Chapter 8

Kanae hummed a soft lullaby while entertaining herself with her lover's hair, twirling the delicate locks of the long smooth curls that elegantly was spread across the bed and both of their interlocked naked bodies that were covered by a thin blanket that didn't let much to the imagination of what lay underneath it.

She had never thought on staying so long with the crew that ended up being so important to her, let alone finding the one she could freely admit she had no regrets in having given herself to along with the pride she still had to but there she was, laying in Eiji's arms, completely exposed as their sweaty bodies still felt the warmth of the other with the proximity.

Something about Eiji's relaxed face caused Kanae to feel happy, mostly because she was aware she had been one of the reasons of why the captain could sleep so peacefully as he had been in the past days. It was even more charming to see him without the dark circles that usually were under his eyes, giving him a more stern and tired look.

As the mermaid moved her legs, she was again aware of how sore she felt, yet it was nothing when being compared to the pain of changing her tail for her human legs for the first time, that was what caused many mermaids the first fear for exploring the out water life, along with all the stories that it was told back in her original home.

She honestly wanted to stay there but her throat felt dry and she hated that feeling, even more knowing how much she needed to stay hydrated, having the need of relying on drinking more in order to fulfill the amount of water her body required.

Turning around on the bed, Kanae looked out for clothes for her to wear. She wasn't going to pick up much as she was planning to return to the bed before Eiji waking up. A long black jacket laid on the floor, having fallen from the chair it usually rested on, and the mermaid swiftly moved to grab the cloth.

The texture was nice against her bare skin and closing the jacket it didn't show anything that Kanae wanted to hide. By the look of the sun outside it seemed like it was still early, maybe with some luck, she wouldn't meet any one of the crew as she quickly made her journey to the kitchen and returned but despite her attempt to hurry, she was still careful to make the less sound as possible.

The bright sun rays hit her eyes almost instantly as she opened the door, closing it before the light reached Eiji and caused the captain any disturbance, taking her a while to adjust her vision to the brightness.

If she intended on going to the kitchen without anyone noticing her, it turned impossible when hearing a chirpy voice talking with someone, just stopping when turning to the mermaid "Good morning Kanae"

"Ryoka... Michio... Good morning" The mermaid gave both a nervous smile, now realizing how idiotic and embarrassing it had been of her to just leave Eiji's quarters with just that amount of clothes but before she could react, a hand had grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside the room again, just letting the girl let out a surprised "Hey!"

Kanae looked up at the man that trapped her against the, now fully fixed and locked, door. His look down on her was full of relief, possessiveness, and hints of pain or even panic, which Kanae didn't understand until the captain spoke: " Where were you going?"

"I... I was just going to grab some water. My throat is dry..."

"You can't walk around like that..." A pleasurable shiver went down her spine as the grey eyes analyzed the body that she had freely given to him with no restrainments, watching as Eiji seemed to control himself to not touch her, oh how she wanted to push him off his limits and, seeing by the way the lust that was present on his eyes was so impossible to ignore, it wouldn't be a difficult mission.

"Then, shall I just take the jacket off?" She smirks, with her hands sliding the jacket from her shoulders, exposing a clear sight of her cleavage. "As I said, I need water, I'm thirsty."

He didn't reply, or rather he used no words to do it as he pulled her to him, causing the jacked to completely slide off her body and letting her exposed once more before his large hands teased her skin while they kissed.

The kiss expressed all the emotions that Eiji's eyes silently told, it was rough, passionate and ignited a fire inside Kanae that traveled from the top of her head until the tip of her toes which even made her believe if she were to die by burning this way, she couldn't care less.

There wasn't any skin let to cover as Eiji's hands swiftly explored her body, causing her to purr under the touch. The wood behind her would be uncomfortable under other circumstances but in the heat of the moment, that fact could easily be forgotten.

As a reply to her lover's touch, Kanae rested her hands on his chest, noticing how the white shirt he had put on in rush to go look for her was still fully unbuttoned, a clear sign of his haste, using that to slid the piece of cloth off the shoulders, falling to the floor when Eiji shifted his arms to help the task before returning to explore the petite body of the mermaid.

