My Little Stowaway | Beidou x Reader(platonic)

Part 2: On Board and... Free?

      It had been a little over a day since you'd snuck yourself onto the ship overlooking the docks of Liyue. You were exhausted, achy, and extremely hungry having still not eaten anything yet. After you'd crept your way onboard, you'd had to dodge the watchful eyes of a few crew members before finally reaching the stairs leading below deck.  From your previous hiding experience finding a spot to stay out of sight was no trouble for you. A few hours afterwards the ship had set sail, which you didn't know whether it would ease or help your situation. Now you were here. In the middle of the ocean, most likely, not knowing whether you would die of hunger or being caught by one of the crew first.
                                             -•-
      Another day had past, and clinging to life was becoming harder. Slumped against a wall and too exhausted to move, your vision was now just a blur of objects. You could only sit there and wish. Wish for help or death. More time passed. But you could, just barely, make out a sound that was slowly coming closer. Footsteps and voices. The voices were just ringing in your ears, but you knew it was people. People who had the power to kill a weak thing like you right on the spot. You knew you needed to get out of there and all your instincts were screaming at you to do so. Adrenaline pumped through your body as you attempted to stand, to move, to do anything. But your feeble attempts only caused you to fall on your side with a weak sigh following. Hurried footsteps and frantic voices. Two tall shapes kneeling over you. Those were the last things you could remember before everything turned dark.

Warmth. Could the dead even feel warmth? It took you a few moments to realize that you were in fact, still living and breathing. However, you were very warm and surprisingly comfortable. And there was sometime on your forehead that was... wet? Suddenly, everything came flooding back to you and with a rush of fear and adrenaline, you opened your eyes and shot up with panicked breathes. Your surroundings were different than what you'd expected. You were seated on a decent sized cot in a fairly large, but dim, room. There were other items around, but your brain still didn't have the capacity to focus on them.
"Wait, slow down. Your body doesn't have the strength nor the energy for much movement right now."
It was a masculine voice, but it had a calm sort of tone to it. The owner of this voice was seated to your right. His hair was tied back into a short ponytail and was mostly white besides one red streak which shown from the rest. His red eyes were looking at you with concern, and there was a wet cloth held in his bandaged hand. He could see how panic stricken you were, but he really did need you to rest before he could explain.
"I can explain what's going on but you need to lie back down or you'll pass out again."
There was something about him... a feeling you couldn't quite place. It made you feel like you could trust him, odd as it was, so you took his advice.
"Better?" He asked as he placed the wet cloth back on your forehead. A weak sigh was all the answer you could give him. After a moment, he began to give you his explanation.
"My name is Kaedehara Kazuha, but you may call me Kazuha. You're currently aboard the Alcor, one of the larger ships within the Crux fleet."
This information was certainly news to you. Out of all the ships on that harbor, your choice was with the most well known fleet of pirates in Teyvat. Go figure, I guess. But this begged the question, why hadn't they just done away with you as a stowaway? As if reading your mind, Kazuha told you,
"You're most likely wondering why we didn't leave you to die or do away with you ourselves. The answer is this. You've committed no wrongs against us. Therefore we have no reason to harm you, and all the more reason to help you. Two of our crew members found you hidden away looking like you hadn't eaten in days. You were almost dead. After I saw your state, I took you and have been taking care of you since then. You've been unconscious for about a full day."
You'd heard rumors of the Crux fleet being just and fair, but never did you think that you'd be at their mercy. This was the most kindness anyone had shown you in a long time. And as unsure as you were, you were grateful.
"Thank you... I don't know what I would've done if-"
was all you could mange to say before you were thrown into a coughing fit. Kazuha quickly reached over and handed you a cup, which he told you to drink slowly if you could manage it. You took the cup and did as you were instructed. The liquid was warm and sweet, yet also bitter. A kind of tea most likely.
"You have a fever as well. Your immune system is most likely compromised due to how weak you are," Kazuha informed you after you'd calmed down a bit.
As uncomfortable as your being was at the moment, you still had one nagging question for your caretaker.
"What... what will happen once I'm fully healed." There was a brief pause, but he could hear the concern in your voice.
"That will be for the captain to decide."
After seeing this only made you more nervous, he let out a light chuckle and added, "No harm will be done to you don't worry. She will merely want to know how you came to be in your current situation to see if she can find a way we can help you. Although I will warn you, she's an incredible judge of character and can snuff out any threat before it reaches the surface. However, something about you makes me feel as though you've been through more than I can imagine." 
Your saddened expression confirmed his suspicions.
"You should get some rest for now. You look exhausted, and you'll need it. I'll be here if you need me."
As fast as everything was happening, you couldn't help but feel safe. More safe than you'd felt in a long time. And yet it was on a pirate ship with a man you hardly knew, and a captain you were soon to meet.