Words that won't disappear (Yokoo/Fujigaya)
Title: Words that won't disappear
Characters/pairings: Yokoo/Fujigaya, Kitayama and others kis-my-ft2, abc-z and smap members.
Rating/Genre: PG; Steampunk pirates AU
Summary: Fujigaya is trying to understand the secrets of a map when someone suddenly appears on the ship to help him.
A/N: This is set before anything that I've posted of this AU. Steampirates AU might not be the usual pirates AU they don't even talk like pirates, but I'm quite fond of it so I hope someone else can appreciate it too. Beta: rockthecliche♥ Comments are welcome!♥
Fujigaya looked at the moon from the window of the cabin. It was just a gleaming crescent, but it radiated a white powerful light that glimmered on the dark blue sea. He bent his neck over the map he was examining by candlelight on the table of the captain’s cabin on the Shooting Star.
“I don’t get it, Kitayama. There’s no such island. There isn't and never has been an island there!”
“I know that, Fujigaya. We’ve sailed that place many times. What I’m asking is not if you’ve ever seen that island, but if you see something unusual on this map.”
“What I see is just an island that shouldn’t be there!” Fujigaya answered, slightly offended.
“Aren’t you an expert in maps? Don’t you think that this map has something weird? Anything?”
“It’s a totally normal and plain, boring map if you ask me. With tacky decorations on the corners, too.”
“As if you don’t like that style...” Kitayama said, getting a sideways look from Fujigaya in exchange.
"There must be something. The navy wouldn’t have gone through all that trouble to look for this thing if there wasn't something important behind it."
"Kitayama, just accept the fact we wasted our time and efforts..." Fujigaya started talking in a bored tone before Kitayama slammed his hands on the table and looked at him, annoyed.
"It's not possible. If Nakai was after this thing it must mean something." Kitayama said, his voice annoyingly quiet.
Fujigaya pouted and looked resentful. Whenever Nakai was involved, it was almost useless to reason with Kitayama.
"So please, take this map with you, sleep with it if you have to, and do your work by finding out what it means," Kitayama added.
"It won't talk even if sleeping with me can be considered a privilege."
"I'm not joking Fujigaya! Go now."
Fujigaya started walking towards the door when Kitayama slammed his hand on the table again.
"You forgot the map!!!!"
--
Fujigaya walked lazily till he reached the balustrade on the deck, then he leaned on it with his elbows and sighed. Why should his life be so hard?
If Kitayama wasn't the captain, maybe he could have told him he was a jerk. Actually, he often told him he was a jerk, but only when Kitayama himself didn't remember to behave like a captain, or even looked like he forgot he was actually the captain. But Fujigaya couldn't force himself to insult him whenever Nakai's name turned up. He didn't know why but Kitayama was damn serious whenever Nakai was involved.
Fujigaya even thought of getting rid of the map, but Kitayama would have drowned him for sure. He just didn't want to look at that damn map anymore. All that he could get out of it were just bad feelings and a slight headache.
He leaned on the wall behind him, leaving the rolled map on top of a barrel, and took out his silver flute from his pocket. The moon made him surprisingly upset, in addition to Kitayama, the map and everything else. Playing some gentle notes was the best way to relax when he felt like that. He pressed his lips to the instrument and puffed air inside, letting out the first notes of a rather nostalgic melody.
"It's nice you're playing my music when you look so upset. Thank you," a voice announced from the upper deck.
"Wataru!"
A slim figure was sitting on the balustrade right up above him. He smiled and jumped down to face him.
"Who let you on board this time? Or did you just jump on without asking as usual?"
"Oh well, and I thought I deserved a better greeting, silly me."
"I haven't seen you in ages!" Fujigaya pouted.
"Don't you want to hug me?" Yokoo said, spreading his arms as an invite.
"I'd rather throw you in the water!"
“That’s how you treat your guests on the Shooting Star? How nice!”
Hearing those words, Fujigaya just puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms. “You aren’t a guest, you’re just a stowaway.”
“I thought you liked the way I surprise you by showing up on this ship from time to time.”
“Idiot. From time to time... it’s been ages!” Fujigaya yelled.
Yokoo just leaned his chin on his palms while he rested his elbows on a barrel. He looked up at Fujigaya and smiled. Fujigaya just put on an outraged face.
“Sorry?” Yokoo smiled.
