A Pirate's Life for Me Part 8
Heero shifted on the bench and sent a glare across the room in Duo's direction. He hadn't needed to be quite so... enthusiastic earlier. Once surely would've been enough.
Though Heero had enjoyed it at the time...
His Captain merely grinned at him. Heero suppressed a sigh and looked down at the table. No sign of Relena yet- he hoped she hadn't gotten into any trouble.
His eyes lingered on the small compass on his wrist. His tattoos were still red, but Sally had put something on them so they wouldn't look too new and oozy. The compass wasn't so bad, but the one he'd found up on his chest... he shot another resentful glance at the Captain.
Taking a small sip from the mug in front of him- he wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it tasted like mud- he scanned the room again. Where was the girl?
Was it too much to hope that she'd somehow given up?
Just as he thought it, two people in hooded cloaks slid into the seat across from him.
"Yuy." Said one, pulling his hood back a little.
"Chang," Heero scowled at the first. The second figure pulled her hood all the way off, golden curls tumbling free.
"Heero! Thank goodness you are still alive!" Relena reached across the table to take his hand in hers. He could feel the heat of Chang's glare at the gesture and so he gently freed his hand.
"Of course I am Miss Relena." He looked back at Chang. "You gave your word that no one from the town would come after me- what are you two doing here?"
"I made no such promise," Relena spoke up before Chang could. "There was no way we were going to leave you in the hands of such scoundrels! Once we made it back to the town I made arrangements right away to come after you!"
"Arrangements?" She hadn't brought the Navy with her, had she?
"I hired a boat and a crew," she said smiling. "Right when we got back to the docks!"
Chang looked faintly uncomfortable. "And I couldn't let her go alone..."
Heero nodded at him. "Of course not." That's what he had thought after all.
"Heero, we have to leave right away! The ship is waiting, we can get a good start while it's dark- and once we're at sea they won't be able to catch up."
"Miss Relena," Heero shook his head. "You don't understand. I gave my word to them that I would do what they asked if they let you go. It would be dishonorable of me to run away from them when they were kind enough to agree to the exchange."
He saw Chang nod slightly out of the corner of his eye.
Relena looked at him, her eyes lingering on the hoop in his ear, and then down at his wrist where it rested on the table. "You haven't... become a pirate, have you Heero? You wouldn't do anything illegal, I know it..."
"I agreed to become a member of their crew. If the Navy catches us I don't think it will matter exactly what I did or didn't do. I've sailed with them- that's what matters. They'd hang me for that without thinking twice. I can't go back with you, I'm sorry."
She was quiet for a moment, and Heero dared hope that he'd gotten through to her. Then she looked up and he saw her eyes were shiny with tears.
Ah hell.
"But... no one knows about it but Wufei and I. We'd never tell on you. We'd tell people that they kept you prisoner until we ransomed you. You could come home with us. If you stay and get caught...! I don't want you to hang because of me!" She gave Wufei a pleading look.
Chang put a hand on her shoulder and met Heero's eyes. "We wouldn't say a word. I swear it."
Heero found himself having a hard time coming up with something to say. He didn't want to go back with them. He had a duty to Duo and to the Maxwells that he had to honor, not even considering his selfish reasons for wishing to stay.
But they had obviously done a lot for him... What the hell should he do?
Relena leaned over the table. "Heero, please let us take you back. I know you promised to stay, but you can't risk your life like this..."
He'd done worse, but she didn't know that.
"Miss Relena," Heero looked down at the table. "I don't think I could." He gave a small theatrical shiver. "Life... life on that ship has changed me...I... I had to do things that I would never have even thought of before, just to survive..."
Which was not exactly true, but sounded suitably bad.
"I... I don't think I can go back again...I'm... not the man I was."
That was true at least.
Relena didn't get it. She was looking at him with puzzled, worried eyes. Chang sucked in a deep breath and frowned.
"But Heero- once you're home you can leave all that behind you..." She said and Heero shook his head.
"I don't think I could leave it behind me."
"I should hope not," Duo added as he slid onto the bench beside Heero. Relena and Wufei both stiffened. "Well, well, what's this, Heero? Entertaining some old friends?"
"You!" Relena gasped.
"Me," Duo tilted his hat to her. "I see you forgot your promise not to come after us."
"I didn't promise anything," she snapped. "And if I remember correctly, you didn't want Heero in the first place. You were just going to let me go anyway!"
"Ah, but things have changed," Duo slid his arm around Heero's shoulders, pulled him close. "I have no intention of letting such a prize slip through my fingers."
