Archive of Our Own

On the day after his twenty-fifth birthday, Osamu found himself floating in the middle of the ocean. The only thing keeping him afloat was a meager piece of driftwood. 

He screamed swear words. He kicked the water that surrounded him. He cursed at everyone he knew from his old life. Every single one of them. They’d all been the driving force behind Osamu’s choice to leave the throne. Most of all, he cursed Atsumu. 

“You fucker! You piece of fucking shit!” Osamu’s voice was hoarse, salt water splashing into his mouth as another wave rocked his piece of driftwood. If only Atsumu had been born first. If only he’d been the older twin, then I wouldn’t have had to take the throne. Then I wouldn’t have to be king— 

He took in a deep breath again, getting ready to curse his brother’s name once more, but the reality of his situation finally hit. He began choking on his tears. 

I’m never going to get to hug my brother again— Osamu sobbed. Another large wave hit him. I’m never going to get to say sorry. Once they find out that I’ve drowned in the ocean, he’ll have to be king. He’ll have to suffer instead of me— 

He knocked those thoughts out of his head by screaming again. But it didn’t matter. He was going to have to come to terms with the idea of death in mere minutes, anyways. His piece of driftwood was fracturing by the second. And the waves only kept getting bigger. 

He buried his face against his piece of wood, not caring that the salt water was entering his nostrils. He almost expected his crown to dig into his forehead painfully, as it had done ever since the age of seven. But Osamu’s crown was long gone. It had been thrown onto the bottom of the ocean at the same time he’d stepped onto his boat. His own boat, his once chance to escape the royal life he’d been assigned to— 

But after only a day of sailing, his boat had capsized. All he had left was a piece of the side. For thirty minutes, he’d clung onto it. But it was breaking. And as Osamu let out one final sob, the driftwood split in half. 

He plunged under the water, his worst fears coming true. It was freezing. It was dark. It was endless. 

He’d been so busy mourning himself, he hadn’t noticed as a large, tattered ship had spotted him in the distance. While he kicked to the surface for air, he finally spotted it. He managed to keep his head above the surface for a few more minutes— screaming for help. 

As the ship got closer, Osamu was able to see a slim figure perched at the very front of the deck. He had a telescope pressed to his face. That was all he saw before he fell under the water again. By the time he fought his way back up to the surface, a small boat was next to him. Then, he was being yanked upwards. He coughed up water, hearing as several men around him yelled up to the dock. “We got him, captain!” 

Once Osamu was moved into the small boat, he was able to fully see his rescuers. They were wearing all black. Two of them wore thick leather belts at their waists— belts that had several swords and knives tucked into them. They all had tattered bandanas, either in their hair or tucked in their pockets. Pirates, Osamu realized. Dangerous pirates. 

But between the merciless ocean or cruel, greedy pirates, Osamu would choose the pirates every single time. They quickly rowed the miniature boat back to the ship, one of the men violently hitting Osamu on the back in order to expel all of the water from his lungs. Then, the boat was cranked back up to the deck. Before Osamu could even move to step off of it, he was thrown against the ground. Then, a pirate put his boot right on his neck. 

The pirate started laughing cruelly, and Osamu looked up at him. It was the same guy who’d been leaning against the railing with a telescope in his hand. But now, Osamu was able to see more of the man’s details. 

He had choppy brown hair that went past his ears, several scars on his face, and violent green eyes. He wore a captain’s hat, and at his belt, he wore one of the sharpest, most expensive swords Osamu had ever seen in his life. Considering his background as next in line for the throne, that was saying a lot. 

“Well, well. Look who we have here.” The man above him lightly chuckled. Effortlessly, he pulled his sword from his belt, pressing the tip right underneath Osamu’s chin. He forced him to look him in the eye. “Prince Miya Osamu, isn’t it?” 

Osamu opened his mouth to deny that claim. It would’ve been no use, though, as everyone in the kingdom knew his and his brother’s face like the back of their hands. So instead, he thought about pleading his case. Maybe even begging for mercy. But before he could speak, the pirate only leaned closer, the point of his sword stinging as it drew a tiny drop of blood. 

“I didn’t say you could talk, could I?” The man hissed. “After everything you and your royal family have done to people like me. For everything your family has done to my crew. For all the villages your family has burnt and robbed.” He leaned down, his face ghastly as he whispered. “You don’t get to say a single word on this ship, you hear me? Not. A. Single. One.”

Osamu took a deep breath, nodding as quietly as he could. The man backed off a bit, but his face was still livid. He didn’t remove his sword from Osamu’s chin, either. Several of the ship’s crew members gathered around the scene. They slowly became rowdy as they realized who Osamu was. That they’d just rescued the crown prince— 

“What are you waiting for, captain?” A crew member yelled. “Hurt him! Give him a taste of his own medicine! Make him feel the suffering that the rest of us have felt under the Miyas’ rule!” 

“Make him bleed. Cut him!” 

“Do worse.” Another man shouted. “His head is worth millions.” 

The man with his boot on Osamu’s neck— the captain of the ship— only chuckled again. “Sure, you’re right. I could end his life right here, and the people who want him out of the picture would be satiated. We’d surely get rich.” 

He paused, digging the sword further into Osamu’s skin. Osamu started to squirm under the captain’s boot— panic seizing his body. 

“Or… we could hold him hostage.” The captain said, his voice low. “We could demand a very, very high ransom from the king in trade for his son. And the money we’d get from that…” He paused, greed in his eyes. He had a wicked smile. “ Life changing . That money would be life changing , as long as we get you to him in one piece.” 

The crew seemed to be displeased at the captain’s answer. They kept yelling at him to change their mind— that Osamu didn’t deserve to live, no matter the payout. But the captain only kept shaking his head, his nostrils flaring as his crew kept questioning his decision. 

“My ship, my rules!” He shouted, quieting everyone. “If you don’t like my decisions, go work on another ship. We’re holding the prince for ransom. End of the story.” 

Several crew members swore and stormed off below deck. Others stayed behind, sending nasty glares at Osamu. Chills went down his spine. He felt as if he were staring multiple grim reapers in the eye. 

The captain pressed harder on Osamu’s neck with his boot. “I didn’t say you could look away from me, crown-prince.” He spat. Osamu immediately looked back up at him, fearing his cold green eyes. “So whaddya say, huh? You wanna go home to your daddy? Or do you want to be thrown right back into the ocean?” He lowered his voice. “I’m the only reason we even spotted you, and I only picked you up because I know how much you’re worth. Throwing you back over will be just as easy.” 

Osamu stared up into the man’s eyes. For most people, going home was the obvious answer. But Osamu’s cruel father had made it clear to him that even thinking of leaving the throne was an act worse than treason. If he did make it home at the hands of this pirate, he was sure his life wouldn’t last for much longer. 

But maybe I can pretend I’d been kidnapped— Osamu thought. Even though I skipped town on the morning before my crowning as king— the morning of my twenty-fifth birthday— maybe I can try to work that in my favor. Maybe Atsumu would actually use his brain for the first time in his life and hide the note that I’d written him. 

No matter how bad of a plan it was, it was better than drowning. So he nodded, and the captain removed his sword. His boot, however, remained. He pressed down harder— putting immense pressure on Osamu’s windpipe. The barest of gasps escaped his lips. 

“My name is Suna. Captain Suna.” A deathly glare flashed in his eyes. The wind lightly blew the long coat that was draped from his shoulders. He snapped his fingers, and several of his crew members walked over. “Only refer to me with that name. Only speak if I’ve instructed you to. Otherwise, you are not allowed to say a single damn thing. Or your tongue is mine.” 

Osamu didn’t have the chance to agree. Once Suna had finished speaking, he turned his back and walked away, the heels of his boots clicking as he disappeared into the cabin. The crew members quickly tied Osamu’s arms behind his back, tied his ankles, then carried him down into the cabin. But instead of turning down a dimly lit, carpeted hallway, they went deeper into the ship. 

In the darkest corner of the cabin, there was a small cell— barely bigger than a closet. Osamu was thrown into it, and as he fell to the ground, the barred door slammed behind him. 

There was no escape back into the water— not even if he wanted it. He’d made his decision. 

Osamu didn’t have any semblance of time down in that dark cell. The only notable thing that happened was when he found a jagged edge on one of the metal bars. He used it to saw the rope off his hands and feet, and finally, his skin could breathe again. 

He was so exhausted, and still so terrified from his encounter with death, he immediately fell asleep, despite the hard wooden floor he had to sleep on. He likely slept the rest of the day away. 

His eyes shot open as footsteps clunked down the stairs. Before he could even react, the cell door swung open, and then Osamu was being held against the wall by his neck. Several pirates from earlier stood before him. A few of them cracked their knuckles. 

“Despite what the captain said, let’s teach this royal brat a lesson about the real world, shall we?” One of them laughed. His eyes looked soulless. And it was his knuckle that hit Osamu’s jaw first. 

The three pirates beat Osamu to the ground. Then, they pulled out their knives, torturing Osamu by carving lines of varying depth down his chest. They laughed as Osamu bit his lip in pain, trying as hard as he could not to scream. He didn’t want to piss off the pirates any further, but most importantly, he didn’t want to piss off the captain, who was the only reason Osamu’s heart was still beating. But damn— their knives hurt. Small screams escaped anyways, warm blood seeping onto his skin. 

Before long, one of the pirates pressed a knife to his neck. 

“I know the captain wants that damn ransom. I know he wants the prince to stay alive.” A smaller crew member said, blood underneath his fingernails. “But man, it’s so, so tempting to get rid of the prince once and for good. To give the royal family a sliver back of what they’ve been doing to us for years.” 

“We can always say that he tried to break out.” The soulless one said. “Captain will never have to know that he’s being a goody-two shoes, even though we have the cell door wide open—”

The knife pressed against Osamu’s throat even harder. He nearly screamed out for help before forgetting that he’d been told not to talk. That he’d been ordered to stay silent. But as death approached, it was getting harder to control himself. 

As the pirates above him laughed, Osamu thought of Atsumu. His younger twin brother, who never cared for the rules. Who was always too loud for his own good. Who always yelled at the top of his lungs, even when he’d been hushed by the king. 

But even if I do cry out, no one will help me— Osamu’s eyes watered. There’s no reason for anyone on this ship to care. It will be pointless. 

Suna’s words from earlier infiltrated his mind. He remembered everything he’d said about the ransom. About the king’s money being worth more than any other price on Osamu’s head. About the king’s money being life-changing. 

As long as we get you to him in one piece, Suna had whispered, dollar signs in his eyes. 

And right now, the pirates weren’t planning on keeping Osamu in one piece. 

Suna’s my one chance— he realized. He’s the only thing keeping me from sleeping with the fishes. So Osamu took a leap of faith. He took in a deep breath, yelling at the top of his lungs. 

“ Captain Suna! ” He yelled, his voice breaking in fear. “ They’re going to kill me!” 

The pirates around him froze in shock, none of them expecting Osamu to do that. And before any of them could figure out what to do, their captain was running down the stairs. In his hand was a small lantern.

Suna paused right outside the cell, his lantern casting ghastly shadows onto his face. His eyes immediately fell to the knives in his crew’s hands, along with the blood that dripped from them onto Osamu’s chest. 

He stuck two of his fingers in his mouth and whistled, and soon, nearly the whole crew was running down. “Take these three upstairs!” Suna ordered. “I’ll be up in a moment.” 

It was a lot of wrestling, and a lot of violence, but eventually, Osamu’s attackers were subdued. A lot of the crew seemed happy to see Osamu’s injuries, but their smiles were quickly wiped off their faces as they saw an angry twitch in Suna’s eye. They’re all deathly afraid of him— Osamu realized. 

Within a few moments, it was just Suna and Osamu down in the cell. Osamu clutched the cuts on his chest. He felt weak. Sick. He could feel the captain’s eyes on him. 

“You spoke.” Suna said, the lantern in his hand gently rocking with the ship. “You yelled for me. You broke my rule.” 

Osamu didn’t know how to respond to that, so he only kept staring. 

“Answer, for God’s sake!” Suna yelled. “I’m speaking to you!” 

“I did.” Osamu whispered, blood from his lip draining into his mouth. “You want me alive for the money, right? So I called for you. They had a knife to my neck, and your plan for ransom would’ve been ruined—” 

Suna’s scowl only deepened, which meant that Osamu’s incoherent blabbering was pissing him off. So Osamu clamped his mouth shut. Despite his injuries, he shifted onto his knees, clasping his bloodied hands as if he were deep in prayer. 

This was how he and his brother had been taught to ask for forgiveness as kids. And as his father was very temperamental, Osamu still commonly found himself slipping into this position, even as a full grown adult. 

“Forgive me, captain.” Osamu whispered, fearing the ice cold ocean right outside the walls of the ship. His entire body was shaking. “Forgive me for speaking. Please. Please.” 

For several minutes, Suna only stared back at Osamu. An unidentifiable emotion swarmed in his eyes. The silence was very uncomfortable, but Osamu didn’t dare break it by speaking again. If he wanted a fighting chance at life, he had to play every card he got. 

Suna’s eyes eventually fell down to Osamu’s bloodied shirt. 

“What’d they do to you?” He asked, his voice low. “Show me, Miya.” 

Slowly, Osamu lifted his shirt— revealing the bloody lines. A few of them traced from his hips up to his collarbone. Suna’s scowl only deepened further. 

“Get up.” Suna ordered. Osamu immediately obeyed, and in seconds, he was being led up the stairs. Then Suna shoved him down the fancy, candle-lit hallway he’d seen earlier. A small door was at the back. They stepped through it. Osamu quickly realized that he’d been dragged into Suna’s private quarters. 

Before he could look around any further, he was pushed onto a small bed that was anchored to the floor, rails on either side to prevent the occupant from rolling off as the ship rocked back and forth. Suna quickly pulled out a pair of handcuffs from his belt. He clipped one side to Osamu’s wrist, the other to the guard rail. He repeated this with his other wrist. Once they were in place, Osamu could no longer get up. 

He left without another word. Osamu heard as his boots clicked all the way up to the deck. Yelling commenced, then, several splashes. Almost as if several people had been thrown overboard. 

Minutes later, Suna returned, acting as if nothing had happened. The only difference in his outfit was that now, blood dripped from his sword. Suna watched as Osamu stared at it. 

“I didn’t do anything bad.” Suna said, ripping off his hat. He bit a hair tie in his mouth as he gathered his hair in a low ponytail, then secured it. “Don’t give me that look, prince. They only disobeyed my orders, so I gave them a boat. They’ll live. Just as long as I never see any of their grimey, back-stabbing faces again.” 

He ripped off his long, black coat. He folded it neatly on a nearby wooden chair, then took off his boots. The last thing to come off was his belt. Then, Suna grabbed his bloody sword, spending the next several minutes cleaning it before hanging it on a hook by his door. 

Osamu watched all of this with a quiet fascination. He didn’t know that rough and rugged pirates could be so careful with their stuff. Or have a room as nice as this one. 

“You have permission to talk, Miya.” Suna said, walking over to a small set of drawers. He began to rifle through it. “Tell me. Why were you in the middle of the ocean? I thought neither of the princes could leave the castle.” 

Osamu thought back to the letter he’d written his brother. 

I can’t do this anymore— Osamu had scribbled in ink. I can’t pretend like I’m fit to be king anymore. I can’t be our father’s puppet any longer. I have to escape.

“Yesterday was my twenty-fifth birthday.” Osamu said, his voice quiet. “I was supposed to be crowned king that afternoon. I’ve never wanted to be king, so I escaped.” 

Suna pulled out a bottle of disinfectant from the drawer. He looked over at Osamu, mock crying. 

“Boo hoo.” Suna snapped. “Poor little prince’s life must’ve been so hard. Couldn’t stand being rich anymore? Couldn’t stand being the most powerful person in the country?” He pulled out a small bundle of bandages, slamming the drawer. “Couldn’t stand to commit any more crimes against your people?” 

“I—” 

“No more speaking to me.” He ordered. “I don’t care for your sob story. I don’t care to sit here and listen to you complain about how hard being a prince was. You don’t get to say any of that to me.” He paused, his right eyebrow twitching in anger. “My entire life was destroyed by your father’s rule. Everyone I love is dead because of him. If you were a good person, which I know you’re not, you would’ve stayed behind and actually tried to change things. A good person wouldn’t have just run away.” 

He pulled a stool over to the bed. He immediately poured the disinfectant over Osamu’s wounds, and it stung so, so badly. Osamu couldn’t help but to cry out, writhing in pain as it mixed with his blood. 

“The pain means it’s working.” Suna said. “Or would you rather get an infection and die, prince ?” 

For the next several minutes, Suna worked on cleaning and stitching his wounds. It was such a horrific pain, Osamu couldn’t help as several silent tears streamed down his cheeks. 

Suna didn’t notice them until he’d finished bandaging his wounds. When he did, his face fell for the briefest of seconds, almost as if his cruel pirate persona was nothing but an act. But in the blink of an eye, his scowl was back. He quickly grabbed a small towel from a hook, hastily wiping Osamus’s tears away. 

“I don’t pity you.” Suna said, his face inches from Osamu’s. “I only brought you up to my room to keep an eye on you. If I had left you in the cell, other crew members likely would’ve snuck down to hurt you more. And that would’ve made it impossible for me to get my ransom.” He stood up, pushing his stool to the side. “Get it through your head. I don’t care about you. I don’t care about anyone in the royal family. Not after your dad destroyed my village. Not after he took my entire family away from me.”

He stormed out of the room, slamming and locking the door behind him. 

Osamu fell asleep after that. He woke up the next morning, his body so sore and damaged, he could barely move. For a minute or two, he just looked around the room, his vision hazy. 

The first thing he saw was Suna. He was standing by his closet, quietly taking his shirt off. The cloth hit the floor with a gentle thud. Then, he yawned, walking over to his dresser. He didn’t seem to notice that Osamu had woken up, since his shoulders were more relaxed. His cheeks were slightly flushed. His violent pirate persona was completely gone. 

Since he was only a few feet away, Osamu was able to see that Suna was wearing some sort of compression top on his chest. It looked exactly like the binders some female members of the royal guard wore in order to flatten their chests. One of Osamu’s personal guards had worn one, too. He’d told Osamu in private that he’d been born a woman, but quickly realized that wasn’t right—

And Suna’s wearing the same thing— Osamu realized, his eyes widening as he processed the new information. Suna still hadn’t noticed he was awake. He just stared outside a small window, sticking his thumbs under his binder for a few moments and taking deep breaths. 

