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dustofthedailylife · 1 year ago

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It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

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Pairing: Wriothesley, Alhaitham, Diluc x (gn!) Reader

Summary: The Christmas season is rolling around and you spend those days with the one you love most. How are you spending it?

Tags: Fluff, comfort, kissing, teasing, consumption of (reasonable amounts of) alcohol

A/N: this is my secret santa gift for @jellalism for the @2023gisecretsanta event! (Hi, it me again :3). Once again I hope you have a merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season. Sending you many hugs and I hope these fics make your holiday season a little brighter! <3

WRIOTHESLEY

It was a cold day in Fontaine and Christmas wasn’t far off. Just a little over a week and you’d be able to spend your first holiday together with Wriothesley. You already bought all the Christmas presents and had your bags packed to spend Christmas over at his place.

The presents still sat neatly packaged below the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in your living room. But they wouldn’t stay there for much longer as you had agreed to come over today and stay until Christmas. So the presents needed to be relocated as well.

You were beyond ecstatic to finally see him again. Especially since he even took some time off work as well to spend it with you.

Loaded with your bags and gifts you enthusiastically knocked on his door and it was soon opened by the man himself. He was wearing a cozy hoodie and sweatpants and looked like he had just woken up from a nap. At least judging by the pillow imprint on his cheek.

Cute, you thought.

“Hi, sleepy head. Enjoying your time off?” You greeted him teasingly, pressing a quick peck to his lips before squeezing inside past him.

You quickly kicked off your shoes and impatiently waddled behind him, following him into the living room. You were curious to see how Wriothesley had decorated his home for the holidays, so when his back left your field of view and you could finally see the room you saw…

Nothing.

Not even a single Christmas light could be found in his house. There was no Christmas tree, no Christmas cookies on the coffee table, no cozy candles, no ornaments or stockings, no nothing.

“Do you want a cup of tea?”, Wriothesley asked, gently taking your face in between his big warm hands.

“Uuuh…”

Your initial smile faltered pretty much immediately after you had taken in the utterly unfestive atmosphere and he seemed to have immediately noticed it, too.

“Is something wrong?” He inquired with a hint of concern in his voice.

“Where is the Christmas decoration?” You asked baffled. “You know Christmas is only a couple of days away, right?”

Now it was his turn to usher an awkward ‘uuuh’. He quickly glanced over his shoulder, scanning the room, before apologetically looking back at you with an expression that said ‘Sorry, it slipped my mind��.

“Well, uhm.. To be frank, I’m rarely ever here over the holidays so I don’t really… own any Christmas decorations.” He explained with a shrug and donned an embarrassed smile and scratched the back of his head. “Neither have I ever celebrated Christmas properly since I usually just work.”

“No no. This absolutely won’t do.” You lifted your finger up to his face in playful protest. “Go put on some clothes, we’re going shopping. We’re absolutely not celebrating Christmas before every nook and cranny in this house is looking festive and is covered in glitter.” You announced with determination, already marching towards the main entrance again to put your shoes back on.

“Right now?” He inquired in surprise.

“Right now.” You quickly confirmed. “And I pick the decorations – you pay.” You declared, putting your hands on your hips while glaring at him reprimandingly.

“Hey, wait a second! I never agreed to that.” He protested weakly, crossing his arms over his chest. But his smirk betrayed his real thoughts – he was enjoying this playful banter as much as you were.

“Well, too bad. You don’t get a say in this. Now come on, shopping time.”

Not even half an hour later and wrapped in your warm winter clothes, you found yourselves walking along the streets of Fontaine. It had already gone dark and a couple of snowflakes danced in the yellow light of the street lanterns. The shops by the road were all decorated with an abundance of Christmas lights and the air carried the fragrant smell of cinnamon and mulled wine.

You looked up to Wriothesley, who was walking hand in hand with you, while window shopping. When he noticed your glance his lips curled into a loving smile that was barely visible behind the gigantic red scarf that he had wrapped around his neck. His cheeks and nose were reddened by the cold and the snowflakes that got caught in his hair only emphasized how adorable he looked.

You dragged him into some stores that you knew sold various knick-knacks and decorations and bought what felt like an entire month’s salary worth of Christmas decorations. Although, despite all that, he somehow still managed to leave more money at his trusted tea store on the way back home.

Back at his house you quickly unpacked everything that you bought and got to work. While Wriothesley put up the Christmas tree you made sure not a single curtain rod, windowsill, and table was without any Christmas lights or candles. As soon as that was done you helped him put the red and gold glass ornaments on the tree.

All that was missing now was the big golden star tree topper that you attempted to hand to him, so that he could put it up on the tree himself. But before you had any chance to do so, he had already snuck both of his muscular arms around your waist and hoisted you up so you could stick it on yourself.

Once back on steady ground you looked around and marveled at your finished work. Everything was enveloped by a cozy light from all the Christmas lights and it looked even better than you had imagined. This would definitely do!

“I think we got everything.” You announced cheerfully, leaning your head against his broad chest and glancing at the tree to your left.

“Hmm.” Wriothesley hummed contemplatively, his chest vibrating against your ear as he did. “I think one thing is still missing.”

“Huh? What did we miss?” You lifted your head with a questioningly raised brow.

He fumbled around behind his back with a mischievous smirk plastered across his face. You knew that expression all too well by now – he was up to something.

You watched as he pulled out a little green twig with a red ribbon. You were barely even able to identify it as a mistletoe before he had already lifted it up into the air and held it over both of your heads. His free hand quickly found comfort around your waist, pulling you closer to him.

Within the blink of an eye, his lips sealed yours with a passionate kiss, knocking the breath right out of you. You leaned into him with a giggle and felt him smile into the kiss in return.

In an attempt to be even closer to him than you already were, your hand found comfort in his soft raven-colored hair. Reciprocating the sentiment, he snaked the arm he had held up over you around your midriff as well, hugging you impossibly tighter.

While leaning his forehead against yours and softly rubbing the tip of your noses together, he looked deep into your eyes with the same sly smirk he had donned earlier, before proudly declaring: “Now we’ve got everything.”

ALHAITHAM

With packed suitcases, you and Alhaitham crossed the bridge to your hometown Mondstadt. It was snowing heavily and the cold, biting wind was gnawing away at every sliver of exposed skin. It felt like icy needles were pricking at your face.

It was peacefully quiet and all that could be heard was the crunch of the thick snow below your boots. You watched how the snowflakes danced in the wind and how they got caught in the ashen hair and lashes of Alhaitham, who was walking by your side.

Looking at him in this kind of weather was almost comical. He was used to the humid and hot temperatures of the rainforest and had never really experienced the bitter cold of winter. He was treading carefully, trying his hardest not to slip on the frozen ground. His head was almost entirely hidden underneath the big wool scarf he had wrapped around his head as if he had tried to mummify himself with it. His nose and cheeks were reddened from the cold and you could faintly make out the chatter of his teeth.

It would almost be adorable if he didn’t have the expression of someone who was about to murder the next person who spoke to him.

You bit your tongue to hold back a teasing comment about how he couldn’t handle the cold and instead opted to hold onto his hand that was rather stiffly dangling by his side. He glanced at you over the mountain of a scarf he had wrapped around his neck and immediately saw his expression ease up a little. His brows relaxed became less furrowed and the corners of his mouth twitched upward ever so slightly.

“We’re almost there.” You reassured, which was only met with a slightly grumpy-sounding hum of acknowledgment.

Not long after you arrived at the Tavern. You picked up your room keys and quickly shuffled upstairs to settle down.

Alhaitham quickly kicked off his boots once he sat on the bed and hissed in pain. His toes were borderline glowing in red and blue hues and he wasn’t wearing any socks either. Needless to say, he was wearing his usual boots with the hole at the top. Clearly, everyone could see that they weren’t fit for conditions like these whatsoever.