Skin to skin, Eiji's lower body clothes being the only things that were in the way but before Kanae could take off what was left, Eiji reductively broke the kiss, holding the naughty hands that were already on his belt and brought them to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the knuckles "Kanae...We can't... There are things to settle."

Kanae knew by the look on his eyes what he meant. Eiji was someone that had to have everything traced, everything planned, while she was more spontaneous, not bothering to plan tomorrow when being stuck on today. Yet, she knew what he wanted to discuss.

That.

Them.

What was going on between them.

They could have admitted that there was something going on between them but until where they could keep that going?

"I guess... But... Do you think we could talk later? I still need to think..." She mumbled, leaning into him and burying her face on his chest, quickly being engulfed in his arms.

"Alright... Just promise me something." He agreed, acknowledging the mermaid's preferences "Please, make sure to wear something before leaving this room. I should be the only to see you like this."

She smiled and softly broke from the hug, just enough to reach his face and place a peck on his lips as a reply before returning to the initial position.

The two lovers kept themselves in the embrace, losing themselves in their world, until a faint knock on the door was heard, followed by the even fainter, sleepy tone of the young pirate, calling out as an alarm clock, breaking the two of their fantasy and leaving Kanae in the room by herself as Eiji went on ahead, leaving her to dress up.

As the mermaid was once more alone with her thoughts, she could only stare at the door as she put on the clothes that had been laying on the floor. She wasn't staring out of fear that someone would barge in on her or something like that, no, she was scared, yes, but for a whole other question.

Part of her was begging for that door to open and to reveal the man she had spend all those nights with, never have imagined she would be able to break that cold wall that the stoic pirate always had on. She already missed the lingering touch of her lover and it was being impossible to shake off the thoughts of their bodies engulfed into each other, turning in one in their sinful connection.

After all, a relationship between a human and a mermaid was nothing but a sin.

But... Was love really a sin?

Kanae shook her head, resisting the urge to bang it against the wall to help to erase such thoughts but even so, she was sure the thoughts would return sooner or later, causing her to sigh in defeat as she admits what before she would never think she would say.

This wasn't love. She tried to remind herself, trying to confuse herself with the feeling being pure lust or a simple attraction, even when deep down she had no doubts she was doomed.

"I'm really falling deep for him... I'm fucking falling for a human... Fuck."

A frustrated groan echoed from her throat, letting herself fall back down on the bed, her thirst long ago forgotten.

"So you're really healed... I'm actually amazed how fast fishes recover, even more, when you seem to be quite... Busy these few nights."

Kanae tried her best to not let out an embarrassed groan at the remark, her ears turning red. She didn't want to had come to the infirmary so that Usagi and Michio could take one last observation on her wounds but to her luck, the albino boy was nowhere to be seen, leaving her and the werewolf by themselves, and of course, Kanae was already ready to be teased.

"We only fuc... Did it once..." For the first time, Kanae felt shy about cussing, only because it made her fall back into the earth and realize when happened.

"I'm aware... My ears are too sensitive for my own good." The Dog explained and Kanae saw how said ears lowered themselves as a scolded puppy would do.

"I'm sorry for your pure ears." She rolled her eyes, trying to not let the uncomfortable silence overtake the atmosphere. Really, had it been with anyone else from the crew, the situation would be less awkward, even could be useful for what she should do but then, the next statement froze her in place.

"Whatever. Just don't get pregnant. It will cause way too many problems." Michio warned, letting out a huff as he turned his back to her, throwing the last bandages of her arm into a pile of dirty clothes.

´Pregnant?´The word hit her like a bucket of ice water. How could they had been so reckless? It was a one time only but there were still the chances of something that they could not afford to happen.

"I can't. I won't." She could be in a lovestruck mood but she still could keep her head on the fact that she would be replaced by the treasure, pure and simple as water.

'Replaced by gold... ' She repeated her own idea on her head, trying to fix it there to remember what she was there for.

"Remember those words then. For someone that wants to go back to the sea, you sure act in a funny way." The man walked to the small window that was near Kanae and opened it, the smell of the salted water intensifying in the room "After all, you do want to go back, don't you?"

