The Merman and the Prince

Chapter 9

By an unspoken agreement my bedding was removed from the galley and I moved into the captain's cabin with Akashi. Kise had squealed when he had found Akashi and I asleep together under the table. A wack across the head from Murasakibara had stopped any more embarrassing moments but I still caught a sly smile on most of their faces when I walked past them. That morning, over breakfast as I tried to ignore the stares, Akashi told us of his change of course.

"I want to head back to Teiko."

A collective sigh moved around the room and I looked up from my porridge to see pleased smiles on everyone's faces.

"Ah, we are going home."

Takao lent back against Midorima who put his arm around the smaller dark haired man. I had noticed that everyone seemed to be paired up. I glanced at Aomine and Kise, wondering, for the hundredth time if they were a couple. Sometimes they looked so happy together, other times they were fighting.

"You're going to love it there!"

Cried Kise, jumping up and putting an arm around me, pulling me close.

"It's so beautiful I want to show you this awesome bottomless lake."

Aomine slid up on my other side, pulling me out of Kise's grip.

"No way! You're coming hunting with me!"

The sound of Midorima clearing his throat brought the attention of the two pirates hanging off me to stare at their captain who was smiling, a cold smile that didn't reach his eyes. Quick as a snake they both let me go and scooted over.

"The only problem we face is that it will take a month to reach the island. The full moon is in less than a week. I don't really want to be at sea and risk it."

All eyes turned to me and I swallowed a lump in my throat. I remembered the night everything had changed, the night I couldn't refuse the call of the ocean. How bad would it be now when there was no dry land in sight?

"We could make for the skull isle. It's a bit off course and it will be close but we can make it there the day before the full moon if the weather holds. We will be able to sell off our bounty and stock up for the journey as well."

Akashi nodded in agreement.

"Very well, set the course Shin."

I was lying in bed next to Akashi's warmth as he soothed my hair. I still couldn't believe that I was in this beautiful man's arms, that he felt something for me. I couldn't sleep, my heart was thumping loudly in my chest and I was sure he could hear it but the red head gave no sign that he had while he continued to run my locks through his fingers.

"So what is Teiko?"

"That's the name of the island we grew up on."

"I haven't heard of it. Is it a big island?"

"Fairly big. It is in the shape of a U with both ends almost meeting but it leaves enough room for a ship to sail through the passage and into the cove made by the two ends. That is our home. You wouldn't have heard of it," he continued, his voice bitter.

"There used to be a grand kingdom there but it was destroyed many years ago. Now nobody lives there except us. Sailors' think it's haunted."

"What happened to the kingdom and the people living there?"

I saw the emotionless mask slide over Akashi's face at my words and realised I would get nothing more from him.

"I know. You can't say."