Fujigaya sighed and relaxed. Yokoo moved behind him and started massaging his shoulders.
“You’re so stiff! Is Kitayama stressing you out more these days? Or is it Kawai?"
“It’s just that life isn’t easy, okay?”
“What’s troubling you? I don’t like it when you are no match for my jokes.”
Fujigaya turned his face to look at Yokoo’s from a closer angle. “I’m not here to entertain you, if that’s what you think I’m doing when I make fun of you.”
“You make fun of me in a nice way. It shows you like me!” Yokoo couldn’t stop smiling. Fujigaya sighed again.
“Could you just continue massaging me please?”
“So, is the piece of rolled paper over there causing you so much stress?”
Fujigaya nodded and Yokoo interrupted his activity to fetch the map. “Can I take a look?” he asked politely. Fujigaya nodded again. Yokoo unrolled the map with his long fingers and looked at it.
“I see...”
“What? What do you see?” Fujigaya asked, running next to him and glancing at the map.
“I have no idea where this place is!”
Fujigaya sighed in disbelief.
“It’s the sea around the Gorken Islands, but there is something wrong on the map.”
“Yeah, indeed the decorations on the corners are a bit tacky,” Yokoo observed, looking serious while talking.
“I didn’t mean that! I mean there is this island here that actually does not exist. It’s not there in reality!” Fujigaya said, pointing at the map.
“Ah that! Sorry. I had no idea.”
“Kitayama is pestering me because I don’t know why a non-existent island is on that map.”
“It’s always Kitayama’s fault in the end,” Yokoo chuckled.
“You know, today looks like you’re running to seize the title of 'Fujigaya’s best botherer’ against him.” Yokoo pouted and Fujigaya burst out laughing. “You just made the silliest face!”
“I can make more if that makes you laugh.”
“I just can’t deal with you, Wataru. If I needed to admit my weak point, that would be you.” Fujigaya said, smiling and shaking his head.
“Did you try scraping the map?”
“Yes, the fake island doesn’t come off.”
“Placing it against the light?”
“Do you think I’m dumb? I’m supposed to be an expert!”
"So I guess you tried with water or alcohol..." Fujigaya made a distressed expression as an answer.
“Doesn’t the shape of this island reminds you of something?”
“It just reminds me of a moon crescent. That’s why when I looked at the sky tonight I felt so upset.” Fujigaya stopped and Yokoo nodded.
“The moon!” Fujigaya snatched the map from Yokoo’s hands and held it up to match the island with the moon’s shape. "This might be very stupid but..."
“I can see something!” Yokoo said, furrowing in concentration.
Silver swirls started to form all over the paper. They looked like a very stilted handwriting, but it was impossible to read it. It seemed like only less than a quarter of the letters were showing.
“What sort of trickery is that?!” Fujigaya said, looking at the silver scribblings. “Even if I move the map to match the island with the moon in different parts, I can only see the same writings!! How did they even make this?”
“But the moon is waning today. Maybe you should check again when it’s waxing. Wait until it perfectly matches the fake island on the map.”
“This whole thing sounds completely absurd.”
“There are many things that would make you wonder in this world, Taisuke, you can’t even imagine.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Anyway, now I’ve got something and I can use it to make Kitayama shut up! Are you coming with me?”
“I might pop in and say hi.”
--
Fujigaya slammed open the door of Kitayama’s cabin and was surprised to find him well awake, occupied with the polishing of his weapons.
“I know what the map hides!” Fujigaya announced, taking a step into the room and letting Yokoo in after him. Kitayama stood up.
“Yokoo! You were on board? I can’t believe no one told me!”
“No one knew he was on board, Captain. As usual.”
“Right. And the quartermaster decided to throw me in the water. Apparently that’s how you treat stowaways around here.”
“What stowaway?! You are a very welcome guest!” Kitayama smiled, running to hug Yokoo. Fujigaya stared at Yokoo sideways and smiled bitterly.
--
"So the map has some sort of magic secret?" Kitayama asked in disbelief, when Fujigaya showed him the trick.
"We need to wait and see if more writings will show up with the right moon."
"Oh, but this is great! If the map has magic powers I'm convinced it has something to do with what we are looking for!" Kitayama said, starting walking restlessly around the room. "It might actually lead to the location of what we are looking for!"