“You know, these boots are kind of impractical for this weather.” You remarked snarkily. And if looks could kill you would’ve dropped dead on the spot right now.

“Don’t look at me like that!” You shot back before he could usher a word of protest. “You agreed to spend the holidays in Mondstadt after all.”

“And you didn’t think to inform me about all that before we departed?”

“Well, I thought a smart man like you would know that when I said there would be snow in Mondstadt you would naturally conclude that ‘frozen water equals cold’” You remarked in the same snarky tone.

You both looked at each other for a couple of seconds in an intense staring battle. The frown prominent on Alhaitham’s face as he desperately tried to warm his feet with his warm hands. Although eventually, your pokerfaces started showing cracks. The twinkle that started to show in both of your eyes, a twitch of the corner of his mouth, a giggle that was stuck at the back of your throat that you tried to swallow. All of them were telltale signs that your playful argument was about to end in a fit of chuckles, like so often.

And as if on call, you both started laughing out loud at the same moment.

Alhaitham pulled you closer by your hands and you sat down on his lap, facing in his direction. You buried your face in the crook of his neck and slung your arms around him, which he mirrored.

“You’re stupid.” You exclaimed, pressing a quick peck on the exposed skin on his neck.

“Oh, am I now?” He retorted smugly, raising one eyebrow.

“Well, I’m not the one who wore boots with gaping holes in them when there are five inches of snow outsi–” Before you were able to finish the sentence, he quickly began loosely wrapping his thick scarf around your face, effectively shutting you up.

“Rude.” You giggled, muffled by the thick fabric. “Now–” You began, once you had pulled his scarf off your face again. “How about we take a hot bath and then go and visit the Christmas market?”

You could see his eyes wander towards the window. He skeptically eyed the thick snowflakes that were still falling from the sky. Anyone would be able to tell that he really didn’t want to go outside anymore, at least not in this weather.

“I know it’s freezing, but – if we go out, we can go buy you a pair of warm boots and I also know just the thing to fight the cold.” You intercepted before he could usher any words of protest. And after a brief moment of hesitation, he agreed with a loving smile.

After a steaming hot bath, you both found yourself back outside again. Not long after Alhaitham also waded through the thick snow with his newly acquired cozy and warm leather boots and some additional heat-insulating wool socks. He already looked a lot more comfortable than he had when you arrived here.

You walked in the direction of the Christmas market that was being held at the feet of the statue of the Anemo Archon, in front of the cathedral.

Hand in hand you climbed the stairs up to the plaza. You could already make out the Christmas spices that wafted through the air before you could even see the first booth. And with every step you took your excitement got bigger and bigger. Your heart was thumping loudly inside of your chest and you felt an excited prickle in the pit of your stomach. The last time you were at a Christmas market was ages ago, so you were practically bursting with excitement.

Once you arrived at the top of the stairs, you headed straight for the stand of the Dawn Winery, dragging Alhaitham along with you excitedly. You could already make out the prominent scent of mulled wine and several other hot beverages. No matter how cold the winter was, a cup of mulled wine was always the best thing to warm one up from the inside out.

You bought two mugs of steaming hot spiced dandelion wine and handed one to Alhaitham. He skeptically took a sip, unsure about whether or not hot wine would taste as good as the stuff he was so used to. But when his eyes widened and a surprised hum escaped him you could only chuckle. You had expected this reaction.

“You didn’t lie, this really helps against the cold.” He remarked after taking a couple more sips from his mug.

“See! I told you so. And as you know, I’m always right.” You teased, to which he just rolled his eyes and huffed amusedly. “Don’t you dare say anything now, Haitham.”

He stepped closer to you, embracing you in a tight hug and pressing a quick kiss to your forehead.

“You know, you’re lucky you’re so cute, or else–”, he paused dramatically, not intending to finish his sentence any time soon.

“Or else, what?” You asked, perking your eyebrows.

But Alhaitham had already ventured off to look at the market stalls with a smirk plastered on his lips. He just knew which buttons he needed to press to tease you. And clearly, you wouldn't be getting an answer out of him either.

“Dork.” You huffed, hurrying after him, interlocking your arm with his, leaning your head on his shoulder as you walked around the plaza with your warm mugs in hand.

DILUC

Christmas time was always the busiest time of the year for the Winery and the Tavern. Diluc was basically shipping out orders all day when he wasn’t at the Angel’s Share. During these times you always made sure to help him alleviate some of the stress by taking some work off his hands.

Today you filled in for someone at the Christmas Market stand of the Dawn Winery who fell ill. Your job was to man the booth for the mulled wine and punches and serve them to customers.

It was the last weekend before Christmas and therefore the Christmas Market was packed to the brim. You barely got any time to take a break and only noticed that it was time to close up shop as soon as Diluc stood before you.

He helped you serve the last remaining customers and clean up the booth before you both started making your way back home to the Winery.

It had already gone dark outside now and the Christmas lights on the windowsills of the houses by the streets wrapped the environment into a warm light.

Diluc’s hand that was intertwined with yours was comfortably warm like it always was. You could feel it even through your thick gloves.

Both were a stark contrast to the thick snow that crunched below your boots and the cold icy air that pricked at your skin. Every exhale created a little cloud of icy mist in front of your face.

Diluc squeezed your hand a little tighter all of a sudden and nudged his head towards the left, motioning you to follow along.

“Come with me.” He urged, an excited smile playing around his lips.

He led you out of the side gate of Mondstadt, near the Angel’s Share, and headed straight for the frozen lake. He let go of your hand and right in the next moment he was already slithering across the ice with a huge smile plastered on his face

“What are you doing?” You inquired curiously, eyeing him from head to toe as he looked at you expectantly. He stretched one hand out while putting the other behind his back, making him look unbelievably elegant.

“Join me!”

The way he had slithered across the ice had looked so graceful and almost easy. But you had the inkling it wouldn’t end up being as easy as he made it look.

The way the snowflakes peacefully danced around you both in the yellow light of the nearby lantern made this scene almost feel dreamlike.

There was a comfortable silence in the air right now. As if the Gods had draped a white blanket over the world that muffled everything but the most important sounds. Only yours and Diluc’s steady breathing could be heard, as well as the rustling of the snow-covered trees by the shore and the soft pitter-patter of the falling snowflakes.

You stepped closer to the frozen surface of the lake and carefully put one foot on it to test the waters – or more accurately: the ice. And as expected it was extremely slippery and you almost fell the second you tried standing on it.

Diluc had come closer again and wrapped both his hands around your waist to steady you on the ice. He took hold of your hands and carefully pulled you along with him for a few meters.

It looked like he was floating over the ice while you looked like a newborn foal that was trying to stand up for the first time in its life. Your knees were shaking and you tried your hardest to not lose your balance. But despite that the mere presence of Diluc made you feel safe.

“Why are you so good at this?” You inquired curiously, almost losing your balance once more.

“I used to do this every winter as a child. Whenever my father caught me he scolded me for what felt like hours because I could hurt myself. Although that never deterred me from doing it again every winter.” He explained amusedly as his ruby-red eyes began shimmering in the dim light of the lantern.

“Well then, is there some special technique to it? Because I feel like I’m going to fall on my butt the minute you let go of me.”

“I’ll simply not let go of you then.” He retorted with a smirk and you could feel how his grip on your waist tightened. “In all seriousness though, don’t bend your knees inward so much. Keep them straight and your soles flat on the ice. Then only bend your upper body forward a little bit.”

“Roger that.” You replied and did as he explained. And much to your surprise, you stance on the ice immediately felt a lot more safe. Your knees stopped shaking and you were able to stand somewhat comfortably now.

“Yes, just like that!”

“It works!” You exclaimed.

