miguel said teasingly after the kiss ended.

Benji chuckled and kissed him again, slowly and deeply.

"Hmm…I'm still not convinced."

Benji huffed in mock annoyance, and pushed his lover onto his back. Ever mindful of his lover's injuries, he climbed up to hover possessively over the smaller man and used every trick he knew to kiss Miguel senseless, that river of passion that ran through him bubbling up and drowning them both. It was the kind of kiss that made Miguel's knees weak and his head dizzy, and after it finally ended (several wonderful minutes later), it took him a long moment to get his bearings back. Damn, that man knew how to kiss…

"Okay…okay, I believe you…"

Benji chuckled. "Good."

Then he dropped back onto the bed and curled up to Miguel again, smiling happily as the redhead snuggled into his arms and sighed with contentment. Benji began to drift back off to sleep; he really hadn't gotten much rest the night before.

Miguel smiled slightly as Benji's breathing evened out, and he pressed a kiss to the captain's forehead. "I love you, Benny… And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too."

XXX

Rin sighed heavily as she stared at the ceiling of her cabin and idly wondered what time it was. She hadn't slept a wink, and she didn't see that fact being remedied anytime soon, but there was no reason not to try…

Shizbiscuits, yes there is.

She was out of bed and dressed before the thought was halfway formed. "Shoot, oh shoot, oh sugarfoot…" Oh, shove it, Rin. If there was ever an appropriate time to use the real word, it's now. Find Simon, gotta find Simon… Wait, what the hell? No, gotta runaway from Simon. Grr…where is that stupid miscreant? Ah, damn, I've gone off the deep end. This sucks monkey ass.

She found him at last in his cabin, still asleep, and launched herself onto his bed. Pulling the pillow from underneath his head, she sat down cross-legged and clutched it to her chest as she stated promptly and rather matter-of-factly, "You can't tell anyone about yesterday."

"What the hell?" Simon demanded, burying his face in the sheets and making a blind snatch for his pillow, which Rin held out of reach.

"It was a mistake—a mistake of which I am deeply, deeply ashamed and it will not—not —happen again. Ever. Do you understand? It. Will. Not. Happen."

"Um…kay…"

"And no one will find out."

"Right."

"And…it meant nothing."

"Of course."

"And…that's it."

"Great."

"Yes. Great."

"So you're ready for round two?"

Rin blinked at him. "You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"

"Oh, no, I heard all of it. You were very clear."

"…Right. I was very clear. A loud, semi-violent argument and an hour of angry sex—"

"Angry, mind-blowing sex, you mean."

"—Do not a relationship make."

"Right."

"So…never again. Ever."

"Okie dokie."

"So we're clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good."

"So can I go back to sleep now?"

"Yes."

"Good. Get out of my cabin. Come find me when you're ready for round two."

Rin stared at him for a long, astonished moment, then made a frustrated noise halfway between a scream and a growl, threw his pillow at his head and stomped out.

Simon chuckled. "Women. They're all the same…"

XXX

Storm clouds were gathering on the horizon as Rin stomped towards the galley, feeling quite as though the weather fit her mood to a disturbing degree. Slamming the door open, she caught sight of Erik and Jiro at the long table. The two shared the same chair, Erik curled up in Jiro's lap as they shared a long, slow kiss. "I hope the son of a biscuit eating bulldog dies a slow, painful death."

Erik's eyes turned towards the newcomer, breaking the kiss. "Um…good morning, Rin."

"I hope the blood freezes in his veins and he seizes up."

"Want some coffee, Rin?" Jiro offered.

"I hope he gets a horrible venereal disease and his penis rots and falls off."

"How about some breakfast?"

"In the middle of sex!"

Jiro and Erik shared a long-suffering look.

"Well, that killed the mood…" Jiro commented.

Erik sighed heavily. "Finish your breakfast, love. I'm gonna go walk around for awhile, finish up some work. Maybe go read for awhile."

