Читать книгу Over the Ocean, Over the Sea - Y. Yoshi - Страница 9

“Are you done with writing?” Rei asked, breaking Sho’s train of thought. He draped himself over Sho’s shoulders as he peered down at the journal.

Sho snapped the book shut. “Stop prying,” he muttered. “Are you sure you didn’t read anything in here?”

“I swear on the chicken’s life that I didn’t,” Rei said with mock gravity.

Sho clicked his tongue and smacked Rei with the book. “That’s not a very high stake.”

“Oh, yes it is!” Rei exclaimed, sitting up. “No chicken means no eggs, and you know how much I love eggs. I’d be devastated,” he said, flopping to the floor dramatically.

Standing up, Sho gave Rei a kick as he walked past him towards the chest which now held his belongings. “Aren’t you in a good mood,” Sho remarked. “You seem to be having too much fun for someone who’s supposedly taking care of a sick person.”

Rei chuckled. “Do I really look like I’m enjoying myself?” he asked, crossing his outstretched legs.

“Oh. Really. You aren’t?” Sho replied with a deadpan tone.

“If only you knew how much my heart aches each time you’re in discomfort,” Rei lamented.

“Oh, yes,” Sho nodded as he crossed the room, walking back to where Rei lounged. “You looked very heartbroken when you threw me into the tub and forced me to stay in there while laughing the whole time.”

“Didn’t you hear the sound of my heart shattering into bits?” Rei asked, smirking as Sho stood over him.

Bending over, Sho looked Rei in the eye and muttered, “All I heard was the sound of your gleeful giggles, you devilish fiend.”

To that, Rei laughed and pulled Sho down onto him. “You know it’s all for your own good,” Rei said softly, bringing himself closer to Sho. He had intended to give Sho a kiss but he was stopped.

Sho’s palm blocked Rei from getting closer. “I told you not to do that. You’ll get sick,” he said, a disapproving frown on his face as he lay down. “You’d tell me to wait to go out to sea but you wouldn’t wait for this.”

“You left me wanting the last time,” Rei breathed, resting his chin on Sho’s chest. “How chivalrous of you. And so unlike a typical pirate.”

Sho scoffed. “That again. How many pirates can you have possibly met?”

“You’d be surprised at how often pirates and sailors get washed up here,” Rei chuckled. “They’ve all been rather… boorish, to say the least.”

A cynical smirk tugged at Sho’s lips. “You’re telling me.”

“Makes me wonder if you’re really one,” Rei baited, trying to prod Sho for more insights about himself again.

“Why don’t you tell me?” Sho challenged, still smirking.

Rei narrowed his eyes at Sho as he gave it a thought. “Well, you can read and write, for one,” he muttered to himself. “That’s already more than what the average pirate can do.”

Sho said nothing, keeping his expression neutral as he waited for Rei to continue.

“Hm…” Rei lay his head down, pressing his ear to Sho’s chest and listening to his heartbeat as he continued to contemplate. Picking up Sho’s right hand, Rei let Sho’s sleeve slide down his forearm, exposing the brand on the inside of his wrist. As Rei watched Sho’s expression, now wary, he gently brushed his fingers over the scar. Rei heard Sho’s heart speed up for a moment and saw the hint of an involuntary wince on his face.

“The memory’s still fresh, isn’t it?” Rei whispered.

Sho gently pulled his hand out of Rei’s grasp and looked away. Rei could feel Sho closing himself up, distancing himself from Rei. Agony pricked at Rei, realising that he may never get that close again just because he intruded too much. Unsure of what he should do, Rei muttered an apology and began to separate himself from Sho, only to feel pressure around his waist, holding him in place.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sho muttered, watching Rei out of the corner of his eyes. “You deprive me of blankets and now you want to leave me to catch another cold?”

“I thought… maybe you wanted to be alone…”

“Bullshit,” Sho mumbled, making Rei lie down on the bedding as he held Rei close and pressed his head to Rei’s shoulder. “I still need you to sleep.”

Rei felt an irresistible urge to smile at Sho’s words. Wrapping his arms around Sho, Rei nuzzled against him and began kneading the back of Sho’s neck with his fingers, hoping to comfort him. After all, he still felt bad for bringing unease to the man. Sho simply stayed as he was, quietly falling asleep from Rei’s casual caresses as he began dreaming of days long past.