And there was the question she feared.

And after a good while, she replied "Sorry, I have to go. Just remembered I need to help Toshiko, I promised her and you know how she hates others to be later than her."

"You can't keep running from your problems." He was still able to warn her before the door closed, the mermaid disappearing from his sight.

The man sighed in despair. He wasn't trying to be brute, or maybe he was, but he still knew that if the situation continued everybody would need to face the consequences. Michio had spent, like most part of the crew, almost twelve years and never had he seen Eiji acting so carefree and imprudent. In fact, it was almost like the captain didn't want to see what was coming and then Michio was already seeing how the usual stoic pirate would turn even colder after the incoming heartbreak.

Michio wasn't really against their relation, of course not, deep down, he was even happy for them however he would have to keep his posture for everybody else as they preferred to just assume the whole story as a tale coming right from a fairytale. Every fairytale has their dark beginning and Michio just wanted to avoid that and that was simple, yet hard at the same time:

Kanae had to make her choice: land or sea.

It was deep in the night when Eiji found himself alone, letting his thoughts overtake him in the silence of the dark and the mesmerizing, soothing waves hitting the ship.

Eiji saw himself as a man of words, not emotions, but after these latest months, he wasn't sure about it anymore.

What started as a pure interest caused by the mermaid's bold attitude and her species turned into a completely unasked crush, that even he himself didn't remember the change of feelings towards the woman. Maybe it had been back when the crew had their truth or dare game, her bare figure still was craved in his mind, and being able to have finally that body to himself caused him to sigh in the spot, realizing once again on the mess he was in. Did he dare to cross the line and admit that something as powerful as love had finally caught him?

He had never seen the necessity of attaching so strongly to another person yet now he realized that it wasn't a pure choice, something was just meant to happen and if someone had told him that that petite mermaid that had tried to steal his ship had turned into the origin of, what he could assume, his happiness.

But then, the question he had to face with her brought him to reality.

Was he really ready to learn the answer?

Until there, he would prefer a direct, straight forward reply, but this time, he felt a sort of fear behind it.

Then again... Was he really going to let her go just like that?

"For how long are you planning on keeping using her?" An unusual voice spoke, followed by the sound of a splash, breaking him from his thoughts as he grabbed the hold of his spear, always loyal on his jacket's belt.

Suddenly, a quick movement was the only shift it needed for the owner of the voice to reveal itself. She leaned her arms on the edge of the small deck that had direct contact with the water, on the small gap that didn't have protection to not fall barrier.

The arms belonged to a woman, or rather a mix of a woman and a fish, her tail surely hiding underneath the water, on her natural habitat, and even if the most obvious parts of a mermaid were hidden, the greenish blue scales that decorated the arms, along with the different ears, similar to Kanae's but matching the colors of the arms scales, didn't let out any doubts about the woman's species.

She made herself a guest and pulled herself out of the water, sitting on the edge and revealing her full form: her body was surely more developed than Kanae's yet her tail didn't shine as brightly as Eiji's mermaid, nor was as appealing as Kanae. Her tail and scales were all a mix of a green and blue, easily dismissed in water, where Eiji could assume she would have no difficulties in hiding if such situation required.

Eiji didn't react, other than grabbing his sword, but spoke in a cold, threating voice "You're invading my ship."

"You stole one of our own species." The woman spit back away, her eyes glaring at him, showing no signs of coming with peaceful intentions "Where is she? Did you killed her?"

"Kanae's under my protection." He stated coldly, his grip tightening on his weapon as the mermaid let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Do you really believe a mermaid can be protected by a human?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes before jumping back to the water "Mermaids can't stay much without water, you're aware of such, right?"

"Indeed I am but rest assured, Kanae is perfectly fine and she is free to make her own decisions..."

"Is she? Then why is she still with you? We know you are keeping her, Captain Kashii."

Eiji did not reply, only after a brief moment of thinking he continued "How are you aware of my name?"

"Us mermaids are always aware of possible threats around our home."

