A/N So I was obsessing over another blond guy and I think he snuck into Takumi's characterisation. No regrets!
whiteangel83 lmao got so confused when you changed your username, but welcome back! Yes, I considered your review and decided I may as well include his name in this chapter. Left up to my own devices, he'd probably remained unnamed until the climax. It's much too easy to omit these things when everyone's calling him 'Captain'. XD
Guest Ah yes, I love stories with a healthy dose of suspense and angst. It's okay, there's not too much of the latter.
FluffilyDeep Thank you for the encouragement!
Firenight
Chapter 5
Misa dared to stay crouched by the closed door for only a few moments, wary of the suspicions such unusual activity would raise. As Aoi had informed her, the activity across deck had quietened. She could smell some sort of stew – herbs, carrot, celery with a hint of richness that could have been meat. The ship made a gentle 'thock' sound with each brush of an oar against the sides, driving them forwards. Walking over to the sides, she leaned over and peered along the sleek body of the ship. Only a few oars protruded. Looking up, she saw the sails. They were giant squares of cloth pregnant with wind suspended with taut rope off the masts.
Now that she was staring up, she couldn't take her eyes off. She'd only seen diagrams of ships in Satsuki's books. None of them suggested the weight of the rigging as it criss crossed like a multitude of serpents across the air above her. Nor the sheer size of the masts, broad enough that she could barely stretch her arms around one stout pole. Nor the perspective as she gazed up - feeling small and inconsequential - through the nest of ropes and canvas sail at the miniature flag tossing proudly atop the mainsail.
She didn't know how long she simply stood there, captured by the immensity of the beast she was riding, but a light tap on her shoulder startled her from her reverie.
A short boy with a fuzzy head of dark hair smiled at her. Upon noticing Misa's flinch, he cast a quick gaze to his wayward hand and gave a stilted laugh. "Sorry, I'm so sorry. I just have a quiet voice, so it's hard to get people's attention."
Misa looked at him and gave a slow uncertain blink.
Yukimura opened his mouth, flushed, thought better of it and closed it again. A prolonged pause where both parties sought for words: Misa's mind working to think of something less obtuse than the typical 'nice to meet you', and Yukimura wondering if his botched attempt at gaining the new Navigator's attention had just permanently destroyed all hope of a friendship.
Misa broke the stalemate by sticking out a hand. "Misato. A pleasure."
Yukimura beamed and took it. "I'm Yukimura. They call me the resident errand boy, but I think that's only because half of them are arrogant jerks who can't deal with the basic necessities of life."
"Do you work in the kitchens?" Misa asked.
Yukimura started, then glanced down at the small soup stain on the sleeve of his shrit. "Oh! Just for today though."
Misa gave a faint smile. "Thank the cook for me. It smells delicious."
"It's even better in here." Yukimura pointed at his stomach and returned the smile with a timid one of his own. "It's too early to talk about food though," he sighed. "I saw you looking at the ship earlier. Amazing isn't it. I can't stomach heights, but I can imagine what it must feel to get up there, on the crows nest. I bet you could see the Earth curving away from you."
Misa looked back up and nodded. The crows nest was a narrow wooden torus suspended on the top of the main mast. Rope cascaded off the small structure in large nets that clung to the sides of the ship. If she squinted, she could spot a faint speck moving in broad, carefully placed steps across the nest.
"That'll be Hinata," Yukimura noted. "He's got a thing for high places. I heard he was pretty renown as a tree hugger back in the day, but you don't get trees on ships, so he figured the mast pole was a good substitute. He's a pretty chronic joker... if not for Captain, this entire ship would be infected with his half-brained ideas."
There was a fond smile lingering on Yukimura's lips. "Does he have red hair?" Misa asked, recalling the boy with the split-eared grin.
"Yeah. Figured you've met him already. He's everywhere." Yukimura gave a brief shrug and rolled his eyes.
Misa continued watching the speck move. Despite the distance, she could feel a rhythm in the way the silhouette wove through its movements, swaying in time to counterbalance the gentle rocking of the ship that must have been magnified ten fold at the top. Without warning, the deck surged up as a large wave swelled underneath. Misa startled, catching the railing for support while Yukimura wheeled his arms about, stumbling back a few steps. Just as quickly, her stomach bottomed out as the wave left to terrorise other parts of the ocean. There were a few distant cries as cups were dislodged and card games disrupted. After managing to catch his step, Yukimura shot a glare at the deceptively small waves licking at the sides of the ship.