"What about the other map pieces then? Also, this one doesn't look too old. It might be a map that has nothing to do with that," Fujigaya said.
"Still going after old legends, guys?" Yokoo asked.
"But maybe someone made a copy of it!" Kitayama bellowed, not paying any attention to Yokoo’s question.
"That would mean that the map was still in one piece to do it, and as I said, this map is not as old as the shattered one."
"What if there was more than one map? What if somebody found the place accidentally and drew a new map?"
"I'd exclude that Kitayama. Finding that wouldn't be so easy; all the luck in the seven seas is probably not enough. We all know that. And about other copies..."
"The shattered one is the only copy. I'm sure of it," Yokoo butted in, and this time he wasn't ignored.
"Right. I forgot you are an expert in old history," Kitayama said.
"I'm not. I just studied some of the pictures in the old ruins."
"So... where does this map lead?" Fujigaya asked looking at the map, which now had returned to be the plain map it was, before they found out about the power the moon had on it.
"I guess you'll find out at the next moon," Yokoo smiled.
"We'll have to wait but it's not a problem. In the meantime, we'll send Nikaido to Port Royal and see if we can find a good map of the sea around the Gorken Islands among the Navy ones."
"You mean you'll steal it?"
"There! The stowaway is judging us," Fujigaya laughed.
"Fujigaya, I think I already made it clear he's very welcome here so stop saying he’s a stowaway."
"B-but... I didn' t mean..."
"Kitayama, I think Taisuke just likes to joke like that. He knows I'm not judging."
"I'll never understand you two, but I know Fujigaya can be sort of unkind to people sometimes so I was worried," Kitayama laughed.
"Hey! First of all, I'm a pirate. I don't have to be kind. Second, I'm kind with Wataru. And not kind with people who deserve it."
"Why don't you go and play something instead of talking so much?” Kitayama said. “It's been awhile since we had a party. I hope you didn't forget your violin, Wataru!"
"I have it. I'll get it. Of course, if Taisuke is okay to play his flute with me."
Fujigaya hardly contained a smile. He rarely was as happy as when he was listening to Yokoo's violin, and he loved playing with him. They harmonized perfectly all the time.
--
The crew gathered on the main deck of the galleon as soon as the news about the party spread. Usually all it took was to tell Senga and Kawai, then it was only a matter of literally minutes before everyone on board knew. They were just that good at spreading the word.
They got barrels of fine rum out of the hold and brought them on the deck. They lit oil lamps and started to drink and were merry under the stars glowing in the dark night sky.
Fujigaya looked at Yokoo while happy notes floated out of his flute. It would have been so great to have Yokoo on board all the time! But he never stayed.
--
Fujigaya tripped on something on the floor and dropped the cup he was going to refill with rum. The something on the floor was actually Captain Kitayama, already passed out, his head on Kawai's lap. Nikaido and Senga had already gone back to the cabin and other people were lying about, too drunk, or tired, or both.
Fujigaya was quite tipsy as well; he just sort of wanted to reach for his cabin and his bed. He moved some steps forward, staggering. Suddenly, the door of his cabin seemed so far it was unreachable.
“Let me help you.” Yokoo stood up from the shadows and grabbed Fujigaya's waist, helping him walk. “Do you always have fun like this? Or is it only when I am here?”
“Don't be conceited, a pirate's life needs to be fun. You'll know if you'd stayed,” Fujigaya mumbled.
“Taisuke...are you asking me to stay?”
“What? No!” Fujigaya frowned. “Bring me on the forecastle, I want to look at the stars.”
“Yes, but wait a moment.” Yokoo left him on the stairs to the upper deck to go inside a cabin. When he came back he had a blanket with him. “It's a bit chilly during the night,” he explained.
“You aren’t planning to cover all the people sleeping on the deck, are you?”
“I think they can take care of themselves,” Yokoo chuckled.
They moved to the forecastle and sat down on the planks. Fujigaya lay on his back looking up at the small, glimmering lights in the sky, his eyes wide open, hands on his chest.
“It's cold.” Yokoo covered him with the blanket.
“Isn't it a great night?” Fujigaya smiled. “Come here,” he said, holding the blanket up for Yokoo to snuggle under it.
For some minutes they lay there in silence, both staring at the stars, the tiny dots reflecting as even tinier glitters in their eyes.
“I actually meant to say that you can stay if you want,” Fujigaya said.