Relena's eyes widened as she watched Duo lean over and tug on Heero's earring with his teeth. Heero swallowed hard as Duo's breath caressed the side of his neck.
"And you see Miss," he said. "I'm afraid Heero can't go back with you. He's pledged himself to me, body and soul."
"He could," Relena protested. "If you were a gentleman, you'd let him go."
"It's been a long time since I was a gentleman." Duo countered. "And I'm rather fond of my cabin boy." He slipped his fingers into Heero's shirt, played with the laces.
Wufei's hand went to his sword. Duo lifted a finger even as Heero said: "Don't!"
"Why not?" Wufei asked Heero. "You can't... like..."
"My crew is here." Duo answered before Heero could say anything. "Look around."
Heero watched as Chang scanned the room, noted the eyes that were watching, the hands on swords.
"I'm afraid you're outnumbered." Duo smiled at Relena. "And captured again."
"What?" Relena turned to Wufei who shook his head at her.
"I'm afraid he's right. There's no way I can fight off this many. We've been outfoxed." He sounded calm, and Heero wondered why. Chang was usually calm under pressure, but he wasn't the type to give in easy.
Duo smiled. "Don't take it badly." He let his eyes linger on Chang. "Maybe we could work out an exchange."
Relena tilted her chin down and moved slightly in front of Wufei. "I don't think so."
Duo laughed. "Thought not." He leaned across the table, one hand still tangled in Heero's shirt. "Look at it this way Miss." He pulled Heero's shirt off of his shoulder, exposing the other tattoo to Relena's eyes. "He's a marked man. He can't go back."
She looked at the tattoo of the skull and crossed scythes, and swallowed hard. "Is... is that your..."
Duo nodded. "It is. My own version of the Jolly Roger. Anyone that sees that will know that Heero served under me on board my ship." He let Heero's shirt go. "Besides my dear, you can't have both of them."
Relena paled. "I don't... I never..."
Duo lifted an eyebrow. "If you didn't, then you shouldn't be here." He looked at Chang. "If I were that man, I would be thinking you wanted the other."
Relena's expression changed to indignation. "That's not it! I didn't want him giving up his life because of me!" She turned to Wufei. "You don't think that do you?"
Chang didn't answer her right away, and Relena flung her arms around his neck, talking furiously. She loved him, he was her fiancé, she never meant...
Duo grinned at Heero- who was feeling a profound sense of relief.
"Well then," he said loudly. "Looks like we are back to the original deal."
Relena released Wufei, looking flustered. "I didn't agree to anything!"
"Well, you will this time." Duo smiled. "Before I can let you leave, you need to promise again. Otherwise... well, I'm sure cook would like a maid to help him..."
Heero leaned over the table. "Look, Miss Relena, he's right. Please don't be upset. I do appreciate that you went to all this trouble for me- but I can't go back. That's not my home anymore. I assure you that everything is fine. There is no need to worry about me."
"But..." Relena paused, looking back at Wufei for a moment. "I... I can't just sit by... you did this for me... I don't want you dead because of me..."
"I'm the one who made the decision," Heero assured her. "Please Miss Relena, let Chang take you home. Be happy and don't worry about me."
Relena opened her lips and closed them again. She looked at Wufei, who nodded. "If that's what you think is best." She stood up and leaned across the table, brushing a kiss over Heero's cheek. "I will uphold the deal Wufei made. I promise."
A moment more and she was gone, Chang with her.
Heero blinked.
"That seemed... easy."
Duo nodded. "A bit too easy I think. I spoke today to Howard about getting the ship loaded faster, and he got us a good cargo. We're sailing out of here tonight."
"Do you think she brought the Navy with her?"
Duo shook his head. "No, but from what I understand, she has quite a crew with her... I left a watch on board my ship." He raised his hand and suddenly Hilde was there.
"Captain?"
"Anything?"
"We found a few ruffians outside- and dealt with them. Ship is clear."
"Take Heero back to the ship- secure things there." Duo gave him an apologetic look. "Give him one of your swords on the way- just in case. I need to see Howard one last time before we go."
"Not alone!" Hilde snapped.
"Lu and her group will go with me."
Heero didn't have time to ask questions before Hilde was pressing a sword into his hand and dragging him towards the door, several crewmembers joining them.
"Did they really intend to do something?" Heero asked as they slipped through the dark streets.
Hilde shrugged. "No idea. It might have been just for that girl's protection- could mean that they meant to take you back by force. Better safe than dead."
"No kidding." Heero didn't want anyone dying because of this...
TBC...
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