Once he turned around and saw that Osamu was awake, though, all hell broke loose. He quickly slipped a shirt over his head, then grabbed his sword off the wall and pushed it against Osamu’s neck. 

“How much have you seen?” He hissed, his teeth bared. “I swore that you were still asleep. How much do you know about me now? Tell me!”

“Just the binder. That’s all—” Osamu rushed. “Nothin’ else—” 

“You will tell no one.” Suna ordered, his voice sending shivers down Osamu’s spine. “No one gets to know that I wear this, alright? Not a soul. Or I will rip your voice box out and feed it to the sharks.” 

“I swear. I won’t tell anyone.” Osamu pleaded. Suna took the sword off his throat a minute later. On the outside, he still looked tough as nails, but Osamu could see the barest glint of fear in his eyes. Then he stormed out of the room.

Before Suna went up to the deck, though, a crew mate stopped him in the hallway. 

“Captain.” A voice said. “The king answered the ransom note we sent yesterday. He’s offering ten million yen for his son.” 

Suna laughed a sick laugh. “Only ten million? Pathetic. Remind him that my starting point was a hundred million yen.” He lowered his voice. “I know they have it. I know that is just a drop in their immeasurable wealth, after all the towns they’ve ransacked. Send a letter back demanding two hundred million. Or else the prince is mine forever.” 

Osamu nervously swallowed, pulling at the handcuffs that kept him locked to the bed. He was unsure that his father would pay a ransom that high. It was true that his father deeply cared for him, but only because he was next in line for the throne. 

He’d never loved a single bone in Osamu’s body, and he never would. 

“Father—” Eleven-year old Osamu asked, kneeling before the throne. “Why have you passed this new law that I will come into power on my twenty-fifth birthday? I thought I was only supposed to become king after you died.”

The king scratched his chin for a moment, his cold eyes boring into Osamu’s. 

“Let me put it this way, son.” He said. “When a ruler has been in power for a long time, people begin to get tired of him. But I am what’s best for this country, aren’t I?” 

“Yes, Father.” 

“My new rule is a way to get around that.” He said. “If you technically become king in your mid-twenties, the rest of the kingdom will think that I am no longer in charge. However, even with you in power, I will still be making all of the decisions. You will simply be the face of our kingdom, my son.” 

It was only until Osamu got older that he realized the truth behind the new rule. His father had solely created it in order to begin committing large acts of cruelty against the people. But instead of him getting the blame, all of his actions would be wrongfully assigned to Osamu. And the closer Osamu got to age twenty-five, the more he realized that he’d wanted nothing to do with that at all. He didn’t want to be seen as evil. He didn’t want to be the face of his father’s cruel tyranny. 

So maybe it was for the best that he was stuck with an evil pirate like Suna. Dying by his sword, or dying after being thrown into the water— all of that was better than being a puppet for the king. 

But as he fell back asleep, he couldn’t help but to think of his brother. Atsumu, who was stuck in that castle all alone now— their evil father looming over his shoulders. 

He’s all alone with him now— Osamu thought, a quiet tear falling from his eye. My brother. My little brother. 

I passed my cruel fate onto him, didn’t I?

That night, Suna didn’t return until he was drunk. 

Right when he’d entered the room, he reeked of alcohol. In his hand was a small whiskey bottle, and he took one final sip before slamming it into a nearby drawer. The ship must’ve hit a large wave, because the room tilted. But even while drunk, Suna was steadier than ever. 

He caught Osamu staring at him. 

“I’m captain for a reason, you know.” He slurred. “I’ve been on the seas since I was eight. At this point, I walk better on a ship than I ever will on land.” 

A moment later, Suna walked over to his closet. He ripped his shirt, pants, and binder off, slipping into a worn pair of pajamas.  For several minutes, he tried to button up his pajama shirt, but the alcohol had made his motor skills absolutely horrific. He gave up, ripping the shirt off and putting a new one on. 

Once he was done changing, he looked over to Osamu. 

“I won’t sleep in here if you don’t want me to.” He drunkenly slurred. “I know that I’m an evil pirate. And I know I told you that I don’t care about you. But I still have morals. If you’re uncomfortable with me sleepin’ in here, I’ll go sleep out in the hall.” He finally stumbled, a wave catching him off guard. “You are handcuffed to my bed. I don’t want you to be scared, so be honest. Answer me.” 

“I don’t care.” Osamu whispered, unable to take his eyes off of the captain’s face. So Suna lightly stretched. Then he got out a small hammock from a nearby chest, attaching it to small hooks on the ceiling. He sat it in, but because he was so drunk, he nearly fell backwards. 

“You ain’t seein’ any of this, prince.” He slurred again, his face flushed. “Jesus. I think my crew really wanted me plastered off my ass tonight. Pieces of shit. Kept handin’ me fuckin’ drinks.” 

He almost laid down, but before he could, his eyes focused on Osamu’s clammy skin. He stomped over in his fuzzy socks, grabbing Osamu’s jaw and turning it side to side. Then he pinched a piece of his arm— performing the skin test that revealed if someone was dehydrated or not. Osamu’s skin took several seconds to sink back down onto his arm, and Suna immediately cursed. 

“Those pieces of shit didn’t feed you, did they? They forget to do fuckin’ everything.” Suna drunkenly cussed, slipping his boots back onto his feet. “I have to do everythin’ myself around here. Good thing I ain’t giving any of the ransom to them—” He pointed a finger at Osamu before leaving. “Don’t tell anyone I said that.” 

He returned several minutes later with a plate of fish and a full glass of water. He pressed the glass of water to Osamu’s lips right away, and for the next thirty seconds, Osamu nearly inhaled the water. It felt so good against his dry throat. 

“I bet they didn’t feed you intentionally.” Suna said, his voice quiet. “They have the right to. Your father put so many of their villages into deep famines.” 

“So why are you feeding me, then?” Osamu gasped for air, right as Suna took the glass away. His face fell into a scowl. 

“I didn’t say you could talk.” He snapped. “And how many times do I have to tell you this? I have to keep you alive for the ransom. Letting you die of thirst won’t get me my money.” 

He picked up a piece of fish, then shoved it into Osamu’s mouth. They repeated this for several minutes until the plate was empty. In relief, Osamu laid his head back against the pillow, closing his eyes. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was.

He almost passed out again. But he was shaken awake by the captain, another glass of water in his hand. 

“Drink.” Suna ordered. “And if the crew doesn’t feed you tomorrow, tell me right away.” 

Osamu nodded. He couldn’t help but notice that this time, Suna was gentler with the water. He let Osamu drink at the pace he needed to. 

Then he went over to his hammock and went to bed. And Osamu was surprised to see how soft Suna’s face became as he fell asleep. He looked younger. He looked kinder. 

Osamu was beginning to think Suna’s harsh pirate exterior wasn’t who he was at all. 

The next morning, Osamu heard several of the crew members yelling for their captain. 

“What?” Suna’s voice echoed from the deck. He sounded hungover. “What is it?” 

“There are sirens ahead.” A crew member said. “Here, take a look through the telescope yourself.” 

As Suna looked, Osamu ransacked his mind for everything he knew about sirens. They were mythical creatures that swam through the kingdom’s ocean in packs. They were half-woman, half-bird, and they were notorious for causing shipwrecks and eating sailors. They lured them to their deaths by singing songs that brought hallucinations to any sailor with open ears. They’d always promise to deliver that sailor’s greatest desire. 

Osamu had never encountered them before, but he’d heard plenty of stories. The most fascinating thing he’d heard was that sirens never attacked anyone who wasn’t a man. For example, when a woman, or anyone in between, would pass through the area, they’d hear absolutely nothing. Entire fleets of women traveled through this channel with no fear, so it was both known as a place of complete peace and safety, but also a place of utter destruction.

“Shit.” Suna swore from above. His heels pounded against the wood as he ran across the deck, ringing a bell loudly. “Plug your ears! Now!” He screamed. 

Osamu immediately panicked. Both of his hands were handcuffed too far away to reach his ears. He yelled for someone to come help him, but by that time, everyone had already plugged their ears or simply didn’t care. Osamu was helpless. 

Within minutes, he began to hear a faint singing. It gradually got so loud, it made it impossible to hear anything else other than their singing. 

Then, the voices started, and Osamu heard his brother.

“ ‘Samu!” Atsumu’s voice cried, over and over again. He sounded distressed. He sounded like he’d been sobbing. He sounded like he was in pain. 

Osamu began to see a vision of his brother. He was sitting on the throne, his father’s crown placed so tightly on his head, blood ran from his forehead down to his chin. Behind him stood their father— his hand gripping Atsumu’s shoulder so tightly, blood was soaking through the arm of Atsumu’s shirt. He was hurting him. 

“‘Samu. I wasn’t meant to lead—” Atsumu sobbed. “I wasn’t meant to be king. I wasn’t meant to deal with Father alone.” His lib wobbled as he began to yell. “Why did you leave me behind? Why didn’t you take me with you? You’re my brother! I thought you loved me!” 

Osamu writhed in Suna’s bed, desperately pulling at the handcuffs. He felt his ears begin to bleed, but the siren’s voices only got louder. They kept telling Osamu that if he managed to jump into the sea, he’d be able to see his brother. He’d be able to save him from their father. 

He saw another vision of their father pressing the crown further onto Atsumu’s head. More blood ran down his face. Then, Atsumu slumped to the side. 

And that was what broke Osamu. 

He pulled as hard as he could against the handcuffs— tearing the skin around his wrists. He was still stuck, so he began to kick the guard rails on either side of the bed. They weren’t very secure, so after a few hits, they snapped off of the bed and fell to the floor.

Osamu ran out of the room in seconds, beelining for the water. He pushed each and every crew member out of his way— not noticing who just watched versus who tried to stop him. At the top of the stairs, Suna tackled him. He had small earplugs in his ears, his eyes wide as Osamu screamed and thrashed in his grip. 

“Get away from him, ‘Tsumu!” Osamu screamed at the top of his lungs. That vision of their father looming over his brother wouldn’t leave his mind. “Get away from Dad— get away— get away! He’s hurting you!”

As he screamed for his brother, Suna wrestled him to the deck. In an attempt to cut off the singing, he put his hands over Osamu’s ears and kept him pinned to the ground with his knees. It didn’t work. If anything, he only screamed louder, fighting with every bone in his body to escape from underneath Suna and dive into the water. If he dove in, he’d be able to help Atsumu. He’d be able to fix his mistake of leaving him behind. 

Before he knew it, Suna was taking out his earplugs and shoving them into Osamu’s ears. They blocked out nearly all sound, so within a minute or two, his heart rate calmed down. The hallucinations stopped. He could take in a deep breath. 

“Better?” Suna asked, breathlessly. He sounded deeply underwater, his voice heavily muffled by the earplugs, but Osamu could still make out what he was saying. 

His stomach sank as he realized what Suna had done. 

“Why’d you take them out?” Osamu asked, his voice hoarse. He noticed that he and Suna were the only ones up on the deck. Everyone else was below. “The sirens will—” he gasped for air. “They’re going to attack you—”

“I don’t need them in the same way you do, Miya.” Suna’s face darkened. “The sirens have never sung to me before. I only wear the earplugs to keep up the act that I’m—” 

He froze mid-sentence, his hands tightening on Osamu’s shoulders. His eyes slowly widened. His breath hitched. 

Then, he screamed. 

“Reiki?” He turned his head to the side, madness possessing his body. He was shaking from head to toe. “Reiki? Reiki! I’m coming!” He scrambled to get off of Osamu, but just in the nick of time, Osamu grabbed onto his shirt and yanked him back down to the ground. His back smacked against the wood, his screams becoming even more erratic. 

Osamu tried his best to keep Suna down, but he was much better at fighting. He punched Osamu three times in three different places, then slipped out from underneath him. He climbed over the railing and dove straight into the water below. 

Osamu froze. Obviously, he didn’t want to follow the captain into the mouth of a siren. But Suna was the only person keeping Osamu alive on this ship. If Suna died, the crew would immediately take him out. 

So against every instinct in his body, Osamu dove into the water as well. Despite the cold, he quickly got his bearings and spotted Suna several feet away. He floated pliantly in the water— his hair floating around his head like some sort of halo. 

Then a siren swam straight towards him. Its sharp teeth were bared, ready to sink right into Suna’s neck— the closest man available— 

Instead of panicking, Osamu remembered his training. 

“If you’re ever about to get attacked, keep a calm mind.” Atsumu’s personal guard had said. His voice was deep. Apathetic. Osamu wasn’t used to hearing it. “Think outside the box. Use every resource you have around you in order to protect yourself.” 

His name was Sakusa Kiyoomi, and he’d been assigned to protect by Atsumu ever since his twentieth birthday— mere days after Atsumu’s last guard had died while on duty. 

Normally, guards were not allowed to talk to either of the princes. It was an oath the king forced them to swear, and if they broke it, they’d be tried for treason. But after the twins had almost lost their lives in a second assassination attempt, Sakusa had been given special permission to train the twins in fighting. So for two months, they got to work with Sakusa every day, actually getting to speak to him. 

“Omi. I don’t want to train with a practice sword.” Atsumu demanded, kicking his wooden sword. Sakusa stopped it with his foot, his right eye twitching in anger. “A practice sword isn’t anythin’ like the real thing. How am I supposed to learn how to protect myself with such a piece of crap? I want an actual sword—” 

As Atsumu’s personal guard, Sakusa was never able to talk back. So for twenty-four hours a day, he had to put up with Atsumu’s non-stop whining, childish bickering, and constant rambling. He was never able to tell Atsumu to shut up. He was never able to touch Atsumu, either, so he couldn’t put a hand over his mouth or push him into another room. 

But while they were in their official training sessions, Sakusa could do whatever the hell he wanted, as long as he saw it conducive to Atsumu’s learning. So he marched over to Atsumu and flipped him onto his back with a practice sword in mere seconds. He jabbed the sword against Atsumu’s neck, his mouth scowling as Atsumu let out a small cry of fear. 

“You’re weaker and clumsier than a small child.” Sakusa said, his nostrils flaring. “You will train with this practice sword, or you will not train at all.” 

Atsumu slowly nodded, his eyes wide. Osamu wondered if Sakusa was letting out years of pent-up anger at the prince. 

“Pick up the sword, Atsumu.” He ordered. “Now.” 

Needless to say, after that display of raw power, Osamu had paid great attention to his sword lessons in the following days. And now that his life was in danger, everything Sakusa had taught him came rushing back. 

He swam over to Suna, yanking him out of the way just in time to avoid the siren’s bite. Then he ripped Suna’s sword out of his belt, swinging it like an extension of his own arm— just like Sakusa had trained him to do. He sliced the siren’s jaw in half, then grabbed Suna around the waist and kicked them both up to the surface.

He and Suna both gasped for air. The sirens were still singing, which meant Suna immediately began thrashing. 

“Reiki!” He sobbed, hitting Osamu in the face. Kicking him in the chest. “ Reiki, wait for me!” 

Several more sirens swam towards them at the speed of light, and it was all Osamu could do to keep them back. One of the sirens bit into his leg, another grazed Suna’s arm with a sharp tooth, leaving a deep cut behind. Osamu kept slashing at them, simultaneously screaming at the ship to come back for them. But as all of the pirates had their ears plugged by wax, nobody could hear them. They likely wouldn’t find that their captain was missing until hours later. 

It’s just me— Osamu told himself, defeating another siren by aiming for the eye. Suna kept screaming beside him, useless to do anything. He began to think that they would die. 

But then he looked behind him. He spotted a very small island only about a five minute swim away, and hope ignited in his heart. He used that hope to defeat the remaining three sirens, then swam away before any others could spot them. 

He dragged Suna up onto the shore with him, both of their blood staining the bright white sand beneath them. And for some reason unexplainable to Osamu, the sirens’ singing stopped once they stood on solid ground. Suna immediately calmed down, spitting up as much water as he possibly could. Osamu did the same, eventually pulling his earplugs out. 

Before either of them could deal with their wounds, Suna tackled Osamu onto his back. 

“Why’d you save me, prince!” Suna screamed, his hand gripping the front of Osamu’s shirt. “Why the hell did you save me! Why the fuck did you do that? ” 

Osamu saw red. He tackled Suna back, and because Suna was weak from the siren’s attacks, he easily fell onto his back. “Why the fuck did you take your earplugs out, captain?”

“I didn’t say you could speak, crown-prince—” 

“Well we’re not on your ship anymore, are we?” Osamu hissed. “We’re on kingdom territory now. My land, my rules!” He shook Suna, his hair splaying out on the sand behind him. “Tell me why you took your earplugs out!” 

“Because the sirens were damaging your brain! You were so close to going insane— I wouldn’t have gotten the full ransom if you had lost your mind—” 

Osamu saw red. He slapped Suna’s cheek in a fit of anger. 

“Dead people can’t collect ransoms, Captain Suna.” Osamu spat. “You knew taking your earplugs out would’ve killed you. Sirens target all men who pass through their waters. Everybody knows that—” 

“I’m not a man in the same way you’re a man, Miya!” He yelled, kicking up at him. Osamu’s eye twitched. “I thought they wouldn’t attack me, okay?”

“Well they did, didn’t they? Which means you’re a full man, Suna. So don’t ever be so goddamn stupid like that again. Don’t ever take your earplugs out around sirens, despite what you wear on your chest or what you used to—”

Suna slapped Osamu back, his nostrils flaring. It stung. 

“Why the fuck do you care?” He spat. “You’re a bastard prince. Why do you care about low-life pirates like me? Why do you care if the sirens eat me whole? You’re supposed to want people like me to die.” 

“Well I don’t, okay? Just because I carry my father’s blood doesn’t mean I’m him. I don’t want people like you to die. I want people like you to live. I want people like you to get justice, alright?” 

Suna’s eyes widened, his brain churning. 

“Besides.” Osamu took a deep breath, his anger leaving his body. Still, he gripped onto Suna’s shoulders. “You were the only thing keeping me alive on that ship. If you die, I die. And you almost killed me by taking your earplugs out. So never do that again, unless you want be known as the stupidest captain alive—” 

Suna kicked him right in the groin, then slipped out underneath him as he collapsed. He ran off into the forest behind them, stomping his water-logged boots so hard, the sand flew up and hit Osamu in the face. 

After their fight, the two of them didn’t speak for the rest of the day. Suna had completely vanished into the forest. Osamu thought he’d never see him again. 