"Geez," he grumbled. "I hate the rogue ones. I know – nature is random, but nature and this kind of thing is a disaster waiting to happen." He looked up and paled. "Speak of the devil. Hinata!"
The speck had tumbled from the empty crows nest, and was clinging by one hand to the slippery ropes near the outer edge of the ship. Even as Misa watched, Hinata's arms scrabbled ineffectually at the waxy rope at the outskirts of the web of the rope.
Yukimura was wide eyed, darting a look at the fragile body dangling off the rope to the miniature peaks of the waves below. "Oh God, we have to get help. If he falls from that distance the force from colliding with the surface of the water would kill him." An urgent second of thought, before Yukimura spluttered out "Captain!" as if that man had all the answers and raced off.
Misa stared at his retreat, mind racing. Even as Yukimura ran, she knew he wouldn't make it in time. Glancing up at the rope and the frightening height to Hinata's flailing limbs, she hesitated for only a second before she raced towards the first set of rope ladders leading up to Hinata's perch.
She kept her eyes on him all the while. As she drew closer, the blurred darkness of the silhouette resolved itself into the face of a young man, red hair glinting off the reflected rays of the sunset. "Hold on!" she called, and her face set at the sight of the foreign ropes in front of her. She'd no idea how to climb these things safely, and she shuddered to think of the dizzying distance even only half-way up, where Hinata dangled. The boy was watching her as she made her approach. His face was pale, freckled... and he was grinning like a child with his favourite candy.
Before Misa could react, Hinata released his death grip from the rope. He twisted nimbly in mid air and swung across, for a heartbeat suspended in mid air with only the concrete waves to break his fall. His body swerved in a wide arc, a trapeze artist, pivoting as he hurtled from the sky towards the boat. He was out of rope. With a wild cry whipped away by the wind he flung himself off. For a heartbeat, he was suspended by the wind and his bare apathy towards impeding death. Misa watched him, mouth open. Her eyes widened as she processed his trajectory. Then it was too late to react as Hinata barreled into her – a knot of limbs and hair and exuberance that flattened her to the deck.
She felt a twinge in the arm twisted behind her back and grimaced. She looked down and got an eyefull of red hair buried in her chest.
Buried in her chest.
Hinata looked up with an expression of amazement. "Wow, you're super soft," he commented. "Like a really springy mattress, only a lot smaller. I think I twisted my ankle." He laughed. A laugh that was abruptly cut short by Misa throwing him bodily off her.
"Watch where you shove your face!" she shouted before her mind could catch up.
Hinata caught himself in midair and landed like a cat. He blinked several times at her, eyes wide. "Hey – relax, relax. Nothing's broken, right?"
Concerned, he squeezed Misa's arms and legs experimentally before Misa could shake him off. Misa quickly snatched her limbs – rather, her entire body away, leaving several safe inches between Hinata and herself. Hinata gave an affected look with round, innocent eyes.
Misa hesitated. She was supposed to be a guy, she knew, but she'd been raised as female with the correct protocols for intimacy for her entire life. Frowning, she licked her lips before slowly lowering the arms shielding her body. "Sorry," she began shakily. "I just... have an old injury there." She waved her arms around for emphasis and to make up for the description she didn't have. "It flares up at times. Really painful."
Misa affected a wince and doubled over on her chest.
If Hinata noticed her delayed reaction to his bodily collision, he showed so sign. Rather, the shamed look he shot her way made Misa feel a twinge of guilt for her deception.
"Hey, do you need help walking? I'll take you to the doctor." Without waiting for her reply, Hinata gently lifted Misa's arm and hoisted it about his shoulders. Misa's protests faded on her lips as she saw the light in Hinata's eyes – a resolute look that spoke of young man wanting to redeem himself. Misa ducked her head and huffed a small smile. She allowed herself to give him a little more of her weight to humour him.
Hinata moved snail paced, stopping every few seconds and giving Misa an encouraging smile. Misa tracked their slow progress and was sorely tempted to forgo the facade.
"Hey!" Yukimura came puffing up to them, and gave Hinata a relieved glance. "I'm glad you're okay."
"He's not. Quick, we've got to get him to Kanou, he looks like he's in excruciating pain. I'm so sorry Yukimura, it's my fault." Hinata shoved his panicked face in Yukimura's face and blathered.
"Hey, hey, calm down." Yukimura made gentle calming motions with his hands. He turned to Misa. "You okay?"
Misa gave a small laugh. "It's just a twinge," she said. "I'm fine."
Both Hinata and Yukimura looked visibly relieved.
