Daisukininaru Ken listened as Miyako continued to move about the apartment getting everything just right for the party later tonight. He had learned long ago to leave her alone when she was busy. And that was just as well with him. She had been working hard all week getting things perfect for their annual Christmas party.
He lay back on their bed with a sigh, taking care not to wrinkle his costume. Miyako had picked them out, a matching Lord and Lady outfit. He smiled a little when he remembered how excited she had been to find “the perfect costumes” doing his best not to think about just how much she must have paid to rent them.
That thought occupied his mind for a few minutes, but eventually Ken was reduced to letting out another sigh. He was bored out of his mind but unwilling to risk moving out into the living room to watch television or finish that proposal for work. His eyes moved around the room, looking for something to keep his attention. Finally they landed on Miyako’s latest romance novel. Ken picked it up, studying the cover. It was no different from any of the others, with its strong-armed man and scantily clad damsel in distress. Bloody waste of money in his opinion. Still… He flipped through the first few pages absently before returning to the prologue. Hell, he had read worse (he was known as an avid reader of cereal boxes) and it would pass the time until their other friends arrived and he was freed from his self-made prison.
It did not take long for Ken’s eyes to start crossing with the predictable sappiness of it all. He really should have known there was a problem when the words began swimming across the pages or, failing that, when they actually started to seem interesting. Before Ken had even realized it, or much less, act to prevent it, he had fallen asleep.
@>~`~,~~ ~~,~`~<@ Ken’s first thought upon waking was that his bed should never rock like this. His second was that this was most definitely not his bed, if it could even qualify for a bed at all. He sat up carefully, rubbing a ginger spot on the back of his head. Apparently large lumpy sacks did not make good pillows.
He sat calmly, waiting for his eyes to adjust to murky darkness. Slowly, he began to realize that he was in some kind of cupboard or closet and his makeshift bed was not the only thing that was moving, the whole room was.
Ken reached up to grab for the knob on the door, but stopped as he heard voices outside. Their accents were rough, heavy and, although somewhat familiar, he could not quite place them. He sat quietly, listening until he was sure they were gone and then began to creep out of the rather smallish space . . . only to be met with the sharp end of a much too large sword.
Takeru stood before him in full sailor regalia, complete with a striped shirt, bandana and nasty scowl.
“Iori, get back here,” he called to the figure retreating down the hall, which turned and began to jog back. Sure enough it was Iori, wearing the exact same outfit as Takeru, the only exception being a bandana of a different color.
“Aye, and what have we here?” Iori asked, giving Ken a gap-toothed grin before grabbing his arm and helping Takeru drag him above decks.
Above decks…wait a minute…they were on a ship. How in the world had he gotten on a ship? Never mind that, because not only were they on a ship, but Ken could not see a speck of land anywhere.
“This will do nicely,” Takeru informed Iori, pointing to the mast high above their heads and the rope hanging down from it. He pulled both of Ken’s arms around, holding them together at the wrists as he motioned for Iori to fetch him another piece of rigging.
“We run a tight ship,” Takeru intoned at Ken’s questioning glance, “And we don’t take kindly to stow-a-way’s.”
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” Ken was doing his best to keep his temper, but he did not like this game.
“Shut yer trap,” Iori told him, tying his wrists together with a harsh jerk. “Shouldn’t we have removed his jacket?” he continued as he watched Takeru knot the dangling rope around his bound hands.
“No need,” he replied with a slow grin, “Tighten that up.” Iori trotted over to the side of the ship where many ropes were tied, unwrapping the correct one on the first try, tugging it so that Ken now had to stand on his toes with his arms stretched above his head and fastening it tight again. He watched as Takeru gathered something that looked eerily similar to the whip he had had as the Kaiser. Speaking of, this whole scenario was eerily similar to some of his post-Kaiser dreams. There was nothing he dreaded more then the feeling of being bound and an absolute loss of control.
“Takeru, stop this! This is barbaric! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ken’s voice had taken on a more panicked edge, as was evidenced by the way he had begun babbling and its volume increasing several fold. Ken’s eyes grew wide at what Takeru was suggesting. Surely his friends would never…
“What’s all this about?” a deep voice that he definitely recognized drew from behind. Ken did his best to turn around, but could not quite do that and still keep his toes on the ground. In the end, he settled for just calling that voice over to him.
“Daisuke! Daisuke! It’s me, Ken!” Ken trusted Daisuke to give him a strait answer, or at the very least, to give it all away accidentally. This had to be some sort of sick joke.
“You’ll refer to the good captain as Captain, you ruggard,” Takeru said harshly before addressing Daisuke with a bit more respect, “We found this here stow-a-way, Captain.” Daisuke walked around so that he could see Ken’s face.