An uncomfortable silence, a territorial feeling and something in the air that was screaming that there would be blood soon, the pirate and the mermaid were both good adversaries, while Eiji was perfectly comfortable with his sword, he didn't want to break his promise of hurting another mermaid, and the other mermaid was in her own habitat, nothing restraining her to attack.

However, the mermaid seemed to have other plans as her ears twitched, feeling someone getting closer and, in fear of a numerous advantage to the pirate, went underwater, after giving one last threat to Eiji "Just let her go to where she belongs"

The captain looked at the water for a while, waiting to see if the mermaid showed up again but a familiar voice, and one that he desperately needed to hear called out "Eiji? Are you there?"

He took a deep sigh, before calling back "I'm here Kana..."

As something crossed his camp of vision, he swiftly grabbed his sword but it wasn't enough as the speed of something was fast enough to not give him enough time to realize what had happened until facing himself deep underwater, the water surrounding him as he faced himself face to face with the same mermaid from before.

Her eyes shone with a mischievous glimpse, a taunting smile on her lips as her nails enabled him to swim to the surface, his air quickly getting lost as he had not taken any precaution to such problem.

He tried to think of a way to escape from the claws of the mermaid and fortunately, he realized he had not dropped his weapon, but his movements underwater were nothing compared to the velocity that the mermaid moved.

As he tried to hit her with the sword to scare her off, the mermaid moved swiftly, her nails barely hitting the skin of his cheek, even so, it was enough for a trail of blood to start dripping, and Eiji could feel her presence again attached to him, her body pressed against his back as his face was turned to her, just to find her face dangerously close to his.

"Well, at least you stealing away Kanae had something good to it... I love killing attractive guys like you~"

If the water wasn't enough, her claws on his neck cut his breathing even more and finally he was starting to see things blurry, his anger growing even more as he had to accept how his fate had turned out.

He knew mermaids always were bad news for pirates but never did or would he regretted what had happened thanks to one.

As he waited for his death, the last thing he saw was blood, a long trail of blood.

Then, he felt his strength returning as a voice worried called out to him, gentle hands cupped his face as a tail stood protectively around him "Eiji! Eiji, please look at me!"

As the pirate opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was that emerald eyes that he grew so fond of, this time watery with concern, her worried expression being replaced with an emotioned smile and she engulfed her arms around him, her lips finding their way onto his as she kissed him passionately.

The kiss didn't steal much of their time, after all, they had an important business to take care, yet Eiji couldn't help but realize he didn't have any problem breathing underwater now, it was almost like he wasn't even deep underwater.

"A kiss of a mermaid can allow you to breathe underwater for a short amount of time. " She explained, pecking his lips once more, the fear of losing the one she treasured above everyone or everything else still haunting her brain.

Yet, she then turned to the other mermaid, who was now at a safe distance, clutching her bleeding arm that Kanae had, merciless, damaged with big severity.

"The fuck are you doing here, Yume?!" Kanae scolded her, Eiji noticed how the glare of the other mermaid turned into sad puppy-like eyes as if shocked she was being scolded.

"Kanae, I've missed you... I came to help you and..." She tried to explain but Kanae seemed to be having none of that.

"Leave. Leave before I end up making something I regret..." She told her, her voice colder than Eiji had ever heard. Kanae refused to look at the other mermaid. Having her there made her have mixed feelings, for one, she was happy to see someone from her family, for other, she was happy the way she was without them and they tried to hurt the one Kanae cared for... "I have a deal going on with Eiji. I can't break it. I'm a big girl, Yume, I can take care of myself and make my own decisions."

"Kanae! Think about it! You're betraying us! And for what? Pirates? Have you gone mad?" Yume shouted to them, Eiji feeling the despair in her voice, now so weak as she pleaded to her fellow mermaid.

"Tell everyone I'm fine. And don't ever, ever, ever send another one of us coming to check on me. This is my decision and I trust you to trust in me." The ginger-haired took hold on Eiji's shoulders, helping him to get some support, before she swam all the way up to the surface, getting there in no time and helping Eiji getting back on the ship.

