A Pirate's Life for Me Part 3

Heero carefully balanced the tray in one hand as he opened the door to the Captain's cabin.

"More food?" The captain looked up from his desk, dismayed.

"I left you with the other tray five hours ago sir." Heero frowned at the still mostly-full tray beside the captain's elbow. "I'm sorry it took so long, but Cook needed me to help with the meal and the man you put in her charge woke up." He put the fresh tray down beside the bed and looked towards the captain. "Have you been sitting there all that time?"

"I had work to do," Duo protested. "What did our shipwrecked friend say?"

Heero shook his head. "Nothing we could make any sense out of- he's delirious with fever." He and Quatre had tried to make out words in the man's ramblings, but the only clear thing they had heard was 'curse'. Noun or verb that wasn't a good sign, and not something he wanted to bring up to the captain...

Duo leaned back in his chair, wincing when his shoulder protested. "What does Sally say?"

Heero frowned at the wince. Had the Captain been sitting up the whole time? Stubborn bastard. "She has Cook spooning broth down his throat and applying compresses. She's says other than that she can't do much until we get to Sanctuary and she can restock her supplies." Heero stood in front of the captain and held out his hands. "You need to get back in bed sir."

"I'm fine," Duo scowled. "I don't need to be mollycoddled..."

Heero rolled his eyes. "Permission to disagree sir?" He reached down and lifted Duo to his feet. "Can you walk to the bed by yourself?"

Duo took two steps and nearly fell over. Heero caught him around the waist and helped him the rest of the way. "With all respect, sir, it is not mollycoddling, but common sense. You have been very ill and are still regaining your strength."

Duo chose not to respond. Heero moved the tray closer and picked up a fork. "You are not feeding me," Duo glared at him.

"Of course not sir." Heero handed him the fork and retreated a step. "But I am going to watch you eat." Duo frowned. "Please sir. The ladies will be upset with me if I don't take good care of you."

"Threatened you did they?" Duo's scowl vanished and he took a bite.

"Yes sir." Heero smiled slightly. "Not being familiar with nautical vocabulary, I'm not entirely sure what they threatened me with but it didn't sound nice."

Nodding, Duo took another bite. "I warned you on the first day that they weren't very nice- at least they haven't tied you to anything recently."

Reassured that Duo seemed to be eating, Heero scooped up the other tray and headed for the door. "I know- but then you've been too sick to appreciate it if they did. Maybe when you're feeling better."

Duo choked.

Heero left the cabin, amused. He wasn't quite sure what had possessed him to say that to the captain, but the reaction had been worth it.

He returned to the galley. Quatre was bent over the stranger's bed, applying a cold cloth to his forehead. "The captain didn't eat?" He said as Heero put the tray down.

"Not much. He's at least started on the next- I'll go and check again before I go to bed. How is he doing?"

Quatre shook his head. "I'm not sure. His temperature has gone down a little, and he's not raving... that has to be good right?" His fingers touched the stranger's cheek gently.

Heero nodded. "Right. Did he say anything else? The Captain was asking."

"Not much that I could make out. I heard curse again... and something about a white beard..."

"White beard?"

Quatre shrugged. "That's what it sounded like- it could've been something else though." He pushed the stranger's singed bangs to the side. "Whatever he went through it must've been really bad."

Heero leaned against the wall and sighed. He was tired.

Quatre gave him a faint smile. "Go to bed Heero. I've got this covered. Get some sleep."

Heero covered up a yawn and left the galley. He nearly headed right for his hammock before he realized that he needed to make sure the Captain had eaten.

Knocking once, he let himself in.

The Captain was already asleep, meal half finished. It looked like he had fallen asleep halfway through.

Heero suppressed a smile, moved the tray and pulled up the covers. As he left he thought that the Captain may not like being coddled, but he enjoyed doing it.

He was too tired to reflect on the thought and wonder at himself. Instead he went and threw himself down in his hammock, vowing to kill anyone that woke him too soon.

The next morning, the Captain was already out on deck when Heero finally agreed to relinquish his hammock. Hilde was beside him as they paced the deck. She gave Heero a small nod that clearly said she had things handled, and so after a quick trip to the Captain's cabin to tidy things up, Heero went to the galley.

"Any change?" Heero sat down in the corner by the potato crate.

Quatre shook his head as he tossed Heero a potato peeler. "Not one," he said as he opened the porthole above Heero's head to let some fresh air in. "Hopefully he'll be better when we reach Sanctuary."

They worked quietly, the sound of the crew working on the deck filtering down to them, occasionally checking on their patient.

After the crew's breakfast was complete, Heero picked up the Captain's tray and headed above decks.

The door and windows to the cabin were open, and Heero heard Hilde laugh as he paused just outside the door.

"You can't get out of going to see him once you're in Sanctuary."

"I'll stay on the ship if I have to," Duo said and swore. "I don't want to have to deal with him again. Besides he likes you better."