First, he spent his time cleaning his wounds from the sirens. Then he foraged for food. He even tried to light a fire a few times, but it never caught. 

Deep down, Osamu knew his survival skills were abysmal. 

“This is how to start a fire, if you ever find yourself stranded.” Sakusa had instructed, dry sticks in his hands. The twins watched him cautiously, crickets chirping from behind them. Soon it was their turn. Osamu struggled for several minutes, but Atsumu had lit his own fire almost immediately. He was a quick learner. 

“Omi.” Atsumu said, his voice vulnerable. Normally, both of the princes had to act tough around anyone who wasn’t their immediate family. But with Sakusa around, Atsumu didn’t even bother. “Is this good?” 

Sakusa walked over, staring at the fire for a few seconds. Both of the twins knew him as a very quiet man, as his oath didn’t allow him to speak. But even as that oath was temporarily lifted, Sakusa still preferred to be silent. 

But in his eyes, Sakusa carried a world of emotions. Despite having one of the hardest jobs in the kingdom— keeping the monster of Miya Atsumu away from harm— it seemed as if he actually cared for the prince more than the job required. 

Osamu could see why. Atsumu was one of the happiest people in the kingdom. He didn’t care what others thought of him. He didn’t care if people thought he was loud or immature. All he cared about was living life to the fullest. He was the complete opposite of Osamu, who’s love for life has been extinguished ever since he realized there was no escape from being king. 

“It’s very good, Atsumu.” Sakusa said, a slight tinge to his voice. Atsumu looked up at him and smiled, the fire glinting off of his crown. 

But then, Sakusa extinguished the fire with his boot. Atsumu cried out. 

“Do it again. This time, make it bigger. Stronger.” Sakusa ordered. He looked over to Osamu, frowning deeply. “Haven’t even made your first one yet, Prince Osamu?” 

On the deserted island, Osamu tried for several hours to start a fire. Night was coming rapidly, and he was already beginning to shiver. If he couldn’t get one started, it was about to be a rough night. 

He looked in the opposite direction of the setting sun. A small plume of smoke was soaring towards the skies. Suna. He wandered off in that direction, but before he could even feel the fire’s warmth, he felt a sword press into his back. 

“Cold, are you?” Suna’s voice was low. “Have you felt cold before, spoiled prince?” 

Osamu just stared at the fire. It was red, like the slap mark had been on Suna’s cheek. 

“I wanted to apologize.” Osamu said, his voice quiet. Birds cooed in the distance. “I’m sorry for slapping you.”

The sword only dug deeper into his back. But still, it didn’t draw blood. 

“Well, I don’t feel sorry for slapping you.” Suna spat. “I hate you. Always have, always will. I don’t care that you saved my life.” 

“I know.” Osamu said. “That’s why I also came to speak with you about the ransom. You still want it, don’t you?” 

“Of course I still want the ransom. But how the fuck am I supposed to get you back to the kingdom, huh? I don’t have my ship anymore. I don’t even have handcuffs to keep you restrained. So I don’t really have a choice but to let you go.” He paused, thinking. “Why are you even asking? I thought escaping the castle was an act of treason. Won’t the king kill you?” 

“He will.” Osamu answered. “But the sirens made me realize that I made a mistake. I want to go back and try to correct it, and I’m willing to risk my life to do so. We might as well get you your ransom while we’re at it. I’d rather give you my father’s wealth than to let it keep collecting dust in our treasury. It can buy you a new life—” 

“I don’t want a new life.” Suna said. He had a funny tinge in his voice, almost as if he were lying. “Besides. I don’t trust you.” 

“And I don’t trust you.” Osamu spat back, trying not to think about how gentle Suna had been when he’d given him water, or how he’d offered to sleep outside his room if that made Osamu more comfortable. “But right now, I’m cold. I’m hungry. And I want to get back to the kingdom to fix my mistake. In order to do so, I’m willing to draw a truce. I’ll willingly stay your hostage. Get me home, and I’ll get you your money.” 

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Not until Suna took a deep breath, sheathing his sword. He stepped in front of Osamu. 

“You were screaming your brother’s name earlier, weren’t you?” He asked, his voice low. The fire crackled behind him. “You were screaming at him to run away from your father. I thought the king loved his sons. I thought the three of you were close.” 

“That’s what our public appearance is like.” Osamu said, remembering all of the times he and Atsumu had to act like they were close with their father. In reality, though, both of them hated his guts. “Inside the castle, it’s much different.” 

Suna stared at him for a moment. Then he gestured towards the fire, a frown on his face. 

“Go sit.” He ordered. Osamu did as he was told. A minute later, Suna was handing Osamu a piece of cooked fish. “Eat.” 

They ate in silence together, crickets chirping all around them. The stars began to shine from above the tree canopy. 

“The sirens made you scream a name earlier, too.” Osamu said. Suna looked up at him, his face quickly becoming guarded. “Reiki, was it?” 

“Take her name out of your mouth.” Suna ordered. “I’m done talking for the night.” 

The next day, the island was hit with a torrential rain. 

Staying dry was all they could focus on. They quickly built a shelter big enough for the both of them, then tried several different methods to keep a fire lit. It was to no avail, since the rain was coming at them in all directions. The second Suna would ignite a spark, it’d immediately be put out. 

The two of them huddled under their shelter, their teeth chattering. And even though they hated each other, they were still one another’s only company on this cruel island. It pushed them together, despite the unspoken tension between them. 

“Prince.” Suna said, his voice barely audible over the rain. “We need to huddle together for warmth.”

Osamu nodded. “Are you okay with that?”

“Yes, I’m okay with not losing my limbs to hypothermia.” Suna spat. “Lay down on your side.” 

Osamu did as he was told, and seconds later, Suna pressed the front of his body to his back. He wrapped his arms around Osamu’s torso, then intertwined their legs. 

The next few minutes were awkwardly silent, as Osamu had never been in a situation like this before. What did you say to a pirate captain who’d threatened your life several times, and was now spooning you from behind? 

Suna seemed to know what to say. Either that, or he hated the silence more than any awkward conversation they could have. 

“What was it like to grow up in the castle?” Suna asked, his voice low right next to Osamu’s ear. It sent chills down his spine. “What was it like to have anything you ever needed at the snap of a finger? To be waited on hand-and-foot?” 

“Lonely.” Osamu answered. 

“Lonely? You had your twin brother, didn’t you?” 

“I did. But our father kept us separate most of the time. He wanted to keep me focused on my training to be king, so I usually only saw him at night.” He said, thinking of Atsumu’s laugh. No matter how terrible Osamu’s day had been, Atsumu would always try to cheer him up. “My brother was the only good thing about that castle. He’s what made life worth living.” 

It was quiet for a few moments after that. Osamu wasn’t sure if Suna had fallen asleep, or didn’t have anything else to say. But after a minute or two passed, he took a deep breath. 

“My older sister was the same way.” Suna said. He tightened his arms around Osamu’s waist. It sent a weird tingling sensation right into his gut. “When she passed, my soul died.” 

“How old were you?” 

“Eight.” 

The rain fell even harder. Osamu could almost feel as Suna shut his eyes. 

“You said that you want to go back to the kingdom to fix a mistake.” He whispered. “Was that mistake leaving your brother behind?” 

Osamu quietly nodded. “I was too much of a coward to escape with him. I was afraid he would die.” He paused, thinking of the visions the sirens had shown him. “But now I realize that he’s in even more danger in the castle. That with my absence, my father is likely taking his anger out on Atsumu.” 

“Is he not fit to rule?” Suna asked. Osamu bit his lip. 

“No, he would make for an excellent ruler.” Osamu said. “It’s true that he’s childish. But he is also brave. He is empathetic. He is brilliant in every way that I’m not. He wants to bring justice to our people. But that’s not what my father wanted. He wanted his sons to be nothing but puppets— all so he could continue his rule from behind our faces. Which is why he spent the last twenty years of my life ripping my soul out, piece by piece. I couldn’t stand to spend one more day with him. So I ran.” 

“But now, Atsumu is taking your place.” Suna said. “Now, your father is going to crush him instead.” 

Osamu quietly nodded, his heart cracking in half. 

“I have to get him out of there.” Osamu whispered. “I have to. No matter the risk.” 

Suna pressed his forehead against the back of Osamu’s shoulder. The rain fell even harder. 

“Ever since I found you in the ocean, prince, I thought you were nothing but a coward.” Suna said, his breath hot against Osamu’s neck. “You still are. You abandoned your people. But… at least you’re going back for Atsumu. That’s what my Reiki would’ve done. That’s what any good sibling would’ve done.” 

Suna fell asleep after that, his arms pulled so tightly around Osamu’s chest, Osamu feared he’d crack a bone. But the warmth of Suna’s skin made it all worth it. 

He thought back to the last time he’d seen Atsumu. He’d been reading by the fireplace. Sakusa stood on the other side of the room, sharpening his blade. 

“Hey, ‘Samu.” Atsumu smiled, watching as Osamu walked past. He was heading down to practice his crowning ceremony for the eighth time that week. Each time they practiced, Osamu felt more and more sick to his stomach. “You doin’ okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Osamu said. “Why do you ask?” 

“You just look a bit down, and it’s worryin’ me.” He said. His crown was crooked on his head. “Hey, Omi. Don’t you think ’Samu looks a bit down?” 

Sakusa turned around, giving a look to Atsumu. Their training sessions with him had ended over three years ago, and he hadn’t spoken to either twin directly ever since. Osamu missed his voice. 

“Blink twice if yes.” Atsumu laughed. Sakusa only turned back to his sword, sharpening it more angrily than he’d been a minute ago. Osamu didn’t laugh along with his brother, which led to Atsumu’s smile quickly fading. “Seriously, ‘Samu. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine.” He promised. He reached forward, straightening his brother’s crown for him. Atsumu was always wearing it crooked, and he never bothered to style his hair. 

Everyone in the castle treated Atsumu as if he were years younger than Osamu, even if they were only an hour apart, so it was only natural that he acted so immature. From a young age, Osamu had to start being professional, strict, quiet, and noble. Atsumu was the brother that got to mess around. He was the one who got to annoy his personal guards. He was the one who got to walk around looking like a mess, whereas Osamu could never have a hair out of place on his head. 

As he fixed Atsumu’s hair, Atsumu reached up and knocked Osamu’s crown off of his head, ruffling his perfect hair. 

“Loosen up a bit, brother.” Atsumu said. He put his thumbs on either side of Osamu’s mouth, forcing it into a smile. “Life doesn’t have to be so gloomy.” 

Sakusa walked up behind them, picking up the crown. He immediately began to clean it. 

“I love you, ‘Samu.” Atsumu said, letting go of Osamu’s mouth. It fell right back down into a frown.

“I love you too, ‘Tsumu.” Osamu whispered back, trying not to cry. 

The rain stopped the next morning, so Osamu and Suna ventured out of their shelter. They walked around the perimeter of the island, looking for any form of escape. 

“Do you think your crew knows you’re missing by now?” Osamu asked. Suna rolled his eyes. 

“They likely found out a few hours after we fell.” He paused. “They don’t care about me. I was their leader, but that was the extent of our relationship. I’m sure someone has already taken my title of captain.” 

“So, they wouldn’t be looking for you?” 

“No.” Suna said. “They might be looking for you, though. They know how much money you have on your head— dead or alive. But I wouldn’t count on that. They’re not the brightest crew, so let’s rely on ourselves for now.” 

On the far side of the island, it was as if a god had answered their prayers. A small shipwreck had taken place on some sharp rocks, which meant tons of loot and other things were floating in the water or washed up on the shore. 

“My god.” Suna muttered, running towards a tiny abandoned boat. It was big enough to fit two people. “I thought I’d have to start building my own boat today— but look at this!” He gave a short laugh, a smile quickly rising on his face. It was the happiest Osamu had seen him. 

While Suna inspected the quality of the boat, Osamu rifled through some of the loot. A lot of it was just random cargo— clean shirts and pants, a bit of money, a bit of dried food. There was even an extra sword. It wasn’t the nicest, but the blade was still sharp.

“Captain.” Osamu asked, turning towards Suna. “I know I’m your hostage, and you likely wouldn’t want me to have a weapon. But should I carry this in case we run into any trouble?” 

“After what you did to those sirens? Please do. Less work for me.” 

Within a few hours, the two of them were ready to depart the island. In order to keep their small boat from being too heavy, they had to carefully choose what to bring. They ended up bringing one small chest that was packed with a blanket, a fishing rod, a map, and a bit of the miscellaneous stuff Osamu had found earlier. Then they took off. They both paddled in order to get a strong start. 

At night, Suna looked at the map with a small candle in his hand, his eyes focused. Osamu couldn’t stop staring at him as he read the map. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and he lightly bit his lip as he thought. It made him feel funny. 

“We shouldn’t be too far from the bottom of the kingdom.” Suna said, the boat gently rocking. “We’ll probably hit land again within a day, then we can get out and walk.” 

“What will we do when we get to the city?” Osamu asked. 

“I’ll tie you up and leave you in an abandoned home.” He said. “Then I’ll write to the kingdom, stating that I have you in the city. I’ll demand the ransom, and once I receive it, I’ll give them your location. Then I’m getting the hell out of dodge.” 

Osamu nodded. Suna looked up from the map, the candle casting shadows onto his face. 

“What’s your plan?” He asked. “Are you going to get on another terrible ship that will inevitably capsize, only to get picked up by another ship of pirates?” His eyes darkened. “You were lucky to end up on my ship. Many other pirate ships are much crueler than mine.” 

“I don’t know. I barely got out of the kingdom by myself. I stole the boat that capsized. I’ll have to get really lucky again. But I must get Atsumu. I don’t have a choice.” 

Suna thought for a moment, the wind ruffling his hair. 

“Your father.” Suna began. “He wanted nothing more than for you and Atsumu to suffer, didn’t he? That’s why he never allowed either of you to leave the castle. Never let you see the world around you. Never let either of you know what it was like to actually live.” 

Osamu hesitantly nodded, Suna’s eyes meeting his. 

“He would hate if you two successfully escaped, wouldn’t he?” Suna said. “He would hate if you both finally got the chance to live. Finally got the chance to feel happiness. To feel freedom.” 

He nodded again. “Where are you going with this, Captain?” 

“I want to help you two.” Suna said. “Let me take you and your brother as far away as you want. And before you freak out and think that I’d just dump you and your brother in the ocean, I’m not going to. I’m a pirate, not a monster. I don’t like causing unnecessary pain.” He paused. “Besides. Neither of you are evil like your father. You don’t deserve that. And perhaps with you two out of the way, your father’s grip on this kingdom will finally crumble. Someone completely new can take over. It’s about time, anyways.” 

“You’re joking, right?” Osamu said. “Two days ago you said that you didn’t trust me. Now you want to help me?” 

“You two remind me of Reiki.” He said. “Besides. You saved my life. Even if you did it to save your own skin, you still put your life at risk to save me. I hate being in people’s debts. Let me help you, dirty prince.” 

The water splashed against the sides of the boat for a moment. Osamu couldn’t stop staring at the moonlight in Suna’s eyes. 

“Okay.” He muttered. “Let’s do it.” 

They shook on it, their hands lingering on each other’s for a second longer than necessary. 

That night, they took turns sleeping. One of them would remain on their seat, while the other laid down. While Osamu slept, a flock of birds flew over their heads, waking him up. He hazily opened his eyes, only to see that Suna was looking right at him. He quickly looked away, a faint rosiness dusting his cheeks. 

“You tired?” Osamu whispered. Suna shook his head, continuing to row. 

“Just go back to sleep, prince.” He whispered back. “You need your beauty sleep, don’t you? So you can win over all the girls in the kingdom?” 

Osamu sat up. Suna was still intentionally looking away. 

“No. That’s my brother’s job.” Osamu said. “Since I was chosen to be king, my father has been trying to marry Atsumu off to another princess somewhere. But he hasn’t had much luck.” 

Suna smirked. “Is he really just that insufferable?” 

Osamu let out a long laugh. It had been weeks since he’d laughed that hard, and it felt good. “Yeah, you’re right on the money.” He smiled, sliding up to his seat. “In all seriousness, it’s probably that every country around us recognizes how corrupt we are. That, and Atsumu probably acts like a fool intentionally so he wouldn’t have to leave my side.” 

“He’d really do that for you, huh?” Suna asked. “He’d stay so close to a horrible king, just to stick by his brother’s side.”

Osamu nodded, looking down. “Yeah. And then look at me. I intentionally abandoned him.” 

“But you’re fixing it.” Suna said. “That’s what matters.” 

“I know. I just wish I hadn’t done it in the first place.” 

Suna kept rowing, his eyes distant. 

“You can’t live in regret.” Suna said. “If you do, you’ll never move on from it. You’ll spend your whole life trying to change what happened.” 

“You seem like you’re speaking from experience.” 

“Maybe I am.” 

A pause fell. For the last few days, Osamu would let conversations die off when Suna stopped talking. But the more time they spent together, the more he craved to keep it going. So he opened his mouth again. 

“I want to know more about you.” Osamu said. 

“You do, huh?” The water quietly rocked the ship. The stars were brighter than ever above their heads. “Like what?” 

“Tell me about Reiki.” 

Suna immediately threw his walls back up. But this time, Osamu was determined to break through them. He kept his eyes on Suna’s, his hands hugging himself as he shivered. 

Suna gently stood up, careful not to tip the boat. He grabbed the blanket, then draped it over Osamu’s shoulders. Gruesome pirate, my ass— Osamu thought. 

“Reiki was the best side of me.” Suna said, sitting back down. “Growing up, we did everything together. There was an eight-year difference between us, so she taught me a lot about life. She taught me how to be strong. But she also taught me how to care for people.”

He put his hand on his chin, his eyes distant. 

“She’s who made me want to become a pirate. She taught me to love the sea. To love the freedom of going wherever I wanted, whenever. ” He paused. “She taught me to hate the royal family for taking our parents away from us. But she also made sure that I knew not to let that hate consume my life. She taught me to think critically before deciding that a person was good or bad , although when it comes to you, I can’t quite decide which one you are.” He looked back over to Osamu. “That a good enough answer for you? Do you understand me a bit more now?” 

“I do.” He whispered. “It makes sense as to why you’d have a sword at my throat one minute, then wipe my tears the next.”

“Yeah, well. I keep that second part of me hidden.” He frowned. “Don’t tell anyone I said any of this, alright? You’re taking this information about me to your grave, prince.” 