“I know.”
“So?”
“I can't stay.”
Fujigaya stirred and turned to the side, his back to Yokoo.
“Taisuke, I have...”
“It's okay. I'm done asking you questions. I know the answers won't be satisfying anyway.”
“I wish I could explain it to you.”
“I don't even know how you appear and disappear so suddenly from a ship! Are you a wizard or something?” Fujigaya laughed nervously. Yokoo put a hand on his shoulder.
“Taisuke, if I could, I'd stay.”
“I know you would.” Fujigaya turned to face Yokoo and smiled. “How could you not? I mean, it must be pretty boring without me around.”
“More than you can imagine. I guess you're always around yourself, so you have no idea.” They both laughed.
“I just love this. It feels like I have an ally on this ship,” Fujigaya said.
“What are you talking about? Isn't everyone your ally here?”
“Yes, but...”
“Taisuke, you should stop complaining and enjoying what you have. As for me, I'd give anything to have friends like them.”
“You do! I am your friend. We are all your friends.”
Yokoo smiled. “Thanks, Taisuke.”
Please, stay a little bit more this time. Those were the words Fujigaya had wished to say.
--
Fujigaya opened his eyes and saw the sun already up in the sky. He stood up and took a look around him.
“Welcome back, quartermaster. Drank a bit too much yesterday, huh?” Kitayama smiled, patting the other's back.
“Tsk, you passed out before I did. By the way, where is Yokoo?”
“He must have left already.”
Fujigaya wanted to run and turn the ship inside out to search for him, but he knew it would have been useless. Yokoo had already left the ship. As impossible as it seemed, he left a ship that was sailing miles and miles away from the coast.
“Don't be sad, he'll be back as usual,” Kitayama reassured him.
“I'm not sad, I know.” Fujigaya wanted to answer Kitayama, telling him he knew nothing, he could never understand him and all that, but he stopped himself just in time. He remembered Yokoo's words about treasuring his friends. He remembered how sad his smile looked. Fujigaya didn't know why Yokoo was so lonely, he just knew it wasn't fair. But he couldn't force him to stay with them. He was sure Yokoo had his reasons not to stay. Fujigaya looked at Kitayama and smiled.
“So, Port Royal right?”
Characters/pairings: Yokoo/Fujigaya, Kitayama and others kis-my-ft2, abc-z and smap members.
Rating/Genre: PG; Steampunk pirates AU
Summary: Fujigaya is trying to understand the secrets of a map when someone suddenly appears on the ship to help him.
A/N: This is set before anything that I've posted of this AU. Steampirates AU might not be the usual pirates AU they don't even talk like pirates, but I'm quite fond of it so I hope someone else can appreciate it too. Beta: rockthecliche♥ Comments are welcome!♥
Fujigaya looked at the moon from the window of the cabin. It was just a gleaming crescent, but it radiated a white powerful light that glimmered on the dark blue sea. He bent his neck over the map he was examining by candlelight on the table of the captain’s cabin on the Shooting Star.
“I don’t get it, Kitayama. There’s no such island. There isn't and never has been an island there!”
“I know that, Fujigaya. We’ve sailed that place many times. What I’m asking is not if you’ve ever seen that island, but if you see something unusual on this map.”
“What I see is just an island that shouldn’t be there!” Fujigaya answered, slightly offended.
“Aren’t you an expert in maps? Don’t you think that this map has something weird? Anything?”
“It’s a totally normal and plain, boring map if you ask me. With tacky decorations on the corners, too.”
“As if you don’t like that style...” Kitayama said, getting a sideways look from Fujigaya in exchange.
"There must be something. The navy wouldn’t have gone through all that trouble to look for this thing if there wasn't something important behind it."
"Kitayama, just accept the fact we wasted our time and efforts..." Fujigaya started talking in a bored tone before Kitayama slammed his hands on the table and looked at him, annoyed.
"It's not possible. If Nakai was after this thing it must mean something." Kitayama said, his voice annoyingly quiet.
Fujigaya pouted and looked resentful. Whenever Nakai was involved, it was almost useless to reason with Kitayama.
"So please, take this map with you, sleep with it if you have to, and do your work by finding out what it means," Kitayama added.
"It won't talk even if sleeping with me can be considered a privilege."
"I'm not joking Fujigaya! Go now."