Jiro chuckled. "Allow me to translate. 'I am going to grab a book, find the highest possible point on the ship (but not the crow's nest, because God forbid), and read until my brain leaks out my ears. I will then deign to go find my loving, wonderful, stunningly handsome boyfriend and shag him senseless before going to work and accomplishing more in an hour than anyone else on the ship save Miguel will finish all day.'"

"...Wow, you're good." Grinning, Erik leaned down and bestowed another kiss to Jiro before hopping to his feet. "Bye, guys."

"Bye. Love you."

"…AND I HOPE HE FINDS OUT AFTERWARD THAT SHE'S HIS SISTER."

Jiro sighed and dropped his head onto the table. It was going to be a long morning.

XXX

Half an hour later, the rest of the crew apart from Erik was gathered in the galley for breakfast. Rin, taking a seat as far from Simon as possible, proceeded to ignore him as thoroughly as she had ever ignored anyone (which was, she was proud to say, pretty damn thoroughly). She soon forgot about her plight, however, in the sheer joy of having so many people around to laugh with.

Getting up to pour some more coffee, Rin stopped short in front of the porthole, the empty mug clutched forgotten in her hand. "Erm... Benji. We have a wee problemo on the home front. Storm rolling in from the north. Looks bad. Real bad. Come look," Rin said, eyes widening.

Benji came quickly, and his eyes widened. "Oh dear... Someone go find Erik. Knowing him he's somewhere veeeeeery high up on the ship and he's gonna get tossed overboard faster than—"

Then a huge wave slammed into the side of the ship, water flowed over the deck, and the ship rocked sharply.

"Well…now," Benji finished. "Someone go find Erik!"

But it was too late. Erik had already fallen.

Now, under normal circumstances, a fall like that would kill a man. But, though Erik was human through-and-through, he was inhumanly stubborn. Of course, that still left him with the problem that a storm was upon them and he was in the freezing cold ocean water, being slammed under the surface by wave after wave as he looked desperately for something to cling to...

Simon, still in the same spot as he had been in when Jiro and Erik had left him, froze completely as he watched Erik fall. And suddenly, in that instant, he was the protector again—the one who would always save his brother from being hurt, no matter what it cost him. He didn't even stop to think about the fact that he'd been making Erik's life hell since the second he set foot on the Archangel. The commotion around him faded to nothing; he, Erik, and the waves were alone in the world.

He was already moving as he yelled for help, grabbing a rope and tying one end around the railing of the ship and the other end around his waist. "COME ON!" he bellowed over his shoulder, as the group rushed out of the galley. Satisfied that no one was lollygagging, he said no more before diving overboard.

The doctor had just been forced back under by a giant wave, which rolled over Simon, as well, and hit the side of the ship. Simon surfaced quickly and continued towards his brother, who by this time was pale, freezing, and soaked past the skin and straight to the bone. And aside from that, the fall had not been a gentle one. His head hurt.

"Are you okay?" Simon yelled over the thunder as he grabbed his brother in a tight hold. Erik couldn't gather the breath to answer, so he just shook his head. Simon's mouth thinned, and he tightened his hold as he looked back at the ship.

Meanwhile, Rin, Jiro, Benji, and Miguel had grabbed onto the rope and were trying to pull Simon and Erik back, but the process was seriously hindered by the fact that every minute or so, a wave slammed into the side of the ship and sent them all horribly off-balance. At last, after at least fifteen minutes of pure hell, Simon and Erik fell back onto the deck. Simon was panting for breath and shivering from the cold, and Erik was past the point of being able to feel anything at all.

"Is he okay?" Miguel asked worriedly, leaning against the railing and trying not to show how much the rush outside had hurt him.

"No," Simon replied tersely.

"We need to get him to his cabin," Benji said. "Help me lift him."

"Jiro's cabin is right there, let's just take him there."

As the group headed towards the chaplain's cabin, Jiro and Benji supporting Erik between them, Simon disappeared into his own cabin without a word. No one had a thought to waste on him, however.

"C-cold..." Erik whispered. "Wet..."

"We know," Jiro murmured, kissing Erik's forehead. "We'll get you warm, I promise."

