“It’s so pretty…” Byul mumbled as he stared at the city of Wisteria from the Tiamat’s forecastle. His hair glimmered dark red under the bright morning light, a pretty contrast to his different colored eyes. “Very big…”

“You like it? We could make it your home.” Claris nudged the Visperian man’s shoulder. “A fresh start.”

“I thought I could stay with you…” Byul made a pouty face, his shoulders slumping a bit. Claris waved his hands in front of him and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“You can, it’s okay. I just wanted you to know, you have a choice in the matter.”

Byul took his eyes to the city again, he seemed pensive and happy. Claris couldn’t help but ask himself how long had he been kept as slave… how long since the last time he was given a choice.

“C’mon guys! I called for Her Highness and the others.” Hikaru called for them as she sat by a large round table with a big umbrella in its center. Her words had gotten translated through the crystallum, which Claris had been smart enough to place in his shirt’s front pocket. Breakfast had been served, a large variety of Akakawan and Sea Lander foods on it. “We got coffee, just took a sip and I have to admit this is pretty good stuff.”

“Haha, I honestly can’t imagine life without coffee. How have your people survived without it?” Claris joked, gently pulling Byul along with him. The Visperian man went along with him, stealing glimpses of the city every couple of seconds. “I see some crepes! I call dibs!”

The two men sat by the table, getting their hands on what they’d called dibs on or simply thought smelled good.

“To answer your question, badly. Though, I don’t think our lack of coffee was part of the problem.” Hikaru joked as she took a bite off a piece of sweet bread and took yet another sip of coffee afterwards.

“Back there, I, uh, noticed you guys get… really heated up?” Claris took a bite off a crepe, getting cream smudged all over his mouth. Byul looked at him with big eyes and held in a laugh. The prince cleaned off the cream with his finger and licked it all off. He chuckled and continued eating his crepe.

“We come from a country that just recently attained peace. We’ve been fighting wars together since we were mere children.” Hikaru fiddled with her fork, her gaze set on the pointy ends. “We’re still getting used to the peace and quiet. The thought of fights always gets us riled up.”

“I see…” Claris looked at Hikaru as she stabbed a fluffy egg square with her fork. “Is… that why Evan is so nervous about dating me? I mean, if it’s okay to even ask…”

“Pretty much so. He might not be ready to talk about his past to you, so I will ask you to understand. Evan Hoshigami was and is the Commander of the Naval Force, Empress Ashura’s right hand, the deadliest man in all of Akakawa Shirogane.” The woman ate the egg pillow she had poked with her fork, taking some time to continue her reply. “There’s many things we’ve done that we’re proud of, things that would be considered heinous by the people. Evan’s the one that’s done most.”

The blue haired man felt a pang in his chest, curiosity eating at him. He wanted to ask more about their whole story. He figured it’d be best to hear it out from his crush’s lips, whenever he was ready.

“My ears are buzzing, are you all talking about me?” Evan appeared in Claris’ field of view, he spoke loudly as he made his way to their table. Ashura followed after him, talking to Touta while looking as excited and energetic as ever.

“The answer is yes. I just told him about how horny the image of a man straight out of battle, dirt and blood sticking to his sweaty skin, makes you.”

“No, she wasn’t!” Claris protested, taking a moment before putting on a pensive face. “Does it though?”

“Very.” Evan grinned as he sat down by Claris’ side, Ashura taking to the chair besides his while Touta sat by Byul’s. “Last night? Really hard on me.”

“Huh.” The prince placed a hand on Evan’s thigh, the latter looking at him like he’d been flashed. “I like this confident side of you.”

“I, ummm… Claris, you, uh…” The captain blushed, his reaction the main reason everyone but Byul started laughing.

“I have no idea, what’s going on.” The newest member said as the others tried their best to stop laughing.

“It’s alright, buddy. You’ll get used to it.” Touta spoke in the Common Tongue, surprising Byul. The man took a breather, drying off the tears that laughing so hard had produced. The group enjoyed their delicious breakfast on board the Tiamat, all the while telling Byul all sorts of funny stories about their adventures. It was settled Claris would take the dark-auburn haired man to Pearlie’s along with a designated bodyguard before he went over to Larissa for help rallying up the Sin Hunters. Once he’d sent out word to his people, he’d return to the Tiamat with Byul and they’d resume their pirate hunting plans.

Everyone was very excited to set a plan. They were also looking forward to meeting the unfortunate asshole who’d get punished in the most terrible ways all of them could come up with.

***

“What are you so worried about again?” Larissa’s face showed off how confused Claris’ story had made her.

As planned, the prince had left Byul in the care of Opal and a kid by the name of Rikiya. Their mission was to get Byul to stretch his legs as well as get him clothes he liked. Afterwards, the man had gone off to find Larissa, figure out if she needed any help with Council matters and ask her to gather the available Sin Hunters. Claris had found his aide enjoying a late morning coffee down at a small shop near their inn. He’d sat down by her table and started asking her about how were matters with the Council. It didn’t take much for his aide to pause the conversation to ask him about his date.

“You’re telling me the man likes you the way you are, no filters and even drenched in blood. He has status, which at least should make him acceptable to your racist sisters AND most importantly, you like him back mind and body.” Larissa summed up. The prince’s retelling of the previous night had been done with various freak out moments in which Larissa had to pull him back. By the end of it all, he’d stayed quiet for a full minute before asking his aide what she thought about his situation. The woman smacked her own face in frustration before starting up her best-friend-speech. “I don’t see any reason you shouldn’t just bang him during heat. Hell, you could go feral on him and he seems the type who’ll beg you to tear him to pieces. A full masochist, I mean—"

“Larissa!” Claris stopped her before the woman could proceed to describing in detail what she imagined Claris would do to Evan. “…so, you do approve if I think…he might be the one?”

“…Your Majesty, I approved of Micha. I still have to know this Evan better to actually give you my approval for that. On the other hand, I like what he’s doing to you. I want to know him well enough to give him my full approval.” Larissa placed a hand on Claris’, the blue haired man turning his so he could hold hers. “It’s been a while, but you already know how love feels like. If he’s really the one, when you feel for him as you did with Micha, or more for that matter, go for it.”

“Even if he’s an important foreign commander?” Claris laughed, feeling a weight lift from his chest.

“ESPECIALLY if he’s an important foreign commander.” Larissa rolled her eyes, shaking her head slightly. “Now, what will you do about June Ocean?”

“Well, meeting Evan’s made me realize June was… a jerk.” Claris affirmed, his cheeks getting a slight pinkish hue as he thought of how different Evan behaved compared to June. “I might think June’s got a nice ass, but Evan’s got a nice ass AND didn’t wait for me to crush on someone else to ask me out.”

“Excellent... now make sure you talk to him, because every time he sees me, he’s been asking if I know how your date went. And I, as the sadistic aide to a previously very sadistic master, tell him he should ask you when he sees you. Politely, of course.” Larissa giggled, sipping the last of her coffee. “I’ll gather the Sin Hunters, we’ll wait for your orders, Your Majesty.”

Larissa waved Claris off, telling him to ask Evan for help with his heat problem and to please stop being so insecure. The young prince on his end, had gathered the bravery enough to do just as his aide had asked him.

I wonder if he won’t mind getting wet…