Fujigaya started walking towards the door when Kitayama slammed his hand on the table again.
"You forgot the map!!!!"
--
Fujigaya walked lazily till he reached the balustrade on the deck, then he leaned on it with his elbows and sighed. Why should his life be so hard?
If Kitayama wasn't the captain, maybe he could have told him he was a jerk. Actually, he often told him he was a jerk, but only when Kitayama himself didn't remember to behave like a captain, or even looked like he forgot he was actually the captain. But Fujigaya couldn't force himself to insult him whenever Nakai's name turned up. He didn't know why but Kitayama was damn serious whenever Nakai was involved.
Fujigaya even thought of getting rid of the map, but Kitayama would have drowned him for sure. He just didn't want to look at that damn map anymore. All that he could get out of it were just bad feelings and a slight headache.
He leaned on the wall behind him, leaving the rolled map on top of a barrel, and took out his silver flute from his pocket. The moon made him surprisingly upset, in addition to Kitayama, the map and everything else. Playing some gentle notes was the best way to relax when he felt like that. He pressed his lips to the instrument and puffed air inside, letting out the first notes of a rather nostalgic melody.
"It's nice you're playing my music when you look so upset. Thank you," a voice announced from the upper deck.
"Wataru!"
A slim figure was sitting on the balustrade right up above him. He smiled and jumped down to face him.
"Who let you on board this time? Or did you just jump on without asking as usual?"
"Oh well, and I thought I deserved a better greeting, silly me."
"I haven't seen you in ages!" Fujigaya pouted.
"Don't you want to hug me?" Yokoo said, spreading his arms as an invite.
"I'd rather throw you in the water!"
“That’s how you treat your guests on the Shooting Star? How nice!”
Hearing those words, Fujigaya just puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms. “You aren’t a guest, you’re just a stowaway.”
“I thought you liked the way I surprise you by showing up on this ship from time to time.”
“Idiot. From time to time... it’s been ages!” Fujigaya yelled.
Yokoo just leaned his chin on his palms while he rested his elbows on a barrel. He looked up at Fujigaya and smiled. Fujigaya just put on an outraged face.
“Sorry?” Yokoo smiled.
Fujigaya sighed and relaxed. Yokoo moved behind him and started massaging his shoulders.
“You’re so stiff! Is Kitayama stressing you out more these days? Or is it Kawai?"
“It’s just that life isn’t easy, okay?”
“What’s troubling you? I don’t like it when you are no match for my jokes.”
Fujigaya turned his face to look at Yokoo’s from a closer angle. “I’m not here to entertain you, if that’s what you think I’m doing when I make fun of you.”
“You make fun of me in a nice way. It shows you like me!” Yokoo couldn’t stop smiling. Fujigaya sighed again.
“Could you just continue massaging me please?”
“So, is the piece of rolled paper over there causing you so much stress?”
Fujigaya nodded and Yokoo interrupted his activity to fetch the map. “Can I take a look?” he asked politely. Fujigaya nodded again. Yokoo unrolled the map with his long fingers and looked at it.
“I see...”
“What? What do you see?” Fujigaya asked, running next to him and glancing at the map.
“I have no idea where this place is!”
Fujigaya sighed in disbelief.
“It’s the sea around the Gorken Islands, but there is something wrong on the map.”
“Yeah, indeed the decorations on the corners are a bit tacky,” Yokoo observed, looking serious while talking.
“I didn’t mean that! I mean there is this island here that actually does not exist. It’s not there in reality!” Fujigaya said, pointing at the map.
“Ah that! Sorry. I had no idea.”
“Kitayama is pestering me because I don’t know why a non-existent island is on that map.”
“It’s always Kitayama’s fault in the end,” Yokoo chuckled.
“You know, today looks like you’re running to seize the title of 'Fujigaya’s best botherer’ against him.” Yokoo pouted and Fujigaya burst out laughing. “You just made the silliest face!”
“I can make more if that makes you laugh.”
“I just can’t deal with you, Wataru. If I needed to admit my weak point, that would be you.” Fujigaya said, smiling and shaking his head.
“Did you try scraping the map?”
“Yes, the fake island doesn’t come off.”
“Placing it against the light?”
“Do you think I’m dumb? I’m supposed to be an expert!”
"So I guess you tried with water or alcohol..." Fujigaya made a distressed expression as an answer.