Osamu mimed locking his mouth shut with a key, then pretended to throw it into the water. Humor passed through Suna’s eyes, even if it was just for the briefest of seconds. 

Suna fell asleep after that, curling up into a small ball on the floor of their boat. Within an hour of going to sleep, he shivered, so Osamu quietly threw the blanket on top of him. He pulled it up to his chin, watching as Suna let out a contented sigh. 

The two of them hit shore the next day. They dragged the boat up onto the sand and abandoned it. And as much as Osamu was thankful to be back on solid land, he already felt himself missing the sea. To look around at the open waters, feeling as though he was finally free for the first time in his life. Going back to the castle seemed to be the worst thing he could do. But he had to get Atsumu. 

They hiked through a forest for a while— heading towards a small village. For a while, it was completely silent between the two of them. 

“You have this look on your face.” Suna said, using his sword to whack down overgrown weeds in their path. “You look like you’re thinking hard about something. You don’t do that very often, do you?” 

Osamu couldn’t help but to laugh, a small smirk growing on the side of Suna’s face. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about how nice it was to talk to the captain. Most of Osamu’s social interactions came from talking to the staff or the guards in the castle. And as the guards weren’t allowed to speak back, conversation was impossible. On the rare occasion that Osamu got to speak to people outside of the castle, they were afraid to speak freely to him, fearing his position as prince. They feared that if they misspoke, Osamu would get angry and threaten them. And it was lonely. 

But with Suna, conversation was fun. Suna had no qualms about being mean to the prince or voicing his true thoughts. He was one of the only people— other than Atsumu— who actually made him laugh. 

“I am thinking.” Osamu said, his eyes focused on the ground. He was afraid of tripping. “I’m thinking about how my brother will react when I show up. He is much more emotional than I am, so he’ll likely be a mixed bag of feelings. Relief, betrayal, anger, shock…” 

“Will he agree to leaving with you?” Suna asked. 

“In a heartbeat.” Osamu said. “There’s nothing he cares about in that castle. He’ll leave the second we ask him to. And he won’t look back.”

“Then don’t worry about his emotions. Just worry about getting the job done.” 

At one point, there were so many weeds in their way, Osamu pulled out his own blade and began to hack at them. But he was struggling. His blade was dull, or maybe the weeds were too strong— 

“You’re doing it wrong.” Suna said, looking over at him. “Hold it tighter. Swing it like an ax. It’s much different than how you’d use a sword in combat. You have to be gentler with grass to be more effective.” 

Osamu tried to cut a group of weeds again. It didn’t work. Suna just sighed, stepping so close, his chest was pressed against Osamu’s back. 

“Here. Let me show you how.” He said, his breath hot against Osamu’s ear. He put his hands over Osamu’s, guiding them to an entirely new place on the handle. As he instructed him on how to swing it— how to hit the grass with the edge of the blade— Osamu’s brain short circuited. All he could think about was how close Suna was to his ear. How his hands were on top of his. How he moved Osamu through the motions. 

What is happening to me— Osamu thought, nervously swallowing. His heart sped up. Why am I feeling like this all of a sudden? 

“Prince. Are you listening to me?” Suna asked. “I said to try it on your own.” 

A beat of silence. Neither of them moved. 

“Then why haven’t you taken your hands off of mine?” Osamu whispered. 

“In case you fuck up.” Suna said. “I can’t let you accidentally hurt yourself. I need you in one piece, remember?” 

Osamu took in a deep breath, stilling his mind, telling himself to forget about Suna’s body on his own. He swung the sword, and finally, the grass sliced off. Suna removed his hands. 

“Good job.” He praised. “Maybe someday, you’ll be as good as me.” 

He walked ahead as if nothing had happened. Osamu stood there for a moment, blinking. 

“Come on, dirty prince!” Suna yelled, his back still turned. “Daylight is burning!” 

They got to the nearest village within an hour or so. It was just a dirt road with twenty or so small huts. Crop fields surrounded them, and as they walked past them, a few people stepped out of their doors and waved. A few people said hello. Cows mooed in the distance. 

“Don’t look anyone in the eye. They might recognize you and alert the king, and then our plan will be ruined.” Suna said. “Let’s just get some water from that pump, then we’ll be on our way to a nearby town. We can spend the night there.” 

Osamu nodded, sticking close to Suna as more people came out to say hello. One man stopped them mere feet in front of the pump— offering them food and a place to stay. 

“We hardly ever get travelers.” He said, taking off his hat and holding it in his hands. He was a very, very strong man. Osamu hid behind Suna, feeling like the man was staring directly into his eyes. “So I just wanted to make sure you two felt welcome.”

“We’re okay. We’re just passing through, that’s all.” Suna said, in the kindest voice Osamu had heard from him. “But thank you for your kindness.” 

Suna turned to walk away, but the man reached out and painfully grabbed his arm. 

“It’s the missing prince!” The man yelled, his voice echoing around the village. A few people came out onto their porches, their eyes wide in surprise. “This pirate has captured our prince!”

Suna got ready to punch, but at the speed of light, the man grabbed his other arm and shoved him onto the ground. He sat on Suna’s legs— effectively restraining him. Osamu could only watch in horror as Suna sputtered against the dirt, thrashing to get out of the man’s hold. 

“Prince Miya?” A woman yelled, running over to him. She yelled at her kids to run up to the closest military post— one that was only a several minute walk away. “Go tell the guards! Let them know we found the prince!” 

“No. No, I’m not the prince.” Osamu rushed, his heart breaking at the way the man shoved Suna’s face against the dirt. “I’m not the prince, I just look like him—” 

“But we can see your birthmark, your honor.” Another woman said. “Your shirt is ripped. Your mark is right there!” 

Osamu looked down, looking at his chest. His shirt had a huge hole in it. He was able to see his birthmark— a red splotch on his ribcage. Atsumu had a birthmark like that as well. Everyone in the kingdom knew about them when they were children— just in case they’d ever gone missing. Unfortunately, most of the kingdom had never forgotten, either. 

“Come inside, Prince Miya.” Another farmer said, walking closer. Suna lightly cried out as the first man tightened his grip on his head. “We’ll protect you. We’ll stone this evil pirate who kidnapped you. He’ll never hurt you again.” 

Then Osamu heard the snap of a bone. He looked down, and Suna’s nose had been shoved against the ground so hard, the bone had broken. Blood began to soak into the dirt. 

Osamu snapped, too. 

“Unhand him. Now! ” He yelled, bringing out his commanding, strong voice he’d been trained to use. Usually, he only used it when commanding the guards, but in this situation, it worked just as well. His voice scared everyone around him into taking a step back. But still, the man pinning Suna to the ground didn’t move. So Osamu pulled his sword out, stepping forward. “‘I am your prince. If you do not listen to my orders, you are committing a great act of treason. You and your entire family will be thrown into the cellars.” 

The man looked up at Osamu, anger on his face. But he quickly got off of Suna. 

“Go back into your houses. All of you.” He demanded. “Do not come out until we have left. Or my father will burn this village to the ground.” 

They did as they were told— not without a few of the most rebellious villagers shooting death glares at Suna. Once they were gone, Osamu knelt on the ground right next to Suna, watching as he pushed himself up onto his arms. Blood ran down his face. 

“You alright?” He asked, putting a hand on Suna’s shoulder. Surprisingly, Suna didn’t bat it off. 

“I’m fine.” He said. He wiped his nose, pain on his face. “Let’s just get water and get out of here.” 

They went over to the pump, drinking their fills and washing off Suna’s face as best they could. A horse neighed from nearby. They both looked behind the pump, only to see that a horse was tied to a small post with a rope. It neighed again. 

“Let’s take it.” Osamu said, stepping towards it. He let the horse sniff his hand. “We need it in order to get away quickly. I’m sure the guards are already on their way, thanks to those damn kids.” 

“I don’t know how to ride a horse.” Suna muttered, a small piece of cloth held to his nose. ‘I’m a pirate. That’s a skill I don’t have—” 

“You don’t have to know.” Osamu said, turning to Suna. His commanding prince voice was still on, and it likely wouldn’t fade until they were far away from here. “I’ve been riding horses since I was five. Get on.” 

Osamu sat down first, then pulled Suna up behind him. Once Suna’s arms were around his waist, they took off, riding the horse back down the dirt road. 

“I liked the way you sounded.” Suna said in Osamu’s ear, his voice low. Osamu felt chills run down his spine. “Your voice, I mean. It was so commanding. Why haven’t I heard that until now?” 

Osamu shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him. “It was the fastest way to get out of there. Besides, I seem to remember a certain someone ordering me not to talk.” 

Suna lightly hummed, tucking his face against Osamu’s shoulder. Osamu only held the horse’s reigns tighter, his cheeks slightly flushing. 

They rode for a few more hours. They skipped past the next two towns in fear of guards swarming them. Instead, they stopped at a town on the outskirts of the kingdom’s main city. Another hour of riding, and they’d be back at the castle. 

They put their horse at one of the town’s stables. They paid for exactly one night of rental, then went to the nearest tavern. Suna swiped a small black cloak off of a coat hanger. 

“What, you cold?” Osamu asked. Suna shook his head, shoving the cloak into his arms as they walked towards the back. 

“No. Put it on.” Suna ordered. “I’m not dealing with anyone else recognizing you. You need to stay hidden.” 

Osamu did as he was told, slipping the cloak on and pulling the hood over his head. As soon as he did, Suna was hiding a snort from behind his hand. “What’s so funny?” 

“You look ridiculous.” Suna laughed. 

“You could’ve grabbed something better.” 

“And you can shut your mouth before I shut it for you.”

A waitress came up and took their orders. Suna asked for a bit of ice for his nose. It had stopped bleeding a while ago, but it was still red and swollen. Once she returned with the ice, Suna held it to his nose, putting his feet up on Osamu’s lap from across the booth. 

“You sounded like you really cared about me earlier.” Suna said. 

“I do care about you.” Osamu replied. “You’re my ticket out of this hell-hole. If you die, I die.” 

“Yeah, but it sounded like it was more than that.” 

“And it sounded like it was ‘ more than that’ when you came down to the cellar and found me bleeding.” Osamu said. “So drop it.” 

Speaking like this to the captain a week ago would’ve gotten him slapped. But now, Suna only stared back at him with amusement in his eyes and a playful grin. 

They were both starving, so when the food arrived, there wasn’t much talking. Not until mid-bite, when the bell rang above the door on the farside of the room. Four guards walked in. They were all in uniform, and they immediately began to search the entire restaurant. They were stopping at each table, ripping hoods and hats off of heads, interrogating everyone if they’d seen the missing prince. Osamu froze in fear. 

“What is it?” Suna asked, his back facing the door. A piece of fish hung from his chopstick. “You look like you’re scared out of your mind.” 

“Four guards just walked in.” He whispered back, his voice shaking as he recognized the guard closest to them. He had curly black hair and two moles. Atsumu’s personal guard. What the hell was Sakusa doing in the search party? He seldom left Atsumu’s side. Especially not during emergencies, such as Osamu being kidnapped. “I— They’re coming this way. They’re going to see me—” 

He was so scared, he hardly had time to register the four parallel scrapes that Sakusa had on the side of his face. It looked as if someone had intentionally clawed him. He also had deep bags underneath his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept in days. 

Suna turned around and looked at them, his face paling as he realized one of the guards was blocking the only exit. There wasn’t any chance of running. Panic seized Osamu’s body. His hands began to clam up— 

“Hey. Look at me.” Suna ordered. Sakusa began walking towards them, his eyes focused on a man a few booths away. “Freaking out will only draw more attention to you. Calm the hell down.” 

“But what are we going to do?” Osamu whispered back. “We can’t escape. We can’t even get up and hide. They’re going to see us—” 

“I have an idea.” Suna said, moving his napkin from his lap. “Sorry in advance.” 

He slipped underneath the table between them, climbing up onto the booth next to Osamu. And right before he could ask what the plan was, Suna grabbed the sides of Osamu’s hood. He shut his eyes and pushed his face forward. Their noses brushed. 

Then, they were kissing. 

Osamu still had so many questions— so much fear in his body over Atsumu’s personal guard being mere feet away— but Suna was taking the lead. He kissed Osamu as far into the corner as he could, his hands pulling down the cloak as much as he could, his entire body blocking his body from being seen— 

Osamu heard as the guards walked up to their table. He couldn’t see them, but he could feel their discomfort. They muttered to themselves, their eyes likely averted. Neither of them sounded like Sakusa. 

“I don’t think the prince would be…” one of them drifted off, his voice uncomfortable. “...in such a predicament.” 

“I don’t think so either.” The other replied. “But the king told us to search every face.”

They stepped closer, instructing Suna to back off. Suna only doubled down, letting out a gross moan. 

“Oh, Yumiko— ” He gasped for air, his face still blocking Osamu’s. “You’re amazing—” 

The guards quickly backed off and walked away— likely too embarrassed to stick around. They continued their way around the bar— Suna diligently staying on top of Osamu in order to keep him hidden. Soon, the guards were clearing out. Sakusa did one last parameter of the room, temporarily pausing right by their booth. But Suna quickly did his Yumiko act again, and Sakusa quickly left. 

Once the door shut behind them, Suna gently moved off of his lap. His lips were swollen. 

“Kissing makes people look away.” He breathed. “That’s why I did it. I wish I would’ve had time to ask, but they were so close.” 

“It’s okay.” Osamu said, his voice light. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Suna’s. His hands were still shaking, but whether it was from the fear of being found or from the fear of kissing someone like Suna, Osamu didn’t know. “I mean it. It’s okay. Your plan worked.” 

They quickly left the tavern after that. Suna threw a few pieces of gold onto the table, then they were back outside again, the chilly fall air blowing through Osamu’s hair. 

“Let’s get to an inn.” Suna grabbed Osamu’s arm, tugging him down the nearest alley. “We’ll stay put until we’re sure the guards are out of the town.” 

“You two need a room?” A short innkeeper asked. He had ginger hair and a wide smile. “Two beds, or just one?” 

“Two.” Suna said, almost a little too quickly. He forked over the money. Once he had the key in his hand, he and Osamu went straight up to the room, completely ignoring the innkeeper’s wishes for them to have a nice stay. 

They got to the room, and there was only one bed. Suna shut the door behind them, immediately letting out a string of curses. 

“Dammit!” Suna hissed, looking at the bed. “I would go ask for a new room, but I don’t want to risk anyone seeing you. That damn guard with the moles was only a building away—”

“It’s fine. I’ll sleep on the floor.” Osamu said, setting his sword down on a nearby stand. “You can have the bed.” 

“No. Take the bed.” Suna ordered. 

“No, you take the bed—“

“My room, my rules.” Suna said, putting his sword down right next to Osamu’s. “You’ve probably never slept on the hard ground on your life, which means your back will break right in half. I’m used to it, so I’ll be fine.” 

“Why don’t we just share?” Osamu said, stepping into the bathroom. There was a small tub in the corner, and he nearly melted with joy. He’d been covered in salt water for days. “Seriously. I don’t mind—“ 

“I already feel bad for kissing you, alright?” He snapped. “Let me give you your space.” 

He quickly left the room, muttering how he was going to check the area for any more guards. He opened the door once more, calling back to Osamu.

“Don’t even think of leaving.” He ordered. “Not even to get water to fill the bath. I saw you looking at it. No chance in hell will I fetch you water, either.” 

Osamu frowned, sitting on the bed.

He didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until Suna was shaking his shoulder. It was only an hour later, but from the looks of it, the sun had finally set. Suna had lit a few candles around the room. It cast a warm glow on every surface.

Osamu didn’t move to say anything, though. He was too sleepy, and a real bed for the first time in days was heaven. But Suna kept shaking him. 

“What?” Osamu whined. 

“Go get in the bath.” Suna ordered. “I just finished pouring the water into it. It’s going to get cold.” 

Osamu thought he was lying. There was no way Suna would do something that nice for him. He shut his eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but Suna shook him for a third time. 

“I didn’t drag all of that hot water up here for you to ignore me.” Suna hissed. “Get in the fucking tub, prince!” 

Half-asleep, Suna pushed him into the bathroom, then shut the door. Osamu stood for a moment, staring into the tub of hot water. Soap had been put into it as well, and a small candle was lit at the sink. 

Sinking into that hot water was one of the best things Osamu had experienced in weeks. He stayed in there until it turned to the temperature of ice, savoring every moment of warmth he had. Savoring the feeling of being clean again. He nearly fell asleep again, but before he could, Suna knocked on the door. 

“Are you still alive?” He asked. 

“Yep.” Osamu called back. “What, did you poison the water or something?” 

“Of course I did.” Suna said. “Now get out. I just got my own hot water. It’s my turn.” 

Osamu did as he was told. He drained his own water and dried off. While Suna had gotten the water, he must’ve also stolen clothes from a nearby room— as right next to the sink sat fresh, clean clothes that were exactly Osamu’s size. 

He didn’t question them. He just slipped them on, then gave the bathroom to Suna. Within minutes, the tub was full again, the sweet smell of soap wafting through the room. 

Osamu was over by the window, looking out at the city beyond, when Suna called his name. “Miya!” He yelled. “The candle blew out. Come light it again!” 

Osamu grabbed the matches and stood by the door. His hand hesitated on the knob. 

“Are…” He paused, trying not to let his voice crack. “Are you okay with me coming in?” 

“Yes.” 

“But aren’t you naked?” 

“Yes.” 

A few seconds of silence. 

“Anything you wouldn’t want to see is covered by bubbles.” Suna spat. “Just light the damn candle already, prince.” 

Osamu took a deep breath, trying not to think about how contradictory it was for the scariest of pirates to be taking a bubble bath. But Suna did a lot of contradictory things. Case in point: taking care of an evil Miya. 

He walked in and lit the candle. Once there was light in the room again, he set the box of matches down and covered his eyes with his hands. He headed for the door. Suna began to laugh. 

“Miya. Wait.” He said. His voice was vulnerable. “I’m sleepy. But my sister always told me not to fall asleep in the bath. Stay in here and talk to me, will you? I’m lonely.”

Osamu agreed. He sat down on a nearby bucket, still keeping his hands over his eyes. 

“Even if you do see my chest, I don’t care. You already know my little secret.” Suna said. “You can take your hands off your eyes. You’re not going to die.” 

Osamu did, and Suna was right about being covered in bubbles. He could only see his face and dripping wet hair. His pupils were huge. 

“You need to work on your kissing.” Suna blurted. “It wasn’t terrible, but you didn’t do much back to me. You need to be more reciprocal.“ 

“I was a little busy with the other things happening in the room, Captain.” He said, a little too defensively. Suna only laughed. 

