Violoncello: Love, Adore, and Cherish (A Gay Cinderella Sequel)

Adam: He Loves Me?

Adam's calculations were correct and they docked at Illium's port the next morning. He was about to start helping load supplies onto the ship before Kayn pulled him away to go eat breakfast with him. Adam felt bad about leaving the harder work to the rest of the crew, but he also didn't want to upset his new captain. They were both digging into eggs and pancakes when they were approached by a stoic man in noble regalia.

"Captain Kayn Montalvo of Arcadia?" The man asked gesturing to Adam.

"Nope, that's me," Kayn corrected the man by drawing his attention away from Adam.

"My apologies, sir," the man said and bowed. Kayn let Adam see his annoyed look at the man.

"You have no idea how often that happens," Kayn told the noble, shaking his head. "What can I do for you?"

"I am here to announce that Patrick DeWitt and Jonathen Ismay are ready to board The Hurricane at your earliest convenience."

"Ah, yes, I completely forgot," Kayn smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Thanks for the reminder. We will be departing within the next few hours."

"Splendid, sir, I will share the news with them posthaste," the noble bowed again. "Have a pleasant morning, gentlemen." The noble exited the tavern as Kayn began eating his meal.

"What was that about?" Adam asked. His curiosity was piqued.

"The Prince's cousins will be joining us on the ship," Kayn explained. "They're coming with the wedding cake."

"Ah, I see," Adam said, "I wonder why that noble thought I was you." Kayn simply laughed.

"Adam, between the two of us, you look more like a captain than I do," Kayn said as he chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked, he was genuinely confused.

"Just people's own biases," Kayn said rolling his eyes and slumping into his seat. His locs weren't in a bun so they fell around his shoulders. "They take one look at me and can't fathom that I would be the captain of Arcadia's most prestigious ship. That I worked hard my entire life to get to that helm. Through hell or high water, I was determined to prove everyone wrong. It didn't matter that I loved men or that I had more melanin in my body than most, I could still be the best captain Arcadia and the world has ever seen." Kayn sighed and looked out the bay window that was next to their table. "And yet, people still don't see me."

Adam followed his eyes to where Kayn was looking. Beyond the other homes and businesses, they could see the top of The Hurricane at the docks. Arcadia's flag waving proudly in the morning breeze. Adam then looked at Kayn. Although the man was upset and vulnerable, Adam still found him so beautiful. He couldn't dare tell Kayn that though.

"I see you," Adam spoke up, almost in a whisper. Kayn's head immediately whipped to Adam's direction.

"You do?" Kayn asked and Adam nodded. "And what do you see?" Adam thought a moment before speaking.

"Well, I see a very independent, strong man who is sometimes brash and annoys the heck out of me," Adam began and beamed when Kayn began to chuckle. "But a man who is also sincere and cares about his crew. He finds their strengths and lets them flourish. And he gives people he doesn't even know opportunities that they could only dream of. This man is very passionate about what he does, he has a massive ego, but it's justified. This man can only be admired for what he's accomplished. He's an inspiration."

Kayn was taken aback by what Adam said about him. No one... no one had ever said such things about him. His palms began to sweat and suddenly he felt embarrassed in front of Adam, who only smiled warmly at him.