“Doesn’t the shape of this island reminds you of something?”
“It just reminds me of a moon crescent. That’s why when I looked at the sky tonight I felt so upset.” Fujigaya stopped and Yokoo nodded.
“The moon!” Fujigaya snatched the map from Yokoo’s hands and held it up to match the island with the moon’s shape. "This might be very stupid but..."
“I can see something!” Yokoo said, furrowing in concentration.
Silver swirls started to form all over the paper. They looked like a very stilted handwriting, but it was impossible to read it. It seemed like only less than a quarter of the letters were showing.
“What sort of trickery is that?!” Fujigaya said, looking at the silver scribblings. “Even if I move the map to match the island with the moon in different parts, I can only see the same writings!! How did they even make this?”
“But the moon is waning today. Maybe you should check again when it’s waxing. Wait until it perfectly matches the fake island on the map.”
“This whole thing sounds completely absurd.”
“There are many things that would make you wonder in this world, Taisuke, you can’t even imagine.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Anyway, now I’ve got something and I can use it to make Kitayama shut up! Are you coming with me?”
“I might pop in and say hi.”
--
Fujigaya slammed open the door of Kitayama’s cabin and was surprised to find him well awake, occupied with the polishing of his weapons.
“I know what the map hides!” Fujigaya announced, taking a step into the room and letting Yokoo in after him. Kitayama stood up.
“Yokoo! You were on board? I can’t believe no one told me!”
“No one knew he was on board, Captain. As usual.”
“Right. And the quartermaster decided to throw me in the water. Apparently that’s how you treat stowaways around here.”
“What stowaway?! You are a very welcome guest!” Kitayama smiled, running to hug Yokoo. Fujigaya stared at Yokoo sideways and smiled bitterly.
--
"So the map has some sort of magic secret?" Kitayama asked in disbelief, when Fujigaya showed him the trick.
"We need to wait and see if more writings will show up with the right moon."
"Oh, but this is great! If the map has magic powers I'm convinced it has something to do with what we are looking for!" Kitayama said, starting walking restlessly around the room. "It might actually lead to the location of what we are looking for!"
"What about the other map pieces then? Also, this one doesn't look too old. It might be a map that has nothing to do with that," Fujigaya said.
"Still going after old legends, guys?" Yokoo asked.
"But maybe someone made a copy of it!" Kitayama bellowed, not paying any attention to Yokoo’s question.
"That would mean that the map was still in one piece to do it, and as I said, this map is not as old as the shattered one."
"What if there was more than one map? What if somebody found the place accidentally and drew a new map?"
"I'd exclude that Kitayama. Finding that wouldn't be so easy; all the luck in the seven seas is probably not enough. We all know that. And about other copies..."
"The shattered one is the only copy. I'm sure of it," Yokoo butted in, and this time he wasn't ignored.
"Right. I forgot you are an expert in old history," Kitayama said.
"I'm not. I just studied some of the pictures in the old ruins."
"So... where does this map lead?" Fujigaya asked looking at the map, which now had returned to be the plain map it was, before they found out about the power the moon had on it.
"I guess you'll find out at the next moon," Yokoo smiled.
"We'll have to wait but it's not a problem. In the meantime, we'll send Nikaido to Port Royal and see if we can find a good map of the sea around the Gorken Islands among the Navy ones."
"You mean you'll steal it?"
"There! The stowaway is judging us," Fujigaya laughed.
"Fujigaya, I think I already made it clear he's very welcome here so stop saying he’s a stowaway."
"B-but... I didn' t mean..."
"Kitayama, I think Taisuke just likes to joke like that. He knows I'm not judging."
"I'll never understand you two, but I know Fujigaya can be sort of unkind to people sometimes so I was worried," Kitayama laughed.
"Hey! First of all, I'm a pirate. I don't have to be kind. Second, I'm kind with Wataru. And not kind with people who deserve it."
"Why don't you go and play something instead of talking so much?” Kitayama said. “It's been awhile since we had a party. I hope you didn't forget your violin, Wataru!"
"I have it. I'll get it. Of course, if Taisuke is okay to play his flute with me."
Fujigaya hardly contained a smile. He rarely was as happy as when he was listening to Yokoo's violin, and he loved playing with him. They harmonized perfectly all the time.