Half an hour later, Erik lay in Jiro's bed, blankets piled on top of him and Jiro curled lightly around him to provide extra warmth. The rest of the crew was crowded around the bed in varying degrees of silent, concerned frenzy.

Erik smiled slightly at the others, his eyelids heavy. "You guys can go. I'll be fine," he said softly.

Benji smiled and ruffled his friend's hair. "You scared us to death."

"Sorry..."

"I'll kill you if you ever do it again," Miguel said, gingerly leaning over to give Erik a hug.

"How was I supposed to know a storm would blow up so fast?" Erik asked, making an attempt at mock anger. It was a pathetic attempt, as the doctor was completely exhausted and fighting to stay awake. "Take your medicine, Miguel. I can tell that hug hurt just now."

Miguel rolled his eyes. "Typical. He makes like a drowned rat during the biggest storm this ocean's scene in ten years, and he still can't stop thinking about drugging people up. Get a hobby, Erica."

"Jesus, you sound like Benji. Make it stop."

Benji chuckled, but didn't respond otherwise. "Okay, everyone, get the hell out," he ordered. "Give our guy some quiet time." For his part, he reached out and picked up an exhausted-looking Miguel, who yelped but didn't protest otherwise. He really was in a lot of pain…

The others laughed and headed towards the door, Benji taking up the rear.

"Hey, did anyone see where Simon went?" Miguel asked suddenly, stopping Benji as they all reached the doorway.

"I think he went to his cabin."

"Oh. Okay."

Then everyone was gone, and only Jiro remained, as this was his cabin. Erik smiled at his lover as he started to drift off. "Sorry for taking over your bed." Then, just before sleep claimed him, he closed his eyes and whispered, "Simon... saved me... Knew he was an okay guy..."

Jiro chuckled slightly, reaching up to run his fingers through the blond hair he'd fallen in love with. Hell, he would be kidding himself if he pretended there was a single part of Erik that he hadn't fallen in love with.

Jiro didn't sleep that night.

XXX

Long after Benji had fallen asleep, Miguel lay awake in his arms. Something was plaguing him, something that wouldn't let him sleep until it was taken care of.

Carefully, so as not to wake Benji, the redhead slid out of bed, pulled the covers back over his lover, and slipped silently out the door.

Upon reaching Simon's captain, he knocked quietly on the door, half of him praying that no one would answer. Simon did, however, with a sharp, "What?" So, seeing no alternative, Miguel opened the door and stepped inside.

Simon, who was stretched out on the bed with a cigarette in one hand, looked a little surprised, but quickly covered it up with a quiet, "What do you want?"

"I just... needed to talk to you," Miguel replied. "Can I...?" He motioned towards a chair by the door, and Simon nodded, so Miguel sat down. He sat in silence for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. "Erik's gonna be fine," he said at last.

"...Oh."

"In case you were wondering."

"I wasn't."

"Okay. Well, he'll be fine." Then Miguel sighed. "Look, I didn't come because I thought anything would have changed with you. It obviously hasn't. I just came to thank you for saving Erik. He means the world to us around here, and if you hadn't gotten to him he'd probably be dead. So... thank you."

Simon took a long drag on his cigarette and didn't reply.

"Well... I guess I should go." Miguel stood and headed towards the door, but stopped in the doorway and turned back to Simon. "And... Simon?"

"What?"

"You need to talk to Erik."

"...Why?"

"Because... he's your brother. He spent his entire childhood looking up to you, before..."

"Before I started beating on him?" Simon said it so easily.

"...How is that so easy for you to admit?"

Simon shrugged.

"Well... Look, I didn't come here for this. I just came to thank you, and to ask you to talk to him. He's your brother. And...I don't care what you do to the rest of us, but...please, don't make Erik's life any harder than it already is."

No reply.

"Well... okay. I've said what I had to say, and now I'm going to bed."