“Now, try moving your feet, while keeping this stance.” He instructed while slowly letting go of you, leaving you some room to move once he was sure you could stand on your own.

He demonstrated the movement to you and you followed him by mirroring them.

Not long after you were still insecurely but steadily moving across the ice.

“Look, I’m doing it!” You yelled excitedly, looking back at Diluc who was watching you with the utmost adoration in his eyes.

“Indeed you are.” He answered proudly as he joined you again, slithering behind you and putting his hands on your waist once more. He carefully pushed you along with him.

You twirled around on the ice with a giggle and it felt like you were two figure skaters in perfect unison, showcasing their breathtaking performance. Although you were sure it looked much more amateurish than it felt. No less, because you weren't actually wearing any ice skates. But at that moment, it didn't matter.

Both of you basked in each other's presence and it felt like you let your inner child run free. The endorphin rush was indescribable. You felt practically invulnerable.

You soon felt comfortable enough to do pirouettes on the ice all by yourself. You had found the right balance to move across the ice and could even move faster than you did before.

You let go of Diluc’s hand and started circling across the surface of the frozen lake. Faster and faster you slithered across the ice.

The problem came about when you wished to come to a halt again. You never asked Diluc how you were able to stop again once you had built some momentum.

And before you had the chance to ask him you slithered and fell face first into one of the big puffy snowbanks that had piled up at the shore.

Snow immediately covered you, got stuck in your hair, fell on your face, seeped into every crevice of your clothes, and made contact with your skin. The icy sensation felt like needles pricking at your skin.

You heard Diluc yell your name muffledly and could make out hurried slithers that came in the direction of where you had fallen. He worriedly pulled you up to your feet again by your hands, patting the snow off your clothes and hair softly.

“Are you alright? I'm so sorry I should've paid more attention. Did you hurt yourself?” He was fussing over you as if you had just fallen down a cliff instead of a bed of soft, albeit cold, snow.

You giggled at his worried expression and slung your arms around his neck, looking intensely at his beautiful eyes.

“I'm alright. Don't worry about me. Although maybe I'm a bit cold now – some snow crept its way into my clothes, I fear.” You pouted with a giggle.

He wordlessly took your hands in his and removed the gloves from your fingers, intertwining his warm ones with yours. You made out a faint flare from the vision on his hip before you felt warmth seep into every fiber of your body, warming you up from the inside out.

“Be careful or you'll melt me.” You teased with a wide smirk.

At that, he brought his face closer to yours, with an equally wide smile, before ushering: “Only your heart” against your lips, before passionately catching them into a deep kiss.

Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about Genshin or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

#gixrsecretsanta2023 #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin fanfic #astronetwrk #wriothesley x reader #alhaitham x reader #diluc x reader #genshin fluff #genshin imagines #genshin drabbles #genshin comfort #genshin brainrot #genshin scenarios #🍁彡 gi #🍁 dust writes

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thenyoumightaswellwrestleangels · 4 months ago

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Let the endless sea call out to you (let the changing tides bring you home)

Day 3 of Thank You, Haikyuu - event masterlist here

pairing: miya osamu x reader (gn) x suna rintarou

length: 9.2k

genre: pirate au !! fluff, hurt/comfort

warnings: osamu is kidnapped but uuuh kindly yk, they all fall in love so it's fine, there's some brotherly tension between the miya twins but it's resolved

a/n: guys I wrote this entire thing in one sitting today I feel like I need to go put my brain in an ice bath now but this is only day three ?

tags: @love-and-lore

Osamu thinks, not for the first time, that he'd give anything to be out there on one of those trading ships, sailing out to the wide open sea and disappearing into the glimmer of the setting sun. He dreams of it, much to his father's dismay, his nights being filled with images of a rocking, wooden hull and the flying flags of a ship that he can call his own - of a life that he can call his own.

But Osamu is not his brother. He was not given the chance to run off to sea. He sits, instead, in his bed of silken sheets and embroidered pillows as maids brush his hair and smooth down his blankets.

He's wondering, in a bored and weary sort of way, what would happen if he just ran off in the night, when a commotion breaks out down the hall. The noises have him sitting up, the sounds of screaming and swords clashing and then suddenly cannon fire reverberating off the walls and into him as he scrambles out of bed and pulls a plush robe on over his night clothes as the maids panic around him. He knows what this is - he's heard the stories, heeded the warnings… these are pirates.

And Osamu is a prize worth his weight in gold.

The maids right themselves remarkably quickly, rushing around him to shove him out of his room and down the hall, babbling about how he needs to run, needs to get out of here and away from all of this and never come back and… Osamu should be scared. He is, probably. But he has an open door for the first time in his life and all he can see is a way out, a way up, a way beyond.

Unfortunately, however, he's still the pampered, spoiled son of a governor, and he finds himself ill-equipped for running out into the streets in his slippers. He's reminded, rather sharply, of his uselessness when he's swiftly outpaced and outmatched by one of his assailants, strong arms wrapping around him and hauling up easily away from his home.

He should do something, he thinks - he should kick harder or scream louder or bite or shove or… but the image of the house he grew up in fades as he's dragged further away, through the streets and towards the towering, shadowed ship sitting in the bay. Osamu thinks, in his first real moment of panic, that the stories aren't nearly as frightening as reality is. As he twists to glance over the shoulder of his captor, past his tousled, dark hair and towards his life, he realizes that he can't see his house anymore, that the wooden planks of a pirate ship that slip beneath his slippered feet are the furthest he's ever been from home.

When he finds himself surrounded by shoving, shouting corsairs crowding around him with loaded guns and sharpened swords and all manner of malice, Osamu thinks that maybe home wasn't so bad, that sitting in the safety of his plush bed and pretending that he was somewhere else was kinder than whatever fate he now holds.

"Gentlemen" a booming voice sounds over the commotion and the crew freezes, like a ripple has gone through them at the new presence. They part slightly to let the speaker through, shuffling to create a gap like the sands of a beach crumbling easily beneath the power of the tide. And when Osamu sees you - well, he knows enough of the world, at least, to know a captain when he sees one.

"We have a guest in our midst," you continue, standing tall in front of Osamu's shivering, meek form. "Let's all behave ourselves."

"Are we off, then?" The man holding onto Osamu's arms tightly asks you, and you turn shining, hungry eyes to him.

"We have what we came for," you say simply. "Take us away."

"Weigh anchor!" The man holding onto Osamu shouts loudly enough to have him jumping, jostling the two of them while you look on, rather bemused. "Aran, mind the crew."

Osamu watches as the ship around him begins swimming with life, the crew nothing more than blurs of movement against the endless, blackened backdrop of the night sky. As he's pulled after you towards the ornate doors below the upper deck, Osamu cranes his neck to catch one last glimpse of the home that he's left behind. Something painful happens to his heart as he's met with the sight of his father's house when the ship begins to rock and tip and pull out of the bay - as the structure stands, smoking and burning and disappearing into the darkness beyond his reach.

But then you swing open the double doors and he's pushed gently into the warmth of the cabin, his captor closing the latch firmly behind the three of you. Osamu thinks, once more, of the books he's read - of the ones he's hidden in a chest at home and pulled out in the evenings with no witness other than the faint flickers of candlelight in his room. He thinks of the pirates in those stories, of the captain's quarters with their ornate tables and feasts laid out.

The one sitting on the grand table in front of him, he finds as he's led gently further into the room, is strikingly similar.

"Bring him to his room, Rin," you say easily, settling yourself into a large, plush chair, the red of the crushed velvet striking against the endless oil lamps scattered around the room. "Let him get ready."