Ken felt his breath catch in his throat. If Daisuke was the captain of this ship, then he was most definitely dressed for the part. Ken’s eyes drifted from the crisp white shirt, its laces undone so that Ken could see all the way down Daisuke’s neck to the wide expanse of chest, Daisuke’s golden skin seeming to radiate the sun’s warmth. Ken allowed his eyes to continue their path downward to where the shirt tucked into much too snug buckskin britches. At that, he tore his eyes away. He had Daisuke memorized from the years of stolen glances when he had been sure that he was madly in love with his best friend. Remembering that time in his life only led even more memories and he did not need to be remembering those, especially with Miyako standing there right next to Daisuke, still wearing her gown from the party. Come to speak of it, he was still in his costume as well.
“Daisuke, this isn’t funny. Whatever joke you’re playing is over. Ha, ha. You got me. Now tell them to let go.” Ken did his best to keep the waiver out of his voice.
“Don’t you worry Cap’n, Takeru an me’ll take care of this blighter,” Iori growled, no doubt anxious to continue with Takeru’s plan of action. The little twit never had really liked him. If he had been in a better mood, Ken might have laughed at his ridiculous predicament.
“I don’t know,” Miyako purred, still firmly attached to Daisuke’s arm, “He isn’t dressed like a stow-a-way. Are you sure there hasn’t been some terrible mistake?” Something about the way she kept batting her eyes at him was incredibly unnerving, as was the fact that Daisuke had yet to say anything since he had first asked what was happening.
Daisuke took Ken’s chin in his hands, lifting his face a little as if to get a better view. Ken could feel his cheeks growing hot under the intense scrutiny. And since when had Daisuke been taller than he had? Last time he had checked he still had a good inch or two on the boy.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen violet eyes,” he said more to himself than anyone else before focusing less on Ken's eyes and more on the other aspects of his face, “Who are you?” he asked suddenly. Ken shot him a pointed look but refused to dignify the question with a remark.
“I believe he said is name is Ken,” Miyako interjected as Daisuke nodded his head with a hmmm. Daisuke reached out to fondle a few dark strands of Ken's hair that had come loose from the ponytail Miyako had tied near the base of his neck earlier that afternoon.
“Take him to my cabin,” Daisuke decided when it became apparent that Ken was never going to offer a response to his earlier question. Daisuke's refusal to break eye contact was causing Ken to blush.
“Captain?” Ken could tell that Takeru was fighting the urge to disagree.
“We wouldn’t want to act too hastily, now would we?” Daisuke asked him, his voice a smooth drawl, finally taking his eyes away to pin Takeru and Iori with a look that spoke volumes.
“No sir,” they both mumbled their agreement, obviously depressed with the change of schedule. Ken could not help but give each of them their own smirk. They just cut him down before dragging him under decks again, only stopping to grab a pair of shackles from what looked to be the ship’s armory.
Daisuke’s room turned out to be rather small, but nicely appointed. Takeru locked one cuff on Ken’s wrist as Iori anchored the other to the leg of the sturdy looking bed, nearly ripping Ken’s arm out of socket in the process. He was getting tired of the boy’s thinly veiled dislike. They both left again without ever saying another word.
They had tied him so tightly that he was unable to even sit comfortably. Ken wondered how long they were going to leave him like this before someone came in and filled him on the joke. It did not take long for him to be much more bored than he had been while waiting at home. To make matters worse, he did not have the foggiest idea what time is was or even how much time had actually passed.
Ken did not even realize that he had fallen asleep again until he was awoken by a deep chuckle. He shifted carefully, doing his best to avoid upsetting the pins and needles feeling spreading in his legs and arm.
“You’re not very good with first impressions are you?” Daisuke asked, looking Ken’s uncomfortable position over, “I’ve never seen them decide to hate someone so quickly. You’ll have to take better care in the future.” He gave Ken a small smile before unchaining his wrist and helping him to stand. Daisuke took a small blade from where it sat on the desk across the room and used it to cut off the rope that still tied Ken’s wrists together.
Daisuke studied the burn marks left across the top of Ken’s wrists a moment with a frown. Ken let out a small gasp as Daisuke ran one of his thumbs along a mark. He had not realized they were so tender until just then but now they would not quit burning. Daisuke looked him in the eyes again, offering a small wince in sympathy before lightly pressing his lips to each of the marks.
Ken drew back quickly at the unexpected contact, not missing the flash of hurt in Daisuke’s eyes.
“I’ll get Jyou to look at those for you,” Daisuke said, yanking a nearby pull cord. It must have sent a signal some where because within the minute, there was few a light knocks on the bedroom door. Daisuke spoke with the waiting sailor for a moment before closing the door again. They just continued to stare at each other silently until there came yet another knock on the door.
