You are a Pirate || Haikyuu

Chapter Eight

"Can we take a break, please?"

Yaku turned around to see Lev panting heavily. The prince frowned, but nodded anyways. "I know this is a long swim, Haiba, but this is what we chose when we left. You need to get used to swimming long distances."

After a few minutes, Lev finally caught his breath. If I can't call him a prince, then the second best thing is.. "I'm sorry, Princ- my lord Yaku."

Yaku's face turned into tomato red, and he waved his hands wildly in embarrassment. "Wha—!! You don't just call someone your lord all of a sudden! Don't call me that! Just Yaku is fine!"

"Okay, Yaku-san!"

"O-Oi, don't look so happy about it! Get a move on!"

Lev smiled, and eagerly followed after the prince. I can't believe that the cute, small prince actually let me travel with him. I'm so excited! What if we fall in love?! Am I gay for the prince? Is he gay? Does he think I'm cute? He let me call him by his first name!

Humans always called each other by their first names, but Sirens only did so if it was accompanied by a title such as "prince Yaku" or if they were mates. Yaku's decision made Lev feel warm in his chest.

Eventually, Ningyo was in their sight. It was a town that was famous for their human based food and their sweets. Small houses, small population, and just a small town in general.

"Yaku-san, we made it! Look, look!"

"I know Haiba, shut up."

The two swam towards the entrance, and were stopped by two mermaid guards. "Halt! Who goes there?"

"Prince Yaku of the sirens, and this here is my.. mate," Yaku lied through gritted teeth. Lev tried to hide his surprise. I'm his mate?! Oh Teru, I don't know if I can handle this responsibility—!

The guards exchanged looks of surprise and disbelief. "We need some identification—"

"I would sing, but you would die." Both sirens knew it wouldn't kill mermaids, but the guards didn't seem to know, judging on their reaction.

"Go on ahead, your royal highness and his mate!" They quickly opened up the gates and let the two sirens through before closing the gates again. Lev felt happiness arise when he was called Yaku's mate. What is this feeling?

Yaku snorted and started to speak when they were out of earshot of the guards. "Some guards they are."

As they swam, Lev became increasingly more nervous. Finally he spoke up. "Uh, Yaku-san?"

The prince furrowed his brows, and motioned for Lev to continue. "What is it?"

"Are we really mates? I mean I don't mind and all but I just wanted to know because you never told me and—"

"M-Mates?! What gave you that impression?!"

So that mate thing was a lie, then? Why am I so disappointed to hear that? "You called me your mate earlier.."

Yaku coughed awkwardly, and once again a blush arose on his face. His face has been red a lot lately, I wonder if he's catching a fever. "O-Obviously, that was a lie, you idiot. We're not actually m-mates or anything."

Lev sighed. I knew it. Yaku seemed to frown at this development before bringing up a topic they both were thinking. "We're not close enough to be mates, and we haven't even started to court each other, you know?"

The tall siren tried to muster a smile, but it looked more of a grimace. Then, his stomach growled and Lev looked away in embarrassment.

"Let's stop to eat."

However, on the way to find a restaurant or booth of food, they heard some sirens talk about a human called Ushijima.

"Hey, have you heard? A human named Ushijima apparently captured one of the previous queen's sons two years ago."

"Yeah? That was two years ago. Why is it so important now? The prince must be dead surely."

"There was a few sirens he set free a while ago, and they talked about the lost prince and how beat he looked. And—" the siren looks around. "The current queen doesn't seem to be concerned about it. I feel bad for the guy."

"That Ushijima guy is probably the evilest human around! Oh my Teru, that's horrible."

Lev notices Yaku tense up, and curl his hands into firsts. He heard Yaku whisper, "That's where one of my cousins are. I need to save them."

"Yaku-san, it's just gossip—"

"You don't know that!" The prince snaps, and Lev flinches back. "One of my cousins could be fighting for his life right now. We need to get there."

And at that moment, Lev knows he couldn't let Yaku get near Ushijima. He will die protecting Yaku, even if he had just met him officially a few days ago.

No one would hurt Yaku on his watch.

<•Tsukishima Kei•>

During the fight between the mermaid and the siren, Kei was the first to notice the storm. The storm watcher was drunk and passed out as usual, Kei assumed, so he alarmed everyone instead.

"Storm!" He shouts. As soon as Kei says that, the procedure to counter a storm was started immediately. Kei saw the panic arise as the storm got closer and closer.

The storm was toxic (metaphorically), and as soon as it hits, it poisons man with panic, danger, and hurt. The same thing was happening now.

Storms were dangerous for someone in this profession. Your boat was at the mercy of the ocean, and the ocean was an unforgiving, cold entity with no concept of gentleness.

Kei watched the crew struggle just to stay on the boat. Thunder boomed nearby, and the never ending rain made it hard to see. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kageyama holding onto Hinata as he was about to fall overboard.

The captain shouts out orders that Kei can just barely hear, and his vision blurred. He felt a sudden nausea, and the floor swayed more than it should. Probably just the storm making the floor sway under Kei's feet, though.

He suddenly had a coughing fit, and he held onto something nearby. Kei put a hand to his mouth to try to stop it. Once the coughing subsided, he looked at his hand.

Blood.

Is.. Is this my blood?

Kei spit out more blood, which caused him to let go of the object he was holding on, and he slipped. "Shit!"

The tall pirate hit his head on the floor, and he passed out with the rain beating upon him and hearing someone shout his name.

"Kei!"