Osamu's opening his mouth to ask you what in god's name he's getting ready for when he's pulled more by Rintarou past the table and through one of the elaborately carved doors and further into the belly of the ship. When your first mate leads him into a bedroom of sorts, he's… admittedly shocked. When the man pulls open the top of a chest and gestures to the clothes inside, showing endless stacks of richly coloured, embroidered fabrics, Osamu finds himself largely confused.

"Change if you'd like," Rintarou says as he leaves, pulling the door closed behind him. "You'll be dining with the captain tonight."

And so, a muffled sort of stillness follows, nothing but the vague shouts of the crew outside and the gentle rocking of the sea against the hull can be heard as Osamu stares at the door - at the unlocked door and the shadow of Rintarou disappearing from the other side. As he spins to look into the chest that had been open, something lurches in his heart as he recognizes silks and colours from across the world, pieces of clothing that only his father could afford.

They're stolen, he reminds himself in a panicky sort of way. Just like him.

He's sort of… surprised by himself - sort of impressed by the way he slams the chest closed and rips open the door, stomping out to where the two of you are lounging at the table, plucking fresh grapes off of stems and sipping on dark wine. You look up at him when he enters, a mild sort of bemusement painting your face as he scowls and crosses his arms and glares down through his dampened robe and wet slippers.

"I don't know who you think you are," he spits angrily. "But I'm not some ransom for you to keep locked away and used for bait. My father won't pay a price for me - you're wasting your stupid time." You hum thoughtfully at his words, not much bothered by the outburst. When in the company of pirates, Osamu thinks weakly, this probably isn't much.

"Do you drink, Osamu?" You ask lightly, pouring wine into a gilded, golden cup and standing with it.

"No," he sniffs indignantly as you approach him, holding it out to him expectantly. He gawks at it, just a bit, at the dark red wine shining off of the gold.

"Perhaps you should start," you say dryly, but when Osamu just looks up at you and glares, you sigh, turning to set the cup at an empty place at the table before gesturing for him to sit and moving back to your own chair.

Rintarou sits silently in his place next to you, watching through sharp, quick eyes as Osamu hesitantly steps forward to slowly sink into his seat, wrapping his robe tighter around his waist.

"I have no interest in your father," you say simply, gesturing to Rintarou and watching as he stands to take Osamu's empty plate, filling it with whatever he pleases from the table. Osamu, all the while, can't help but gawk just a bit at the spectacle of it all, at the delicacies that he knows can only be found in far-off corners of the world.

He wonders with a hint of longing tugging at his heart what it must be like to live the way that you do, to sail on and on and away.

"As I was saying," you say dryly, apparently aware of Osamu's wondering thoughts. He feels heat rise to his cheeks as he stares down at the full plate now set in front of him and then up to Rintarou as he slides back into his seat. "A governer's ransom means little to me… I'm not concerned with petty little money trades."

"Little?" Osamu splutters, a touch of indignation colouring his voice. Rintarou just laughs, though, and you pointedly gesture around.

"Well, it's not as if I need it, is it?" You ask coyly. Osamu has no choice but to shut his mouth at that, staring at the gold leaf across the table and the rubies on your ringed fingers. "No," you continue. "I'm after something much bigger than that these days… and you're going to help me get it."

Osamu's about to open his mouth to tell you how wrong you are, that he has nothing to offer and nothing to take and you're better off dumping him back home, when the door swings open and one of the crew steps through.

"Captain," he says in greeting.

"Speak, Aran."

"The course has been chartered… we're well on our way out to deep sea. Are we still going…" Aran trails off as his eyes flicker over to Osamu. He clears his throat and straightens. "Same course as before?"

"Yes," you say simply, and that's all that's needed for Aran to duck out of the cabin and close the door swiftly behind him, leaving the three of you in silence once more.

"What is it that you want from me?" Osamu's voice is smaller, weaker than he'd like it to be, but you merely fix your eyes on him and look him up and down for a moment before leaning back in your chair and sipping your wine.

"Tonight? Nothing," you offer. "Eat, rest, let your legs get used to the sea… there's nothing more to be done for the night." Osamu, at the finality in your words, finds himself feeling… small, all of a sudden, like it's all just starting to sink in. He's alone and in danger, on a ship full of pirates, sailing toward a coast unknown to him. The worst part of it all, he thinks rather sullenly, is that he knows that no one will come for him.

It's three days later that you try again, seated with Osamu and Rintarou at that grand table in what Osamu's learned is the captains' quarters, a series of halls and rooms deep within the body of the ship that serves as your private space. It's made him begin to realize, after days of wandering and snooping, just how huge the vessel is.

He'd thought, through his limited knowledge of these seas, that only the pirate lords of old had ships this size and gold in these quantities. He supposes, as he grips onto the side of his chair as waves crash and the ship sways, that the fiction of the life that he'd left behind had to be incorrect somehow.

"How's your brother, Osamu?" You ask him as he sits, watching him wince as he tries, still, to acclimatize himself to the constant movement of the floor beneath him and the never-ending sound of wine being poured into his cup.

"I beg your fucking pardon?" He scowls. You just smile, a menacing and knowing sort of thing.

"I do hope he enjoyed his wedding anniversary. What's it been now - three years?" You continue, watching Osamu carefully as he pales even more at your words.

"What do you want with my brother?" He curses himself for the waver in his voice, for the fear creeping up to him. But he hadn't really thought, in the days that he'd spent here, that this could have anything to do with Atsumu.

"Oh, not much," you say flippantly, waving your hand in a dismissive manner. "But his husband? What a catch, marrying the man who controls ocean-bound trade routes across the world."

"If you have a point, can you fucking get to it?" Osamu snaps. The walls, as they sway, seem to close in on him and he feels nausea roll through his stomach as he starts to piece it all together. He hasn't heard from his brother in over a year, the seas between them keeping them apart since Atsumu's marriage. But Atsumu's spoken about it briefly before, about the ships getting pillaged and shot down by pirates looking to loot and eager to steal from them.

Osamu has this horrible image, now, of his brother dying alone at sea because of information that he gives up and he feels seasick, the rocking motion of the ship making him queasy.

"Why do you think I know anything about that?" He offers weakly, his voice thin and quiet.

"Sakusa Kiyoomi," Rintarou chimes in. "Is the most powerful and influential merchant in our current world… and he is your brother-in-law. You're clever, aren't you, pet? You can put together what we want."

"No," Osamu all but shouts, standing from the table abruptly. "I can't - I won't tell you anything about him or Atsumu or anything else. You might as well give up now because you're getting nothing from me." That, he feels, is pretty final as he stomps away, but he supposes that slamming his door and locking himself away has less of an effect when his room is attached to yours.

He's seen it, of course, where you go at the end of every night - he's caught a glimpse of the large, elaborate bed and the red, silk sheets. And he's seen, much to his initial shock, the way that Rinatarou trails after you loyally, content to spend the night with you always.

Well, Osamu supposes when he thinks about it, perhaps that explains why the two of you seem so in tune.

"He's stubborn," you snap, using one hand to try to slam your door closed behind you, only for it to be caught by Rinatarou as he follows after you.

"We have time to wear him down," he says easily as he closes the door gently behind him, sealing the two of you in the privacy of your room and watching as you sprawl across the bed, burying your head under one of the pillows there.

Rintarou just laughs at the sight, moving to sit next to you and dislodge the pillow from your grip so that he can pull your head into his lap, instead, smoothing a hand through your hair.

"I need those trade routes, Rin," you say quietly, your eyes flittering closed as the furrow between your eyes deepens.

"And you'll get them, treasure," Rintarou offers soothingly, smoothing a thumb between your brows to coax you to relax. "We have a long voyage yet ahead of us. We'll get what we need from him." You hum noncommittally at Rintarou's assurances, letting yourself relax further against him as the ship rocks you soothingly back and forth.