“How many people have you kissed before?” He asked, sinking further into the tub. He gave a long sigh. “Sailing the seas has brought me many lovers. But as with most things on the ocean, they all tend to drift away…” 

“I’ve kissed a few people.” Osamu said. “A few women at parties. A princess or two.” 

Suna quirked an eyebrow. 

“The answer is no.” Osamu said. “No, I’ve never kissed a guy before. You were the first one.” 

“Well, I hope it was good.”

“It was.” Osamu replied, before he could think better of it. 

A moment of silence fell, so his cheeks quickly flushed in the dark bathroom. Suna only sank further into the bathtub, only his eyes remaining visible under the water. 

Osamu woke up in the middle of the night to Suna getting into bed beside him. He’d just finished running back out in the town to get more supplies. By the jingle of his bag, he’d looted some more gold, medical supplies, and a few knives. 

“Everythin’ okay?” Osamu slurred. His heart thumped at the idea of Suna laying beside him. He knew the captain had wanted to give him his space, but he had to admit, the extra warmth was pleasant. 

“Yeah.” Suna said. “I didn’t see any guards on the streets. But I did see one guard in the lobby. He eyed me suspiciously.” 

Osamu rolled over, looking Suna in the eye. “What did he look like?” 

“It’s that damn guard with the moles.” Suna said. “Tall. Black hair. Dark brown eyes. Looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He also had a claw mark on his face.” 

“That’s my brother’s personal guard. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s onto us. He’s one of the best.” 

Suna furrowed his eyebrows. “So why isn’t he with your brother? Why is he looking for you?” 

“I don’t know. He’d only be away from Atsumu’s side if the king himself ordered it. Either that, or he left on his own. But he’s never disobeyed an order in his life, so it has to have been the first option.” He paused. “But I don’t know why my father would’ve done that. He would’ve wanted Atsumu to stay protected.” 

Suna readjusted beside him— getting cozy under the blankets. Their shoulders touched. 

“Let’s stay here until morning.” Suna said, yawning. “Hopefully, we can blend in with the morning crowd.” 

He quickly fell asleep. For several minutes, Osamu watched as Suna slept— his eyes peacefully shut. And when he woke up at sunrise, Suna’s arms were around him, his snores gentler than possible. 

They rode out of town that morning. The entire time, Osamu kept his eyes peeled for the guards. Specifically Sakusa. 

“My name is Sakusa Kiyoomi.” The twenty-year old guard had said, kneeling before Atsumu’s throne. The king sat next to him, and beside him sat Osamu. “I am honored to serve you, Prince Atsumu.” 

Osamu looked up at his brother, who’d been silently crying throughout the entire changing-of-the-guards ceremony. He’d undoubtedly get yelled at by their father that evening for showing such emotions, but Atsumu couldn’t help it. His previous guard, Bokuto Koutarou, had passed away only a week ago. He’d died by jumping in front of Atsumu, saving him from being stabbed through the heart. 

Needless to say, Atsumu still hadn’t processed it. He took a deep breath, a single tear rolling down his cheek. 

“Do you, Sakusa Kiyoomi, swear to follow my every command, as long as it aligns with the king’s interests?” 

“I do.” Sakusa answered, his eyes glued to the floor beneath Atsumu’s feet. 

“Do you swear your life to this kingdom?” Atsumu’s voice slightly wavered. “Do you swear to protect me above all else?” 

“I do.” 

And those were the last words Sakusa ever said to Atsumu. Not until a few years later, when he’d been given a few months’ exception and could talk freely to the twins in order to instruct them. 

Atsumu slowly stood up from his throne. He walked straight up to Sakusa, pulling out his sword. And with a shaky breath, his brother tapped both of Sakusa’s shoulders with the tip of his blade. Now, the ceremony was complete. Sakusa was now Atsumu’s personal guard until the day either of them died.

In the years that followed, Osamu came to understand why Sakusa had been chosen. He was one of the best guards in the kingdom. He was smarter, stronger, faster than everyone else. He was ruthless in the ways he’d protect Atsumu. He most likely was at the tavern because he knew Osamu was there. He was definitely on their trail. And if Osamu was caught willingly staying with his captor, that treason charge would come regardless of Sakusa’s personal connection to either of the twins. 

All of this meant that Osamu had to be more diligent than ever. He rode on his horse as fast as he could, keeping his cloak pulled over his head, Suna’s arms wrapped around his waist. 

They sped past several small villages and towns. Population slowly got denser, which meant they were about to enter the center of the kingdom. The grand city that surrounded the castle. 

They rode into a market. They both disembarked, then Suna sold the horse for a large sack of gold. His eyes were delighted as he sifted through the bag. 

“There’s more where that came from.” Osamu said, his voice low. Suna only slipped the sack into his backpack, then yanked him into a small, dirty alleyway. 

“You ready to get tied up?” He whispered, his hand still on Osamu’s arm. Osamu only nodded, eager to get the plan started. 

Two hours later, Suna led Osamu into a run-down house. They climbed into an attic where Osamu was pushed into a small wooden chair. Then Suna began to tie him up. He tied Osamu’s wrists, ankles, thighs, arms, chest— everything to the chair. And once he could no longer move, Suna was satisfied. 

“I’ll meet you and your brother at the main dock tonight. Right at midnight.” Suna said, his voice stern. “It’ll be up to you entirely to get your brother and sneak out. They’ll know my face after I take the ransom, so I’m sure if I even get close to the castle, a guard will take me out.” 

Osamu nodded. Suna had already sent a letter signed by him to the castle— one that stated that Osamu’s location would be revealed once his ransom of two-hundred million yen had been dropped off at a secure location. 

“And you’re sure you won’t get killed when you take the money?” Osamu asked, watching as Suna pulled a gag out of his bag. 

“I’m sure.” Suna said. “If they hurt me, they won’t get your location. And you’re all they care about. By the time they find you, me and the money will be far out of sight.” He leaned closer to Osamu’s ear, his voice dropping low. “You trust me, right?” 

“I do.” Osamu said, looking into his eyes. His lips were centimeters from his own. “I’ll see you at the dock tonight.” 

They stared at one another for a moment, an unspoken tension between them. But then Suna eased the gag into Osamu’s mouth, quietly tying it at the back of his head. 

“Don’t let anyone find out about your treason, prince. I’m looking forward to getting back on a boat with you.” He flicked Osamu’s chin up, forcing him to look him in the eye. It reminded Osamu of when they’d first met— Suna’s boot on his neck. “You’ve been fun these past few days. Besides, it would be such a shame if a pretty face like yours was thrown into the dungeon.” 

He quickly left the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. And for the next several hours, Osamu sat in that room. His entire body was filled with anxiety over everything that could go wrong. Maybe the guards would kill Suna immediately. Maybe they would never find where Osamu was hidden. Maybe Sakusa would see through all the bullshit and figure out that Osamu had originally run away, subsequently reporting him for treason to the king and ending his life— 

He took a deep breath, stilling his nerves. He watched as the sun set lower and lower on the horizon. As his arms and legs began to burn from being tied so tightly. But soon, he heard footsteps. Several doors were broken down. People charged up the stairs, yelling Osamu’s name. One of the voices was Sakusa’s. 

Osamu began kicking at his restraints, yelling from behind the gag. Once he began to make noise, the guards stormed right into the room. He was right— Saksua was at the head of the pack— his curls windblown as if he’d rode his horse at the speed of light back to the castle. He’d likely been alerted the minute Osamu’s ransom note had been read by the king. 

They sliced the ropes off with their swords. Sakusa was the one to remove the gag. None of them could speak to him, but in their eyes, Osamu saw a whirlwind of emotions. Sakusa’s own eyes were slightly watery, as if his relief was so strong, he couldn’t keep it shoved down. 

“I’m okay.” Osamu rasped, getting to his feet. He stumbled, pretending to be weak. Sakusa caught him. “I’m okay. I—” He forced his voice to crack. His shoulders shook in Sakusa’s embrace. “I just wish to go home. Please. Take me home.” 

Within an hour, Osamu was stepping back into the castle he’d been trapped in for twenty-five years. After a week of being out in the sun, on the sea, of being free with a snarky pirate at his side, walking inside the castle was like walking back into hell. He began to count the hours in his head until he’d be back out on the sea, Suna’s violent green eyes glued to his— 

He walked through the main hall of the castle, heading towards the stairs in order to get to his and Atsumu’s floor. He could see a council member at the end of the hall, blocking the stairwell. He looked from side to side, only to see that every door in the hallway was now blocked— either by guards or other council members. They were on the securest form of lockdown. 

But if we’re on lockdown— Osamu thought, side eyeing Sakusa. Then that means that Sakusa should’ve gone to Atsumu’s side the minute we stepped into the castle. That’s what the protocol was— 

But Sakusa stayed by Osamu’s side, his eyes cloudy. A horrible feeling began to grow in Osamu’s stomach. Everyone’s faces looked as if they were in mourning. As if something terrible had happened in the short time that Osamu was gone. 

Almost as if someone had died. 

He got to the stairwell, only to be blocked by the council member. 

“Let me upstairs.” Osamu demanded. “Let me go see Prince Atsumu.” 

The council member’s face hardened. As people on the council were several steps above guards, they could speak back to the princes. 

“You cannot.” He said. “You are to come with me and Sakusa to the throne room.” 

“No.” Osamu said. He knew he needed to be respectful and pliant in order to get on his father’s good side— in order to make his case believable that he hadn’t run away. But the energy in the room was making Osamu’s heart pound. It kept bothering him that Sakusa was standing beside him, and not going straight to Atsumu’s side. 

It was almost as if Atsumu— if Atsumu was no longer here—

Two guards came up from behind Osamu and grabbed onto him. They began to drag back towards the main stairs. Osamu only looked behind to Sakusa, panicked at what was happening. 

“Unhand me!” He writhed in their arms. “Unhand me, now! Let me see my brother! Why can’t I see my brother?”

“It is the king’s orders for you to go straight up to the throne room.” One guard said. “We must go there. And he will explain what happened to you.” 

“I don’t care what the king wants—” He thrashed, his emotions getting the best of him. He couldn’t stop looking behind at Sakusa’s ashfallen face. His bags were from grief, weren’t they? He’d been ordered to go search for Osamu, because Atsumu was dead, wasn’t he? “Let me go see my little brother! Let me go see him!” 

The guards brought him straight to the throne room, despite the way Osamu kicked and yelled and screamed for them to let him go see Atsumu. But none of them spoke back to him. They just kept their faces blank. 

Then, Osamu was being thrown into the throne room. He got back to his feet, running towards the door, but Sakusa stepped in and grabbed both of his arms. 

The doors locked in front of his face. Now, there was no escape from speaking to his father. 

Sakusa quietly took his hands off of Osamu, putting his head down and walking towards the throne. Osamu braced himself to look into his father’s eyes. But as he looked up, he saw that the throne had been completely turned around. It was facing the wall. Almost as if his father had decided he didn’t want to look anyone in the eye ever again. 

Sakusa climbed up the tiny steps up to the platform. He stopped right next to the throne.  Never in Osamu’s life had he ever seen Sakusa stand that close to the king. 

“Your highness.” Sakusa said, his sword glinting in the sun. “Prince Osamu is here.” 

They spoke for a moment. Then Sakusa turned to Osamu, ordering for him to walk forward. 

Osamu did as he was told, his mind spinning at the idea of taking orders from a personal guard. His father must be so angry, he didn’t want to speak, nor look at Osamu. Or perhaps he was just deeply mourning Atsumu. 

“Where is my brother?” Osamu demanded. “The entire castle is in mourning protocol. Where is he? What happened to him?” 

Osamu was met with silence. Sakusa’s face revealed nothing. He only ordered Osamu to kneel. 

Osamu quietly got to his knees several feet before the throne. And as the throne spun around, he braced himself for the worst. But what happened next, he would’ve never guessed. 

The throne spun around, only to reveal Atsumu sitting in it. His eyes were sunken. His hands and knuckles were bloody. His eyes were numb. 

He looked sickly. He looked… broken. 

Most importantly, though, their father’s crown had been shoved onto his head. A few places in his hair and on his forehead were bloody, as if Atsumu kept trying to pry the crown off, but someone kept shoving it back on. 

King— Osamu realized, his eyes widening. 

Atsumu is now the king. 

For several minutes, Atsumu didn’t say a single word. He just stared into Osamu’s eyes, a haunted expression on his face. 

It wasn’t until his eyes began to water that Osamu truly understood how much pain Atsumu had been in. He watched as a single tear fell from Atsumu’s eyes, tracing its way down his cheek. 

“You.” He said, his voice shaking. “ You bastard—“ 

“‘Tsumu, let me—“

“I didn’t say you could speak!” Atsumu grabbed the arms of the king’s throne— his throne. “I am your king. I am above you, you worthless prince! You obey me now!” 

Osamu shut his mouth. He didn’t fear his brother, and he never would. But his heart broke at the state Atsumu was in. Sakusa’s face was strained, too. 

Atsumu had a full breakdown, several more tears falling down his cheeks. He hid his face against his arm, his entire body wracking with sobs. He tugged at his hair. A few drops of blood ran down the sides of his head from where the king’s crown was scraping him. Osamu and Sakusa could do nothing but watch. 

Atsumu pulled out a small, crumpled piece of paper from the pocket of his cape. Osamu immediately recognized it. It was the letter he’d written Atsumu before leaving. He started to read it outloud. 

“Dear Atsumu.” He began, pausing as another sob came out. “I must leave this morning. It is my only chance to escape the kingdom. It is my only chance not to be crowned king.” He wiped a tear. “I will be getting on a boat. I will be sailing as far away as possible in order to escape my duties. I am deeply sorry that I do not have the time to say goodbye, but please, know that I love you. Know that you were the only good thing about this rotten castle.” 

He paused, looking Osamu in the eye. Osamu himself couldn’t stop his own tears from falling. He knew that leaving Atsumu behind— leaving without even saying goodbye— was the worst decision he’d ever made in his life. 

“I don’t know how long I will be gone. My only goal is to run.” Atsumu finished. “I will see you again someday, brother. I don’t know what day it will be. But I promise you, we will reunite.” 

Atsumu stared at the letter for another minute. Then he put it back into his pocket. 

“You left me.” Atsumu cried, the crown tilting on his head. It was too big for him. It was never meant for him. “You left me, ‘Samu. How could you leave me?” His voice broke. He leaned forward, yelling at the top of his lungs. “You say you love me, yet you leave without even hugging me goodbye ? What kind of brother does that? What kind of person am I for being happy that you were being held ransom? That you’d have a reason to come back to the castle and look me in the eyes before you leave again—“ 

“I came back for you.” Osamu cried, his hands gripping his knees. “I came back for you, ‘Tsumu—“ 

“You’re too late!” Atsumu stood up, stomping down the steps, he paused right in front of Osamu, his fists clenched at his sides. More blood ran down the sides of his face. “I’m already king, ‘Samu. You’re too late. You’re too late—” 

“I didn’t think they would’ve crowned you by now.” Osamu’s lower lip shook. “I thought our father would’ve waited at least a year before crowning you—“ 

“Our father is dead.” Atsumu spat, his eyes unreadable. “He was assassinated several hours after you left. An enemy spy snuck in, claiming that he knew where you were. Father was so desperate to find you, he let him in without even searching him for weapons. And within minutes, he was bleeding out on the floor.” 

Osamu could only stare up at Atsumu. He could only feel shock. 

“With the crown-prince missing, and the king dead, the kingdom was in peril.” Atsumu whispered. “So that night, I was dragged all the way from my room to the throne by my own personal guard.” He spat. Sakusa slightly flinched in the background, pain on his face. “And no matter how hard I fought— no matter the way that I clawed Sakusa’s goddamn face—” His voice shook. “No matter how many times I said no, I was shoved onto my knees right where you’re sitting now. Then the crown was shoved onto my head. And now, I’m king. And you, Prince Osamu, have betrayed me—“

“Escape with me.” Osamu rushed, not caring that Sakusa was several feet away. “I have a way out of here. I arranged for them to take the both of us. We can finally escape. We can finally be free.” 

Atsumu shoved Osamu so hard, he fell backwards. Then he grabbed Osamu’s shirt, rage in his eyes. The two of them were so preoccupied with one another, neither noticed that Sakusa had left his spot next to the throne. Neither of them noticed that he stood by the window, his hand trembling on the curtain as he looked outside. 

“And leave my people?” Atsumu whispered, his hand trembling. “Leave them without a ruler, like you left me without a brother ? Unlike you, I have a sense of duty. Unlike you, I have empathy towards the people I’ve sworn to take care of!” 

“King Atsumu—“ 

“Not now, Omi.” Atsumu spat. “Return to your spot by the thone. I order it.“ 

“No, King Atsumu—“ Sakusa talked back. Osamu couldn’t believe his ears. Sakusa never talked back to their father, nor the princes— 

“What the fuck did you say to me, Omi?” Atsumu turned. Before he could continue, several of the windows broke in the throne room. The ground shook, and explosions broke out all around Osamu. Bombs, he realized. The kingdom was under attack. 

Osamu immediately tackled his brother to the ground, protecting him as several pieces of wood and stone rained down onto them. Soon enough, there was so much smoke and debris, neither of them could see.

“Omi!” Atsumu screamed, pushing Osamu off of him. “Omi! Are you okay?”  

“I’m right over here—“ Sakusa wheezed, somewhere behind all of the dust. Atsumu immediately headed towards him, and Osamu had no choice but to follow. He helped Atsumu push a large wooden beam off of Sakusa, then they helped him to his feet—

Another set of bombs went off. Sakusa immediately grabbed both of the twins and yanked them behind the throne. He led them to a small stairwell in the back, right as another explosion shook the floor. Osamu could feel fire singeing the back of his head, but he could only keep moving. 

“Find King Atsumu!” A man yelled in the distance. But it was much too deep and gruff to be any of their soldiers. “Find King Atsumu, and kill him!” 

Screaming was all around them. Several other sections of the castle were under attack as well— giant fleets of soldiers in enemy colors scaling the walls. Sakusa only led them deeper into the castle, his trained mind focused only on keeping the twins alive. 

“You told me this would happen a few days ago, didn’t you, Omi?” Atsumu rushed, breathless. “You said we’d be under attack soon, because they knew we were weak—“ 

Sakusa instinctually nodded, used to being unable to speak directly to either of them. But now that Atsumu was king, the rules were different. 