Then Miguel left. He fell asleep quickly, curled up next to Benji, but in his own cabin, Simon lay awake, watching the minutes pass and pondering…

XXX

The Archangel was absolutely silent, its inhabitants asleep; the only movement was that of the man at the helm, who was just drunk enough that he was thoroughly enjoying his night's assignment.

In one of the ship's larger cabins, two figures were curled up tightly together on the bed—a strong-looking man with dusky purple hair and a smaller, more delicate blond whose face was currently flushed with fever.

It wasn't that Jiro was used to being woken up; it was more that he had learned to expect it. So when he was awakened in the darkest hour before dawn by a slam and a loud curse, he simply sighed in a resigned fashion and peered through the darkness. "…Simon…?"

"No, it's the God damned Grim Reaper come to take your soul."

"…I think I'd much prefer that…." Jiro muttered, tightening his possessive hold on the man sleeping next to him. "What the hell do you want?"

Simon opened his mouth to snap a scathing retort, but closed it in a rather uncharacteristic move. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"No."

"Why not?" Simon asked, his voice considerably louder than the whisper that he'd been speaking in before.

"Shh!"

"I can go louder."

Jiro growled angrily. "Fine," he snapped quietly, carefully untangling himself from Erik's tight hold and standing to follow Simon out of the room. "Talk fast," he ordered, once the door was securely closed behind him. "If Erik wakes up and I'm not there—"

"He'll…what? I know he's gotten soft—well, even softer, I guess—but don't tell me the kid's so afraid of the dark that he'll come crying for his boy-toy if he wakes up all by his lonesome."

"Simon, you're the one who dragged me out of bed at an hour that Apollo himself would spit upon. I assume there's a point to this diatribe?"

There was a long, heavy silence; Jiro began to think he wasn't going to get an answer. Then Simon spoke, and his voice was quiet, the words halting and hesitant and sounding as though they were fighting their way out of his mouth with every syllable.

"I…wanted to…check. On him."

"…Huh?"

"You heard me."

"Yeah, I did, I just…wasn't sure I heard right."

"Well, you did."

Jiro blinked. "O…kay."

"So. Um…"

"He's fine."

"Oh. Good."

But Simon didn't walk away, and he didn't look like he'd said everything he'd come to say.

"…Was there something else?"

Simon flatly refused to look at the other man—his sworn and absolute enemy, as it were. There were words tumbling about in his head—all sorts of words that he wanted, needed, to say. There were worried words, affectionate words, angry words, and all of them warred with each other, each fighting for the right to burst out first.

"Tell him…"

Jiro folded his arms and waited patiently.

"Tell him…that…" Simon paused, and the next time he spoke, his voice was hard and uncompromising. "Tell him I didn't do it for him. I didn't do it because I care. Tell him that he's…entertainment. Amusement. Nothing else. Ever."

Jiro snorted. "Oh, really?"

"That part of our lives is over. We're not brothers anymore, we're not friends, we're not family. And he'd damn well better figure that out, and soon."

"And you really think I'm going to be the one to tell him that?"

Simon chuckled darkly. "Not in so many words, no."

He finally forced himself to look up and meet the other man's eyes; his own were as cold and empty as the ice over an undiscovered pond. No one would ever guess that those eyes were hiding such a wide spectrum of unexpressed emotions.

"But you'll tell him. You'll tell him to give up on…putting our…family…back together." He spat the word with such undisguised disgust that Jiro had no trouble figuring out how he felt about the idea. "You'll tell him that, because…it's for his own good. You know it as well as I do."

Jiro didn't say anything. There was nothing to say.

"I can't give him what he wants. So…yes. I think you'll tell him to give up on me. Everyone else has. I have. It's…time he did, too."

And with that, Simon turned and walked away, leaving Jiro staring after him, his face a blank, emotionless mask. Then, with a sigh, Jiro returned to his cabin and wrapped himself back around his lover.

"Mmm…where were you?" Erik asked sleepily.

Jiro smiled and kissed Erik's cheek. "Just needed some air. Go back to sleep."

"Kay…"

The doctor was asleep again in moments, but try as he might, Jiro wasn't able to follow.

It ended up being a very long night.