"If I can control the trade routes, I can control the seas," you murmur quietly. Rintarou looks down at you in a long-suffering way, but you keep your eyes closed.

"I know, treasure," he says pointedly while you dutifully ignore him.

"It's the only thing left… it's the only thing I still need to get this," you continue. Rintarou rolls his eyes lovingly and leans down to kiss your forehead gently.

"And you'll get it," he whispers against you. When you shoot back an, "I'd better," he laughs, leaning to lay back on the plush bed and stare up at the arched, wooden ceiling.

The days after that begin to stretch on endlessly for Osamu, with his dinners shared with you and Rintarou every night in your quarters, the two of you asking him endlessly for information on his brother and Kiyoomi's trading company. He never tells you anything, of course - including the fact that he and Atsumu haven't really spoken in years, the distance and the seas getting in between them. He doesn't tell you that he has no real idea what goes on in his brother-in-law's company or what Atsumu really does for it. Osamu gets a bit of a thrill from the whole thing, though, making the two of you think that he's smart - clever enough to play this mental game of chess that's stretched on and on. He feels a bit big, powerful as he sits opposite you and battles back and forth.

For the first time in his life, Osamu feels like he's someone, and he begins to find it addicting, the back and forth between the three of you, the swaying of the ship and the salt on his skin.

You've given him free rein to wander as he pleases, much to his shock, having just shrugged and pointed out that there's nowhere for him to really run off to when he'd asked about it. As he steps out onto the lower deck, the sun blazing down onto him and making him squint, he feels he really understands what you'd meant by that.

Osamu spins around rather helplessly, eyes widening as he stares out past the ropes and wooden rails of the ship and out towards the endless sea that stretches in every direction. There is no land in sight, he realizes weakly. There is just him and a crew of pirates and a horizon that stretches on and on and beyond.

In his dazed, spiralling state, it's Rintarou that he ends up bumping into, slamming into the man's chest and leading him to shoot his arms out and grab Osamu by the waist to stop him from teetering over. Rintarou opens his mouth, most likely to chastise him, but then he sees the wild look in Osamu's eyes and softens a bit in understanding.

"Come up here with me," he jerks his head towards the upper deck behind him, but as he makes his way towards it, Osamu stays rooted to the spot. "Come on, pet," Rintarou calls. "This will make you feel better… hopefully." That doesn't instill much confidence in Osamu, but it's still enough to have him running after Rintarou, up the steep, ladder-like steps toward the back of the ship.

It's Aran who's lazily leaned against the helm when they get up there, one hand loosely holding onto the wheel while he blows a sigh out through his lips. He straightens at the sight of them and Rintarou just waves him away, taking his place at the helm, instead.

"Come here, pet," Rintarou calls to Osamu, who scowls and stomps towards him.

"Don't call me that," he snaps. Rintarou just grins in that lazy way of his.

"But you did come, didn't you?" Osamu opens his mouth to retort, but Rintarou's grabbing the front of his shirt to pull him to stand in front of the helm and grip the wheel before he can speak, the man's rough, calloused palms covering Osamu's smooth, delicate hands.

Osamu clears his throat, feeling the heat of Rintarou's front against his back as he grips the wheel tightly.

"What are we doing?" He asks quietly, and he knows that if he could see Rinataoru, he'd catch the sly smirk he's sure the man is sporting.

"You're steering the ship," he says simply. "It's nicer up here, isn't it? Feels a bit less like being lost." Osamu stares out at the line of infinity where water meets sky and realizes, quite abruptly, that he really has relaxed a bit.

"Won't the captain mind?" He asks in lieu of answering. Rintarou just laughs.

"The captain doesn't mind anything that I do." Osamu splutters at the coyness in Rintarou's voice, moving to whirl on him and chastise him, but Rintarou keeps his hands firmly over Osamu's, forcing him to stay steady on the helm.

"You don't all have to be so crude all the time," Osamu mumbles. Rintarou grins.

"You're on a pirate ship, pet. You'd best get used to it." He offers. Osamu just huffs and stomps his feet, but now that it's been brought up, he can't help the nagging feeling tugging at his gut.

"For how long?" He asks quietly.

"Hm?"

"How long will I be here?" Rintarou's quiet for a moment at Osamu's question, his palms gently pushing to correct the ship's course against Osamu's hands.

"It's difficult to pinpoint the distance of a moving target," Rintarou offers. "Three months, I'd say. Then, this will all be over for you."

"What?" Osamu scoffs, "Are you gonna take me home."

"No," Rintarou says flatly, making Osamu scowl. "But we'll leave you with your brother. We have no intent to keep you here forever, pet." Osamu, however, has a hard time listening after his brother's mention. Of course, he thinks, you're after Atsumu and Kiyoomi's ship.

This time, when he spins on his heel to face Rintarou, the pirate lets him, letting go of the helm just long enough to release Osamu's hands before he reaches for it again, effectively caging Osamu in while they stand chest-to-chest.

"What are you planning on doing once you get to him?" Osamu asks desperately, a panicky sort of tilt to his voice. Perhaps Rintarou's smile was supposed to be a comforting one - more indicative of reassurance and less of a shark catching the bloody scent of its prey.

"Negotiating," he says wickedly. Osamu feels his stomach roll as he crosses his arms, close enough now that Rintarou's chest presses against his forearms as he glares.

"How will you even find him?" Osamu challenges, but Rintarou just looks at him strangely.

"We've been keeping tabs on him and his standard routes for months. It's simple, really," he says flatly. Osamu spins around again to face the helm and smacks Rintarou's hands away, guiltily delighted when he obediently lifts his palms long enough to let Osamu settle back in and then dutifully covers his hands with his own once again.

"Three more months at sea like this?" Osamu asks quietly as Rintarou looks on, the sparkle of something proud and suspicious flitting through the pirate's eyes.

"Something like that," he murmurs in confirmation. Osamu looks out into the vastness of it all, the cold of the sea and the heat of the sun and the endlessness of the point where they meet. The air is salty and fresh on his tongue and he finds, in a longing sort of way, that this isn't really so bad.

"Show me how to steer the ship," he says finally, a firm clarity ringing through his voice.

"You are steering the ship," Rintarou quips, his palms pressing gently against the backs of Osamu's hands to guide him.

"No," Osamu corrects unwaveringly. "Teach me properly." Rintarou's quiet for a moment, a thoughtfulness seeming to strike through him before he laughs and steps closer, his chest bumping into Osamu's back again.

"Oh, the captain's going to love this."

"You're not going to start a mutiny, are you?" Your voice, clear and amused, rings through the blanketing darkness of dusk, Osamu jerking up from where he was leaning against the helm while Rintarou lounges on a stack of crates nearby. Osamu huffs and hopes that the pink hue of the sunset surrounding the three of you hides the pink dusting of his cheeks as he shuffles where he stands. One month of Rintarou's firm, guiding hand has made him more confident than he thought he could be about something like this - about anything, really, but there's something about your hawk-like gaze that makes him shy.

"I'm not that sheltered," he quips instead. "Mutinies like that don't really happen, I know." His words make you laugh as you move to stand next to him, crossing your arms and leaning against the helm.

"Is that what you think?" You say, your voice low and smooth in a way that Osamu now recognizes to mean that you're about to tease him for his pampered upbringing.

"Is - I mean, they don't really happen, do they?" He asks haltingly, his eyes widening a fraction. You grin wolfishly and lean forward to put your face close to him.

"How else do you think I got the ship?" Rintarou laughs from his vantage point as he eyes the way Osamu's mouth drops open in shock.

"You - you stole this ship? You killed the captain?" He splutters. You rock back on your heels, giving him space as you put one hand gently onto his to correct his course. He tells himself, as he blushes and looks away, that he would've steered fine if not for your distractions.

