riptide | kyojuro rengoku

XXXI | fatigue

GOING BACK WAS EASIER THAN LEAVING. Maybe that was from an emotional standpoint, but it was also from a logical one. Sailing the boat was definitely more difficult according to Kyojuro as he had to get used to the different mechanisms of the much larger vehicle, but it was easier to steer clear of danger.

You had a better understanding of your abilities and even paused to reread the book that Kagaya had left you. You weren't sure whether it was out of boredom or renowned curiosity based on what Kyojuro said, but you busied yourself with it anyway. When you weren't reading, you were fishing, using the tides to pull the fish closer to you.

It provided you and Kyojuro with enough food to eat and surprisingly, the stolen boat had a great deal of reserves underneath. It was mostly dry and tasteless cuisine, but it sustained you two nonetheless. The main issue had nothing to do with traveling back, however. Your foot had only gotten worse.

Your left foot had become a great pain, the ankle scar still struggling to close. There wasn't any way to cleanly wrap around either of the wounds either, so it was constantly exposed to the heat, the sea mist, and the dust along the boat. If it went on any longer, it would evidently get infected and as far as you knew, Kyojuro didn't have the riches to have Shinobu use her best on you.

Shinobu, although friendly, was a punctual woman. She would be willing to do her friends favors, but she didn't play with her money. That's why Kyojuro was in such a hurry to head back to the village. There, he could safely cauterize your wound and have extra supplies to clean your foot and safely wrap it.

If he cauterized it now, you would just be in extreme pain and be more immobile than you already were. Kyojuro would sail day and night (or as much as he could). You would typically make him rest for a few hours, but he was hellbent on getting to the village as soon as possible, so he'd wait for you to fall asleep on him before slipping away to sail some more.

You remained oblivious to this; the constant pain and fatigue from the day always left your head in a daze, so it was easy to knock out. "Kyo," You called out, hand blindly reaching out. As always, Kyojuro reached for your hand, intertwining your fingers together and giving your hold a light squeeze.

It was his way of reassuring you of his presence and it also made him feel more grounded. Most of the time, his head was in the clouds and as of recent, his thoughts were murky with worry and anxiety. Sometimes having you around was more than enough for him; it reminded him that these things were what made him human.

"We have to stop somewhere," You adjusted your sitting position, your free hand tracing down to the bandages along your right leg to make sure they were still intact. "Just for a night." You remarked, feeling his grip start to loosen. You already knew what that meant; Kyojuro was disagreeing with you.

One thing that you were certain of when it came to him was that he was a stubborn person. He was so determined most of the time that he refused to admit when he did end up biting off more than he could chew. "It's better if we keep going," He argued, prompting you to stand up and stumble over to where he stood.

You grabbed a hold of the steering wheel, stopping it completely. The boat, losing direction, began to slow. The sails billowed slightly in the wind, but it didn't carry either of you very far. "One solid night of rest that doesn't consist of multiple naps," You retorted, wrapping your fingers over his knuckles that were braced against the wheel.

There was silence and you knew he was pondering over your offer. You moved your hand up his, drifting over his shoulder before settling your fingers on his cheekbone. You already knew he was looking at you based on how one of his hands had moved to wrap around your waist, subtly tugging you closer.

"Please."

There was a blossom of warmth against your forehead, your cheek, and then at the smallest corner of your lips. His nose bumped against yours and you sighed in contentment, your hands bracing themselves on his chest instead. "You're lucky I love you," Kyojuro spoke cheekily, kissing your nose before pulling his face away from yours.

For a second, you wanted to reply, maybe even reciprocate his feelings then and there. However, there was an inkling of your heart that told you not to. Everything I love just seems to run away. . . You swallowed hard at the thought, doing your best to dismiss it as you clutched onto his clothing even tighter instead.

He let out a soft chuckle, keeping the arm wrapped around your waist; whether it was to comfort you or because he simply wanted to, you couldn't tell. "We're nearing an island, alright? We can just rest in the boat for the night but we should see if we can get any fresh food." You knew he was referring to fruits.

Kyojuro, unsurprisingly, had a specific sweet tooth for anything sugary and sweet. More specifically, coconuts and mangos. Luckily for you two, islands had plenty of them, but unfortunately, the crew that previously owned this boat preferred stale crackers and salted meat. 

"You just miss exploring, don't you?"

You laughed softly, poking him in the chest. Although you two would never admit it, this trip had given you both an immense amount of freedom. The concept of being able to do everything on your own was stressful, but also freeing. For once, you didn't feel like a burden and for him, he didn't feel like he had to carry all the burdens.

Kyojuro replied in a hum and another forehead kiss; your grin growing as you could practically feel his lips shaping into a smile against the skin of your forehead.