The Pirate & The Princess [KaneTou]

7

The next time she awoke was when the sun had already risen and the morning light shined into the cabin, disturbing her sleep. Cracking open her eyes, she slowly sat up in bed and tested her strength by standing. Her vision was fine, her body felt strong and most of all, she wasn't feeling hot and cold anymore. She had successfully overcome the sickness. Glancing over to the basin beside the bed, she noticed that the water in the basin has disappeared, leaving only the towel in it.

Touka changed into a random shirt and pants she grabbed from the closet before making her way out onto the deck where she found Kaneki talking to one of his crew members. He noticed her, conversed with the man then made her way over to her. "How are you feeling?" He asked, pressing a hand to her forehead.

"Thanks to you taking care of me the whole night, I'm as good as new today. Thank you." She said, smiling.

Dropping his hand to his side, the ends of his lips curved up to a smile and nodded. "Good."

The silence came again but not for long.

"Why did you look so afraid when I was ill?"

"..I don't want to talk about it."

"Why?" She questioned.

"Because it's not worth talking about."

"Nothing is not worth talking about. You can talk to me, I won't say anything and I'll just listen."

"No."

"Tell me."

Irritated, he ran his hand through his hand with an exasperated sigh. "I once lost my best friend to that illness, okay?! I killed him! Are you happy now?"

Touka felt her mouth dry and swallowed hard. Maybe she shouldn't have pressed the issue.

"God damned it. I'm not speaking to you about this." Kaneki cursed, taking off with big steps, her following closely behind. He came to a stop in front of a wooden door and opened it. Turning back to her, he narrowed his eyes at her and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Do not follow me. I want my privacy when I bathe."

Her cheeks burned red and she stepped back. "Of course. I'm sorry."

Slamming the door in her face, he cursed once again and threw off his shirt to the corner of the cramped bathroom. After pouring hot and cold water into the wooden tub, he removed the rest of his clothes and settled into the tub with a sigh.

He didn't know how she was doing it but she was slowly breaking down the walls he built up around his heart. He wouldn't allow it, wouldn't allow anything else to hurt him ever again. When his best friend died, he had cried and suffered for ages as his heart broke into a thousand pieces. If he let her continue to get closer to him, he might one day experience the same sorrow he felt when she leaves him or died before him. He would protect his heart, no matter what.

Closing his eyes, he suddenly recalled the way her lips parted from one another after hearing how his best friend succumbed to the illness from his own mouth. Trying not to dwell on his best friend's death too much, he focused on how her lips looked like. They were full and incredibly attractive. Those lips would be the death of him. It was as if she were asking to be kissed. She even smelt so nice, damn it.

While he admitted that he was worried about her and took care of her tirelessly for the whole night, it also took everything in him not to take advantage of her when she was sick and vulnerable in his bed.

He then imagined himself on top of her, with her beautiful blue eyes gazing up at him, soft pink lips of hers tempting him to take them again, and her hair sprawled all over the pillow. She would be panting from the many kisses they'd shared and—

A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts and without thinking, he asked the person to enter, assuming that it was one of his crew who came to deliver a clean towel and new clothes to change into after his bath. The one who entered was Touka instead, holding the items that he needed in her hand and he glared at her. "What are you doing in here?"

"I bribed—persuaded one of your crew to take their place in delivering you your items."

"..traitors." He mumbled, turning his head away from her. "Just leave the things there and get out."

She laughed, sending his heart into a flutter and his hands squeezed the ends of the tub, in an attempt to hold himself together. Touka settled the towel and clothes down onto a nearby stool before pulling another so she can sit beside the tub. "I thought I instructed you to get out." He grumbled.

"I just thought I should wash your back for you, as thanks for taking care of me last night." She said nonchalantly, dipping a sponge in water and pumped twice of the bath soap into it.

"I do not need anyone to do it. I can do it myself."

"Such a caring man, not forcing your crew to bathe you."

"That's not it. They have other more important things to do than wash my back."

"Hm." Touka hummed, as if not believing him fully, put the sponge on his right shoulder, scrubbed, before shifting it to the left. His body burst into flames when her hands roamed his back as she washed it and every touch left behind a trail of fire, of heat. He wanted her hands on other parts of him; on his face, his neck, his chest—Damn it. It's been too long since he's ever been without a woman if he's fantasizing to this extent. He made it a point to visit the brothels the moment they stopped by a town. He couldn't do anything to her, because she was a princess and he couldn't ruin her.

"Tell me what happened." She softened her voice, and he almost spilled to her about Hide if it weren't for him being too stubborn about protecting his heart.

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her actions and pulled her close to him. Their faces were inches from one another's and Touka fought to keep her racing heart in check. "Why are you trying so hard to know me?"

"Because I know there's a good guy deep down inside of you and I want to see that, Ken."