"Don't worry," Rintarou quips, as if he can hear Osamu's thoughts. "It still happens to me sometimes, too." You throw a mean grin over Osamu's shoulder towards Rintarou, but say nothing on the topic.

"I didn't kill the captain," you say instead. "He was alive when I left him - anything that happened after is up to the seas, not me." Osamu hums at your words, shifting his hold on the wheel as he considers your words.

"Why are you telling me all this?" He asks quietly. You shrug, your face bathes in the dark violets and blues of the water as you stare out towards the horizon, the sun dipping below the endless line of the sea.

"Is there a reason why I shouldn't?" You ask serenely. Osamu just frowns, following your gaze out toward the water and feeling the burn of something deep within his soul at the sight. He should be offended, he thinks, at the lack of concern you and Rintarou show for him. But really, he knows, his pampered life and stifling upbringing make him no more a threat than a child. Of course, you wouldn't be concerned. Of course, you wouldn't see him as a threat.

He should be upset about it, he thinks, as clouds roll over the open sky and throw shadows down onto the endless, rocking waters and the sun falls completely below the surface. But there is a hunger in him, instead, when he looks out at the vastness of it all - a thirst that stirs deeply within him and demands to be fed.

When he turns to look at you, he finds your eyes already trained on his face and a knowing sort of understanding settling in your small smile.

"Well," you say, stepping away from him and making your way towards the stairs leading down from the upper deck. "Don't crash my ship while I sleep." Rintarou makes a mocking sort of sound, something that Osamu thinks must be his imitation of a ship hitting rocks and splintering, and the withering look you send over your shoulder just has him laughing.

Osamu, however, doesn't quip back. The salty sea breeze brushes through his hair and his hands are steady on the helm and he feels, for the first time, a sort of freedom - a desire stirring within him and a need for more. As Osamu settles into bed finally, hours later when Rintarou shoos him away and tasks Aran with the overnight duties, he feels that maybe he can make something of himself - maybe he can make something of this life.

But when the morning comes and he's greeted by a commotion on the lower deck, shouts and running heard, he thinks that perhaps he'd been lulled into a false sense of security. By the time he gets to the upper deck, you're at the helm shouting orders and he gathers, from all the scuffling, what's going on.

Another ship has been spotted, an easy target for your larger, swifter ship to overtake. Osamu's heart stutters in his chest as he reaches you, grabbing onto your arm with both of his hands as you look down at him, bewildered.

"Now's not really the time, pet -"

"Don't do this - you can't do this -" he begins, but your face morphs into confusion for a moment before a hard edge sets into your features.

"We're pirates, pet. This is what we do." He lets go of you at that, your words slamming into him enough that he stumbles on his own feet, leading you to shoot an arm out to grab him by the waist and haul him back against you so that he doesn't tip over while you steer with one hand. "If it makes you feel any better," you add distractedly. "They're also a pirate ship - just not one of ours. Any loot we grab from them was likely already plundered elsewhere."

"One of ours?" Osamu asks, bewildered.

"One of mine," you correct. "They're not flying my fleet's flag."

"You have a fleet?" Osamu splutters. You glance at him, bemused, keeping your arm firmly around his waist as the hull of the ship tips and rocks at the mounting speed of the vessel.

"Yes, what did you think I had?"

"Just a ship."

"Well, I've got that, too," you point out just as Rintarou appears on the deck next to you, the knives strapped to his chest glinting under the blinding sun. Osamu sees them, sees the sword on your hip and the guns that you both carry and finds himself sick at the image of the two of you, dripping with blood and violence and something wild.

"Take Osamu inside," you tell Rintarou, who nods and begins to pry Osamu off of you. "Send Aran down with him and make sure he stays." Osamu makes a wounded, panicked sort of noise as Rintarou begins to haul him away.

"You're locking me up again?" He yells desperately. You shoot him a long-suffering look, but the imminent contact with the other ship has you distracted as Rintarou leads him away.

"We're keeping you safe, Osamu," he says gently as he swings open the doors to the part of the ship that Osamu's begun to think of as home. "It doesn't do any of us any good if you end up dead."

"What about you?" If Osamu wasn't so frayed by the whole ordeal, he'd kick himself or the hysterical edge to his voice. But Rintarou just shrugs, unconcerned as he makes his way out, back up to the lower deck.

"You can watch from the window if you'd like," he says easily. "This shouldn't take long, really."

Yet again, Osamu learns that Rintarou's often right. The whole ordeal isn't nearly as drawn out as he'd thought it would be and as he watches from the safety of behind his small window, he realizes that it isn't as fatal as he'd anticipated, either.

It's loud and brash and violent, yes, with cannons fired and swords drawn. But you don't… kill anyone, really. Once you have the crew of the boarded ship on their knees and stripped of their weapons, you stand in front of them with your hard gaze pinning them down as your crew hauls loot from their ship onto yours.

It's at this point that Osamu's decided that he's had enough of hiding and rips the door open, running out to join you on the deck - much to Aran's protests. You send him a scathing look that has him slinking away and Osamu's sure Aran will have a lovely conversation with you later about how he can't even keep a governor's son safely in his quarters.

Osamu isn't so concerned, though, as he listens to you speak to the captain of the ship you'd overtaken.

"The nearest port is eight days to the south-east. We've left you enough water and rations for that much."

"You shattered our mast," the other captain spits. "We'll get nowhere like this."

"I splintered your mast," you correct, leaning down to look him in the eye where he kneels. "It still stands and the winds still blow. You'll be fine… if you make haste." With that, you jerk your head to Rintarou, who takes the signal to have the crew start hauling the prisoners to their feet and sending them back to their ship while you make your way up toward the helm.

Osamu scrambles after you, following as you make your way up and see Aran at the wheel.

"Captain, I -"

"Go take stock of the new rations," you say bluntly, expecting Aran to step out of the way and give you the helm. He does, rather swiftly, disappearing to the lower deck as Osamu stands and stares at you.

"Why didn't you kill them?" Osamu blurts, causing you to turn to him, your brows raised. "I wonder - you didn't even sink their ship."

"And I wonder when you became so bloodthirsty, pet," You say, an amused sort of air to your voice. Osamu rocks back on his heels, a shock of shame making him flinch as Rintarou steps up behind him, joining you at the helm as the crew raises the anchor, preparing to head back to your original course.

"There's no point in being the only ship at sea," you explain to Osamu, seemingly unbothered by his assumptions. "Why control the waters if there's no one left to command, hm? It's an ecosystem, pet… I'm just aiming to be at the top of the food chain."

Things change a bit, Osamu finds, after that. He looks at you differently, sees the sword on your hip with a little less malice, gets a little less queasy when you and Rintarou pull out your guns at the dinner table to polish them. The meals you share become less… pointed - and Osamu can't really place when it went from an interrogation to a ritual, a habit built among the three of you to share these evenings together. He asks you to teach him, eventually, as the days continue to stretch on and on endlessly - he asks you to help him learn, to help him become something more than what he's always been.

You could never deny him anything, of course - something that Rintarou teases you for endlessly in the safe privacy of your bed. Osamu begins to learn the weight of a sword in his palm, how to block and how to counter. You're a difficult teacher, of course, and he often finds that by the time the sun sets, his arms ache and his hands are numb from the clanging pressure of your sword against his. But there are moments, throughout it all, when you correct his posture, when you let him get a good hit in - moments when your hands brush against his skin and you come close enough that he can feel your breath on his lips.

Rintarou, meanwhile, teaches him how to shoot, lines up empty bottles on the railing and has Osamu try to hit the glass. He worries aloud, after countless failed attempts, that he's wasting bullets and gunpowder that should go to the crew. But you just shrug and stretch on your way past them and up to the helm.