--
The crew gathered on the main deck of the galleon as soon as the news about the party spread. Usually all it took was to tell Senga and Kawai, then it was only a matter of literally minutes before everyone on board knew. They were just that good at spreading the word.
They got barrels of fine rum out of the hold and brought them on the deck. They lit oil lamps and started to drink and were merry under the stars glowing in the dark night sky.
Fujigaya looked at Yokoo while happy notes floated out of his flute. It would have been so great to have Yokoo on board all the time! But he never stayed.
--
Fujigaya tripped on something on the floor and dropped the cup he was going to refill with rum. The something on the floor was actually Captain Kitayama, already passed out, his head on Kawai's lap. Nikaido and Senga had already gone back to the cabin and other people were lying about, too drunk, or tired, or both.
Fujigaya was quite tipsy as well; he just sort of wanted to reach for his cabin and his bed. He moved some steps forward, staggering. Suddenly, the door of his cabin seemed so far it was unreachable.
“Let me help you.” Yokoo stood up from the shadows and grabbed Fujigaya's waist, helping him walk. “Do you always have fun like this? Or is it only when I am here?”
“Don't be conceited, a pirate's life needs to be fun. You'll know if you'd stayed,” Fujigaya mumbled.
“Taisuke...are you asking me to stay?”
“What? No!” Fujigaya frowned. “Bring me on the forecastle, I want to look at the stars.”
“Yes, but wait a moment.” Yokoo left him on the stairs to the upper deck to go inside a cabin. When he came back he had a blanket with him. “It's a bit chilly during the night,” he explained.
“You aren’t planning to cover all the people sleeping on the deck, are you?”
“I think they can take care of themselves,” Yokoo chuckled.
They moved to the forecastle and sat down on the planks. Fujigaya lay on his back looking up at the small, glimmering lights in the sky, his eyes wide open, hands on his chest.
“It's cold.” Yokoo covered him with the blanket.
“Isn't it a great night?” Fujigaya smiled. “Come here,” he said, holding the blanket up for Yokoo to snuggle under it.
For some minutes they lay there in silence, both staring at the stars, the tiny dots reflecting as even tinier glitters in their eyes.
“I actually meant to say that you can stay if you want,” Fujigaya said.
“I know.”
“So?”
“I can't stay.”
Fujigaya stirred and turned to the side, his back to Yokoo.
“Taisuke, I have...”
“It's okay. I'm done asking you questions. I know the answers won't be satisfying anyway.”
“I wish I could explain it to you.”
“I don't even know how you appear and disappear so suddenly from a ship! Are you a wizard or something?” Fujigaya laughed nervously. Yokoo put a hand on his shoulder.
“Taisuke, if I could, I'd stay.”
“I know you would.” Fujigaya turned to face Yokoo and smiled. “How could you not? I mean, it must be pretty boring without me around.”
“More than you can imagine. I guess you're always around yourself, so you have no idea.” They both laughed.
“I just love this. It feels like I have an ally on this ship,” Fujigaya said.
“What are you talking about? Isn't everyone your ally here?”
“Yes, but...”
“Taisuke, you should stop complaining and enjoying what you have. As for me, I'd give anything to have friends like them.”
“You do! I am your friend. We are all your friends.”
Yokoo smiled. “Thanks, Taisuke.”
Please, stay a little bit more this time. Those were the words Fujigaya had wished to say.
--
Fujigaya opened his eyes and saw the sun already up in the sky. He stood up and took a look around him.
“Welcome back, quartermaster. Drank a bit too much yesterday, huh?” Kitayama smiled, patting the other's back.
“Tsk, you passed out before I did. By the way, where is Yokoo?”
“He must have left already.”
Fujigaya wanted to run and turn the ship inside out to search for him, but he knew it would have been useless. Yokoo had already left the ship. As impossible as it seemed, he left a ship that was sailing miles and miles away from the coast.
“Don't be sad, he'll be back as usual,” Kitayama reassured him.
“I'm not sad, I know.” Fujigaya wanted to answer Kitayama, telling him he knew nothing, he could never understand him and all that, but he stopped himself just in time. He remembered Yokoo's words about treasuring his friends. He remembered how sad his smile looked. Fujigaya didn't know why Yokoo was so lonely, he just knew it wasn't fair. But he couldn't force him to stay with them. He was sure Yokoo had his reasons not to stay. Fujigaya looked at Kitayama and smiled.
“So, Port Royal right?”