“We must get you out of here, King Atsumu.” Sakusa said. “The safest place is down in the basement. We can reconnect with the rest of the guards there, and we can formulate a plan—“ 

“Or we can get on a boat.” Osamu said, breathless as they ran down the stairs. Another explosion shook the castle’s walls. A door opened several floors above them, and more enemy soldiers began shouting. “We can get on a boat, and we can leave this place behind—“ 

They reached a small study, and Sakusa yanked them inside. They all remained deadly silent as the enemy soldiers ran past them, thinking that the king had escaped further below. In reality, Atsumu only stood right behind the door, his eyes burning into Osamu’s. 

“Listen to me, ‘Tsumu. You were never meant to lead.” Osamu whispered, his hands on his brother’s shoulders. He wanted to do nothing more than hug him, but with the screams that echoed in the distance, there was no time. “I know it feels that way, now that you’re king, but it was never supposed to be like this. After what our father did to this kingdom, neither of us belong on that throne. Neither of us deserve to be cooped up in this damn castle for the rest of our lives. Not when freedom is right outside.” He gripped Atsumu’s shoulders tighter. “Come with me, please. Come actually live your life with me. We can finally be happy—” 

The floor in the study began to shake. But neither of the brothers looked away from one another. 

“I left you behind because I was scared that you would die.” Osamu’s voice cracked. “I couldn’t stand the thought of being the reason behind your death, okay? So I left. I left like a miserable excuse for an older brother.” He paused, the walls rattling around them. Sakusa was trying to move a nearby bookshelf. He was likely looking for a way out. “Leaving you was the worst mistake of my life. I’ve regretted it ever since I left that damn letter. But I’m back. I’m back. Let me get you out of here.” He pulled Atsumu’s face close to his, his anger snapping. “So come with me, will you? Leave this godforsaken place behind. Come live life with me, like we’ve both dreamed about since Ma passed away.” 

It took Atsumu several seconds to process what Osamu had said. Several emotions passed through his eyes— most of it anger. But a small sliver of it looked to be hope. 

“Okay.” He whispered, the ground shaking beneath them. Another drop of blood fell onto his ear. “Okay, ‘Samu. I’ll come. Omi–”

“If it is your wish, I will get you two to that boat.” Sakusa cut Atsumu off, unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. He motioned towards a trapdoor in the floor that had been under the bookshelf. “Come on. This way will be the safest out of the castle.” 

He began to climb down the ladder underneath the trapdoor. Atsumu followed next, his crown glinting on his head. Osamu went next. He slammed the door above him, locking it in place.

In the tunnels underneath the castle, several enemy soldiers were waiting for them. Sakusa took care of them all with his sword. Atsumu held a lantern, sticking right behind his guard. 

During one of the fights, a small splatter of blood had splashed onto Atsumu’s face. Once their assailant was unconscious, Saksua reached over with a small cloth, wiping Atsumu’s cheek clean. 

“Omi—” Atsumu whined. 

“I got it.” Sakusa said, his eyes glued to Atsumu’s cheek. He wiped it again. “No more blood. Come on. We need to keep moving.” 

Atsumu reached forward and grabbed the front of Sakusa’s shirt. “Let me speak.” He ordered, the lantern’s flame flickering. “I want you to get on the boat with us.” 

“I can’t.” Sakusa said. “I must return in order to help the guards. I swore to protect this kingdom, and right now, it needs me—” 

“But you also swore to protect me.” Atsumu argued back. “Me above all else. Me, until the day either of us died. I need you, so come with us.” 

The two of them stared at one another for several seconds, tension hanging between them. 

“The answer is no.” Sakusa said, his voice quiet. Osamu couldn’t believe his ears. A personal guard never dared to utter that word to a king. 

“Like the word ‘no’ mattered on the day I became king, huh?” Atsumu spat, his eyes darting over to the claw marks on Sakusa’s cheek. “Fuck off. I change my mind now.” He stormed past Sakusa, shoulder checking him. “Stay here and die. I won’t care.” 

The two of them followed Atsumu. For what felt like several minutes, they walked in a straight line. Once the tunnels became a maze, Sakusa hopped in the lead again. The sounds of war gradually got quieter. 

Eventually, they got to a ladder. They all climbed up it, only to resurface in the city’s main square. The bells in a nearby clock tower rang non-stop— signifying an attack on the castle. Stalls and shops remained empty, doors locked and blinds shut in order to deter the enemy from thinking anyone was there. In the distance, however, enemy soldiers ran past. 

Sakusa led the twins to the docks. Once they were in sight, Osamu’s hope began to rise again in his chest. Especially once he saw a lanky pirate at the end of the dock. The ocean was only feet away— Osamu could smell his freedom once again— 

But as they cut through an alleyway, he heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. He heard quiet footsteps, those of an assassin’s. 

He looked over just in time to see a figure in all black jump out. He swung a sharp blade right at Atsumu’s neck. But before his skin could be cut, Sakusa threw himself in the way, taking the cut right on his own shoulder. 

He quickly fell to his knees, blood spurting out. The assassin got ready to strike again, but Atsumu’s brain launched into action, grabbing Sakusa’s sword and slamming it over the assassin’s head. He collapsed to the ground— mere feet away from where Sakusa was kneeling. 

Sakusa could only clutch his shoulder, letting out the quietest cry of agony. There was already so much blood. 

This is just how Atsumu’s previous guard died— Osamu thought, watching as Atsumu knelt before Sakusa. Watching as he put his hand over the wound, his mouth screaming Sakusa’s name. It’s happening again— it’s happening again— 

Based on the commotion, two more nearby enemy soldiers found them. They both got ready to attack, but Osamu grabbed Sakusa’s sword and tried his best to swing it at them. He managed to get one soldier down, but the other one swung straight for heart— 

At the last second, it was blocked by one of the nicest swords Osamu had ever seen in his life. A captain’s sword. Once the second soldier was on the ground, Osamu looked over, only to see Suna staring back at him. 

“You’re early.” He smirked. His face fell as he followed Osamu’s gaze. Sakusa was now slumped against Atsumu, his blood leaving his body faster than anyone could process— 

“Your highness.” Sakusa whispered. His face was being held up by Atsumu’s trembling hands. “Please. Forgive me.” 

“No!” Atsumu screamed, watching as Sakusa fully collapsed. “No. No no no no no— ” He gasped. “‘Samu. ‘Samu!” 

By the time he’d gotten to saying his name, Osamu was already by Sakusa’s side, ripping chunks of fabric off of his shirt and pressing them to the wound. Suna barked orders at Atsumu to apply non-stop pressure to the wound, all while he lifted Sakusa up and began to drag him towards the end of the dock. Osamu grabbed Sakusa’s feet, and between the three of them, they carried him as quickly as they could to the boat. 

Yelling came from all around them. Arrows began to fly over their heads— several soldiers running onto the dock and aiming right at them. But all Osamu could focus on was the boat. 

They jumped onto it, and Suna immediately cut the rope to his anchor. And as it was a much smaller boat than his previous ship, he was able to use his foot to kick off the dock and propel them into the water. The twins both dragged Sakusa down several steps to hide from the incoming arrows, then Osamu ran back out to assist Suna in any way he could. 

Suna threw him one of his swords. And between the two of them— they fought every soldier off of their deck. The soldiers plunged into the water below. And soon enough, they were far enough away that no one else could reach them. No other boats were near the dock, either, which meant they couldn’t be followed. 

Suna let out a sigh of relief, tucking his sword into his belt. Then he grabbed Osamu’s hand and yanked him down into the cabin with him. Once they’d gone down a flight of stairs, they found Atsumu on the ground. Laying in front of him was Sakusa— his face pale. Atsumu’s hands were soaked with blood. 

“Omi.” Atsumu cried, his crown slipping. Sakusa wasn’t awake to fix it. “Omi. Please. Please—” 

Suna slipped into a nearby room. He returned with medical supplies. 

“Both of you— go upstairs.” He ordered. “Since I need to work on him, I need two people upstairs keeping watch. If anything is suspicious, come get me. Make sure the boat stays on path.” 

“I’m not leaving.” Atsumu said, looking Suna in the eye for the first time. Fear immediately took over his face. He was likely crumbling under Suna’s intense gaze. “I don’t know you—” 

“I’m not going to kill your precious guard.” Suna spat. “Go upstairs. Now.” 

Despite his protests, Osamu grabbed the back of his brother’s shirt and dragged him back up to the deck. Once the door to the stairs was shut, he checked Atsumu head to toe for any injuries. He was completely fine, other than his shaking and blood-covered hands. 

“It’s just like Bokuto.” Atsumu cried, his eyes glued to Osamu’s. The pain on his face was unbearable. “It’s just like how Bokuto died. I can’t do it again, ‘Samu. I can’t do it again— I can’t do it again—” 

Osamu only stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his brother. Atsumu slowly hugged him back, sobbing into his shoulder. 

It was the tightest hug either of them had felt in a long time. 

“Just get it out.” Osamu whispered, patting Atsumu’s back. “You’ve been through so much this past week. Just get all of the tears out.” 

Atsumu cried into Osamu’s shirt for what felt like forever. Osamu only held him, watching as the castle slowly got smaller and smaller in the distance. Smoke was rising all around it as war was waged. As the kingdom fell apart. But hopefully, with all of the Miyas gone, it would finally be able to heal. 

Eventually, Atsumu left the hug. He took several steps back and took in a deep breath. Then, he reached up to the crown and pried it off of his head. It had been stuck on with so much force, it ripped a bit of hair as he removed it. 

Then, he chucked it into the water. Both of them watched as it sank to the bottom of the ocean, never to be seen again. 

For several hours, Osamu stood at the wheel. His compass kept reading south, which meant they were still heading the right way. 

Atsumu sat down at his feet, his eyes glued to the distant horizon. It was the middle of the night, but both of the twins could see everything around them. The moon and stars were brighter than either of them had ever seen in their smoky, smoggy castle. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Osamu asked. 

“It is.” Atsumu replied, tilting his chin up to the stars. “They’re just like how Mom used to describe ‘em. I just wish—” His voice choked up. He’d been crying on and off for the past few hours. “I just wish Omi was up here with us. I just need him to be okay.” 

“He will be.” Osamu said. Waves lapped against the sides of the ship. “He was hit in a very different way than Bokuto was. He will survive.” 

Still, to this day, thinking of Atsumu’s gray-haired, owled-eye guard was immensely painful. He’d been assigned to Atsumu when they’d all been thirteen, as up to that point, Atsumu hated having personal guards that were several years older than him. He wanted one his own age, and reluctantly, the king agreed. Bokuto was selected from a pool of soldiers-in-training. For a thirteen year old, Bokuto’s skills rivaled those of an experienced soldier. He was an excellent fit for the job. 

Despite the fact that he couldn’t speak to the twins, he still grew extremely close to both of them. When he wasn’t on duty, he often let himself relax around either of them— sometimes even slipping and speaking to them when no one was around. He made Atsumu laugh harder than Osamu ever could. All of the staff in the castle loved Bokuto, too. He lit up every room he ever walked into. 

The day he died was one of the darkest days of the kingdom. One that Atsumu never fully recovered from. As Osamu slightly turned the wheel, Atsumu choked up again. 

But then Suna appeared from below, a small candle in his hand. His eyes were exhausted. 

“He’s stable.” Suna said. “He wants you.” 

Atsumu didn’t waste a single second. He got to his feet and ran past Suna, slamming the door behind him. Suna only sighed, slowly moving up to where Osamu was standing by the wheel. 

“I wasn’t prepared for a fourth person on this ship.” Suna said. “We’ll need to be careful with our rations until we can stop at the neighboring kingdom.” 

“So, that extremely high ransom I got you wasn’t even enough to buy a little extra food?” Osamu smiled, jabbing his elbow in Suna’s side. 

“It was.” Suna jabbed him back. “But I could only get so many supplies before the city was under attack, ungrateful prince. You’re lucky I focused on getting this ship, and not heading straight to the castle and joining the enemy’s side. You don’t know how tempting that was.” 

Osamu quietly laughed, holding Suna’s gaze for a moment too long. 

“The king is dead, if you didn’t know.” Osamu said. “So… taking Atsumu and I to freedom isn’t going to hurt him as much as we planned. At this point, you’re just saving us from being killed.” 

Suna picked at the blood underneath his fingernails. “Am I, huh?” 

“Is that a problem?” Osamu whispered. 

“No. I still owe you for saving my life. And the money. Do you ever use your brain?” He took a long sigh. “Besides, I’ve grown attached to you. I was bored out of my mind while you were at the castle. I can’t throw your brother and that guard overboard, either. It would be so cruel of me to destroy such a beautiful romance.” 

Osamu blinked. Suna just pushed him out of the way, grabbing the wheel and slightly turning it to the right. 

“A beautiful…” Osamu started. “A beautiful what?” 

Suna pinched the bridge of his nose. “Next time you’re around either of them, listen to the way the guard says Atsumu’s name. You’ll see what I’m talking about.” 

The first day on the ship flew by. 

Once Atsumu realized that Sakusa wasn’t going to die, his child-like joy overtook every single one of his emotions. Given that he’d spent nearly his entire life locked inside of the castle, he was truly seeing the world for the first time. He spent most of his time on deck, watching the ocean and the sky and Suna— 

“What’s that for?” Atsumu asked, pointing to a small hook on one of the masts. Before Suna could explain, Atsumu was already speaking again. “What’s it like to be a pirate? Is it fun? Tell me a really good story. Or maybe one of your worst. Like has your ship ever been ransacked or—” 

“Shut up!” Suna snapped, his eye twitching. This was the fifth time this had happened, and it was only noon. “I know you’re excited about the new things. I know. But I need some quiet. Please.” 

Osamu spent most of his time on the deck, too. He kept his eyes peeled for dolphins. That morning, Atsumu had seen dolphins for the first time in his life, and he’d smiled for an hour straight. Osamu wanted to make him that happy again, so he constantly looked for them. Suna helped him, too. 

“Why are you helping me?” Osamu asked, turning to Suna. The captain had an odd look on his face. “I’m just looking for them to make Atsumu happy again. Nothing more.” 

Suna took a moment to answer, averting his gaze to the horizon. 

“Well. They made you happy, too. So I really want to find them again.” He paused. The sun peaked out from behind a cloud— warming Osamu’s skin. “You two were locked inside of that miserable castle your whole life. You both deserve to see some damn dolphins. It’s nothing more than that.” 

It felt like more than that, however. Especially when they found them later that day, and Osamu noticed that Suna was staring at him, and not the dolphins. 

“I’ve just never seen anyone smile like that before, okay?” Suna said, later that evening. They were standing in his personal cabin. “If you ask me about it one more time, I’m going to slice your ears off.” 

Osamu only laughed in response, blowing out Suna’s candle and leaving. As he shut the door behind him, he heard Suna give a long sigh. 

After Suna went to bed, Osamu went upstairs to take watch. As he passed the room where Sakusa was bedridden, he paused to eavesdrop. 

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to help the other guards.” Atsumu said, his voice quiet. “I know how much that hurt you to abandon the kingdom. But once you were bleeding, I could only think about getting you away from there. Away from all of the fighting.” 

Sakusa was quiet. Osamu heard Atsumu take in a sharp breath. He was getting mad. 

“When I became king, I ordered you to speak freely to me.” Atsumu said, his voice harsh. “Now, I’m not even king. We’re equals. Speak to me, Kiyoomi!” 

“Let a man think, will you?” Sakusa snapped in response. A moment passed, and Osamu heard Atsumu start to laugh. It was a happy, light laugh. 

“Fate wanted me to stay by your side.” Sakusa said. “And fate was right. I did swear to you above the kingdom. It was wrong of me to try to abandon you.” He paused, his voice low. “I know that you’re no longer royalty. But please, Atsumu, let me keep my oath to you. Let me stay by your side.” 

When Sakusa said the name Atsumu, Osamu’s stomach flipped. He said it gentler than anyone had ever said his brother’s name. He said it with a tone of adoration. Of deep, deep care— 

Suna was right— Osamu realized, putting a hand over his mouth. He does say his name in a funny way.

“Is that a yes?” Sakusa asked, his voice quiet. It was then that Osamu realized that Atsumu had started crying again, as the next time he spoke, his voice was thick with tears. 

“Yes, Omi.” 

“Why are you crying?” 

“It’s just so good to hear your voice.” Atsumu’s voice cracked. “All I’ve ever wanted was to talk to you. Stay with me, so I can hear it more, please— ” 

Osamu quietly slipped away, having heard enough. 

The next morning, they passed the island that Suna and Osamu had been stranded on. Which meant Sirens were right around the corner. 

Osamu darted down to Sakusa’s room. He shoved earplugs into both Atsumu and Sakusa’s hands, warning them about the upcoming danger. Atsumu put Sakusa’s in for him, yelling right by his ear to make sure they were working. Sakusa’s eyebrow twitched in anger. Atsumu only laughed. 

Osamu turned and went into Suna’s room. He didn’t even bother to knock, which meant he caught Suna sleeping on his side, drool collecting on his pillow. 

“Hey. Hey.” Osamu lightly shook him. Suna blearily opened his eyes, his nearby room decor swaying with the rock of the ship. “Sirens. You gotta get these earplugs in.” 

Suna sat up. He was so sleepy, Osamu was sure he hadn’t processed anything he’d just said. So he simply grabbed one of the earplugs and put it into Suna’s ear. 

“Keep them in this time, Captain Suna. ” Osamu ordered, his king voice unintentionally slipping out. “Or else.” 

The corner of Suna’s lip perked up, amusement in his eyes. “Okay,” he whispered. Osamu shoved the second earplug in. Then, he put his own pair in. 

The rest of the day was spent in complete silence, as no one could really hear one another. Sakusa and Atsumu were used to functioning without speaking, but to Osamu, he was antsy. He was bored. 

At sunset, he found Suna standing at the front of the ship, his telescope in his hand. His sword hung at his hip, but Osamu was no longer afraid of it. He tapped twice on the railing, using the vibrations to get Suna’s attention. He waved, and Suna waved back. 

Bored, Osamu mouthed. Suna laughed. The next thing Osamu knew, Suna was grabbing Osamu’s arm and leading him to the center of the deck. He put Osamu’s hand onto his shoulder, then put his own hand on Osamu’s waist. They put their other hands together, and with a gentle push from Suna, they began to dance. There was no music except for Osamu’s heartbeat in his head and the gentle sway of the ship. But it was peaceful. 

