No Prey, No Pay

Chapter 9

One week, one long week passed between the day he was kidnapped and the day the look-out saw the first signs of land ahead of them.

Aoi rested well, almost loved the wooden tub in Reita's bathroom, even if he made sure the pirate never knew it.

The mermaid sighed while watching out of the window, listening to the heavy feet of the crew running right and left outside: they were preparing to dock into the port and Aoi thought that, twelve hours from that moment, Reita would come in and take him out.

To the slaughterhouse, to his fate.

Aoi really got his hope up when, the day before, Reita hugged him tightly, trembling.

The merman was still remembering everything with every fine detail.

"I'm gonna fix the route with Kai at the rudder" Reita said while he was wearing his clothes "we should be near the next port, so..." "yeah, yeah, I know you're already counting the gold they'll give you for me... you asshole" Aoi talked back, moving his caudal fin outside the tub, sloshing the water inside it with the smaller fins "I need that money, Aoi. Maybe they'll give you to someone gentler than me" the blond joked.

But on the pirate's face there was a strained expression "mh-mh? Really... don't bullshit me, Reita" the merman sighed, when the warm, callous fingers of the captain caressed his cheek.

Reita chuckled softly "I'll make sure you'll get sold alive, not killed, okay?" he murmured and Aoi turned his face to bite down on his fingers, without hurting him.

Not much, at least.

The merman then lapped the pinkish signs on his skin, watching him with hard eyes "who would ever listen the words of a pirate?" he breathed with slow words, crossing harder his arms against his chest.

"A Prince would... so I have a lot of chances with a butcher, don'tcha think?"

That answer made Aoi laugh sincerely, for the first time in a week and Reita lighed up, listening to that sound, a melody singed by silver birds "you... ahah... you dumbass! Go to the fucking rudder!" Aoi pushed him away while he was still laughing and when he was alone, the merman sinked his face against his own palms.

Reita was so precious to him, even if Aoi pledged to himself to never let him aware of that, and the thought of leaving him was making him shiver.

Never see his handsome face again, hear his sweet voice, feel his warmth... Aoi was trying to detach himself from him, but it was harder and harder every hour they were passing together.

Leaving out the steamy sex they made at least once a day, Reita was... gentle, caring towards him.

More than a friend, more like a-

Soulmate?

Aoi covered his lips with his hands, while looking at the sea water he was in: Reita was human, but wasn't that rare to find a human soulmate.

Even his father found his mother on land, almost a century ago.

But Reita was... different, a pirate... someone that might have kidnapped other merfolks to get gold back.

He was skilled with harpoons, that was for sure "hello there fishy" a strange voice called him and Aoi moved his cyan eyes to gaze upon a man he never saw, if not from time to time among the crew.

He stood still, his eyes making a death stare towards him "time to go...!" he said walking with long steps around the tub, grabbing him around the waist.

Before Aoi could do anything, he felt the hard floor hit him in the face: he was being thrown out of the water and now a knee was pressed against his back "What are you doing, damn human! REITA! REI-!" his voice went missing when a punch hit the back of his head, making his forehead bump against the wood "shut the fuck up... I hate smuggling live things, damn it" the man mumbled to himself.