"Take what you want," you say easily. "My crew always has what they need… I make sure of it." That last part does feel a bit pointed, and as Osamu stares at the pistol in his hands, he wonders what it must be like to really be part of this crew, to… to have a home out here.

But then Rintarou's beside him again, hands on Osamu's hips to adjust his stance as he murmurs quiet directions in his ear. When Osamu successfully shoots one of the bottles finally, the glass shattering into the sea below, he turns and throws his arms around Rintarou's neck in delight before he catches himself and tries to pull away. Rintarou just laughs, though, and says that it'll take more than one good shot for Osamu to become a real pirate.

As Rintarou steps closer again, though, helping him prep for the next shot, Osamu can feel his mind reeling at his words, can feel his soul spiralling with the weight of becoming.

Osamu wonders, as a ship is spotted over the horizon and a cheer breaks out somewhere, how Rintarou had pinpointed it so accurately. Three months into the voyage, the flag of Kiyoomi's trading empire is seen on the ship ahead of them, and it all begins to come crashing down on him.

You and Rintarou are pirates, still. You may be kind to him, a fondness growing that's had you treat him as something far more important than a bargaining chip, but Osamu knows, now, that he must face the truth.

You are pirates. You are here to overtake his brother's ship and take control of his brother-in-law's trading empire… and if there's one thing that Osamu's learned, it's that you don't take no for an answer when it comes to anyone other than him and Rintarou.

Fortunately, Osamu's used to the scuffle of you overtaking another ship - he's grown accustomed to the shouts and chaos and stumble-inducing rocking of the ship. This time, of course, is different, but he stands by your side at the helm regardless, his hand firmly on your arm as a sort of anchor.

Kiyoomi's vessel, while beautiful and capable, is nothing compared to yours, large and looming and commanding. His ship is overtaken, of course, an inevitable course of action that the sea splits to ensure. And when the gangplank is lowered and you and Rintarou step onto it, Osamu is quick to follow, trailing after the two of you and onto his brother-in-law's ship.

When he locks eyes with his twin, a few things happen. Atsumu looks healthy, bronzed and strong and dressed in fine silks as he stands regally by his husband's side. Envy and loneliness slam into Osamu's gut at the sight as he steps off the gangplank, Rintarou's hand reaching out to him as if by instinct, ensuring that he doesn't slip or fall.

But then, of course, Atsumu looks scared, terrified of the fact that his brother's been kidnapped by pirates and is about to be used as leverage against his husband - he's no idiot, he knows what this is about. But there's something… off about the whole thing. Osamu looks healthy, his hair bleached from the sun and shining from the salty air, his skin healthy and golden, his frame sturdy and built. When Osamu reaches out to his brother in a moment of longing, Atsumu catches sight of the thick callouses forming on his palms and his other hand held tightly by Rintarou - by a pirate.

Atsumu opens his mouth to say something, to shout and swear and cause some kind of commotion because his brother's been kidnapped when his husband puts a hand on his shoulder firmly and squeezes, a silent request to be still for just a moment longer.

"Sakusa Kiyoomi," you say as you step forward, your hand on the hilt of your sword where it rests on your hip. "You're certainly a difficult person to catch up to."

"I doubt there's a ship in these seas you couldn't catch eventually," Kiyoomi responds easily, holding an outstretched hand towards you. Atsumu and Osamu look on with matching, gawking expressions, and neither of them knows which part to be shocked more by - Kiyoomi's hospitality or your reciprocation.

"I'd much rather discuss this in private," Kiyoomi continues, gesturing a hand to the ornate doors leading below the upper deck.

"By all means," you answer easily, your voice sharp and steady, and Kiyoomi leads you inside while Rintarou follows, leaving Osamu and Atsumu to stand and stare, the sun beating down on the two of them and shimmering on the endless seas surrounding them.

"You look well," Osamu says carefully, shifting on his feet.

"I…am," Atsumu answers haltingly. "Are you?" Osamu opens his mouth to respond, but Rintarou calls his name from the open doorway and Osamu's moving past his brother and towards the call of his name before either of them really realizes it.

Atsumu's slow, after that, to join his husband and the others in their meeting, wine being poured into gilded cups and passed around as you speak with him.

"We've heard the rumours, of course," Kiyoomi is saying. "That the pirate lord is back… that the seas are shifting and the tides are changing."

"There is no pirate lord yet," you respond carefully, a measured sort of hunger in your voice. Kiyoomi hums thoughtfully.

"No, but it's clear that there soon will be… I am no fool," he says as he sits opposite you, Atsumu perching on the arm of his chair and staring at the way Osamu sits so naturally between you and Rintarou. "I know what stands between you and the title. Anyone who can control the trade routes… controls the seas. Fortunately, you also have something that I want."

"Oh?" You say questioningly, a coy note heard in your voice that suggests that you already know what Kiyoomi's suggesting. Osamu lets out a huff of laughter at your charade and Atsumu looks at him with a mortified sort of expression.

"Yes," Kiyoomi continues, then frowns in disapproval. "Kidnapping dear Osamu, I'd like to point out, was really very unnecessary. I'm not sure why you felt the need to do such a thing."

"I don't like to leave things to chance -" you've started to say, but Osamu's angry voice interrupts yours, much to your amusement.

"I'm fine, alright," he scoffs. "Nothing bad's happened to me, so you don't need to look at them like that. And why shouldn't they do something if it means making sure they get what they want?" Kiyoomi, with his everlasting stoicism, merely blinks at the outburst while you and Rintarou sport matching grins. Atsumu, on the other hand, feels like he might be sick, staggering from the sight of his brother, walking and talking and acting like a pirate.

"Well…" Kiyoomi continues. "We've been having problems with pirates - none from your fleet, I've noticed. Every ship plundered and sunk is profit that I'd rather not lose… and every trading ship from a company other than mine that you do sink is business that I'd like to take. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this."

"I do," you nod in affirmation. "Seems a pity that we both have these problems that could so easily be fixed. We ought to do something about that, I'd say."

"You know," Kiyoomi says thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair and sliding a hand comfortingly up Atsumu's thigh where he remains perched on the arm of his husband's seat. "I've never really been interested in selling shares, but if the right offer were to come along…" Atsumu gapes at his husband, grabbing his hand.

"To pirates?" He hisses. Kiyoomi lets his eyes fall onto Osamu, staring at the man as he straightens.

"No," he says easily. "I'd much rather keep it in the family."

"Me?" Osamu blurts out, and Kiyoomi hums and nods in confirmation.

"Well," you drawl, leaning back in your own chair so that you can throw an arm over Osamu's shoulders. "I'm sure we can work something out." Atsumu stands abruptly, stomping out towards the deck and slamming the door behind him. Kiyoomi stares for a moment, a tired sort of look on his face while Osamu twists around to stare at the door.

"So," you continue. "Control over the trading routes."

"And protection for my ships," Kiyoomi finishes.

"Not to mention more firepower than you'd ever need to knock out any competition," Rintarou chimes in. Kiyoomi grins like a shark smelling blood at the comment and you laugh.

"Well, Kiyoomi," you say light-heartedly as the man stands. "I've always thought you made a good businessman."

As you and Kiyoomi spread various contracts between the two of you, preparing to hash out all of the details, Rintarou nudges Osamu with his elbow.

"Go to Atsumu," he says quietly, making Osamu frown, his heart clenching nervously.

"You don't want me here for this? It'll be my name on the contract," he says, clenching his fists at the whining, desperate note to his own voice.

"Of course, we want you here, pet," Rintarou assures, smoothing a hand over Osamu's hair while you squeeze his knee gently under the table. "But if your brother throws a fit and flings himself overboard I doubt we'll still have a contract to sign. Go, make amends with him. Nothing will be signed until you're ready."