"Our ship's doctor," Daisuke introduced Jyou leading him over to where Ken was now sitting on the bed. Jyou studied the marks for a moment before reaching into the bag he had brought with him. He pulled out an odd collection of creams what looked like dried herbs. Funny, Ken had never thought of Jyou as someone who knew anything about natural medicines.
“How did this happen?” Jyou asked as he began to blend some of the herbs into one of the creams, looking first at Ken and then to Daisuke.
“He got on the wrong side of Takeru and Iori,” Daisuke informed him, doing his best to hold back a chuck at the sympathetic look Jyou gave Ken as he began spreading the cream into his burns before wrapping both of his wrists tightly.
“I’d stay out of their way for a while,” Jyou said dryly, gathering his things and standing to leave with a small smile for the both of them.
“I’ll remember that,” Ken replied every bit as dryly. After Jyou had left, Ken turned to Daisuke.
“Care to tell me what kind of twisted joke this is?” he shot point-blank, hoping to catch Daisuke off guard enough that he might spill the beans, so to speak.
“How did you know my given name?” Daisuke queried in return, completely non-nonplussed, as he began striping out of his clothes. Ken turned his head to the side, embarrassed and more than a little frustrated.
“Look, Daisuke this is getting really old,” he said finally, after Daisuke had ducked under the covers. Daisuke gave him another odd look before shrugging.
“I’m I staying here tonight?” Ken asked when it became apparent that Daisuke was not going to respond further.
“Unless you want to stay with Lady Miyako,” Daisuke asked. Ken considered it for a moment. Perhaps he could get a strait answer out of her . . .
“That was a joke,” Daisuke broke into his thoughts. This time it was Ken’s turn to shrug. He did not mind staying with Daisuke. Goodness knows he had done it all the time when they were kids. He had hated it when they had gotten too old, missing his chances to stay next to Daisuke all night long.
“Well scoot over then. I’m not sleeping on the floor.” Might as well put this time to good use.
“I never expected you to,” Daisuke said with a smile.
@>~`~,~~ ~~,~`~<@ Ken woke up with warm, strong arms wrapped tightly around him. He let out a contented sigh before snuggling deeper into the warmth in an attempt to get back to blissful sleep.“If we don’t get up soon, someone’s going to start terrible rumors about us,” a deep warm voice said in his ear, startling away all thoughts of sleep. Ken’s back went ramrod strait.
“Fine, be that way,” Daisuke teased, releasing his grip and letting Ken slip out of the bed. He laughed at Ken’s deep blush before getting out of bed himself and grabbing a piece of toast from a waiting tray, offering one to Ken as well. Ken nibbled on it thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Daisuke with a look of horror.
“How did this get here?”
“Hmm, well lets see,” Daisuke paused as if he were trying to figure something out before continuing in a teasing tone, “I believe that it goes something like ‘God created the earth, God created man, man plants wheat, wheat gro…”
“I mean, how did this food get in here?” Ken cut him off impatiently.
“I believe the cook brings it,” Daisuke answered with a shrug, obviously upset about not being given the chance to finish his joke.
Ken groaned. What had he thought? What would Miyako say? Daisuke eyed him with a small smile as he went about his morning routine.
“Are you coming up with me?” Daisuke finally asked, breaking into Ken's still spinning thoughts. Ken looked up in shock. Daisuke had already dressed in an outfit all to similar to the one he had been wearing the day before. Ken was still in his same costume, although it was decidedly more wrinkled now. “I promise I’ll protect you,” Daisuke continued with a teasing smile.
“I don’t need protecting,” Ken informed him dully with his best dirty look. Still, he followed Daisuke out of the room and out into the sunlight. Ken just stood back and watched as Daisuke went about his duties, smiling every so often. He did catch Iori sending him a dirty look one time and sent one as equally mean back.
“Good Morning,” a light voice said from behind him. He turned to see Miyako wearing a new, but equally extravagant dress.
“Good Morning,” he answered back, smiling at her as she came to stand beside him, a parasol keeping the sun from her skin. Daisuke came bounding up a few moments later.
“I see you’ve met Lady Miyako,” he said, Miyako giving a small curtsy at the mention of her name, “She is the one who chartered our services.”
“We met yesterday, remember?" Miyako smiled at Daisuke a second before turning her attention back to Ken, "I’m going to see my dear friend, Lady Mimi, in the Americas." Ken could tell she was very excited.
Ken thoroughly enjoyed the rest of his day. He had never been so in two people's attention and found it to be rather gratifying. Daisuke did his best to explain every aspect of the ship. Miyako swooned dramatically on to a waiting bench when Daisuke told her Ken had to stay near the wheel with him, for protection, of course, instead of escorting her around the decks. Ken sat next to her, patting her hand in an attempt to convey his sympathy, something made much more difficult by Daisuke’s mischievously whispered revelation that she would always do that when she could not have her way.