As she was also already sitting back on the deck with Eiji, his arm went protectively to circle her waist as he saw that the hazel-haired mermaid had also followed to the surface, her hazel colored eyes falling on Kanae's greens, as she let out a last pleading request.

"Kanae... You still have a chance... Please, come back to us. We love you... More than any human could." She threw a furious glare at the captain, who refused to release the grip he had on Kanae's waist. Something was trapped in his throat, something that his pride refused to let go, but he kept his silence as the other mermaid turned around to face the sea, diving into it and disappearing from their view, not ever emerging again from the ocean.

A deep, uncomfortable, silence took over the two lovers until Kanae's still mermaid hand held Eiji's face, her long-nailed fingers softly brushing over the bleeding wound on his cheek, brushing the blood aside in an attempt to clean it "I'm sorry... You got hurt because of me..."

"It wasn't your fault. I let my guard down. Don't blame yourself."

"Eiji...We're not kind creatures... We're monsters..." She said, her hand slowly dropping from his cheek as she looked anywhere but him, feeling ashamed of her own nature "I could hurt you anytime by accident..."

"You won't" The man held her hand in place, his hand coming to keep hers on his cheek as he sweetly rubbed her hand with his thumb, causing her heart to skip a beat as their glances locked themselves on each other, telling more feelings than any word could.

"How can you be so sure...?" Kanae asked, her voice breaking slightly under the question.

"Because I trust you. You're not a monster"

"Then what am I, Eiji?"

"Kanae"

She let out a confused "huh?", clearly not understanding the logic of the pirate.

"You're Kanae, that's what you are."

"I still don't understand... Try to explain to someone as idiotic as me, please." She pleaded, rolling her eyes at the overcomplex reply of the man but he just sighed, giving a long moment before simplifying his words.

"What I mean is that, even if you feel that you belong to the ocean and the rest of the mermaids are your family, also remember that we also consider you one of us. For us, you're not a mermaid, you're you, you can be whatever you want, be who you truly want to be. And, just like Yume said, mermaids can love you but we also... Appreciate you being around us."

"Appreciate me...?" She smirked lightly seeing how the stoic pirate seemed to have changed the speech he had been doing, noticing how the tip of his ears was dusted with a bit of red color and now he was the one trying to avoid direct visual contact. The hand that was still on his cheek gently dragged him to her, her nose bumping against his as her smirk grew drastically "Is that really the word you want to say?"

His expression changed to his usual seriousness, catching Kanae out of guard by the sudden switch, causing her to back away a little "That brings me to another topic... Kanae... What are we doing? What do you intend to do in the future?"

Kanae gulped, backing away completely as the playful mood had been broken and shred to pieces, the problem that was tormenting her was back and worse, Eiji was the one asking her, she couldn't lie or hide to him... So, she searched carefully her words.

"I'm here to help you find the treasure as I promised... Then... I'll have to go back" She wanted to say the word ´home´ yet it just didn't sound right, at least not as well as when Eiji had told her back when she was rescued.

"I see..." He didn't know why he felt such pain in his heart. He knew it was the right thing to do and there was nothing he could do but to support her and just let her go. But, he, for the first time, didn't really wanted to do the right thing.

"But then..." Her voice brought his attention back to the mermaid, as she continued speaking "You and that broody personality of yours did something to me so... Until you have your treasure in your hands, I'll have to stay with you, either way, right? That was the deal."

There was something comforting in the smile she was giving him. A light of hope in the dark of the night. Somehow, deep down, Eiji felt that they were worrying for nothing. Sometimes, miracles could happen and hopefully, for them, in the end, there would be a way for them to be together.

A/N:

I am not dead! Or did I ever planned on taking this long to write this chapter... But really, I had this all planned for so long, just couldn't bring myself to force myself writing it... I promise I'll be faster in the next chapter, and according to my calculations, only two or three more chapters missing from this, yet in the meanwhile I should also post another short story I'm working on, yeah, another Au, isn't it fun?

Good luck trying to guess what is about, I mean, my ideas are pretty random something but the High school and this Mermaid x Pirate seem to be working well so I'm really hoping for the next Au too~