Siren's Kiss

60: Homecoming

"Ciel, I'm home!"

Ciel struggled to hold back his laughter as he watched Drake sprint toward him with that familiar, determined expression. Even though they were far from what anyone would call "home," for Drake, home was wherever Ciel was.

As soon as Drake reached him, he wasted no time in complaining. "Look at this here!" he groaned, pointing to the fresh bruises and cuts scattered across his face. "This be what I get fer leavin' ye behind. Ruins me perfectly handsome face."

Ciel chuckled softly, his fingers gently tracing one of the bruises. "You still look handsome to me," he murmured, leaning into Drake with a smirk.

Drake was still grumbling, gesturing to his puffy knuckles as if he had been through the most grueling battle. "And then he punched me, right in the gut, and kicked me too! It was dreadful. Ye were right 'bout him, me love. He's the worst—"

Garrick, stepping off the ship with his crew trailing behind, overheard Drake's exaggerated complaints and rolled his eyes. "For someone who just got a few bruises, ye're actin' like ye fought the Kraken."

Sassa, snickering from behind Garrick, added, "Didn't seem like he was the worst when ye were laughin' a few minutes ago."

Drake shot him a playful glare, then turned back to Ciel with an exaggerated pout. "Don't listen to 'em. They're just jealous I've got ye tendin' to me poor, wounded self."

Ciel raised an eyebrow, suppressing a grin. "Oh, I'm sure you'll survive."

Drake sighed dramatically. "Barely."

Seeing Drake's mood had lightened, and their earlier quarrel was all but forgotten, Ciel's heart swelled with affection. He gently cupped the pirate's face and peppered it with soft kisses, as if each kiss was a balm for the bruises from his brawl with Garrick.

Garrick, unable to contain his irritation any longer, shouted, "Oh, come on... get a room!"

Aurelius, however, disagreed. "Let them be. Love is a rare gift, and not everyone in the Seven Seas gets to experience it."

Their display of affection made several onlookers visibly uncomfortable, including Bonnie, who had stayed only to keep Ciel company until Garrick and his crew arrived. The future Pirate King had already taken note of Bonnie's presence. She wasn't exactly a stranger, and her distaste for him and his crew had never been subtle.

In Garrick's eyes, Bonnie had never truly embraced the life of a pirate. She often spoke of leaving, of escaping to a place where no one knew her past. Her dream was to start over, far away from the life she was born into, as though she had never been one of the sea's children.

It was true that sirens and pirates shared a unique bond, despite their mutual disdain. Both spent their entire lives surrounded by the vast ocean. Pirates sought adventure, eager to uncover the ocean's mysteries, while sirens swore to protect the depths, knowing full well that many of those secrets were buried for a reason. Some truths lay hidden in underwater caverns, sealed away to prevent chaos. If unleashed, those ancient forces would create a torrent of problems too great for any denizen of the Seven Seas to bear.

They were right about that.

"I have so many things to tell you," Ciel whispered softly, still caressing Drake's face as he continued to feign hurt, milking the attention as Ciel kissed each "bruised" spot.

"I've got plenty to tell ye too, me love! Ye wouldn't believe the mountain of troubles I've been through, and all 'cause he..." Drake trailed off, casting a cautious glance toward Garrick, who was deep in conversation with Aurelius. "Did ye know me father's a jealous bloke? Too proud to admit it, of course, but aye—jealous all the time!"