The day passed all too quickly for Ken. He could not remember the last time he had had so much fun, but he knew it was back when he was still a kid.
“Jyou says that this night air is bad for my lungs,” Miyako stated suddenly in an all-too-obvious request to be escorted below decks. They had all watched as the water slowly extinguished the sun and now the evening was moving in fast. Daisuke called for another sailor to come and take the wheel, telling him that he was retiring for the night and that Takeru was now in charge. He offered one arm to Miyako, which she took and the other to Ken, which he steadily ignored, choosing instead to walk slightly behind them both. Daisuke first left Ken at the door of his cabin before continuing down the hall, appearing to listen attentively to Miyako’s vapid chatter. Ken just shook his head for a moment before entering the room.
Unsure of what he should do while left alone, Ken wandered over to Daisuke’s desk. It was covered with all kinds of paper and maps. He began to gently sift through each of them, removing his boots and jacket in the process. He was still studying them intently quite some time later when Daisuke finally returned.
“Nosy little boy, aren’t you.” His voice startled Ken, who dropped the papers he had been looking at.
“Sorry, Daisuke. I was just, you know . . .” Ken trailed off.
“Sure,” Daisuke answered even though he did not have a clue. He stood behind Ken, wrapping his arms around his waist. Ken allowed himself to relax into the strong body before he even realized what he was doing. He was brought back to his senses when Daisuke placed a tender kiss high on his cheek.
“Daisuke . . .” Ken said warily, pulling away so that he could turn and look at the cinnamon haired man. Daisuke played with the bandages on Ken’s wrists for a moment, refusing, for the first time, to meet Ken's eyes.
“Do they still hurt?” he asked suddenly. It was not the question Ken had been expecting.
“No,” he answered honestly. Jyou had come earlier in the day to doctor them again and Ken had been surprised just how much better they had felt.
“I would never hurt you,” Daisuke said, staring strait into Ken’s eyes again. Ken would have given anything to wipe away the uncertainty there.
“I know that, Daisuke,” Ken agreed. And he did. Ken trusted Daisuke more than any other person in the world, Miyako included. And he would give anything to be able to give into what he knew Daisuke was asking. Old crushes die hard.
Ken was now firmly pinned against the cabin wall, although he had no idea of when Daisuke had maneuvered him there. He could still feel the sun’s warmth radiating off of Daisuke, smell the salt breeze in his clothes. Daisuke reached a hand out to brush lightly at the hair trying to cover Ken’s face.
“Miyako has convinced herself that she is in love with you,” Daisuke’s voice was deep and Ken could feel each syllable as the warm breath brushed past his cheek. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on what Daisuke was telling him and not on what he wanted to tell Daisuke.
“And she would make an honest man out of you. Marriage, money, you would always have your place, accepted among society.” Ken just nodded, his eyes still closed. He knew the reasons for marrying Miyako by heart.
“But then, I don’t think that’s what you really want, now is it?” Daisuke concluded slowly after a moments thought. He gave a throaty chuckle as Ken’s eyes flashed back open.
“No, I don’t think so,” he repeated softly, a hand gently caressing the side of Ken’s face. Ken could feel his own heart drumming in his ears and could not resist the urge to feel for Daisuke’s, to see if they still beat as one. He let out a satisfied sigh as he found out that indeed they did.
“I want to make you mine,” Daisuke whispered, taking Ken’s hand and lightly kissing each of the finger tips before bringing his lips to rest against the fleshy palm.
“Yes.” It was the best Ken could do to get the word out between his now irregular breaths. He felt Daisuke smile against his hand before he removed it and leaned in to give Ken the kiss he had been dreaming about for most of his life. They broke off the kiss only when they absolutely had too to breathe.
“I love the way you taste,” Daisuke whispered between the moist kisses he was trailing down Ken’s neck. When he could go no further because of Ken’s shirt, Daisuke let out a growl.
“I don’t know why you’re still wearing clothes,” he mumbled half joking, half serious. Ken chuckled as he began to help Daisuke with the buttons. They finally got the shirt off, Daisuke pressing Ken back against the bed as he continued his explorations. Daisuke had removed his own shirt and was playing with the button on Ken’s trousers when he sat up suddenly.
“I like you. I like you, a lot. I think it may be much more than that,” Daisuke’s voice seemed to crackle with electrical emotions, not the least among them desire.
“I’ve always loved you,” Ken admitted, pulling Daisuke back to him and kissing him passionately.
“Captain!” Takeru burst into the cabin, “The Dread Pirate Yamato is attacking us!”
Part 2