The lost continent

Chapter 14

The cove is their port for the passing week. Kirishima gets drunk three more times, and manages to completely avoid another hangover. He doesn’t drink as much, but he’s okay with that. Bakugou keeps teaching him to fight, to swim, and he’s obviously enamoured with the piercing that rests just over Kirishima’s lower stomach. Kirishima showed it to Mina and she promptly went to get one herself, too.

The day they plan to leave, Bakugou is donning his full pirate gear once again to address the crew about the itinerary of their voyage. Kirishima mentioned that his hair could probably be tied back into a small ponytail, and Bakugou tried it out. It’s cute, the way it sticks up, keeping his hair off the back of his neck.

Kirishima watches now, as he braids beads into his hair, precious and shining. He wraps his bandana around his head and puts his hat atop it all. He looks regal.

Kirishima stands with the crew as Bakugou explains their course, the ports in between that they can stop at if needed. They’re all told to keep an ear out for trouble, and their mouths shut unless they’re looking for some.

There are new recruits- just a handful, some crew members aren’t returning for the voyage. There’s a new man, Kouda, who’ll be on the ropes and on the deck, as well as a girl whose boisterousness is quite possibly louder than Mina’s- she’s on the lookout, too. Her name is Hatusme Mei. Kirishima remembers well, because she introduced herself to every member of the crew at once, her voice demanding as much attention as Bakugou’s. Bakugou’s eyebrow twitched hard and he yelled at her to shut it, but he trusts Mina’s choice of crew, so he’s giving her a fair shot. Mina said they met at a brothel and she had impeccable aim with her darts- apparently due to her beyond-perfect vision.

Kirishima watches as the cove disappears behind them, and soonafter any trace of land. Their home is first and foremost, upon the ocean.

  

Kirishima wakes more often that not, to Bakugou’s sudden movements and shouts. Bakugou shakes until he’s awake, then he scowls and yells at his inability to control the uncontrollable. Kirishima coaxes him to his side, so they can settle into the furs together, but it seems almost every night of the week yields a troubled sleep for his captain.

Bakugou stopped talking about his nightmares. Kirishima supposes they’re all similar, and it didn’t help before. Bakugou wasn’t one to open up about fears or emotions- besides pride and anger, he was always stingy about letting show anything else. Kirishima likes, though, that he shows them to him, now and then. Even if the moments are rare, they make Kirishima’s heart squeeze and his cheeks feel warm.

Now, on deck, he’s thinking about the way Bakugou tucks Kirishima’s hair behind his ears before he kisses him goodnight. He spots a ship on the horizon. He stares at it for a while- it’s large, and growing larger- it’s speed is impressive.

“Hatsume!” he calls out. She’s messing with some rigging Shouji deemed too salt-corroded to run smoothly again. “Take a look over here! There’s a ship.”

“A ship!” She says, bouncing up and over to where Kirishima is looking out to the horizon. She bounds so fast, Kirishima half expects her to topple into the sea, but she merely slams her hands against the railing and looks out. “Yes, that’s a ship! A fine one, at that. A young one, and! Oh! Blue coats!”

“Blue?” Shouji asks, standing quickly. “Hatsume, are you sure?”

"Yes, I’m sure!” she says, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Those are blue.”

“Blue as in… Iida blue?” Shouji asks.

Kirishima feels his blood chill. He’d met the Iida family many times, and while very nice to him and his family, their government was known for the swift execution of pirates, partnering many times with the brawn of the Kirishima fleets. Never did he think he’d have to feel the panic of their name.