With that, Osamu leaves the three of you to settle things, slipping outside to find his brother. Sure enough, Atsumu is standing by the railing, arms crossed and mouth downturned as he scowls up at the flag flying from your ship. Osamu moves to stand beside him carefully, walking slowly as he looks to his brother.

"What happened to you?" Atsumu asks harshly. Osamu shrugs a bit.

"I became a pirate?" He offers. Atsumu whirls on him, glaring.

"I'm not joking, Osamu," he spits. Osamu scoffs and crosses his arms to mirror his brother.

"Well, neither am I, really. I was… I was kidnapped, but it's fine."

"No," says Astumu firmly. "We can fix this, we can take you away, we can -"

"No," Osamu interrupts. "You can't. There's no one, anymore, who can take me away from this. There's no one who gets to choose my life other than me." Atsumu snaps his mouth shut at Osamu's determined words and he steps back from his brother with heartbreak flashing across his face.

"And this… this is what you choose?" he says slowly. "A pirate's life?"

"It's not so different from yours, I'd say," Osamu offers gently. "If you let yourself see that." Atsumu just groans and buries his head in his hands.

"Why couldn't you just stay at home?" His voice is muffled by his palms as Osamu bristles.

"I am home," he says clearly. "I am home now more than I ever was back there. You should know that, Atsumu. That's… that's why you left, isn't it? That's why you went with Kiyoomi? To find a home for yourself?"

"Yes," Atsumu straightens. "But…"

"Do I not deserve to find that for myself?" Osamu asks weakly. His brother sighs wearily, stepping forward to wrap his arms around him and pull him into a hug - the first one shared between the two of them in years.

"Of course you do, 'Samu… I'm sorry," he says softly, an apology carried by the wind between them out to the sea.

"It's ok," Osamu mumbles against his brother's shoulders, his arms tightening around him. "I'm just glad to see you again." Beyond the two of them, the sun begins to fall lower along the horizon, a shining, orange glow bathing the endless sea in light as it stretches endlessly onward.

It's agreed, after that, that Kiyoomi's vessel will need protection for the remaining three weeks of its course before it lands in port - and who would be better to provide that protection than you? Osamu's quick to point out that this is the perfect opportunity to solidify the new agreement and Rintarou nearly falls over himself laughing at how quickly you cave.

"One day," you snap at Rintarou, "he's going to look at you with those eyes and you're going to be the one falling to your knees." But Osamu just giggles gleefully while Atsumu looks on with a hint of satisfied amusement. He's not sure he's ever seen his brother like this, healthy and alive and glowing in the fading sun, standing in front of the endless backdrop of the darkened sea.

Your grumbling lasts as you stomp back over the gangplank onto your own ship, Rintarou and Osamu trailing after you.

"What are they so impatient for, anyway?" Osamu asks bemusedly.

"It's just that we've been waiting a long time for this," Rintarou explains as he leads the two of them into the cabin, through to the captain's quarters. "We were nothing more than street rats when they first set their eyes on this, working scrubbing decks for nothing other than lodging on ships. It's… it's taken us a long time to get here."

"I… I had no idea," Osamu says quietly, shifting on his feet as they enter your quarters.

"Well," you drawl as you turn the corner, clearly having heard the conversation. "We can't all grow up in manor houses like you." There's no hint of malice in your voice, though, just the soft cadence of kindness being heard, making Osamu relax.

"It's better this way, anyway," Rintarou soothes, reaching forward to press a kiss to your lips as Osamu looks away awkwardly. "This gives me time to send word to Kita. He'll assemble the fleet and the other captains who still keep to the code. He'll ready the vote." Rintarou's staying close to you as he speaks, pressing little, fluttering kisses across your face while you frown impatiently. Osamu thinks maybe he should just leave, and he spins on his heel several times until he's dizzy and can't trust himself to find the door anymore.

"What if they don't vote for me?" You ask quietly. Rintarou rolls his eyes.

"They'll vote for you, treasure. They'll have to," he assures. You look past him, then, and see Osamu determinedly staring at a blank spot of wall while a blush rages up to his ears. You laugh, of course, reaching part Rintarou to grab onto his wrist and tug him towards you.

He stumbles, making an embarrassing sort of sound as he ends up slamming against you, but the sturdiness of Rintarou on your other side means that there's nowhere for you to fall between the two of them.

"And you?" you prompt him gently. Osamu just blinks at you.

"Me?"

"What will you do?" You clarify, and Osamu sort of… freezes at that. You'd never really said, he supposes, that he's a part of the crew - that he's welcome to stay on your ship after all this. His heart, sinking rapidly, clenches as he clears his throat and straightens.

"I'll… I guess I'll…" You roll your eyes and grab him by his collar, pulling him against you so that you can kiss him firmly. He makes another one of those embarrassing, needy sounds as he puts his hands on your waist and tightens his grip on you, making you smile against his lips.

When you part, finally, Rintarou is watching eagerly from his place behind you, his arms around your waist and his chin hooked over your shoulder as he eyes Osamu's reddened, kiss-bitten lips and heaving chest.

"I'm asking you," you say slowly - pointedly. "If you'd like to stay… if you'd like to make a home here."

"I…" Osamu says slowly, eyes flitting between the two of you before he looks out the window, towards the dark, shimmering waters and the endless line of the horizon beyond. "I think I already have." You smile at that, an honest, open sort of thing that Osamu knows is rarely seen from you. The realization has something fluttering in his chest as you take his hand in yours and begin to pull him towards the door that he knows leads to your private room.

When you swing open the door and lead him in, however, you shove a hand out to stop Rintarou from following, pushing his chest away from the doorway.

"You have to send word to Kita," you remind him eagerly, earning a pained look from Rintarou.

"Come on, treasure, please, I will after -" Rintarou's voice is earnest, bordering on desperate as he stares first at you and then over your shoulder at Osamu and the way he's sprawled out on your bed.

"Just do it quickly," you say as you begin to close the door, one hand still firmly on Rintarou's chest to keep him out. "It's very important to me, you know." And with that, the door is closed, and Rintarou is left to sigh and thump his head against it a couple of times before straightening and spinning on his heel to leave.

In the end, Rintarou has been right once more. Osamu thinks, as he climbs his way up to the crow's nest and eyes the dizzying distance beneath him, that he's not sure the man has ever been wrong. He settles on the wooden platform, his back to the top of the mast as he lets his legs hang off of the edge and looks out towards the rising sun.

The vote, if Osamu could ever call it that, had been unanimous. You'd spent years building this fleet of yours, years earning the fear and respect of the other ships and even the other captains not under your command. When Kita had called for the vote, declaring as the keeper of the code that the title of Pirate Lord had been vacant for too long and that the tides were finally changing, it didn't seem to be any sort of surprise to anyone that it was you who called for the throne.

And so, when you'd walked in, brandishing Kiyoomi's signature and declaring that the one element of the seas that could never be touched, the trading routes, were now under your command, there wasn't much anyone could do but agree. Osamu thought, in that moment, watching you be crowned and the greatest captains pledge their fleets to you, that he'd never seen anyone shine with becoming as much as you did on that day.

But on the way back onto the ship, he'd caught his slanted reflection in the water below, and thought surely the sun must have been staring back at him with the way he glowed.

Below him, he hears you shout distantly for him to be careful, but he merely laughs and tips his head back up towards the endless sky that stretches onward. He's climbed this mast a thousand times by now, familiar with it in a way that feels like home. There is no danger that could befall him here, he's sure, no ill will that could catch up to him on the vast, open sea. Ahead of him, the sun begins to lift, rising towards the sky and stretching out across the endless line of the horizon. He reaches a hand forward, as if he could find the vastness beyond and go further, further, further until all corners of the world have been touched by him. As the sun hits his face and bathes him in a golden glow, he thinks he just might. He thinks that he can't find a better life to call his own.

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