"Hardly," Hilde laughed again. "But fine. I'll just tell him you're dallying with that lovely cabin boy of yours..."

"Hilde!" Duo snapped.

"Really Captain, you aren't made of stone. I can tell you want him."

"That has nothing to do with anything."

Heero felt his face turn a warm red as the implications of Duo's comment sunk in. He willed the blush away and knocked on the doorframe.

"Enter!"

Heero stepped in the room and Duo groaned. "More food?" He looked at Hilde. "All this man does is bring food."

"Then you'll have to find some other duties for him," Hilde chuckled as Heero set the tray down. "I can think of some. For example..."

"Heero," Duo cut Hilde off. "Go help Cook."

"Yes sir," Heero escaped back to the galley. There he sat down and peeled potatoes, trying to keep his mind off of those other duties Hilde had mentioned. His mind whirled. He wasn't really considering...? Was he?

~*~

Duo stowed his spyglass and turned to Lucrezia. "The all-clear is flying over Sanctuary," he said and tilted his head to the side, stretching his shoulder. It ached, but not as badly as it had done a few days ago.

"Excellent. We'll be there by nightfall," she smiled and turned to look at the full hold. "Hilde says you put her in charge of selling off our cargo?"

"She gets the best prices out of the old reprobate." Duo rolled his eyes.

"You are going to at least pay him a courtesy call though, right?"

"I suppose," Duo frowned at her. "We want to be able to continue to dock there after all."

"We do. Especially since the Navy seems to be bent upon clearing out our hiding places. Sanctuary is the largest..."

"And the safest. No one would face down the old man, not even the Navy."

She nodded. "True. Does the crew have shore leave?"

"Of course. Though someone will have to stay with the stranger-" Duo frowned. The man still hadn't woken up, though his delirium had calmed.

"I daresay Sally will keep an eye on him for tonight. She and I want to go out - but only in the daylight. We can keep watch tonight."

"Fair enough. You can come pay the courtesy call with me tomorrow as well. The rest of the crew can have shore leave."

"I'll announce it." Lucrezia smiled. "I daresay it will be welcomed."

Duo smiled back; well aware of what his crew did when they were granted shore leave. "Tell them I'm not paying for any of them to be released from the brig again- and they are to leave the town's pigs alone this time."

"No one proved it was them."

"True, but I'd rather not have a repeat of the incident, mortally offended or not."

She laughed. "As you say, Captain." She strolled off, leaving him to contemplate the city in the distance. Sanctuary- the town was well named. It had been his Sanctuary after... He suppressed a shiver and turned his mind away from those memories.

Turning, he caught sight of his cabin boy industriously polishing a cannon. He'd offered again to leave the man at Sanctuary with enough money to get him home again and been turned down. It had soothed his conscience only a little, though what a pirate was doing with a conscience in the first place... any other like-minded pirate would've had Heero bent over the nearest piece of furniture...

He shook his head and banished the image, not noticing that Heero was watching him from under his bangs, a small smile on his lips...

~*~

Duo watched the last of the crew stampede down the gangplank and head into the torch-lit city. "Do you think they heard a word I said?"

Sally laughed from her place on the railing. "Other than the last bit about being dismissed until tomorrow noon? I don't think so."

Duo rolled his eyes and headed towards his cabin. He'd finish the log entry for the day and then write a message for the old man asking for an audience tomorrow afternoon. He sat down at his desk and opened the logbook only to nearly jump out of his chair a moment later when a soft voice near the door spoke:

"Captain?"

He turned. "Damnation! Don't do that! I thought everyone had gone ashore!"

Heero stepped into the cabin. "I am sorry sir. I came in to do my evening chores."

"Didn't you hear me?" Duo watched as Heero moved around the room. "Everyone has shore leave- that includes you."

"I heard- and Cook told me what they were planning. I deemed it best to stay aboard sir."

"Do I want to know what they are planning?"

"No sir." Heero smiled. "Though Cook told me it had nothing to do with pigs- which I really didn't understand..."

"You don't want to," Duo shuddered. "Trust me."

"I thought pirates just went drinking and wenching."

"Well, some do- others, well, they go for other amusements."

Heero moved towards him, paused beside Duo's chair. "How come you didn't go Captain?"

"I don't have much taste for drinking or wenching."

"So you said," Heero frowned. "And yet... I'm sure you have needs like any other man."

"I'm sure you do too," Duo retorted, "and yet, here you are." He meant it to be snappy, meant to dismiss Heero- he didn't want to be talking about such things with him... knowing where his treacherous thoughts would go.

"So I am." Heero's head was bent, his face hidden. "Here with you." He knelt down beside Duo, his chin level with Duo's knees. His hand reached up and touched the inside of Duo's thigh. Duo shivered, heat springing to life. What was Heero doing? "My duties are finished for the evening, Captain," his hand slid farther up Duo's leg, caressing and teasing. "Unless... unless you can think of some other service I can perform for you?"

TBC...

 

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