Osamu had been trained in formal dancing, so he was miles better at dancing than Suna. He led him through various moves. His earplugs were so good— he couldn’t hear Suna’s laughter as he was spun, but he could still see it. Who would’ve known— Osamu thought— that such a cruel pirate could have such a handsome smile— 

When Osamu put Suna into a dip, he paused, the true beauty of Suna’s eyes in the evening sky striking him. They were vividly green, and as Suna was facing the sky, his hair hung down below his head— allowing Osamu to see his full face. 

Suna only stared back up at Osamu, his cheeks flushed. They breathed for a moment, their eyes glued onto the other’s. 

Then, Suna’s eyes darted down to his lips. Then Osamu slowly nodded, and suddenly, they were kissing. Again. 

It was a deep, passionate kiss. One that made Osamu’s heart skip several beats. One that made him draw Suna even closer up to his chest, his other hand drifting up to the back of his head, pushing his lips even further into his own— 

He felt a craving within him being fulfilled. A craving that had begun the second Suna had kissed him at the tavern. Or perhaps a craving that had started the second Suna had put his boot on Osamu’s neck and a sword at his throat— 

A minute or two later, Suna broke the kiss. He moved into a standing position, but instead of running away, or throwing Osamu overboard, Suna just grabbed the front of Osamu’s shirt and yanked his mouth right back onto his. This time, he took the lead. He kissed him like it was the air he needed to breathe, one hand running through Osamu’s hair, the other grabbing his cheek— 

Osamu had never felt feelings like this before in his life. He’d never had anyone be this rough with him before. So rough, yet so gentle. Suna yanked at Osamu’s hair while they kissed. Shoved him up against a mast. Ran his hand up Osamu’s chest. Bit Osamu’s bottom lip— 

They stopped as the ship hit a rough wave— water splashing up onto the deck and soaking the bottoms of their pants. Suna abruptly pulled away, leaning his forehead against Osamu’s chest, taking in several deep breaths. 

They eventually slumped down against the mast together, both of them resigning to the wet, wooden deck. They stayed by one another’s side, only their shoulders touching, until Suna pulled out his telescope and scanned the area. Almost twelve hours had passed since Osamu saw the island, which meant they were likely safe. 

Suna pulled out his own earplugs as the same time as Osamu. And for a moment, they just looked at one another. 

“That was better.” Suna breathed, his cheeks still flushed. “That was much, much better than at the tavern.” 

Osamu could only nod, a breathless smile inching up the side of his face. 

The next day, the four of them sat on the deck. They all had small plates of fish in their laps. Suna had an unopened bottle of wine tucked under his leg. Once they all finished eating, he uncorked it. 

“Where are the glasses?” Atsumu asked. 

“Am I made out of money?” Suna threw his hands up. “Open your mouth.” 

Atsumu did as he was told. Suna poured the wine in his mouth. It must’ve been bitter, because Atsumu immediately ran to the side and spat it out. 

“You piece of shit.” Suna swore. Sakusa looked over at him with a death glare on his face. “What? I paid good money for that.” 

“Money that you stole from me.” Atsumu quipped back. “I’ll admit it, yours and Osamu’s little heist was a good plan. But still, don’t you think you should give me at least a little of that money?” 

“You were the one who paid the ransom. So, no. It’s my money, now.” 

“Why I outta—” He cracked his knuckles, marching towards Suna. “I outta—” 

“You outta what?” Suna stood up tauntingly. “What are you gonna do to me, little king? Little weak king, who can’t even handle a slightly aged wine—” 

“I can handle my wine, pirate.” Atsumu spat. “As long as it’s not a garbage flavor. With two hundred million yen, you could’ve at least gotten something slightly better—” 

The two of them continued their fight on the back half of the ship. Osamu only sighed, looking over to Sakusa. He was pouring the wine into his mouth with ease, his eyes shut. By the time Suna and Atsumu had started physically wrestling in the background, Sakusa had drank a large portion of it. 

“Save some for me, won’t you?” Osamu said, holding out his hand. Sakusa passed it over. 

He could only drink a few sips before physically shuddering. Sakusa gave a light laugh. 

“You and your brother.” He shook his head. “You both make me happier than I’d ever been in my life.” 

Osamu stared at Sakusa for a moment, gently sliding the cork back into the bottle. The wind was blowing his curls. He looked happy to be outside of the castle, too. 

“So, you’re really sticking with us?” Osamu asked. Sakusa nodded. 

“Atsumu is scared to be in the outside world without me.” He said, averting his gaze to the horizon. “So I promised that I’d stay with him for the first year. Then, if I want, he’ll let me break my oath. And I will be free to go wherever I please. Even back to the kingdom, if I so desire.” 

He got a faraway gaze in his eye. One that had always appeared whenever the twins would talk to him directly in the castle, and he couldn’t respond.

“But you’re going to stay with Atsumu, aren’t you?” Osamu said, setting the wine bottle in his lap. In the background, Suna was winning the fight— expertly wrestling Atsumu to the ground. He was laughing maniacally, all while Atsumu yelled for Sakusa to come help him. Sakusa pretended not to hear. “You care about him too much to leave. You don’t want to break your oath.” 

Sakusa quickly became guarded. “What makes you say that?” 

“It’s the way you say his name, Sakusa.” Osamu said. “You say it like you’re in love with him. I’m willing to bet you’ve been saying it like that for years, but neither of us could ever hear it—” 

Sakusa grabbed the wine bottle from Osamu’s hand and stood up. And for a moment, Osamu feared that Sakusa was going to smash it over his head in order to keep his secret hidden. But he only opened his mouth. 

“Guards don’t love, Prince Osamu.” Sakusa hissed. “ I don’t love.” 

“Omi!” Atsumu yelled, up by the wheel. Suna was pinning his arms behind his back— sitting on his legs. “Omi! Help! I’m gettin’ my ass kicked!” 

Sakusa only sighed, walking up the few short steps up to the wheel. He set the wine down, then at the speed of light, he grabbed Suna by the upper arm and upper thigh, immobilizing him within seconds. 

“I win!” Atsumu immediately threw his hands up in the air, a wide smile on his face. “I win the fight! I beat a pirate captain!” 

As Atsumu celebrated, Osamu kept his eyes on Sakusa’s face. The faintest smile ghosted his lips, nothing but love in his eyes. 

For the next several days, the tension between Osamu and Suna only heightened. 

It started with prolonged eye contact. Then, both Osamu’s and Suna’s eyes would dart down to various places on either of their bodies. To their lips. Their upper arms. Their thighs. Their abdomens, when they reached up to adjust a sail— 

There were small touches, too. Osamu would brush Suna’s hand as they passed one another. Suna would sling his arm around Osamu’s shoulder and play with the hair at the nape of his neck. One night, while he was sleeping, Suna crawled in bed beside him, putting his chest right against his back. 

“For warmth.” Suna said, shivering. He seemed to get cold easily. Osamu only smiled into his pillow, grabbing Suna’s hands and placing them right over his heart. Several minutes later, Suna’s fingers gently began to run up and down his chest. 

Osamu slowly began to believe that he was in heaven. 

They spent all night by each other’s sides. When he woke up in the morning, they were facing one another. Osamu’s arms were wrapped protectively around Suna’s shoulders. Suna only snored against his chest, his hair pulled back in such a tight ponytail, Osamu could once again see his entire face. He could see the freckles on his skin. Faded scars from knife-fights. 

Things escalated even more. When they docked at a portside city, Sakusa and Atsumu hopped off the ship and headed into the market. We’ll be back in four hours, Sakusa had said. Atsumu was already climbing off the ship, the list of supplies crumpled in his hand, his smile wide at the looming city before him. 

Suna and Osamu were down in the cabin. They had the entire ship to themselves, which meant it only took a few minutes before they were making out. Once again, Suna had Osamu pressed up against the wall. Then he slid his hands underneath Osamu’s shirt, his cool hands sending electric shocks into his chest— 

Once his shirt was off, he ran his hands down the sides of Suna’s arms. He played with the long-sleeve fabric for a moment, but then he broke the kiss. Suna whined as he pulled away. 

“Can I take your shirt off?” Osamu asked. 

“Please.” 

Osamu put his hands at the hem of Suna’s shirt. He began to tug it upwards, but then he paused. 

“What?” Suna whispered. 

“What about what’s under the shirt?” Osamu whispered back. Suna had to think for a moment, starting at the wall behind his head. 

“I don’t know.” He muttered. “I really don’t know. What do you think?” 

“What do I think?” Osamu sputtered. “That doesn’t matter! It’s your chest!” 

Suna snorted, leaning his head against Osamu’s shoulder. He lightly traced his hand down Osamu’s chest. It nearly melted his heart. “I don’t know, Miya. My brain is currently downstairs. Let’s just keep it on for now, and we’ll see where we go.” 

“Okay.” Osamu whispered. He yanked Suna’s shirt off and threw it onto the floor. A moment later, the two of them were on the bed. Suna lay underneath him, his hair splayed out on the pillow. His cheeks were flushed, his pupils dilated. 

Osamu froze when he looked into his eyes. It was like a spell had washed over him. 

“What is it?” Suna whispered, his breathing speeding up. One of his hands remained on Osamu’s chest, the other tugging at the edge of his binder. 

“Your eyes.” Osamu said, a nearby lantern casting the most beautiful shade of red into Suna’s irises. “They’re the most beautiful green I’ve ever seen. From the moment you pulled me up onto your ship, I’ve been obsessed with them. I— I can’t stop thinking about them.” 

“You’re really going to say something like that to me now, aren’t you?” Suna tilted his head. “I’m just trying to sleep with you, prince. Nothing else.” 

“Stop lying.” Osamu ordered. “Whatever we have between us is more than that, and we both know it. It’s always been more than that, ever since you saw what your crew members were doing to me with that knife. Ever since you handcuffed me to your bed and took care of me. Ever since you decided to take me halfway across the world, all so I could have a chance at an actual life. It’s always been more than just need, Suna.” 

Suna’s cheeks flushed. And for an entire minute, he was silent. 

“Call me Rin, won’t you?” He whispered, reaching up and brushing Osamu’s hair back. “My given name— it’s Rintarou. I want you to call me that from now on.” 

“And I want you to call me Osamu.” Osamu leaned down further, his lips inches away from Suna’s. “I left the Miya part of me back at the damned castle. And I never want to hear it again.” 

Suna nodded. And after getting their names off their chests— breaking one of many tensions the two had carried between one another— they went right back to kissing. 

And Osamu swore, their time together that afternoon only grew sweeter and sweeter by the second. 

An hour later, the two of them lay side by side in Suna’s small bed. The ship gently rocked, and warm rays of light bounced in through the nearby window. Osamu was curled up against Suna, lightly playing with his hair. The only thing covering either of them was a large quilt. 

Osamu took in several deep breaths— his post-sex ecstasy still gripping his mind. He still felt like he was floating above earth. Suna was slowly resurfacing as well. He took in his own deep breath. 

They stayed like that for a while, both of them drifting in and out of sleep. As the clock hit three, Suna sat up, slipping a few of his clothes back on. 

Before crawling over Osamu, he planted a short kiss on his lips. Then he left, taking the lantern with him. It plunged Osamu into complete darkness. 

I just slept with a pirate— Osamu thought, clarity hitting him. His whole life, he’d been trained on how to be a proper king. Sleeping with a pirate, shockingly, was not one of the things he was ever supposed to do. 

But the thing was, Osamu wanted to do it again. And again. And again. And again— 

He’d never felt like this towards another person before.

The next day, Osamu went up to the deck, only to find Sakusa slathering chemicals onto Atsumu’s head. Atsumu himself had his nose stuck in a book. They were out in the middle of the ocean again, which meant Suna was at the front of the ship— his telescope pressed to his face. 

“What are you doing to him?” Osamu asked, stepping up to Sakusa. Sakusa only frowned. 

“We bought hair dye yesterday.” He said. “I thought you were the one who asked for it.” 

“That was me!” Suna yelled from the front. “They need to change their looks if they don’t want to be recognized.” 

Osamu sighed, looking back down at the chemicals. They must’ve had lightning properties, as Atsumu’s warm brown hair was being stripped into a bright yellow. 

“I’m bleaching his hair right now.” Sakusa said, meticulously painting Atsumu’s hair. “Once I tone it, you’re next.” 

“Okay. What color do I get?” 

“We only bought two yesterday. Blond and gray. Atsumu already picked the blond.” 

Osamu scrubbed his hand down his face. Suna laughed from the front. 

“It’ll look good, Osamu.” Suna said, his eyes focused on the horizon. His mouth dipped into a small frown— just for the briefest of seconds. But because Sakusa was so highly trained, he spotted the change in emotion as well. 

“What was that?” Sakusa asked, turning to face Suna. “Are you seeing something?” 

“No. It’s nothing.” Suna said, shutting his telescope. He quickly walked over to the wheel. He turned it more than ninety degrees— meaning they were taking a large detour. It had to have been something big. 

“Give me that telescope, captain.” Sakusa demanded. A glob of bleach fell onto the wood. Atsumu only looked up at Osamu, his eyes worried. 

“No.” Suna said. He walked over to the sails, quickly adjusting them. “If I tell you what I saw, you’ll just get freaked out. I know what I’m doing. Just make sure neither of the twins look ugly, okay? That’s your job.” 

Suna slipped down into the cabin. Osamu stepped up to the railing, trying to see if there was anything on the horizon. But there was nothing out of the ordinary. The sun was out. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. The waters were calmer than they’d ever been before. It was almost like they were sailing in completely still water. 

“It’s almost too calm, isn’t it?” Atsumu mumbled, looking up from his book. 

Another splatter of bleach fell onto the wood.

A storm like no other hit the ship. 

Osamu stood below deck, gripping onto the wall for dear life. The ship was rocking back and forth so violently, it was all he could do to keep from toppling over. A few times, Atsumu had almost fallen. Sakusa caught him every time. 

Tears pricked at the corners of Osamu’s eyes, fear seizing his body. He couldn’t help but to think of when his first ship capsized. When he’d been all alone in the freezing water— nothing but a shoddy piece of wood to cling onto. 

“It’s going to be okay, Prince Osamu.” Sakusa said. The hand he was gripping Atsumu’s shoulder with told a different story. He never liked the water. 

“Your first ship capsized, didn’t it?” Atsumu said, his brain finally connecting the pieces. He was always too smart for his own good. “That’s how you met Sunarin. He found ya. What’d it feel like before you sunk?”

“This.” Osamu breathed, his panic attack finally breaking through. He began to hyperventilate, every sway of the ship making his heart stop and start again. Sakusa’s and Atsumu’s voices became fuzzy as his brain shut down. As he put his arm over his eyes— sobbing that the cold waters would consume him once again. 

He didn’t look up until a steady hand was on his shoulder. Suna stood in front of him, using his other hand to cup the side of Osamu’s face. Sakusa and Atsumu had disappeared into another room. 

“You’re okay.” He brushed a tear away with his thumb. “I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. But you need to get off the ship.”

Lightning cracked right above their heads. It shot light into the cabin, illuminating Suna’s figure. With his sopping wet hair, rugged scars, and captain’s coat— Suna looked like a god of the sea. 

“What?” Osamu whispered. 

“We’re at high risk of capsizing, which means the safest place for three inexperienced sailors is on an emergency raft. Sakusa and Atsumu are getting it ready.” He brushed another tear, his face falling as Osamu continued to cry. “You’ll have to get in the water. But I promise you, you’ll be okay this time. You’ll have life jackets, and flare guns, and rations. You’ll be safe.”

Sakusa and Atsumu walked back into the room. Sakusa had a small, deflated raft slung over his shoulder. Atsumu had three lifejackets in his arms. 

“You’ll need to put them on like this.” Suna grabbed one, slipping it over Osamu’s head. He zipped it up, adjusting several of the straps so they were snug on his arms and his chest. He lightly tugged at a small red cord. “This is the cord that inflates it. You’ll need to wait until you’re in the water to pull it. If you do it before you jump, you’ll get nasty whiplash. Trust me.” 

Sakusa helped Atsumu put his on. Once it was secure, he tightened Sakusa’s. It was easy to see that neither of them were used to touching one another, as both of them slightly jumped as Atsumu’s skin grazed against Sakusa’s. While this was happening, Osamu’s mind was doing nothing but spinning. 

“Where’s your life jacket, Rin?” 

Suna was still fiddling with Osamu’s jacket, making sure nothing was wrong with it. “I told you, Osamu. I only prepared for you and your brother. There are only three life jackets.” He looked up at Osamu’s face, watching as his lower lip wobbled. “I’m not going to die. I’m going to stay on the ship and try to keep it upright. If the ship goes down, you three need to row over to me—”

“No!” Osamu yelled. “No, Rin. I barely survived my own ship capsizing. There’s no way you won’t drown before we can get to you.” 

“I’ve been on the seas my entire life.” He grabbed Osamu’s collar, yanking his face inches from his own. “Someone has to stay with the money, prince. I’m not letting that two-hundred million yen sink.” 

“That blood money isn’t worth dying over—” 

“My ship, my rules.”

“Then I’m staying with you.”

“No, you’re not.” Suna seethed. “Get your ass on that raft, Osamu. Or my sword will be right back at your throat.”

Osamu kept protesting. Suna only grabbed his hand and yanked him upstairs, Sakusa and Atsumu following. When they got to the deck, it was nothing but pure terror. Wind, rain, and hail pelted them from every direction. The ship itself was rocking like a teeter totter. The water below was so dark and angry, Osamu could only see it when lightning illuminated the sky. 

It was going to swallow them all alive, wasn’t it? 

Suna quickly inflated the raft that was over Sakusa’s shoulder. He threw it over the side, securing it to the side of the ship with a rope. He yanked Atsumu forward. “Jump in the water next to it. Get ready for the cold. It’s going to shock you.” 

Atsumu nodded, a nervous look in his eyes. He looked back at Sakusa, as if he was looking for someone to give him permission to do something so dangerous. But then he looked at Osamu. Tear-stained Osamu, who was holding onto an evil pirate’s hand for dear life. 

In what world— Osamu thought to himself, watching as Atsumu shook in fear. Lightning cracked right over them. In what world were we ever meant to be kings?

Atsumu took a deep breath. Then, he jumped. They all watched as he disappeared under the surface. He pulled his cord a few seconds later— his life jacket pushing his head above the water. Based on the onslaught of cuss words that came out of his mouth, the water was ice cold. Sakusa diligently followed. He plunged under, popped back up, and immediately swam to Atsumu’s side. They climbed up on the raft together. 