"Come on." Hinata bounded ahead, a ball of energy released from the obligation of supporting his injured charge.
Yukimura sighed. "These people never change," he muttered. Misa looked at him, but Yukimura was staring past both her and Hinata.
Hinata followed Yukimura's gaze and froze.
"Yo." The Captain waved a hand in acknowledgement.
"Captain!" Yukimura said, voice high. "Is that really alright?"
The Captain was currently performing a delicate act of balance. A white first aid kit nestled in his hair like an bird's egg. His face maintained an apathetic demeanor. He gestured to the impatient Hinata. "He's fine. The guy's a monkey. I trust there were no casualties?" Even as he ended the sentence, he removed the first aid kit from his head and flipped the latches open.
Yukimura looked at Misa.
"Hinata, help me," the Captain said calmly. "You're responsible, right?"
"Aw, Captain," Hinata pouted but stalked over and leaned over the kit, hands on hips. He poked a gauze strip like it was an small, potentially poisonous animal. "I don't trust these things," he said.
"Not everyone can heal as fast as you, nor as painlessly." The Captain fixed Misa with a steady green gaze. "Well? We don't have all evening."
Misa shook her head. "I'm not bleeding."
Before she could respond, the Captain was walking over to her with angry strides. He grabbed Misa's arm in a tight hand. Misa couldn't hide the sharp inhale as a twinge of pain shot through her arm.
"I'm not having an injured crew member working on my ship," he said softly. Her arm screamed. Misa let out a small gasp. The Captain noticed, and the pressure on her arm relieved. The Captain tugged her gently over to the kit and pulled her down.
His brows furrowed as he worked through the kit, pulling out bandages and brown glass bottles of a clear liquid. Finally, he emerged with a thin stick. He tested the bend of it, but it wouldn't give. Satisfied at the rigidity, he gently raised Misa's arm and secured the splint to it with the bandages. He wrapped each layer of bandage with intent eyes, and asked Misa to move her arms slightly as he made minute adjustments to the position of the splint. Misa watched him. He was bent in close, working on the bandages and her arm as if in a room where the outside world had no right to disturb him. She noticed the paleness of his lashes, the way they brushed over high cheekbones.
It was a strange perspective, Misa thought. She was looking down at him, rather than up, as were in her memories. In them, he seemed a callous stranger. But looking down, she could see the light furrows in his brow where he must have pondered over all too human concerns, and hear every faint exchange of breath as he drew in air. It lead to lungs, a heart, all too physical organs that simply emphasized his mortality.
He tied off the bandage with a few secure tugs at the ends. "Tell me how it feels."
Misa nodded, eyes lowered.
The Captain frowned and leaned closer. "You have a habit of not answering questions, Misato."
"Thank you," Misa said softly, after a pause. "For the arm." She made to get up, but the Captain stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"His chest was hurting," Hinata put in.
"I saw." The Captain hooked a finger under the hem of Misa's shirt and pulled up.
In adrenaline fueled panic, Misa grabbed the hem of her shirt and forced in down, slapping the Captain's hand away. The Captain's expression didn't change, but he slowly removed his hand.
"Touchy," Hinata commented. Yukimura cocked his head in Misa's direction.
"It's fine. Really." Misa bit her lip. Her hands were still shaking. The knuckles were white where she gripped her shirt. "I'll help you pack up."
The Captain watched in considered silence as Misa quickly shoved the kit closed.
"Where do I put this?"
Yukimura stepped forwards. "Just go down the stairs. It's in the alcove to your left. We keep in close by just in case, and also because Hinata."
Misa thanked him. She turned and fled, heart pounding.
The three remaining crew stared after her retreating back. "Ah, he's a funny one," Hinata said. "He'll fit right in, don't you think, Captain? A shame we can only keep him for a year though."
"You know I can't compromise on that." The Captain looked at his hand and opened it thoughtfully. "He lied."
"Hm?"
"He's injured. There were bandages across his chest."
Hinta hummed. "Good thing he's not doing any heavy lifting then. Still, we need a word." He slammed his right fist into his other hand. "It's like he doesn't trust us, y'know."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"What do you mean, Captain? No secrets of your own?"
The Captain said nothing, but left him with a shark's grin. Hinata followed his retreat with a smile that looked out of place on his usually cheerful demeanor. He wore it oddly on his lips. It contained a trace of melancholy in the way it half pulled at a lip and didn't reach his eyes. Takumi Walker. He thought of his Captain's name – the name that swallowed the man in blood and the vicious cycle of vengeance – and the smile vanished from his face.