Suna squeezed Osamu’s hand, nudging him closer to the edge. “Come on. It’s time. I know you’re scared. I know you don’t want to feel the cold of the water again, but I swear, this will be nothing like it was for you when we met. You have nothing to fear.”

“I don’t want to leave you.” Osamu choked out. “I don’t want you to drown. Not over my father’s money. Please. Stay with us.” 

Suna brushed a lock of Osamu’s hair behind his ear, kissing him on the cheek. While Osamu was distracted, Suna nudged him closer to the edge. 

Then, he took a step back. With a frown on his face, he kicked his boot upwards, right in the middle of Osamu’s chest. 

Time slowed as he fell backwards off the ship. He felt as his hair blew around his face. His hand reached out to grab onto Suna, but already, there was too much space in between them. Suna only stared down at him, his violent green eyes still sending shivers down Osamu’s spine. 

At the final second, he gave a smirk, the wind whipping his hair over his face. Lightning flashed behind him, and as it illuminated his silhouette, Osamu was reminded of the first time they’d met. Of Suna dragging Osamu out of the water as if he was nothing but a sack of gold. Just something to exchange for more gold, more profit, more treasure. 

He’s nothin’ but a pirate— Osamu miserably thought. Of course he’d choose the money over anything. 

Osamu plunged into freezing cold water, right as he pulled his cord. 

He blacked out. 

When he awoke, he was laying on the raft. Atsumu held onto him tighter than he ever had before. Rain dripped from his nose and from his eyelashes, splashing onto Osamu’s face. 

“The ship.” Osamu gasped. “Is the ship still up?” 

“We lost sight of it.” Sakusa answered, keeping himself stable by holding onto the sides of the raft. “You’ve only been unconscious for a few minutes.” 

Osamu sat up, his entire body shaking. The raft was rocking just as violently as the ship. They were also completely exposed to the elements. But it had no chance of capsizing, and if it did, they’d be able to flip it back over just as easily. 

Osamu tried his best to scan the immediate area for Suna’s ship. But the waves were so high, he could hardly see a thing. It was all he could do to huddle next to Sakusa and his brother— the three of them doing all they could to stay upright. 

The biggest, most violent wave he’d ever seen in his life passed underneath them. And Osamu had a terrible, terrible feeling in his gut. 

“That one might knock the ship over.” Sakusa vocalized. “If it already hasn’t hit it—” 

The three of them kept their eyes glued on the horizon. Then, they heard an ear-piercing scream. Lightning flashed right above Suna’s ship, illuminating it right as it tipped onto it’s deck. Then it was completely upside down. 

Osamu moved to jump into the water. He was yanked back. He expected it to be Sakusa, but the hand grabbing the back of his life vest was none other than Atsumu. 

“You’re gonna die, ‘Samu!” Atsumu yelled. “He made his choice. He’s not takin’ you down with him—” 

“He needs me!” 

“I need you!” Atsumu’s voice cracked, his eyes nothing but pained. “You can’t leave me again, ‘Samu. You can’t. You’re my big brother. You can’t leave.” 

All of a sudden, Osamu felt like it was his twenty-fifth birthday again. Of the feelings that swarmed his mind as he wrote Atsumu that horrible letter of farewell. That day, he’d chosen freedom over his brother.

And the worst thing was, he was about to do it again. He finally managed to elbow Atsumu off of him. Then he jumped back into the water.

He swam as hard as he could to where the scream came from. Multiple waves hit him in the face, pushing him under. But each and every time, he came back, those green eyes burnt into his mind. 

Eventually he reached the ship. Or at least what was left of it. The wooden hull had broken in half, several chunks of wood and other debris churning in the water. Repeatedly, Osamu screamed Suna’s name. 

“Rintarou!” His voice broke, salt water stinging his eyes and tongue. “ Rin!”

Lightning flashed again. Fate itself illuminated the water just enough to show the submerged captain’s body. His lanky legs and strong arms and choppy hair— all floating helplessly several feet below the surface. His hand was outstretched, as if air was the only thing on his mind. 

Osamu didn’t even hesitate. He ripped his life jacket off, the weight of his clothes immediately pulling him under the water. Then he kicked with all his might until his arms were wrapped around Suna’s waist. Together, they soared upwards. 

They both gasped for air, Suna’s lungs sounding as if water was already inside of them. He coughed, hacked, gagged for several seconds, his arms trembling around Osamu’s shoulders. Luckily, his life vest wasn’t very far away, so he grabbed it and slipped it over Suna’s head. 

He hung onto the captain for dear life, the waves trying harder than ever to separate them.

“‘Samu. The money. The money—“ he shook, his voice hysterical. “I need to go get it. I need to dive back under. Put your life vest back on—“

“It’s gone , Rintarou!” Osamu screamed back, grabbing onto the sides of Suna’s face, shaking him violently. “It’s at the bottom of the ocean. There’s no getting it back. It’s time to let it go—“

“I can’t.” Suna broke down crying. It was the worst noise Osamu had ever heard in his life. It was as if Suna had been shoving down his tears his entire life, and now, they were finally beginning to spill. “I needed that money. I needed it to get off of this godforsaken sea— I don’t wanna be a pirate anymore. I don’t wanna hurt and rob and steal anymore, just to fucking live!” He wailed. It was nothing but pain. “I don’t wanna do this anymore. I can’t do this anymore—“

“I can’t do this anymore.” Osamu had whispered to himself, the night before his twenty-fifth birthday. He held his crown in his hands. On the table next to him sat the letter he’d be leaving for Atsumu in the morning. Several tear drops stained it. 

Another large wave hit them. They both were knocked under the water, and Osamu was almost sucked away. But the captain grabbed onto his wrist at the last second. They resurfaced together once more. Suna’s tears mixed together with the saltwater, his cries loud enough for any sea creature to hear. 

Osamu wrapped his arms around the captain. He pressed his face against his neck, trying to keep him as warm as he could. 

We’re not so different, him and I— Osamu thought, flashes of Suna stomping on his windpipe, his gaze cruel as he threatened him into silence. He’d had a hunger in his eyes that day. A hunger for freedom, just as Osamu had. 

We were never that different, were we?

Atsumu was the one to pull Osamu out of the sea. Sakusa yanked Suna up. 

They’d been in the water for over twenty minutes. Suna’s body heat had seeped out at a much faster rate than Osamu, which meant he was in a much worse condition. He kept going in and out of consciousness, his skin pale. Despite his lips being blue, he’d stopped shivering, which Osamu immediately recognized as a bad sign. He wasn’t in good condition, either. But at least he was awake. 

“It’s hypothermia.” Atsumu said within seconds of seeing them. “Get us to that lighthouse you saw, Omi. Now.”

Now that the storm had cleared up a bit, Osamu could actually see a faint light in the distance. Sakusa and Atsumu both rowed as quickly as they could while Osamu gripped Suna’s hands. He was getting worse by the second. 

“Hot.” Suna slurred, trying to strip his shirt off. “I’m so hot—“

“The cold is making him confused.” Atsumu said, his grip tight on the paddles. “Just keep him calm and awake. We’ll be to safety soon.” 

Osamu lightly pinned Suna’s wrists to his sides— something that greatly upset him. But without it, he’d likely rip his shirt off and dive back into the water. And that would be nothing but deadly. 

“Tell me about Reiki.” Osamu whispered. His teeth chattered, and every single one of his limbs shook. He feared that he’d be shut down by Suna, as the last time he’d asked about her, he’d threatened him. But if he wanted to keep Suna conscious, he had no choice. “Tell me about your sister. Tell me anything about her.”

It took Suna a while to respond. His words were so slurred, it was hard to understand. 

“She loved me more than anythin’.“ Suna managed to get out. His head kept lulling to the side. “She taught me how to fight.”

He shut his eyes. Osamu made him open them back up. 

“More.” He demanded, his prince voice falling out. He tried not to let his heart flutter too much at the idea of Suna sharing such personal details about his life. He trusts me now, doesn’t he? Not the time. Not the time—

“She called me her lil’ brother.” He slurred. “‘My little brother Rin’, she’d say.” He coughed up water. “She did everything for me. She worked shitty jobs to feed me. She’d go out of her way to find the best spots to look at the stars. She even broke into military bases in order to steal men’s clothes for me.”

Osamu tried to laugh, but a sob came out. “So that’s where these ugly boots came from, then?”

Suna had been in the middle of passing back out again, but the insult jolted his eyes back onto Osamu’s. “No. These boots— they were hers. Hers.” 

For the next several minutes, Osamu did everything he could to keep Suna awake. But the captain had run out of things to say. His brain was starting to shut down. 

“Just keep looking at me, Rin.” Osamu said, not daring to take his eyes off of Suna’s. Despite Atsumu’s yells that land was only a few minutes away, or Sakusa’s claim that another storm was rolling in, he didn’t look away for a damn second. All he knew were the violent green eyes that had saved him, time and time again. 

“I’m tired, ‘Samu.” Suna whispered. 

“I know.” His voice broke, brushing a frozen hand through Suna’s hair. “I know. But you gotta keep looking at me. You gotta let me look at your eyes. They’re the most breath-taking thing I’ve ever seen in my life. And I was a prince, Rin.” 

Thirty-seconds later, Suna’s eyes fluttered shut. Osamu yanked them back open. 

“My ship, my rules.” Osamu demanded, his mind flashing back to the first time he’d met the captain. My ship, my rules— Suna had said, a sword pressed to Osamu’s chin. 

Their raft finally hit shore. As gently as he could, Sakusa lifted Suna onto his back in a fireman’s carry. Atsumu looped one arm around Osamu’s waist to keep him steady, and together, they walked up the hill to the lighthouse. Tall buildings loomed right behind it— a small port side city in a country Osamu couldn’t quite place.

But as they walked closer and closer to civilization, Osamu wasn’t looking at the sparkling lights or the plumes of smoke from fireplaces. 

No, his eyes were still glued onto Suna’s, who was staring right back at him.

On a bright and starry evening, Osamu dragged Suna downtown. Atsumu and Sakusa were already miles ahead of them— Atsumu’s boisterous laugh echoing down the cobblestone alleyways they’d begun to call home. Sakusa laughed, too. He never used to laugh. 

“Where are we going again?” Suna groaned, his feet likely hurting. His sister’s boots were made to stand on the deck of a ship, not to run through the streets of their new city. “I’m so tired from our shift at the tavern today. I want to go to sleep.” 

“The city’s firework festival is tonight.” Osamu responded. “‘Tsumu and I have never seen fireworks before, and neither has Sakusa. So you’re coming.” 

Suna groaned incomprehensibly beside him. Osamu simply tugged him along. 

They got to a small park within the city, where thousands of civilians gathered around for the show. Tons of stands were set up that sold small wares, the nation’s flag hanging from their roofs. It was the flag of the neighboring country to the Miya Kingdom— a country his father swore was the enemy. But after living here for several months, in the country’s capital, he couldn’t disagree more. The rulers of this land were kind, forgiving, and just. It was basically paradise to either of the Miya twins. 

They laid out a small blanket right by the river. Atsumu sat down first, his head turned to the sky. 

“What do fireworks look like?” He asked Suna. Suna rolled his eyes, but it was nothing but a front. Deep down, he loved explaining anything he could about the outside world to Atsumu. The two of them had formed a weird sort of friendship— one Osamu couldn’t quite wrap his head around. 

“They’re loud. Colorful.” Suna sat down next to him, yawning. “You’ll see.” 

Sakusa pulled out a small bag from his back pocket. He yanked out a wipe, beckoning Atsumu to hold out his hands. “You’ve got paint still on your hands, Atsumu. Let me clean them for you.” 

Atsumu sighed, letting Sakusa scrub the paint off. While Suna and Osamu busted their asses at a local tavern in order to afford rent for their four-person home, Atsumu got to screw around all day at his painting internship. But whenever Atsumu sold one of his paintings, the four of them ate like kings for weeks, so no one hated him too much for it. 

Osamu stared at his brother’s hand for a second longer, remembering how dark and dull Atsumu’s paintings used to be while they still lived in the castle. Now, they were full of life. Some of them even made Osamu cry. He’d begged his brother to keep those paintings, and now, they hung on the wall in his and Suna’s shared bedroom. 

“You know, Omi, it’s okay to have a little paint on your hands sometimes.” Atsumu muttered, a fond gaze in his eye as he looked up at his guard. “It’s not like I have any princesses to impress anymore.”

“You have me to impress now.” Sakusa said. “And I am not impressed by mess.” 

Atsumu cut him off by kissing him on the lips. Suna and Osamu quickly looked away, their eyes wide. 

“I hope ‘Tsumu sells enough paintings one day to buy us our own house.” Suna whispered, trying not to laugh. “They’re so gross to watch.” 

“I heard that!” Atsumu broke the kiss. Sakusa just sighed, going back to cleaning the paint. “Besides, if my painting career takes off, the first thing I’m gonna buy is a tavern for Osamu to run. That way he can stop whining about how bad the food is at his job, and he can serve his own damn recipes. Maybe you two can live upstairs, but your livin’ situation ain’t my priority. My priority is to never hear Osamu say the words this onigiri is too dry again.” 

“It’s chronically dry!” Osamu threw his hands up. “It’s like they’ve never tasted good onigiri in their life—” 

The group collectively groaned. Osamu swore that he saw Suna’s hands twitch for his sword, as if he contemplated pressing it against Osamu’s neck and demanding for him to shut up. Suna Rintarou truly had no idea what he was getting into by dragging Osamu out of the water that day. But he’d sealed his fate. 

Within the next hour, the fireworks began. Atsumu watched them with wide eyes, Sakusa’s arm wrapped around his back. He was silent the whole time, the biggest grin on his face. 

Suna, however, got bored of watching the show. He tapped Osamu’s shoulder, leaning close to his ear. 

“Follow me.” He whispered. “I… need to talk to you about something.” 

The two of them snuck away into a quiet, secluded forest. Fireflies flew all around them, and crickets chirped from nearby bushes. The fireworks still popped in the distance. But despite the beauty of everything around them, Osamu’s eyes stayed glued to Suna’s. 

His green eyes never got old, no matter how many times he’d gazed into them. They were, and would always be, the most incredible thing to look at. 

“I want to see your scars.” Suna whispered, jutting him out of his thoughts. 

“My scars?” 

“The ones on your chest. From my crew.” He took a step closer. Despite the events surrounding Osamu’s twenty-fifth birthday being several months ago, there were still some things that he and Suna never talked about. The way his crew had carved him up was one of them. 

Curious to see what Suna was plotting, Osamu lifted his shirt up over his head. The fabric quietly fell to the ground. Then, Suna was right in front of him. He put his hands on Osamu’s shoulders. He leaned his forehead against his chest, taking in a deep breath. 

Then, he began kissing the scars. One by one. 

Osamu was fine with it, until Suna began to sniffle. 

“Rin—” 

“Just let me do this, okay?” He let out a quiet sob. “These scars have haunted me since the day I fell in love with you. And I’m never going to forgive myself for letting them do this to you.” 

He loves me? Osamu’s mind spun. 

“You didn’t know.” Osamu put a hand under his chin, forcing him to look up at him. A few tears had begun to drop. This was the second time he’d seen Suna cry, and it was still a horrific sight to see. “You didn’t know until I screamed for you. You came for me.” 

“No, Osamu.” Suna shook his head. “No. I heard everything that happened on that ship. Everything. I heard them planning it. I heard them go down the steps. I heard them take their knives out.” His voice fell to a whisper. “I heard every single muted scream of yours. Every cry of pain. And I didn’t do a thing—” 

He tightened his hold on Osamu’s shoulders, pressing his lips back onto the scars. He kissed, and kissed, and kissed. All while Osamu stared down at him with wide eyes. 

“I thought you were evil.” Suna confessed, his hands shaking on Osamu’s hips. “The man who burned down my parent’s home looked just like you. So I didn’t care about you at all. I just wanted that damn money. I didn’t care if you got tortured along the way. And I still haven’t forgiven myself. I’ll never forgive myself.” 

He finally picked his head up, looking Osamu in the eye. 

“You gave me hope again. You gave me a family again. You got me off those damn seas, despite us having no money.” He sniffed. “You did all of that for me. You’re the first man I’ve ever truly loved. And I let them torture you.”

More tears ran from his eyes as he went back to kissing the scars. This time, more desperately. More feverishly. He muttered to himself as he went along, begging the scars to fade. To go away. To never ache or bother Osamu again. 

The guilt must’ve been rotting Suna from the inside out— for all these months. It must’ve been eating him alive. 

“Stop.” Osamu ordered. Suna froze. “What miserable excuse for a pirate begs, huh?” 

Suna slowly stood up again. A few more fireworks went off behind his head, illuminating his choppy, wind-blown hair. No matter how far from the ocean Suna got, his hair always looked as if it’d been sprayed with sea salt. 

“Answer me this, Rintarou.” Osamu said. A warm breeze blew through the area. “You wouldn’t let me get tortured now, would you?” 

“No.” Suna’s voice was dead serious. “No, I’d slice them to pieces before they could even think about it.” 

“Then we don’t have a problem.” Osamu cupped Suna’s face in his hand, his thumb lightly playing with the corner of Suna’s lips. “I’m more concerned that you said you love me. Is that the truth?” 

“I do. I love you.” Suna whispered. “I love you more than I ever thought I could. That’s why I couldn’t live with myself any longer. What monster would torture a man he’d come to love? What monster would keep it a secret?” 

“What monster would immediately forgive an evil Miya?” Osamu whispered back. “What monster wouldn’t stand up for themselves, after everything my family had done to you?” He put his mouth right next to Suna’s. “I forgive you. You forgive me. It’s all okay.” 

He kissed Suna on the lips, his arms tightening around his shoulders. He kissed him like it was the air he needed to breathe. He was, in a way, as he was the one who’d saved Osamu from a lifetime of misery inside those horrid kingdom walls. Suna kissed him back just as feverishly, a lifetime of hatred towards the royal family wiped away as Osamu sacrificed himself for a lowly pirate, over and over and over again— 

Suna broke the kiss, right as the fireworks finale began. 

“Osamu?” He whispered, hope in his eyes. “Do you love me, too?”

“Of course I do.” Osamu paused, a grin creeping up his face. “ Captain Suna.” 

Since the very moment you put your boot on my neck— Osamu kept to himself, the very last firework taking place in Suna’s irises, and his irises alone.